I can't believe this is still being argued. Who gives a damn? Even if the Yankees are breaking their plans? I want to see the Yankees win the World Series this year. If they do it by blowing out Joba's arm, I'll be upset for a little while. Then, when they go out and sign the biggest name pitcher on the block again, I'll forget all about it. I'll also have a far easier time dealing with it in the meantime while celebrating another championship. Chances are, they won't even have to blow out his arm to achieve the results.
Haha..I like your thinking. Personally, I don't care if they blow out his arm either. I think pitchers are coddled way too much. I just can't believe Cappy can't see that the plan changed as the season progressed, Hughes settled in the bullpen and Wang never came back. It did. Even now they say he has 6 starts left and if he averages the pathetic 5 1/3 inning per start that he has all year then he will end up at 160 2/3 innings. Well, what if he actually pitches good over those last 6 starts and goes 7 or 8 innings? Then he will be at 170 or 175. I guess they will just change the plan again. Or will they pull him out early and expect Aceves to save the day again? Like he has had to try and do everytime Gaudin or Mitre pitches?
In fairness, Cappy never said the plan didn't change. He said he doesn't know if it did, and that you don't either, which is absolutely factual. No one except Joe Girardi, Brian Cashman, Dave Eiland a couple of high-level execs, maybe a trainer or two, and Joba Chamberlain know the plan. As Cappy has said, it's all guesswork as to what the plan is/was. I'd bet if you asked him, Cappy would say he wanted Joba to pitch above whatever "plan" limit is there if it meant the Yankees won the World Series. I disagree that pitchers are coddled too much. Pitching is far too valuable to not take care of.
You. Have. Absoultely. No. Way. Of. Knowing. This. That is what I am taking issue with. This is not a complicated matter, Don. You should be able to understand what I'm saying here. And if you think otherwise, you should be able to offer some evidence, where the Yankees were directly quoted (i.e. Steinbrenner/Girardi/Cashman said something) as to what the innings limit was. I've already told you my feelings on the innings cap. I've also told you my guess as to what the Yankees' feelings on the innings cap are. It's likely not a hard cap, and they are likely considering multiple factors in deciding how risky it is to exceed the limit by 10, 20, 30, 50, or 100 innings. But if the Yanks have a twelve game lead two weeks from now, I doubt you see Joba pitch all six of those starts.
