The Joba arguement. Let's get this outta the way here...........

Let's get this out of the way: I believe, and still believe, that Joba Chamberlain should remain in the starting rotation. I have written about it a few times on this mighty blog and I ultimately believe it to be the best option. But, instead of arguing one way or the other, I have decided to give my best impersonation of Cybil (multi-personality) and argue BOTH sides of this debate with passion. The "Joba should stay in the rotation" side will be argued by me, John Rook, genius of the sporting world, while the "Joba should be in the pen" side will be argued by a new addition to this blog, who will be called Fike Mancesa, a 350 pound, bespectacled blowhard who, from time to time, can make a good point or two.
So, without further adieu, let's get down to the debate:

John Rook: "First, let me just say what a thrill and honor it is to be invited to participate in this debate on the best sports blog in America. Some will say that I was only invited because I run the blog, but I still consider it an honor.
So, the reason I am here is to debate, once again, the Joba Chamberlain question. I can't get enough of this arguement. I mean, how much fun is it to debate the same topic, with no new insight, no new evidence, no new information, and no new interest, over and over again? This debate is proof positive that the best things in life stem from talk radio, where dead issues are resurected like Jason Vorhees in another Friday the 13th movie.
Why should Joba remain in the rotation? For all the reasons that have already been mentioned one trillion, eight hundred million times before. Instead of getting indepth, let me simply list them for you: Joba has four major league quality pitches, with a fastball and slider that, on most nights, are A++ pitches, a very good curveball, and a changeup that is quickly getting to be a major weapon; he is 23-years old, has made only 22 starts in his career, and has an ERA in that time under 4 and a strikeout to inning's pitched ratio that is terrific; for the majority of this season, Joba has been the second best pitcher on the team, with his last start (4 innings, 4 runs) being the only time he hasn't given the Yankees a legitimate chance to win; starting pitching is the most important asset to any major league team and your best pitchers should be used where they can make the most impact (please, Fike, don't bring up Mariano. Mo is the BEST releiver in the history of the game, but he is FAR from being one of the best pitchers on the team. Mo could NEVER start, nor could he go through a lineup two or three times with only one pitch. He is a great RELIEVER, but it is the only role he could have on a team); you can always move Joba to the pen a year or two down the road without repercussions but moving him from the pen to the rotation would be virtually impossible if you essentially "skipped" this year as a starter; bridging the gap between the starter and Mo is not the impossible task some have made it out to be, illustrated by the fact that the likes of Brian Bruney and, more recently, Alfredo Aceves, have done the job quite admirably (and no offense to either one of those pitchers, both of whom are very good, but neither have electric stuff or special talent. You can find those types of pitchers around baseball. You can't find Joba's around at all); and, finally, you don't steal from one part of your team - the most important part of your team - because you either can't handle the pen effectively or can't handle the pen properly. Brian Cashman, with his rebuilt farm system and almost infinite cash revenues, should be able to build a pen that is productive without putting Joba in.
I have said this before and I will say it again, you have more of an arguement turning Phil Hughes into your eighth inning, future closer guy than Joba. Hughes has only two major-league ready pitches while Joba has four. Hughes has been much more injury prone in his young career than Joba. Hughes seems to lose something as the game goes on while Joba's problems have been early in games (forget what he did in 07. That was two years ago now. Joba would not be a candidate for late-inning work because his biggest struggles come early in games. To assume that somehow he will simply channel 2007 and become that short-inning dominant force is naive at best). And, flat out, Joba's stuff is flat out better. He has the chance to be a superstar starter, something Hughes has shown only flashes of being as a major leaguer.
Finally, I don't think that there is much of a discussion to be had in regards to where Joba helps the team best. Only baseball ignorant people honestly believe that relievers are more important than starters. But this "debate" has become so patently unfair to Joba it is hard to imagine. It has almost taken on the feel of a political debate, where being winning the arguement ends up being more important than being right. Those wh advocate Joba going back to the pen have all but ignored his good starts and his obvious improvements in order to create this narrative where the Joba "experiment" as a starter is breaking down all around the team. Little real coversation was had before Joba's last start because, aside from his first inning troubles, he had pitched well (and at times brilliantly) as a starter. The "back to the pen" crowd treated that as if it really wasn't happening, then waited for a bad outing and pounced.
So, Joba is expected to be good EVERY time, in every circumstance, or his time as a starter will be useless and unproductive for the team? Who is held to that kind of standard?
Certainly not Phil Hughes, who has been allowed to fail time after time, but once he pitches two games that are pretty good, he is annointed as being solid enough to solidify the rotation and move Joba to the pen? Hughes still has far more bad games to his name than good ones, and assuming that he would be as valuable in the rotation as Joba just doesn't make any sense whatsoever. As I am writing this, Hughes, in the fifth inning, has given up 3 runs, thrown close to 90 pitches, and has runners on first and third with no one out. If this were Joba, it wouldn't be treated as "taking his lumps" but rather as evidence that he can't be a starter.
Jba Chamberlain has the stuff and the makeup to be a dominate starter in this league. Moving him to the pen would be an absolute waste.
Fight me off, Fike. Do your best."

