Not to steal Mike’s thunder or anything, but I’m listening to Joba’s start on the radio today, so I thought I’d jump in with some updates.
We’re currently in the bottom of the first — Brett Gardner started things off with a triple. In the top, Joba notched three strikeouts and hit a batter. I’ll keep it updated as the innings go by.
The second time around proved to be twice as nice for Ian Kennedy, the latest ad dition to a powerhouse Thunder pitching staff that will roll out the welcome mat for yet another top Yankees prospect, right-hander Joba Chamberlain, this week.
…
The 21-year-old Chamberlain, chosen 20 spots (41st overall) after Kennedy in the supplemental phase of last year’s draft, is 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA in seven starts at Class-A Tampa. He is scheduled to arrive in Trenton today.
Okay, so this is how I see it playing out: Alan Horne, Brett Smith, Jeff Marquez, Ian Kennedy and Joba man the Double-A rotation. Jason Jones gets promoted to Scranton (he spent all of last year with Trenton), where he joins Mighty Matt, Run-Elvis, Chase Wright and The Ghost of Kei Igawa in the rotation, with Steven Jackson working out of the bullpen.
It’s frickin’ amazing that the Yanks could have so many injuries and call-up so many guys, yet still have this kind of pitching depth in the UPPER minors.
From left to right: Phil Hughes, Jeff Karstens (back turned, blackish shirt), Billy Connors (you can see his white hair sticking out), Joba Chamberlain (back turned, grey shirt), Christian Garcia, a mystery man*, and some guy named Roger.
* it’s been established that it’s not pitching guru Nardi Contreras, but it might be Jose Veras…or about a million other guys…
It’s only fitting that Rocket’s standing up on the mound, at a higher level than the other guys.
Do the Yankees see Clemens as a mentor to Hughes? “I don’t think it’s by chance that Billy Connors has him out there playing catch with me,†Clemens said.
Since we all love Joba Chamberlain around here, I’m not sure how this slipped by our radar. Last week, when the Yankees announced that Matt De Salvo would be starting today’s game, Brian Cashman also let it slip that Joba Chamberlain would be pitching soon for Single-A Tampa.
This story comes from The Journal-News:
Cashman also said that 2006 first-round pick Joba Chamberlain was ready to join the rotation for Single-A Tampa. He hit 97 mph in a recent extended spring training camp. Chamberlain was slowed by a hamstring strain.
So I’m sure we’ll be seeing him in Mike’s Down on the Farm reports this week. And thus ends the mystery of Mr. Chamberlain’s recent whereabouts. Hopefully, one day, we’ll have a Dellin Betances spotting too.
Joba with Nebraska:
Hands off ladies, he’s married. With a kid. Â
(first pic via a standard Google images search, second via Scout.com)