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Wunsch pulls no punch: I'm in 'dead arm' period
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
By Joe Cowley: staff writer for The Daily Southtown
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TUCSON, Ariz. — The last thing the White Sox bullpen needed was another concern, but Kelly Wunsch has become just that.
Several scouts watching the left-handed reliever pitch Sunday said his fastball was clocked at 80-81 mph at best. One scout said Wunsch didn't look like the same pitcher he was last year and that he was throwing as if he were injured.
Wunsch conceded Monday that something's not right, but he's holding on to the hope it's nothing serious.
"I'm going through a crummy tightness or 'dead arm' period right now," Wunsch said. "It happens every spring.
"Like I've said, I've got some issues right now. Nothing is seriously hurt. There's some muscle spasms in the back that are floating around, and the dead arm thing, or whatever it is."
Wunsch is regarded as a specialist against left-handed hitters, but was hard to hit from either side last season. Left-handed hitters batted .127 against him, while right-handed hitters batted just .153.
Wunsch's ERA in Cactus League play is 4.76. Most of the damage has come over the past week.
"I'm throwing real well against left-handers," Wunsch said. "Right-handers ... it's still getting there.
"It will come, it will come. I haven't been trying to throw it hard so that I can give it a chance to get better. It's irritated and it might take awhile to calm down. It's not preventing me to pitch, it's just preventing from throwing hard."
Despite the injury, Wunsch is still scheduled to throw in Wednesday's game against San Diego.
Over the past week, closer Billy Koch also has struggled, and right-hander Shingo Takatsu has struggled most of the spring. If Wunsch is hurt or can't regain his velocity, it would be another blow to a bullpen that's very fragile in the first place.
Wunsch is confident he can still make the 25-man roster and be effective even if he's well short of 100 percent.
"Yeah, I feel good about where I stand as far as making the team goes," Wunsch said. "Regardless of my velocity, I'm still plenty effective against left-handers. Velocity affects me against right-handers. I'm fastball-changeup against right-handers, and you need to have a fastball in order to throw the changeup."
Do you think this is anything to worry about? This bullpen could be in trouble if Wunsch struggles and if Kock plays like last year.
