http://www.geocities.com/coney36_nyy/

Hi everyone!  The picture gallery is now *complete*!!  Also, the stats and
career pages have been updated...more updates coming soon!!

Take care~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                 --KC :)

I found this on the Red Sox website - they do daily updates for Spring
training, and I've been searching them for any news about him.  I thought this
sounded very promising and that it was worth sharing:

>Cone Feeling Stronger 

>Red Sox right-hander David Cone threw another side >session for 15 minutes
Monday morning. And according >to the veteran, he's feeling fine. 

>"I feel like a new kid out there. I haven't felt this >way in years. It's
really a good feeling and hopefully >it continues." 

>Cone worked again with pitching coach Joe Kerrigan. >The two focused more on
situational pitching and >location. Cone threw several of his patented curve
>balls for strikes low in the zone, pleasing Kerrigan.

I'm REALLY happy to hear that he's throwing low strikes again....

Melanie

By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer 
February 23, 2001 

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- David Cone looked pretty good in a Boston Red
Sox uniform. 

He threw batting practice Friday for the first time since
leaving the Yankees, and said, "so far, so good. Things are
going great." 

Cone, part of New York's four World Series champions in the last five
years, threw just two of his four pitches, a fastball and a
split-finger fastball, as he continued his comeback from a miserable
season. 

The former AL Cy Young award winner was 4-14 with a 6.91 ERA. Part of
the problem was that he didn't throw much the previous offseason. He
changed that this winter. 

"I feel much ahead of schedule," Cone said. "At some
point, though, you have to go out and get hitters out." 

He's confident he can still do that. If he can do it well enough, he
could win the No. 2 spot in the rotation behind Pedro Martinez. 
But if he doesn't succeed? Well, at least he would have found out for
sure. 

"I'd rather stay around a little too long and suffer a little
embarrassment than go out too early and wonder the rest of your life,"
he said. 

Despite last year's struggles, Cone did start 29 games and was healthy
until he dislocated his left shoulder late in the season. The Red Sox
like his experience and his ability to pitch well in big games. 

"I see a free arm. I see a guy out there who looks good," Boston
manager Jimy Williams said. "I don't even have to ask him. I can tell
by seeing him throw." 

Cone likes the instant feedback he gets from pitching coach Joe
Kerrigan. 

"I'm over here for the challenge," Cone said. "It's good to have a
fresh perspective, be around a different group of guys. I'm having fun
right now."

susan peters ~ [email protected]

http://www.geocities.com/coney36_nyy/

Hi everyone!  Just wanted to let you know about a few minor updates...More
Spring Training 2001 pics have been added, thanks to Penny for directing
my attention towards them...and thanks to Susan for finding a few more
poster pics!!  Also, the news link on the front page has been changed to
Boston.com...  More updates coming soon!!

Take care~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                 --KC :)

http://www.geocities.com/coney36_nyy/

Hi everyone!  Just writing a quick note to tell you about the latest
updates!  The biography has been updated, as well as the Contributors and
Other Links pages!  Slight changes have been made to the Articles and
Coney's Court pages too!

Take care~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                    --KC :)

Yesterday Derek Jeter participated in an ESPN on-line chat. He was
asked about David's leaving the team:

Papachongo:
Was it hard to see David Cone go?

Derek Jeter:
Yes, it was. It will be weird seeing him in another uniform. I
have been with him since my first year and he was a leader on this
team. So it will be really weird to see him in a different uniform,
especially a Boston uniform.

(my sentiments too!)

susan peters ~ [email protected]

This is from a few days back, but I don't remember seeing it posted
here yet:

Cone-y island attraction: Sox righty makes pitch
Red Sox Notebook/by Jeff Horrigan 

Saturday, February 24, 2001

FORT MYERS - Prior to pitching batting practice yesterday, David Cone
hadn't thrown to a batter since retiring Mike Piazza at Shea Stadium
with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning of the fifth
game of last season's World Series.

