The Obsession with Joba Chamberlain’s Every Pitch

Playing Baseball in New York certainly has its advantages. If a player does well, the ancillary benefits of the media market certainly will make him more famous. Or, if a player just clicks with the fans, such as Nick Swisher, cult hero status is easily attained. Nowhere in the rest of the Baseball world can a player’s exploits on the Baseball diamond be more heralded and worshipped than in New York, especially in the Bronx where the two stadiums have been host to some of Baseball’s greatest feats. But, there is a dark side to New York. There’s the scrutiny; the pressure to perform in every single moment, even when every rational person knows that it simply doesn’t work like that (ask Alex Rodriguez). Nowhere in the rest of the Baseball world can a player’s failures be more loathed and dissected than in New York, especially in the Bronx where the two stadiums have been host to some of Baseball’s greatest feats.

As ridiculous as that all sounds, New York is both the best and worst place for professional athletes to play Baseball. Compounding the problem is the infamous New York Media, which has multiple papers competing for headlines (a synonym for readership), making every move a player makes print-worthy. With both the print and electronic media writing daily commentary, the temperature of the city is taken at practically each moment of the day. With social media such as twitter providing writers with instant access to fans, a writer’s tweet can set the blogosphere in a tizzy with bloggers running to write their 500 words about a writer’s 130-character message. It is the age New York athletes live in; most accept this and are generally treated fairly. When they play well, the writers treat them well in print. When they don’t play well, it can get ugly. It is exactly as Rick Peterson, former New York Mets Pitching Coach and current Milwaukee Brewers Pitching Coach, said: “In New York you play 162, one game seasons”.

Innings Limits, Pitcher Health, and Joba

But, there is one player where everyone—fans, media, bloggers, and guy on the street—haven’t been too fair. Joba Chamberlain came up with such a powerful debut that bar was set too high. He was the fire breathing, team saving, bridge to Mariano Rivera that the Yankees lacked for so many years. His 19 game, 0.38 ERA performance in 2007 at the age of 21 instantly gave Yankees fans vision of a young Goose Gossage out of the bullpen. He fist-pumped his way into the aforementioned cult hero status. In the following offseason, Chamberlain’s face was pasted all over the Yankees’ broadcast channel, Yes Network, and all over the media doing commercials for Dunkin Donuts.

But, there was one problem for this magical ride. Well, actually there were a few problems, but the only one that really matters was the Yankees viewed him as a starting pitcher. After all, Chamberlain was drafted as a starter, pitched as a starter during his brief minor league career (less than one full season), and pitched through his two years of college as a starter. Wisely, the Yankees wanted to use him as a starter in 2008 as he pitched well in that role in college and the Minor Leagues. In doing that, the Yankees were faced with a dilemma that all teams face. Chamberlain had only thrown 112 innings in 2007. If he started full-time he would obliterate that total, putting him at risk for injury.

The key to this issue is the risk for injury. There is an undercurrent of people surrounding the game from field staff to fans and media who don’t believe in risk of injury because of too many innings pitched. They’ll ignore the science. They’ll ignore the compelling data of when most pitchers throw more than 30 to 40 innings than they did the previous season; they are more likely to get hurt. The detractors will also ignore the fact that 99 percent of teams have innings limits, pitch count limits, and specialized conditioned. Some teams are more progressive than others. The Milwaukee Brewers have their own biomechanics laboratory that they are beginning to use. The Cleveland Indians also send most of their pitchers for a biomechanical analysis. Teams like the Mariners track every throw a pitcher makes from a pitch during a game to his warm-ups and even pickoff throws. The majority of teams have a specific plan in which they try to keep their pitchers healthy. Most often, that will mean limiting a pitcher’s innings and pitches during his first couple of seasons. It makes sense; if a pitcher is not conditioned to throw 200 innings under the stress of a Major League schedule and environment, he is more prone to injury. Why? If a pitcher isn’t conditioned properly, fatigue will set in. Fatigue is the one of the leading causes (along with poor mechanics, which can be exacerbated by fatigue) of pitching injuries. Instead, the arm (along with the rest of the body) needs to develop the capacity to withstand life as a Major League pitcher.

While there are certainly exceptions to this rule, why would any organization take a chance on hurting a valuable resource? It doesn’t make financial sense and it certainly won’t help the team on the field. Most clubs will set a limit and shut down that pitcher once he gets to that innings mark. Last season, the Orioles shut down their two prize pitching prospects, Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman, during the final month of the season in order to respect the innings limit and give them both a chance to come back healthy for 2010.

