Rotator Cuff Rules

Joba Chamberlin left in the 5th inning on Monday night doing the one thing you never want to see from a 22 year old flame thrower, clutching his arm.
Chamberlin, making just his 12th major league start was placed on the 15 day DL today and is diagnosed with rotator cuff tendanitis. No big deal right? Well....lets just say many of you may have wasted $70 on a pinstripe 62 jersey.
When it comes to rotator cuffs, if it isnt OK in two weeks, it never will be. Past pitchers have proven that if a pitcher has surgery on their rotator cuff, they are far less likely to come back the same than if they have Tommy John surgery, an elbow operation.
Pitchers such a Pedro Martinez and Alex Fernandez both tore rotator cuffs and had surgery.
Fernandez missed the entire 1998 season and came back winning 7 games in 24 starts,with an above average 3.38 era. Sadly in 2000, he started 8 games, reinjured his shoulder and his career was over.
Martinez in his first full season since surgery has just a 3-3 record and an era a sliver below 6, he's been on the DL twice since the start of the season and has needed extra days of rest for almost every start.

The moral of the story is that the Chamberlin phenominon that swept the nation with, "Joba Rules," T-shirts and 62 jerseys was rediculous. Jumping on the band wagon of a first year pitcher who never accomplished anything more than a blown playoff opportunity and a 6 inning shut out of the Pirates makes no sense.

Hopefully for Chamberlin's sake he has a future and his shoulder will be fine, but if it comes to surgery, Yanks fans might as well turn their Joba Rules t-shirts into hand towels.

Here is an article with more rotator info....
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070617&content_id=2032977&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb