Joba Chamberlain
From BR Bullpen
Joba Chamberlain born Justin Louis Chamberlain
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 2", Weight 230 lb.
- Schools University of Nebraska, University of Nebraska at Kearney
- High School Lincoln Northeast High School
- Debut August 7, 2007
- Born September 23, 1985 in Lincoln, NE USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Joba Chamberlain was a top prospect in the New York Yankees system before making his major league debut in 2007, his first pro season.
After high school, Chamberlain went to Nebraska-Kearney, where he was 3-6 with a 5.23 ERA but had the best ERA and most strikeout (49) on the team. He was 4-4 with a 1.36 ERA that summer in American Legion ball while batting .505 with 11 home runs. In 2005, Joba transferred to the main campus of Nebraska and had a 10-2, 2.81 record with 130 K in 118 2/3 IP. He led the #5 team in NCAA Division I in strikeouts and was second in wins. He was one strikeout behind Big 12 Conference leader Max Scherzer and tied for third in the Conference in wins. He made the All-Conference team and was named the Newcomer of the Year. Collegiate Baseball ranked him as a third-team All-American.
The hefty hurler slipped to 6-5, 3.93 his junior year with 102 strikeouts in 89 1/3 IP. Originally considered a top-10 pick, his stock dropped due to injuries. He was selected with the 41st pick in the 2006 amateur draft by the New York Yankees, compensation for the loss of Tom Gordon to free agency. Joba signed for a $1,100,000 bonus, but did not pitch in the minors that year. It was the highest a Native American player had gone in the history of the MLB amateur draft.
He was 2-2 with a 2.63 ERA for the West Oahu CaneFires in the 2006 Hawaii Winter Baseball season. Chamberlain ranked fifth in the league in ERA and his 46 strikeouts were second to Rick van den Hurk. He made the league All-Star team, joining van den Hurk, Atsushi Nohmi and Kanehisa Anime as the pitchers. Baseball America rated him the top prospect in the league, right ahead of John Mayberry Jr. and 7 spots ahead of Ian Kennedy, picked by the Yankees earlier than Chamberlain in the 2006 draft. Baseball America also rated him as having the best fastball in the system.
Joba got off to a quick start in his first season in the minors, going 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA in seven games for the Tampa Yankees, allowing 25 hits, walking 11 and striking out 51 in 40 IP.
Chamberlain pitched the third inning for the US in the 2007 Futures Game. He walked Michael Saunders, who stole second and scored on a Chin-Lung Hu single before Chamberlain settled down to finish the inning without further damage.
Chamberlain was promoted from Tampa to the Trenton Thunder and had a 4-2, 3.43 record for them, striking out 64 in 39 1/3 innings. He then was moved up once more, to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. In his AAA debut, he pitched five scoreless innings and whiffed 10 to give him 125 strikeouts in 84 1/3 IP through July 26. Chamberlain was 1-0 in 3 games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, fanning 18 in 8 innings while allowing no runs and five hits. That made him 9-2 with a 2.45 ERA and 135 K in 88 1/3 innings in his first year as a professional, allowing a .198 average. He was called up to New York to replace Brian Bruney.
In his first major league game, Joba relieved Jim Brower against the Blue Jays in the 8th inning and struck out his first MLB opponent, Ray Olmedo. He went two scoreless frames, walking two, whiffing two and allowing one hit. Through his first three major leagues, he had allowed no baserunners in three more innings, while striking out six more.
Sources: University of Nebraska bio, Minorleaguebaseball.com, Hawaii Winter Baseball website, 2006-2007 Baseball Almanacs, The Baseball Cube
