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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy is in his 36th year of covering the Cincinnati Reds, the longest tenure for any active writer covering one team. Counting spring training and postseason games, McCoy has covered more than 7,000 major-league baseball games, written close to 18,000 baseball stories and eaten enough hot dogs to give Babe Ruth indigestion.Home > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > March
March 2008
A bad beginning
It wasn’t the way Dusty Baker wanted his tenure as manager of the Cincinnati Reds to begin, but when your team doesn’t hit, it usually doesn’t win.
As Bob Uecker’s character, announcer Harry Doyle, said in the movie Major League: “We got three hits? Three %$%#*^% hits?”
That’s it, pal. Three hits and a 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks and pitcher Brandon Webb, that kid from down the river about 2 1/2 hours in Ashland, Ky., that kid who grew up rooting for the Reds and hoping he would some day pitch for them.
Webb gave up a leadoff single to catcher Javier Valentin in the third, a hit that should have been a double but was only a single because Valentin thought it was a home run. Got that?
He watched its flight toward right field loping along at half-gait until it thumped the wall. By then it was too late to make it to second.
And he never budged as Reds pitcher Aaron Harang failed trying to bunt, then Corey Patterson flied to center and Jeff Keppinger grounded to second.
“We didn’t get much live bunting this spring,” said Baker. “But it was addressed and will be again.”
Brandon Phillips tripled home a run in the second and Harang beat out an infieldf single in the fifth, but was part of an inning-ending double play.
From the sixth through the ninth the Reds had no hits and only two base runners, one when pinch-hitter Norris Hopper was hit by a pitch and one on Adam Dunn’s walk.
New leadoff hitter Corey Patterson went 0 for 4, but made two ingratiating catches - one fleeing toward the wall and one a skidding catch after a dive.
“He chased a couple down, which is why we brought him in here,” said Baker. “And his offense is going to get better. He had a late start in camp this year.”
Harang’s demise was one bad inning, the third, when he gave up a couple of s two outs. Home runs and walks are anti-Harang.
Arizona’s first run came in the first after third baseman Edwin Encarnacion made a diving stop, but rushed his throw and tossed it wide of first base - another throwing error for which he is so prone. That led to an unearned run.
Baker, though, defended Encarnacion after talking to infield coach Chris Speier. The game was delayed 59 minutes by rain and the field was wet.
“The field was extremely wet and it was tough to get a grip on the ball,” said Baker. On the surface, though, it looked as if Encarnacion unnecessarily hurried his throw and was more of the same inaccuracy as years past.
Baker was given a rousing reception during pre-game introductions and said, “You accept it and appreciate it. I’d like to see 43,000 here Wednesday and 43,000 here Thursday, too.”
Dusty, that ain’t gonna happen. He said he’d rather be 1-0 than 0-1, too, but that ain’t gonna happen, either.
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The numbers game
Rain delayed the start of Opening Day by 59 minutes, but it was worth it to watch the pre-game introductions. Every member of the Reds wore No. 41, a tribute to former Reds broadcaster Joe Nuxhall, who died in November.
When the team took, the field, they wore their normal numbers, all but pitcher Aaron Harang, who shed his usual No. 39 (a number Nuxhall also wore) to wear Nuxy’s 41.
Nuxhall, who pitched batting practice for years and years, always wore his No. 41 until the Reds acquired Tom Seaver, who preferred No. 41. Nuxy graciously gave his ‘41’ to Seaver and took ‘39.’
Harang struck out the first D-Back, Chris Young, then the next batter Orlando Hudson, shot one at the feedt of third baseman Edwin Encarnacion - and it deja vous all over again.
Encarnacion made a fantastic, but for some inexplicable reason, hurried his throw when hurry wasn’t needed. His throw was wide and Hudson reached on a throwing error, something Encarnacion does with disturbing regularity.
After Harang threw a wild pitch, moving Hudson to second, Conor Jackson shot a two-out run-scoring single up the middle and Arizona had the game’s first run, albeit unearned.
Arizona starter Brandon Webb, Cy Young Award winner in 2006, could have been drafted by the Reds in any of the first eight rounds in 2000, but wasn’t. He grew up a Reds fan in Ashland, Ky. across the Ohio River from Portsmouth and wanted to pitch for the Reds.
Instead, he retired the first five Monday, striking out Jeff Keppinger, Ken Griffey Jr. and Brandon Phillips in order, before walking Encarnacion with two outs then retiring Scott Hatteberg on a fly to center.
I met Webb at the Portsmouth Murals baseball banquet over the winter. Nice kid. Said he was looking forward to facing the Reds on Opening Day, “But I always wished I’d be on their side.”
Arizona leadoff hitter Young showed new Reds manager Dusty Baker how the ball carries in GABP by drilling a 437-foot home run in the third. One out later, Eric Byrnes crushed another home run, this one only 429 feet for a 3-0 Diamondbacks lead.
Time out for a trivia does: Both Harang and Webb were born on May 9, but Harang (1978) is a year older than Webb (1979).
NEWS FLASH - One of my favorite people, former Reds closer Danny Graves, signed a minor-league contract with the Minnesota Twins Sunday. Graves, struggling at the time, was run out of town by the Reds after he responded to a fan’s racial slur/insult.
The 38-year-old righthander led the independent Atlantic League in saves last season for the Long Island Ducks. The Twins invited Graves to throw for them and when he did and they liked what they saw they permitted him to pitch in some minor-league games this spring. They rewarded him with a contract.
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The roster moves
After much teeth-gnashing and jaw-breaking, the Cincinnati Reds finally formulated the roster for Opening Day.
As expected, pitcher Matt Belisle (sore arm), catcher David Ross (back spasms) and shortstop Alex Gonzalez (compression fracture of the left knee) were placed on the disabled list.
And Mike Stanton was designated for assignment - with the team eating his $3.5 million contract.
Asked about what that said about the organization that it would absorb $3.5 million, general manager Wayne Krivsky said his feelings weren’t about the money.
“I genuinely like Mike Stanton and developed a good relationship with him,” said Krivksy. “He is going through some tough times with his family (personal problems) and left camp last week. Then he came back to find out he didn’t have a job and that’s tough. It was toughest move I’ve ever had to make.”
LHP Jon Coutlangus also was designated for assignment as the team struggles to make room on the 40-man roster.
Five players who were not on the 40-man roster were added to it before Monday’s Opener — OF Corey Patterson, C Paul Bako, RHP Johnny Cueto, LHP Kent Mercker and RHP Mike Lincoln.
Another spot on the 40-man must be cleared before today’s game.
The most heart-rending story is that of Lincoln, the longest of long shots to make the team when spring began. He had been out of baseball for nearly 3 1/2 years after his elbow exploded. He had it fixed, but it didn’t take and he had to have it done again.
Why did he stick with it?
“Because that’s me,” he said. “I’m not a quitter.”
Scouts says Lincoln is throwing harder than he ever did and when asked he smiled and said, “Yes, I am. I think all the time off helped strengthen my arm, so there was some good to come of it.”
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Finally … it’s Opening Day
It’s here, it is finally here. Opening Day. There is a tarp covering the field as I sit in the pressbox at 11:30, an ominous sign.
The temperature, though, is in the 60’s, far better than two years ago when it was in the 20’s and Reds Media Relations Director Rob Butcher insisted on leaving the press box windows open.
And who could blame him? For 30-some years in the old Riverfront Stadium (I could never bring myself to call it Cinergy Field), we sat hermetically-sealed behind immovable glass, windows that wouldn’t open, whether it was 20 outside or 90. When it was 20 outside, the heat inside was like 85. When it was 90 outside, it was like 45 inside.
On the way to the park, I was trying to figure out how many Opening Days this is for me. As the beat writer, it is 35 out of 36. My father died two years ago and his funeral was on Opening Day. Before I was the beat writer, I came to games as a feature writer several times, so I believe I’ve attended 41 of the last 42, all in working capacity.
One different thing about Opening Day is the box lunches (ham or turkey or tuna salad?) they serve in the press box, with an apple, a brownie and some potato chips tossed in. That’s because the media dining room isn’t large enough to handle the large media contingent on Opening Day.
On Wednesday, Game 2, things return to normal and meals are provided in the dining room for the media for $7. And you thought they gave us free food, right?
So, weather permitting, the season starts today - the 162-game grind. Opening Day always is special with its carnival-like atmosphere. I even dress up a little bit. Then it is back to normalcy as the Reds try to eradicate seven straight years of losing and mounting frustration to its fans.
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Paying the price to win
After taking a couple of days off to recover from sunburn and baseball overdose (there really isn’t such a thing with me), I’m back, just in time for Opening Day.
First things first. I tip my Tilley (that’s the Australian hat I wore all spring) to owner Bob Castellini for permitting manager Dusty Baker and general manager Wayne Krivsky to do the right thing.
They are saying good-bye to Mike Stanton. It’s difficult for a franchise that counts nickels and dimes to swallow $3.5 million in one gulp, but that’s what they did. It’s what they owe Stanton.
What it shows is that Castellini & Company are willing to do what they think will help this team win and dumping Stanton was one giant step for Redskind.
Question here, though. I had it on strong authority that the Phillies offered the Reds infielder Wes Helms for Stanton. Helms is making $2.1 million. The Reds said no to the deal, but if they had done it, they could have then dumped Helms and only eat $2.1 million.
But I commend them for that, too. That’s dirty pool, a heartless thing to do just to save (gulp) $1.4 million.
So they’ll announce Monday that Stanton is gone. And they’ll put pitcher Matt Belisle (arm tenderness) and catcher David Ross (back spasms) on the disabled list, which gets the roster down to 25.
With the release of Stanton, I’m surprised the Reds didn’t keep lefthander Bill Bray. Their only lefties in the bullpen as of now are Jeremy Affeldt, who left a large odor most of spring training, and Kent Mercker, back after a year off from Tommy John surgery.
The biggest shocker to me is that Mike Lincoln is on the roster in the bullpen. He quietly (so quiet, I never interviewed him one time, but he is a super nice guy) put together a solid spring and impressed Baker with his velocity.
Lincoln hasn’t pitched in 2 1/2 years and has not one, but two, Tommy John surgeries.
Ryan Freel is still on the team - and that’s a good thing. He can play second base, third base and all the outfield spots, especially now that the team kept only four other outfields - Ken Griffey Jr., Adam Dunn, Corey Patterson and Norris Hopper.
