All season long in 2007, Yankees fans waited and waited and waited for the Bombers to call up Joba Chamberlain, the 21-year-old pitching sensation who had been destroying the competition down on the farm, first with the Tampa Yankees of the Florida State League, next with the AA-level Trenton Thunder and then with the team's AAA affiliate in Wilkes-Barre. Finally, on August 7, 2007, with their bullpen struggling, the Yankees tapped Chamberlain to make his MLB debut. That night, in a game against the Blue Jays, he struck out his first batter, Ray Olmedo, and pitched two perfect innings of relief. Relying on a devastating slider and a fastball that clocks in at up to 100 miles per hour, Chamberlain had not given up a run in his first eight appearances and he has quickly emerged as a Yankee Stadium favorite. It remains to be seen whether Chamberlain will stay in the bullpen or, as is planned, assume a spot in the starting rotation, but whatever happens he looks likely to be a very big piece of the Yankees' puzzle for years to come. Joba Chamberlain has hand signed this home pitching lithograph. An Authentic Memorabilia Certificate of Authenticity is included.
I should have known. Suffocating together... would create heroic camaraderie.
