Girardi knows the Joba questions are going to keep coming
Photo credit: Kathy Kmonicek | Wallace Matthews says the Yankees' worrying about Joba Chamberlain's arm has gotten ridiculous.
CHICAGO - Reporters asked the question several ways after Joba Chamberlain's electrifying outing Wednesday night against Tampa Bay, but Joe Girardi stayed on message.
The Yankees' manager, of course, knew the questions weren't going to end there. The way Chamberlain is pitching, they're just beginning. "He's always a source of fascination,” Girardi said before last night's rain-delayed game against the White Sox. "And I do understand that because right now, he's been extremely important to our staff since the All-Star break. It's a question people are going to ask.” The questions relate to Chamberlain's 2009 innings total. Chamberlain, who improved to 3-0 with a 0.83 ERA since the All-Star break, shut out the Rays in his eight innings Wednesday, allowing only three hits. The eight innings raised his season total to 1102/3. Before Chamberlain's previous start, Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman reiterated something that had been determined in spring training -- that the pitcher is on an innings limit, one they will not specify but a number thought to be in the range of 150. "The right thing to do is for us to win games right now, and that's our focus,” Girardi said Wednesday. "We'll worry about that bridge when we get there, but right now we're focusing on winning games.” He repeated as much yesterday. "Right now we need to win games,” Girardi said. "We have 61 games left and we need to win every game that we can. We know the type of division we're in, so I don't really worry about that right now.” But fans certainly do. Before the All-Star break, the prospect of Chamberlain's being yanked from the rotation and put in the bullpen might have been met with significant cheers, but the questions about the rotation that have arisen in recent weeks and Chamberlain's three dynamic outings in a row suddenly have altered perceptions of the 23-year-old. "He's growing up before our eyes,” Mark Teixeira said Wednesday. The Yankees can, and likely will, manage Chamberlain's innings so he doesn't progress toward his limit too quickly. They can have him periodically skip a start, and Girardi said two weeks ago he might lift him an inning or two earlier than he might otherwise in a blowout situation. Either way, the questions will continue to come Girardi's way, including ones looking beyond September. Asked Wednesday if the innings limit is only for the regular season, Girardi smiled and said, "I don't think we're ready to share that.” Notes & quotes: Girardi said the information he received from doctors yesterday regarding Chien-Ming Wang's shoulder surgery was that he could be back in the majors in "up to 12 months.” He did not have a low-end estimate ... Teixeira said the news that the Rays' Matt Garza hit him intentionally Wednesday wasn't surprising. But he was surprised Garza admitted it to reporters. "That's a suspensionwaiting to happen when you admit something like that,” he said with a smile. "But like I said, that's [getting hit] part of the game.” Teixeira was hit in the right shoulder an inning after Chamberlain's pitch sailed over Evan Longoria's head ... Shelley Duncan did not play the second game of Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's doubleheader yesterday, fueling speculation he could be the righthanded hitter called up in
time for tonight's game, the first of three straight against lefty starters ... Mark Buehrle, who threw the 18th perfect game in major-league history July 23 and wound up retiring a major league-record 45 batters in a row, was honored on the field. He will face the Yankees Sunday.
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