I Have a Confession to Make

I'm exhausted, but at least tonight's game was well worth staying up for. Hell, any game in which Joba "The Hut" makes an appearance is worth the price of admission. Not many regular season games are "must win" games, but tonight was certainly one of them. Both Boston and Seattle (miraculously) lost, and a sweep at the hands of the Angels would have been absolutely devastating.

In just 6 games, I have already developed a crush on Joba Chamberlain. Hate if you will, but this beast of a phenom is, in a word, u-n-h-i-t-t-a-b-l-e. Watching Joba blow smoke past Vlad tonight was a thing a beauty. Power vs. power -- and guess what? I'm starting to think that he could punch out Vlad 8 out of every 10 times he faces him. Vlad never stood a chance. In 8 innings now, "Mr. Loverman" (a nickname which is rapidly catching on) has registered 14 K's, 2 BB's, 3 hits, and 0 runs allowed. He hits 97 MPH - 100 MPH with every fastball he throws, as he paints the corners! And, the thing is...I'm 100% positive that his fastball isn't even his best pitch. His 90 MPH slider might be the best out-pitch in baseball today! I know it may sound absurd, but don't dare knock it until you actually see it.

How good is he? I honestly don't think the 21-year-old will give up more than a single run all season long (assuming he doesn't make a spot start down the road...he won't before next year). Chew on that!

Remember way back in 2005 when WEEI and all of Red Sox Nation continuously proclaimed the Yankees farm system as "dead" and "bare"???

...Wang, Hughes, Chamberlain, Cano, and Melky say hello. And, there's much-much more to come in the near future (the Yanks STILL have an incredible surplus of potential stud arms in the minors).

* Photoshopped picture comes courtesy of http://nomaas.org/