NEW YORK (WCBS 880)  -- Now that Brian Cashman has held on to the young pitchers, how will General Girardi use them?

Girardi will not have complete say in how Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes will be employed. “The organization” will issue strict innings counts for the youngsters, and Girardi will be under orders to comply.

If these youths constitute 3/5ths of the rotation, this clearly poses a huge problem for Girardi. Namely, he runs the risk of burning out the bullpen since the starters will not be allowed to go deep into games.

To Chamberlain’s credit, he says he is okay with whatever role the team asks him to assume. If he ends up setting up Mariano Rivera for a few months to keep his inning count down, he won’t complain.

Joba told the AP: "We've approached it in a great way. We're going to go in the beginning and understand there's an innings limit, and I know that. I'm excited to have a new challenge this year."

We all know the game as changed and pitch and inning counts are here to stay. Gone forever are the days of 4-man rotations and pitchers with 300 + innings per year. There are a myriad of reasons for this, including the need for teams to protect their big investments and the rise of the relief pitcher’s importance.  

But that doesn’t mean everyone likes the trend. Take Lou Piniella, for example. Lou has never been one to “baby” his pitchers. He once told the New York Times: “It’s gotten even more absurd. They’ve put these kids on pitch counts of 100 pitches, pitching every five days. How do you develop good mechanics and good location and how do you learn to pitch yourself out of trouble and get your second wind throwing 100 pitches?“

Below are charts of the top ten pitchers in MLB for innings pitched by decade since the 1970s. It’s not surprising to see knuckleballers like Wilbur Wood and Phil Niekro on the list, but how about the paunchy Mickey Lolich toiling for 376 innings in 1971? That was good for 29 complete games.
  

INNINGS PITCHED         YEAR     IP    
T1   Wilbur Wood              1972    376    
T1   Mickey Lolich             1971    376    
3    Wilbur Wood               1973    359    
4    Steve Carlton              1972    346.1  
5    Gaylord Perry              1973    344    
6    Gaylord Perry              1972    342.2  
7    Phil Niekro                   1979    342    
8    Phil Niekro                   1978    334.1   
9    Wilbur Wood                1971    334    
10   Nolan Ryan                 1974    332.2  

INNINGS PITCHED        YEAR     IP    
1    Steve Carlton            1980     304    
2    Steve Carlton             1982    295.2  
T3   Jack Morris               1983    293.2  
T3   Bert Blyleven            1985    293.2  
5    Rick Langford            1980    290    
6    Dave Stieb                 1982    288.1  
7    Charlie Hough            1987    285.1  
8    Fernando Valenzuela 1982    285    
9    Mike Norris                 1980    284.1  
10   Steve Carlton            1983    283.2

INNINGS PITCHED           YEAR     IP    
1    Randy Johnson            1999    271.2  
2    Roger Clemens            1991    271.1  
3    Curt Schilling                1998    268.2  
4    Greg Maddux               1992    268    
T5   Dave Stewart              1990    267    
T5   Greg Maddux              1993    267    
T7   Kevin Brown                1992    265.2  
T7   Pat Hentgen                1996    265.2  
T9   Pat Hentgen                 1997    264    
T9   Roger Clemens            1997    264    

INNINGS PITCHED         YEAR     IP    
1    Roy Halladay             2003    266    
2    Randy Johnson          2002    260    
3    Curt Schilling              2002    259.1  
4    Curt Schilling              2001    256.2  
5    Livan Hernandez         2004    255    
6    Jon Lieber                   2000    251    
7    Randy Johnson           2001    249.2  
8    Greg Maddux              2000    249.1  
9    Randy Johnson           2000    248.2  
10   Livan Hernandez        2005    246.1
  
In the New York Post this morning, Joel Sherman suggests that the Yanks have an elaborate usage plan this year for Joba Chamberlain.  If what he says pans out, the Joba “rules” will reach absurd proportions this year.

According to Sherman’s exclusive report, the Yanks will employ Joba in the set-up role for April and May. Then, at some point in June, they will send him down to Scranton so he can “stretch it out” and get into the rhythm of starting. He will then move into the rotation for the 2nd half of the season.

If the team is serious about this plan, it poses several problems. Is the changing of roles and the move back to the minors good for the kid? Wouldn’t it be better to just let him pitch as a starter and leave him alone? Suppose he is lights out for two months as set-up and the Yanks get off to a good start. How disruptive, or even absurd, will it be in June to lose Joba for 3-4 weeks? At that point, he won’t be helping the team as a starter or as a reliever. Why waste 20 or 25 innings at the minor league level if his ceiling is around 150? If the Yanks are serious about this, I’d rather see Joba pitch as a long man at the major league level in June.

From where I stand, this is just too much messing around with the kid.  In an effort to “save” him – he is being poked and prodded in excess.

I'd love Earl Weaver to weigh in on this inning count fiasco..Or Jim Kaat for that matter.