Aubrey Huff would probably get along with David Dellucci

Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing someone backflip around the bases once in a while.

almost 3 years ago rolub 20 comments 0 recs |

Read More: may baseball, justin chamberlain

Comments

I missed that. So funny.

I am conflicted about Justin. He was thrust into a crazy limelight at such an early age and I don’t know many 21-22 year olds that aren’t total spazzes. Plus, he could have been a dominant reliever his whole career. Instead, he is being forced to figure out how to become a starting pitcher inside that pressure cooker environment. As these hitters see him more often, this will become more of a regular occurrence for him.

Carl Pavano has a better WHIP than Justin does right now.

by Toxicadam on May 11, 2009 11:59 AM EDT reply actions

You think he should have stayed in the bullpen?

by Joe. on May 11, 2009 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions

I honestly do. He’s just not the same pitcher as a starter. As a starter his fastball ranges from 89-94, which makes his slider less effective and makes him rely more on off-speed stuff (because he loses confidence in that fastball). Hitters seem to be more patient, which means he is walking more and they are making more contact on that weaker contact.

When he was relieving, he could throw fireballs around 97-98 and that made his slider more effective (and hitters more apt to swing at it out of the zone).

In theory, I agree with what the Yankees did. Bring a phenom up and give him some experience in the pen and then slide him into the rotation. It’s something I wish the Indians would do more often. But sometimes you have to identify that when a guy is dominant as a reliever, you just don’t give that up. It’s a rare thing in baseball and the reliever has never been as important in the history of baseball as they are today.

by Toxicadam on May 11, 2009 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Worth considering. I have never been wholly persuaded by the arithmetic analyses I’ve seen on this subject.

Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

by Jay on May 11, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

It really isn’t worth considering. You don’t put a guy with stuff like that in the bullpen unless he absolutely proves he can’t be an effective starter. He’s nowhere near that.

by Joe. on May 12, 2009 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions

You can rack up a very substantial opportunity cost doing that, many dozens of highly effective, high-leverage innings you could have had while you were figuring out that the guy can’t be effective, or that he’ll be merely average.

Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

by Jay on May 12, 2009 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t know how harmful it would be to jerk around with his roles year after year, but I could see a situation where once Mariano hangs up his cleats, Justin moves into the closer’s role.

You know Selig? Ombudsman.

by rolub on May 11, 2009 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Which is exactly how Mariano became the closer, after caddying as Wettleland’s setup man for a couple years.

Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

by Jay on May 11, 2009 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Nice vest.

by piersall on May 11, 2009 12:26 PM EDT reply actions

I don’t know how much cynicism to read into this comment, but for the record I really do appreciate his vest.

by thevicar on May 11, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions

I thought it was his agent, or something.

by Voltaire on May 11, 2009 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Read alot of cynicism in it. This is what I have been reduced to, now that we have the worst record in baseball.

by piersall on May 11, 2009 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Uh, Justin? Bill Lumbergh called and he’d like his shirt back.

“Yeah…..um……I’m gonna need you to bring my dry cleaning in on Saturday……”

by Seattle Tribe Fan on May 11, 2009 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions

haha

FE WEE

by westbrook on May 11, 2009 12:36 PM EDT reply actions

Man, that was awesome. Most Yankee fans even concede that Joba is kind of a douche.

by Joe. on May 11, 2009 1:04 PM EDT reply actions

That’s the right way to do it. If Joba doesn’t like being shown up, then he should stop doing the fist pump every time he gets a strikeout.

by Ryan on May 11, 2009 1:14 PM EDT reply actions

Frankly, I appreciated both Huff’s fist pump and Justin’s reaction. So Chamberlin gets too jacked up after getting out of a jam? Fine, I don’t buy into the Marvin Harrison act like you’ve been there approach. But you have to accept that you’re setting yourself up to be mocked… and Justin didn’t seem to begrudge Huff retribution. I find the whole sequence entertaining.

Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile

by Manhattan Tribe Fan on May 11, 2009 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions