Joba Chamberlain

[Husker_Power]

BY CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star

Friday, Aug 24, 2007 - 12:14:31 am CDT

 

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Harlan Chamberlain embarked on his Oklahoma City-or-bust trip to the 2005 Big 12 Conference baseball tournament from his Lincoln home at 3 a.m. on May 26.

 

Seven hours later, he arrived at Bricktown Ballpark with enough time to get situated before watching his son, Joba, throw seven effective innings in a win against Oklahoma, a result that started the Huskers’ run through the losers’ bracket to the title.

 

It was a pretty special moment for a guy who faces a bigger challenge than most who travel to experience those Kodak moments of their children firsthand.

 

Chamberlain’s mobility is limited from having contracted polio at an early age. Thus, if he were a selfish man, he might be wishing that Joba would have been drafted by another major-league team than the New York Yankees.

 

That’s not his nature, though, and so in the days that have passed since his son got called up to help the Bronx Bombers in their quest to make the playoffs, Harlan’s not lost any sleep because he hasn’t been able to make the 1,300-mile trek to Yankee Stadium.

 

“That’s just the way it is,” said Chamberlain, who has seen his son, in just a smattering of appearances, become a cult figure among Yankees followers. “I have some reluctance (to get on a plane), because I’ve heard horror stories about how baggage handlers treat wheel chairs and scooters. These are my legs.”

 

Chamberlain, who relies on a motorized scooter in order to conduct his daily activities, also has a matter of receiving clearance from his doctors to travel. Last year, he was hospitalized for five months after an infection set in following an emergency appendectomy.

 

When he’s cleared, he plans to make it to the Big Apple before the end of the season. That could happen before the Yankees come to Kansas City, Mo., for a three-game series against the Royals on Sept. 7-9. It’s likely, though, that the games in Kansas City — which could pit Joba against former Nebraska teammate Alex Gordon — will be the first time Chamberlain sees his son pitch in the bigs.

 

For now, he follows Joba’s amazing story from the comfort of his home via recently installed television packages and, of course, the daily calls that come from his son.

 

Wednesday, Joba made his sixth appearance in the New York pinstripes, and the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder struck out the side during a scoreless inning against the Los Angeles Angels. He’s yet to allow a run over eight innings, and has 14 strikeouts to just two walks and three hits.

 

Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.

[admo]

Both Joba and Gordon moved up to bigs very quickly. I hope they both have long, successful careers. (AND stay with their teams).