Joba Chamberlain
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Justin Louis "Joba" Chamberlain ( ; ; born September 23, 1985) is an American former professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
. He played in
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(MLB) for the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
,
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
,
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
, and
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
. Chamberlain played
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...
for the
Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding t ...
before the Yankees selected him in the first round of the 2006 MLB draft. He ascended through the minor leagues and made his MLB debut in 2007 as a
relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...
during the Yankees' pursuit of a berth in the
MLB postseason The Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason is the annual playoff elimination tournament held to determine the champion of MLB in the United States and Canada. Since 2022, the postseason for each league— American and National—consists of tw ...
. The Yankees adhered to what became known as the "Joba Rules", where they carefully monitored and limited his appearances. During the 2008 season, the Yankees transitioned Chamberlain to the
starting rotation This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, along with their definitions, including illustrative examples for many entries. 0–9 0 :"Oh and ..." See count. 1 ...
, and he suffered a shoulder injury later in the season. Chamberlain struggled as a starter in 2009, and was shifted back to a relief role. He signed as a
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
with the Tigers before the 2014 season, and re-signed with the Tigers for 2015, but was released during the season. He returned to MLB later in 2015 with Kansas City and pitched for Cleveland in 2016.


Early life

Chamberlain was born Justin Louis Heath on September 23, 1985. He grew up in
Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...
. Chamberlain's parents, Harlan Chamberlain and Jackie Standley, were never married and split up when Joba was 18 months old. Some sources say that Harlan Chamberlain obtained full custody of Joba when he was three years old, but Standley claims that Joba lived with her most of the time until he was 10 when she had his surname legally changed from Heath, her maiden name, to Chamberlain. Standley began abusing drugs when Joba was 4 or 5 and says that she and Joba speak to each other only rarely. Chamberlain's father was born on the Winnebago Indian Reservation, but had to leave to be treated for
polio Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...
. Chamberlain still has family living on Native American reservations. As of 2014, he was one of only three active non-Hispanic Native American players in Major League Baseball, with the others being
Kyle Lohse Kyle Matthew Lohse (; born October 4, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, a ...
of the
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and
Jacoby Ellsbury Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury ( ; born September 11, 1983) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox from 2007 through 2013 and then played for the New York Yankees from 2 ...
of the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
. When Chamberlain was a little boy, his two-year-old cousin was unable to pronounce her brother (Chamberlain's other cousin) Joshua's name correctly, pronouncing it as Joba instead, which became Chamberlain's nickname over time. Chamberlain served as a ball boy and bat boy for
Lincoln Northeast High School Lincoln Northeast High School is a public high school in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln Public Schools district and was established in 1941 when three rival schools (Bethany, Havelock and Jackson) were combined int ...
's state championship baseball team, and eventually graduated from Northeast. He did not jump straight to college; to help pay the bills, Joba briefly worked for the city of Lincoln's maintenance department.


Amateur baseball career


High school

At Lincoln Northeast High School, he garnered second-team Super State honors from the
Lincoln Journal Star The ''Lincoln Journal Star'' is an American daily newspaper that serves Lincoln, Nebraska, the state capital and home of the University of Nebraska. It is the most widely read newspaper in Lincoln and has the second-largest circulation in ...
, going 3–2 with a 3.35 ERA, as he struck out 29 in 31.1 innings as a senior. He played
American Legion Baseball American Legion Baseball is a variety of amateur baseball played by 13-to-19-year-olds in fifty states in the U.S. and Canada. More than 3,500 teams participate each year. The American Legion Department of South Dakota established the program in 1 ...
over the summer of 2004, going 4–4 with a 1.36
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA), 137 strikeouts, and 21 walks en route to all-state honors. He recorded 21 strikeouts over 12 shutout innings in a matchup against future fellow Nebraska star Johnny Dorn's team, a 15-inning game won by Grand Island, 1–0. Chamberlain also hit .505 with 11 homers, 11 doubles and 37 RBI.


