When Joba Chamberlain walked into Dr. Christopher Ahmad's office Thursday and saw the doctor's head down, he knew something was wrong.

His elbow felt tight, but not painful, so he expected this MRI to reveal little damage.

He certainly didn't expect the stunning news he heard: the medial collateral ligament in his pitching elbow was torn, that he would likely need Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery, and that his season was over.

As Chamberlain listened, he couldn't hold back tears. "I was in shock when I heard the news," Chamberlain said. "I was just trying to get out of there as soon as I could before I broke down. It's pretty easy to break down in that situation."

The Yankees are sending Chamberlain's MRI results to Dr. James Andrews in Alabama for further analysis, but the ligament is definitely torn, and barring a miracle, Chamberlain is done for the year, with a best-case return of next spring.

A very tough break for a guy who's been under the microscope and jerked around since his initial call-up to the bigs. We at NoMaas wish him all the best and hope his recovery goes swiftly. Best of luck, Joba.

Bartolo Colon’s weight doesn’t bother Cashman. “We saw him pitching in winter ball,” Cashman said. “We know what we signed.” Cashman said Colon is athletic enough to keep up with everyone, despite his size. “He is what he is,” Cashman said. “We’ll condition him like everyone else, but there’s no crack down on him. I signed him for a reason, and I know what I signed.”

But yet, somehow Joba's weight does bother him? What the...

Also, how is it that Bartolo Colon gets a shot at the rotation even though he's a fat slob, hasn't thrown more than 100 innings in a season since 2005, and didn't pitch at all in 2010 -- yet, it's been proclaimed that Joba Chamberlain can NEVER START AGAIN?

We can all have different opinions about how effective Joba would be as a starter. However, there is no way anyone can offer a rational argument that Bartolo Colon is more deserving than Joba of a chance at the rotation. It simply doesn't make any sense.

Well, there's something you don't see everyday.

*Props to Louis Winthorpe III and Marshall Seymour for also contributing to this post

NY Times:

Asked Wednesday morning for his impression of Chamberlain, General Manager Brian Cashman said: “He’s heavier. Let’s just leave it at that.”

Asked if he expected Chamberlain to lose weight by opening day, Cashman only repeated, “He’s heavier.”

Exactly how much heavier was unclear, considering Cashman, when asked, would not say, and neither would Chamberlain, who tired quickly of the questioning. Saying he felt “great,” “awesome” and “stronger physically,” Chamberlain suggested his weight was not a fair indication of his physical condition.

“I’m in better shape than I have been in a couple years,” Chamberlain said.

LoHud (we suggest reading the full article):

Cashman on Wednesday --

“He’s always had trouble repeating his delivery. That was prior to the Texas issue, that’s always been an issue for him. I wouldn’t trace any mechanical changes to what took place in Texas.”

And again the nonsense that a starter should have the same velocity as a reliever --

"He used to throw 95-plus from pitch one as a starter. He doesn’t do that now. But he can do that out of the bullpen."

Keep in mind that at the conclusion of the "competition" between Hughes and Joba for the 5th starter spot in 2010, Cashman literally said that Joba would have also been in the rotation if Javy Vazquez wasn't acquired:

March 26th, 2010: Yankees GM Brian Cashman says Joba Chamberlain is capable of being a starter

So for all the people who point to 2009 as the reason why Joba shouldn't start (as if using 157 innings for a 23-year old is a valid sample), you can all eat it, because in March 2010, Cashman was still saying Joba had starter ability.

Honestly, could this organization treat Joba any more poorly? And if they "knew" all this stuff about him, why didn't they trade him when his value was high?

The whole situation is absolutely ridiculous, and for the sake of his career, Joba should ask to be sent elsewhere.

On Joba:

Well there's no better way to pump up Joba's trade value than to say "His arm is totally f**ked by injury and he'll never be able to start a game in his life again."
-- Vizzini

On Bartolo Colon:

Cashman has this side of him where he likes to bet exotics on horse tips some ancient scout dropped in his ear at the urinal. It worked out with Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon, so he keeps trying it. We saw it with Chan Ho last year. And before that with Igawa, Ponson, et al. It was probably a large part of why we were so willing to part with IPK -- scouts never thought his stuff would make it in the bigs. And it seems to have a lot to do with why Joba is chained to the pen.