Anway, a big bow to Castellini for sending such a strong supportive message to the fans. Let the games begin.
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Can Bray stay healthy
Every time, it seems, a guy looks as if he has his act together, as if he has solidified his spot on the Cincinnati Reds roster, he soils the dinner host’s expensive linen.
Take Bill Bray, for example.
Until Wednesday night, the young lefthanded relief pitcher was pulling the light switch on every hitter. Then came the Toronto Blue Jays.
In one-third of an inning, Bray gave up three runs and three hits. He walked his first hitter, then gave up two doubles that nearly put holes in the outfield wall, an infield hit, yadda, yadda, yadda.
With leflthanders strewn everywhere in the bullpen, it wasn’t the most apropos time for Bray to go south - not with Mike Stanton and Jeremy Affeldt and Kent Mercker in the mix, four guys for (at most) three spots in the bullpen.
Even before that happened, manager Dusty Baker was skeptical of Bray’s track record of needing excessive medical attention.
“Bray has been doing well,” Baker said. “The only drawback with Bray might be that he comes up hurt. There is still a question with him of availability and durability. That’s a big issue in the big leagues because we play a lot of games, y’know. He started out this spring hurt.”
Baker wanted to know how much Bray has pitched in the majors and how much he has pitched in the minors. Bray, 24, pitchd only 35 1/3 innings last year, 14 1/3 with the Reds, due to a season stuffed with injuries.
His career consists of 65 major-league innings (42 with the Reds) and 99 2/3s minor-league innings.
He is putting that up against veterans like Jeremy Affeldt and Kent Mercker, guys with long track records, even though Affeldt’s numbers this spring are awful.
“Affeldt has been throwing the ball good all along, he just hasn’t been locating very well,” said Baker. “Throwing the ball good is not the issue. Just location. I mean, this is still spring training, but even in April it is still spring time.
“By Opening Day, you hope to have all your team sharp, but rarely do you have all your team sharp,” he said. “Everybody is not the same. You have hot-weather players, guys who need innings to get real sharp, guys who need 150 at-bats to get started and others who seem to get sharp in days.”
Are we missing a name here? Oh, yeah. Mike Stanton and his $3 million contract (with a $500,000 buyout). The Phillies inquired about his availability, offering first baseman/third baseman Wes Helmes. The Reds said no.
Meanwhile, Baker and general manager Wayne Krivsky met early in the morning, presumably to discuss more cuts. There are still 35 on the roster and 10 must go. Over in Winter Haven, the Cleveland Indians are down to 26, one over the limit.
Of course, the Tribe doesn’t have as many great players to check out as the Reds. Yeah, right.
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Bailey optioned to Louisville
As expected, the ax fell on Homer Bailey Wednesday.
The Cincinnati Reds optioned Bailey to Class AAA Louisville, with instructions to find the strike zone and work on his off-speed pitches.
Bailey, 21, the team’s No. 1 draft pick in 2004, was expected to be part of the rotation this year - his job to lose - and he lost it.
In six appearances over 19 innings, Bailey was 1-3 with a 5.21 ERA. He walked 16, struck out 11 and gave up 24 hits. His major problem was his inability to throw strikes, which lifted his pitch count.
Bailey’s demotion leaves six candidates for five rotation spots - Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Josh Fogg, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez and Matt Belisle. With Belisle missing time with a tender arm, he probably is the odd man out for now.
As manager Dusty Baker said, “Bailey will be back at some point this year. You never go through an entire season without needing additional starters. He just needs to take a good attitude to Louisville and get his command together. He has the stuff.”
Is it the right move?
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Volquez vs. Bailey
Some numbers to ponder after Edinson Volquez gave up a run, a walk and two hits in the first inning Tuesday to the Philadelphia Phillies before he righted himself to pitch five innings while giving up one run, five walks with one walk and five strikeouts.
So far this spring, Volquez has pitched 20 innings and Homer Bailey has pitched 19 innings.
The comparison:
ERA: Volquez 2.70, Bailey 5.21.
Strikeouts: Volquez 26, Bailey 11.
Walks: Volquez 4, Bailey 16.
Hits: Volquez 21, Bailey 24.
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Can Reds afford to cut Stanton?
Dusty Baker made both an interesting and telling comment Tuesday morning in the visitor’s clubhouse at Clearwater’s Bright House Field.
The question was the final determination of the bullpen, who goes and who stays. As candid as always, Baker said, “I know it is not my money, but I hope money isn’t a factor in the final choices. I know the team wants to stay in a budget, but. …”
But, indeed.
The reference obviously was to left-handed relief pitcher Mike Stanton, who wasn’t very good last year and has been mediocre, at best, this spring. But he has a $3 million guaranteed contract with a $500,000 buyout. If the Reds want him to go away (he already cleared waivers, nobody claimed him) and they can’t trade him, it will cost them $3.5 million to show the fans they REALLY want to win this year.
Baker’s bullpen of left-handers would be Jeremy Affeldt, Bill Bray and Kent Mercker. If ownership says, “Keep Stanton,” then Bray has options and might land in Louisville. Or they could jettison Mercker, a situational pitcher Baker likes.
In six appearances, Stanton has given up three runs, four hits, two walks and struck out one.
Affelt hasn’t been that good, either, but Baker stuck up for him.
“I’m a bit concerned about him after he gave it up Monday (two runs, two hits and a walk in one inning, ballooning his spring ERA to 12.51). But he’s a guy you have to consider as having a good track record. Maybe he is throwing too many strikes. He needs to throw quality strikes and keep it as simple as possible. He is a guy who analyzes things too much and he wears his problems all over his face. He cares big-time and you’d rather have that than a guy who doesn’t care.”
The roster remains too large, but there was one cut made Tuesday. Outfielder Jerry Gil was re-assigned to minor-league camp.
Gil most likely will end up at Class AAA Louisville with Jay Bruce and Chris Dickerson and Baker said, “They are going to have some ouftield in Louisville, man. Boy, that potential outfield they have. Whew. Wow. Some good arms, good speed. Probably one of the best around.”
I was tempted to say it, but bit my tongue when I wanted to say, “If you kept Bruce, you might have a much better outfield in Cincinnati.”
Call me Chicken Little.
Of Gil, Baker said, “He needs to play. He didn’t play at all last year (injury) and he is going to be a good player. He realizes he needs some at-bats and needs to play. In fact, he is going to be a very good player. He just needs to stay away from injuries because he has had some unfortunate things happen to him.”
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Six walks a deep six?
Homer Bailey, given another chance to rescue a rotation spot with the Cincinnati Reds, probably walked his way to Louisville on Monday night.
His raw line score against Toronto looks good — 4 1/3 innings, no earned runs (one unearned), two hits — but then comes the walks and the number of pitches.
Bailey walked six in the 4 1/3 innings and needed 84 pitches to get that far, throwing only half for strikes. The Reds turned three double plays to keep the Jays from scoring bountiful runs.
In his final inning, the fifth, he retired one hitter, the opposing pitcher on a full count, and walked the other three, the last one on four straight. For the fifth inning he threw 27 pitches, 21 out of the strike zone.
Before the game manager Dusty Baker said he was looking for strikes. But he didn’t see enough of them and Bailey seemed to punch is already issued ticket to Class AAA Louisville.
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Bailey’s last stand
While Reds manager Dusty Baker isn’t saying tonight’s start by Homer Bailey is all the cliches you’ve heard wrapped into one — do or die, sink or swim, life or death — it is important that Bailey shows the ability to mix in a few strikes and get past the fifth inning with less than 200 pitches.
“Yeah, oh yeah. It’s a big start for Homer Bailey. It’s not do-or-die for him,” said Baker, choosing cliche No. 1. “It can sure help his cause a lot, you know?”
Poor Homer can’t seem to catch a break. Paul Bako was going to catch him, “But Bako has the flu. Homer has done well with Bako.” Instead, he gets Javier Valentin.
Bailey was to pitch in Monday night’s ‘A’ game against Toronto, while Josh Fogg pitched an afternoon minor-league game — 85 to 90 pitches that covered seven innings and in the words of Fogg, “It went well, I got my pitch-count up, stretched out my arm and I hope to be sore tomorrow, which will be good. It’s what I needed. I didn’t have good stuff last time I pitched and this time I did.”
Said Baker, “We figure it means more to Homer in an ‘A’ game. Fogg was there to get his work in, rather to prove himself — not that he’s on the team for sure, necessarily. But his track record is longer.
“Whether the guys make it or not, I try to give them the best opportunity. All I can do is give you your best opportunity and the rest is on your own,” Baker added.
Baker said Bailey should be used to a lot of attention, ever since he was the No. 1 draft pick in 2004, but he also knows what it is like to be compared to a superstar.
“No matter how much attention you get, you still have to produce,” Baker added. “I’ve been through it. I was supposed to be the next Hank Aaron and think about how heavy those shoes are. It rained one night and I almost drowned in those shoes.”
And what was Baker looking for from Bailey on Monday?
“Throw strikes, man, more quality strikes,” said Baker. “The problem has been the last couple of years a high pitch-count in a short period of time. He has to bring it down or he won’t be around very long and it taxes your bullpen.
“It’s the same thing I went through with young pitchers in Chicago,” he said. “They’d pitch five shutout innings and I’d take them out and they’d ask me why and I’d say, ‘Dude, he threw 100 pitches.’ “
Asked what he or the pitching coach or anybody can do to help Bailey, Baker said, “That’s the $64,000 question in my business. You want to help ‘em, but you don’t want to oversaturate his brain and confuse him. He has come a long way this spring and come a long way as a listener.”
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Cueto lays an Easter egg
The egg Johnny Cueto laid on the pitcher’s mound at Ed Smith Stadium on Easter Sunday was probably the biggest egg in Sarasota.
The normally unhittable and under control rookie righthander was a one-man disaster area in only two-thirds of an inning against the Tampa Bay Rays.
He gave up five runs, three hits, five walks. He threw 41 pitches and only 18 were strikes, three of which were jolted for a three-run homer, a two-run double and another double.
His outing was worse than the numbers.
After the Rays reached him for a double, walk and Carlos Pena’s three-run homer, he retired the next two. Then he issued another walk, earning him a visit from pitching coach Dick Pole. He immediately threw four more straight balls for another walk.
When it was 5-0 with a runner on second and two outs, Cueto threw two straight balls to Matt Garza and somebody in the stands yelled, “C’mon, Johnny, that’s the pitcher batting.”
