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I was on vacation last week — in Miami of all places — when Jose Contreras pulled up lame covering first with a torn Achilles tendon. It’s a career-threatening injury, especially given the Cuban-born pitcher’s probable age, so his career — his White Sox career, anyway — flashed before my eyes. I recalled particularly the game in 2005 when he outdueled Randy Johnson — then pitching for the New York Yankees — and began the Sox’ determined march toward their championship. Up to that point of the season the Sox had merely been a hot first-place team, and Contreras had been “erratic,” as I described in a column of the time. That day, however, was beastly hot, and the Cuban was in his element. My Sox pal Kate splurged on scalped tickets, and we watched from sunny seats in left field (it was a brief pleasure when the shade from the foul pole crossed our faces) just beyond the Sox’ bullpen.
