Ballpark Banter- Wednesday evening notes

* There were many reasons why some thought it would not be a great decision to move Joba Chamberlain to the starting rotation in the middle of the season. The point being made was that he was already probably the best set-up man in all of baseball, and him combined with closer Mariano Rivera gave the New York Yankees the best one-two punch in baseball at the end of the game. It is had to argue with shortening a game to 6-7 innings and letting Chamberlain and Rivera take care of the rest.

It was also not a given that Chamberlain would be able to properly adapt to a starter's role during the middle of the season since he hadn't trained his body or his arm like a 7-8 inning starter, but rather a 1-2 inning reliever. The last thing the Yankees need is for Chamberlain to break down trying to pitch more innings, and then not have him for the stretch run in the second half. Or there was the thought that his stuff would not be quite as good over 7 innings and he would not be nearly as electric when he is allowed to blow it out for an inning or two.

It is safe to say that Chamberlain is crushing all of the aforementioned concerns with every pitch he throws as a starter for the New York Yankees these days. Chamberlain earned his first win as a starter on Wednesday, striking out 7 over 6 2/3 scoreless innings as the Yankees skunked the Pirates 10-0. Chamberlain was still hitting 97 mph in his final inning of work, his slider was nastier than ever, and oddly enough he looks more comfortable in this role.

Chamberlain is an intense guy, but it looks as if he has quickly found a way to channel that aggression, and he looks as calm and cool as ever. One thing that stood out about his start tonight was how much he went to his change up, not because it was dominant, but rather because it appeared he was struggling with it a little bit. He kept throwing it, and even forced himself to throw it in fastball counts, making sure that he would not lose the feel.

This is a crucial step in the development for Chamberlain as a starter, because his change up is going to be the equalizer against great left handed hitters, and his curveball already looks like a solid offering. His fastball and slider are obviously out of this world, and when he pairs consistent command with his pitches, you can etch his name into at least two Cy Young awards. Would not be surprised.


* There are first impressions, and then there is simply taking advantage of your opportunity. This is not Eric Stult's first time in the big leagues, but it is his first taste of a big league starting rotation, and he is pitching like he has been here the whole season. Stults pitched the Dodgers to a complete game shutout of the Chicago White Sox Wednesday night, improving his record to 2-0 since he was called up to aide the Dodgers injured staff.

Hiroki Kuroda and Brad Penny are going to come back and regain their roles, if only because the Dodgers have a lot of money invested in those two right arms, even if their performances don't stack up as good as Stults. That is the sour realization of the business, and one that Joe Saunders down the I-5 Freeway in Los Angeles knows much about. Stults will go back to the minor leagues and await his next turn, via injury, spot start, or September call up.

The bullpen is an option, I guess, but that is not what the Dodgers want to do since they obviously have a guy who can be successful at the big league level in the rotation, and that is never a guy you want to side track by short, sporadic work out of the bullpen. Stults, fairly or unfairly, may not get his opportunity to really stick until next March in spring training, and that is simply the life of a baseball player. But what this emergence does for the Dodgers is give them another arm to possibly shop around one of their current starters, maybe a Derek Lowe or Brad Penny. The Dodgers could command an impact bat in return, say Pittsburgh's Jason Bay or Xavier Nady, or they may be able to bring in some young prospects and continue to stockpile the system while giving the cheaper Stults a chance to stick. Regardless, one thing we do know is that this stagnant Dodgers club has gotten a jolt of energy from this guy and that is not something that you would willingly give up when you are trying to track down the division leader.


* This night would not be complete if we didn't step away from Major League Baseball for a minute and put the focus on the College World Series and the Fresno State Bulldogs. Fresno State beat Georgia in the decisive third game Wednesday night to capture the first National Championship in the school's history. This is being regarded not only as the biggest upset or "cinderella" story, whichever you prefer, in college baseball history, but one of the great stories in sports history period. Think about that. A group of fun-loving college kids could have such an impact.

Fresno State had to win their conference tournament to even get into the 64-team NCAA tournament and then went through college baseball's gauntlet, defying all odds in all three rounds of post season play. The Bulldogs end the post season 6-0 in elimination games, a true test of their character and belief. It wasn't the numbers and the history per say that made this team such a great story and so much fun to watch. It was the players themselves who made it such a joy.

We got to watch a right fielder set four CWS records in the championship game-- while playing with a mangled left thumb that will require extensive ligament-replacement surgery this summer. We got to watch a third baseman crush balls all over the yard and play stellar defensive en route to the CWS Most Outstanding Player award-- while playing with dislocated fingers on his throwing hand. We saw a team piece together a pitching staff without their ace who was lost before the post season started due to a shoulder injury and "fresh" starters took the ball and stepped up time after time-- by "fresh" we mean two days of rest.

What trumps all is the passion, energy, and commitment to one's teammates that will make this team so memorable. Every guy interviewed after the game couldn't say enough about the fans or the other guys on the team. None of these kids absorbed the spotlight, they ricocheted it off their jerseys and shined it on another. We will remember a team that was the epitome of "heart" and "love of the game" not because of the odds they defied, but how they went about it and the compassion they showed for their teammates and their opponents. Above all, the genuine feeling of gratification and charm that overcame me when I witnessed young ballplayers create lifelong memories amidst the summit of their college careers will be the long-lasting memory of this improbable stretch of success. The 2008 Fresno State Bulldogs are everything and more that is great about sports.