Joba the Hutt!

[knapplc]

I don't know where this belongs, but this is probably as good a place as any. Joba Chamberlain is a Nebraska kid who barely played baseball as a youth, then exploded into a pretty good pitcher between high school and college. Now it looks like the Yankees weren't so crazy to pick him in the top 50, despite his lack of experience. Here are a couple of recent blurbs about the future Yankee:

Joba Chamberlain, RHP, NYY: A 6-foot-3, 225-pounder, Chamberlain is a 2006 draft pick who fell to the 44th overall pick last season because many teams were concerned about his physique and health. He has a pretty amazing story to tell. Putting it bluntly, Chamberlain was a chunky kid in high school, who didn't play a lick of baseball until his senior year. He got serious about conditioning, went to a junior college and went 3-6 with a 5.23 ERA. The coaches at the University of Nebraska got a look at his fastball and recruited him. He then developed into a monster, leading the Huskers to the College World Series in 2005 with teammate Alex Gordon (Royals). This season, Chamberlain has been clocked at 98 mph, and he demolished the Florida State League to get a quick promotion to Double-A. Chamberlain also has a plus slider, a solid curve, and an improving changeup. The Yankees laud his work ethic and competitiveness. Let's look at the numbers: He had a 2.03 ERA in high Class A, allowing 25 hits (no homers) in 40 innings with a 51/11 K/BB rate. Since moving to Double-A, Chamberlain has a 26/6 K/BB rate in 16.2 innings, allowing 11 hits (one homer) with a 3.24 ERA. Chamberlain could be better than Philip Hughes. I expect Hughes and Chamberlain to be battling for Yankees ace honors in a year or three.

The worst road trip for the Thunder since the 2001 club began the season 0-9 away from home continued Thursday night against Altoona at Blair County Ballpark.

Right-hander Joba Chamberlain struck out 10 and allowed only two runs in the first game of the twi-night doubleheader, but the Thunder offense managed only five hits as the Curve came away with a 2-0 victory in front of a paid crowd of 5,083.

BALTIMORE - General manager Brian Cashman said yesterday that while he would like to be active in the trade market, he will not part with any of the team's top pitching prospects.

"I can't be foolish," Cashman told The Journal News. "We have needs but we've developed these pitchers to play for us."

Cashman didn't list his untouchables. But other general managers have said that Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy and Alan Horne are pitchers Cashman will not discuss.

I'm a Husker fan from Lincoln and I see Joba's dad at the local ballpark all the time, in case you're wondering why I care. Plus I just saw Joba's picture on the front page of ESPN's fantasy baseball section, so that was cool. For a baseball program that wasn't much of much until recently, the Huskers have quite a few "known" MLB players, including Darin Erstad, Dan Johnson, Alex Gordon and soon Joba Chamberlain. It's been fun watching these kids play here and move up into the big leagues.



Keep an eye on Joba's progress - he may be someone to take note of late in next year's drafts as a flyer "with potential."

[Members Only Jackets]

He was DEALING tonight!


6 ip

4 hits

1BB

12 K's

WIN

[RynoDyno]

I've been watching since early April also

Code: Select all

Date   Level      IP   R   ER   H   2B   3B   HR   SO   BB
3-Jul   AA   vs. Harrisburg   6   0   0   4   0   0   0   12   1
28-Jun   AA   @ Altoona   5   2   2   5   1   0   0   10   4
22-Jun   AA   @ Erie   5.2   5   5   5   0   1   1   9   3
17-Jun   AA   vs. Reading   6   1   1   3   1   0   0   8   1
12-Jun   AA   vs. Connecticut   5   0   0   3   0   1   0   9   2
7-Jun   A+   @ Palm Beach   5   1   1   6   0   0   0   9   0
2-Jun   A+   vs. Brevard County   7   3   3   5   2   1   0   10   2
27-May   A+   @ Vero Beach   8   0   0   2   0   0   0   9   2
22-May   A+   @ Jupiter   6   2   2   4   0   0   0   7   2
17-May   A+   vs. Fort Myers   5   3   3   5   0   0   0   5   1

So for his last 10 games...

58.2 IP
88 K
18 BB
42 Hits allowed
2.62 ERA
1.03 WHIP

[Members Only Jackets]

http://mvn.com/milb-yankees/2007/07/04/ ... in-report/


I like this part towards the end:

Overall, Chamberlain was excellent. Not good. Not very good. Excellent. As already explained, his command was superlative. His stuff was electric. His pitchability and baseball IQ appeared to be very mature. And, when a hard comeback chopper ricocheted off of his pitching hand, he shooed away the training staff, pounded his chest with his glove and bore down, striking out the final batter of the inning. This showed that bulldog competitive nature that talent-evaluators love to see in a high-ceiling pitching prospect. This is probably why there were so many scouts sitting in the stands. Heck, Stick Michael even mosied through the pressbox, on his way to some prime real estate: a seat a few rows behind homeplate.

After seeing him in person for the first time I have only one thing to say: Get pumped Yankee fans, Joba the Hutt is the real deal.

[Omaha Red Sox]

His K totals have always been unbelievable. He had something like 230 Ks compared to about 200 IP at Nebraska. I think most MLB scouts were concerned about this size. He's a big boy, 6'3" 230. This, after losing about 50 pounds after high school.

[Omaha Red Sox]

He pitched an innning in the Futures Game. I didn't catch it but the article says he allowed a hit and struck out one batter.

[dundeeslugger]

His K totals have always been unbelievable. He had something like 230 Ks compared to about 200 IP at Nebraska. I think most MLB scouts were concerned about this size. He's a big boy, 6'3" 230. This, after losing about 50 pounds after high school.

That's not that big. If he still had the 50 pounds on him that would be big.

[Omaha Red Sox]

That's not that big. If he still had the 50 pounds on him that would be big.

I beg to differ:



Seriously, though, he's a pretty big kid.

[dundeeslugger]

That's not that big. If he still had the 50 pounds on him that would be big.

I beg to differ:



Seriously, though, he's a pretty big kid.

You just showed me a picture of him in highschool when he weighed 270. yes that is big. But 6'3" and 230 is not that big.
I suppose it is if you're a 5'-8 buck fifty twirp.
Bobby Jenks and CC Sabathia are big

[Omaha Red Sox]

Bobby Jenks and CC Sabathia are big

Correction. Those 2 are huge.