Joba Rules

You really want THIS GUY coming in in the 9th inning for the New York Yankees? Really? Let's talk this one over...

I still don't know why everyone has such issues with Joba in the starting rotation - it's been over a year. "Oh, but he was so dominant as the 8th inning guy!" He was the 8th inning guy for his short time in the 2007 season (and infamous swarm of the nats appearance in that seasons post season against Cleveland), and again for a short time at the beginning of 2008. After that, he went to starting pitcher boot camp, and fucked up his 2008. 2009 has allowed Joba a new lease on life - started the season in the rotation, eventually got comfortable. Then after the All Star Break, Joba breaks out with multiple consecutive quality starts. All is well in the starting rotation world. Whoops - more talk about the Joba Rules, and how they want to save his arm. I think this may have saved his arm for this year, but fucked with his head.

My opinion is that Joba should be in the starting rotation. The nostalgia we all feel for the Joba in the 8th inning era is based on 19 regular season appearances. That gets you 24.0 IP, 2 Wins, 1 Save, 8 Holds, 34 K's, a 0.38 ERA, and 12 Hits total. His one earned run came from a home run. No doubt, those statistics are phenomenal - but 24.0 innings does NOT a season make! In 2008, Joba appeared in 42 games (12 of which he started) and he managed 100.1 IP, 118 K's, 4 Wins, 3 Losses, 19 Holds, 1 Blown Save, 87 Hits, and a 2.60 ERA. Respectable numbers, no doubt. 19 Holds in 30 relief appearances - that's nice.

Through 2009 (not including his current game in which he just now gave up a home run to Victor Martinez), Joba has the following statistics: 29 appearances (all starts), 146.2 IP, 8 Wins, 6 Losses, 124 K's, 155 Hits, with a 4.73 ERA. At 24 years old, you can't tell me that his 24.0 IP of dominant baseball in 2007 are more telling than his numbers of both dominance and struggle in 2008 and 2009 as a starter. This is his first full season as a starter, and he was having a fantastic 2nd half until the Yankees started this Joba Rules 2.0 crap with him and the media at the beginning of August.

Phil Hughes is a good example of how a pitcher can have all the talent in the world, but needs to have the confidence and experience to get out major league hitters. With Hughes' success, the Yankees were wise to keep him in the bullpen this year, but he will most likely come back to being a starter at some point in the future. Sergio Mitre/Chad Gaudin as starters #5 & 6 seem like a great spot for him... Joba needed to learn how to get major league hitters out after they've seen him 3 or 4 times in a game, and maybe the 3rd matchup of the season. I think next year Joba can have a much more solid year, and prior to this latest shit-slide he's had, his ERA was down to 3.58, which from a 24 year old, is more than acceptable. His July numbers were 3-0, 29.2 IP, 24 K's, and a 2.73 ERA. He really hit his stride. Once they started messing with his inning totals (which they should have kept to themselves and not announced it to the media to create a god-damn circus) did they shoot through the roof again. August and September he has an ERA of roughly 8.25, and he's 1-4 (not including the results of tonights game). Bad. I think Joba will be more along the lines of a 3.45 ERA, 1.23 WHIP kind of pitcher, and that's exactly what I want in my rotation - especially at 24 years old.