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Labor Gains
2008-09-02 05:29
by Alex Belth

"I don't care how it looks," Derek Jeter said. "I'll take an ugly win over playing well and losing."
(Kepner, New York Times)

The Yankees scored eleven runs in the first three innings yesterday, knocking Justin Verlander out the box with the quickness, but the Tigers came back and scored six in the fourth and by the end of five it was 11-9, New York. So much for a laugher. But such is life for the 2008 Yankees, who scored two more in the top of the sixth on a big RBI single by Derek Jeter as the Yanks survived to beat the Tigers, 13-9.

Sidney Ponson and Edwar Ramirez were not effective but Brian Bruney, Phil Coke (making his big league debut), Damaso Marte and Chris Britton were able to throw up zeros. Coke, a left-hander with a weak chin, and a delivery that reminded me a little bit of both David Wells and Al Leiter (except Coke slings the ball in a more exaggerated manner than either of them), had a nice inning and looked poised. Six of the Yankee starting nine had multiple hits; Alex Rodriguez had four RBI.

Yanks slide down to Tampa tonight for the start of three against the world-beating, Rays. Mike Mussina goes for win #17. According to the Daily News, Joba Chamberlain will be activated before the game and will be used in the bullpen for the rest of the season. In the long run, I like Chamberlain as a starter, and so do the Yankees. Seems like it would make sense to use him anyway they can right now. What's your take on him being used out of the pen for the month of September?

Comments
2008-09-02 06:42:01
1.   rbj
Helps him build up arm strength and gets his innings up. Come February, work on him being a starter for all of 2009.

I've already written off this season so it's not like the Yankees need him to start in place of, say, Sidney Ponson.

2008-09-02 06:51:46
2.   Knuckles
1 Ditto rbj's first point. There's no point in wildly swinging Joba's workload even more this year. He transitioned from the pen to the rotation quite well...until he got hurt. No use in ratcheting things back up yet again- just get him back on the mound and in a competitive mindset, and let him rip next year.
2008-09-02 07:05:29
3.   ChrisS
0 "What's your take on him being used out of the pen for the month of September?"

I don't have a problem with it as long as I don't have to hear from the media about how much more valuable he is in the bullpen all winter and spring.

2008-09-02 07:18:50
4.   dianagramr
0

Can we see how much range Joba has at shortstop? (j/k)

2008-09-02 07:25:42
5.   williamnyy23
I don't mind him pitching out the pen. The Yankees are finished, so it's all about get Joba innings. Unless they do something foolish like only pitch Joba in the 8th inning of games in which there is a save situation, Joba could get 15 innings out of the pen. If you have him 4 starts, he'd likely top out around 20 innings. I don't think the 5 extra innings is worth having Joba rebuild his arm just in time for golf season.

I am glad Moose is pitching because it allows me to fully root for the Yankees. The next two games, however, I am not so sure. I'd really like to see Boston have to go through Anaheim as the WC, so maybe the Yanks can help out the Rays a bit?

2008-09-02 07:35:02
6.   dianagramr
I want Moose to get his 20 wins ... and that's the only reasonable goal for the rest of the season.
2008-09-02 07:38:42
7.   Max
5 It's pretty hard for me to root against the Yankees, no matter how disappointing this year's team is.

Truth be told, though, I would settle for a 4th place finish if it meant that losses to the Rays and the White Sox over the next month helped the Red Sox miss the playoffs. I'm pretty much rooting for the Rays, Twins and White Sox to win out.

Also, the Blue Jays have simply played better ball than we have for most of the season. Let them prove they deserve 3rd place by pounding the Red Sox in the seven games they have with them over the next couple of weeks.

2008-09-02 09:34:40
8.   cult of basebaal
0 i don't recall coke's chin sticking out as being particularily weak.

"cletus" posada ... now there's a weak chin!

2008-09-02 09:41:08
9.   JL25and3
8 My nephew pegged it a number of years ago: Posada looks just like Dopey.

He also pointed out that Dr. Ronan Tynan is a dead ringer for Shrek.

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