By Dan Shaughnessy, Globe Columnist, 5/29/2001

How many more chances for David Cone? He made his third start for the
Red Sox last night and failed to finish the third inning. In a 4-3
loss to the Yankees, Cone threw only 41 of 75 pitches for strikes and
allowed 10 of 17 batters to reach base. While Paxton Crawford and Tomo
Ohka toil in Pawtucket, the 38-year-old Cone is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA,
which makes him 4-15 with a 6.90 ERA since the start of last season.

Bostonians have waited patiently for the completion of the Big Dig and
the capture of Whitey Bulger, but how much longer will they support
the Cone Project?

''He's going to get some more time,'' general manager Dan Duquette
said. ''But he knows he needs better command of his pitches. He's had
about six starts now [including spring and rehab] and needs better
command, especially against a good ball club like this.''

''He'll pitch again in six days,'' said manager Jimy Williams, who
made a rather stunning admission when he said he erred in taking Dante
Bichette out of the game with the score tied after seven innings.

Ever the realist, Cone said, ''I have to just do what I do. They make
the decisions. That's up to them. I understand the situation. It took
some guts to come over here. I still think I can help the team.''

The first inning of Cone's latest start was played under one of those
ominous, El Greco, ''View of Toledo'' skies. Confused seagulls swooped
and glided above the diamond as Cone struggled mightily against his
former teammates.

He threw 38 pitches (almost half his quota) in a tedious first inning
that saw the Yankees score a pair on a bases-loaded single by Tino
Martinez - the only hard-hit ball of the inning. Cone walked two
batters in the frame, which is two more than he walked in five innings
in New York last week.

''There's got to be a mechanical reason why he can't throw strikes,''
said pitching coach Joe Kerrigan. ''I still see him swinging open in
his delivery. He developed that habit trying to get extra velocity and
he's opening up. But he's still throwing 88-91 miles per hour so his
arm strength is still solid.''

Cone's second inning wasn't much better than the first. Four straight
batters reached (two singles and two walks), but Alfonso Soriano was
erased attempting to steal second, and Cone got out of a bases-loaded
jam when Bernie Williams grounded to first for the third out.

In two innings, Cone threw 65 pitches, walked four, inspired two
visits from Kerrigan and two calls to the bullpen for Rolando Arrojo
to get loose. It was pretty clear Coney wasn't going to go nine.

Paul O'Neill took him into the bleachers in the third (''a fastball
that I wanted to bring in, but I left it over the plate''), and Cone
was lifted after a two-out single by Scott Brosius.

This was a setback. Cone looked much better last week in Yankee
Stadium. Sage Yankee watchers nodded their heads and said this was the
Cone they saw all last year - good enough for an occasional tease, but
no longer good enough to win.

It is not a comfortable time for Sox fans. The Second Century Red Sox
are only a game and a half out of first place, but they've now lost
four straight to New York and stand 4-6 on the season against the
Bombers. Pedro Martinez goes tomorrow and he's failed to beat New York
in each of his last five outings.

Cone labored throughout this start. He was unable to spot his fastball
and the patient Yankees waited him out and wore him out, fouling off
his best pitches. The Yankees do that to a lot of pitchers, but it was
discouraging to see Cone slip back to his feeble form of 2000 after
last week's encouraging start in Yankee Stadium.

''He just couldn't harness his fastball,'' said Williams.

The Red Sox no doubt will give him several more chances. Most fans in
New England are pulling for him to succeed. Cone's is a great story
and he's a go-to guy for the media. Fans remember his competitiveness
and ability to come up big in the big games. A healthy Cone is still
somebody you'd like on the mound in September and (hopefully) October.

Cone was a risk worth taking and it would be a mistake to overreact to
one bad outing. But this is shaping up as a six-month struggle to
finish ahead of New York (it's looking more and more like the wild
card is going to come from someplace other than the East) and the Sox
can ill afford many more starts like Cone's Memorial Day outing.

Kerrigan & Co. went forever with Ramon Martinez last year. But this
year they seem to have better options. Making room for Cone and
Hipolito Pichardo inadvertently helped them by putting Tim Wakefield
back in the rotation. But the Cone experiment isn't getting results
yet and it'll be interesting to see how long the Sox stick with the
veteran righty if he continues to struggle.

''I am close,'' Cone said. ''That's the frustrating part. I still
believe it's mechanical. Now it's back to the drawing board for me.
I'm still encouraged.''