Said Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times, “Wasn’t that (Reds general manager) Wayne Krivsky yelling?”
And somewhere back in the Reds’ clubhouse, Homer Bailey was stifling a wide grin and probably thinking, “See, kid. It isn’t that easy.”
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Easter - Just another day
On this Easter morning, a tale from Ken Griffey Jr. about one of his closest friends, Frank King.
At one point, little more than two years ago, Frank weighed more than 300 pounds. He used to sit quietly in the clubhouse at Griffey’s locker during spring training, arms folded over his chest - a foreboding sight and many thought he was Griffey’s personal bouncer.
Actually, Frank is a gentle guy, a teddy bear. Two years ago he was diagnosed with cancer and has battled gamely. He is below 200 pounds now, “About 185,” said Griffey.
Last week, King was rushed to a hospital in Orlando, suffering internal bleeding supposedly unrelated to the cancer. Griffey visited his friend, who was in and out of drug-induced unconsciousness.
“He nearly died,” said Griffey. “He was very close. And you know what he told me? He said, ‘I was at the gate but they wouldn’t let me in.’”
Pray for Frank.
For the Cincinnati Reds, Easter Sunday was just another work day, an exhibition game against the Tampa Bay Rays with eight days remaining before Opening Day. And there were 37 healthy players still in camp. One more cut was made Sunday, but manager Dusty Baker hadn’t told the unlucky subject so he didn’t say who it was and decided not to identify the player until after the game — the proverbial Player to be Named Later, or, in this case, Player to be Maimed Later.
Expect a slew of cuts by March 26. Players still in camp after the 26th get another month’s pay, whatever is on their contract. That’s a minimum of $65,000 and that’s to a guy making the Major League minimum of $380,000.
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Majewski takes the walk
It was only three steps from Gary Majewski’s locker in the major-league clubhouse to the door leading to another world, the minor-league clubhouse.
Majewski made that walk this morning when he and Jon Coutlangus were optioned to Class AAA Louisville.
While some fans dance in the streets over this demotion, it was a so sad and disconcerting to watch Majewski empty his locker, pack his baseball belongings into a cardboard box and lug stuff to the other side - cramped, musty, dank quarters where all the minor-league players dress.
“They told me they brought too many guys (pitchers) into camp and that didn’t give me much of an opportunity,” said Majewski. “I didn’t pitch much and that’s why I was frustrated. Same old stuff - I didn’t know exactly what they wanted me to do. Wish I had gotten a lot more opportunities to pitch, but when you have 35 pitchers in camp it is hard to really do anything to get consistent.
“I’ll go down there and pitch,” he said. “My arm feels healthy and it’s just frustrating that I didn’t get to use it as much as I’d like.”
Majewski had an awful first outing this spring, then in his last outing last Sunday he gave up three unearned runs on two hits and two walks. The inning began with second baseman Andy Green booting a ball for an error. Majewski got two outs, then the sky fell on his head, not to mention the clouds.
It would appear the bullpen is nearly set: Closer Francisco Cordero, RHP David Weathers, LHP Mike Stanton, LHP Jeremy Affeldt, LHP Kent Mercker, LHP Bill Bray, RHP Todd Coffey, RHP Jared Burton (or RHP Edinson Volquez is they strangely decided to keep Homer Bailey as the No. 5 starters, which shouldn’t happen). And Mike Lincoln, with his 95 miles an hour fastball is hanging in there.
It looks as if the main decisions are whether to keep Mercker or Bray as a third lefthander because Stanton and his $3 million contract are locked in. And the last righthanded spot is between Coffey (perfect all spring), Burton (a struggler and straggler) and Lincoln - out of baseball for three years after TWO Tommy John surgeries, but back throwing harder than ever.
That gives them three lefthanders and four righthanders, a nice balance.
Not far from Majewski’s locker catcher David Ross dressed with a smile after playing in his first game this spring Friday to test his achy back.
“I was 2 for 3 with a home run and two walks,” he said with a smile. “I knew I was good in ‘A’ ball.” Ross played for Class A Sarasota and said he’ll catch again Sunday, but didn’t know if it would be with the Cincinnati Reds, Sarasota Reds or Dayton Dragons.
“I caught good, no soreness,” he added. “Ran the bases fine, a good day, felt fine. Even though it was ‘A’ ball, it made feel good as far as confidence.”
Sitting next to Majewski’s now-empty locker was lefthanded pitcher Bobby Livingston, residing on the 60-day disabled list after surgery last season to repair a torn labrum. He had a wide grin on his face as he ate breakfast - raisin bread slathered with peanut butter and honey.
“I get to throw 160 feet tomorrow,” he said. “One more week and I get to throw off the mound. Man, it has been six or seven months since I threw off a mound. Weird. They’ve told me I’ll stay back for extended spring training. Although I know God has a plan and has a reason for everything, I see there are no lefthanders in our rotation and I wonder, ‘What if?’”
On a positive note, shortstop Alex Gonzalez tossed his crutches into a corner Saturday and was cleared to begin light baseball workouts - light hitting in the cage and light running. But he won’t be ready for Opening Day.
Kent Mercker continues to be the leader in the clubhouse for the Stand-up Comedian award. It was raining early Saturday and pitcher David Weathers asked, “It’s raining. What do we do?” Without hesitation, Mercker said, “Is it raining in the hot tub?”
And Mercker was talking about his yearly physical examination by the team when spring training begins.
“Great blood work. I have great bloodwork,” he said. “Every year (trainer) Mark Mann is amazed by my bloodwork. I tell him, ‘It must be genetics, because it isn’t clean living.”
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Tightness for Belisle
It looks as if the rotation decision for manager Dusty Baker is getting easier.
Baker reported today that Matt Belisle is experiencing tightness in his forearm. The club isn’t certain when he will be able to throw hard again.
It could be the disabled list for Belisle by Opening Day, making the decision for the fifth spot between Josh Fogg and Homer Bailey - if, indeed, Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez are in there.
“He has forearm discomfort from practicing his change-up,” Baker said of Belisle. “He has been throwing a lot them so there was some tightness there.”
Seems that the rotation might be getting even more clear.
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The $40,000 Question(s)
Some questions for you just 10 days away from Opening Day while wondering whether to go to the Ringling Brother Circus Museum or go to another exhibition baseball game (sometimes there isn’t much difference between circus clowns and baseball players).
As proof, there was the Boston Red Sox threatening to boycott an exhibition game unless their coaches and support people received the same $40,000 stipend the players get for gong to Japan.
While the coaches and support folks probably can use the money, all the players did was put a spotlight on the fact that these young millionaires are being paid an extra $40,000 to go do their jobs. Forty grand? Many, many fans don’t make that much money in a year and here we have guys like Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis getting an extra 40 grand to do what the schedule says they are required to do.
Geesh.
Anyway … the questions.
1 - Where do you think the Reds will finish in the NL Central this year? (I say third, maybe second. The Cubs will win it and the Brewers probably are second best, although if things break right, the Reds could take second. Houston and St. Louis are down this year and if any team in this division can’t beat out the Pirates then they should serve a five-year demotion to Triple-A.)
2 - Who should be in the rotation? (I say Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez and Josh Fogg. Homer Bailey only gave up one run and three hits in four innings Thursday night against the Twins, but was supposed to pitch five innings. He lasted only four because of another typically high pitch count and one person said he thought Bailey threw 1,435 pitches. Matt Belisle remains inconsistent and probably could use another dose of Louisville.)
3 - Who should play center field, Corey Patterson or Norris Hopper or Ryan Freel or Josh Hamilton or Jay Bruce? (I say Hamilton or Bruce. Whoops, Hamilton was traded to Texas and it probably was an excellent trade if Volquez continues to resemble a young Pedro Martinez. And Bruce is gone, sent skipping and whistling to the minors. The other three? I’m not thrilled with any of them. Cesar Geronimo is in camp looking pretty good. Jim Bowden would sign him.)
4 - Who should play first base, Joey Votto or Scott Hatteberg? (I say … and it’s obvious because I put his name first … Votto. He and I have a good cigar exchange going, but that’s prejudicial and one of the reasons I liked manager Jack McKeon so much. Votto is struggling this spring, but I’ll believe that he is a slow starter. Hatteberg is a great team player, an excellent hitter, a decent first baseman. But let’s hope the Reds don’t make the same mistake with Votto I think they’ve made with Bruce.)
5 - What do you think of manager Dusty Baker so far? (I say A+, but then I’m prejudicial again because he is a baseball writer’s dream. He gives us 15 minutes in his office every morning and fills our notebooks. He answers every question and spices his answers with delightful anecdotes and embellishments. He ducks nothing. As a manager? Let’s give the man a chance. He hasn’t managed a game that counts yet. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do with this team.)
Finally, I can’t resist relating this story - loving Roger Clemens as I do.
The Huntsville (Ala.) Stars, a Class AA affiliate of the Brewers, went out of their way to hire a manager named Buck Rodgers (remember the long-ago space traveler of comic books and cartoons named Buck Rogers? The Stars probably added the ‘D’ in his last name for defense.
Anyway, the Stars have offered Clemens a job, since he can’t find one. They offered him a contract to be the team’s second-string mascot, Rocket. (Roger “The Rocket” Clemens, get it?) Homer the Polecat is their No. 1 mascot. Clemens would dress up in a space traveler’s suit and he would be paid $25 a game, plus vouchers for hot dogs and pop at the concession stand and, get this, a 15 percent discount on souvenirs.
“Clemens is a small-town guy (hey, watch it, buddy — Clemens was born in Dayton and we don’t consider ourselves small stuff), and he’d be a great fit in Huntsville,” said Rodgers.
Who says there is collusion in baseball? See, they’re offering Clemens a job. Now if some team would just offer Barry Bonds a job as a clubhouse attendant to take care of La-Z-Boy recliners, this collusion nonsense would go away.
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Jay Bruce sent to minors
As expected, the Cincinnati Reds sent outfielder Jay Bruce to minor-league camp today, one of five players removed from major-league camp.
Bruce and pitchers Tom Shearn and Josh Roenicke were re-assigned to minor-league camp, while pitcher Marcus McBeth and outfielder Drew T. Anderson were optioned to Class AAA Louisville.
None was a surprise, although many in Reds Nation, including me, disagree with the removal of Bruce, the 20-year-old outfielder who was Minor League Player of the Year both for Baseball America and The Sporting News.
