For a pitcher with 37 innings under his belt, Joba Chamberlain's generated a lot of controversy. There were the "Joba Rules," the way he dealt with the bugs in Cleveland and the feud between his team's owner and general manager. Those all seem temporal, though there's one talking point that won't seem to leave him alone. Chamberlain struck out David Dellucci to end the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium yesterday and then unlelashed his now-familiar fist pump and yell. That Dellucci beat Chamberlain and the Yankees on Tuesday night with a three-run homer in the same spot couldn't have been far from his mind, not that he needs much goading. Chamberlain caught flak for doing the same thing against Frank Thomas in April though the Big Hurt wasn't the one giving it to him. This time around Dellucci wasn't so kind.
"If he wants to yell and scream after a strikeout and dance around the mound, that's what gets him going. My home run was in a much bigger situation, a much more key part of the game, but I didn't dance around and scream."I'm all for emotion in sports. A pump of the fist, a yell, a little excitement about what you've done is cool by me. It's nothing that gets noticed in any sport but baseball, hell even golfers get away with it, and that doesn't make much sense.
Chamberlain is clearly an emotional sort, maybe even a bit of a drama queen. After giving up the Dellucci home run on Tuesday, he looked like his dog had just run away and sat in the dugout with a towel on his head like Stephon Marbury. He's far from the only pitcher who reacts like that in either direction and it's never been something that offended me.
If there's any reason to get upset about the fist pump, it's that it was a 6-3 game with no one on and two out. Chamberlain's celebration, then, was more about getting Dellucci back than the actual moment in the game. If Dellucci or another hitter hits a home run in a 6-3 game, stands and admires it for an extra beat it would seem like excessive celebration given the weight of the situation. That goes across the board, though, so Dellucci may want to tell C.C. Sabathia to cool it when he pitches his way out of a fourth inning jam.
ADVERTISEMENT
_thumbnail.jpg "NASCAR Cowboy Hats")
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. I don't understand the point of Dellucci or Frank Thomas whining about this. If a pitcher is going to act like a clown when he strikes somebody out, you have your pitcher throw a 96mph pitch at Jeter. Maybe after Jeter's back is black and blue, Chamberlin will learn to act like an adult.
But if your team is not willing to do that- keep your mouth shut...this is baseball not The View.
Posted at 10:49AM on May 9th 2008 by Mike
2. On the other hand..just like when ManRammer stands at home and watches the ball leave the park and then takes a 5 minute stroll around the bases..next time drill him between his 2 and 4
Posted at 1:37PM on May 9th 2008 by NYRanger26
3. NYRanger...completely agree. My point is simply, if your team does not about Joba/ManRam whoever- then they are implicity consenting to it. Therefore, if Dellucci or Thomas has a problem with Joba, its their pitchers responsible to punish the opposing players.
If that action is not taken, there is no purpose is crying about it afterwards.
Posted at 2:02PM on May 9th 2008 by Mike
4. dont strike out and there wont be a problem?? emotions is what makes sports exciting without them there'd be no professional sports.
Posted at 5:58PM on May 9th 2008 by jack