Meanwhile, the Nation is getting impatient.
susan peters ~ [email protected]

By Shira Springer, Globe Staff, 5/29/2001

The Yankee hitters settled into the batter's box, looked to the mound,
and saw opportunity in the form of 38-year-old David Cone. Facing his
patient former teammates, Cone struggled to maintain control. The
velocity was there. The arm strength was there. The location was not
there.

Of the 17 batters Cone faced, 10 reached base. The disturbing numbers
began mounting in the first, when it took the righthander 38 pitches
to escape the inning. He was finished with one out remaining in the
third, having allowed three runs and a homer, thrown 75 pitches (only
41 strikes) and given up four walks.

Despite the statistical pounding Cone took on the mound, the Yankees
would not voice skepticism about his comeback efforts. To a man, the
Yankees were magnanimous in their assessment of the Red Sox pitcher's
efforts. After all, 2 2/3 innings of subpar work cannot erase memories
of a perfect game.

''He seems likes he's working really hard to get his arm strength
back,'' said Jorge Posada. ''It's just a matter of time. He's on a
pitch count, but he was up in the zone today. He's a fighter. He's not
going to give up.''

After striking out leadoff man Chuck Knoblauch, Cone walked two
consecutive batters (Derek Jeter and David Justice). Bernie Williams
and Tino Martinez followed with consecutive singles. By the end of the
first, Cone trailed, 2-0. In his optimism-inspiring outing against New
York May 23 at Yankee Stadium, Cone did not walk anyone in five
innings.

''First inning, second, and third and you could see Conie was
struggling with his control,'' said Yankee manager Joe Torre. ''The
one thing about David Cone is he's not going to give in. It just
looked like command. He didn't walk. It just looked like he had
trouble throwing the ball where he wanted to.''

Added Jeter: ''He had a few walks that might have hurt him. Before, he
was getting ahead a little bit more than he did today. He gave up
three runs, but even when he was in trouble he found a way to get out
of it. We had an opportunity to score some more runs. We just didn't
do it.''
 
O'Neill drove the Red Sox' deficit to 3-1 with a home run in the
third. After Cone recorded his third strikeout of the evening, Scott
Brosius singled to left and brought an end to Cone's second matchup
against his old mates.

''He was getting behind hitters and he can't pitch that way,'' said
O'Neill. ''I'm sure he's pressing a little bit to try and pitch a
little bit better against the Yankees. But this game scared me because
we had some opportunities to really put them away and we never did.''

susan peters ~ [email protected]

by Steve Conroy
Thursday, May 31, 2001
David Cone has investigated the situation and the veteran pitcher
believes he's found the problem. Now he just needs to put his
knowledge to practical use.

After his disheartening performance against the Yankees on Monday
night, Cone studied the tape of the game immediately following the
contest and again on the off day Tuesday and, along with pitching
coach Joe Kerrigan, he believes the sticking point is in his legs.

``We saw some good things. Mechanically, I'm trying to control my leg
kick a little better,'' said the 38-year-old Cone, before the Red Sox
defeated the Yankees, 3-0, last night at Fenway Park. ``That's one of
the reasons why my command tends to fail me at times during games. I
tend to swing my leg a little violently, without getting too
technical. You'd think I'd know how to pitch at this age, but you
never stop learning. It's kind of a constant battle to control my leg
kick and the tempo. Joe's good. ``At this point in my career, I'm real
receptive to his ideas and he's got some good ones. I just have to
take it into the game.''

After struggling in his first start against Minnesota at the Metrodome
(three innings, two earned runs and four walks in a 5-3 loss on May
17), Cone rebounded in his second appearance against the Yankees in
New York on May 23, throwing five-plus innings, allowing three runs on
six hits while walking none and striking out five.

But Cone couldn't build on that outing in his following start on
Memorial Day.

He pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits while
walking four and whiffing three on 77 pitches.

Cone said he's had trouble with the leg kick before in his career.

``That's one of the main culprits when my command is failing me. I
start missing with a lot of pitches, I start with a wide leg swing
instead of a real compact leg kick,'' said Cone.

``I was always the type of pitcher who was able to create and come up
with a way to get hitters out. I'm obviously trying to be as efficient
as I can be now. And what comes with that is a more compact
delivery.''

Cone developed shoulder tendinitis in spring training and had just a
couple of rehab starts before getting called up in mid-May. But Cone
doesn't believe he came up too soon.