This is just a waste of time. It's like having an extra fire insurance policy on your mansion where you hire a retard to put out a huge fire in case the local group of volunteer firemen can't handle it. The guy's retarded so you probably don't have to worry about actually paying him. But if you do get into a situation where the house is burning down, now you're hoping that a retard can be the one to save your sh*t.
-- Vizzini

-- Cashman being overruled --

Speaking in an even tone today at Yankee Stadium, Cashman said that his opinion was heard, but that it might not be the last time his recommendation is not followed, depending on the circumstance.

Cashman felt that he could better allocate the club’s resources elsewhere, and that he could improve the bullpen by other means, if necessary. The trade for Kerry Wood at last year’s trade deadline is one such example.

-- Final nail in the coffin for Joba --

Despite the presence of Soriano, Joba Chamberlain will remain in the bullpen.

-- Jeter's place in the batting order --

Girardi added that Derek Jeter is his preference as a leadoff hitter entering camp, but that the batting order will be an area of discussion during spring training.

In his age 22 and 23 seasons, Joba Chamberlain logged 221.2 innings as a major league starting pitcher, with a K/9 of 8.40, K/BB of 2.04, and an ERA of 4.18.

Now bizarrely pigeonholed by the front office and coaching staff as a middle reliever, it's time for Joba to be traded. With the market for relievers currently inflated, he likely possesses more value in a trade than what he represents to the Yankees as just another member of the bullpen. And maybe there are some teams who think putting up numbers like those cited above are actually reason for optimism.

It's time. Free Joba.

Perhaps trading an imprisoned Joba would bring back some big breasteses.

Despite the Yankees' need for a starting pitcher, Cashman reiterated that Joba Chamberlain will remain in the bullpen. Chamberlain spent the entire season as a relief pitcher after losing a spring training battle for the final open rotation spot to Phil Hughes.

"His stuff plays so much more significantly out of the pen," Cashman said. "We've given him the opportunity to show what he can do out of the rotation and the velocity dropped. It's just not the same stuff."

CC Sabathia's velocity would be higher if he was in the bullpen. Phil Hughes' velocity was higher in the bullpen. And if the Yankees had any other starting pitchers, their velocity would be higher in the bullpen too. Everyone's stuff plays better out of the bullpen. That's the way it works. This excuse simply doesn't make any sense.

Bottom line: Joba is the most wasted Yankee asset in recent memory.

Andy Pettitte’s yearly retirement debate leaves, as of now, two open spots in the Yanks' starting five. Obviously reluctant to rely on AJ Burnett for anything in 2011, the Yankees have only two starters they can count on in CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes.

The Yankees are essentially the same team that just a year ago went to the playoffs with a pitching staff that gave 157.1 innings to Javy Vasquez (4.90 xFIP), 65.1 to Dustin Moseley (4.95) and another 48 to Chad Gaudin (5.29). Not to mention these innings were in place of the Yankees second-most effective starter, Andy Pettitte (4.05 xFIP), who missed close to two months of baseball down the stretch as the Yankees fought to get into the post-season.

While the Royals have made Zack Greinke available (and we're fans), Kansas City now has enormous leverage, and reportedly want at least 4 impact prospects in return. Consider this...

Pitcher A – Age 22: 183.0 IP, 5W – 17L, 5.80 ERA, 4.64 xFIP, 5.61 K/9, 2.61 BB/9, 2.15 K/BB, 39.2 GB%

Pitcher B – Age 23: 157.0 IP, 9W – 6L, 4.40 ERA, 4.56 xFIP, 7.61 K/9, 4.35 BB/9, 1.75 K/BB, 42.9 GB%

If it’s not immediately obvious, Pitcher B is our very own Joba Chamberlain in his much lamented 2009 season, while Pitcher A is the aforementioned Zack Greinke in his 2005 sophomore campaign. My point is that one bad year isn’t an indicator that a young pitcher can’t make it as a starter; it’s an indicator that he had a bad year. Chamberlain rebounded in 2010 (2.98 FIP, 3.34 xFIP) and shouldn’t be seen as an afterthought in the rotation, but rather as one of the front-runners.