College

Chamberlain started his college career playing for the
University of Nebraska at Kearney The University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) is a campus of the public University of Nebraska system and located in Kearney, Nebraska. It was founded in 1905 as the Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney. History In March 1903 the Nebraska S ...
Lopers under coach Damon Day, leading the team in ERA (5.23), opponents'
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
(.250),
strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...
s (49), and
complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
s (4) in just eight starts as a freshman. He was named a 2004 honorable mention All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. He transferred to the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
for his sophomore season, undergoing knee surgery and losing 25 pounds. Chamberlain helped the
Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference and ...
reach the
2005 College World Series The 2005 NCAA Division I baseball tournament was held from May 30 through June 26, . Sixty-four NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in ...
and their first College World Series win. That year, he finished with a 10–2 record, 2.81 ERA, and 130 strikeouts, including five double-digit strikeout games, over 118.2 innings. In 2005, he was named a first-team All-Big 12 pick and was also the league’s newcomer of the year. During the 2004–2005 college off-season Chamberlain pitched for the Nebraska Bruins of the
National Baseball Congress National Baseball Congress World Series or NBC World Series is an annual collegiate and semi-pro baseball tournament held in Wichita, Kansas, United States. The next series will happen on July 24 to August 2, 2025. It will be held at Eck Stad ...
. He started six games in 2005, recording a 5–0 record and a 1.59 ERA. Triceps tendinitis limited his 2006 season but he still pitched in 14 games, posting a 6–5 record with a 3.93 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 89.1 innings. A two-time Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, Chamberlain finished third with 102 strikeouts and averaged 10.28 strikeouts per nine innings.


