source: http://0rz.tw/373di Hank Steinbrenner says Joba Chamberlain will start in 2008 BY PETER BOTTE DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Sunday, October 14th 2007, 4:00 AM Nothing will be finalized regarding Joe Torre's future until George Steinbrenner and the rest of the Yankees high command get together over the next several days in Tampa. But Joba Chamberlain, who last week stated his desire to learn what his 2008 role will be - "The earlier the better," he said - already has received an answer. "The only thing that's been decided, (the one thing) that we all agree on is that Chamberlain and (Phil) Hughes start out spring training as starters," The Boss's son, Hank Steinbrenner, told The Associated Press outside Legends Field late Friday night. Chamberlain's status certainly might change if star closer Mariano Rivera unexpectedly bolts via free agency, but the 22-year-old phenom suggested Wednesday - two days after the Yanks were eliminated by Cleveland in the AL division series - he hoped for a quick resolution to his immediate future. "The earlier the better, just because of the mind-set," Chamberlain said. "It's a big part of this game, so I can have an idea of what's going to happen when I get there. Physically, I'm not going to prepare any different, but mentally, I can prepare for what's going to happen and how I'm going to approach everything." Chamberlain raced through three stops in the Yanks' minor-league system in his first pro season, going 9-2 with a 2.56 ERA as a starter, before the organization converted him to a setup role with the hope that he could stabilize their faulty middle-relief corps at the major-league level. Chamberlain became a cult hero while going 2-0 with a minuscule 0.38 ERA in 19 relief appearances following an Aug. 7 call-up from Triple-A Scranton. He was slapped with his first blown save for allowing the tying run to score on a wild pitch amid a swarm of Lake Erie midges in the eighth inning of Game 2 against the Indians. Still, with an eye on returning him to their starting rotation next season, the Yanks coddled the flamethrowing righty throughout most of his bullpen indoctrination. The so-called "Joba Rules" were put in place to control how often and in which situations Torre would use Chamberlain out of the pen, although those guidelines gradually were eased once the rookie proved capable of providing the sturdiest bridge to Rivera the Yanks have enjoyed in several seasons. Chamberlain, who mostly relied on his fastball and slider as a reliever, acknowledged that a return to starting will force him reincorporate a changeup and curveball into his repertoire. --

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