What’s it like not dealing with the Joba Rules anymore?The most important thing I take from those questions is that while Joba is happy he doesn't have to deal with "The Rules" anymore, he understood why the Yankees had to do what they did. To me that's very important. There are a lot of young ballplayers who would say "screw that, I can handle it" and then take it personally. He didn't, which I think shows some signs of maturity.
It’s awesome, first of all. But I also look at it, being that this is my fourth year, understanding that they did it for a reason. And I’m truly humbled and grateful for that experience. But I’m also ready to undo the training wheels and get going.
Do you ever feel like, with the Rules, there was a perception that they were taking it too easy on you?
Not necessarily. History repeats itself. There have been guys who have been in the situation where they went from not a lot of innings to a lot of innings. And things have broke down. Like I said, I truly am humbled by the fact that they did that to me. As a competitor, sometimes it gets frustrating. But I also understand the long run.
It’s in the past. But was it hard?
At times it was. I’d be lying to you if I said it wasn’t. But it truly was for the best. And I think that was probably the greatest year for me last year. Not numbers-wise, but learning and becoming a pitcher, becoming a guy I want to be, and learning with all my failures and successes and all the things I went through. It truly was one of the greatest years for me.
Did they stop him from being as good as he could be last year? Probably, but they also kept him healthy. If he does end up starting this year I can't wait to see how he does with those training wheels off. You can read the rest of the interview here.