In the time since the Subway Series ended, the former Cy Young Award
winner was set free by the New York Yankees, courted by the Texas
Rangers and Kansas City Royals, and eventually signed by the Red Sox
last month. Throughout it all, no one has been able to give a
definitive answer as to whether or not the 38-year-old right-hander
will be capable of recovering from a disastrous, career-worst season
(4-14, 6.91 ERA).

He faced Dante Bichette, Brian Daubach, Manny Ramirez and Jose
Offerman in batting practice and fared well in general. Few balls were
hit hard but pitching coach Joe Kerrigan had to constantly remind Cone
not to collapse on his back leg, which led to some pitches riding high
into dangerous territory.

``It's good to get this out of the way,'' said Cone, who resumed
throwing in late November. ``You can throw all you want but everything
changes when a hitter steps in the box.''

Cone said that he has noted significant improvements in his pitches
since he began working with Kerrigan.

``I feel better and better every day but you really can't tell much
until you get into live game action,'' Cone said.

Kerrigan has Cone penciled into the No. 2 spot in the starting
rotation behind ace Pedro Martinez (who is scheduled to throw batting
practice today for the first time this spring) but he will clearly
have to earn the slot.

``I'm hopeful,'' Cone said. ``I've received everything I've asked for
and that's a legitimate opportunity to make the team. It's exciting. I
came over here for the challenge and I'm having a lot of fun right
now.''



susan peters ~ [email protected]

This is about Jorge, but it has some interesting insight into his and
David's relationship -

CATCHING A RISING STAR
Thursday,March 1,2001

KING JORGE:
Jorge Posada, signing autographs for fans at spring training, is on
verge of becoming one of game's elite players, teammates say.
NY Post: Charles Wenzelberg

TAMPA - There is no question what Jorge Posada heard from a doctor
last year was far more important than Posada telling David Cone he
needed to work harder.

However, both were colossal examples of Posada's maturation process
from a catcher with a live bat, strong arm but very little experience
to an All-Star on the cusp of becoming one of baseball's elite
players.

Dr. Joseph McCarthy informed Posada everything had gone well with the
operation performed on Jorge Posada, Jr.'s skull early last August.
Yet, until the infant, then eight months, opened his eye, Jorge and
Laura Posada's only child wasn't completely on the road back from the
surgery to correct Cranial Synostosis, a development where the bones
in the skull fuse together too soon. That causes pressure which causes
the skull to grow in certain areas and not in others. Meanwhile, the
brain grows where there is room.

"The day of the operation (Aug. 2) I didn't play," Posada said. "The
next day, I went 0-for-4, that was Thursday. The next day, I knew the
eye was open. I talked to the doctor and he said everything was
perfect. I left the hospital and drove to the ballpark hoping to make
it by the stretch (4 p.m.). I was late and explained to [Joe Torre]
why I was late. He said, 'Don't worry, you are playing.' I went
4-for-5 and drove in four runs. Seeing that eye open was such a big
relief."

With Jorge, Jr. still in NYU Hospital, Pop went 2-for-4 with two
homers and three RBIs the next day in a 6-5 loss to the Mariners.
Sunday, the day Jorge, Jr. went home, Jorge, Sr. went 1-for-2. So, in
the games Posada played with his son recovering from brain surgery,
Posada went 7-for-15 (.467) with two homers and seven RBIs.

Who could have blamed the 29-year-old Posada for not playing until
Jorge, Jr. was out of the hospital? Nobody. Yet ballplayers face the
same problems the rest of us do. What separates the good players from
the mediocre ones is the ability to concentrate on the game and
nothing else for three hours each night.

"It was hard to do, but I just did it," Posada said of playing with
his son hospitalized.

One of the things that separates good catchers from average catchers
is not being afraid to tell a pitcher things he doesn't want to hear.
Roger Clemens often gives Posada credit for delivering a strong kick
in the butt on the mound. Posada and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez
often get into heated discussions about pitch selection and location.

Because Cone had worked with Joe Girardi, Cone never felt comfortable
with Posada. Even last year when Posada developed into an All Star,
hitting .287 with 28 homers and 86 RBIs, Cone lobbied for career
backup Chris Turner to catch him during the worst season (4-14) of a
borderline Hall of Fame career.

Sitting out games Cone pitched didn't keep Posada away from getting
after Cone.

"I told him, 'You are not working and not taking care of your body,'"
Posada recalled. "I told him he needed to run and work. He lost arm
speed and his slider wasn't as good. Because of that, he had to get
stronger."

Clemens is a man who isn't easy to impress. He sets the bar high for
others and himself. He also doesn't miss much when it comes to his
catcher, a player the Rocket believes is an extension of himself. So
when Clemens watched Posada deal with not catching Cone, Clemens was
thrilled.

"Even though he wasn't catching Coney, he would catch him in the
bullpen and work with him despite whatever the reason they didn't
click," Clemens said. "There are young catchers who would have been
affected if they couldn't catch a guy like myself or Coney. There were
situations where [Posada] showed a lot of maturity and class."

As for handling a staff, which is always the last piece of the puzzle
for a catcher, Mike Stanton has kept a close eye on Posada. What
Stanton witnessed was Posada making the change from a raw catcher who
was predictable in his pitch calling, to one who is hard to read as a
hitter.

"Catchers get in the situation of calling pitches they can't [hit],"
Stanton said. "And [Posada] did that with off-speed pitches. But he
has come a long way. He realizes that when we get way up in the count,
we just can't throw breaking balls. Management did a lot of work with
him regarding the hitters in the American League, studying charts and
studying scouting reports. He goes into the game with a plan and he
has also gotten to the point, he knows us. He knows that when I go in
there if I have a good heater that day that I am going with the
heater. And if I don't have a good heater, let's see if we can get
them out with something else."

susan peters ~ [email protected]

David's going to pitch his first game on Saturday!
susan peters ~ [email protected]

http://www.geocities.com/coney36_nyy/

I don't think anyone has sent this article yet...I just came across it...

It's in his blood: Cone's drive led him directly to Boston
by Gerry Callahan 
Monday, February 26, 2001

FORT MYERS - Some players run and hide from it, moving on to safer,
quieter places that treat baseball like it's just something to watch
between car races and college football games. They just don't get it,
don't like it, don't want it.

They don't understand why New England fans can't just lighten up, enjoy
their Red Sox and leave their rage on the roads.

Ellis Burks was a terrific guy and a good player for Boston, but he never
could grasp why a grown man would lay lie flat on his back on Van Ness
Street and reach under the fence to touch him as he walked to his car in
the players' parking lot. Matt Young felt like he was pitching in some
kind of hostile foreign land whenever he took the mound at home for the
Red Sox. Poor guy probably curls up in the fetal position on the couch any
time a shot of Fenway Park appears on his TV screen.

Erik Hanson wanted to escape the ``EdTV'' atmosphere of Boston baseball
and bolted for Canada after going 15-5 for the Sox in 1995. In his first
season with the Blue Jays, he lost 17 games, then got hurt and never
recovered. ``He needed Boston,'' Roger Clemens, Hanson's teammate in both
AL East cities, once said. ``It brought out the best in him.''

David Cone is 38 years old and coming off a humiliating 4-14 season with
the Yankees. He was offered more guaranteed money and more opportunity to
pitch by other clubs, but he chose to fight it out with the other 28
pitchers in Red Sox camp because, like Hanson, he needed Boston. The only
difference is Cone knew it.

``I need that edge, that intensity,'' said Cone. ``I'm addicted to it. I
think I'm an adrenalin junkie. Who knows? Maybe I've got a problem. I just
need the buzz.''

Cone has earned five World Series rings, a Cy Young Award and more money
than he could spend in a lifetime, but after last year's disaster, he
couldn't walk away from the game. Because Cone is Cone - which is to say,
just about the most popular guy in the major leagues - Yankees manager Joe
Torre kept sending him out to the mound, and Cone kept losing. For
teammates and fans and anyone who had ever met Cone, it was painful to
watch. 

At one point, he slipped to 1-10 and was ordered off to the minors by
George Steinbrenner. He made one Subway Series appearance, coming out of
the bullpen to get Mike Piazza to fly out, but he knew his romance with
the city of New York was over. After paying him $12 million for last
season's effort, the Yanks offered him only a $500,000 guarantee and not
much of a shot at cracking their rotation. Clearly, it was time for Coney
to move on.