Professional baseball career


New York Yankees


2006–2009

Chamberlain was drafted 41st overall by the New York Yankees in the 2006 Major League Baseball draft as a supplemental pick as
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
compensation for
Tom Gordon Thomas Gordon (born November 18, 1967), nicknamed "Flash", is an American former professional baseball right-handed pitcher and current radio color commentator for the Boston Red Sox. Gordon played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kan ...
, who signed with the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
. Chamberlain didn't pitch in the minors during the 2006 season, but made his professional debut in the
Hawaii Winter Baseball Hawaii Winter Baseball (HWB), based in Honolulu, Hawaii, was a professional baseball league in the Hawaiian islands. It was loosely affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB). History The HWB league first began play in 1993. Funded by Major Lea ...
league, posting a 2.63 ERA in nine games for the
West Oahu CaneFires The West Oahu CaneFires were a minor league baseball team in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league. They were based in Waipahu, Hawaii. The name CaneFires is derived from the burning of sugar cane before harvest on many plantations on the island of ...
. Before the 2007 season, ''
Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
'' ranked Chamberlain as the fifth-best prospect in the pitching-rich Yankees organization and the 75th-best prospect in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
. His
fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch (baseball), pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. Its distinctive feature is its high speed. "Power pitchers," such as former major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, relied on the ...
was also ranked as the best in the Yankees farm system. ''
Baseball Prospectus Baseball Prospectus (BP) is an organization that publishes a website, BaseballProspectus.com, devoted to the sabermetric analysis of baseball. BP has a staff of regular columnists and provides advanced statistics as well as player and team perf ...
'' ranked him 56th overall. He started the 2007 season in Single-A Advanced, playing for the
Tampa Yankees Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the county seat of Hillsborough C ...
in the
Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
. He went 4–0 with a 2.03 ERA in seven starts, and had 51 strikeouts and 11 walks. He was then promoted to the Double-A
Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the D ...
in the Eastern League, where he was 4–2 in seven games with a 3.43 ERA and 64 strikeouts. He was named to the U.S. Team in the 2007
All-Star Futures Game The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League- ...
at
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. Chamberlain pitched the third inning, striking out one, walking one, and allowing a
hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from ''Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust or HIT, a fictional organization i ...
and an
earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an erro ...
. On July 24, 2007, Chamberlain was promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He made his first start the next day, striking out 10 in five innings and earning his first Triple-A victory. While the Yankees still saw him as a starter in the future, the team announced that Chamberlain would be moved to the Scranton bullpen. He made his first appearance the next day, striking out the side in one inning pitched and hitting 100 on the radar gun three times. On August 1, Chamberlain went back to Trenton to make a relief appearance, striking out two batters in a 1–2–3 eighth inning. He then came back to Scranton, pitching two innings and striking out five batters. On August 7, 2007, the Yankees purchased Chamberlain's contract, elevating him to the major leagues for the first time in his career. In his debut that day, Chamberlain struck out the first batter he faced and went on to pitch two scoreless innings, striking out two in a win over the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
. Chamberlain's usage in games was initially restricted by what were referred to as the "Joba Rules", which prevented him from pitching on consecutive days and gave him an additional day of rest for each inning pitched in an outing. On August 30, 2007, during a game against the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
, Chamberlain threw two pitches over the head of
Kevin Youkilis Kevin Edmund Youkilis (; born March 15, 1979), nicknamed "Youk" , is an American former professional baseball first baseman and third baseman, who primarily played for the Boston Red Sox. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, he was drafted by the Red S ...
. Chamberlain was subsequently ejected for the first time in his Major League career. The next day, Chamberlain was suspended for two games and fined $1,000. He pitched 16 innings without allowing an earned runs to begin his career. Chamberlain allowed his first run, a solo home run by Mike Lowell of the Red Sox, on September 16. In Game 2 of the 2007 ALDS against the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
, Chamberlain was pitching in the bottom of the eighth with the Yankees leading 1–0. Suddenly, a host of small
midges A midge is any small fly, including species in several families of non-mosquito nematoceran Diptera. Midges are found (seasonally or otherwise) on practically every land area outside permanently arid deserts and the frigid zones. Some midg ...
swarmed the field. He was repeatedly sprayed down with insect repellent, which had no apparent deterrent effect on the midges. Chamberlain threw two wild pitches, yielding the tying
run Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...