``I thought quite the opposite,'' Cone said. ``I think the energy and
adrenaline that you get pitching in these types of games would be a
help for me. I really thought getting thrown into the fire would be
good for me, so I'm not going to second-guess that. I'd like to pitch
against (the Yankees) again in my next start.

``I missed four months in '96 with an aneurysm (in his arm) and made
two rehab starts, came back and threw seven innings of no-hit ball in
Oakland, though that was five or six years ago. But I've always been
the kind of pitcher where if it's right, it's right. Plus, it's good
to be here with Joe. He hasn't had a chance to see me as much as
possible, considering that I broke down in spring training. The best
progress I can make is here with him and he has great suggestions. I
feel good about how it went (yesterday). He can really be a help.''

Still, Cone (0-1, 6.75 ERA) knows he doesn't have an unlimited amount
of chances to get things on track, but he won't obsess about that.

``I've come back from worse things, like being 4-14 last year,'' he
said. ``I don't really think about it a lot. I'm just more thankful
for having this opportunity. I'm still here and I have a chance to
pitch another game. Whatever decisions that are made are going to be
made.

``But right now I can still control my own destiny with the way I
pitch. That's all I'm worried about.''

Tough act to follow: Lowe finishes job in no-win situation

susan peters ~ [email protected]

The test of time: Even though he has already aced the exam, David Cone
is determined to prove himself again
by Mark Murphy
Sunday, June 3, 2001

There was too much time to kill in Florida.

``Too much time to think about the negative,'' said David Cone.

At least he had fellow reclamation project Bret Saberhagen nearby for
support. But he also had the attention of every young ballplayer --
each from another generation at this stage in life -- when Cone first
reported for duty in the Sarasota clubhouse in April.

``You can just tell when you walk in, and the kids look at you with
this real inquisitive kind of look,'' Cone said. ``They want to know
about everything. And in some respects that's kind of good for me,
too. It was just a different perspective that I had kind of forgotten
about.''

For a 38-year-old pitcher seeking some remaining life in his weathered
arm, the attention was stirring. Before he came up for his first start
with the parent club three weeks ago, Cone found he was surprised by
what these young athletes made him remember.

Cone grew up in Kansas City, absolutely idolizing Royals starter
Dennis Leonard in the late 1970s. Cone was signed by the Royals as an
18-year-old prospect in 1981 and two years later was with the parent
club, rehabilitating a knee injury at the same time an aging Leonard
was attempting to come back, also from a knee injury.

Cone could suddenly recall all of the questions that he had asked 18
years ago.

``I remember when I was in high school the excitement that just came
with the chance to see a major league player,'' said Cone. ``For me it
was Dennis Leonard. He's the guy I emulated as a kid, and he was also
a class guy.''

So Cone helped where he could in Sarasota, and answered every question
thrown at him throughout one of the longest spring stretches of his
life. But there was a reprieve. And by Monday, Cone already had three
2001 major league starts under his belt -- one promising appearance
sandwiched between two clunkers.

The uncertainty, as much as his iron-clad connection to the game,
reinforce old habits. Cone is still an early arrival in the clubhouse,
and still one of the first players in uniform. Then it's time to
daringly pour a full, steaming cup of black, clubhouse coffee and
settle down, cap on, in front of his corner locker.

Cone was ruminating over this sort of morning wakeup prior to a game
last week when he was asked whether he really intended to retire this
year, one way or the other. Several days earlier Cone had spoken of
this being his final season, but now his smile was pushed to one side,
like a regretful crescent moon.

``Probably what I should have said was that I shouldn't take anything
for granted anymore,'' Cone said. ``I'm aware of that this time
around.''

The hope of many in the Red Sox organization is that -- at the very
least --some of his perspective rubs off in a notoriously pouty
clubhouse, before Cone decides that his own time has run out.

A novel approach

Cone's late-career triumphs and struggles have been documented in the
latest book by baseball's most beloved writer, Roger Angell. And, as
``A Pitcher's Story'' illustrates, few players had a more important or
inspirational role in the Yankees' latest run of dominance.

And so Cone's reputation as a unifier has followed him.

Sitting in that corner locker, Cone now has a good view of a Red Sox
clubhouse that is once again percolating like a geyser, with a broad
range of player gripes.

It reminds Cone of 1995, when the Yankees were about to grab major
league baseball by the throat and shake out four World Series titles
over the next five seasons.

``I can sense the uneasiness in a lot of the players here,
particularly about their roles, and how this is all going to play
out,'' Cone said. ``But this team also has a lot of depth, which you
need.

