There’s no truth to the rumor the Yankees’ Joba Chamberlain was unavailable for last night’s 11-10, 10 inning loss to Baltimore because of texting blisters. But go ahead, start one anyway. From USA Today’s Mel Antonen :
Joba Chamberlain, who is making the transition from eighth-inning reliever to the rotation, says he is in touch with Roger Clemens regularly.
“We text back and forth and I ask him a lot of questions, because that’s how you get better,” Chamberlain said before the Yankees’ game in Baltimore Tuesday night. “You can’t be afraid to ask questions. I ask him everything from workout questions to how to pitch to certain batters. I never thought I’d be texting Roger Clemens.”
Chamberlain says he’s taking pieces of Clemens’ workout routine and incorporating them. One piece of advice Clemens gave him: “The easiest day should be the day you pitch,” Chamberlain says. “Then, I beat myself up in between starts. I run, lift, eat right and take care of myself between starts.”
We’ve not seen any of those AT&T commercials featuring Debbie Clemens, a golfing Rocket and a dropped connection in several weeks —- does anyone know why? —- but I’m sure the phone company is already planning something based on the above report.