Jerry_Manuel
07-23-2002, 09:22 AM
From the South Town (http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dssports/pro/231sd2.htm):
Former Sox players who pitched under Contreras had complaints, ranging from excessive throwing that led to arm problems, to a negative attitude that hurt the confidence of young pitchers such as Kip Wells.
Wells, who was traded to Pittsburgh in a deal that brought Todd Ritchie to the South Side last offseason, was 20-21 with a 5.14 ERA under Contreras' tutelage. He is 10-6 with a 3.38 ERA for Pittsburgh this season.
On several occasions last year, Wells complained that there seemed to be a "a negative element" around everything he did.
Williams was asked if the failure to get Wells going was a factor in Contreras' downfall.
"I'd rather not get into that," Williams said. "No matter how I answer that, it will come out as disrespectful ... unless I said, 'No.' "
Mark Buehrle didn't do much to dispel the accusation that Contreras made Sox pitchers throw excessively.
"There might be something to it," Buehrle said Monday. "I know I haven't had any arm problems — knock on wood. From what I understand, our starters throw as much as other starters around the league do, but I've heard guys in the bullpen say that Nardi got them up (warming up) a bit too much.
"He'd call for a righty and lefty to start throwing, then sit them down, then get them back up, or (get) two new guys up. I don't know if that was just Nardi's call or Jerry's (manager Jerry Manuel). That I can't answer."
Former Sox players who pitched under Contreras had complaints, ranging from excessive throwing that led to arm problems, to a negative attitude that hurt the confidence of young pitchers such as Kip Wells.
Wells, who was traded to Pittsburgh in a deal that brought Todd Ritchie to the South Side last offseason, was 20-21 with a 5.14 ERA under Contreras' tutelage. He is 10-6 with a 3.38 ERA for Pittsburgh this season.
On several occasions last year, Wells complained that there seemed to be a "a negative element" around everything he did.
Williams was asked if the failure to get Wells going was a factor in Contreras' downfall.
"I'd rather not get into that," Williams said. "No matter how I answer that, it will come out as disrespectful ... unless I said, 'No.' "
Mark Buehrle didn't do much to dispel the accusation that Contreras made Sox pitchers throw excessively.
"There might be something to it," Buehrle said Monday. "I know I haven't had any arm problems — knock on wood. From what I understand, our starters throw as much as other starters around the league do, but I've heard guys in the bullpen say that Nardi got them up (warming up) a bit too much.
"He'd call for a righty and lefty to start throwing, then sit them down, then get them back up, or (get) two new guys up. I don't know if that was just Nardi's call or Jerry's (manager Jerry Manuel). That I can't answer."