OzzieBall2004
08-01-2004, 09:08 PM
Some useful info on our newly acquired righty...
Pitching & Defense
Contreras' forkball is something to behold. His unnaturally wide grip imparts so little spin that the pitch comes in almost like a low-80s knuckleball, sinking late and hard. With a mid-90s fastball to set it up, he's tough to hit and deadly once he gets ahead. He has the stamina to work deep into games, but apparently was somewhat unfamiliar with the demands of relief work. He's a good fielder who's quick off the mound, but he does little to slow the running game.
Against the AL Central in 2004...
By Opponent ERA W L G GS CG IP H R ER HR BB SO AVG
vs. DET 1.13 1 0 1 1 0 8 4 1 1 0 1 7 .143
At the cell...
USCF 2003 0.00 1 0 1 1 0 8 4 0 0 0 1 9 .148
(Not sure what this tells us, but he pitched well at his new home)
In his 8 wins, he has pitched extremely well most of the time....
@ TB (7 innings, 4 hits, 1 ER)
@ DET (8 innings, 4 hits 1 ER)
TB ( 6.2, 3 hits, 1 ER)
NYM (6 innings, 2 hits, 0 ER)
@ ARI (6.1 innings, 5 hits, 2 ER)
COL (7 innings, 5 hits, 4 ER)
@ BAL (6 innings, 8 hits, 3 ER)
OAK (6 innings, 4 hits, 1 ER)
That translates into a 2.23 ERA in wins, with an average of 6 hits per 9 IP.
He also had a start at Texas where he pitched 6 innings of three hit ball allowing one earned run and got a no decision.
Ultimately, What we know is that when he's good he's real good, and when he's bad, he can be downright awful. I really believe KW saw his tremendous upside and had to pull the trigger on this one. The important thing is, unlike Loaiza who can credit a powerful offense for the bulk of his wins this year, Contreras earned each and every one of his with his quality stuff. Loaiza lives and dies by a cutter thats not there anymore, and cant locate pitches inside effectively and efficiently.
I really believe that once Contreras gets here, gets his family settled and can finally relax in a setting much more laid back than NY, his head will be a lot clearer and he can focus on pitching. Also, with an accomplished, intelligent veteran catcher like Sandy he will be able to work through his struggles and locate his pitches more effectively. With a predominantly Spanish speaking clubhouse as well as a Spanish speaking manager, he's surely to be more comfortable. I really have a good feeling about this deal.
Sure the Garcia deal is clearly the best deal KW has made in his career, this one has the potential to be the biggest in the long run. Loaiza lost something he very likely had for one year and wont have again. Contreras is in the same mold as a Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez type, and has the potential to acheive similar success, as his numbers in his victories indicate.
Some useful info on our newly acquired righty...
Pitching & Defense
Contreras' forkball is something to behold. His unnaturally wide grip imparts so little spin that the pitch comes in almost like a low-80s knuckleball, sinking late and hard. With a mid-90s fastball to set it up, he's tough to hit and deadly once he gets ahead. He has the stamina to work deep into games, but apparently was somewhat unfamiliar with the demands of relief work. He's a good fielder who's quick off the mound, but he does little to slow the running game.
Against the AL Central in 2004...
By Opponent ERA W L G GS CG IP H R ER HR BB SO AVG
vs. DET 1.13 1 0 1 1 0 8 4 1 1 0 1 7 .143
At the cell...
USCF 2003 0.00 1 0 1 1 0 8 4 0 0 0 1 9 .148
(Not sure what this tells us, but he pitched well at his new home)
In his 8 wins, he has pitched extremely well most of the time....
@ TB (7 innings, 4 hits, 1 ER)
@ DET (8 innings, 4 hits 1 ER)
TB ( 6.2, 3 hits, 1 ER)
NYM (6 innings, 2 hits, 0 ER)
@ ARI (6.1 innings, 5 hits, 2 ER)
COL (7 innings, 5 hits, 4 ER)
@ BAL (6 innings, 8 hits, 3 ER)
OAK (6 innings, 4 hits, 1 ER)
That translates into a 2.23 ERA in wins, with an average of 6 hits per 9 IP.
He also had a start at Texas where he pitched 6 innings of three hit ball allowing one earned run and got a no decision.
Ultimately, What we know is that when he's good he's real good, and when he's bad, he can be downright awful. I really believe KW saw his tremendous upside and had to pull the trigger on this one. The important thing is, unlike Loaiza who can credit a powerful offense for the bulk of his wins this year, Contreras earned each and every one of his with his quality stuff. Loaiza lives and dies by a cutter thats not there anymore, and cant locate pitches inside effectively and efficiently.
I really believe that once Contreras gets here, gets his family settled and can finally relax in a setting much more laid back than NY, his head will be a lot clearer and he can focus on pitching. Also, with an accomplished, intelligent veteran catcher like Sandy he will be able to work through his struggles and locate his pitches more effectively. With a predominantly Spanish speaking clubhouse as well as a Spanish speaking manager, he's surely to be more comfortable. I really have a good feeling about this deal.
Sure the Garcia deal is clearly the best deal KW has made in his career, this one has the potential to be the biggest in the long run. Loaiza lost something he very likely had for one year and wont have again. Contreras is in the same mold as a Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez type, and has the potential to acheive similar success, as his numbers in his victories indicate.
Some useful info on our newly acquired righty...