"Joba Chamberlain seemed to set the wrong tone for what looms potentially as a crossroads season, reporting to spring training overweight. Yet, two weeks into camp he has lost the weight, pitched well and bounced around the clubhouse here as a visible, upbeat presence.

In other words, if he was discouraged by the way his 2010 season went, with Joe Girardi losing faith in him late in the season, you sure can't tell.

"Hey, there were times I (stunk) last year," Chamberlain said Wednesday. "I was terrible. You saw it. But it's over. I learned from it and I'm excited about what I'm doing right now."

In fact, Chamberlain, who pitched a scoreless inning Wednesday against the Astros, says he hasn't thrown the ball this well this early in a few years - or, basically, since his phenom days when the American League couldn't touch him."