But it was self-evident when the Reds signed free-agent center fielder Corey Patterson, a player from manager Dusty Baker’s past.
Early in camp, when asked about Bruce, Baker said, “There is more to baseball than hitting. There is defense and throwing and running the bases.”
Baker did admit that Bruce has a huge upside and is a future star, but that star will shine over Louisville to start the season — and when Patterson and Norris Hopper don’t get the job done, Bruce will be back.
The sooner the better.
There are conspiracy theorists out there who believe the Reds are doing this to prevent Bruce from becoming arbitration-eligible a year sooner. If they wait until June to call him up, his arbitration eligibility moves back a year.
If that’s the case, and nobody is about to admit that, it means the Reds might not be taking their best players north.
“That’s not the case,” said Krivsky. “I’ve never understood why people make that an issue or a big deal. We have a lot of young players, some of whom will make it, and the clock starts running on them.”
Krivsky, manager Dusty Baker and outfield coach Billy Hatcher gave Bruce the bad news this morning and Krivsky said, “He took it really well. He promised to go down and bust his butt. He will be back at some point this year, but with Ken Griffey Jr., Adam Dunn, Corey Patterson, Norris Hopper and Ryan Freel, he wasn’t going to be a fourth outfielder.
“He had a good camp and we’re real pleased with his progress. But we feel this is the appropriate move. It was his first big-league camp and it was beneficial for him. He observed and learned a lot and did some nice things.”
Indeed, Bruce zipped through the system in one year - from Class A Sarasota to Class AA Chattanooga to Class AAA Louisville, and 60 per cent of his at-bats last year was in Class A.
“He got a lot of attention and that’s great,” said Krivsky. “He created a lot of positive talk and that’s good for our future, too.
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Baker gets his dessert
On Tuesday night, Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel was having dinner at Bella Roma, an Italian restaurant on Siesta Key near Sarasota. On Wednesday, he received his dessert - the announcement by quarterback Terrell Pryor that he is going to be a Buckeye.
On the same day, Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker was talking about what amounts to his dessert, something he has looked for all spring.
That would be rookie pitchers Johnny Cueto (the pie) and Edinson Volquez (the ala mode).
A national writer, Bill Madden of the New York Daily News, started his conversation with Baker by saying, “I’ve been reading about your pitching, sort of coming out of nowhere.”
Said Baker, “Well, not really. It is out of nowhere for people who didn’t know them. Like I always say, and in the beginning of the spring, as I learned from the Dodgers, you look for a surprise guy that you didn’t count on. We have a couple of ‘em…maybe.”
Baker, as he should, is still hedging his bet on Cueto and Edinson in case they have late-spring meltdowns, but these two Dominican Dandies look for real.
“You have to give our scouting department credit for this so far,” Baker added. “They did their work in the trade for Volquez from Texas for outfielder Josh Hamilton. There are a lot of teams that would have liked to have had Josh but the package wasn’t right. And you still don’t know if the package is right until you have some final results coming in.”
Even with the spring success of Volquez that has him on a direct path to the rotation, some fans still lament the loss of Hamilton, who is hitting close to .500 and put together nine straight hits at one juncture this spring. And, yes, he is battling an injury - the second reason they traded him (injuries). The first reason was Volquez.
“That’s why they call it a trade,” said Baker. “A good trade is when both teams benefit. That’s a trade. Nobody is out to get the better of the other team. It isn’t who got the better of the trade or who ripped who off. You want it to work both ways.”
Does that remind anybody of the name Gary Majewski? But I digress.
Of this deal, Baker said, “They’re happy and we’re happy. And when both sides are happy that makes it easier for organizations to trade with one another in the future.”
Bake was asked if he worries about glossy springs by young pitchers like Cueto and Edinson, only to see them fumble and flounder when the season begins.
“Quite honestly, I worry more about hitters having great spring with no track record than I do pitchers,” he said. “If pitchers are throwing their breaking balls and changeups over the plate, now they are going to do about the same once the season starts. But a hitter who had done a lot of hitting in the spring - well a lot of pitchers aren’t getting breaking balls over the plate and they’re hitting fastballs. So you worry about hitters when pitchers starting getting control of their breaking ball.”
Yes, that means that Josh Hamilton probably is feasting on fastballs. But there is a slight downside to this. Both Cueto and Edinson pitched in winter ball and came to camp already in command of all their pitches, far ahead of the hitters.
Will the hitters catch up to them? Only the season will tell and that’s not far away.
“Our guys are showing both - change of speeds and some gas (Cueto at 97-98 and Volquez at 94-95),” Baker said. “If you don’t have the gas, you can step on that pedal all you want to and you don’t have no gas, know what I mean?
“And I’m not worried because these guys show composure,” he added. “They’ve gotten out of trouble.”
The Hamilton deal? Well, we all know the price of gas.
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Looks like Patterson in center field
Dusty Baker padlocked the complex today.
With no exhibition game, with no minor-league games, with no sideline sessions, with no extra work planned, Baker gave everybody the day off and the players scattered hither and yon.
Baker and his son, Darren, went fishing off a Siesta Key sandbar.
Meanwhile, I had breakfast at the Broken Egg in Lakeland Ranch with ESPN basketball analyst Dick Vitale, who talked baseball more than basketball while wearing a Reds cap and signing autographs for all comers between bites of fruit and toast.
Vitale said he attended Tuesday’s game against Pittsburgh and chatted with Baker.
“Dusty Baker really likes Corey Patterson, doesn’t he?” said Vitale, revealing why Patterson will start in center field for the Reds. “He said he needs speed, somebody quick, in center field to cover the gaps.”
That’s because Baker is worried about his corner outfield spots, Adam Dunn in left and Ken Griffey Jr. in right.
There are still 50 players in camp and 25 need to be trimmed quickly. Nevertheless, it is evident Baker is pretty set on his Opening Day lineup — not that I agree with it.
It is: CF Patterson, SS Jeff Keppinger (Alex Gonzalez remains on crutches with a bulky brace on his left knee), RF Ken Griffey Jr., 2B Brandon Phillips, LF Adam Dunn, 3B Edwin Encarnacion, 1B Scott Hatteberg, C Paul Bako (David Ross and his problem back have yet to play), RHP Aaron Harang.
I’d prefer Jay Bruce leading off and playing CF, but Patterson is hitting near .500 and earning the spot. Bruce probably starts at Louisville. I prefer Joey Votto at first base but at least it appears that Baker will keep Votto on the roster. Maybe. If Bruce and Votto are the future stars everybody thinks, why not jump-start their careers right now?
The rotation: Harang, RHP Bronson Arroyo, RHP Johnny Cueto, RHP Edinson Volquez and an either/or - RHP Josh Fogg or RHP Matt Belisle. RHP Homer Bailey starts in Louisville and since Belisle has an option he might start there, too — both ready in case somebody in the rotation falters or suffers injury.
The bullpen is sketchy. For-sures are closer/RHP Francisco Cordero, RHP/set-up David Weathers and LHP Jeremy Affeldt. With his $3 million contract, LHP Mike Stanton probably is in there, too. LHP Bill Bray and LHP Kent Mercker are on the bubble. RHP Todd Coffey, nearly perfect this spring, probably stays. Jared Burton, woozy all spring, might not make it and Gary Majewski shouldn’t.
The extra players are real iffy, especially with only five spots. They’ll keep C Javier Valentin, INF Juan Castro and OF Norris Hopper. INF/OF Ryan Freel is valuable as a guy who plays everywhere, but there may not be room and they are trying to trade him. Throw Votto in there, too, as a fifth guy.
That leaves some good guys out in the cold: INF/OF Jolbert Cabrera, INF Andy Phillips, INF Andy Green, INF/OF Jerry Gil, INF Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Baker best be doing some deep thinking as he sits on the dock of the bay.
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A man and his dog
Dog Lover’s of America, listen up. You have a hero in Dusty Baker. He actually said this Tuesday morning — and he was wide awake.
Asked about being back in baseball after a year off, he said, “I enjoyed spending time with my son, my wife, my daughter and my dog. My dog is 11 years old and I miss my dog. That’s the best woman in my life.”
Baker’s 9-year-old son heard that comment and quickly said, “I’m going to call mom and tell her.”
“I love my mom, my sisters, my daughters, everybody, and it’s no slight on anybody, but my dog (Bailey, a German short-haired pointer) … well, my wife knows how I feel about my dog. My wife ain’t never run and got no pheasant for me. Best hunting dog I ever had and don’t they always talk about man and his dog? Ain’t no slight on any women in my wife.
“I’ll never have a male dog,” he said. “Bailey is loyal, most loyal dog I ever had. Oh, she’s loyal.”
With that out of the way, Baker went on to talk about his two young pitching sensations — Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez — and how he relates to them.
“These guys know what is at stake and they’re hungry and I like hungry guys,” said Baker. “Do you know the pressure that is on these guys? They’re from another country (Dominican Republic) and probably their parents and family don’t have much. It’s the first time in their lives they have a chance to make some money. There is something to hunger — and need.”
Baker reverted to his childhood.
“When I was a kid, we weren’t poor by any means, but we were fishing and hunting for the meat. We’d stay out there all day until we caught some fish or I’d walk all day until we got a pheasant or two. As I got older and more well-off, I started fishing and hunting for the sport. If you don’t get anything, no problem. I had to trick myself to going back to hunting and fishing, trying to say I need it for the meat.”
Then the subject turned to the fact that Baker took left-hander Jeremy Affeldt out of the rotation mix and plopped him into the bullpen, already crowded with left-handed candidates Mike Stanton, Bill Bray and Kent Mercker.
The possibility of three left-handers in the bullpen doesn’t faze Baker, and once again he turned to veteran manager Jim Leyland for an outlook.
“The Pirates always had three left-handers in the bullpen when Leyland was there and they were winning,” he said. “I’ve found that more left-handers can get righties out than right-handers get lefties out.”
With Affeldt out of the rotation pot, the Reds are without a left-hander in the projected rotation, no matter who survives.
“I’d prefer a left-hander, but again, you want the best man,” said Baker. “You’d prefer one, definitely. But as I recall, didn’t the Red Sox go to the World Series without a lefty?”
Just like his dog, Bailey, Baker was right on point with that one.
Cueto’s escape act
For most of this spring it has been like a day of leisurely sailing on placid Sarasota Bay for rookie pitcher Johnny Cueto — no issues, no roiling waves or sandbars.
