Can Joba Chamberlain still help?
You bet. Chamberlain took us all into a time tunnel with his relief work against the Rays last weekend. He was lighting up the radar gun to the tune of 97 mph, proof (again) that he’s at his best when the job description is uncluttered: Just air it out. If the summer has taught us anything, it’s that Chamberlain doesn’t respond well to complex or experimental situations. He has a classic closer’s mentality, which is an issue the Yankees undoubtedly will revisit this winter. In the meantime, Joba’s flirtation with what he does best will be interrupted in the AL Championship Series. It’ll be interesting to see if he’s learned anything about throttling back and pacing himself for 90 pitches. Our guess is that Chamberlain remains the weakest link in the rotation; someday Brian Cashman will come to terms with that. Watching Chamberlain dominate in the seventh and eighth innings against the Twins will only whet his appetite for a return to his natural habitat.
