Clearing the Cuban Smoke

While I agree that Sox fans have, by and large, been unnecessarily brutal in their treatment of Jose Contreras as he does the walk of shame to the Mile High City, I personally haven't put much stock into the situation since 2006. I was in the camp thinking that it's best that Contreras should go, and as soon as possible. I'm over the moon that we were able to get anything back for him, as I would've been satisfied with a simple release and the subsequent loosening of the salary cap belt alone.

As far as this year, and according to many sports outlets, Contreras hurried back from a speculated career-ending injury and arrived "more fit than he's ever been" to training camp, apparently having lost 30 lbs. He was in phenomenal shape- the "best of his life"- his stuff was snapping, and he had gotten mentally beyond the messy divorce proceedings which had supposedly mentally bogged him down over the past two years. Sounds like someone who's set up to succeed!

I think, if anything, that having to hear all of this business regarding a possible "Renaissance d' Contreras" on a daily basis, over and over, from the local media may have instilled the Sox fan base with extremely high, and somewhat unreasonable, expectations of what they'd be getting from Contreras this year.

Personally, I think he was C-. I didn't expect A+. What indicator did I have to tell me he was capable of sustaining himself at 2005 levels again? He did okay. That last Red Sox loss of his was pretty much because he couldn't field a dribbler, and had very little to do with his pitching. I wasn't at all overwhelmed by Contreras, I never had pinned any hopes on his shoulders. I invested about as much energy into Jose as I did in Lance Broadway, Freddie Garcia, Aaron Poreda, Charlie Haeger, Bartolo Colon, or any number of equivalent AAAA pitchers who grace the #4-#5 spot in the rotation at random intervals.

If Buehrle, Floyd, or Danks went and gave me Contreras 2009 numbers, I'd be pissed. I don't know why anyone is pissed at Contreras. Granted, he sucked this year. But what else do you expect from a guy coming off of a crippling leg injury who doesn't actually know how old he is?

Now, I love Ozzie Guillen and his candid way. I think it's fantastic. I just think that his comments regarding Contreras over the past week, coupled with the trade, and then add in a sprinkling of a road trip that has been more of a death march... it was bad timing and just made for a mob scene. It's not Ozzie's fault, it's just reactionary fans flipping out at the precise moment when their team has lost its grip on staying competitive for the year.

In short, I'm quite grateful to Jose Contreras for his hefty contribution to the 2005 World Series squad, and for his lights-out-siness over the 2006 season. Without that pitching staff, there certainly would be no championship coming to 35th. I feel badly that someone who played a heavy part in one of the proudest moments in the history of the White Sox had to go out in the dwindling, injury-plagued way... with the sharks circling and the vultures pecking at him on his way out... but, that's unfortunately the nature of humanity and, in particular, the entertainment industry. I'd say "I'll miss you, Jose," but the fact of the matter is that I've been missing Jose Contreras since 2006.


So come on and get yourself an "Addison to 35th" hug, Jose.

Alright. I guess you can too, Pablo Ozuna.

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Satisfied, Jarrett? That should learn me real good to never bring up Chad Gaudin's facial hair. Not ever again.