Have Patience With Young Starters

There was an idea out there that you couldn't develop young players in New York. The thought process was that New Yorkers were always in win-now mentality and that they can't deal with the aches and pains that deal with developing young players. I always thought that idea was wrong.

Judging by people's impatience with Joba Chamberlain's growing pains, that idea may be right.

Joel Sherman points out he's still really, really young: "Roy Halladay was so bad at a point early in his career that he had to be busted down to Single-A. Detroit's Edwin Jackson had the Dodgers give up on him because he could not harness his stuff. Jackson's Tigers teammate, Justin Verlander, lost 17 games last year. Kansas City's Zack Greinke endured an anxiety disorder that threatened his career."

And I may be wrong, but it may be easier to relieve. I'm just throwing that out there.

Phil Hughes as a starter this season: 3-2, 5.45 ERA, 1.500 WHIP, 8 SO/9, and 2.07 SO/BB
Phil Hughes as a reliever this season: 0-0, 1.06 ERA, 0.588 WHIP, 9.5 SO/9, and 6 SO/BB

Joba Chamberlain as a starter 2008: 3-1, 2.76 ERA, 1.301 WHIP, 10.2 SO/9 and 2.96 SO/BB
Joba Chamberlain as a reliever 2008: 1-2, 2.31 ERA, 1.171 WHIP, 11.3 SO/9 and 3.14 SO/BB

Alfredo Aceves career as a starter: 1-0, 3.49 ERA, 1.253 WHIP, 3.8 SO/9 and 1.22 SO/BB
Alfredo Aceves career as a reliever: 5-1, 1.91 ERA, 0.957 WHIP, 7.9 SO/9 and 4.10 SO/BB

It's a small sample size, but maybe guys actually just pitch better out of the bullpen. You know you only throw a few innings at most, can rear back and throw your best stuff. You don't need to throw your third or fourth best pitch. It is, what it is. Mariano Rivera can throw one pitch and not get hit. If he threw that for a whole game, it may be a problem.

And maybe Joba's problem is just pitching at home, from Sherman: "If Joba were 4-0 with a 2.74 ERA right now would anybody be talking about him being miscast as a starter? Of course not. Well that is Joba's record on the road compared to 0-2, 5.36 at the launching pad in the Bronx. If you say that just shows his immaturity that he has done nothing to adjust to the new Yankee Stadium, then can we also call Andy Pettitte immature? Because Pettitte is two different pitchers this year, as well; same as he ever was top-of-the-rotation figure on the road (4-1, 2.79) and looking on the verge of washed up at home (4-3, 5.72)."

My one biggest problem with Joba? As Ken Davidoff says, he's not as hard on himself as everyone else is or as he should be. He's part of the Derek Jeter school of not giving a soundbite, but he needs to be harder on himself when he sucks...even if it is at home.

I'm not saying that Joba Chamberlain will become a Hall of Fame starter, but you need to at least give him the chance to develop. If it doesn't work, you can always move him back to the easier spot in the bullpen. Patience is a virtue when it comes to young starters. Johan Santana wasn't Santana when he started his career. He was a reliever too. But they gave him a chance. And he took off.

And Phil Hughes should also remain on track to be a starter in the long run, despite the success he is having relieving this season, as Rob Neyer notes.

Patience, grasshopper. Patience is a virtue.