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New York Yankees' pitcher Joba Chamberlain throws to first base in May 28 game against Baltimore Orioles. AP Photo/Rob Carr

Why Indian Country Is Cheering Tonight

By Dalton Walker

Mark the date down: June 3, 2008. It'll be a gigantic step in the exciting journey by one of Indian Country's own. Perhaps one day you might ask yourself where you were at 6:10 p.m. Central time that Tuesday?

In 10 years, I'll say Sioux Falls, S.D. But I'll probably be wishing I could say 161st Street and River Avenue, Bronx, N. Y.

In other words, Yankee Stadium: home of the Bronx Bombers.

Joba Chamberlain, a Winnebago from Nebraska, will take the pitching mound for the first time as a starter for the New York Yankees. The rookie Chamberlain, a fan favorite, has pitched out of the bullpen this season and a part of last season.

The 22-year-old will face the Toronto Blue Jays and its pitching ace, Roy Halladay, a yearly Cy Young Award candidate.

Chamberlain's spot in the rotation comes after months of speculation and rants by owners and sports columnists. The current pitching staff has underperformed as the club hovers near last place in its division. Chamberlain will be limited to about 70 pitches in his starting debut. Look for that to slowly increase as the season progresses.

Chamberlain with his high-energy pitching personality and explosive 100-mph fastball recently shared his goals for his first start with the New York media.

"I have a tendency to get long in counts, so I've got to be more efficient that way," he said. "You're still going to see the same person. I'm going to use my emotions to my advantage. Sometimes I can let them get the most of me and try to do too much."

The former Nebraska Cornhusker posted 0.38 earned-run average in 19 appearances last season. In 20 bullpen appearances this season he had a 2.28 ERA. The Yankees selected Chamberlain with the 41st selection in the 2006 draft. He started in college.

He was a starter in the Yanks minor league system and was brought up last year to help the helpless Yankee bullpen in their playoff run. And that's where he stayed. That is until June 3.

Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner blasted the team earlier this year through the media, saying Joba should start.

"I want him as a starter and so does everyone else, including him, and that is what we are working toward and we need him there now," Steinbrenner told The New York Times. "There is no question about it, you don't have a guy with a 100-mile-per-hour fastball and keep him as a setup guy. You just don't do that. You have to be an idiot to do that."

Idiots? Indeed.

If Chamberlain's performance is anything like his relief appearances, this could be the beginning of a special pitching career — one that will be sprinkled with a Native flavor.

Man, I wish I could say I was in New York City for this one.

Joba, good luck. Show the Big Apple what they were missing out on. Show the world what we knew all along. Indian Country will cheer and support you no matter what.

Dalton Walker, Red Lake Anishinabe, is a reporter at the Argus Leader newspaper in Sioux Falls, S.D. Walker is a graduate of the University of Nebraska in Lincoln and the American Indian Journalism Institute. A longtime reznet staff writer and a Chips Quinn Scholar, Walker had reporting internships at the Star Tribune in Minneapolis and The New York Times.

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