Joba Chamberlain hasn’t thrown a pitch in a decade — however he nonetheless has some warmth left for a longtime Pink Sox nemesis.
Throughout a latest look on “The Eddie Mata Present,” the previous Yankees flamethrower didn’t hesitate when requested which participant he disliked most throughout his 10-year profession.
“Kevin Youkilis,” Chamberlain replied, with out blinking.
Youkilis responded on X with three crying-laughing emojis. “Honored to nonetheless get beneath your pores and skin@Joba_44,” he wrote. “Time to let it go…”
Chamberlain, 40, burst onto the scene with the Yankees in 2007, overwhelming hitters with a 100 mph fastball and a 0.38 ERA in 19 video games.
That breakout run got here with drama — particularly, with the then–Pink Sox first baseman.
The precise-hander fired two fastballs over Youkilis’ head on Aug. 30, 2007, incomes an ejection, a $1,000 wonderful and a two-game suspension over his “inappropriate actions.”
Then-Yankees skipper Joe Torre and Chamberlain insisted he wasn’t attempting to hit Youkilis, with the rookie saying the pitches “slipped” out of his hand.
The strain carried into the next 12 months when Youkilis collided with Chamberlain at house plate on a wild pitch on July 8, 2008.
Weeks later, Chamberlain despatched one other heater up close to his head — this time clipping Youkilis’ bat.
“So technically, he hasn’t hit him, however he’s gone up and in on [Youkilis] means too many occasions for it to be a coincidence,” Yankees announcer Michael Kay mentioned throughout an August 20, 2012, YES Community broadcast replaying their previous points — moments after Chamberlain really hit Youkilis, who was then with the White Sox, within the again.
“I simply didn’t like him,” Chamberlain mentioned. “Clearly, [it started] when he was with the Pink Sox, he by no means got here and bought me.”
For his profession, Chamberlain struggled towards Youkillis, with the three-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner hitting .333/.565/.900 with a house run and 4 RBIs towards the righty in 23 plate appearances.
In spite of everything their private drama, the pair grew to become teammates when the Yankees signed Youkilis as a free agent forward of the 2013 season within the wake of an Alex Rodriguez damage.
On the time, Chamberlain tried to downplay their historical past, telling reporters their run-ins have been overblown and that there was “nothing” between them.
“It’s a kind of issues the place individuals made it an even bigger deal than it was,” Chamberlain mentioned, per the Related Press.
“There’s nothing to it. There’s nothing between us. I’m glad to have him on our aspect. We’re two grown males. We’re enjoying on the identical staff. Our one aim is to win.”
Regardless of his public reward, Chamberlain mentioned that Youkillis’ silence after he initially reached out didn’t sit effectively.
“Then he was my teammate and I used to be like, ‘Dude, it’s baseball. Between the traces, it’s what it’s however you’re my teammate,” Chamberlain instructed Mata. “I referred to as him proper when he signed and he ignored me, ignored me ignored me. He will get to spring coaching after which he needs to be all buddy-buddy.”
Their stint as teammates was short-lived, nonetheless, as a recurring again damage restricted Youkillis to only 28 video games earlier than he underwent season-ending surgical procedure.
Youkilis, who signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the Yankees, hit simply .219 with 2 homers and eight RBIs in what ended up as his last 12 months within the majors.
“Then he breaks his again and doesn’t do something for us,” Chamberlain mentioned.
“In order that man can go fly a kite.”