``You also need guys to check their egos at the door, though, and that
can be a difficult thing for a team that is trying to win. You have to
get them to buy into it. It happens by trial and error and watching it
work. Most guys are worried about their careers.''

For Cone, most positive examples are tied to his Yankee years. And in
that time, catcher Joe Girardi was naturally as concerned as anyone
else about his job security. Girardi also happened to play for New
York at a time when the Yankees were launching into yet another
championship cycle.

Along came a youngster named Jorge Posada, and Girardi's life changed.
Had this been a typical Red Sox moment, Girardi might have dug in and
stubbornly protected his turf. But the Yankees were focused on a
grander scheme.

``Joe Girardi did anything he could to help Jorge Posada take his
job,'' said Cone. ``(Girardi) was eventually let go to Chicago, but he
was the most selfless player I have ever been around. He did anything
he could to help that guy take his job.

``Everybody on the team noticed it, too, and respected it. I'm not
talking about a `rah-rah' kind of situation. That's what you call
leading by example.

``And I know that's how it works. Though I haven't been here that
long, I sense that this team is at that point now -- a crossroads.
There's a lot of veteran players on this team who at this point in
their careers could go either way. Collectively this could be a damn
good team.''

Though Cone wants nothing more than to help enlighten his new
teammates, he knows better than to think a few speeches will do the
trick -- especially from a struggling newcomer.

``The only problem with that is that you have to weave your way into
the fabric of the team by contributing,'' he said. ``You can't just
walk in. But with that said, everyone has been great to me.

``But what I'm talking about has been the evolution of the Yankees
over the last five years. The peak was in `98, with a real veteran
presence on the bench -- guys like Tim Raines and Darryl Stawberry,
guys in the bullpen who were willing to sacrifice their roles so
Mariano Rivera could step up and be the closer.

``It took a couple of years for this to evolve, but when you see it
work, you believe. In `96 we won, and it stuck. Wade Boggs was
platooning with Charlie Hayes. Tino Martinez took a seat so that Cecil
Fielder could play first base in Atlanta.''

In need of a boost

The bigger picture aside, Cone needs a jump-start of his own right
now. Heading into today's start in Toronto (1:05 p.m., Ch. 25), Cone
is 0-1 with a 6.75 earned run average. Two of his three starts have
been disappointing.

After lasting just 2 2/3 innings against the Yankees Monday, Cone
spent long hours reviewing videotape, and he now believes that part of
his problem can be traced to a lower-than-usual kick in his delivery.

That's the short-term issue. But the long-term is not be that far
removed anymore.

``Right now I'm on a good track,'' he said. ``I made some very good
progress from my first start, and I feel I can do this.''

The opportunity to make his second start in Yankee Stadium on May 22
boosted that feeling. ``It was huge for me, because it forced me into
moving quicker,'' said Cone. ``That game pulled me right back into it.
It gave me that emotional edge. Even last year, when I was really
struggling, I had lost some of that edge.

``One reason I thought playing in Fenway would be a good situation was
because I know that this team means so much to so many people. I need
that feeling of being to get going again.''
 
A tenuous position

But as windows go, this one could slam shut with the slightest shift
of fortune, and Cone knows it.

As a result, the dreaded ``R'' word isn't quite so foreboding anymore.

``The thought of retirement used to scare the hell out of me, and now
I'm probably a little better prepared for it,'' Cone said. ``But I
always viewed myself as an athlete who would struggle with retirement.
That's one reason I'm here. I'm one of those athletes who has a hard
time letting go.''

Inevitably, though, bits of what Cone calls that ``postgame material''
drift into view. He sponsors Little League teams back home in Kansas
City, and Cone would like to contribute further to the cause. He's
also helped renovate baseball fields for an American Legion-level
league called the Ban Johnson League in Kansas City.

But these are outside pursuits.

Something more involved could come in the service of his fellow
players, and especially those who didn't benefit from a long major
league career.

``My angle would always be more on the union side of things,'' he
said. ``I could try to find some niche that way. I've always had a hot
button with what happens to minor league players. A lot of them get
out of the game with nothing to show for it. The same thing happens to
coaches and trainers.

``I know there are (alumni) programs in basketball, but the transition
for career minor leaguers is a little different,'' said Cone. ``You
have a lot of career guys who, after 10 or 12 years, are suddenly out
of it. A lot of people view the salaries in baseball, and think that
it all stops at the top.''

