Joba Chamberlain's First Start: a Running Conversation

In honor of the most anticipated Yankees regular-season game in recent memory that didn't involve the Red Sox, and in the spirit of Bill Simmons' running diaries, I present to you a running instant message conversation between myself and my friend Brad Wachtel during Joba Chamberlain's first major-league start against the Blue Jays Tuesday night.

(6:31 PM) ME: joba, joba, joba, joba

(6:41 PM) ME: i want them to lift him with a perfect game

(6:42 PM) BRAD: i want him to pitch well

(6:42 PM) ME: gonna be hard to win tho v halladay

(6:42 PM) BRAD: def, yanks wont score

(6:45 PM) ME: he has to show that he can pitch well over 3 or 4 innings

(6:45 PM) BRAD: eh, i expect him to struggle a little

(6:55 PM) BRAD: they need more pitchers, they need stuff, and they need to score, and they need electricity, and they need the heart, then they will win it all

(6:56 PM) ME: joba has electricity and heart

(6:56 PM) BRAD: thats what we need from him...rub it off

7:03 PM: First shot of Harlan Chamberlain.

(7:08 PM) BRAD: control is the key

7:10 PM: After six pitches, Joba hasn't thrown a hard slider yet and the first hitter Shannon Stewart has worked a full count.

(7:10 PM) ME: wheres the slider?

(7:10 PM) BRAD: it's all about pitch count, 6 already

(7:10 PM) ME: well he cant think like that, hes gotta get ppl out

(7:11 PM) BRAD: on pace for 3 inn

(7:11 PM) ME: they should just put a counter on the screen

7:12 PM: Michael Kay uses the word 'geeked' twice in 45 seconds. I still don't know what it means.

7:14 PM: After walking Stewart, Joba finally records an out on his 13th pitch, getting Marco Scutaro to go down swinging.

(7:14 PM) ME: phew, big exhale

7:18 PM: Joba balks Stewart to second, who then advances to third on a passed ball before scoring on Alex Rios' ground out to second base.

(7:18 PM) ME: wheres the slider out pitch ya know?

(7:21 PM) ME: it works out that they put him up against halladay bc theyre prob gonna lose that game anyway, so why waste a good start

7:24 PM: Joba gives up a single to Scott Rolen before walking Matt Stairs.

(7:24 PM) BRAD: am i the only person that isnt shocked by this inning?

7:26 PM: Chamberlain walks Lyle Overbay to load the bases and the newly called up Dan Giese begins warming in the Yankees bullpen.

(7:26 PM) ME: watch DAN GIESE come on and be lights out

7:26 PM: Joba strikes out Rod Barajas swinging to get out of the first inning after throwing 37 pitches and walking three, but he only gives up one run.

(7:26 PM) ME: nice, ok joba, no worries kid, u showed heart there

(7:28 PM) BRAD: watch the yankees score 4 this inning

7:29 PM: Johnny Damon leads off against Roy Halladay with a triple to center.

(7:29 PM) ME: guys STEPPIN UP FOR JOBA, bringing energy to team

7:32 PM: Derek Jeter doesn't get the job done.  He grounds to third, preventing Damon from scoring from third with less than two outs.

(7:32 PM) ME: AWFUL, 3 for last 7 getting runner home from third with less than 2 outs, u should score leadoff triple roughly 100% of the time

7:34 PM: Bobby Abreu strikes out swinging, again stranding Damon at third with less than two outs.

(7:34 PM) BRAD: everytime

7:37 PM: After Alex Rodriguez gets hit by a pitch, Hideki Matsui singles to left, bringing home Damon and tying the game at 1-1.

(7:37 PM) ME: HUGE

7:38 PM: For the first time since September 30, 2001, Jason Giambi intentionally hits the ball on the ground to the opposite field, bringing A-Rod home to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first.

(7:38 PM) BRAD: Oej rl?EJ.SF';EGew

(7:39 PM) BRAD: it looked like tried doing it!!!! he shouldve done that 3 years ago

7:42 PM: Robinson Cano grounds out to end the first and Harlan Chamberlain is shown twice more on camera as his son starts his second inning of work.

7:51 PM: Now settled down after his offense gave him a lead, Joba retires the Blue Jays in order in the top of the second.  As the bottom of the frame begins, Harlan is interviewed by one of YES's awful "sideline" reporters and the elder Chamberlain uses the word 'truition.'

8:08 PM: In the top of the third, Joba walks Rios on his 62nd pitch and Joe Girardi removes his starter from the game after 2.1 innings.  Not a terrible outing, but far from great.  Joba struggled with his control, walking four, but he gave up just one hit and was able to work out of a tough jame in the first.  Meanwhile, Rios steals second and advances to third on Jose Molina's throwing error before scoring on Scott Rolen's ground out off of Dan Giese, tying the game 2-2.

8:29 PM: In the top of the fourth, David Eckstein hit a sac fly to center.  Barajas scored from third when Melky Cabrera's throw home bounced off the back of the mound. 3-2 Toronto.

(8:29 PM) ME: [expletive]

9:10 PM: Giese gives up just one run in 3.2 innings pitched, but Girardi takes him out and brings in Jose Veras to start the seventh.

(9:10 PM) ME: why take giese out? he's doing great

9:24 PM: Veras allows the first two batters to reach and is eventually relieved by Edwar Ramirez, who gives up three walks and a double.  It's now 6-2 Jays.

(9:24 PM) BRAD: terrible bullpen

9:36 PM: LaTroy Hawkins enters to wrap this puppy up.  By the seventh inning stretch, it's 9-2 Toronto.  Brad goes idle.

It would've been nice if Joba could've gone four or five innings, instead of just 2.1, but the Yankees entered this game knowing the bullpen would have to pitch well if they had any chance of winning. It didn't, and so they didn't.

Chamberlain's transition is a long term strategy, but New York should be seeing positive results by the All-Star break, as Joba is allowed to throw more pitches.

Ideally, Joba would've started the season in the rotation, so that the bullpen wouldn't be taxed like this in June, but it's better to make the move now then wait another whole year.

Chamberlain is a starter. You wouldn't leave Johan Santana or Curt Schilling in the pen and you shouldn't waste Joba's talent there either.

That being said, the change obviously weakens the bullpen and so other guys need to step up, or the Yankees will have to go out and get a guy like Brian Fuentes. In the end, I'm confident this will be the right move for the Yanks.