Veteran right-hander Joba Chamberlain tells George A. King III of the New York Post that he won’t pursue further opportunities to continue his playing career. Chamberlain, who tells King it’s “time to be a dad,” will walk away from the game after parts of 10 big league seasons to spend time with his young family.
The 32-year-old Chamberlain was one of the game’s top regarded prospects after the Yankees selected him with the 41st overall pick in the 2006 draft. The Nebraska product spent barely a year in the minor leagues before debuting with one of the more memorable stretches of dominance for any rookie pitcher in recent memory.
Chamberlain debuted with the Yankees on Aug. 7, 2007 and went on to reel off 16 brilliant innings with a 0.00 ERA to open his career. He was eventually scored upon with one unearned run and a lone earned run, but his rookie season ended with a comically dominant 0.38 ERA and a 34-to-6 K/BB ratio in 24 innings of work.
Between that short sample and a strong overall rookie campaign in 2008 (2.60 earned run average, 10.6 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 in 100 1/3 innings between 30 relief appearances and 12 starts), Chamberlain appeared poised for greatness. However, a full-time move to the starting rotation in 2009 yielded middling results, and Chamberlain lacked his typical relief dominance when moved back to the bullpen in 2010.
Yankees fans can undoubtedly recall a divide within the organization as to which role best suited Chamberlain, and the dreaded “Joba Rules” that the organization put in place to protect the prized young righty’s arm ultimately failed to achieve their goal. A torn ulnar collateral ligament and Tommy John surgery in 2011 limited him to 48 2/3 innings over a two-year period. Chamberlain’s final season in Yankee pinstripes came in 2013 and resulted in an ERA just south of 5.00 with diminished strikeout and walk rates.
Over the next three seasons, Chamberlain bounced around the American League Central, spending time as a member of the Tigers, Royals and Indians while finding varying levels of success. He turned in a solid 2014 season with the Tigers and quietly gave the Indians 20 very strong innings of relief as recently as 2016. But the dominance that Chamberlain showed during his impressive minor league stint and his first 124 big league innings never really resurfaced following his surgery. He was in minor league camp with the Brewers this year but never signed another contract after failing to make the team out of Spring Training.
All said, Chamberlain’s career will come to a close with a 25-21 record, seven saves and a 3.81 ERA over the life of 555 1/3 innings between the Yankees, Tigers, Indians and Royals. Though he never reached the heights that many projected early in his career, Chamberlain still appeared in four different postseasons, taking home a World Series ring with the 2009 Yankees. Between his signing bonus out of the draft and his salaries over parts of 10 big league seasons, he took home roughly $12MM as a player. Best wishes to Joba and his family as he embarks on his post-playing days.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Why did the Indians release him despite 2.25 ERA in 20 innings?
Tha was the last time we ever saw him pitch for a MLB team.
They had just played that 19 inning game against Toronto and needed to bring up fresh arms and he was odd man out.
Obviously, neither Cleveland nor its fans would imagine, this transaction would effectively mark the end of Joba’s MLB career especially since he was effective, in his short stint there.
It just sucks. If he went out with ERA>5.00, I would take it better, but from all indications he was still an effective reliever. I was quietly rooting for Joba to succeed.
If that 19 inning game didn’t happen, Would he still be pitching today?
I don’t know, he had 11 walks and only 19 strikeouts in those 20 innings. If I recall, there was something in the local newspaper about his velocity or control not being where it was in the spring. That could explain why no one picked him up after his release or he made a team this last spring.
Because there were a bunch of questionable, newly-created sabermetric statistics that said he wasn’t very good.
He had 11 walks in those 20 innings. He wasn’t as good as the ERA would lead one to think. He was wild and not effective. Stats can lie
Good luck.
I enjoyed his brief stay in Cleveland, although shortened by a tricky roster move.
if i’m not mistaken (which i could be) was he one that was a roster casualty after that long extra inning game in toronto last year?
Don’t forget his hilarious D.U.I arrest video.
I was able to root Joba on as early as his high school career, where we share a common alma mater. Then at every level from there on out.
What a genuinely nice guy. Good to see him make the decision that is best for his family.
The yanks should have left him as a reliever. He was so dominant as one and was one of the reason the yanks got into the postseason in 07
The Joba Rules were designed to protect Joba from Torre, the RP killer. The Torre graveyard is littered with the corpses of RPs like Tanyon Sturtze, Paul Quantrill, and poor Scott Proctor, who ended up with the LAD, only to have Torre go out there and ruin his arm some more…
Always wondered why all Dodger fans I talked to despised Broxton yet had no problem at all with Torre, who ruined Broxton in an attempt to win against the team he formerly managed.
I’m glad maybe we agree now that putting young pitchers on a count and treating them gently and not allowing them to build strength hasn’t actually helped.
Because if something happens once or twice, that means it’s gospel.
I wonder if things would have been different if he remained in the set up role for New York, instead of trying him as a starter.
Also the memory of the ALDS game in Cleveland still hurts
Guy never lived up to the hype. Goodnight sweet prince.
Dear newly drafted players,
We expect you all to be better than Mike Trout. Those expectations must be met, or it’s all your fault.
Signed,
Baseball fans.
Was anyone really thinking he should come back? When Ausmus summoned him from the pen, during the playoffs, the Baltimore fans gave a standing ovation, they were so happy to see him.
You guys are all over Chamerlain like flies on Joba.
I’m sure there are a lot of regrets, but he pitched for 10 years, in five post seasons, won a World Series, and made close to $11M. Not bad.
Actually he won two World Series Rings. Besides his 2009 World Series title, Chamberlain also has 2015 World Series Ring, appearing in six games for Kansas City.
Hadn’t thought about that. Was he on the post-season roster for KC? He didn’t appear.
No he wasn’t on the roster for the playoffs.
file this under no one cares.
You cared so little you had to tell us all about it. Congrats.
Don’t forget when he broke his foot jumping on a trampoline like a complete idiot!
Ya how dare he play with his son!
At least that’s his story…
Exactly
Joba makes me think of midges and trampolines – a unique legacy. Well done, JC, enjoy the family time.
Still had a good career, not everyone has to be a hall of famer. I bet any of you would love to play 10 big league seasons and win two rings (one he played in)
So what he wasn’t Mariano Rivera or John Smoltz.
Hope he does well in his after baseball life