Cone, however, can now make his final bid from exactly that level.

``What excites me is the chance to pitch in a pennant race again,''
Cone said. ``I want to be in meaningful games. It might be a game in
September when everything is on the line. And right now it looks like
it's going to be a dog fight.

``It could be a great summer -- an exciting summer.''
------------------------------
David's comment to Carl Everett after hitting a long homerun near the
restaurant in Skydome:

"Wow Carl, that one landed in someone's soup!"
susan peters ~ [email protected]

Boston starter David Cone worked in and out of trouble for most of his
five-inning stint, allowing three runs and nine hits, including a
two-run homer to Carlos Delgado for Toronto in the third. He walked
two and struck out six.

"I feel like I'm close," Cone said. "I'm starting to feel good. I
threw some good pitches and got some good breaks. They had me on the
ropes, but I was able to pitch out of it."

susan peters ~ [email protected]

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

Hi everyone...the front page has been updated as always, but I've also
added a handful of pictures to the gallery!  Another minor league pic from
Cone's Omaha days has been added, (courtesy of Laura!) along with a new KC
pic, some more Toronto pics, and several candid pictures. (a few taken by
Marnie!)  Some more pics have been added to the 2001 season page, but
there are also a couple of new Boston pictures in the main gallery...so
feel free to check them out!

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

Hi Guys!!

Thanks so much for the info and I cant wait to check out the website, I�m in
Madrid right now, so I�m kinda in a rush, but I�ll see it, take care everyone..

Siempre
RUPunk

You have been sent this message from [email protected] as a courtesy of
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Comments: Good morning everyone.

Well interleague play begins tonight and here in Chicago the cubs and white sox
fans are already going nuts!!!

Thought you all would like to read what David says about his start tonight~

Have a great day!
Laura

David got his first win!  I am SO thrilled for him!  I couldn't find the game 
on any of my Connecticut stations, but I heard updates during the Yankee 
game.  He did really well tonight.  He pitched into the 6th inning, which is 
better than the 4th or 5th, and he had a solid number of strikeouts, which is 
great.

Have a good weekend,

Melanie

By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer 
June 8, 2001 

BOSTON (AP) -- David Cone won for the first time in 10 months, and
Manny Ramirez led a three-homer attack as the Boston Red Sox
beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 Friday night. 

Cone (1-1) pitched six innings for his best outing in five starts for
the Red Sox since recovering from arm trouble. It was another step in
his comeback after Boston signed him following his 4-14 record and
6.91ERA for the New York Yankees last season. 

Randy Wolf (4-6) gave up solo homers to Ramirez, Dante Bichette and
Chris Stynes after allowing just five homers in 63 innings. 

The Phillies' first run also came on a solo homer, as Pat Burrell gave
them a 1-0 lead in the second with his seventh of the year. 

The meeting of the leaders of the AL East and NL East began
interleague competition for both. Last year, the Phillies swept a
three-game series with the Red Sox in Philadelphia. 

Bichette tied the game with his third homer in the second inning,
Ramirez hit his 21st in the fourth, and Stynes, activated from the
disabled list Thursday after recovering from a broken cheekbone, got
his third in the sixth. 

Cone struck out seven and allowed one run on six hits for his first
win since a 5-4 victory over Seattle with New York on Aug. 30. He
walked none after struggling with his control in two of his first four
starts. 

Derek Lowe got his seventh save in nine opportunities after allowing
Marlon Anderson's sacrifice fly in the ninth. 

Cone worked out of several jams after allowing the leadoff runner to
reach base in five innings. The Phillies left six men on base against
him, five in scoring position. 

Cone ran into trouble immediately as Doug Glanville started the game
by reaching on third baseman Shea Hillenbrand's throwing error and
taking third on Jimmy Rollins' double. But Cone struck out Bobby Abreu
and Scott Rolen before retiring Travis Lee on a groundout. 

It was the only inning in which Cone faced more than four batters. 

Cone lowered his ERA from 6.32 to 4.98.

susan peters ~ [email protected]

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

Hey everyone!!!  Yay, I am *soo* happy and proud of David!!  He did so
well tonight!  I listened to the game via MLB.com audio, and it was
fantastic!  David really had some great control, again he walked no one
and was more economical with his pitches than he has been....and the
strikeouts!  Wow!  And I have to credit the Boston offense and bullpen for
teaming together to get this win...*yay*  I can't wait to hear what David
has to say about this one! :)

The front page has been updated accordingly!! :)

"Go, David, Go!!" 

