DEBATE: Does Joba's injury mean Yankees are done?
JIM: One punch too many for Yankees to take
Saying the Yankees are done on August 5 is a bit premature, I admit. Are we rushing to judgment here? Yes. So let's face the facts as we know them.
Joba Chamberlain, perhaps the most valuable asset the Yankees have in their entire organization short of Steinbrenner's ATM card, has a shoulder problem. Whether it's serious or not does not matter. Because the Yankees have made it clear they will take cautious to a new level when it comes to their young pitchers.
Regardless of what Joba's MRI says, he will miss time. No doubt about it. And after reading quotes from him describe the sensation as "something that grabbed and popped and got stiff," I would be surprised if he doesn't go on the DL. Remember, from the Yankees perspective, this is not about Joba helping out this year; it's about Joba's development.
So what does that mean for the Yankees? It means another huge blow, and I don't believe they can withstand this one. Wang isn't coming back. Hughes is, but you can't put any stock in him. Who knows why the Yankees won't call up Kennedy. And please don't mention the name Pavano.
Without Joba, the Yankees' starting pitching will be lacking. Can they contend? Sure. But in a three-team race for what could be one playoff spot, and I don't believe the Yankees can take this punch.
ANTHONY: Yanks can weather this storm
If the Yankees lose Joba Chamberlain for an extended period, it will no doubt hurt their chances of making the postseason. But it will not mean the end of those chances.
Joba was good, but heʼs not Walter Johnson yet. Yes, he outdueled Josh Beckett at Fenway. Yes, heʼs got ace potential. But even if heʼs not hurt, he was no lock to continue pitching as well as he has been since he became a starter. All starting pitchers go through slumps, and dead arm periods, and Joba was probably due for his.
Dan Giese and Darrell Rasner can get you a couple of good outings while Joba mends. If heʼs out more than a start or two, Phil Hughes is on the fast track to returning. And we all remember how good Hughes was last August and September.
Also waiting in the wings is Ian Kennedy, who the Yankees are really down on. Iʼm not surprised, because Kennedy was acting like a jerk earlier in the season. He was getting his head handed to him, but he kept saying he was pitching well. The Yankees, who handed Kennedy a rotation spot on a silver platter, now are punishing him by keeping him in Triple-A when they obviously can use him.
The Joba injury may force the Yankees to use Kennedy, and I have a feeling he will pitch well. Heʼs 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA in his last four starts. The Yankees would be foolish to continue to pass him over just because he was immature at the start of the season. They need wins; the charm school lessons can wait until after the season.
E-mail
Facebook
Digg
Delicious
Comments (14)
Jim,
"Popping" in Joba's shoulder?
Is this a fact?
Never mind the debate here....If Joba really said he experienced a "popping" in his shoulder.....THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING.
Please validate and/or confirm.
That Yankee world is on it's knees.
http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2008/08/05/chamberlain-to-go-back-to-ny-for-tests/
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/05/sports/baseball/05yankees.html?ref=sports
FYI: Changed my debate to include the actual quote.
ew...big.....ew
The Yankees have come back from the brink many times, while the national baseball media waits in the wings to dance on their grave. That being said, and despite the goodwill shown by Anthony, I have to agree with Jim on this one....this seems like the knockout blow.
Also....speaking as an ex-debater, I need to know this.
It's obvious you 2 don't disagree on everything, and one of you is using the old debating tactic of being able to speak on both sides of an issue regardless of your actual beliefs. Which one of you takes the Devil's Advocate for the hell of it in most of these debates?
Never say die.....
It ain't over 'til it's over.
Did Delta House surrender when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
Did John Wayne surrender his knife at the Alamo?
Did Bucky Dent take that pitch in Boston in 1978?
Did Tino swing and miss against Byung Yung Kim in 2001?
Did Amanda Bellacroccio go into the backseat of my father's '64 convertible in.....oh, never mind.
With that said......
When does hockey season start?
Germans?
Forget it, he's rolling....
Nick: Actually we do disagree on the issues we debate. The issues we agree on, we just don't bother debating because why bother?
At least that makes the debate more genuine, though debating for the hell of it is not only fun but a challenge. It forces you to surround an issue and take opposing viewpoints into consideration when you might have otherwise written them off. However, I'll admit that in my debating days we used to do it so we could all get our speeches in.
Let's hear for the Dr's before we mourn. Yogi said "it ain't over til it's over." Arroyo could be had on the cheap (Reds want to unload his contract) and five out his last six starts have been outstanding.
They're toast.
Joba injury was just a piece of this mess. The injuires have disappointed and been unpreventable but this team has no fire.
Im holding out another week. The wildcard standings have us back 7 but we still have games against TB, Boston and White Sox all ahead of us.
I be em this morning 15 to 1 at this site to make the playoffs:
http://www.inspin.com/mlb/yankees-playoff-chances-1633.html
A longshot but price seemed a little high. Opinions?