TORONTO – David Wells’ remedy for what ails David Cone isn’t something Cone will readily dismiss. However, the struggling righty made a mechanical adjustment yesterday in a rare bullpen session the day after he was rocked by the Blue Jays instead of seeking help from Johnnie Walker Black.
“Boomer says I am getting too much rest, that I should mix in a couple of double scotches,” Cone said.
While Cone believes there could be merit in his friend’s plan, he moved from the extreme right side of the rubber toward the left side yesterday with the hope that he gets a better read on the strike zone. In the middle of 1998 on the way to a 20-win season, Cone moved from the middle of the mound to the right to give his breaking stuff a sharper angle.
“I can’t remember the last time I threw the day after I pitched; I don’t know if I ever did it,” said Cone, who gave up eight runs (seven earned) and eight hits, three of which were homers, in three-plus innings Saturday and is searching hard to find a remedy for being 0-2 with an obese ERA of 10.70.
“I am trying to get a direct line to the target. I feel like I have been cross-firing a lot. My problem isn’t physical because my arm feels great. My problem is mechanical and mental. Right now I have that deer-in-the-headlights look, one of being stunned. There is something wrong with my mechanics and I need to find it.”
Cone throwing the day after a start proves his arm is healthy even if his velocity dipped a bit Saturday when he rarely reached 89 mph with his fastball.