The Rangers put on the hard sell and even had Alex Rodriguez call Cone and
try to lure him to Texas. The money was much better than the Sox were
offering, but Cone says the salary was not a factor.

``I know it sounds ridiculous,'' he said. ``But at this point in my
career, I'm not playing for the money.''

What is he playing for? ``The competition, the pressure, the chance to
pitch in another big game at Yankee Stadium,'' said Cone.

``He wants to beat the Yankees,'' said Dan Duquette. 

Cone wants to be the No. 2 starter in the Sox rotation, and aside from the
half-dozen guys he's battling for the job, just about everyone in camp is
rooting for him. Aside from a magnetic personality, the five-time All-Star
represents a commitment that is rare in baseball these days (see: F.
Thomas, G. Sheffield) and rarer still in Boston. And it's not just that he
wants to win; hey, who doesn't? Texas has a good chance to win this
season, too. Cone wants to win with this team, in Boston, in the middle of
the best rivalry in baseball. Just because the Yankees let him go didn't
mean Cone had to give that up.

``That, to me, is what it's all about, it's why I play,'' he said. ``I
think there's going to be a great race in this division, and I want to be
pitching in it.''

Now that he has come over to the enemy camp, Cone offers this little bit
of encouragement for his new teammates and their fans: The Yankees, he
says, are vulnerable. The swagger that characterized their dominance in
the late '90s was all but gone at the end of last season, even though they
ended up grabbing another World Series championship ring.

``Just look at the way we finished, losing 15 of our last 18,'' he said.
``Oakland pushed us to the limit and then Seattle gave us all we could
handle. There was definitely something missing on that team.''

The Red Sox, of course, held open the doors for Cone and the Yanks,
allowing them to win the AL East by 2 games and to back into the playoffs.
A rejuvenated Clemens led the Yankees over the Mets in the World Series,
their fourth title in five years, and then Steinbrenner added Mike Mussina
to an already formidable staff. Some people believe they are as strong as
ever, but Cone is not one of them.

``They're getting a little older and they lost Jeff Nelson, who was a big
part of that bullpen,'' said Cone. ``If one of those starters gets hurt, I
think they could be in a little trouble. I think this team (Boston) has
definitely closed the gap. We're in a position to challenge for this
division.''

Cone showed up early in Sox camp and showed up in shape. He threw for most
of the winter, and he is convinced that a fresh start and a few weeks
under the watchful eye of Professor Joe Kerrigan will erase the nightmare
of 2000. The Sox have until March 15 to evaluate his progress and decide
if he has anything left. He gets $1 million if he sticks around past that
date. If they cut him loose, he gets only $160,000.

If he can pitch at all, he is perfect. We know David Cone has the heart
and the cajones of a champion; if he still has the arm, this could be the
finest move of the offseason for Duquette. Since he arrived in Florida,
the Duke has received a lot of praise for signing Manny Ramirez, and that
deal sure looks like a smart move so far. But the truth is it's easy to be
smart when you've got $160 million to spend. It's not so easy when you're
guaranteeing one one-thousandth of that. And typically it's not easy when
you're selling the city of Boston, with its lousy climate and carnivorous
press and archaic ballpark and traffic and crowds and tunnels and taxes
and everything else that has made it such an unappealing place for free
agents in the past.

That all changed with Cone. Indeed, he flipped the whole equation on its
head. He wanted Boston. He needed it. One of the great money pitchers of
his generation - and one of the great guys ever to grace the inside of a
clubhouse - chose the Red Sox over everyone else. How's that for an upset?
When told he may not have to buy himself a beer in Boston all summer, Cone
said, smiling, ``That's good, because I'm Irish-Catholic, and that means a
lot to me.''

If he can pitch at all, he is perfect for the Red Sox. He's got two weeks
to prove it, which means he already got what he was looking for: The
pressure is on.

Take care~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                    --KC :)

OK...

