Joba Chamberlain still isn’t sure if he’s going to be Mariano Rivera’s setup man or whether he will be relying on Rivera to save games for him. Either way, the 22-year-old, hard-throwing righty is pleased that No. 42 will still be a Yankee.
“He’s one of my mentors, so it’s good to have him back,” Chamberlain said of Rivera, who agreed to a three-year contract yesterday. “It’s nothing but the best for this team. He’s still one of the best at what he does, and to have him back is extremely important.”
There had been some concern that Rivera would stick to his demand of a four-year deal, which Chamberlain was well aware of.
“You’re always concerned when things like that come up,” Chamberlain said. “It definitely would have been weird to see him in anything but Pinstripes. I’m relieved he’s with us.”
The Yankees have spent plenty of time and money in a futile search for an eighth-inning bridge to Rivera, a role that Chamberlain excelled in down the stretch after making his Bronx debut in August.
But thanks to his quick start with the Yankees, when he went 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 24 innings, it’s easy to forget that he was a starter prior to being called up to the Yankees.
And Hank Steinbrenner has made it clear that he expects Chamberlain to be in the starting rotation next year. Nevertheless, Chamberlain insists nothing has been discussed and he has yet to speak with new manager Joe Girardi.
“Whether they want me to be the guy to get the ball to Mariano or to throw 200 innings, I’m ready,” said Chamberlain, who signed autographs yesterday for Steiner Sports in New Rochelle.
Chamberlain added that he was pleased Alex Rodriguez decided to come back to the Yankees, calling the third baseman “the staple in the middle of the lineup.”
For all of his success last season, however, Chamberlain’s year ended on a sour note, as he coughed up a lead in Cleveland in Game 2 of the ALDS after being swarmed by bugs.
Joe Torre mentioned that he has second-guessed himself about his failure to take more action after the insects descended on Chamberlain.
“My only regret is that he’s got a regret about that, about me,” Chamberlain said. “The blame should fall all on me. I didn’t do what I was supposed to do. It’s on me. It’s not right that he thinks that.”