Joba Chamberlain to the Rotation: Still a Bad Idea?

Why mess with a good thing?  Who's going to replace him in the eighth inning?  Why not groom him to be the next closer?  Starting in the Big Leagues is a lot different than starting in the minors.  You can't transition him to the rotation in the middle of the season, you'll cost the Yankees wins.  What is this, a rebuilding year?  Just do it next season at this point.  Here we go again with those pesky Steinbrenners.

Care to reassess?

In his third Major League start Friday night, Joba Chamberlain shut down the Houston Astros, allowing just one run on six hits in six innings.  He didn't get the win, but the Yankees did - their second in three starts by Joba.  In those games, Chamberlain has allowed just four earned runs in 12.2 innings pitched.  That's a 2.84 ERA - slightly better than the previous number five starter's stat line: 0-3, 7.41 ERA.

On May 20, the Yanks hit rock bottom with a 12-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles that dropped New York to 20-25 and dead last in the AL East.  The next day, Joba began his transition from the bullpen to the rotation and since then, the Yankees are 15-8 and have moved up the standings to third in the division.

Still a bad idea?

Here are the grades from the Yanks' 2-1 victory Friday at Minute Maid Park.

Joe Girardi, Manager: (B+) This is why you don't pull Mike Mussina after 89 pitches on Monday.  With Mariano Rivera having appeared in five of the last six games (including Monday's loss to KC), Girardi was forced to rest the closer Friday night, and instead insert - deep breath - Kyle Farnsworth to pitch the ninth with a one-run lead.  Farnsworth got the job done, thanks to the Astros handing him two outs, but let's try not to do that again.

Other than that, Girardi handled the National League rules nicely, having Joba intentionally walk the eighth place hitter to get to the pitcher with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the fourth.  The move worked and New York got out of the inning without falling behind.

Derek Jeter, SS: (B+) Just 1-4 but it was a big one.  The Captain's homer in the eighth was the difference in the game.

Robinson Cano, 2B: (C-) Batting a .220 guy second?  Questionable.  Cano went 0-3 with a walk, but he did make two great defensive plays.

Bobby Abreu, RF: (D) 0-4 but Abreu's steal in the first helped the Yankees get on the board.

Alex Rodriguez, 3B: (A) A-Rod's RBI single to center is really what got the Yanks on the board in the first inning.  He also walked.

Hideki Matsui, LF: (A) Another multi-hit game for Godzilla.

Jason Giambi, 1B: (D+) Of course when the Yankees need Giambi to ground the ball to the right side to advance Matsui to third with less than two outs for an insurance run in the ninth, he scorches the ball the opposite way for a line out to left.

Jorge Posada, C: (B) 1-2 with a walk but Posada threw out just one of five base stealers before being replaced in a double switch in the seventh.

Melky Cabrera, CF: (D+) 0-3 with a base on balls.

Wilson Betemit, PH: (INC) Flied out to center for the pitcher in the seventh.

Johnny Damon, PH: (INC) Struck out looking for the pitcher in the ninth.  Damon was the odd man out with no DH at the National League ballpark, but with Damon, Matsui and Giambi all hitting well right now, I'm guessing Girardi will give them each a day off in Houston.

Jose Molina, C: (C) Molina entered in a double switch in the seventh and went 0-1 at the plate, but he threw out Ty Wiggington trying to steal second for a very big out in the ninth.

Joba Chamberlain, SP: (A) Joba's pitch limit was 95 but he only got to throw 88 (seven of which were intentional balls) because Girardi had to pinch hit for him with runners on in the seventh.  The training wheels will be off in his next start, as Michael Kay likes to say, as Chamberlain will be allowed to go as long as he can Thursday afternoon at the Stadium against the Padres.

Jose Veras, RP: (A+) No Joba, no problem on this night as Veras retired all six batters he faced, striking out three in two innings of work.  He also was credited with the win.

Kyle Farnsworth, RP: (B-) If Farnsworth can get a one-out save, it can't be that hard.

Yankees Overall Grade: (B) Chamberlain pitched great, but hidden in this win was the fact that the Yankee bats were once again silenced for the most part.  The Bombers have scored just 15 runs over the last five games, but they're 3-2 in that stretch because starting pitching is the most important part of baseball.