Sun-times article

[bjm676]

Josh Stewart seems to be recovered from that Conine hit...

 

 

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Suddenly, an organization that could not count on a fifth starter the last few seasons is starting to add up the possibilities with as many as eight rotation options.

 

The White Sox' starters, of course, are set with Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, Jose Contreras, Orlando Hernandez and Jon Garland. And while spring training no longer is the pitching tryout camp it has been in recent years, wouldn't you know it, this year there might be more legitimate starting candidates than there have been in a while.

 

Brandon McCarthy already has raised the pulse of the Sox' talent evaluators, while last year's bullpen workhorse Jon Adkins appears to be headed back to Class AAA Charlotte to regain his touch as a starter. Then there is Josh Stewart, the spring darling from two years ago who quietly has regained his form.

 

Stewart will get a start today against the Kansas City Royals in Surprise, a move that might have been done as much because of Stewart's re-emergence -- three scoreless relief appearances with only three hits -- as it was to save Freddy Garcia the 2-1/2-hour drive and expose him to a division rival so close to the start of the season.

 

Still, the left-handed Stewart finally is showing that the devastating line drive he took off his chest in an early-season game at Baltimore in 2003 no longer is causing health problems. Stewart was making his fifth career start when the Orioles' Jeff Conine drilled a line drive that Stewart said he never saw until it rebounded off the left side of his chest just under his collarbone.

 

Stewart actually remained in the game and got out of the inning, but he never returned and had to spend the night in a hospital. He eventually went on the disabled list. While there he regressed, developing a circulation problem that caused numbness in the fingers of his pitching hand.

 

''I started feeling really good toward the middle of last year in Charlotte,'' said Stewart, who made three appearances with the Sox last season, two of them starts. ''I kind of got on a roll there. I got a little opportunity in Chicago. With the way the last couple of years have been, I'm incredibly excited to be out there throwing again.''

 

Just as McCarthy is doing this spring, Stewart raised eyebrows in the spring of 2003 by going 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA in six games (three starts). The difference between McCarthy's spring this year and Stewart's of two years ago is that Stewart's March run led to a roster spot.

 

''I feel that comfortable,'' Stewart said, comparing this spring to 2003. "I haven't gone out there and pitched as much as I did that spring, but I feel that comfortable pitching. I feel like I'm in a rhythm.

 

''All my pitches have been feeling great. I came in feeling great. I feel comfortable when I'm out there, and I appreciate getting the opportunity.''

[Y2HH]

We need to trade Josh Stewart for Roberto Alomar before it's too late!

 

Why is this so much fun for me, Anthrax?

[WilliamTell]

We need to trade Josh Stewart for Roberto Alomar before it's too late!

 

Why is this so much fun for me, Anthrax?

 

lol true dat, we need a 3,000 hitter too.

[GoSox05]

Sox are going to trade carl Everett to the nationals and then trade Stewart to the Nationals to get Everett back.

[Y2HH]

If I were GM of the Nationals, that'd never happen...first, in exchange for nothing, I'd request that KW tack on 1.2M dollars for me to take Everett off his hands. THEN, if KW wanted Everett back, it would need to be a package deal, I'd accept nothing less then Josh Stewart AND BMac for Everett.

 

Sox are going to trade carl Everett to the nationals and then trade Stewart to the Nationals to get Everett back.

[JUGGERNAUT]

There is a big difference between BMac's #'s & Stewarts in ST. BMac's ERA is a reflection of his throwing strikes w almost no walks. Stewarts did demonstrate any where near that control.