ST. PETERSBURG – Joba Chamberlain appreciated Goose Gossage calling him yesterday to inform him of what Gossage had said the day before in Cooperstown.
“He called me and he said what he said,” Chamberlain said before last night’s game against the Rays at Tropicana Field. “It’s going to continue to go on but I am not going to change.”
During his Hall of Fame orientation Monday, Gossage was critical of Chamberlain’s yelling and pump fisting on the mound after he gets a big out.
“There is no place for it in the game,” Gossage said.
Gossage followed Indians outfielder David Dellucci in criticizing Chamberlain. It’s not only not bothering Chamberlain, it’s not forcing change.
“It is what it is,” said Chamberlain, who worked a scoreless inning in last night’s 2-1, 11-inning loss to the Rays. “I am not going to change.”
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Ian Kennedy will be activated tomorrow morning and start in the afternoon. Kei Igawa is the leading candidate to be sent to Triple-A.
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Joe Girardi donned a mask and caught Andrew Brackman‘s bullpen session at yesterday. Brackman was the Yankees’ first-round pick a year ago and is coming back from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and is out for the year.
“It’s the best way to find out what a guy has got,” Girardi said of squatting for the 6-foot-10 Brackman, who threw a curveball off the mound for the first time since surgery.
Humberto Sanchez, who is also coming back from Tommy John but is ahead of Brackman, followed Brackman in the pen and was caught by Chad Moeller as Girardi looked on.
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Girardi stayed with sure-handed Alberto Gonzalez at third base last night for the second straight game since sinker-ball specialist Chien-Ming Wang was on the mound. He went 0-for-2 and was hit for by Shelley Duncan in the seventh.
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Jorge Posada (strained right shoulder) played catch and took batting practice for the second straight day. He isn’t expected back until at least the beginning of June.