The Yankees’ mistake may have been their plan for Chamberlain. In an effort to save his innings, they started 2009 with him in the bullpen and then gradually began to stretch him out as a starter. It was painful to watch as he would start a game and leave after 2 innings. Then, Chamberlain missed time and eventually hitting the disabled list. In total, he pitched just 100.1 innings for 2008, putting him on the infamous “Joba Rules” for 2009. He ended up making 31 starts in 2009, but he was limited to just 157.1 innings. Chamberlain was effective during the first half of the season; actually, he was more than effective, compiling a record of 7-2 with a 3.59 ERA through July. Then, the Yankees began their measures to limit his innings. They skipped turns; they pitched him for two innings again. It didn’t work as Chamberlain was clearly out of sorts during the final two months of the season. Overall, he finished 9-6 with a 4.75 ERA and a 1.544 WHIP. They weren’t spectacular numbers, but numbers worthy of a first year, full-time starter. He wasn’t Lincecum, but not many pitchers can jump to the big leagues like Lincecum did. Chamberlain just isn’t in Lincecum’s league right now. He may never get there, but that doesn’t mean he should be written off.

Overanalyzed

Because Chamberlain made such a splash as a reliever, every move that he makes is analyzed. Last season, it seeming was at its zenith. When Chamberlain had a poor outing, the media would spur on the fans with headlines claiming that Chamberlain should be sent immediately back to the bullpen. Every poor outing brought out even more criticism; he was said to be babied too much as if he was asking for these limitations. Media outlets and blogs were actually calling him a baby because the Yankees chose to err on the side of caution and protect a team’s most valuable commodity—homegrown starting pitching. When he pitched well, he was the next Cy Young Award winner.

There has always been the element of reactionary media and fans in New York. The City started the sports talk radio revolution years ago. It has a team to talk about all year round, but New York is a Baseball town. Both the Yankees and the Mets get the daily evaluation every single day of the year. It is the reality of the market. But, the reaction to Joba Chamberlain is something different, something difficult to quantify. He’s become a lightening rod for criticism, a conduit to numerous articles about the value of a dominant setup man and a potentially decent starter. Every move he makes, every pitch he throws, and every out he gets (or doesn’t) is written/talked about as ammunition for or against him. Unlike any other young pitcher in the game, Chamberlain isn’t expected to have a typical development. In fact, he didn’t have the typical development. Chamberlain only threw those 88.1 Minor League innings. Most pitchers throw close to 300 in the Minors. Some may think that this is all hyperbole. Some, in this case, would most definitely be wrong. All they would need to look at was Chamberlain’s first 2010 spring training appearance.

Chamberlain worked 1.1 innings of relief (coincidental, isn’t it?) last week for his first appearance of the spring. Locked into a battle for the fifth spot, his obvious desire was to pitch well. He didn’t as he gave up 3 hits, 2 walks, and 5 runs in that span. He actually looked worse than the numbers indicated. The reaction after the game was even worse than the box score. Long-standing New York papers wrote how it was necessary to just put Chamberlain in the bullpen now (it would save drama). Goose Gossage, never one to hold his opinion, stated that Chamberlain looks like a reliever. A prominent New York sports radio host has always backed Chamberlain as a reliever. Even he got his say about Chamberlain. Blogs, as well as the mainstream media, wrote about the difference between Chamberlain’s demeanor in the playoffs a reliever compared to that demeanor when he started. All of those judgments were made 1.1 innings during his first spring action. Sane Yankees fans should be thankful that the media and bloggers don’t run the team.

Early spring training results, in most cases, are largely ignored by teams. Teams won’t care if their pitchers give up runs. Those first few spring starts are all about conditioning, mechanics, and working on specific pitches. Some pitchers will be told to only throw fastballs and changeups. Some will work on spotting the ball on the inside. The priority of getting outs is lessened at this point in the spring. Teams are looking at far different things. Simply put, writers of any outlet are not only wasting time writing about Chamberlain’s 2010 role based on that inning, they are also looking very foolish. It looks as if writers covering the Yankees will turn to Chamberlain when there isn’t the typical Yankees’ scandal or controversy to cover. It has become an obsession to have to classify Chamberlain in a role right now. Because of 1.1 spring training innings, Chamberlain should be a reliever regardless of the developmental precautions taken in 2009.

It is a good thing that teams, not even the supposedly rudderless Royals, pay attention to the cries. Last Spring, the Royals had a pitcher who came to camp virtually locked for a rotation spot, but only had a moderate sample of success mixed with some failure. The pitcher made 8 spring training starts. He threw 28 innings, allowed 47 hits, 9 walks, and 29 earned runs. The Royals didn’t let a 9.21 spring training ERA let them influence Zack Greinke’s rotation spot decision for 2009. The Cy Young Award winner struggled early as he searched for the feel of his breaking ball and changeup. It took him all spring, but the work paid off as he did, you know, win that big award. Imagine if the Royals would’ve looked at his spring numbers and made a foolish decision. Throughout the history of Baseball there are pitchers who have great springs and can’t follow it up during the season and pitchers who have terrible springs and have great years. It is why teams don’t put too much credence into spring training numbers. They may glance at the end result, but they are really looking at pitch selection, pitch quantity, and overall improvement. Judging Chamberlain on his statistics, especially his 1.1 innings, is foolish and unrealistic. One can bet that Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi haven’t even thought about it.