After a dubious 2008, Phil Hughes' resurgent 2009 bullpen performance was a catalyst in moving him back to the rotation. Why shouldn't Joba be allowed the same opportunity? The Yankees felt comfortable using Phil’s career-high in innings pitched to determine his 2010 workload, so I see no reason why they wouldn't apply the same rule to Chamberlain. He's the best in-house option for a rotation position (that's coming from a huge Ivan Nova fan) and it would only result in a marginal downgrade in the bullpen, which signing someone like Bobby Jenks can ameliorate now that the Yankees have extra cash to throw around. It's not the prettiest solution, but with an increasing supply of teams wanting Greinke, the price is only going higher.

This isn’t just a move for 2011; it’s a move for the Yankees long-term. Cliff Lee going to Philadelphia gives the Yankees the rare opportunity for a second chance with Joba Chamberlain, if they aren’t too stubborn and blind to acknowledge their previous mistakes and take steps to correct them. There’s no better time than now.

"We consider him a bullpen guy in the back end of the bullpen."

Yankee Starting Pitcher Development Strategy:

1. Draft collegiate starter with early-round draft pick.
2. After dominating minors as a starter, make into reliever.
3. Remind reliever that he is a starter.
4. Make reliever into reliever/starter.
5. Remind reliever/starter that he is a starter.
6. Make reliever/starter into starter.
7. Remind starter that he is a starter.
7. Make starter into reliever.
8. Tell reliever that he is now a reliever.

The perfect plan.


There will be no glory for Joba as a starting pitcher in New York.

"That's a game you can close out," said Eiland. "Especially with all the days off (ahead of them). Maybe if we had only one day off coming up, we would have done something different. But we just felt, 'Let's go ahead and put them away and be done with it.'"

Wood was not able to "close out" the game and was relieved by David Robertson, with Girardi once again shunning Chamberlain.

It's hard to argue that it's wrong for a manager not to trust a a reliever who only allowed two runs in his 26-inning debut with the club. But, is relegating Joba to spectator status the right move? If Girardi is basing his bullpen decisions on late season performances, has Wood even been better than Joba since the former Cubs phenom arrived in New York?

The answer to both of these questions is 'no'.

While Kerry Wood brought his notorious strikeout ability to New York (10.7 K/9 regular season post-trade), he also carried over his flyball tendencies (45% flyballs) and horrid control (6.2 BB/9 -- yikes!). His xFIP in pinstripes (4.20) says that he's more of an average reliever than the elite one his ERA (0.69) would have you believe. A luckbox trifecta of a .235 BABIP, 4% HR/FB, and an absurd 98% LOB% (the average pitcher strands 72% of runners, and Hamels and Halladay led the league by stranding 83% of runners this season) explain most of Wood's success.

Meanwhile over the same period, Chamberlain had a 9.1 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 for a 5.4 K/BB that easily bests Wood's 1.7. Joba also was steadily regaining his velocity, and his underlying numbers show it. Over the last 31 days of the season, Joba had an 11.9 K/9 (to Wood's 11.5), 1.3 BB/9 (to Wood's 6.5), 9.00 K/BB (to Wood's 1.8), and a 39%/15%/45% Groundball/Line Drive/Flyball profile (to Wood's 20%/25%/55%).

So this is what we don't get -- By electing to go to Wood in three straight games as the bridge to Mariano, Girardi is obviously making his decision based on what Kerry has done as a member of the Yankees. However, over that same time period, Joba has been the better pitcher. But, since we don't watch games and instead read Star Wars books, maybe Joba's vastly superior statistics aren't meaningful to Girardi for reasons unknown to us.

*Props to Louis Winthorpe III for also contributing to this post