. The Indians went on to win the game 2–1. The Yankees would then lose the Division Series against the Indians in four games in the best-of-five series. Before the 2008 season, ''Baseball America'' called him the third best prospect in baseball, while ''Baseball Prospectus'' ranked him fourth overall. He went into spring training that year as a starting pitcher. However, on March 20, 2008, the Yankees announced that Chamberlain would start the season in the bullpen. Manager
Joe Girardi Joseph Elliott Girardi (born October 14, 1964) is an American sports broadcaster and former professional baseball player and Manager (baseball), manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Girardi played the catcher position for the Chicago Cubs, C ...
stated that Chamberlain would be used 'without restrictions' but that the team's use of Chamberlain would be guided by common sense. Chamberlain was granted a leave of absence on April 13, when he received news that his father was in the hospital after collapsing at his home in
Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...
. At the time of his leave, Joba had a record of 1–0, with a 0.00 ERA, six strikeouts, and three holds in four games and 5 innings pitched. Chamberlain returned from the
bereavement Grief is the response to the loss of something deemed important, particularly to the death of a person to whom or animal to which a bond or affection was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, grief also ha ...
in time for the second game against the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
on April 19. On April 20,
Hank Steinbrenner Henry George Steinbrenner III (April 2, 1957 – April 14, 2020) was an American businessman who was a part owner and co-chairman of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was the older brother of the team's principal own ...
announced that he wanted Chamberlain to be moved into the rotation. On May 6, Chamberlain allowed a go-ahead three-run home run to
David Dellucci David Michael Dellucci (born October 31, 1973) is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for seven teams. High school Dellucci graduated from Catholic High School in Baton Rouge ...
of the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
, allowing his first run at Yankee Stadium. At the end of the month, the team acknowledged it would be transitioning him into the starting rotation. On June 3, Chamberlain made his first MLB start against
Roy Halladay Harry Leroy Halladay III (May 14, 1977 – November 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies between 1998 and 2013. His nickname, "Doc ...
and the Toronto Blue Jays lasting only 2 innings while allowing two runs, a hit and four walks. On June 25, Chamberlain earned his first career win as a starter, throwing 6 scoreless innings against the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
, en route to a 10–0 Yankees victory. On July 25, Chamberlain threw seven
shutout In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...
innings against the
Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ch ...
, outdueling Red Sox ace
Josh Beckett Joshua Patrick Beckett (born May 15, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). A three-time MLB All-Star, he played for the Florida Marlins, the Boston Red Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Afte ...
, allowing only three hits and striking out nine batters. The Yankees won the game 1–0. On August 4, Chamberlain injured his shoulder in a game against the Texas Rangers and was placed on the 15-day
disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...
with rotator cuff tendinitis. Yankees
General Manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
Brian Cashman Brian McGuire Cashman (born July 3, 1967) is an American baseball executive for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has served as the general manager and senior vice president of the Yankees since 1998. During Cashman's tenure ...
later acknowledged that this injury had a lasting effect. Chamberlain ended the season with a 3–1 record and eight no-decisions. Following the 2008 season, Hank Steinbrenner told the press that Chamberlain was expected to be in the starting rotation for the 2009 season. He noted that knowing about the team's plans for him changed his mental approach to prepare for the season, and makes things easier on him. On June 1, Chamberlain pitched a career-high eight innings in a 5–2 victory over the Indians. During the All-Star break, Chamberlain went back home to
Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The city covers and had a population of 291,082 as of the 2020 census. It is the state's List of cities in Nebraska, second-most populous city a ...
to get his mind off things by playing with his son so he could "be himself" and get more confidence on the mound. On July 19, he allowed one run on three hits and three walks while striking out eight in 6.2 innings against the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
to win his first game at Yankee Stadium. Through August 12, Chamberlain maintained a 3.85 ERA before the Yankees decided to limit his innings for the year. The team would start him every seven day and used
Chad Gaudin Chad Edward Gaudin (; born March 24, 1983) is a former American professional baseball pitcher. He has been used as both a starting pitcher and a relief pitcher, reliever throughout his career, functioning as a "Glossary of baseball terms#swing, ...
in the rotation. Chamberlain pitched to a 8.19 ERA in his final eight starts that season. During this time, the Yankees considered demoting him to the minor leagues and even threatened to leave him off of the postseason roster. However, he ultimately remained on the roster in a set-up role as the Yankees went with a three-man starting rotation. He was used extensively out of the bullpen en route to the Yankees winning the
2009 World Series The 2009 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2009 season. As the 105th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff contested between the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National Le ...
.