This Sunday's NY times magazine will have Coney and Clemens on the cover.
The topic?  "Middle-age guys playing a boys game- Roger Clemens refuses to
grow-up and David Cone refuses to give up".

Can't wait to read it!  It seems strange to see Coney in that uni..- Anyway,
just wanted to give you all a head's up for Sunday!

Hope all is well with everyone!  Don't worry KC... I'll get you a copy of
the article ;)

Have a great day~
Laura

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/#null

Scroll down where it says Features - Multimedia and click on David's
name for a treat! It's in RealAudio format.

Laura thanks for the heads-up about the Times. I'm really looking
forward to seeing that!
susan peters ~ [email protected]

Here's the link to the Sunday Times magazine article on Coney &
Rocket!
susan peters ~ [email protected]

"FORT MYERS, FLORIDA (TICKER) -- The Boston Red Sox hope this is not a
sign of things to come for David Cone.

The veteran righthander was pounded in his first appearance for the
Red Sox, allowing five runs over just one inning in a 7-1 Grapefruit
League loss to the Texas Rangers.

Trying to earn a spot in Boston's rotation after leaving the New York
Yankees and signing with the Red Sox in the offseason, Cone (0-1)
surrendered three hits. He gave up a two-run homer to Rafael Palmeiro
and a solo shot to Frank Catalanotto..."
susan peters ~ [email protected]

By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer 
March 3, 2001 

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- David Cone looked just like he did last
summer, which is not exactly what he wanted. 

In his spring training debut with Boston, Cone was raked for two
homers and five runs in the first inning of Saturday's 7-1 loss to
Texas. 

"As hard as I've worked this winter, today was a
disappointment," Cone said. 

The 1994 AL Cy Young Award winner hasn't pitched really well since his
perfect game for the Yankees against Montreal in July 1999 and was 0-8
during a 15-game winless streak last year. 

He was hurt by third baseman John Valentin's error, but pitched a
perfect second inning. 

Rusty Greer, Ivan Rodriguez, Alex Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro were
the first four hitters he faced. All of them scored.

"They are tough, but I still think I can be a front-line pitcher,"
Cone said. "I still think I can play a significant role here, and
that's why I'm here. 

"And, if I can't, I have no regrets because I know they're going
to give me every chance possible to prove I can fit in." 
Cone, 38, was 4-14 with a career-high 6.91 ERA last year with the
Yankees. 

But Boston's rotation is wide open behind Pedro Martinez, with four
pitchers vying for nine spots. Cone figures to get one of them if he
improves. But he may have just two more starts to do that. 

The Red Sox must pay him $1 million if he makes the opening-day
roster, but only one-sixth of that if he's cut before March 15 and
one-quarter of the total if he's cut between then and opening day. If
he makes the opening-day roster, his salary goes up to $2 million. 

"I don't really think of it in those terms," Cone said. "I'm more
worried about my next time out, showing improvement." 

He's been working with pitching coach Joe Kerrigan on changing from a
power pitcher to one who relies more on location. He had some trouble
with his mechanics Saturday and said he has to make his delivery more
compact. 

Greer led off with a single, then Ivan Rodriguez hit a routine
double-play grounder to Valentin, who let it go through his legs,
putting runners at first and third. 

Alex Rodriguez walked and, when the ball got past catcher Jason
Varitek for a wild pitch, Greer scored. Palmeiro hit the next pitch
over the center-field wall. 

Cone retired the next two batters, but Frank Catalanotto hit an 0-1
pitch over the left-field fence for a 5-0 lead. By the time Mike Lamb
hit an inning-ending grounder, Cone had thrown 27 pitches. 

"A couple of fastballs for homers kind of flattened out over the
plate," he said. 

But in the second inning, all three batters were retired on balls hit
to the infield, and he threw just eight pitches. 

"Even though he's a veteran, it's his first game in our uniform," Red
Sox manager Jimy Williams said. "I still think he's going to be just
fine." 

One problem Cone had last season continued, being uncomfortable with
his mechanics, particularly from the full windup. But he plans to keep
working with Kerrigan. 

He still can show the Yankees they made a mistake in not re-signing
him if he regains his pre-2000 form. 

