A sudden bout with wildness early last season briefly cost Bob Howry his role as the White Sox closer, a job he subsequently won back after a couple of weeks and which it is hoped he’ll hold down for years to come.
Already this spring Howry has given up six walks in 5 2/3 innings, including two walks during Monday’s two-inning performance in which he also threw two wild pitches that let runners score from third base.
While the results appear similar to last year, the problem is different.
“That stuff last year I got to the point where I just aimed the ball,” Howry said. “I’d sit there and try to place the ball somewhere instead of throwing it. I’m throwing it now I’m just not throwing it from the same spot every time.”
Howry sometimes forgets that playing a simple game of catch before practice can mess with his mechanics and he believes taking his pre-game light tossing more seriously could help his control.
“I work at a high school in the off-season and I tell those guys playing catch is one of the most important things,” Howry said. “Don’t just go out there and flip the ball, do it with a purpose every time. Pick a spot and work to it, and work on the same thing. I ought to listen to myself talk once in awhile.”
Don’t kid yourself: Kip Wells is trying to motivate himself by acting as though he still hasn’t made the team, but he isn’t fooling anybody, least of all White Sox manager Jerry Manuel.
“I still don’t know necessarily that I’ll make the team,” said Wells with a straight face. “I’m still working towards that.”
Of course, Wells already has been chiseled into the Sox rotation and Manuel has said he will pitch against Texas in the season’s second game. Wells is aware of this, and has been preparing for his first full major league season by working on his change-up.
“In the past I haven’t needed it as much as I do now,” Wells said. “These are better hitters. In the past I could dominate with fastballs and breaking balls. When you get to this level you need a good fourth pitch, not necessarily to get guys out but to just to show them. So they have it in the back of their minds that you might throw it.
Middle relief: Brian Simmons scanned the White Sox’ media guide, found what he wanted, then looked up.
“Hey Spencer,” came the taunt from Simmons.
Eric Spencer Christopherson dropped what he was doing and in mock anger briefly chased Simmons around the room, stopping only to grab his own media guide and see if Simmons’ middle name could be used against him. Simmons’ middle name is Lee. No luck.
Several other White Sox players joined in looking up middle names of their teammates.
“What we do to amuse ourselves,” said Scott Alan Eyre.
Anywhere man: Manuel wasn’t concerned at all that using Paul Konerko at third base would harm his hitting and he has been proved right so far. Konerko went 0 for 3 Monday but still is hitting .433 (13 for 30) with a homer and four RBIs.
“Paul is a baseball man,” Manuel said. “He’s a very strong-minded individual, so if he had to DH that wouldn’t bother him at all either.”