Proper Evaluation

Joba Chamberlain may never get a fair chance in New York with the public. He will always be that excitable kid who celebrated strikeouts as a reliever. He has the talent to be a quality starter, thus having the talent to be a great reliever. His potential as a starter should be evaluated without his innings restrictions, which, coincidently, are no longer in place this year. He has demonstrated, at a young age, that he can be an above average starter. Now, without the restrictions, he can show if he can pitch deep into games. He can show if he can develop that consistency, cut down on his pitches thrown, and cut down on his walks. He gets that chance this season and like all other pitchers, he deserves a chance to show it over the course of an entire season. A poor month is not enough time to make a judgment. One could ask Minnesota’s Scott Baker if a month is enough time to determine a season. Baker began the 2009 season with a 0-3 record and a 9.82 ERA. His next six starts were a bit better, but still not great as he compiled a 2-3 record with a 4.97 ERA. After that, Baker found his form and went on to finish the season with 15 wins, putting together an 8-2, 3.28 ERA in the second half. Patience. If he continues to show the Yankees signs of being a good starter, he should be given the opportunity to continue in that role. If he shows he can’t, he should be sent to the bullpen. But, a proper evaluation is all about patience and seeing the big picture.

Weird Obsession

The Tim Lincecum’s of the world are rare. Most good pitchers will struggle at the onset of their careers. Roy Halladay went 12-14 with a 6.01 ERA during his first two Major League seasons (21 and 22 year old seasons). Tom Glavine went 9-21 with a 4.76 ERA during his first two seasons. The legendary Bob Gibson went 6-11 with a 4.55 ERA during his first two seasons. Chamberlain may not be in the same class as these pitchers, but he has certainly put up better statistics during his first two seasons (13-9, 3.91 ERA). It would seem that a pitcher who puts up promising numbers would be celebrated in New York. One would think the media would actually champion him. Instead, there is this weird obsession with making fun of him, posting snarky twitter remarks, taking shots at him on the air. Can one imagine what the supposed experts would’ve said if Chamberlain pitched like Zack Greinke did during his first two seasons (13-28, 4.99 ERA)?

He’s shown signs of being a top starter. He doesn’t deserve this weird obsession that writers and fans have with him. It is a difficult obsession to quantify, as no other athlete has really been this scrutinized in New York. Sure, New Yorkers turned on Andy Pettitte in the mid-90’s when he struggled amid trade rumors (only to rebound). They booed Mariano Rivera when he blew a couple of April saves. They even booed Derek Jeter when he went hitless of a couple of weeks. It’s classless, but it’s New York and accepted by the players. Chamberlain is different. There’s this pull to be right about his role that clouds everything he does. It is as if half the City (and its media) root for him to succeed in the rotation and the other half wants to see him back in the bullpen. Usually, one would think that a player should have the City behind to succeed in anything, right? One would think that pitches wouldn’t be dissected, single innings be discussed as if they are an answer to anything, or that he would be constantly asked about his  role after each outing. Evidently, the supposed intelligent market of New York will just continue this weird little game.

Closing Thoughts

The argument is no longer about where Chamberlain belongs. The Yankees will determine that based on their extensive criteria. One thing seems certain: Chamberlain will be successful in any role he is put in. He has the tools and has performed well. He’s not being babied nor is he a baby. He is simply a product of the time where teams will go to extensive lengths to protect its pitchers. All teams do that, it is just that the Yankees have a bigger spotlight. Media and fans need to shift the focus from being right to looking objectively at his performance in each role. They need to forget about his fist pumps, forget about his strange innings limitation plans, and just focus on the results. Overall, those results have been promising. Despite perception, the numbers show he is not a failed starter. Despite perception, he can be a quality pitcher, possibly a top of the rotation starter. Yet, many want to write off a 24 year old pitcher who just completed his first full season. That doesn’t seem to make much sense.

The focus of writers and fans should be on the Yankees’ season and the battle for the fifth spot between two talented young pitchers and a couple of veterans. That battle doesn’t truly begin for a couple of weeks until pitchers are throwing 70+ pitches in the game. The focus should not be on the result of each Joba Chamberlain pitch. The weird obsession with Chamberlain has to stop in order to allow the team to grow and give Chamberlain the real chance to find his long-term role for his Major League career. Wherever he belongs, those 1.1 innings don’t have any impact on the decision despite the thousands of headlines to the contrary.

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