"I have pride and I want to prove that I can still pitch," Cone said.
"Last year was a miserable year for me. I didn't want it to end like
that so I came here to compete and have some fun." 

Maybe that will happen in his next start, set for Thursday. 

"It wasn't a great first impression but, nonetheless, it's good to
have the first one out of the way," he said. "I was really looking
forward to today. 

"But I also know it's the first start and I've been around long enough
to know, with a good one next time out and another good one after
that, that this first one can be forgotten." 

susan peters ~ [email protected]

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/p/ap/20010303/sp/rangers_red_sox_jmw.html
susan peters ~ [email protected]

http://www.geocities.com/coney36_nyy/

Hey everyone!  Well so Cone got his ST BoSox debut out of the way, but
this is only the beginning. :)  The front page has been updated, and
thanks to Susan, the New York Times Magazine article has been added along
with its pictures!

Take care~ ~ ~ ~~
                   --KC :)

This article taken from http://www.msnbc.com/news/541393.asp was
posted on Bronx-Bombers.com in case you missed it:

After intense film session, starter rebounds with good outing 

BRADENTON, Fla., March 8 - David Cone watched three television
monitors the morning after his own horror show. One showed Greg
Maddux, another Bret Saberhagen in his prime and the
third Cone himself as he struggled the previous day. Boston pitching
coach Joe Kerrigan pointed out what Cone did wrong and the others did
right. It opened Cone's eyes. 

"I TOLD JOE IT was an epiphany," he said. "He got all over me for
using that word. He said something about 'do it in the game.' " 
That's what Cone did Thursday. 

In three innings, he allowed one run and three hits and struck out
Jason Kendall on a hard slider in Boston's 9-8 loss to the Pittsburgh
Pirates. He even lined a single to right field in his only at
bat. "It was a bullet," Cone said with a laugh. 

On the mound, he looked like a different pitcher than the one who
allowed two homers and five runs in the first inning of his spring
training debut last Saturday, a 7-1 loss to Texas. 

That's because, at Kerrigan's suggestion, he changed his delivery and
threw more over the top.

He did plenty of tinkering last season but still finished 4-14 with a
6.91 ERA for the Yankees. But the video session the day after his
disaster showed what he didn't see all last year with New
York. 

"Nothing seemed to work," Cone said. "I came here with an open mind,
and now I'm glad I did." 

One reason he signed with Boston was to learn from Kerrigan and
bullpen coach John Cumberland, whom he worked with when he was with
the New York Mets. 

"They really found the flaw in my mechanics that I was looking for,"
Cone said. "It really bothered me all last year that I couldn't find
exactly where my flaws were in my delivery." 

The TV demonstration included a frame-by-frame analysis of the three
pitchers' deliveries. The aim was to make Cone's windup more compact
and consistent so he would release the ball at the same spot on each
pitch. 

"He gets in better throwing position," Kerrigan said. "It's a
foundation. (We'll) see if he can build from there." 

The adjustment was easy because Cone has altered his delivery
throughout his career. He used an overhand motion during his time with
Kansas City and the Mets from 1986 through 1994. 

"It seemed to come naturally for me," he said. "It gave me better body
control. I was able to really control my rhythm and my tempo." 

Cone improved his chances of winning a spot in the rotation behind
Pedro Martinez. He thinks he might even be the No. 2 starter. 

He's paying little attention to next Thursday, when the guaranteed
portion of his $1 million salary increases from $163,934 to $245,902
if he's still with the team. He said the club has been very
encouraging and hasn't mentioned that date. 

Meanwhile, Cone will continue throwing before his next start, set for
Tuesday. 

"I don't want to get too ahead of myself or sound too exuberant," he
said, "but it does feel much better. The ball coming out of my hand
feels much better. (That's) another old spring training pitcher's
cliche. 

"It's really true. It just feels like I can throw the ball with less
effort." 


susan peters ~ [email protected]

http://www.geocities.com/coney36_nyy/

Hi everyone!  Looks like David did well today...yay!  The front page has
been updated...Here's to next Tuesday! :)

Take care~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                      --KC :)