That changed Monday against the Detroit Tigers, and instead of sinking to the bottom of the bay the 22-year-old rookie pitcher responded with the savvy and verve of a pitcher twice his age — like his opponent Monday, 45-year-old Kenny Rogers.
In the first inning, Cueto was up to his neck in hungry alligators. Four of the first five Tigers reached base. And while two scored, the damage could have been much more dire. Instead, Cueto got out of that mess and pitched three nearly perfect innings after the first — no runs, no hits, one walk.
That’s a commendable worthy of a guy with 20 years on his resume.
Manager Dusty Baker was, of course, impressed with Cueto’s escape act and said, “He seemed unfazed and you know it upset him. But he handled it like a veteran and demonstrated damage control.”
With two weeks to go, is Baker ready to put Edinson Volquez and Cueto into the rotation? Not yet. Not officially, but he did say, “They’re painting a good picture.”
One significant move was made when Baker on Monday told rotation candidate Jeremy Affeldt that his quest was over, that he is in the bullpen. The leaves the five-spot argument contestants at seven, with two spots occupied (Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo). Barring a catastrophe, Cueto and Volquez are three and four or four and three, with Josh Fogg, Matt Belisle and Homer Bailey (Louisville-bound) the other candidates.
Baker tipped his hand a bit before his team’s 5-3 win over the Tigers by asking Detroit manager Jim Leyland about bringing in young and inexperienced pitchers from the minors to the majors, the way the Tigers did with Joel Zumaya and Justin Verlander.
Leyland smiled and said, “If you don’t want Cueto, we’ll take him off your hands.” And that was before he saw him pitch. Afterward, Leyland said, “Some of the best crude stuff I’ve seen. Good velocity, good breaking ball. One of the best-looking young pitchers I’ve seen. Very impressive.”
And remember Kenny Rogers? It was 2002 and the Reds were in second place, 4 1/2 games behind the Cardinals. Reds GM Jim Bowden made a trade with Texas for Rogers, but Rogers turned it down, didn’t want to come to Cincinnati.
On St. Patrick’s Day, manager Dusty Baker thought a moment about his team and said, “Let’s see, I guess St. Patrick’s Day is like New Year’s Eve to (catcher) Ryan Hanigan.”
At that moment, Hanigan was sitting by himself at a table in the middle of the clubhouse and the only green near him was some flakes in his cereal.
Ken Griffey Jr. looked around the room and said, “I guess I have to find our leprechaun for the day,” and chose Norris Hopper.
It is fast becoming drudgery time for everybody in spring training, two weeks until Opening Day. Even Baker notices it and sympathizes with the writers.
As we all sat staring at our notebooks at 8 a.m. Monday, Baker said, “Getting hard on you guys, too, huh? It’s to the point where you guys are asking, ‘What ifs?’ and ‘How abouts?’ Pretty soon it is going to be, ‘How comes?’ “
That’s when the big cuts begin and that should be soon. As soon as the writers left Dusty’s office, general manager Wayne Krivsky and special advisor Walt Jocketty walked in. The door shut behind them. Decisions, decisions, decisions.
Meanwhile, in the clubhouse the talk was about Sunday afternoon’s karaoke party — a command performance for the veterans by the rookies and newcomers.
Who won?
“It’s like the PGA Tour — the brother won,” said Griffey. “Marcus McBeth. When he sung Snoop’s Wine & Juice, it was all over. Bobby Livingston was second with Girls, Girls, Girls. And, yeah, we had some crash and burns. Johnny Cueto said he didn’t like ‘Born in the USA,’ so we gave him a song with Spanish lyrics and he couldn’t do that, either.”
Then there was Canadian-born Joey Votto. Canadian prime minister Steven Harper spent the weekend at a condominium on Siesta Key, heavily guarded by Secret Service personnel.
Asked if he knew Harper, Votto said, “I don’t know him, but we went to the same high school. I did a Wikipedia search on my high school once (Riverview Institute in Toronto) and it listed its graduates as Steven Harper and Joey Votto. And I said, ‘That’s the best they can do?’ “
Volquez mows ‘em down
Edinson Volquez wasn’t content to shut out the Philadelphia Phillies for five innings on three hits on a day with humidity so thick you could bite it and chew it.
After displaying another dazzling imitation of Pedro Martinez, he did his Lance Armstrong act, riding a bicycle at full-pedal for another 30 minutes.
Volquez possesses four pitches, “All of of which he uses at all time and isn’t afraid to throw to anybody at any time,” said catcher Javier Valentin. “But his changeup is his best.”
Indeed, in the first inning Volquez struck out National League Most Valuable Player Jimmy Rollins on a changeup to open the game, then struck out Ryan Howard on a changeup to end the inning.
“When I signed, I was afraid to throw the changeup,” said Volquez. “I knew the grip, knew how to hold it, but I was scared. I wanted to throw as hard as I could. I thought if I threw soft, they’d hit. I’m older and wiser now.”
And much better. In four appearances this spring, he has pitched 13 innings, giving up five runs, 15 hits, three walks and struck out 19. He fanned six Phillies and swalked one in five innings Sunday, throwing 69 pitches, 47 for strikes.
Can you spell r-o-t-a-t-i-o-n?
ROENICKE SURVIVING
They call it the Coffin Corner, a string of lockers to the right as players walk in the clubhouse doors.
It’s where young players getting their first taste of Major League life slip into their uniforms and watch as stars and studs walk by.
On Sundahy morning, there were eight empty lockers and one occupied locker. The empties were formerly the location of players sent back to the minors over the past week.
Still standing is pitcher Josh Roenicke — and that’s an accomplishment. While he is 25, he has pitched in only 67 minor-league games and 70 total innings.
He was the 10th round draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2006 out of UCLA and he has thoroughbred blood lines - his father, Ron, and his uncle, Gary, were major-league players. They were outfielders, not pitchers.
With Roenicke still occupying a precarious spot in the big-league clubhouse, manager Dusty Baker was asked about his status. After all, he has made four appearances, pitched four innings, given up no runs, two hits, one walk and struck out four.
Pretty dazzling stuff for an inexperienced young man from Ruff & Ready, Calif.
“He doesn’t have enough experience and we’ll send him out to pitch pretty soon,” said Baker. “He certainly has pitched his way into future considerations. He has been on a fast track. He’s only pitched ‘A’ ball and a little ‘AA’ ball (19 games, 19 innings). You can only carry so many.
“We can only carry 12 pitchers and we have like 16 or 17 guys under consideration,” Baker added. “You can’t carry everybody and he is probably the least experienced of any pitcher in camp. But he IS on a fast track. For a guy who hasn’t pitched much, he is on a real fast track.”
A SAD FAREWELL
There was, though, one cut Sunday and it pained Baker because Adam Rosales, a 24-year-old infielder left an impression - on and off the field. Rosales played in 17 games and hit .321.
“We sent him out to play after he had a real good spring for us,” said Baker. “He played all over the place, hustled, showed great attitude and great aptitude for the game. He has a big future.”
Rosales played shortstop, second base, first base, third base, outfield - all over - and Baker said, “I asked him what he liked best and he said shortstop, but half the players I know came up as shortstops. I talked to (infield coach) Chris Speier about that and he said Rosales is kind of tall and lean for a shorstop.
“But for a young guy, he showed he can play a lot of different positions and that’s hard to do,” Baker said. “He can play both sides of second base, which is even harder. A lot of guys can’t do that. And he works hard and hustles at all times. I enjoyed having him here.”
Baker hates to make cuts, but this one cut him deeper.
“It’s tough especially with such a good kid,” said Baker. “Not that there are any bad ones, but there are some exceptional ones. He is one of the few kids, only one of two or three, who came in when I first got here and introduced himself. That’s old-school stuff and I like it. You shouldn’t have to tell them and he didn’t have to be told.”
There is a major issue, too, involving the catching situation and the abysmal back of David Ross, who hasn’t played in any of the team’s first 17 exhibition games.
Baker is at the point where he doesn’t believe Ross will be ready for Opening Day, meaning Paul Bako makes the team. Perhaps Ross will start on the DL.
Asked if Ross could be ready by Opening Day, Baker raised his eyebrows as if somebody poked him in the posterior with a sharp stick.
“It’s gonna be tough on him,” said Baker. “He hasn’t done any hitting or squatting in games. He has to get at-bats for timing and also have to get timing for catching. I’d like to get him in there to catch some of the guys he hasn’t caught before.”
That’s a long list: Jeremy Affeldt, Josh Fogg, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez, Francisco Cordero, Scott Sauerbeck.
Bailey to Louisville?
It was probably the biggest start of Homer Bailey’s spring, but there are indications that the decision about his immediate future already has been made.
Is is Loo-ee-ville or Lew-vull or Loo-iss-ville?
Ever how you pronounce it, Bailey is probably headed there to open the season, especially with the emergence of Johnny Cueto, Edison Volques and with the five scoreless innings Josh Fogg pitched Friday in Bradenton against the Pittsburgh Pirates - although my Aunt Fanny probably could shut down the Pirates.
Nevertheless, somebody deeply imbedded in the Reds system told me Bailey’s destination is Louisville, “Where he can get some innings, work on the command of his breaking pitches and adjust his attitude.”
Bailey isn’t really a bad guy. Just different. Stubborn? Yes.
Before Saturday’s assignment, Bailey was by himself in the clubhouse, dressed in civvies, stretched out on his back on a rubber mat on the floor. His teammates were taking batting practice before facing the Boston Red Sox and Bailey wasn’t required to be out there.
I was in there with him, just the two of us, and he was smiling and affable.
Asked about why he sometimes is short and terse with the media, he said, “I don’t like questions. It is perception. What a writer or somebody else might perceive, I perceive differently, and somebody else might perceive differently.”
Bailey, the 21-year-old No. 1 draft pick in 2004, permanently tattooed with Can’t Miss ink, was ready with an example.
“Some people might say Homer Bailey is struggling this spring,” he said. “But I’ve pitched against the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees and now the Red Sox again, all at their places where I face their best players.”
Bailey quickly added, “I’m not complaining. That’ll help me if I’m with the team this season because we play both those teams (interleague). If I make mistakes to their big hitters, I’ll know what not to throw them when I face them in the season.”
Bailey then went out and gave up a leadoff double in the first to Julio Lugo and walked Kevin Youkilis on a full count. Bailey bowed his back and struck out both David “Big Papi” Ortiz (blew a fastball past him) and Manny Ramirez (called third on a breaking pitch).
