Dave Eiland likes Joba in the bullpen
March 29, 2010, 1:00 pm by iYankees · 4 Comments
Via Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger:
The Joba Chamberlain debate may continue to rage outside of the clubhouse, though to Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland, the eternal back-and-forth about the Yankees’ prized arm is over.”We will not bring him out of the bullpen to start this year,” Eiland told the Star-Ledger on Sunday morning. “There’s people above me that can override my decision, but as far as I’m concerned that’s (the bullpen) where he’s going to be.”
Though he said things can change — “I never say anything’s forever” — Eiland said there’s no plan for Chamberlain work in the bullpen and to be reevaluated at the end of the season for a starting job.
“We get more out of his ability as a reliever,” Eiland said. “We feel like he can be a good starter. We feel like he can be a great reliever.”
Said Eiland: “He’s in the bullpen, and he’s there to stay, period.”
As with Billy Eppler, it appears this is Eiland’s opinion (it is not fact), or at least that is what Brian Cashman would like you to believe. It is interesting, though, that Eiland uses “we” rather than “I” when discussing his feelings about Joba’s future. “We feel like he can be a good starter,” he says. “We feel like he can be a great reliever.” I wonder if the “we” Eiland is referring to also includes manager Joe Girardi, as that would be a pretty big deal.
Photo by the AP
