What’s Wrong With Joba?
Joba Chamberlain
As a Yankee fan i was really looking forward to seeing what Joba Chamberlain could do this year. After seeing him pitch less and less into the game as the season progressed (with the exception of the handfull of starts right after the all-star break, where he looked like the old Joba) I have come to the conclusion that there is something either physically or mentally wrong with him. I’m not saying that he’s an insane asylum patient like Ollie Perez, but Joba seems to get frustrated a litte too easily. Watching him pitch, I have noticed that he likes to pick at batters when there are two strikes instead of challenging them with balls in or around the strike zone. I, as I’m sure every baseball fan, have also noticed that he has lost a staggering amount of velocity on his fastball. This leads me to his physical problem. I think that somethings up, when a guy who threw 97 to 100 mph coming out of the bullpen starts throwing 90 to 93 and a very rare 94-95 mph when he changes to starter. I understand that moving from the pen to a starter requires much more stamina, but I don’t think that it is normal to lose 6 or 7 mph on your fastball after you make the change. I guess what I am trying to say is that Joba cannot be a reliable starter for the Yankees in the postseason.
Your opinion?
The Sports Factory 
I don’t believe Joba is entirely healthy from his bout with tendonitis late last July. His velocity is substantially worse and as a result I think his confidence along with everything else has been damaged. I know pitchers lose velocity as they transition from starter to reliever. However, when he first made the switch to a starter last season he was throwing 95 96 through the whole game. When he came back following his shoulder issues his velocity was noticably worse and he has carried that over and throughout this year. I don’t know what the yanks should do with him right now, but I believe the real test of what type of starter he will be is going to come next year. I hope he can pull it together.
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A definite great read..Jim Bean
What was his velocity when he made those three great starts from July 19-29? His stats from those three starts 21.2 IP. 8 Hits. 2 ER. 8 BB and 19 SO. I just look at it as a young pitcher still learning how to pitch. The Yankees screwed up his season and Joba never really got into a rhythm. If there’s nothing mechanically wrong with his delivery, the Yankees should allow him to air it out as a reliever in the post season.
I agree about your position/opinion about JC. If his move to starter is slowing down his “heat”, then they should rethink the move. The reason he was added was because of his gas. But now that his high-cheese isn’t as fast, he must have some physical issues that are hindering him from lettin’ all hang out. Being a starter is no-joke. I think he’s gettin’ a little too pretty for the position, worrying too much about his longevity rather than just dealing with each start as i comes.
-Well done!
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