But with two outs, MIke Lowell blooped a run-scoring single to left and Jason Varitek shot a run-scoring single to right for a 2-0 Red Sox lead. With one out in the second, he gave up a home run to the No. 9 hitter, Brnadon Moss, the not only cleared the center field wall, it cleared the 30-foot black batter’s eye behind the wall.
It continued in the third when Bailey gave up another run, ignited by a leadoff double by Ortiz. Two more runs scored in the fourth, with Bailey leaving with one out and two on in the fourth, both runners scoring and charged to Bailey when Tom Shearn gave up a two-run double to Youkilis.
For the day, Bailey gave up six runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings with twol walks and three strikesout, using 76 pitches to get only 46 strkes. And it’s Bye-Bye Bailey.
Bailey needed 30 pitches for the first inning and it looks as if he is Louisville-bound to get command and discover the world of pitch efficiency.
Seems to be to be the correct decision, based on what I’ve seen, but only if Jeremy Affeldt and Matt Belisle get it together, plus Cueto and Volques continfue to dazzle and Fogg keeps it going. The option are sinking.
Agree?
Personal aside: My son, Brent McCoy, visiting me this week with his wife, Tammy, caught a foul ball hit behind first base by Kevin Youkilis and did himself proud by giving the ball to a young fan.
Of lies and truths
The morning clubhouse was a blast from the past - there were more former Cincinnati Reds than current Cincinnati Reds lounging in chairs at 8:30, and there were more lies being told than in a lawyer’s office.
Lee May, former Reds first baseman, and Jack Billingham, former Cincinnati pitcher, were hassling one another. Both were part of a huge trade that sent May to Houston and Billingham to Cincinnati.
“They traded the whole damn Houston club for me,” said May. “And they included cash and a clubhouse boy.” The trade actually sent May, Tommy Helms and Jimmy Stewart to Houston for Joe Morgan, Billingham, Cesar Geronimo, Denis Menke and Ed Armbrister.
Billingham was the pitcher who gave up Hank Aaron’s 714th home run to tie Babe Ruth, the all-time record at the time. Current manager Dusty Baker was on-deck for the Atlanta Braves when Aaron connected.
“I wasn’t looking to see who was on-deck,” said Billingham.
May had been teasing Billingham this week. “The Slam from Birmingham (May’s nickname) owned you,” said May.
Billingham had somebody look it up and he said, “May hit one home run off me and batted .112. That’ll shut him up. But Dusty hit five home runs off me — but good for only six RBIs.”
Eric Davis, a next-generation player after May and Billingham, was listening to the back-and-forth and saw me standing there.
Davis played in the Marge Schott era and I was one of several writers banned from the media dining room for writing the truth about the Reds — they were bad.
Davis sent several pizzas to the press box one day, “And Marge called me into her office and said, ‘Why’d you do that? I’m trying to make a point.’” Davis said, “Because they get hungry up there.”
Davis said Schott once called the entire team up to her office during a bad spell to plead with them to play better, “Even though we were decimated by injuries and the only regulars in the lineup were me and Todd Benzinger. She said, ‘Maybe you guys aren’t praying hard enough.’ “
“I asked her, ‘Hey, what if the pitcher is praying hard and we’re praying hard? Who’s going to win that one?’ I told her with the lineup we had we were a Triple-A team, a bad Triple-A team. We stunk.”
Manager Dusty Baker, an old-school guy, loves having Ken Griffey Sr., May, Billingham, Davis, Benzinger, Geronimo, Jim Maloney, Mario Soto (who works for the team) and Ted Power (who works for the team) hanging around his players.
“I love having those guys around and I tell my players to soak up everything they can from them,” said Baker. “Get their (phone) numbers and if you ever need anything, talk to them. Most of the time old-timers aren’t going to volunteer stuff, you have to come to them.
“They can learn how to play first base from Todd Benzinger, Geronimo on how to play the outfield and when to use your arm. Talk to Jack Billingham if they are having trouble with their slider, because that was his specialty. Sinker and slider,” Baker added.
Baker said he told pitcher Homer Bailey to go to the end of the dugout and talk with Soto, “Because pitching coach Dick Pole is busy during a game.” Bailey was there the entire game.
Baker was told about his five home runs, but only six RBIs, in his career against Billingham and he laughed and said, “Hey, it wasn’t my fault Hank Aaron cleared the bases ahead of me.”
In Friday afternoon’s game against the New York Yankees, Matt Belisle did his best to pitch his way out of the rotation with an abysmal outing - three innings (he was scheduled for four), seven runs, nine hits, two walks, 62 pitches, only 36 strikes.
He gave up a three-run homer to A-Rod in the first, then had two outs and nobody on in the second and gave up a run in the second, then had two outs and nobdoy on in the third and gave up five straight hits for three runs.
With Homer Baiely struggling, with Jeremy Affeldt struggling, with Matt Belisle struggling, all those rotation options are skidding into mediocrity.
Baseball’s fun and games
If nothing else, camp is loose.
Four hours before a Thursday night game against the Phillies, Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker, wearing his baseball uniform, was in the clubhouse kitchen cooking ham hocks, collard greens and okra.
Inside the clubhouse, several young players arrived to find a letter attached to their lockers, signed by the Cincinnati Reds Elder Statesmen.
The letter informed them that they were guests of honor at a karaoke party after Sunday’s game against the Phillies. And each one was assigned a song.
Examples: Jay Bruce (Copacabana), Joey Votto (I Touch Myself), Johnny Cueto (Born in the USA), Bobby Livingston (Girls, Girls, Girls), Homer Bailey (Hollaback Girls).
They were told they would be judged and the winner would get a victory lap in Scott Hatteberg’s Toyota Prius.
Just a hint: Adam Dunn most likely is behind it.
Then, after batting practice, Ken Griffey Jr. spent two hours with a Special Wish teen from Xenia, Ohio, who is battling Stage Three melanoma. Two hours, for God’s sake. First he gave 13-year-old Andy Urschel the bat he was using (game used) and his batting gloves. And then they chatted and chatted and chatted.
They talked about siblings and food (Andy makes pancakes, Junior likes chicken but is allergic to seafood). They talked about Junior’s friends, Tiger Woods and Shaq (“I get on him about how bad he shoots free throws and he tells me it isn’t easy shooting free throws downhill”).
The kid handed him a stack of yellow index cards filled with questions and Griffey shuffled through them and answered each and every one. A wide smile never left the kid’s face and he said, “If they ever trade him, I won’t like the Reds anymore and I’ll root for the team that gets him.”
Baseball?
Things are fairly quiet at the midway point of exhibition games.
Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo make their next two starts in minor-league games so that Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto can start games and pitch more innings.
“Harang and Arroyo are veterans and they don’t mind it,” said Baker. “They’ll just get their work in.”
While Harang starts a minor-league game Sunday, Volquez starts the major-league game against the Phillies. While Arroyo starts a minor-league game Monday, Cueto starts a major-league game against the Tigers.
Oh … and Baker plans to take his 9-year-old son, Darren, bass fishing early Sunday morning.
Even though he is a newcomer, Dunn didn’t dare assign a karaoke song to his new manager, something from Van Morrison or The Doors. And Ryan Freel is a veteran, so he is exempt from singing Me and My Shadow, in honor of his former alter ego, Farney, who Freel once said resides on his shoulder.
Yep, fun and games, fun and games — with some baseball mixed in.
LHP Jeremy Affeldt, trying to break into the rotation, didn’t think it was so much fun and games in the second inning of Thursday’s exhibition game against the Phillies.
He couldn’t argue, after his last two starts, if somebody called him Jeremy Awful.
He gave up four runs in the second inning, including a three-run home run to the ninth batter in the order, a minor-league second baseman for the Phillies not named Chase Utley. It was Casey Smith.
Affeldt gave up seven runs and nine hits and was lifted after 3 1/3 innings - baqttered, beaten and embarrassed. One wondered if he was one of the guys Baker was talking about when he said some names were written in pencil and some written in pencil were fading. The Reds promised him a chance in the rotation. He’s had his chance. Now maybe they can convince him to return to his vocation of the past three years - the bullpen.
“Pitching like I’m pitching I’m not going to win a spot in the rotation, not after two straight bad ones like this,” said Affeldt. “I have to figure out how to fix it in a hurry. I threw 70 pitches in 3 1/3 innings and that’s embarrassing. I gave up a two-out three-run home run and that’s embarrassing.
“Saying it is spring training doesn’t make it better,” he said. “What I’m doing isn’t working and I have to figure out what to do to fix it.”
The Reds did rebound, scoring four in the third on a two-run single by Juan Castro (maybe he won’t start the season on the DL) and a two-run double by Brandon “The Run Machine” Phillips.
Cueto the Reds’ ace?
This one stunned even me — because I’ve been covering this team for 36 years and I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything this strong from a scout.
A scout who once pitched successfully in the major leagues and whose opinion I trust implicitly, has seen young Johnny Cueto pitch every time he has pitched this spring. BEFORE Cueto’s appearance Wednesday night against the Phillies this scout said:
“Cueto is that team’s ace. Right now.”
Yikes. Pretty strong stuff, huh?
Then Cueto pitched the last four innings of a 6-1 win over the Phillies, and even when he is less than glamorous he is pretty cute.
With a new shaved head, Cueto hit the first batter he faced and gave up a bloop single to the second hitter he faced. Then he got a double play and a pop-up.
Then he pitched a 1-2-3 inning with two punchouts and when his night was over his line was: 4 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 hit batsman, two strikeouts. And this didn’t come against a Phill-in Phillies team. It was the big boys — Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Geoff Jenkins — everybody but Richie Allen and Richie Ashburn.
The kid has style and pizz-zazz and is confident enough in himself to shave off his straggly hair when he was doing good and risking a dose of bad luck from the Superstitious Gods.
“He ain’t Samson,” said manager Dusty Baker. You could have fooled the Phillies, who took some swings that looked like Delilah twirling a broom. He threw 49 pitches, 33 for strikes.
Other good news:
Bill Bray made his first spring appearance and the left-handed relief pitcher went one inning, giving up one hit. But he needed only 13 pitches, throwing 10 strikes, to get through it.
“I just wanted to accomplish two things: no pain and throw strikes.” He couldn’t have done it much better.