Fike Mancesa: "Alright, let's just say I am not happy at all right now because, when I walked in for this debate, someone had gotten me a diet Coke instead of a diet Pepsi. Not happy, my friends, not happy at all.
Joba should be in the pen, case closed. It's the only way the Yankees will win this year, no question. I don't know why I have to debate this. I told everyne how things should be and my word should be law. I saw Mickey Mantle play baseball, for God sakes. Joe Torre sends me tea every week, in cases. I don't even HAVE to pay for the good seats at Yankees Stadium, they give them to me because I am such a genius (even though, trust me, if I had to pay for them, I could afford it. I like people to know I am super rich).
Considering I haven't made a decent point as to why Joba should go back to the pen as of yet (mostly, I've embarrased myself by saying that the Yankees can't "wait" to develop a pitcher or that the eighth inning is more important than being a starter) let me bring up the only real arguement that holds any water: Mariano Rivera is a human being. That is a hard truth to come to grips with, but it's true. Mo will, eventually, not be able to pitch at the highest possible level. It is also possible that Rivera, a family man who has other interests outside of baseball, might very well decide to step away from the game, even while he is on top. Either way, the Mariano Rivera era is coming to a close sooner rather than later.
Put the blame anywhere you would like, but the Yankees do NOT have an heir apparent ready to go. Mark Melancon has the stuff, but he continues to wait for his chance in the minors, having gotten a shot in late April, early May with shaky results at best. It would be hard to imagine Brian Bruney as a top-notch closer, Phil Coke gives up too many homers at this point, and the trade/free agent closer market never seems to deliver good results for team.
Joba's 2007 season in the pen would make you think he could easily take over the roll of closer when Rivera decides to call it a career. His high-90's fastball, coupled with his devastating slider, could make him one of the more unhittable closers in the game. It would give the Yankees their end-of-the-game guy for years to come - their answer to Jonathan Paplebon.
If Phil Hughes can continue to improve, and Chien Mien Wang can come back and return to form, the Yankees would have (going forward) a solid rotation of Sabathia, Burnett, Wang, and Hughes, with Joba in the pen. Then, you could either go get a veteran pitcher to fill the gap in the rotation, or hope that one of your other young guns (a healthy Kennedy or Andrew Brackman) could take the reins.
Joba to the pen isn't about the eighth inning this year as it is about the ninth inning the next 10 years. The young man has the stuff and, most importantly, the make up, to be the closer of the future for the Yankees. For now, he can be an impressive 1-2 punch with Mo, lenghtening the bullpen and making that part of the team a strength. In the long run, he can move into the role and be dominate.
Joba needs to move to the pen now. Case closed."

Thanks to both our guests for coming out to participate in this debate tonight. For my money, I side with John Rook (shocker there) and HOPE the Yankees stay smart and keep Joba in the rotation. If the Yankees are so concerned about the closer spot AFTER Rivera retires, move Hughes into that role right now and have him be the eighth inning guy, eventually taking over as your closer. Hughes can still be a good pitcher in the rotation, but Joba can simply be special, and I would always rather have an ace than a top closer, even Mo. The Yankees have had Mo for the last 8 years and they haven't won a thing. That's because their starting pitching has simply been mediocre to terrible. A closer is NEVER as valuable if the rotation isn't top notch.