A-Rod Off to Nice Start

Yankees Third Baseman Alex Rodriguez got off to a nice start during spring training of 2009, after hearing boos from over half the fans, one guy wearing an "A-Fraud" shirt, and having one fan yell out "that was a steroid induced foul ball" after he fouled off a 2-1 pitch to foul territory, belting a home run in his first official at bat of the season (walked his first time) on the next pitch after the fans comment. This is a really good sign. He showed, on the first day, that he is capable of blocking fans out. Now, I know that there will be a lot more fans when the regular season starts, but it's a good start.

The Yankees need A-Rod to win. That is a simple fact. They have a lot of money invested in him, and he is one of the most important players on this team. I know that because of his steroid allegations he is going to be treated horribly at most every park except Yankee Stadium, especially Fenway and probably Citi Field. He has to meet with MLB Investigators, so this clearly isn't over. However, for me, I won't pay attention to steroids anymore. A-Rods taken enough heat right now, he's had enough shots taken at him. However, he came out and admitted that he did it, and he wants to move on. I think that for baseball to move on from this issue, we need to move on instead of continuing to look back, because if MLB continues to look back, we are never getting passed this problems (one of the reasons I think Bud Selig is one of the worst commissioners we've ever had). 

Alex came out today and knocked a two run homer in the first game of spring training, to tack on to Brett Gardner's lead off homer (I'm actually surprised he could hit it out). The Yankees went on to beat the Blue Jays 6-1, for a nice start for A-Rod, and the Yankees to the '09 Spring Training season. For pitching, they started a Brett Tomko, who pitched two shutout innings, giving up one hit. Only Jose Veras had trouble, giving up the only run the Jays got. The rest of the relievers (even Igawa) managed to pitch shutout innings. 

Well this was a good first day. The Yankees managed to win the first spring training game, A-Rod shut those fans up, and we got pretty good pitching from guys who might make an impact in a few years (there weren't many pitchers who pitched today who will be on the opening day roster). Austin Jackson got a hit, Brett Gardner hit a homer, and it seemed that things just went right for the Yanks today. With this new team, thats what I expect for the whole season!

Alex Rodriguez News Conference - Good, but Could Have Been Better

Yankees Third Baseman Alex Rodriguez reported to Spring Training today, and had to give a news conference where he confronted his use of banned substances. He gave an opening statement, and then he answered questions from the audience. 

"The last couple of weeks have been difficult and emotional," A-Rod said, "on one hand, it's difficult to admit mistakes, but on the other hand, it feels good to be moving forward."

Good start, I thought. First he thanked his teammates, then went with the comment above. Now, we all know that we will not be moving forward with this today. This will stick around, at the least, for a couple of months. It may never go away. However, this was a difficult day for him and I thought that is a good way to start.

Also in his opening statement, he issued a few extra details we did not see in the Peter Gammons interview 8 days ago. He said that his cousin injected him with a substance called "boli" which he said was an "over the counter" drug from the Dominican Republic. He never gave reporters his cousin's name.

"It was his understanding that it would give me a dramatic energy boost and otherwise harmless," he said. "It was pretty evident that we didn't know what we were doing."

He stuck to his story from the Peter Gammons interview. He said he didn't know exactly what he was injecting into his body. He avoided one problem there. People won't be saying that he contradicted himself. However unlikely it is that he just didn't know, at least he didn't change his story. He said that his cousin said they were harmless, yet he was very secretive with it and didn't share it with anybody. That is going to be a big question coming out of this. "Why were you so secretive if you thought what you were doing was okay?" He was asked that during the Q&A and seemed unable to answer the question. He ended up saying that there are some things that you don't want to get out into public, and that this was just one of them. Not a great answer.

"We went without the team doctors, team trainers, just two guys doing it. I'm not even sure if we were doing it right."

