Over the course of the season I don't think there's any one player who has been more controversial, polarizing, or enigmatic than Joba Chamberlain. Sure, A-Rod started the season with some difficulty, but really this year fans have been fascinated with the saga of Joba: his Rules, his inconsistency, his flashes of brilliance, and his mind-numbingly frustrating collapses.
We've seen him blow off Aubrey Huff's antics and pitch brilliantly. We've seen him refuse to continue after being hit with a ball. We've seen him mow down the Rangers and the Tigers. We've seen him go belly-up against the Royals. We've seen him strike out 11 Red Sox in one game. And we've seen him get rocked for 4 runs in one inning...in that very same game.
I don't know what it is about Joba. It's probably a combination of things: personal problems, the weight of lofty expectations, or other things that New Yorkers aren't privy to. Maybe Joba's performances and cumulative numbers aren't that much different from...a majority of the pitchers in baseball.
The difference is and always has been the hopes that fans have rested on his broad shoulders. He may not be ready to shoulder that burden. And then again, maybe someday he will.
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