Dear Chien-Ming,
I have really enjoyed watching you pitch over the past few years. I know that you have run into a little bit of trouble recently and I just wanted to let you know that we’re still behind you and that we’ll be rooting for you tonight. Who cares that ground balls tend to zip through the infield out there in Minnie. Do your thing, Strech.
Sending all my best,
Alex
p.s. Let’s Go Yan-Kees!
Take the Mets’ struggles, add the Willie Randolph-SportsNet NY "Will he be fired" drama, and for good measure, bring Joe Torre’s return to New York into the mix, and you have a recipe for keeping Yankee news relatively quiet for a week. The big news, and rightfully so, is Ian Kennedy’s timely placement on the disabled list, which paves the way for Joba Chamberlain to mosey into the rotation Tuesday night in Toronto. Despite everyone, including me, espousing what they believe Joba’s role is best suited to be, this shift was inevitable. Given the dilapidated state of the rotation, he could very well become the most reliable arm in the quintet.
Mark Feinsand, in this morning’s editions of the Daily News, wrote that Joba should not be treated as a savior. He’s right, and so is Joe Girardi, who is no magician at concealing his disdain for the hype.
"It doesn’t matter what I say," Girardi told reporters. "Every time he came out of the bullpen people expected him not to give up a run. When there is a lot of hype around you it’s hard to control people’s expectations, and I understand that."
This means LaTroy Hawkins must figure out how to get people out in the seventh inning, provided Joe Girardi wants to enlist the former Cub tandem and disreputable law firm of Hawkins and Farnsworth to preserve leads in crunchtime.
I’m curious to see how things develop in terms of coverage, pressure from Steinbrenners the Younger, depending on Joba’s success.
One thing that we as fans and not-so-casual observers can agree upon: the rotation needs an anchor, and at this point, why not Joba?