Not very believable at all. I believe that he wasn't telling the doctors about it (obvious), but to not know if he was even doing it right, I mean, come on Alex! His cousin didn't explain anything to him? However, I guess if his cousin is just as stupid as he says he is then it isn't very surprising. I guess I could believe that. To a certain extent. I do believe his cousin exists, by the way. How much he was involved in this, or whether there were other people involved too, we may never know.

"I stopped taking it in 2003 and haven't taken it since. I stopped taking the substance for several reasons. In 2003, I had a serious neck injury and it scared me half to death. I was scared for my career and truly my career after baseball - my life after baseball. Secondly, after our voluntary test, all the players voted for a major league drug policy. At that time, it became evident to me how serious this all was, and I decided to stop then."

Now that, I believe! He gave us a good time frame, told us exactly when he stopped, and gave us good, detailed, believable answers as to why. I really liked this part of the opening statement. 

"Since that time, I've been tested regularly. I've taken urine tests consistent with Major League Baseball and blood tests for the World Baseball Classic. Before I walked here today, I took a test as part of my physical, and I';; take another blood test next week for the Classic."

You don't really need to believe that, it's a fact. All players have been tested a lot since the new policy came to place.

"It isn't lost on me the good fortune I've received from playing baseball. When I entered the pros, I was a young kid - the major leagues. I was 18 years old, right out of high school. I thought I knew everything, and clearly I didn't. Like everyone else, I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. The only way I know how to handle them is to learn from them and move forward. One thing I know is for sure is that baseball is a lot bigger than Alex Rodriguez."

"And to my teammates -"

"Thank you."

Well, thats the most of his opening statement. I thought it was pretty good. There was a little in there that was tough to believe. The fact that he didn't know what he was injecting into his body is really tough to believe. However, there was nothing in there that was absolutely terrible. I think it was a pretty good opening statement. As far as the way he answered the questions, that was his biggest problem. A couple questions just absolutely stumped him. I think it was a mixture of that he was wondering what to say to make the answer come off with the least suspicion, and that he just didn't know what the answer was, maybe for a number of reasons. A few questions he knew right away. The questions that stumped him usually resulted in 5-10 seconds of silence, and I think really hurt his press conference more than anything else. Overall, the opening statement I think was great, and the questions were mixed. The reactions he has been getting has been mixed as well. The Yankees continue to give him mostly praise and encouragement. Most other players also supported him. Cliff Lee, Grady Seizmore, Ryan Braun, and Angels Manager Mike Scioscia. Then there is the middle category, where most reporters are. I watched MLB Network after the conference, and they were all talking a bit more about the bad parts, about how he didn't know about what he was taking, and how they were upset because he kept going back to saying that he was "young" and "curious" and "stupid" and "naive." For all those excuses, I can believe curious and stupid, and, if his far-fetched idea that he didn't know what he was injected into his body is true, I can believe naive too. I can't believe young though. The reporters were right when they said that the "young" excuse could only take him so far. He was 25 years old, that isn't that young. So they were right on that. Anyway, they kept focusing on the bad parts on the interview, but, in the end when asked if it was a good day or bad day for A-Rod, they all said good. And then, you have the people who are giving him no sympathy at all. Roy Oswalt wants all his stats erased, as he said that A-Rod "cheated me out of the game." Lance Berkman said "I don't feel the least bit sorry for him." Cubs First Baseman Derrek Lee said "there should be zero tolerance." David Ortiz (Loser, I'm going to boo him twice as loud when I visit Yankee Stadium this season) suggested that he be suspended for a whole season. And also, a few reporters have been absolutely unfairly bashing him and giving him zero credit, but just pointing out every bad part of his interviews and making them 100 times worse. Overall, it's been pretty balanced to what the reaction to A-Rod has been across the baseball world. I would expect fans reactions would be balanced in a similar way. 

