I think the point is he wasn't throwing it out of necessity in '05-'06. It was at 96 and nasty when he threw it sporadically. Now it's at 91 and EVERY pitch and missing badly most times.

 

I wish we had someone at his Charlotte start to see if he was dropping down every pitch or actually trying to go over the top...

Exactly. You said it better than I did.

 

You're right, that pitch was devastating because he could locate it with speed and movement. His drop down motion this year seems to me to be used more often and is more laborious. It's a get me over motion and pitch. He in no way looked like the pitcher he was the last half of 05 and the first half of 06. Which brings me to another point. Other than those two parts of a season when has he resembled a true ace for any decent period of time?

 

 

He was pretty good the first half of last season until he tried to pitch through nagging injuries and didn't tell Cooper and Ozzie.

 

He pitched well in NY until he started to have so many problems with the Red Sox and it got into his head and started affecting him.

Contreras hurt his back in mid-2006 and has never had the same stuff.

Contreras pitched a 1-hit CG last night. 3 walks, 5 k's, 100 pitches 66 strikes.

 

http://www.examiner.com/x-2683-Charlotte-S...edo-Mud-Hens-40

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/st...94&sid=t494

well...that has to help his confidence, right?

Can't bring him u right after one good start, let me add that it was a damn good start.

I'm not even kidding when I say, he needs AT LEAST 7-10 stars in AAA before I would even consider bringing him back up to the big club.

But there's a huge difference when you are at 95-97 and in the low 90's. Your margin for error on fastballs is razor thin...Jose got away with bad location because they would foul off the pitches when he was the best pitcher in the game that they are now dialing in on.

 

The other thing is that he consistently worked quickly, got ahead in counts and had that equalizing weapon nobody could hit, the forkball. The majority of his pitches were fastballs, but he was punching out batters with the off-speed stuff.

 

Now, they just wait on the fastball, which he throws it 90% of the time from drop down. That's not enough variation.

 

If he threw that slurve/slider 20-30% of the time, to the outside corner of the plate against RH hitters, he'd be much more effective. He comes inside almost every time with the fastball against RH hitters (08/09), but he doesn't ever knock batters off the plate, his velocity isn't a weapon anymore and everyone knows they can wait for a good fastball.

 

Well said.

This sounds pretty promising (per the tribune):

Center fielder Brian Anderson, who played with Contreras before getting promoted, marveled at Contreras' ability to throw first-pitch forkballs for strikes and snap off sharp sliders.

I'm not even kidding when I say, he needs AT LEAST 7-10 stars in AAA before I would even consider bringing him back up to the big club.

If he keeps pitching well and throws strikes, I don't think I'd go that far. More than his current two, but not 7-10. After two more starts, if he still looks solid, I think its time to look at it.

 

Last night, JC made his 3rd start for Charlotte...

 

5.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 1 HR

 

Not great.

 

Last night, JC made his 3rd start for Charlotte...

 

5.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 1 HR

 

Not great.

 

No that is really bad in my book. Unless he is dominating down there he doesnt come back up.

No that is really bad in my book. Unless he is dominating down there he doesnt come back up.

 

 

Wrong. I don't see the Sox ever using that line. He just needs to be pitching with some consistency. He went down on his own and you don't ;eave someone with his experiece and years in the majors down at AAA unless he is "dominating". I admire Jose for the decision he made and I think we wil be seeing him back in the Sox rotation. The one I worry about right now is Colon.

No that is really bad in my book. Unless he is dominating down there he doesnt come back up.

 

Methinks that he gets moved to the 'pen for mop-up duty instead.

 

No that is really bad in my book. Unless he is dominating down there he doesnt come back up.

 

 

Only 2BB, which is pretty much the only thing I care about with JC's ml lines.

Only 2BB, which is pretty much the only thing I care about with JC's ml lines.

I'm with you, 2bb for him in 5.2 is important

Wrong. I don't see the Sox ever using that line. He just needs to be pitching with some consistency. He went down on his own and you don't ;eave someone with his experiece and years in the majors down at AAA unless he is "dominating". I admire Jose for the decision he made and I think we wil be seeing him back in the Sox rotation. The one I worry about right now is Colon.

 

Oh so I am supposed to be thankful to Jose for doing us the favor of going down to work on not sucking. Okay thank you Jose, I am sure your ready to come up now because your not walking that many minor league hitters.

I'm with you, 2bb for him in 5.2 is important

He also hit a batter.

 

That's 8 hits, 2 BB, 1 HBP in 5.2 innings. He had an error that he couldn't pitch over in the 6th before he was pulled. If people are hitting things he's throwing they don't always need to take the BB. It can be pitching behind people that gets you in trouble even if you're not walking them.

I was talking to Jose yesterday and he told me the reason he lost his forkball and slider was that his ex-wife took half of everything... literally.

He also hit a batter.

 

That's 8 hits, 2 BB, 1 HBP in 5.2 innings. He had an error that he couldn't pitch over in the 6th before he was pulled. If people are hitting things he's throwing they don't always need to take the BB. It can be pitching behind people that gets you in trouble even if you're not walking them.

 

Well with him, it's likely that he didn't have the off-speed working again, which means he was throwing all fastballs, which is probably why so many hits. That's not going to work.

Methinks that he gets moved to the 'pen for mop-up duty instead.

agreed. no way he replaces Richard until CR starts struggling.

Methinks that he gets moved to the 'pen for mop-up duty instead.

 

Don't we have enough pitchers for mop up duty already? We need some more real pitchers.

Don't we have enough pitchers for mop up duty already? We need some more real pitchers.

 

I agree, but Jake Peavy wasn't willing to play. Hopefully Oswalt will be on the block this summer.

 

Jose shouldn't return to the big league Sox again.

He's too old. His funky sidearm s*** doesn't work.

He's methodical. He's wild. His pitches scream 'hit me.'

Just let him go somewhere else. And thank him for the past. He was a great Sox undoubtedly but he and Pods need to go.

He also hit a batter.

 

That's 8 hits, 2 BB, 1 HBP in 5.2 innings. He had an error that he couldn't pitch over in the 6th before he was pulled. If people are hitting things he's throwing they don't always need to take the BB. It can be pitching behind people that gets you in trouble even if you're not walking them.

 

it also depends on what he was working on. If he is working solely on locating his pitches and just merely trying to pound the strikezone, regardless of what the opponent does with it, then it's not a horrendous outing. I'd say it's pretty much a treading the water type of start, nothing good nor really bad comes out of it.

give him some time -- did you really expect him to get it all worked out in three starts and be back up?