Is there a possibility that Contreras is having arm problems?

[Jack Parkman]

Someone on the Postgame show on the Score brought up a valid point about Jose. This caller said that you don't lose 7-10 mph off your fastball from one year to the next just from aging, and the Ranger agreed. So this brings up the question, does Jose Contreras have serious damage to his shoulder? This could be a possibility, and if Jose is traded, he could fail the physical. I tend to agree that there is no way that over the course of a year that Jose's fastball could have gone from 96 mph at a maximum at this time last year to 85 mph at a minimum this year without some injury involved. Jose was topping out at 88 mph today and was mostly 85-86 with the fastball. I've come to the conclusion that he has to be hurt.

[Rowand44]

His arm problem is called: Being a member of the White Sox.

[witesoxfan]

This tends to happen when pitchers pitch well past their 50s.

[Bubba Philips]

Someone on the Postgame show on the Score brought up a valid point about Jose. This caller said that you don't lose 7-10 mph off your fastball from one year to the next just from aging, and the Ranger agreed. So this brings up the question, does Jose Contreras have serious damage to his shoulder? This could be a possibility, and if Jose is traded, he could fail the physical. I tend to agree that there is no way that over the course of a year that Jose's fastball could have gone from 96 mph at a maximum at this time last year to 85 mph at a minimum this year without some injury involved. Jose was topping out at 88 mph today and was mostly 85-86 with the fastball. I've come to the conclusion that he has to be hurt.

I can't remember who said it but they said that Jose is not coming over the top as much he once did. More of a 3/4 delivery and with that delivery can no longer get the 95mph on the gun. Jose is pitching like he did when he came over from the Yankees. El Duque had straightened him out somewhat. What 19 wins in a row. El Duque said something to the effect of pitch like a Cuban.. Which meant something to the effect of throwing the same pitch with different arm angles. Say a curve 1/2, 3/4 or straight overhand. I believe also that jose also came off some personal issues (divorce) which got his head out of the game.. That is why I believe Jose could have a return to brilliance may be as close as returning to a team that includes El Duque (mets). Either that or put him in the pen where maybe he could work and not have to concentrate for such a long time. I think in one or 2 inning stints Contreras may hit 94+ and in the meantime bring up Floyd who can get some valuable big league experience................. OH, one more thing many seaoned major league pitchers survive long after they lose their 95 mph fastball. They become pitchers instead of throwers.

[Jack Parkman]

This tends to happen when pitchers pitch well past their 50s.

Come on, you think that pitchers lose 8-10 mph over a years time just from aging? I find that hard to believe.

[Rowand44]

Come on, you think that pitchers lose 8-10 mph over a years time just from aging? I find that hard to believe.

His velocity was starting to decrease a bit last season after his injury. He's just old and you're probably right, he most likely isn't 100 percent but he probably wont be ever again.

[southsideirish71]

To me its related to his DL trip, and his back issues of last year. He was a pretty dominant pitcher in the first 2 months of last year. In fact, he was striking out people silly throwing 95 to 97 at times just filthy. Then his sciatica/back acted up. He went on the DL. When he came back, he started to throw side arm a lot. Now two things will happen with a pitcher with back issues, either they fail to follow through due to the pain and leave the ball up a lot, or they try and compensate by dropping down. Now this comment about his age, just doesnt hold water. He is old, but he was old last year in the first 2 months. Throughout his career he has had 94-95 mph fastballs and a filthy fork. When he came up with the Yanks, he was afraid to throw the 95 mph fastball, which seemed to boggle everyones mind. He got forkball happy. Now he is throwing a sub 90 fastball, this year I have seen him anywhere from 90-91 and I have seen him every so often pop it in at 94. The last pitcher we had to have such a drop, was Freddy who had some labrum wear. So to me its either, he has a shoulder/arm issue which is a bad problem because of passing a physical for a trade. Or his back is still causing him issues and he cant drop and drive. There has been a linkage before in major league baseball to leg issues or secondary injuries causing pitchers to change their mechanics to compensate creating arm and shoulder problems. Its starting to smell like Freddy fastball from last year.

[witesoxfan]

I actually just like making fun of old people.

[BearSox]

This tends to happen when pitchers pitch well past their 50s.

[Chisoxfn]

Come on, you think that pitchers lose 8-10 mph over a years time just from aging? I find that hard to believe.

It is hard to believe. Coop is dead on, look at his mechanics, he gets absolute no leg drive and he dicks around and really has nothing over the top anymore cause he pretty much stopped throwing over the top.

[Felix]

Is there a possibility that Contreras is actually 60, and not 50?

[AirScott]

To me its related to his DL trip, and his back issues of last year. He was a pretty dominant pitcher in the first 2 months of last year. In fact, he was striking out people silly throwing 95 to 97 at times just filthy. Then his sciatica/back acted up. He went on the DL. When he came back, he started to throw side arm a lot. Now two things will happen with a pitcher with back issues, either they fail to follow through due to the pain and leave the ball up a lot, or they try and compensate by dropping down. Now this comment about his age, just doesnt hold water. He is old, but he was old last year in the first 2 months. Throughout his career he has had 94-95 mph fastballs and a filthy fork. When he came up with the Yanks, he was afraid to throw the 95 mph fastball, which seemed to boggle everyones mind. He got forkball happy. Now he is throwing a sub 90 fastball, this year I have seen him anywhere from 90-91 and I have seen him every so often pop it in at 94. The last pitcher we had to have such a drop, was Freddy who had some labrum wear. So to me its either, he has a shoulder/arm issue which is a bad problem because of passing a physical for a trade. Or his back is still causing him issues and he cant drop and drive. There has been a linkage before in major league baseball to leg issues or secondary injuries causing pitchers to change their mechanics to compensate creating arm and shoulder problems. Its starting to smell like Freddy fastball from last year.

