Former Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain shares heartwarming note about son

Want to feel old, Yankees fans? I mean -- you don't. No one does. Why would you?

But you'll feel creaky whether or not you learn about Joba Chamberlain's nearly adult son and his "old man's" baseball pride, so you'd might as well share in a heartwarming story.

If you've been around the Yankees long enough, you'll never forget the electricity of Chamberlain's debut in pinstripes. The right-handed top prospect burst onto the scene in the middle of the "Let the Kids Play" 2007 season, and was elevated to the active roster in time for his MLB debut on Aug. 7.

He tossed a pair of scoreless innings out of the 'pen that day, walking two, whiffing two and setting the stage for his persona to develop. Armed with a devastating slider and rowdy fist pump for the ages, he finished the season with 12 hits allowed in 24 innings, striking out 34, walking 6 and posting an 0.38 ERA. Before you knew it, he and Clay Buchholz were the game's consensus top two prospects entering the next season.

You'll also recall his family was present every step of the way. Joba's father Harlan accompanied the right-hander to a good deal of games, confined to a motorized scooter because of a childhood bout with polio and forming an instantly recognizable one-man cheering section.

Now, over five years removed from his playing days and nearly 10 years after he last put on the pinstripes, Joba has embraced the role of "diehard rooter" for his son Karter. The ex-Yankee shared a photo collage on his social media this week detailing Karter's rise through the ranks, using the very same glove Joba used to cover his scowl with on the mound.

Yankees relief sensation Joba Chamberlain now rooting for son Karter's MLB journey

From the looks of his Twitter profile, Karter's entering his senior year on the baseball team at Lincoln Southwest High School, furthering the Chamberlain family's Nebraska baseball roots. He also appears to have secured the No. 44 his father once made famous in college.

While every high school baller does a little bit of everything, Karter appears to be most comfortable on the mound, just like his proud pops.

Whatever the next steps in Karter's career are, he'll be carrying with him a piece of his father's legacy along the way.

If there's a recruiting battle, though, expect the 'Huskers to have first priority.