His manager and pitching coach challenged Joba Chamberlain to step up and pitch like he wanted the fifth spot in the New York Yankees starting rotation. And he finally did during his four-inning stint yesterday, limiting the Phillies to one run.
Joe Girardi and Dave Eiland made it clear that the youngsters, namely Joba, needed to start pitching well this week if they wanted to stay in the mix for the slot. It's a good sign that the first time Joba has been challenged he actually responded in a positive way. But he can't wait to be challenged by his bosses. If Joba really wants to be a starter, he needs to prove that he can be consistent and take the ball every fifth day, even on days he doesn't have his best stuff or doesn't feel well.
So he rose to the challenge, at least for a day. Let's hope it continues.
Thanks to BubbaFan via en.Wikipedia for the photo.
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