Despite a terrible series against the White Sox, the Yankees managed to take two from Toronto and enter the 4 game series against the Red Sox up by two and a half games.   Thanks go out to Tampa Bay for beating Boston the last two games. 

Now the critical series has arrived and it starts with a Smoltz vs Chamberlain match up.  On paper this one leans towards Joba.  However, theres a lot of hype around this series and it will be interesting to see how Chamberlain handles that.  Will he come out pumped up and over throw his pitches or will he show some maturity and pitch the way has the past few weeks.   We’ll know after a few batters.

Here are the probably pitching matchups for the series…

Game 1: Smoltz vs Chamberlain
Game 2: Beckett vs Burnett
Game 3: Buchholtz vs Sabathia
Game 4: Lester vs Pettitte

If I was a betting man I’d take the Yankees winning 2 games, losing game 2 and game 4. But if they can beat Lester… How sweet would it be for the Yanks to walk away from the series with a 4.5 game lead in the division… remember it’s baseball and anything can happen.

If I’m Girardi my minimum expectation is to come out of the series with first place still in hand.  They’ll need one win to do that.  A split series wouldn’t be bad either. Let’s hope the Yankee bats stay hot and that they rise to the occasion to show the league they are a true force to be reckoned with in the AL East.

Speak Out: Yankee Fan Forum

Source: Rocky Mountain News

The Associated Press
Published November 21, 2008

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) _ Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain is fighting a 90-day license revocation after an October arrest for suspected drunken driving.  Chamberlain’s attorney filed a petition in Lancaster County District Court Wednesday, asking that the decision to revoke his license — made by the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles — be reviewed.

Attorney W. Randall Paragas of Omaha says the revocation and the law supporting it violate Chamberlain’s right to due process and equal protection of the laws. The 23-year-old pitcher hasn’t been charged, and is to appear in court Dec. 17. His blood-alcohol content level when he was pulled over for speeding on Oct. 18 was 0.134; the legal limit in Nebraska is 0.08.

Advice to Joba… You broke the law, pay your dues.  Take the license suspesion and get a limo driver for 3 months.

Speak Out: Yankee Fan Forum

During a 2K sports marketing event last night, Brian Cashman commented on the Joba DUI incident…

source Anthony DiComo mlb.com…

“He made a mistake,” Cashman said on Tuesday evening. “He apologized for it. Thank [goodness], no one was hurt, because it’s a very serious issue. And I hope that’s the end of it.”

The Yankees general manager revealed that Chien-Ming Wang received a healthy report from doctors, that Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina’s futures remain unclear, and that the team is still in the hunt for a new member of its coaching staff.

But most of all, he revealed that Chamberlain’s behavior will not be tolerated.

“He’s part of our family,” Cashman said. “We’re going to support him, but at the same time, he knows that stuff like this can’t happen.”

Nebraska police arrested Chamberlain on Oct. 18 for suspicion of driving under the influence, speeding and carrying an open container of alcohol in his vehicle. Chamberlain faces a court date next month, and Cashman wouldn’t comment on whether or not the Yankees plan to independently discipline their pitcher.

“The police are out there doing a good job,” Cashman said. “Obviously, on that day, they showed up and did good, stopping Joba from putting himself and other people further in harm’s way.”

Cashman did a good job of stating the obvious publicly.  One would hope that behind the curtain Chamberlain received a stern warning for his actions from Yankee brass.

:: Donnie23

According to AP…

Yankees manager Joe Girardi and co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner lent their support Monday to pitcher Joba Chamberlain, arrested in Lincoln, Neb., early Saturday on suspicion of driving under the influence.

“I have spoken to Joba and he made it very clear to me that he made a mistake,” Girardi said in a statement. “We certainly don’t condone his actions, but he is part of the Yankees family and I believe he learned a valuable lesson, which he can grow from.”

Chamberlain, 23, is to appear in court Dec. 17.

Chamberlain’s blood-alcohol content level was 0.134 at the time of his arrest; the legal limit in Nebraska is 0.08.

Damn.. Joba was pretty hammered! Below Hal talks briefly about Joba’s DUI:

:: Donnie23

Joba Chamberlain

TAMPA, Fla. — Hank Steinbrenner says Joba Chamberlain likely will return to the New York Yankees’ rotation at the beginning of the 2009 season.

“The plan as of right now is Chamberlain is going to be a starter,” the Yankees co-chairman said Thursday after five hours of organizational meetings at the team’s spring training complex. “Everybody’s pretty much in agreement with that.”

Chamberlain began this year in the bullpen, joined the rotation on June 3, then was sidelined after his Aug. 4 start because of rotator cuff tendinitis that caused him to go on the disabled list. When he returned Sept. 2, he went back to the bullpen.

Also attending the meetings was co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner, team president Randy Levine, chief operating officer Lonn Trost, general manager Brian Cashman, assistant general manager Jean Afterman, vice presidents Mark Newman, Gene Michael and Felix Lopez, and advisers Reggie Jackson and Tino Martinez.

“It was a productive day,” Hank Steinbrenner said. “We didn’t make any decisions today. We just covered all the things we need to fix. Everything is open. We’re willing to do anything that will improve us. It was more of a summary and quite a lot of discussion.”

The Yankees are thought to be interested in free-agent pitchers CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Ben Sheets, and first baseman Mark Teixeira. Exploring a trade for San Diego pitcher Jake Peavy is possible.

Andy Pettitte has said he is likely to return for next season. Mike Mussina isn’t sure and the Yankees think he might retire.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

He’s in, He’s out, He’s in, He’s out.   Please make up your mind… at least for Joba’s sake.   To me he seemed more comfortable being the Mo set up guy.  It remains to be seen if he can be a dependable starter.   The rotater cuff thing worries me too!  Is surgery looming for this hard hurler?  Are we in for another year with a major pitching talent on the side lines?  Time will tell.  or as Hank would say “I Dunno?”

:: Donnie23