DETROIT -- Yankees manager Joe Girardi has a simple rule that guides the on-field conduct he wants from his players: Respect the game and respect your opponents.

The Indians, particularly David Dellucci, might wonder exactly where that line is.

On Friday, one day after reliever Joba Chamberlain celebrated a strikeout of Dellucci with a fist-pump and a shaking scream, Girardi defended his player, believing that the 22-year-old's exuberance is part of his makeup as a player and not intentionally done to irk other clubs.

"I can understand if you don't know a player's heart and you're not in the clubhouse -- you don't always understand," Girardi said. "You're not sure -- 'Are they showing me up or are they not?' I don't believe Joba is ever showing anyone up. I think that's Joba's emotion.

"I don't see a problem with it. He's done it since he came up."

On Tuesday, Chamberlain surrendered a game-changing three-run homer in the eighth inning to Dellucci, who was pinch-hitting, spoiling a strong effort by Andy Pettitte and marking the first runs Chamberlain has surrendered at Yankee Stadium.

Thursday brought redemption, as Chamberlain retired the Indians on 13 pitches with a three-run lead in the eighth. After the game, Dellucci commented that Chamberlain's celebration may have been excessive.

"If he wants to yell and scream after a strikeout and dance around the mound, that's what gets him going," Dellucci said. "My home run was in a much bigger situation, a much more key part of the game, but I didn't dance around and scream."

Chamberlain said on Thursday he did not derive extra satisfaction from striking out Dellucci.

"It meant a lot whoever it was, to be able to bridge that gap and get off the horse, per se, and come back and have a good outing," Chamberlain said. "It's who I am. Everybody knows that. It's good to be back and feeling good, and everything turned out all right."

Thursday's instance was not the first example of Chamberlain drawing attention for his theatrics on the mound; he celebrated a strikeout of Frank Thomas, then with the Blue Jays, during the season's opening week, and he posed for a photograph with the slugger -- a boyhood idol of Chamberlain's -- during batting practice the next day.

Girardi said he had not spoken to Chamberlain about the displays, but he believes that a major part of Chamberlain's makeup stems from his father, Harlan, who has attended Yankees games and celebrates much the same way Chamberlain does on the mound.

"Sometimes, if you try to make a player something that he's not, it affects his performance," Girardi said. "If you watch Joba's father, his father does the same thing. It's the same fist-pump. You know where it comes from -- it comes from dad. All of us have characteristics from our parents that we never lose."

Girardi, a former Major League catcher, recalls receiving right-hander Carlos Zambrano with the Cubs and having to warn the home-plate umpire that Zambrano was not talking to anyone except himself as he stalked around the mound.

Chamberlain has said numerous times that he feels he is shortchanging his teammates if he does not act from the heart on the mound, and Girardi is not sure if Chamberlain's actions are the sort of thing that might change as he continues to log big league service time.

"I saw Dennis Eckersley show a lot of emotion and he was 40," Girardi said. "I think it just depends on the person. His role could be different, you never know. Jeff Nelson used to do the 'chainsaw,' and I think because he was a veteran, people are less [inclined] to make a big deal about it, because they know him better."

Girardi acknowledged that Chamberlain might have to better budget his exuberance and energy if he, as the Yankees plan, eventually moves to the starting rotation. Until then, Girardi does not expect Chamberlain to alter his approach in relief.

"The game has changed a little bit, in all sports," Girardi said. "There's a lot more emotion shown. The important thing to me is don't show them up. If emotions are part of your game, you don't want to take away from a player's game."