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

Good morning everyone-

I saw part of the game last night and David really had his stuff.  He DID
get into a lot of jams and was able to work himself out of them.  What
impressed me was the fact that after he gave up the home run, he struck out
the next batter.  Last season, when he'd give up the long ball- he'd get
more flustered and usually walk or give up a hit or something equally as
awful to the next batter.

I am sure he is just thrilled to have contributed to a win, as that seems to
be his goal this season.

I can't really be happy for Boston's success, but I certainly will cheer
David's good outing last night ;)

-enjoy your Saturday!

Laura

ps- KC.. Tommy Glavine didn't have a very good night against the Yankees.
Gads.. it's so difficult liking pitchers who play for the "enemy"

"Cone performed brilliantly tonight as he went for 6 innings allowing only 1 
run over 6 hits while striking out 7 and walking nobody."

WOW! Sounds like the Coney of old...it just makes me miss him more!
Congrats to David on his "W"!

~Eyde

RED SOX 3, PHILLIES 2
Arm & hammers 
By Mark Blaudschun, Globe Staff, 6/9/2001 

He had gone through so much. Had so many false starts. Even a veteran
pitcher with the credentials of David Cone had to have his doubts
about whether he could revive his career at the age of 38. 

''Confidence is fleeting at times,'' said Cone, who had not won a game
in his last four starts with the Yankees last season or his first four
starts with the Red Sox this season. 

He had also gone through a regression this spring when he experienced
soreness in his right shoulder, which could have been an indicator his
comeback had failed. 

''I needed there to be a feeling that the team trusts me,'' said Cone
last night after beating the National League East-leading Philadelphia
Phillies, 3-2, before a sellout crowd of 33,435 at Fenway Park. 

Trust. Oh, there is that, all right, after Cone turned in his best
effort of the season, working six innings, while allowing only one
run, striking out seven, and walking none in his fifth start. Cone was
supported by Dante Bichette, Manny Ramirez, and Chris
Stynes, who hit solo homers. 

''I need something to show for your efforts,'' said Cone, who survived
a major scare in the first and a leadoff home run by Pat Burrell in
the second. ''I needed to feel like I'm part of the team. I had high
hopes when I came here, but then that broke down in spring
training. I wasn't sure I was going to fit in. Now I've been given
another opportunity and I'm going to make the most of it.'' 

Cone had not gotten past the fifth inning this season. Last night, it
didn't look like he would get past the first when a throwing error by
rookie third baseman Shea Hillenbrand and a double by Jimmy Rollins
put runners on second and third with none out. 

''You don't want to concede a run,'' said Cone. ''But you are almost
of the mind-set they are going to score.'' 

They didn't. Cone struck out the next two batters and ended the inning
by getting Travis Lee to ground to second. 

''Sometimes you can lose a game in the first inning,'' said Cone.
''And that went through my mind.'' 

The inning seemed to energize the team, which needed a booster shot
after learning catcher Jason Varitek, who had fractured his right
elbow Thursday, is likely to be sidelined for two months. 

''That definitely set the tone for the night,'' said catcher Scott
Hatteberg of Cone's first-inning effort. 

After Burrell homered in the top of the second, Bichette tied the game
in the bottom half with his third home run of the season. Ramirez hit
his 21st of the season in the fourth and Stynes hit No. 3 in the sixth
for a 3-1 lead. Derek Lowe caused a few anxious moments in the ninth
by allowing one run before stranding the potential tying run at second
to earn his seventh save of the season. 

''[Cone] made big pitches and looked strong,'' said Sox manager Jimy
Williams, who would love nothing better than to have Pedro Martinez,
Hideo Nomo, and a healthy and effective Cone topping his pitching
rotation. 

The win kept the Sox in first place in the AL East, but it did more
than that. On a night when the Sox were trying to absorb the knowledge
that another key player would be sidelined for an extended period of
time, they were bolstered by a glimpse of the past, when Cone was one
of the best pitchers in baseball, and boosted by the possibility of a
future that showed more promise for Cone than any of them could have
expected. 


susan peters ~ [email protected]

by Jeff Horrigan
Saturday, June 9, 2001

After coping with an excruciating 15-start winless streak last season,
David Cone wasn't going to downplay the importance of winning his
first game for the Red Sox last night.

