I'm worried Count is going to tear that thing again, although that comes from not knowing much about the injury in general. It just cant be very common for 40 year olds to recover three months early from a devastating injury without either chemical assistance or the hand of god.

 

I've thought about that...I'd like to hear from ptatc, but the fact that it's a tendon and not a muscle makes me wonder whether it functions the same.

The count looked really good to me in the game he got hurt in last season, so I am taking that as a positive moving forward. I think him as the #4 makes this rotation alot better.

This. I remember before coming back for that game (it was his first start back from some other injury IIRC) there was a buncha quotes from how excited everyone was because he was looking great in his rehab assignments. And then he was tearing it up that game. Man, I shared his frustration when he just pounded the ground in after the injury.

 

He was also pretty effective early in the season, posting a 2.09 in May. I saw him pitch in Toronto early that month, he pitched the the full game although it was a L 4-3 against Halladay.

 

I'm stoked if he's healthy and ready to go, but I really hope he's not rushing.

Edited March 3, 200917 yr by ROC Sox Fan

I think the Count still works quite well. He's undead. You can't hurt him without stabbing him in the heart with a piece of wood.

Good one!

I'm rooting for Contreras on this one.

Jose es el HOMBRE!!!

You have to look at it like this...Colon and Contreras have each been the best pitcher in baseball as recently as three seasons ago.

 

I'll take that over Marquez (who, IF IF IF he fulfills his potential, will be like Garland, a 4/5 type guy).

 

The main reason to be optimistic about Contreras is that this is the first time he's had such an extended period of time to rest his arm in many years. I think/expect we'll see his fastball back in the 93-95 range more consistently, and sometimes touching 96. I don't think we'll get a 97 or even 98 out of him again, though.

 

When he can freely throw in the mid 90's and not 89-92/93 (which he's been limited to when battling injuries), then he's MUCH more devastating, because that forkball in the low 80's is almost impossible to hit unless it's hanging up in the zone, and, even when he's only going out there with two pitches, he's still successful. But he has to get ahead in the count, work more quickly and not be forced to go after batters with his fastball.

Edited March 4, 200917 yr by caulfield12

I'll be interested to see if they put him back in that "multiple arm angles" mode again. I much prefer he just throw over the top, as I think his pure stuff is far more devastating that way, despite it only coming from one arm angle.

I'll be interested to see if they put him back in that "multiple arm angles" mode again. I much prefer he just throw over the top, as I think his pure stuff is far more devastating that way, despite it only coming from one arm angle.

 

I partly agree, but partly don't know the answer. For sure that forkball is ruthless when he throws it over the top, but I can't get out of my mind the success he had when Duque told him to "throw like a Cuban again"... perhaps it gives him a psychological edge. Like, if his stuff isn't there on a day, he can use different arm angles to fool.

Contreras, Colon make progress in Wednesday bullpen sessions for White Sox

 

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Jose Contreras and Bartolo Colon each threw 45 pitches Wednesday morning in their latest stage of rehabilitation.

 

Contreras' location was noticably better than Monday, when he threw off a mound for the first time since tearing his left. Achilles tendon last August.

 

Colon threw with more velocity. Colon had bone chips removed from his right elbow last fall.

I'll be interested to see if they put him back in that "multiple arm angles" mode again. I much prefer he just throw over the top, as I think his pure stuff is far more devastating that way, despite it only coming from one arm angle.

The one pitch that really helped him dominate a few seasons ago was the 2 seemer from the side arm angle. It was simply impossible to hit hard and impossible to lay off. It started off the outside corner and nipped the plate, or started over the plate and jammed the hitters.

After watching Jose Contreras throw off a mound Wednesday, pitching coach Don Cooper called his comeback from a torn Achilles' tendon "almost too good to be true."

Contreras was initially expected back around midseason, but is now hoping to be in the Opening Day rotation. "Should a human being even be able to do this?'' Cooper said. ''I knew he would be ahead of schedule, but I didn't think he would be this far ahead. Remarkable is what it is.''

According to Cowley Colon and Contreras each threw 55 pitches today with no issues. They'll both participate in live batting practice Monday. So far so good.

Colon and Contreras as the 4 and 5, look probable at this point.

 

Cowley update:

 

http://twitter.com/cst_sox

This pitching staff is dangerous if the two of them are healthy.

This pitching staff is dangerous if the two of them are healthy.

With Marquez looking good, and Poreda sliding in to the 7th starter/2nd backup option where he ought to be, this pitching staff is dangerous even if only 1 of them is healthy at a time.

With Marquez looking good, and Poreda sliding in to the 7th starter/2nd backup option where he ought to be, this pitching staff is dangerous even if only 1 of them is healthy at a time.

True.

When are they scheduled to pitch?

When are they scheduled to pitch?

 

Saturday

Saturday

Both of them?

 

Both of them?

 

I think so, yes. That was the target date they were talking about a week or so ago.

This team is still full of a lot of "ifs" but I like our chances more and more every day. I'm excited to see if the OZ man can go out and win another division title. It seems definitely possible.

Williams deserves a lot of credit right now. As you say, every day more and more it seems like this team is going to compete for a division crown in 2009, while at the same time Williams has started to re-build the farm with high end players like Beckham, Poreda, Viciedo, Allen,Flowers, Shelby, and Danks. Along with that, the influx of Danks-Floyd-Quentin-Alexei has made the current major league core something to get excited about. On top of it all, there isn't a long term deal on the books right now that is really hurting the franchise.

 

Pretty nice spot to be.

And we're holding 4 picks in the first 2 rounds this year. And we've got a couple guys who have their contracts up at the end of this year who we might legitimately be able to offer arbitration to if they have solid years (Colon) to add more next year.

Williams deserves a lot of credit right now. As you say, every day more and more it seems like this team is going to compete for a division crown in 2009, while at the same time Williams has started to re-build the farm with high end players like Beckham, Poreda, Viciedo, Allen,Flowers, Shelby, and Danks. Along with that, the influx of Danks-Floyd-Quentin-Alexei has made the current major league core something to get excited about. On top of it all, there isn't a long term deal on the books right now that is really hurting the franchise.

 

Pretty nice spot to be.

 

considering where we were after the 2007 season it borders on amazing.

Williams deserves a lot of credit right now. As you say, every day more and more it seems like this team is going to compete for a division crown in 2009, while at the same time Williams has started to re-build the farm with high end players like Beckham, Poreda, Viciedo, Allen,Flowers, Shelby, and Danks. Along with that, the influx of Danks-Floyd-Quentin-Alexei has made the current major league core something to get excited about. On top of it all, there isn't a long term deal on the books right now that is really hurting the franchise.

 

Pretty nice spot to be.

 

The funny thing was everyone laughed at Kenny when we had the worst farm system on the planet and he said it would take no time to fix it. It took him all of a year and a half to get it back to respecful, contributing levels.

And we're holding 4 picks in the first 2 rounds this year. And we've got a couple guys who have their contracts up at the end of this year who we might legitimately be able to offer arbitration to if they have solid years (Colon) to add more next year.

 

I'm starting to think that us having four picks in the first two rounds is meaning less and less for us. I forget where, but I read that this upcoming draft class is one of the worst talent and depth-wise (most depth with college arms) in a while and there's not much talent besides a few college guys, a select group of high school arms, and a high school star OF named Donovan Tate, who has five tool potential. I think we'd be lucky to get one decent impact guy in the earlier rounds out of this draft. Hopefully that changes as the college and high school seasons progress.