Sox' Cooper after his starters.(Sports)

0 Comments | Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), March, 2007 | by Gregor, Scot

Byline: Scot Gregor Daily Herald Sports Writer TUCSON, Ariz. - As promised, White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper gathered his beaten-down starting rotation Monday morning and urged them to pick up the pace. "We talked about our approach," said Cooper, who finally snapped and called for a meeting after watching Javier Vazquez go through the motions during the first 3 innings of his "B" game outing Sunday.

"I think they understood everything. They're not dopes; they're smart guys. And I think they're honest with themselves." Vazquez (15.19), Jon Garland (11.25) and Mark Buehrle (11.00) all are carrying sky-high ERAs in the Cactus League. Jose Contreras actually lowered his from 6.00 to 5.06 by pitching 4 2/3 innings and allowing 2 runs on 4 hits Monday...