The kid's name...is Jabba.

I can't even repeat most of the conversations that took place between myself and my dad on the phone tonight--too ranty and profanity-laden. But I would like to note the following:

ME: Wait, where did they get this kid from?

MY DAD: Their Triple A team.

ME: What? Since when do they have pitching prospects? So you're telling me they just pulled, like, a Manny Delcarmen out of their asses?

MY DAD: Erm. Well. Actually, he's more like a--

ME: Don't say it.

MY DAD: --Papelbon.

ME: I DON'T WANT JONATHAN TO HAVE AN EVIL YANKEE TWIN!!

But apparently, he does. And his name, for the record, is Joba. It is pronounced "Jabba." And he looks like...I'm not even going to talk about who he looks like.

Meanwhile, I don't like saying I hate a member of my own beloved-to-tattered-pieces home team, but really, I am starting to full-on hate JD Drew. My Dad believes Tito and Manny are due "loss shares" as it were, as he believes that his new binky Kielty "with half a back would have a better at-bat than Hinske," and believes Manny "was embarrassed about his error so he took himself out of the game." But I personally am more than willing to put at least half the weight of this loss on the shoulders of JD Drew. Who struck out while representing the go-ahead run. Against a kid named Jabba.

But also. It was Daisuke. 

OK. Let's not. It makes me upset.

Seriously, though, where did the Yankees get pitching all of a sudden?

P.S. King of the P.S. Section of this Blog Dustin Pedroia's killer dive-and-roll to end the second inning was easily the most delightful thing I've seen on a baseball infield this season. And this article (HT to Texas Gal) is among the most delightful things I've ever read on the Internet. Choice quote: "His intent is very easily seen."

Comments

[Texas Gal]

Tonight they showed Jabba the Hutt deep in conversation with Roger Clemens, and I swear to god Jabba looks more like Roger's kid than Roger's own kid does.

And this guy better not be Papyboo's evil twin. Papelbon would eat him for breakfast.

I know from Papelbon, Mr. Jabba- and you, sir, are no Papelbon.

[mouse]

To listen to Yankee fans and the YES Network cronies, you'd think Joba already had a plaque in the HOF. I don't begrudge fans getting amped up over their "can't miss" kids, but it feels like Yankee fans abuse the right. The kid's pitched all of 10 innings in the majors and I hate his guts just because of the absurd amount of hype around him. (And I realize that's completely unfair to Chamberlain himself, but that's the way it is when you're born hating all things Yankees.)

He has nothing on Papelbon in the looks department, at least.

I've written this off as a lost year for J.D. Drew. If he does anything positive the rest of the season/postseason I'll consider it a bonus. My hope is that next year he's a bonafide beast...sometimes a clean slate does wonders, so I'm not going to slap the "bust" or "hate" labels on him yet. I often feel like he wants me to, however.

[beardedmike99]

is it just me or did chamberlain not really impress? he put two men on in all of 16 pitches, and had ortiz not swung at the first pitch, i think that would have been a much different inning. sure, he throws heat, but then again, so does farnsworth. after 10 total innings and only one against the sox, i have to say i came away fairly confident that we can hit against this kid.

[SoxyLady]

Thanks for posting this Pedrioa article, it's fantastic!

[maxwell horse]

For me the most distressing part of last night was watching the replays of Manny's last at bat. He *clearly* grimaces when he completes his swing, and all but limps to first base.

Yeah, it seems like Joba basically fell from the sky. And you're right, it's almost like the Yankees have a bizarro-world evil Papelbon now. It reminds me of the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer. Like, halfway through the movie they introduce this anti-Josh Waitzkin, a little punk kid whom he would duke it out with in the final minutes of the movie.

This is how I foresee game seven of the ALCS ending. Jonathan Papelbon, against all odds, hothead that he is, brings his queen out too early and subsequently loses it. But miraculously, he stils has the Yankees on the ropes with 2 outs and the tying run at the plate. However, Paps then shocks the world. Contrary to all our expectations, he raises his hand, not because he's winding up to pitch, but because he's offering to shake hands with A-rod (who is at the plate). Paps is offering the Yankees a draw, because they've "already lost," they "just don't know it."

But of course, the Yankees reject it.

Paps then proceeds to strike out A-rod and crush Joba's green head into the dirt (at least emotionally), and we all leave feeling good about ourselves. Except for Yankees and their fans, who feel terrible--just like how that little anti-Josh kid felt at the end of Bobby Fischer.

[Leeann]

To me, the backstory on this Joba guy smacks a little of Yankee desperation. He's obviously a huge talent, but they've rushed him from single-A to the Show this year. And the look on Eck's face and his tone in the postgame show last night as he talked about how they are absolutely forbidden to use him 2 days in a row no matter the circumstances (though I imagine in the postseason all bets are off)...it was striking. You have to wonder if they're still going to end up burning him out before he hits his prime. Does anyone know the story behind how Rivera originally came up? It'd be interesting to compare. Though some have said the Yankees might try him as a starter next year (reminiscent of anyone we know? Eek), especially with the age of their current rotation.

[erikjheels]

I think that Dice-K is out of gas. Check out these stats:

http://www.erikjheels.com/2007-08-28-is-dice-k-out-of-gas.html