Cone, who went without a win in four previous unfulfilling starts,
allowed only one run on six hits in six strong innings to lead the Sox
to a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Fenway Park in the
first interleague game of the season. The 38-year-old struck out seven
batters, walked none and held the Phillies hitless in nine at-bats
with runners in scoring position to record his first win since Aug. 30
and his first Fenway victory since Sept. 8, 1998.

``This means a lot because you always need something tangible to show
for your efforts,'' said Cone, who improved to 10-4 lifetime vs.
Philadelphia. ``When you go an extended period without getting a win,
it wears on you mentally. It certainly did for me last year.''

After turning in a disappointing, 2-inning outing in his Fenway Park
debut for the Sox 10 days earlier, Cone (1-1) provided the home folks
a long-awaited reminder that he's still got some of his old mastery
remaining. 

``It's extremely satisfying because it gives me hope that I can really
help this team,'' he said. ``There's always doubt along the way as to
whether you can still be the pitcher you once were. . . . Tonight I
kind of felt like I knew what I'm doing again. When I got into jams, I
knew what to do to get out of it.''

Dante Bichette, Manny Ramirez and Chris Stynes hit solo home runs off
Phillies starter Randy Wolf (4-6) to provide Cone and relievers Rich
Garces, Rod Beck and Derek Lowe (save No. 7) all of the
offensive support they would need. Wolf went the distance, allowing
eight hits while striking out seven.

Coming into the game, many felt that Cone may have been fighting for
his professional life in what had the potential to be his final start.
Thus, a hush was cast over the sellout crowd of 33,435 when he found
himself in almost immediate trouble. Doug Glanville opened the game
with a hard two-hopper that third baseman Shea Hillenbrand fielded
cleanly, only to draw his team-leading 12th error with a drifting
throw that pulled Jose Offerman off first base. Jimmy Rollins followed
by lining a double down the right field line that advanced Glanville
to third.

In what would be a taste of things to come, however, Cone marooned the
runners by using biting sliders to strike out Bobby Abreu and Scott
Rolen before getting Travis Lee to ground out.

``That defined the night,'' catcher Scott Hatteberg said. ``He came up
with some huge pitches and never gave in.''

Cone gave up a leadoff home run to Pat Burrell in the second inning
but he was never seriously challenged again. He credited the
confidence gained in the opening inning.

``Sometimes you can lose control of a game in the first inning, but I
was able to reach back and make some quality pitches,'' Cone said.
``When you have guys at second and third and nobody out, you don't
want to concede a run, but you're almost of the mind that they're
going to score.''

Hatteberg said the right-hander got better as the game went on.

``I faced the old Cone and he gave me fits,'' he said. ``He was always
changing arm angles and inventing things, which is what he did
tonight. That's a sign of confidence.''

Bichette's blast over the left field screen in the bottom of the
second tied the score and Ramirez put the Sox ahead for the duration
of the evening with a monster shot in the forrth. Stynes lined his
third homer of the season in the sixth.


susan peters ~ [email protected]

�€� Going a season-high six innings, David Cone wins his first
big-league game since last Aug. 30. 
BY STEVEN KRASNER 
Journal Sports Writer 

BOSTON -- David Cone's night didn't get off to a very promising
beginning. 

After an error and a double, the Philadelphia Phillies had runners at
second and third with none out and the meat of their order
coming to bat. 

But Cone, still trying to prove to himself and the baseball world
there's something left in his 38-year-old right arm, simply took a
deep breath and mowed down the next three batters he faced, whiffing
the dangerous Bobby Abreu and Scott Rolen in the process. 

That crisis passed, Cone settled down, allowing only a solo homer to
Pat Burrell in the second in earning his first victory since last
Aug. 30, a 3-2 decision at Fenway Park over the Phillies in the Sox's
first interleague game of the year. 

Cone went a season-high six innings, fanning seven, also a season
high, before turning the game over to the bullpen, which finally
had caught up on its rest. Rich Garces, Rod Beck and Derek Lowe (shaky
seventh save) finished up against the surprising Phillies,
who are in first place in the National League East. 

The Sox' offense, meanwhile, was of Home Run Derby nature. Dante
Bichette cleared the screen in left in the second, Manny
Ramirez nearly reached the Mass Pike in the fourth and Chris Stynes's
liner made it over the wall in left-center in the sixth. Each of
the homers, which came with the bases empty, was surrendered by
left-hander Randy Wolf. 

Stynes's homer proved to be the game-winner, as Cone and the rest of
the Sox had to sit through an agonizing ninth, in which Lowe
was reached for a run on two singles. 