So when you look at the overall way Alex Rodriguez has handled this situation, it certainly could be worse. He could have denied, denied, denied, and may have eventually found himself facing perjury charges like Roger Clemens. He went out and told the truth. Maybe not the whole truth, that is for others to decide, but he went out and told people he used steroids, went into pretty good detail, tried his best to explain himself, and sounded sorry and regretful. No matter how much of this you believe, you can at least see that he is sorry for what he did. The way he is talking, the way he sounds, the way his body language is, I honestly think he looks sorry and very regretful. The press conference could have been better, but it wasn't terrible. I don't think it hurts him in any way, I think this only helps him. Alex wants to move forward, he wants to get back to baseball, and he wants to win a championship! 

Manny Still Not Signed

My first post when I opened this blog was that the Yankees should sign Manny Ramirez. At that point, I didn't realize that they couldn't sign any more Type A free agents, so they really can't sign him. However, I couldn't help notice that he still hasn't signed with anybody. Also, with all the A-Rod junk, he hasn't even been in the news. I'm honestly sick of hearing reporters say, "I think he will eventually be back with the Dodgers." He has rejected two offers from them, and I'm not even sure if they are still negotiating with him. If you ask me, they should stop pursuing him all together. Nobody else is really negotiating, and, because of his greed, he would end up not signed when the season starts. I honestly think that there is a possibility that might happen. Here are the places I think he might end up.

Los Angeles Dodgers - The only team that reporters think he will end up with. The only team that seems to be negotiating with him. I think that this will be the most likely team he ends up with.

San Francisco Giants - Unlikely, I really think. The Giants already have quite a lot of money invested in Zito, and that hasn't worked out. Yet. I don't think it ever will. However, he would really help them, and could be a big piece that would help them actually compete in the very weak NL West.

New York Yankees - The most unlikely of all the teams I am mentioning because they said they are out of it, and the 3 Type A Free Agent rule. However, like I said, it is starting to look like a real possibility that he won't be signed when the season starts. If he isn't signed, then the Yanks can take him if they need him or want him. Again, very, very unlikely, but more likely than some teams (Boston).

Texas Rangers - I don't know, I've heard it thrown out there a couple times. Texas could use him, and it's a great place to hit (We all saw how A-Rod hit there). It probably won't help that much. The only team that will do anything in the west is the Angels. 

All teams really sound unlikely except the Dodgers. However, if Manny continues all this greed and his turning to Scott Boras to try and get him his 25 million for 3-4 years, he will never get signed. He also, can't help but notice, but he also hasn't said anything publicly all offseason (except for his prediction that the Yankees will offer him 3 years). Who knows? Maybe he still thinks he can get the money and the years. He never came across as the brightest to me. If he does, he needs to get his head straight and accept anything that comes his way here on out or he won't be playing anywhere at all. The longer this goes on, the more I don't know where he will sign. The more likely it is that he won't be playing at all.

The guys a great player, but he needs to put aside his greed, forget the money (he has enough anyway, more won't change his life), and just sign. He also may need to go up to the Dodgers or wherever he wants to sign and start a negotiation himself, instead of waiting for a team to come to him. Because no team seems to be coming to him anymore. If he does these things, he will sign, and will have a great season!

So, where do you think he will sign?

AL East: Yankees, Red Sox, or Rays?

Spring Training '09 starts in just a few days. It doesn't look like, right now, that any of the AL East teams expected to compete are going to be changing. The question now is, which team will win it? The Rays had the best team, as they are defending American League Champions. The Red Sox are practically the same, except for a few new 1 year additions. The Yankees made the most drastic changes, and some people are saying that they are now better than both teams, and then some are saying they are still third best. I think now might be a good time to compare each ballclub in every aspect of their team, and then decide who is better. Here we go!

Starting Rotations

Aces

Yankees - CC Sabathia

Red Sox - Josh Beckett

Rays - Scott Kazmir

CC Sabathia had one heck of a year last year, and he almost single-handedly carried the Brewers to the playoffs. The year before, he won a Cy Young. His durability isn't a problem, and I don't think his weight or conditioning will be a problem. At least not next year.

Josh Beckett had an injury plagued season last year, and while he was healthy he had a rough time with it. The year before, however, he won 20 games and had a remarkable postseason. As far as postseason pitchers, he is the best out of the three.

