Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Info on the Rotation

From Tyler Kepner:
Meanwhile, before leaving for Dunedin, Manager Joe Girardi announced his spring rotation. Starting March 6, it lines up this way: Sabathia, Chien-Ming Wang, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Joba Chamberlain. Girardi likes the idea of putting Wang between two strikeout guys.

“It’s a different look, a sinker as opposed to a couple of hard throwers,” Girardi said. “I also think what Chien-Ming Wang has done here is pretty special.”

Girardi said he had lined up the pitchers all the way through the 162-game schedule, and he projects Chamberlain for 30 starts. “I’m not sure we skipped him at any point,” Girardi added.
They can't seriously expect 30 starts from Joba, can they? After throwing just 100.1 last year I don't think it's reasonable to believe he will throw close to 180 innings (six per start) this year. And to be honest, I don't want him to throw that many innings. Don't risk the kid's future so he can throw an extra 30 innings in 2009.

That got me to thinking. The first game at the new Yankee Stadium is the Yankees’ 10th game of the season – the end of the second time through the rotation. If Chamberlain is not going to be skipped, does that mean he starts the home opener?

“I don’t really want to give up that, because a lot of things could happen in spring training that could change that,” Girardi said. “I can’t give that to you yet.”

I think it would be great for Joba to start the opener at the new stadium. But what might be more fitting is if they decided to flip flop he and Pettitte so that Pettitte can start the first game at the new place. He closed the old one, so why not open the new one too?

4 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2009 at 2:33 PM

    I like the idea of Joba opening the stadium.

    Him or Andy would be fine, but I'd prefer someone who will play for years to come to open the stadium.

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2009 at 3:17 PM

    I love Joba opening up the new stadium. Let a young homegrown yankee open up the new stadium.

    Pettitte closing down the old stadium was the right thing to do. But i rather have a young kid open up the new stadium.

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  3. no noFebruary 25, 2009 at 3:38 PM

    I think that either Joba or Sabathia should open the new stadium. Why give Pettitte the opportunity to open the new stadium when he closed the old one? He had his impact on the Yankees tradition, I think it's time to look to the future and let Sabathia or Joba begin their impact on the Yankees future tradition.

    Either those two, or even Wang would be a good option.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2009 at 4:42 PM

    I'm fine with anyone if the team does not lose the game.

    ReplyDelete