Baseball Guru
06-28-2001, 11:06 PM
Jose Rijo Tries Another Comeback
by JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Jose Rijo is making another comeback try, hoping that this time he gets to say goodbye.
With Cincinnati Reds executives gathered around the batting cage Thursday, Rijo threw three innings of a simulated game and impressed his former team enough to earn a chance.
General manager Jim Bowden, who watched the 50-pitch session, plans to give Rijo, 36, a minor league contract and a chance to prove himself at Class A Dayton.
It's an extreme long shot, even for a team that has never balked at giving Deion Sanders and other 30-something players a chance to try again.
''If this comeback doesn't work, it's time for him to get to the podium and retire,'' Bowden said.
That's not how the 1990 World Series MVP wants to go out.
He hasn't pitched in the majors since July 18, 1995, when the pain in his right elbow got so bad that he couldn't go on. Rijo gave up a leadoff single to Padres pitcher Joey Hamilton to start the third inning, then called the trainer to the mound.
He walked off the field in San Diego holding his arm and fighting back tears, knowing that reconstructive elbow surgery was ahead and his career could be over.
''I don't want to end it like in San Diego, grabbing my arm and crying,'' Rijo said. ''That's not a way for a good pitcher to end his career.''
Like it or not, it's the way Rijo's career ended. He had reconstructive surgery in August 1995, then came back in spring training the next year and threw too hard, tearing up the elbow again.
He had four major elbow operations in all, forcing him to put those comeback thoughts on hold. He built a developmental baseball camp in his hometown of San Cristobal in the Dominican Republic -- the ''Hill of Dreams'' that opened in 1999.
His last formal comeback attempt was in 1998, when he came to spring training on a minor league contract and had to give up because pain returned in his elbow.
''Two years ago, I decided to forget about baseball -- let me take my mind off the game, see what happens, let my body heal and my mind get fresh and have some fun,'' Rijo said.
He still had that nagging feeling that he never got to say goodbye with the team he led to a World Series sweep of Oakland in 1990. He started throwing again at his baseball camp this year and had his fastball clocked at 90 mph.
When he approached the Reds about another try, they agreed. A Reds warmup jersey with his name and No. 27 were waiting in the clubhouse.
He threw a fastball that topped out at 89 mph and a split-finger fastball and a slider to Kelly Stinnett, Brady Clark and batting coach Mike Greenwell, who briefly tried a comeback of his own last spring.
''He looked all right,'' manager Bob Boone said unenthusiastically. ''It was much better than I thought it would be. You can tell he hasn't been out there a lot. It's probably worth a try. He's been working on it for a long time.''
Bowden plans to meet with Rijo on Friday to discuss a contract. Bowden envisions Rijo starting at Dayton next week, then moving up to Triple-A Louisville if things go well.
Rijo will give the comeback about a month before deciding whether to announce his retirement. He hopes he can pitch in at least one major league game before he does so, waving his cap to the fans as he leaves the field for the last time.
''It's not easy for me just to give it up,'' he said. ''I want to be able to stand up there and say goodbye to the people the way it should be.''
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"Man may penetrate the outer reaches of the universe, he may solve the very secret of eternity itself, but for me, the ultimate human experience is to witness the flawless execution of a hit-and-run."
LETS GO METS!!!
by JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Jose Rijo is making another comeback try, hoping that this time he gets to say goodbye.
With Cincinnati Reds executives gathered around the batting cage Thursday, Rijo threw three innings of a simulated game and impressed his former team enough to earn a chance.
General manager Jim Bowden, who watched the 50-pitch session, plans to give Rijo, 36, a minor league contract and a chance to prove himself at Class A Dayton.
It's an extreme long shot, even for a team that has never balked at giving Deion Sanders and other 30-something players a chance to try again.
''If this comeback doesn't work, it's time for him to get to the podium and retire,'' Bowden said.
That's not how the 1990 World Series MVP wants to go out.
He hasn't pitched in the majors since July 18, 1995, when the pain in his right elbow got so bad that he couldn't go on. Rijo gave up a leadoff single to Padres pitcher Joey Hamilton to start the third inning, then called the trainer to the mound.
He walked off the field in San Diego holding his arm and fighting back tears, knowing that reconstructive elbow surgery was ahead and his career could be over.
''I don't want to end it like in San Diego, grabbing my arm and crying,'' Rijo said. ''That's not a way for a good pitcher to end his career.''
Like it or not, it's the way Rijo's career ended. He had reconstructive surgery in August 1995, then came back in spring training the next year and threw too hard, tearing up the elbow again.
He had four major elbow operations in all, forcing him to put those comeback thoughts on hold. He built a developmental baseball camp in his hometown of San Cristobal in the Dominican Republic -- the ''Hill of Dreams'' that opened in 1999.
His last formal comeback attempt was in 1998, when he came to spring training on a minor league contract and had to give up because pain returned in his elbow.
''Two years ago, I decided to forget about baseball -- let me take my mind off the game, see what happens, let my body heal and my mind get fresh and have some fun,'' Rijo said.
He still had that nagging feeling that he never got to say goodbye with the team he led to a World Series sweep of Oakland in 1990. He started throwing again at his baseball camp this year and had his fastball clocked at 90 mph.
When he approached the Reds about another try, they agreed. A Reds warmup jersey with his name and No. 27 were waiting in the clubhouse.
He threw a fastball that topped out at 89 mph and a split-finger fastball and a slider to Kelly Stinnett, Brady Clark and batting coach Mike Greenwell, who briefly tried a comeback of his own last spring.
''He looked all right,'' manager Bob Boone said unenthusiastically. ''It was much better than I thought it would be. You can tell he hasn't been out there a lot. It's probably worth a try. He's been working on it for a long time.''
Bowden plans to meet with Rijo on Friday to discuss a contract. Bowden envisions Rijo starting at Dayton next week, then moving up to Triple-A Louisville if things go well.
Rijo will give the comeback about a month before deciding whether to announce his retirement. He hopes he can pitch in at least one major league game before he does so, waving his cap to the fans as he leaves the field for the last time.
''It's not easy for me just to give it up,'' he said. ''I want to be able to stand up there and say goodbye to the people the way it should be.''
------------------
"Man may penetrate the outer reaches of the universe, he may solve the very secret of eternity itself, but for me, the ultimate human experience is to witness the flawless execution of a hit-and-run."
LETS GO METS!!!