Don’t read this if you’re not a Yankees fan, but if you are…

First, it’s always great to root for a player that the Yankees haven’t bought or rented but have instead brought up from the farm. So it was a nice reversal to see the Red Sox go get Gagne and the Yanks call up Chamberlain. I understand the need to save his arm from Torre-the-destroyer-of-all-relievers, but I think the rules on him are too rigid. The idea, as Al Leiter said on YES the other day, that if he throws 10 pitches one day, he has to be off the next day is absurd. Yes, they should be careful with him, but they should let the natural rhythm of the season do some of the resting for him. For instance, they used him for a quick inning of work on Sunday, which made him off-limits on Monday when they desperately needed him, which made him available last night, when they didn’t need him at all. Through their rigidity the Yanks are going to prevent themselves from using him in the most sensible and effective way, in a stretch-run where every game could be the difference between a silent October and another trip to the post-season. Just had to get it off my chest. (And if you’re not a Yankees fan, you were duly warned not to click through to this post, so don’t send me complaining e-mails!)

UPDATE:

An e-mail:

Hey Rich –
I’d love to see Joba pitch more too, but here’s a solid counter argument from Peter Abraham (whose blog is a MUST read for any Yankee fan).