Not Surprising: Joba Chamberlain to Close If Mariano Rivera Gets Hurt

This George A. King III article pretty much states what we all expected anyway—that if Mariano Rivera suffered a serious injury, Joba would be used as the closer. I don't see how the Yankees could look in any other direction if such a horror were to occur.

However, if Rivera were to miss a sustained period, three club officials verified that Chamberlain almost certainly would replace him. The officials admitted the subject has been discussed at the highest levels and conceded Chamberlain has the best combination of temperament and stuff—by far—in the organization to handle both replacing the legendary Rivera and coping with the stress of being the Yankees' closer.

The only reliever with even an outside chance to fill in during an extended Rivera absence is Brian Bruney, but one Yankees official said cautiously, "Let's see him handle the eighth inning first."

Bruney himself doesn't seem too worried about getting that job done:

"I don't give a [spit] about that," Bruney said of proving the Yanks don't need Chamberlain in the pen. "I am here to help the team win a World Series. I am not Joba, so I am not worried about Joba. Anyone who thinks Joba should be in the eighth, that is their business. The team is counting on me in the eighth inning.

"Without sounding like Terrell Owens here, I know I have good stuff," Bruney said. "I have an upper-90s fastball, upper-80s breaking ball, and a good changeup. People wish they had my stuff. But I have to attack the strike zone. The count has to be 1-2, not 2-1. If that means throwing 93 [mph], not 97, I have to do that.

Just because he says, "without sounding like Terrell Owens," doesn't mean that what he said didn't sort of sound like Terrell Owens. But he is right—he does have great stuff, especially for a relief pitcher, and there is no reason why Bruney couldn't succeed as a setup man. The only thing he needs to do is throw strikes, and he'll be fine.

How did this go from Joba closing if Mo is hurt to Bruney being a quality setup man? I don't know—you're going to have to ask George King about that one. But King does bring it full circle with this quote from Bruney about closing:

"My ideal situation is to be a closer," Bruney said. "I want that pressure situation. I want the toughest job. It not only pays better, but I like being out there with stuff on the line. I am not saying I want to take Mariano's job. I just see myself as a closer one day. That is why this [year] is such a big step for later in my career."

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