Where's statmandu?

[Felix]

So, considering the statistics I've provided, would you be willing to recognize Contreras as one of the top five pitchers in baseball from Post ASB 2005 to about July 2006 -- including the playoffs?

 

I don't know how you couldn't. I'm more willing to combine the two halves with Contreras considering he seemingly began right in 2006 where he ended in October of the previous season.

 

Argue about the meaning of "ace" or "staff ace" if you wish, but I believe Contreras was our best pitcher during this period. The one you'd expect to halt a losing streak and give your ballclub an opportunity to win every start.

I don't see how anyone could argue to the contrary. My point is that even if you combine them, its only a year. One year doesn't make an ace in my opinion, especially since I strongly value consistency and the ability to stay healthy.

 

But, regardless, it doesn't matter at all.

[WCSox]

Santana isn't looking sharp tonight either.

 

Didn't Santana go 1-3 last April?

 

Debating whether or not JC is an "ace" or not obviously depends on one's definition of the word. But I think we can all agree that one bad outing doesn't mean that he sucks or that he's done or that he's a financial albatross now.

 

 

When the Cell gun and the Comcast gun have Jose clocked in the high 80's and low 90's, his stuff is not fine.

 

The Comcast gun is garbage. The Gameday gun had Jose at 92-95 yesterday and Sabathia at 93-96. If he's throwing as hard as Sabathia with limited ST innings under his belt (i.e., his arm isn't fully-conditioned yet), I don't see a reason to panic.

[The Critic]

I think we can all agree that it was his new facial hair that messed his game up.

Although it did make him look years younger.

He looked like he was in his early 50s.

[Kalapse]

Didn't Santana go 1-3 last April?

 

Debating whether or not JC is an "ace" or not obviously depends on one's definition of the word. But I think we can all agree that one bad outing doesn't mean that he sucks or that he's done or that he's a financial albatross now.

The Comcast gun is garbage. The Gameday gun had Jose at 92-95 yesterday and Sabathia at 93-96. If he's throwing as hard as Sabathia with limited ST innings under his belt (i.e., his arm isn't fully-conditioned yet), I don't see a reason to panic.

The Cell gun also had him in the high 80's low 90's. Jhonny Peralta this morning said that Contreras was throwing with a lot less velocity than he normally has.

[WCSox]

The Cell gun also had him in the high 80's low 90's. Jhonny Peralta this morning said that Contreras was throwing with a lot less velocity than he normally has.

 

I don't trust radar guns (nobody seems to know how to calibrate them properly). But I do give some credence to what other players notice. I wouldn't exactly be surpised if an aging pitcher whose arm was abused by the Commie regime in Cuba began to lose some velocity at this point in his career. I'm surprised that he was still able to throw a mid-90's fastball in his mid-30's after all of that.

 

That said, it's important to keep in mind that it's early April and many of these arms aren't at full strength yet. Sabathia, who also throws a mid-90's fastball, was only 1-2 mph above Jose yesterday. Jenks is only throwing mid-90's fastballs right now. I'll worry about Jose's velocity if he's still throwing Buehrle-like fastballs next month.

[Kalapse]

Jenks was throwing mid 90's for the great majority of last season so if he's hitting that right now then he's not down at all from last year.

 

Jose was in the mid 90's as of April of 2006 he seemed to lose about 5-6 MPH off his fastball after the back injury in early May of last season, it has now been almost an entire year since he first went on the DL and he has yet to regain that same velocity.

[JUSTgottaBELIEVE]

so nobody has answered the initial question, does anybody know?

[WCSox]

Jenks was throwing mid 90's for the great majority of last season so if he's hitting that right now then he's not down at all from last year.

 

Jenks was also throwing low 90's just a couple of weeks ago in Tucson. He also hit 97-99 in a several save opportunities last summer.

 

Jose was in the mid 90's as of April of 2006 he seemed to lose about 5-6 MPH off his fastball after the back injury in early May of last season, it has now been almost an entire year since he first went on the DL and he has yet to regain that same velocity.

 

You're right, we should all panic now because Jose failed to hit 94-95 in the first game of the season.

 

EDIT: I seem to recall Jose hitting 93-94 regularly into early June of last year, but I could be wrong about that. Either way, I think it's a bit premature to say that he's definitely lost velocity. Pitchers often don't have their best stuff in early April. Sabathia didn't yesterday.

Edited April 3, 2007 by WCSox

[Kalapse]

Jenks was also throwing low 90's just a couple of weeks ago in Tucson. He also hit 97-99 in a several save opportunities last summer.

You're right, we should all panic now because Jose failed to hit 94-95 in the first game of the season.

Since when is being concerned the same as panic? No need for hyperbole. The guy hasn't thrown 95 MPH consistently since hitting the DL last May, it's not just his first start of the year.

[WCSox]

Since when is being concerned the same as panic? No need for hyperbole.

 

Given that Soxtalk is often nothing BUT hyperbole, you'll have to excuse me.