Scott Kazmir is really good, but he has to stay healthy, similar to Beckett. He only made 27 starts last year. As an ace, you need to be able to lead your team in 33-35 starts, and pitch 200 innings. If he stays healthy, he should have a great year.

I think that they all have the potential to have Cy Young type years. However, I think that CC Sabathia comes with the least risk, and that he is the best ace. The advantage goes to the Yankees.

# 2 Starter

Yankees - Chein Ming Wang

Red Sox - Daisuke Matsuzaka

Rays - James Shields

Chein Ming Wang is a great pitcher, but he is coming off a serious injury and I'm not sure if he can return to the same level he was the 2 years before. I think he can, and he can return to another 19 win season, and be a strong #2.

Daisuke Matsuzaka had a tremendous season last year. He won 18 games, had a great ERA, got Cy Young votes, and was overall, just one of the most difficult pitchers to hit against that I have ever seen. His only problem is that he walks too many batters, but his great stuff seems to put that aside.

I really like James Shields. He won 14 games, had a mid 3's ERA, and pitched innings. That was my favorite part about him. He pitches innings. He doesn't get hurt, and he can pitch in the postseason. 

Overall, I think it is a competition between Shields and Matsuzaka, and I think Dice-K's stuff outshines everything that James Shields has to offer. The advantage goes to the Red Sox.

#3 Starter

Yankees - AJ Burnett

Red Sox - Jon Lester

Rays - Matt Garza

AJ Burnett has the ability to be one of the nastiest pitchers in the game. He needs to stay healthy, and he needs to have his best stuff more often. Remember how much he owned the Yanks last year? He can't own them anymore. He needs to put the stuff he had against the Yankees against other teams, and more often. If he can do that, he  will be fine.

Jon Lester had a great year last year. Period. He is young, he is a cancer survivor, and a great pitcher. I think he has a bright future.

Matt Garza is a good young pitcher. I think that he also has a bright future, but I don't think he is as gifted as Lester

Here, this one isn't that hard. Unless Burnett has a career year, I think that this one goes to Lester. The advantage goes to the Red Sox.

#4 Starter

Yankees - Andy Pettitte

Red Sox - Tim Wakefield

Rays - Andy Sonnanstine

Andy Pettitte had a really rough year in 2008 with a 4.54 ERA. However, I think he is more than capable of turning it around. We watched Mike Mussina in 2008 with a comeback season, in what turned out to be his final season. This is, in all likelyhood, Pettitte's last season as well. I think he doesn't have the ability to make a comeback the way Mussina did, simply because Mussina has better stuff, but I do think he can have a better year.

Tim Wakefield - One thing I've noticed about Tim is that he is either really good, or really bad. It's fun to watch him pitch, but he just isn't a great pitcher anymore. I'm expecting an ERA in the mid to high 4's for him next year.

Andy Sonnanstine had a very good year last year and I think he will only improve. He is the youngest out of the three, and posted numbers better than both other 2 pitchers last season.

I think Pettitte has the capability out of being the best of these three, but I think that the most likely will be Sonnanstine. The advantage goes to the Rays.

#5 Starter

Yankees - Joba Chamberlain

Red Sox - Brad Penny

Rays - David Price

I think Joba should be in the bullpen. Period. However, the Yankees don't feel that way, so he's their fifth starter. He had great numbers as a starter last year, and if he can stay healthy and limit the pitches he throws per batter, he could be successful.

Brad Penny is full of question marks. We have no idea how he is going to do. He could be an ace-type pitcher, or he could be a bust (Pavano). We just don't have any way of knowing until the season starts though. John Smoltz could also join the rotation later in the year, by the way.

David Price has the potential to be just as good, if not better, that Joba Chamberlain. However, he has not proven himself as a starter yet. I'm not saying that Joba has, but I'm saying that Joba has some big league experience there. Price doesn't. I think hopes are high for David Price though, no doubt about it.

Overall, they all have question marks. I'm going to have to say that the advantage goes to the Yankees.