2010–2013

Heading into the new season, before spring training Yankees manager
Joe Girardi Joseph Elliott Girardi (born October 14, 1964) is an American sports broadcaster and former professional baseball player and Manager (baseball), manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Girardi played the catcher position for the Chicago Cubs, C ...
declared that there would be competition for the fifth spot in the Yankees starting rotation. The favorites were most notably Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. Towards the end of spring training, Hughes was declared the winner, which sent Chamberlain back to the bullpen. From the start of the season through July Chamberlain struggled, with an ERA over 5. His performance improved in August and September, but he was supplanted by David Robertson and
Kerry Wood Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees. Wood first came to prominence as a 20-year-old rookie, ...
. Pitching in low leverage situations, Chamberlain maintained a 2.38 ERA over his last 28 appearances of the 2010 regular season. He was included on the team's postseason roster, but only appeared in three games during the ALCS. The Yankees ruled out using Chamberlain as a starting pitcher in 2011 arguing that his pitches have greater velocity when he pitches in relief. When the Yankees signed
Rafael Soriano Rafael Soriano (born December 19, 1979) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, and Chicago C ...
to be the set-up man to
Mariano Rivera Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian Americans, Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and " ...
, it cast doubt on Chamberlain's future with the club. However, he ultimately stayed with the team and typically pitched the seventh inning. Chamberlain was briefly used in the eighth inning after Soriano went on the disabled list on May. He was placed on the 15 day-disabled list on June 8 due to an elbow injury and had
Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...
performed on June 16 to repair a torn ligament in his right elbow, ending his season. In January 2012, the Yankees and Chamberlain agreed on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract worth approximately $1.675 million. On March 22, 2012, Chamberlain injured his right leg while bouncing on a
trampoline A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched between a steel frame often using many coiled spring (device), springs. People bounce on trampolines for recreational and competitive purposes. The fabric that use ...
in a
Tampa Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...
jump center; he suffered an open dislocation of his ankle. Initial reports indicated that he had lost so much blood that onlookers at the scene feared that he might bleed to death. Chamberlain, however, later discredited these accusations during a press conference, stating that he never suffered any life-threatening injury nor did he lose much blood. Chamberlain began the 2012 season on the 60-day disabled list due to the ankle injury, while also continuing to recover from Tommy John surgery. He returned on August 1, 2012, against the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
. During the last two months of the season, Chamberlain was primarily used in the seventh inning. He was included on the team's postseason roster. In the top of the 12th inning in Game 4 of the
2012 American League Division Series The 2012 American League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series in Major League Baseball’s (MLB) 2012 postseason to determine the participating teams in the 2012 American League Championship Series. The three divisional winners a ...
, Chamberlain was struck on the elbow by a broken bat by
Matt Wieters Matthew Richard Wieters (; born May 21, 1986) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, and St. Louis Cardinals. Wieters played college basebal ...
of the Orioles and left the game. Despite his injury, the Yankees won the series over Baltimore in five games, but were swept in the
2012 American League Championship Series The 2012 American League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff in Major League Baseball's 2012 postseason pitting the top-seeded New York Yankees against the third-seeded Detroit Tigers for the American League pennant and the right to ...
by the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
. Chamberlain started off the 2013 well, but was soon out of action by the end of April. On May 2, 2013, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right
oblique Oblique may refer to: * an alternative name for the character usually called a slash (punctuation) ( / ) *Oblique angle, in geometry * Oblique triangle, in geometry * Oblique lattice, in geometry * Oblique leaf base, a characteristic shape of the ...
strain. He was activated from the DL on May 28, 2013. On September 5, 2013, Chamberlain was ejected for the second time in his career during a 9–8 loss against the Red Sox. With
Jacoby Ellsbury Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury ( ; born September 11, 1983) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox from 2007 through 2013 and then played for the New York Yankees from 2 ...
on second after a stolen base and
Shane Victorino Shane Patrick Victorino (born November 30, 1980), nicknamed "the Flyin' Hawaiian", is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodge ...
at the plate with one out in the 10th inning, Victorino attempted to check his swing on a 1–2 pitch. First base umpire Joe West said Victorino did not swing and Victorino then singled in the go-ahead run on the very next pitch. Chamberlain was then ejected by West for arguing the check swing call after being removed from the game.


Detroit Tigers

On December 13, 2013, the Tigers signed Chamberlain to a one-year contract, worth $2.5 million plus incentives. He entered the 2014 season having lost 15 pounds by introducing fish into his diet. Chamberlain's season got off to a rocky start when he allowed two runs on four hits in his first game of the season. However, he later cemented himself as the Tigers' set-up man. Chamberlain earned a save on April 22, in an 8–6 win over the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
, which was only the sixth of his career. Over the course of the season, Chamberlain grew a particularly large beard. He finished the 2014 season with a 2–5 record and a 3.57 ERA, allowing 57 hits in 63 innings with 24 walks and 59 strikeouts. Named to the Tigers' playoff roster for the ALDS against the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
, he faced six batters and only managed to get one out, allowing four runs on three hits over two games. On February 24, 2015, the Tigers re-signed Chamberlain to one-year, $1 million contract plus incentives. He had a 1.26 ERA through May, but his ERA increased to 4.09 over his next ten appearances. On July 1, Chamberlain allowed three home runs in one inning against
Neil Walker Neil Martin Andrew Walker (born September 10, 1985) is an American former professional baseball second baseman and current broadcaster. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, Milwaukee Bre ...
,
Starling Marte Starling Javier Marte (born October 9, 1988) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins, and Oa ...
, and Pedro Alvarez of the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
. After pitching to a 9.39 ERA from the beginning of June, he was
designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...
by the Tigers on July 3. On July 10, 2015, Chamberlain was given his unconditional release.