Cone wasn't able to claim his 185th career victory until first baseman
Jose Offerman scooped a short-hop throw from shortstop Mike
Lansing for the final out as Eric Valent steamed around third,
representing the tying run. 

"You don't like to go an extended period without a win. That's what
happened to me a year ago," said Cone, who was 4-14 with a
ghastly 6.91 earned-run average for New York, prompting the Yanks to
allow him to leave as a free agent. 

The win improved Cone's record to 1-1 in five starts for the Red Sox.
He lowered his earned-run average to 4.98. 

"This was extremely satisfying," said Cone, a former Cy Young winner
whose sparkling career resume includes a perfect game. "It
gives me hope that I can really help this team. There needs to be a
feeling the team trusts me. Sure, there were doubts. There are
always doubts as to whether you can be the pitcher you once were." 

Whether he can become that pitcher on a game-in, game-out basis
remains to be seen, but Cone showed a strong flash of his old
self in that first inning. 

An error by third baseman Shea Hillenbrand (wide throw) and Jimmy
Rollins's double into the right-field corner had Cone in
immediate hot water. 

"You don't want to concede a run there, but in the back of your mind,
you know they're probably going to score there," said Cone. 

But Cone went to work, trying his best to strand the runners. He
slipped a backdoor slider over the outside corner, catching Abreu
looking at the 1-and-2 pitch. Then he got Rolen to swing and miss on a
1-and-2 slider. Those two hitters happen to be tied for the
team lead in RBI, with 36 apiece. 

The final out of the inning was a routine bouncer to second by Travis
Lee. Cone had survived. 

"That was the biggest inning of the game for him and for us," said
manager Jimy Williams. "That had to pick him up." 

It did. 

"I just tried to make good quality pitches there," said Cone. "That
was huge. Sometimes you can lose a game in the first inning.
That thought went through my mind. That's the type of pitcher I've
always been, a guy who can make guys swing and miss pitches
when I really need to. Those were some of the best pitches I've made
in a long time." 

Not that all of his pitches last night were perfect. Burrell (3 for 4)
crushed Cone's first pitch of the second inning for a homer over the
net. But Cone didn't permit another Philadelphia runner past second
base during his stint. 

"You could see when he got out of the first inning, his confidence was
there," said catcher Scott Hatteberg. "He's pretty poised as
far as demeanor goes, but I could really feel it in his stuff the rest
of the way that he was feeling more confident. Everything he threw
looked sharper, even deeper into the game." 

While Cone was working his way through the Phillies' lineup, the Red
Sox were pretty quiet, outside of the long ball. There was one
memorable at-bat in the sixth, though. 

Ramirez, who had blasted a monster 463-skyrocket in the fourth, pulled
a ball out of Fenway that was just foul on the first pitch Wolf
threw to him in the sixth. Wolf got ahead in the count at 0 and 2, and
then threw a high fastball over Ramirez's head. 

Ramirez, generally laid-back, yapped at Wolf. 

"I told him 'Don't be messing around up there [head-high]' " said
Ramirez, who yelled at Wolf from the batter's box. "I've got to let
him
know I'm there." 

Ramirez got back in the box and whiffed on an off-speed pitch. 

Otherwise, though, it was a very satisfying night for Cone and the Red
Sox, who remained one game ahead of the Yankees in the
American League East. 

susan peters ~ [email protected]

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

Hey Laura!  You made a good point about David's seeming attitude change
towards giving up runs from last season...I've noticed, just in his poise
on the mound, he is more confident, and he has that look of "the zone" in
his eyes...he didn't have that very much last year, maybe just a couple of
times...I must say I'm a little concerned with the frequent allowed
homreuns and base hits, but last night he really pitched around his
obstacles well, showing what a cerebral, clever pitcher he is. :)  He
seems to be quite happy with what he's doing right now and I am glad for
that...he should be proud!  I guess even the fans at Fenway stood and
applauded him after his 7th strikeout...yay!  As for Glavine...yea, I
heard about his not-so-great outing.  It made me sad, even if it did mean
a Yankee win. :)  And I forgot to thank you for that article you sent
yesterday...it was a good one to read, and I think it's safe to say David
accomplished his goal last night!

Susan, thanks for posting the articles..and thanks to everyone for
writing!  Eyde, thanks especially for checking out the site update!! :)

Have a great weekend! ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ 
                       --KC :)