Now the question is "which team has the best overall rotation?" This is a really, really close one. They are three of the best rotations in baseball. I think that the Red Sox have the best top three overall, the Yankees have the best pitcher overall, and the Rays have least differential between their ace and their #5. I don't think it's the Red Sox because they completely fall off after their first 3 pitchers, and Josh Beckett has health questions. The Rays are a great rotation, but they are really not the best in any of them, and if they are, it is not by a large amount. The Yankees have the potential to be the best, and also are the most likely to be the worst of the 3. They have one sure thing in CC Sabathia, but the rest are question marks. Can AJ Burnett stay healthy? Can Wang bounce back after missing most of last season? Can Andy Pettitte bounce back? All of these are question marks. I think they are question marks with a good chance of turning out well for the Yanks, however. Overall, I think the most complete rotation with the least question marks will be in Tampa. The Best Rotation is the Tampa Bay Rays.

Bullpens

Yankees - Brian Bruney

  Jose Veras

  Dan Geise

  Damaso Marte

    Edwar Ramirez

Red Sox - Hideki Okajima

  Ramon Ramirez

  Manny Delcarman

  Takashi Saito

  Javier Lopez

  Justin Masterson

Rays - Grant Balfour

    JP Howell

   Joe Nelson

   Jason Hammel

   Brian Shouse

   Lance Cormier

Overall, when you look at it, the Red Sox and Rays both have players who have faced injury problems and haven't played in a while (Javier Lopez). When you look at the Yankees, they have a bunch of home grown players who proved themselves last year. The bullpen was the strength for the Yankees last year, and I think it will be the same this year. The Best Bullpen Goes to the New York Yankees.

Closer

Yankees - Mariano Rivera

Red Sox - Jonathan Paplebon

Rays - Dan Wheeler

Well, you can pretty much eliminate the Rays out of this one. Look at it this way. Mariano Rivera is the Greatest Closer in the History of the Game. He had a better year than Paplebon last season. The only thing with him is that he is coming off shoulder surgery. I think he has a better than 80% chance that he will come back healthy, strong, and ready to pitch. If he does like I expect, this one isn't that hard. The Best Closer Goes to the New York Yankees.

Position Players

Catcher

Yankees - Jorge Posada

Red Sox - Jason Varatek

Rays - Dioner Navarro

This one isn't that difficult. Posada and Varatek (especially Varatek) are both well out of their prime. Posada is coming off surgery, he is a question mark. Varatek just can hope to do better than a .220 average. The advantage goes to the Rays.

First Base

Yankees - Mark Teixiera

Red Sox - Kevin Youkilis

Rays - Carlos Pena

Pena is out. He is a great player, but just not at the level that Youk and Tex are at. Both Youkiilis and Teixiera are in their prime. Both are great players. In this one you don't have to worry about intangibles. So, I just looked at the numbers. Youk's average is 4 points higher, but Teixiera had more production. I also think he offers more on defense. The advantage goes to the Yankees.

Second Base

Yankees - Robinson Cano

Red Sox - Dustin Pedroia

Rays - Akinori Iwamora

Not that hard. This one goes to the Raining MVP. The advantage goes to the Red Sox.

Third Base

Yankees - Alex Rodriguez

Red Sox - Mike Lowell

Rays - Evan Longoria

Steroids or not, A-Rods the best player in the game. The advantage goes to the Yankees.

Shortstop

Yankees - Derek Jeter

Red Sox - Jed Lowrie

Rays - Jason Bartlett

I think that Jeter still has a lot of game left. He is a great influence in the clubhouse. He's the captain, he can still hit in the clutch, and he can still play shortstop. He's not at the level of Bartlett defensively, but I think he can still deliver, and still above the other 2. The advantage goes to the Yankees.

Left Field

Yankees - Johnny Damon

Red Sox - Jason Bay

Rays - Carl Crawford

I'm going to have to go with the Rays here. Johnny Damon is still a great leadoff hitter, but I don't think he nor Bay is at Crawford's level. Crawford is faster than both, and he can hit as just as good. The advantage goes to the Rays.