Toronto Blue Jays

On July 21, 2015, Chamberlain signed a minor league contract with the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
. He was assigned to the
Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...
of the International League. Chamberlain exercised an opt-out in his contract on August 14, and became a free agent.


Kansas City Royals

On August 16, 2015, Chamberlain signed a minor league contract with the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
. After pitching in eight games for the
Omaha Storm Chasers The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, Nebraska, Omah ...
of the Class AAA
Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
, the Royals promoted Chamberlain to the major leagues on September 7. In six appearances for the Royals, Chamberlain has a 7.94 ERA. Overall, Chamberlain's ERA was 4.88 in 36 total games combined with both the Tigers and Royals in 2015. He was not included on the Royals' playoff roster at the end of the season. Instead, Chamberlain was designated for assignment on October 27, 2015 in order to make room for
Adalberto Mondesí Raúl Adalberto Mondesí (born July 27, 1995) is a Dominican-American professional baseball shortstop and second baseman who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals. Mondesí is the fir ...
on the team's
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
roster. The Royals would beat the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
in five games to win their first championship in 30 years. Despite playing in only a few games for the Royals in the regular season that year, Chamberlain received his second World Series ring.


Cleveland Indians

On December 1, 2015, Chamberlain signed a minor league deal with the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
. The Indians purchased his contract on April 4, 2016, and added him to the opening day roster. On May 23, Chamberlain was placed on the disabled list with a rib cage injury. At the time, he had a 1.93 ERA in 14 games. He returned on June 8, allowing two earned runs in six innings through July 3. Chamberlain was designated for assignment on July 4. He was ultimately released on July 10 after declining an outright assignment.


Milwaukee Brewers

On January 20, 2017, Chamberlain signed a minor league contract with the
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
with an invitation to spring training. On March 22, Chamberlain was released. He announced his retirement on October 4, 2017.


Pitching repertoire

Chamberlain threw a four-seam
fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch (baseball), pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. Its distinctive feature is its high speed. "Power pitchers," such as former major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, relied on the ...
that early in his career was regularly in the mid-to-upper 90s, topping out at 101 mph. After his arm surgery, his fastball was in the 93-94 mph range, topping out around 97–98. He also threw a slider anywhere from 82 to 88 mph, a
curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
at 78–81 mph, and an occasional
changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball, but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced spee ...
at 83–85 mph.


Personal life

Chamberlain has one son, Karter. Chamberlain made an appearance in the season 2 episode 15 of ''
Man v. Food ''Man v. Food'' is an American food reality television series. It premiered on December 3, 2008 on the Travel Channel. The program was originally hosted by actor and food enthusiast Adam Richman. In each episode, Richman explores the "big foo ...
'' which airs on the
Travel Channel Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, who previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in Manhattan, with ...
. The episode was filmed in
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
and featured Chamberlain coaching host
Adam Richman Adam Montgomery Richman is an American actor and television host. He has hosted various dining and eating-challenge programs on the Travel Channel, History Channel, and Discovery+. Early life and education Richman, an only child, was born in ...
through an eating challenge.