Bingo, kind of. Any conversation involving Jose's decline should have a mention of that back injury. He was 9-0 before the All-Star break last year with a 3.38 ERA. After the break (and the injury), he went 4-9 with a 5.40 ERA.

 

And through the first half this year, he's 5-10 with a 5.19 ERA.

[GoSox05]

I think it had something to do with the fact that he's 65

[BlackBetsy]

I think it had something to do with the fact that he's 65

I heard from a VERY reliable source that he's more like 75-76. He actually pitched in the big leagues for a while before Castro took over Cuba.

[greg775]

Is there a possibility that Contreras is actually 60, and not 50?

 

Great lines about his age. it's disgraceful major league teams can't find out how old a guy is

considering they give all this money.

I mean cmon. Don't the teams have the right to know guys like Jose are really 55?

[russ99]

I heard from a VERY reliable source that he's more like 75-76. He actually pitched in the big leagues for a while before Castro took over Cuba.

 

Contreras is 40 years old tops. Probably more likely to be 1-2 years over his stated age of 35.

 

It's obvious his mechanics are all messed up due to the back injury. Either it's something (like Crede) that will never go away completely or he's favoring it as to not get injured again.

[BlackBetsy]

Contreras is 40 years old tops. Probably more likely to be 1-2 years over his stated age of 35.

 

It's obvious his mechanics are all messed up due to the back injury. Either it's something (like Crede) that will never go away completely or he's favoring it as to not get injured again.

Again, my source was VERY reliable. In fact, my source believes that Jose Contreras is actually just Minnie Minoso playing under another name. He's 82 years old. It's all a secret plot under which they are getting Minnie to play in another decade. (Remember, he played in the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's & 80's).

 

Minnie Minoso could throw 125 mph when he was in the majors, but the Commissioner at the time wouldn't let him pitch because of liability reasons. He reportedly killed 4 people in Cuba pitching. 3 of them with fastballs, the other one just died of a heartattack when Minoso looked at him from the mound.

 

So Minoso losing 40 mph off his fastball over 50 years isn't too bad. That's only like 1 mph per year.

[WCSox]

Contreras is 40 years old tops. Probably more likely to be 1-2 years over his stated age of 35.

 

Most of what I've read agrees that Contreras is about 37.

 

I'm wondering if KW is stalling on extending MB because other GMs are unwilling to deal for Jose (even if the Sox eat, say, half of his remaining salary).

Edited July 5, 2007 by WCSox

[BearSox]

Contreras is 40 years old tops. Probably more likely to be 1-2 years over his stated age of 35.

 

It's obvious his mechanics are all messed up due to the back injury. Either it's something (like Crede) that will never go away completely or he's favoring it as to not get injured again.

I'd say Contreras is 45 at the youngest.

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

This is from Jose's wikipedia entry

 

Despite popular belief, Contreras is only two years older than his listed age. In an interview, he unintentionally revealed he was thirty-two years old when he defected from Cuba.[citation needed] He was supposed to be thirty-two years old during the 2004 MLB season.

 

Take it for what it's worth.

[joeynach]

Jose had been throwing 95+ for Cuba national team for years. He has been throwing longer than we know and when in Cuba was throwing year round. I think its about time it all caught up with him. Jose can hardly throw 90 at this point and hes probably doing so for a reason. Hes old, tired, hurt, sore, whatever. It doesn't matter, the point is Jose's baseball career is in Jeopardy with his inability to throw a fastball better than 89 mph, and I think everyone in baseball knows it. He is defiantly showing the signs that all the years of power pitching, and pitching year round in Cuba and the MLB is catching up with him.

[RME JICO]

Who looks older Contreras or Greg Oden?

[The Ginger Kid]

It is hard to believe. Coop is dead on, look at his mechanics, he gets absolute no leg drive and he dicks around and really has nothing over the top anymore cause he pretty much stopped throwing over the top.

which is why he could turn it around and be a valuable commodity for someone in a playoff run (omar, pick up the phone)

[WCSox]

Jose had been throwing 95+ for Cuba national team for years. He has been throwing longer than we know and when in Cuba was throwing year round. I think its about time it all caught up with him. Jose can hardly throw 90 at this point and hes probably doing so for a reason. Hes old, tired, hurt, sore, whatever. It doesn't matter, the point is Jose's baseball career is in Jeopardy with his inability to throw a fastball better than 89 mph, and I think everyone in baseball knows it. He is defiantly showing the signs that all the years of power pitching, and pitching year round in Cuba and the MLB is catching up with him.

 

Not only that, but I'll bet that he was over-used and downright abused frequently down there. I remember reading somewhere that Castro INSISTED that Jose pitch back-to-back games (the second on one day's rest) during one of the championship series. It's amazing that Jose was still able to be a rock for us down the stretch in '05, much less be almost unhittable at the same time.

 

It's too bad that Jose's best days were wasted in Cuba. But it's nice that he and his family finally got here and are able to enjoy the freedom that they deserve and the cash that Jose earned.

[Felix]

This is from Jose's wikipedia entry

 

 

 

Take it for what it's worth.

Because wikipedia is always right on everything, right?

 

Who looks older Contreras or Greg Oden?

I think Count has the leg up now, but just wait until Oden is "30". I'm pretty sure he'll then take the cake.

Edited July 6, 2007 by Felix