Center Field

Yankees - Brett Gardner/Melky Cabrera

Red Sox - Jacoby Ellsbury

Rays - BJ Upton

Again, I'm going with the Rays. You can pretty much eliminate the Yankees out of this one, and I just don't think Ellsbury is as good as Upton. Upton had better numbers last year, and I also think he can play better in the postseason. The advantage goes to the Rays.

Right Field

Yankees - Xavier Nady

Red Sox - JD Drew

Rays - Gabe Kapler

I think that Nady isn't capable of putting up the overall numbers he produced last year. I think what you saw the last month and a half last season is what you are going to get from Nady this season. The Rays really don't have a Right Fielder, so I think the best choice is Drew. The advantage goes to the Red Sox.

Designated Hitter

Yankees - Hideki Matsui

Red Sox - David Ortiz

Rays - Pat Burrell

Hideki Matsui has a bunch of question marks, but if he stays healthy then he should be able to produce 100 RBI. Pat Burrell I think can do a lot more out of the DH Spot, and hit better than he did in the National League. However, even though Big Papi took a big drop off last year, he can go back to being the big player the Sox can count on (likely). I still don't think either of the other two can go up to his level, especially in the clutch. The advantage goes to the Red Sox.

When you look at the whole thing, each team has their strengths and weaknesses. The Rays and Red Sox are pretty much the same team, but the Yankees have added Tex, and are getting guys back from injury. I think that if you look it all, the Yanks have the best lineup. The Best Lineup Goes to the New York Yankees.

Manager

Yankees - Joe Girardi

Red Sox - Terry Francona

Rays - Joe Madden

I realize that Madden won the Manager of the Year award, but I think that Terry Francona just has the most postseason experience, and has the best methods. I like Joe Girardi's methods too, but he hasn't had enough success to be considered for this one. He needs to win a championship, or at least get to one. Francona has done that. Madden has done that. Out of those two, this one goes the Terry. The Best Manager Goes to the Boston Red Sox.

Well, thats it. The Yankees and Rays were pretty close in the lineups, the Yankees were really the only choice for the bullpen, and the Rays, in my opinion, have the best overall rotation. The Rays, although I didn't mention it, also have the best defense. The Red Sox have the best coaching staff. I think that missing out on Teixiera was big for them. The players, not the coaching staff, play the game. I just think that the other two teams have, overall, better players. So, to answer the question of "Who will win the AL East?" I'm going to go with the Yankees to win the east, and the Rays to take the wild card. Now, if any Red Sox fans read this, I really tried not to be biassed toward the Yankees, and I don't think I was. I will agree that you guys had the best team in every year since 2004 (except for 2006). I weighed in a lot on injury possibilities, and other intangibles. If I didn't then things might have been different. I also may have a different way of thinking then you guys, like what I consider to be good and bad in a player, and what I consider to be more important. 

Everyone please feel free to leave your comments on what you thought about this post, and answer this question. Who do you think will win the East?

Alex Rodriguez Used Steroids in 2003

Four different sources have reported that Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroid use in 2003, where he won the MVP as Shortstop for the Texas Rangers. I honestly don't know how to react to this. It seems like every single home run hitter has been juiced on steroids during some portion of their career. There is going to be a lot of questions now. Forget Torre's book! This, is what I call a distraction

How A-Rod is perceived for the rest of his career is going to depend completely on how he reacts to this situation, both off the field, and on the field. He has to report to spring training in less than two weeks. He can't avoid the media forever. Some people, most likely Red Sox fans and Mets fans are never going to be forgiving to him. He is almost certainly going to hear, unless he can somehow prove this to be false, "Steroids" and "A-Fraud" for the rest of his career when he goes to Fenway and the new Citi Field. I see two different ways he could deal with this report.