DUI convictions

On October 18, 2008, at 1:00 a.m. Chamberlain was arrested near Lincoln, Nebraska for the suspicion of driving under the influence, speeding, and having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle. A
Nebraska State Patrol The Nebraska State Patrol is Nebraska's only statewide full-service law enforcement agency. Serving Nebraska since 1937, State Patrol troopers perform a wide variety of duties. Those include working with communities to improve public safety, enf ...
spokesperson said Chamberlain was stopped for speeding on
U.S. Route 77 U.S. Route 77 (US 77) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway which extends for in the central United States. As of 2005, Its southern terminus is in Brownsville, Texas, at Veteran's International Bridge on the U.S.-Mexico borde ...
near Lincoln. His arrest was captured on police video, which later aired on the "Drivers 13" episode of '' truTV Presents: World's Dumbest...''. His
arraignment Arraignment is a formal reading of a criminal charging document in the presence of the defendant, to inform them of the criminal charges against them. In response to arraignment, in some jurisdictions, the accused is expected to enter a plea; i ...
was postponed four times: in December 2008, January 2009, and twice in March 2009, all by Chamberlain's request. He pleaded guilty to drunk driving and was sentenced to
probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offence (law), offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incar ...
on April 1, 2009. Chamberlain had a second DUI incident on May 3, 2018, where his blood-alcohol level of 0.28 was more than three times the legal limit. He was charged with aggravated DUI with a prior conviction.


Restaurateur

In 2013, Chamberlain became involved in the ownership group that opened the American Whiskey bar and restaurant in Manhattan. Chamberlain and a business partner opened a pub called Chamberlain's in Lincoln, Nebraska in September 2018. The Nebraska Liquor Control Commission approved the license under condition he not have any personal alcohol violations in the next year.


Financial trouble

Chamberlain bought a $1.15 million, home in Lincoln, Nebraska in 2014. Pinnacle Bank filed a notice of
default Default may refer to: Law * Default (law), the failure to do something required by law ** Default (finance), failure to satisfy the terms of a loan obligation or failure to pay back a loan ** Default judgment, a binding judgment in favor of eit ...
on the mortgage in October 2019. A substantial amount of
abandoned property In property law, lost, mislaid, and abandoned property are categories of the common law of property which deals with personal property or chattel which has left the possession of its rightful owner without having directly entered the possessi ...
was sold at auction in August 2020, including
baseball card A baseball card is a type of trading card relating to baseball, usually printed on cardboard, silk, or plastic. In the 1950s, they came with a stick of gum and a limited number of cards. These cards feature one or more baseball players, teams, s ...
s,
bobblehead A bobblehead, also known by nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible figurine. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected to the body by a ...
s, locker room nameplates, and hundreds of household and sporting goods items. Chamberlain kept certain "high-value items", according to a person who attended the auction, including his
World Series ring A World Series ring is an award given to Major League Baseball players who win the World Series. Since only one Commissioner's Trophy is awarded to the team, a World Series ring is an individual award that players and staff of each World Series ...
from the 2009 Yankees.


Awards

*2005 3rd Team All-American *2005 1st Team All
Big 12 The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. It consists of 16 full-member universities (3 private universities and 13 public universities) in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Okla ...
*2005 Big 12 Newcomer Pitcher of the Year *2005 2nd Team All Midwest Region *2005 Big 12 Pitcher of the Week (March 1, 2005) *2005 National Pitcher of the Week (January 3, 2005) *2005 Big 12 Pitcher of the Week (April 25, 2005) *2006 1st Team Preseason All-American *2006 Hawaiian Winter Postseason All-Star *2007 FSL Pitcher of the Week (May 14, 2007) *2007 FSL Pitcher of the Week (May 28, 2007) *2007 EL Pitcher of the Week (June 18, 2007) *
2009 World Series The 2009 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2009 season. As the 105th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff contested between the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National Le ...
champion


See also


References


External links

*
Minor League Baseball statsHuskers.com Awards, Bio, and Stats Joba's First MLB Interview – Audio file on blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chamberlain, Joba 1985 births Baseball players from Nebraska Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Cleveland Indians players Detroit Tigers players Gulf Coast Yankees players Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska people Kansas City Royals players Living people Major League Baseball pitchers Native American baseball players Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball players Nebraska–Kearney Lopers baseball players New York Yankees players Omaha Storm Chasers players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees players Sportspeople from Lincoln, Nebraska Tampa Yankees players Trenton Thunder players West Oahu Canefires players Lincoln Northeast High School alumni 21st-century Native American people Native American people from Nebraska 21st-century American sportsmen