‘Jerry’ once commented in an episode of Seinfeld: “Breaking up is like knocking over a Coke machine. You can’t do it in one push. You gotta rock it back and forth a few times and then it goes over.” Truer words were never spoken, but unfortunately it also applies to one Jose Contreras, White Sox pitching ace/punching bag. Jose is like the abusive lover who smacks you around and then swears they’ll never do it again. Which side is the real guy?

Contreras was sent down to AAA in early May after amassing an 8.19 ERA over 29.2 IP. To put it bluntly, he was pitching horribly. He’d routinely get behind in the count and then either give up a hit or walk the batter, all the while keeping his strikeout totals low. His best pitch, the forkball, was never commanded with any consistency. He was no longer able to keep opposing hitters honest, and was sent down to AAA. Many people thought his days pitching in a White Sox uniform were numbered, if not over completely.

Last week, however, Contreras was called up to start in the second game of a double-header against the Tigers. He had faced Detroit the previous month, giving up four earned runs over 5.1 innings. But this time Conteras was a new man, shutting the Tigers out (and limiting them to merely a single hit and walk) over 8 innings.

I wanted to love him again.

I saw the old Jose. The pitcher I had fallen for in the timeless summer of ‘05. He had presence, command, control… He was the total package. “Don’t do that to yourself,” my friends warned, “he’s just going to hurt you again.”

I figured they were probably right. I refused to let myself get attached, but I kept an eye on his next start: this afternoon against a decent Milwaukee team with a solid, albeit NL, offense. And what does he do? He shuts them out again over 8 innings, allowing only two hits and two walks, while striking out 8. He’s lowered his ERA almost three points over two starts!

I’m not taking him back yet, but I’m not gonna lie: the feelings are still there.