First is to deal with it the same way Roger Clemens has dealt with his steroid accusation. I have lost all respect for Clemens. All he has done is deny using steroids even though all the evidence is against him. During his interviews, he was very flustered and very defensive. He looked scared, and it was very clear that he was lying. Now, all people have lost respect for him. He has lost all credibility. All Hall of Fame chances. His career, and his life have gone down the drain.

Second is to deal with it the way Jason Giambi dealt with it. Jason went out, admitted using steroids right away, apologized, and worked really hard to be able to play will without steroids. He spent countless hours of work and practice, and eventually got back to be a reasonably good player. He won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2005, and now, people have either forgotten, or have forgiven him for using steroids. And you never know. If Giambi sticks around for a while and has a strong finish to his career. Maybe gets to 500 homers, then he has a shot at the Hall of Fame. Something that would have no chance at happening if he had taken the "Roger Clemens" route. Now, I doubt A-Rod is ever going to get Red Sox fans to stop making chants at him at Fenway Park, simply because Alex is on a different level of playing then Giambi has ever been on. However, he can still keep the respect of Yankees fans, and eventually make this go away.

I am also concerned with how he is going to react on the field. It is probably linked with how he reacts off the field. If he acts like Giambi, he will probably continue to be the best player in the game. If he acts like Clemens, he probably won't ever be the same player again. I hope he takes the right route, and I think he will. I don't think he is on steroids anymore, I don't think he has been on them through his entire tenure with the Yankees. 

I said that this may be a distraction. That also depends on how he deals with it. If he takes the "Clemens" route, then I think it will be a major distraction this year and will affect the way other players play as well. However, if he makes the right decision, then it will still be a distraction, but not nearly as much, and I think the players will forgive him as well. 

Like I said, how he reacts to this is going to greatly impacts how he is reguarded and how he plays this season. I wonder what decision he will make. Leave your comments on how you think he will react to this. We will all get our answer very soon.

Yankees want Joba in rotation: BIG MISTAKE

Mlb.com has reported that Yankees RHP Joba Chamberlain is preparing for a full season in the Yankees starting rotation. This has been a big controversy in the last few years. Start him, or put him in the pen? I, for one, am against starting him. I have been from the start. I have many reasons, and those reasons make it so that it just doesn't make sense to put him in the rotation

Joba has already proven himself as a brilliant reliever. He posted a 0.38 ERA in 2007 in middle relief, and had a strong season in 2008 out of the pen as well. Yankee fans, and the front office knows that he can pitch out of the bullpen. He would shorten up the game. The starters only have to go 7 innings, because the last 2 innings are locked down. That way, guys like CC Sabathia don't have to throw 251 innings during the regular season, and might be successful when it really matters in the playoffs. They may even have to throw less. The Yankees bullpen was the strength of this team last year, and if guys like Veras, Ramirez, Coke, Marte, and Bruney come through like last season, the game is even more shortened for the starter.

Joba has a lot of energy. What I have noticed is that he runs himself on enthusiasm, and it helps him pitch in games. The "fist pump" is a perfect example of him showing his enthusiasm. It is very difficult to keep that enthusiasm for a 7 inning start, but he is easy to keep it for an inning. That energy he has in the pen won't be there as much if he is starting.

He may get hurt. He could break down if he starts. He broke down in August last year, and that turned out to be costly to the teams playoffs chances. Who's to say it won't happen again? Would you rather have no Joba at all?

Putting Joba in the rotation would mean another year without Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Alfredo Aceves to develop. You guys all know that I am big on wanting these kids to develop. They have all proven that they can pitch at the big league level. I think that they have a lot of potential to be just as good as Chamberlain, and I feel that the sooner you develop them, the sooner they will become that good.

He should be a reliever. There is no bad to it, and almost no risk. He can take Rivera's place in 3 years and the Yankees will still have one of the best closers in the game. He throws too many pitches to be a starter. He will be gone after the 5th on most starts. I just think he is best suited for the bullpen

So what do you guys think. Leave your comments with your decision. Starter or reliever? If I may try and influence your decision even more, what is it you want. For him to influence 80 games, or 30 with the chance of breaking down?