Then there were the two late signees, refugees from Baker’s old Chicago Cub teams. Outfielder Corey Patterson played center field and Jerry Hairston Jr. played second base, 10 days after signing minor-league contracts.
Patterson beat infield hits his first two times up and Hairston crashed a home run his first time up.
It was a night to light up Baker’s eyes.
OFF TO THE DESERT
The Cincinnati Reds took another step forward toward sticking their feet into the Arizona desert sand Wednesday when the City of Goodyear met the deadline for coming up with funding.
Goodyear, Ariz., had until Thursday to prove to the Reds that it could come up with the financing — $33 million — for the Reds to move to their fair city/burg/town for spring training, joining the Cleveland Indians to share the facility.
Where the money is coming from was not revealed, but Goodyear assured the Reds that the money is available, and now city council must approve the deal April 7, believed to be a rubber-stamp affair.
“It is not a done deal, but it is another positive step and now we march on in the process,” said Reds negotiator John Allen. “We still have a few i’s to dot and t’s to cross.”
Now that money is not an issue, negotiations continue as to just what the Reds are getting as a co-tenant with the Cleveland Indians in the new $75 million stadium.
“We have to make sure we are getting the same thing in our MOU (memorandum of understanding) as the Indians are getting,” said Allen, explaining that an MOU is akin to a lease.
Meanwhile, Sarasota is trying to fix the toilets in Ed Smith Stadium.
EARLY CUTS
Nothing sent shock waves through the premises this afternoon when the Reds trimmed their spring training squad.
Left-handed pitcher Alexander Smit was optioned outright to Class A Sarasota. Right-handed pitchers Richie Gardner and Tyler Pelland were optioned to Class AAA Louisville, while catcher Chris Koski, left-handed pitcher Matt Maloney and left-handed pitcher Adam Pettyjohn were reassigned to minor-league camp.
The spring roster is at 57 and expected to dwindle fast.
Of Hoot and Homer
Dusty Baker recently recounted how former St. Louis pitcher and noted head-hunter Bob “Hoot” Gibson drilled rookie Jon Milner in the back the first time he faced him, “To get his attention and get him in line.”
Some of you wanted to know what Gibson did the first time he faced Baker.
Baker said he had dinner that night with Hank Aaron and Gibson, and when Aaron asked why Gibson drilled him and Gibson told him, Baker said, “I was hoping he didn’t know my name.”
So Baker was asked what Gibson did the first time Baker faced him. Said Baker with a laugh, “The son-of-a-so-and-so ended my 17-game hitting streak. A big oh-for-four. At least he didn’t hit me.”
And for the guy who mentioned that Baker trained with the Dodgers in Florida, Baker didn’t say it was the only time he was in Florida. He said it was the only time he was in ST. PETERSBURG. Big difference.
BAILEY BABBLE
On to other things, specifically Homer Bailey and some pointed remarks about him from Baker, beginning with: “It’s not easy being Homer. It’s not.”
How so, Dusty?
“I’ve seen it a thousand times. It is not easy being that Mr. Everything, Can’t Miss,” said Baker. “No matter what you do, unless you don’t do it great … well, I learned a long time ago that the most dangerous word for a young kid is ‘potential.’ If they don’t do great, no matter what they do they don’t reach that potential.
“Some guys take longer to get it than other guys? I mean, what is Homer, 21 years old? This Dude is barely drinking age, you understand that? There are kids in college who haven’t even signed a contract yet.
“Homer already has this experience,” Baker added. “That’s the thing, let’s not forget. This Dude is three years ahead of whoever is in this year’s draft. He may not be where we want him to be or he wants to be, but he is still ahead of the program.
“In three or four years you might have a different thought process. Right now, though, he’s like a freshman competing against seniors and I’m big on how a guy does compared to his graduating class.”
Instead of going to college, Bailey signed right out of high school and pitched in the big leagues last year at age 20, while some kids his age who attended college haven’t even been drafted yet.
The question here: Is Baker greasing the skids for Bailey to get more experience in the minors or is he justifying Bailey’s erratic mound behavior, like not making it through his scheduled three innings against the Yankees Monday night?
He threw 59 pitches in 2 1/3 innings and Baker had to go get him.
But Baker defended him, too.
“I’ve only seen Bailey three times in my life and (Monday) was the first time he wasn’t pitch-efficient,” he said. “He was the first two times he pitched.”
This is MY team
The halfway point of spring training exhibition games is fast approaching and it is time to pick MY TEAM, the 25 guys to go north with the Cincinnati Reds, barring injuries, trades and defections to Guatemala.
This has nothing to do with General Manager Wayne Krivsky or Manager Dusty Baker. This is MY team as I see it now.
STARTING PITCHERS: Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey, Matt Belisle.
BULLPEN: Francisco Cordero (closer), David Weathers, Edinson Volquez, Jeremy Affeldt, Jared Burton, Kent Mercker, Todd Coffey.
CATCHERS: Paul Bako, Javier Valentin.
INFIELDERS: Joey Votto, Scott Hatteberg, Brandon Phillips, Edwin Encarnacion, Jeff Keppinger.
OUTFIELDERS: Ken Griffey Jr., Adam Dunn, Jay Bruce, Norris Hopper, Corey Patterson.
INFIELDER-OUTFIELDER: Ryan Freel.
DISABLED LIST: Pitcher Bill Bray, pitcher Bobby Livingston, catcher David Ross, shortstop Alex Gonzalez, infielder Juan Castro.
Let’s discuss.
Baker said Sunday, “I’m tired of hearing about young and old.” Hopefully, he means that and won’t leave young players back.
Are we rushing 22-year-old Cueto? Maybe, maybe not. Based on what he has done so far, he deserves to be in the rotation. If he struggles, he can be sent to Louisville for more innings and fortunately, for once, the Reds do have some options.
Affeldt was promised a chance at the rotation and was given that chance. But he is more valuable in the bullpen, as he proved last year with Colorado, and he better serves the Reds in that role.
This, of course, means the team eats the $3 million it owes Mike Stanton. Pass the ketchup. And some would not include Todd Coffey, rightfully so, based on last season. But he has dropped excess poundage and has pitched well and might be back to where he was two seasons ago.
Freel might yet be traded, but not from MY team. He is too valuable at playing several positions and everybody knows a baseball season is full of injuries and slumps. Keppinger is the same thing. He’ll start the season at shortstop for the injured Gonzalez. When Gonzalez returns, Keppinger is a guy who can pinch-hit and fill in at short, second, third, left and maybe even first base.
Votto and Bruce are in the same canoe. Both appear determinedly ready, determinedly willing and determinedly able. They appear ready and have nothing to prove in the minors. If they flop — and it is doubtful that will happen — they can return to Louisville and get it together.
Now my Opening Day lineup to face the Arizona Diamondbacks and Brendan Webb, as of now:
CF Jay Bruce, SS Jeff Keppinger, RF Ken Griffey Jr., 2B Brandon Phillips, LF Adam Dunn, 3B Edwin Encarnacion, 1B Joey Votto, C Paul Bako, P Aaron Harang.
That leaves Hatteberg on the bench, for now, where he serves as an excellent pinch-hitter, plus he plays on days Votto takes off or moves into the lineup if Votto slumps or fails.
It’s the same with Bruce. He starts in center, with Patterson and Hopper in the dugout as excellent pinch-hitting weapons and plug-in players.
That leaves three excellent players out in the cold: outfielder Chris Dickerson, infielder-outfielder Jolbert Cabrera and infielder-outfielder Jerry Gil. Dickerson and Gil can be optioned to Louisville for later use and maybe Colbert will agree to go to Louisville and await his turn and his chance.
Am I right or am I right?
Dusty dusts ‘em off
For Dusty Baker, it is all new and all good.
As manager of the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs, spring training was in Arizona, where it will be in 2010 for the Cincinnati Reds.
The only time Baker was in Florida was when he was a player in the early 1970s with the Atlanta Braves.
As he stood on the Progress Energy Park Field Sunday before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Baker looked around and said, “You know the only time I was ever here was when I was a kid trying to make the Atlanta Braves in 1972.”
Both the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals trained here at the time, when the place was known as Al Lang Field. There was an exhibition game between the Cardinals and the Mets and Mr. Nasty, Bob Gibson, was pitching for the Cardinals.
The Mets had a young up-and-comer named Jon Milner and, as he so often did, Gibson’s first pitch was right between Milner’s shoulder blades.
“We were in town to play the Cardinals the next day,” said Baker. “Gibson and Hank Aaron were good friends and were having dinner that night. Hank asked me to go along and I sat there with my mouth shut.
“Well, Hank asked Gibson, ‘Why did you hit that kid today?’” said Baker. “And Gibson said, ‘Because I heard he was a good hitter and I wanted to get him in line.’ I sat there quietly and thought to himself, ‘Oh, Lord, I hope he doesn’t know my name.’”
That’s one of the perks of covering the Reds these days, the privilege of listening to Baker’s stories of days past that include so many Hall of Fame names.
That doesn’t mean Baker lives in the past. Far from it. He just uses the past to help him live in the present and the future.
A good example is his judgement of young players. He takes notice whether they are No. 1 picks or they are No. 63 picks. Late last week, Baker wandered onto the back fields of the City of Sarasota Sports Complex to watch the minor-leaguers, about 150 of them.
“It was weird, man,” he said. “I’d look over at shortstop and there’d be 18 shortstops. I’d look at third base and there would 22 of them. Man, that’s tough when you’re trying to get to know players.”
He pays attention to everybody and told a story about when he was with the Giants and walked among the minor leaguers.
“I couldn’t even see this kid who was in the batting cages, but I could hear, ‘Pow, pow, pow,’ as he hit the ball,” said Baker. “I asked somebody from the front office, ‘Who is that kid?’ The guys said, ‘Oh, he is just a 63rd round pick. A filler.’”
Baker said he thought to himself, “That’s not the right attitude.” So he approached the kid and asked, “Son, what’s your name?”
The kid looked up and said, “Marvin L. Benard, sir. And you know what my initials stand for? MLB (Major League Baseball) because I was born to play baseball.”
Not only did Marvin L. Benard go by “MLB,” the 63rd-round pick made it to the majors with the Giants.
The kid has it
The scouts seated around a table in the McKechnie Field media dining room late Friday afternoon were chattering like Alvin the Chipmunk.
Earlier in the day they had witnessed the three-inning performance of 22-year-old Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto, scribbling notes about his 97 to 98 miles an hour fastball, his tantalizing changeup and his seldom-used slider.
