A nice article

[lvjeremylv]

This may have been posted already, and "my bad" if it has. But, it's an enjoyable read, so here ya go...

 

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb...5news&fext=.jsp

 

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TUCSON, Ariz. -- Watching Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez and Jose Contreras interact during a 15-minute interview quickly evoked the image of baseball's newest Cuban comedy tandem.

 

They laughed, they rolled their eyes over certain responses given by the other hurler and even patted each other on the back after a couple of especially astute replies to questions translated into Spanish by third-base coach Joey Cora. Their immense pitching talent will prevent taking their collective act on the road, aside from the White Sox's trips to Minnesota, Cleveland and Detroit, to name a few away cities.

 

But if nothing else -- other than a few good laughs -- came from the discussion, there's an obvious genuine friendship between the two veterans whose long-and-winding roads of life have led them to Chicago. That bond should be especially helpful for Contreras, a hurler blessed with immense talent, who admitted that his confidence finally has started to catch up to his ability.

 

"They're going to work together fine. They're going to have fun here, and I think they're going to do a good job," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen of the Contreras-Hernandez combination. "Contreras is a guy, you look at him, and he's so big, but he's still a little [immature] at the Major League level.

 

"Having El Duque here, I think Contreras is going to feel more comfortable. He's going to have a friend next to him, and he's going to have the support he needs."

 

The White Sox's pursuit of Contreras began early in 2004, when talk started circulating that they were trying to pry him free from New York to become the South Side's next closer. Those unfounded rumors became steeped in partial reality when general manager Ken Williams traded Esteban Loaiza to the Yankees for Contreras minutes before the non-waiver trade deadline.

 

A quick look at Contreras' 2004 statistics points more to inconsistency than Guillen's previous assessment of slight immaturity. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound right-hander -- who looks more like a NFL defensive lineman than a third starter in the White Sox rotation -- carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning against Kansas City during the season's final game, eventually picking up his 13th victory and increasing his strikeout total to 150 in 170 1/3 innings.

 

But Contreras also led the American League with 17 wild pitches and ranked fifth in walks allowed with 84. He had the league's fourth-highest earned run average at 5.50, and the 31 home runs he gave up finished 10th from the bottom. Contreras was chastised for an over-reliance on his split-finger fastball, although it is considered one of the best forkballs in the game, and the overuse of his fastball in the mid-90s.

 

Here's where El Duque's positive influence becomes readily apparent. He quickly came to Contreras' defense in regards to his pitching style, supporting the theory that Contreras simply needs to trust his ability.

 

"That was one of the things that bothered me in years past, with a lot of people telling me a lot of different things," Contreras said. "I just want to pitch my game and have fun with it."

 

"He doesn't have to worry about throwing too many forkballs," added Hernandez of his friend. "There are a lot of pitchers out there who throw more forkballs than he does. All he has to do is pitch his game and not worry about anything."

 

Hernandez brings in his own doubts, joining the White Sox as a free agent on a two-year, $8 million deal. On May 12, 2003, he underwent surgery to repair a partially torn right rotator cuff and was out of action two months short of two years, until July 11, 2004, in a start against Tampa Bay. He finished last season with a career-low 15 starts, although he won his first eight decisions upon rejoining the Yankees' rotation.

 

When asked about his durability, Hernandez guaranteed a season's effort of greater than 25 starts and pointed out that nobody thought he would even find success upon returning in 2004. His 9-3 record in the postseason, including a 2-1 mark in the World Series, is especially enticing for a franchise starved for playoff success.

 

That advancement out of the American League Central could be a possibility with Hernandez and Contreras working together. They arguably are the two greatest pitchers in the modern era to come from their baseball-rich country and draw a greater interest at home currently than when they were pitching for the Cuban national team.

 

Hernandez couldn't dispute a comparison to the United States' superstar tandem of Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson. The only difference, according to a very clever El Duque, is that "Clemens went to Houston and ate steak at Morton's," while the Cuban duo were lucky to get beans and rice.

 

"We played against each other in Cuba and tried to beat each other," Contreras said of their rivalry turned friendship. "El Duque was the best pitcher in Cuba ever."

 

"I had a few years already when Jose started playing on the national team," Hernandez added. "When I left, Contreras was the best pitcher in Cuba."

 

The two pitched together for one year in Cuba, before El Duque was banned from the sport in 1996 for allegedly trying to defect. They also worked in the same rotation for the Yankees during the two weeks before Contreras was traded.

 

But now a full-fledged chance exists to have fun together with the White Sox. Judging by their recent interview, they already are directly on target.

 

When asked what he liked most about Hernandez's repertoire, Contreras responded, "His heart." And what was El Duque's response to the same question about Contreras?

 

"Todo," said Hernandez, basically meaning "everything" in Spanish. "His fastball, slider, forkball, everything. If I would have had those type of pitches, I would be as happy as Jose is."

 

The duo responded with knowing smiles when questioned about the reported age discrepancy after defecting from Cuba. Hernandez is listed at 35, while Contreras is 33.

 

"If I'm 45 years old and get people out, then nobody cares," Hernandez said with a laugh. "If I'm 22 and getting hit, people will get on me.

 

"Ever since I've been here in the United States, people have questioned my age. That's good. It gives people something to talk about. When I won the World Series games, nobody questioned my age."

 

Both pitchers expressed an affinity for New York and the help provided by the Yankees in bringing their families to the United States. They didn't seem bothered by the intense pressure that came from performing on baseball's biggest stage.

 

They also seemed excited that their act soon could be playing to rave reviews off-Broadway.

 

"I love New York, but I love Chicago," said Hernandez, breaking into a rare answer in English. "Maybe we changed our teams, but baseball really still is baseball."

 

Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

[southsider2k5]

I hadn't really reflected of the impact of Hernandez on Contreras too much, but if the NY reports of his being lonely and depressed at times in NY are correct, this should really help him be able to focus on things at hand. Plus having his family here, we could be looking at a breakout season for Jose. No one ever doubts his arm, they doubt his mental make up. If the stuff in his head gets fixed, look out.

[SnB]

Some people just can't handle the whole "new york scene". Can't say that I blame him. None of us are really expecting too big of things to come out of jose this season, but in the back of our minds, we all know how good this can be.

 

We'll just have to wait and see