They were dazzled. And who wouldn’t be?
If they say this kid isn’t ready and don’t have him in the rotation on Opening Day, then they aren’t trying to win the division. Some say he isn’t experienced enough, only 61 innings last year at Class AA Chattanooga (6-3, 3.10) and only 22 innings at Class AAA Louisville (2-1, 2.05).
But for those of you who feel manager Dusty Baker doesn’t look kindly at young talent, well, if he follows his words with action, then minds might be changed.
Baker talked eloquently and positively about Cueto on Saturday morning.
Of the short experience, Baker said, “Everybody doesn’t have to go through the natural progression. Especially pitchers. I’ve seen a lot of pitchers go from Double-A to the majors. Who has looked better than Cueto’s performance yesterday? He has aligned himself with the other starters.
“If he has good stuff and control and guts, then he has a chance,” Baker added.
Isn’t that a perfect description of the 5-10, 183-pound Dominican?
“Yeah, and he doesn’t get rattled,” Baker added. “I saw Kerry Wood, Mark Prior and Carlos Zambrano come up with the Cubs. I don’t care who you are, if you have good stuff, you can make ‘em swing and miss or foul it off. If you don’t have good stuff, you better be perfect.”
Of Cueto’s velocity, Baker said, “Ninety-five is 95. If you can locate it at 97, whew, boy.”
It was mentioned that Cueto was throwing 97 Friday, clicking off some at 98.
“I believe that and it was an easy 97-98, easy. And with location,” Baker said. “With a nasty change-up and a slider. His delivery is consistent, which is what permits him to throw strikes and to throw hard with little effort.”
And his small stature doesn’t bother Baker…and it shouldn’t.
“He’s smaller than Pedro (Martinez) when Pedro came up,” said Baker. “As a player, I was wrong about Pedro. I thought they made a mistake when they took him out of long relief and made him a starter because I didn’t think he was big enough to be durable. But there have been a bunch of skinny little guys who were durable.
“If you passed Greg Maddux would you believe what he does? Looks like some school teacher,” Baker added. “‘Damn, dude? You got 300 wins?’ He’s been on the DL one time and that was when he got hit in the toe. And there have been some big ol’ King Kong dudes who can’t stay healthy.”
If all that isn’t a sincerely strong stamp of approval for Johnny Cueto, then there isn’t a Mercedes in the players’ parking lot.
Cueto, Arizona and Attila
It was only his second outing this spring and it was against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but … it WAS the Pittsburgh regulars.
Johnny Cueto, 22, buzzed through the Pirates batting order Friday as if he carried a Black & Decker high-powered tree cutter — a 98-mph fastball and a U Can’t Touch This change-up.
In three innings, Cueto gave up one single while striking out four. If this keeps up, Cueto will be in the rotation.
“That kid has some really, really good stuff,” said Ken Griffey Jr., after watching Pittsburgh’s futility from his right field spot. “He is going to make it real tough on some guys who think they’re in the rotation. No. 34 (Homer Bailey) better turn it up a notch.”
Said catcher Javier Valentin, “His change-up is his best pitch, even with that good fastball. With that change-up, welcome to the big leagues, kid. People say he is the next Pedro Martinez.”
THINKING ARIZONA
Pack your Tilley hats and your sand screens, sports fans — it looks as if the Cincinnati Reds are headed to Goodyear, Ariz., for sure in 2010.
All this spring, Sarasota folks smugly thought their late bid to keep the Reds would work and grasped the idea that Goodyear was out of money and couldn’t find the $32 million needed to lure the Reds to the Arizona desert.
They were wrong.
Goodyear officials have until Thursday to guarantee to the Reds that they have the money and Sarasota people were confident in what they heard — that the Arizona Tourist & Sports Authority was tapped out, no more cash after they bankrolled the new University of Phoenix Stadium for the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and $75 million for the re-location of the Cleveland Indians in Goodyear for spring training.
But Goodyear this week assured the Reds that they can come up with the necessary $32 million and Cincinnati’s negotiator, John Allen, said if Goodyear has the money, “Build it and we will come. If they come up with the funding, we are going to Goodyear.”
Just recently, the Sarasota county commissioners approved $17.5 million to contribute to the refurbishing of Ed Smith Stadium, but it’s too late. Now it looks as if they’ll have to turn to the Baltimore Orioles to fill Cincinnati’s spot in Sarasota.
Meanwhile, the Reds remain in Sarasota this year and next year while a new clubhouse, offices and practice fields are added to the Goodyear complex where the Cleveland Indians move next year.
That means new manager Dusty Baker will have to empty his book shelf of some interesting reading, mostly motivational and inspirational stuff.
“Here’s one of my favorites,” Baker said, pulling out a soft-covered book entitled Attila the Hun. “Everybody thinks I’m crazy for liking him. Attila was one of the best leaders of all time. But I don’t think I can cut off hands and arms if you don’t do what I tell you. I like it because his people (soldiers) were all nationalities, different languages.
“I read all kinds of stuff,” he added. “Zero Limits, John Wooden gave me a book that he signed. I have Bill Walsh’s book that I’ve read a couple of times. Positive-thinking stuff. All kinds of stuff.”
Before taking the Reds job, Baker spent a year as an ESPN analyst and was asked if he considered himself media.
“Oh, yeah,” he said. “Everybody in the world had my phone number, so I had to be media. Everybody called, too. The first thing I did after I left them was change my phone number.”
The Young and Restless
There will be no jokes or wisecracks in this space about Kentucky inbreeding, even though former Cincinnati Reds infielder Doug Flynn brought it up this morning.
Flynn is a born-and-raised Kentuckian and a former member of The Big Red Machine, a guy who seldom played because his position was second base and some guy named Joe Morgan manned that battle station.
Flynn is one of several former Reds wandering around camp, wearing their old uniforms, and giving tips. Manager Dusty Baker called Flynn, “An unbelievable glove man, a guy who could really pick it.”
Anyway, Flynn was in the middle of the clubhouse Thursday morning when non-roster infielder Andy Green walked up.
“Have you met Andy?” said Flynn. “Like most Kentuckians, we’re related … by marriage. We have a cousin, Chris Wade, playing shortstop at the University of Kentucky. He’s Andy’s first cousin and my second or third cousin.”
Green, 30, is from Lexington and played in Japan last year after spending six years in the Arizona organization, logging 226 major-league at-bats.
On Wednesday, Green was playing second base in the ninth inning when the Reds led Boston, 7-6, with a man on third. He made a great diving stop between first and second, couldn’t throw out the guy at first, but alertly threw a runner out a home to end the game.
Shyly accepting congratulations for his play, he said, “Anything to get us on the bus and back home.”
At 30, Green isn’t young, other than in major-league experience, but he is one of the players Baker was talking about Thursday morning.
“We got to see some guys under pressure, guys in roles they might be in, whether they are with us or not,” said Baker. “I loved seeing (pitcher) Josh Roenicke get out of trouble with a one-run lead in the ninth. When you walk the leadoff hitter in the ninth with a one-run lead, that makes it tough. He showed me something, big-time.”
Green saved Roenicke with the big play.
“That was a heads-up play,” said Baker. “If you hesitate one second, you don’t make that play. Somebody behind you has to be your eyes and ears to alert you. That’s teamwork right there.”
Baker loves the attitude of the young players.
“The young guys are playing good,” he said. “I love that. They’re together and they’re excited when they win and disappointed when they lose, even though it’s a spring training game. When they win they are genuinely excited. They beat the Boston Red Sox (Thursday) and they loved it. I’m sure it’ll be the same thing today (Thursday) against the New York Yankees.”
Sean Casey still ‘The Mayor’
The search was on for Sean Casey, and he was nowhere to be found Wednesday morning in City of Palms Park, spring training home of the Boston Red Sox.
Jeff Horrigan, former Cincinnati Post beat writer now covering the Red Sox for the Boston Herald, thought he knew where Casey might be.
“He’s probably out in front of the stadium saying hello to every fan as they walk in,” he said.
That wasn’t true, but it could have been because Sean Casey is still, “The Mayor,” a guy who never met a stranger and never made an enemy.
He played first base for eight years for the Cincinnati Reds, until 2005 when he was traded to Pittsburgh for left-handed pitcher Dave Williams, the biggest bust since Morganna or Dolly Parton.
Casey moved on to Detroit and now is with the World Champion Red Sox. He finally showed up in the clubhouse just prior to the game, wearing a Red Sox spring training jersey.
“It’s the right color,” he said. “It’s red. At least I still get to wear red.”
Even though he is three teams removed from Cincinnati, his heart remains with five-way chili and UDF milkshakes.
“It was good to see some of the guys like (coach) Mark Berry and (trainer Mark Mann,” he said.
How about players? A few remain from the Casey Era — guys like Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn, but they weren’t on this trip.
“I don’t recognize a lot of guys anymore,” said Casey. “How’s Ryan Freel? Is he healthy?”
Told the Freel is fairly quiet these days, worried about his job, Casey said, “Oh, really? Jay Bruce?”
When Casey was told the Reds signed Corey Patterson, he said, “Oh, they did? Wow. And they got Jay Bruce. Is he going to get a shot?”
Casey was told manager Dusty Baker isn’t interested in rushing the 20-year-old outfielder unless he proves he is ready.
Casey smiled and said, “Oh, Dusty? That’s right. I forgot. That makes sense.”
Of Cincinnati, he said, “When you spend eight years in one place you always look back and feel like you are part of that organization.”
Casey seemed concerned about the plight of the Reds, and when he was told the team might still be a pitcher or two short, he said, “It seems like that’s all they need. That’s all they’ve needed for a while.”
He ticked off the names of Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo, then said, “Who else? Matt Belisle had some decent games last year, didn’t he? How about Homer Bailey? You think he is going to be what they think he is? I heard guys who faced him say they wonder.”
Then he added, “At least they’re trying, putting money out there. But is a closer (Francisco Cordero) really what they needed? Don’t they have to go through the first four or five pitchers first to get to him?”
Casey says he still feels a part of Cincinnati because fans kept coming up from Cincinnati to Detroit and told him, “We’re here to watch you play.”
Said Casey, “That happens a lot and it’s great. Hey, I had a great run in Cincinnati, eight years, and nothing but good things to say about it.”
‘C’ is for Cincinnati Cubs
It is only natural for a guy to feel comfortable with people he knows, so it is not surprising that Corey Patterson and Jerry Hairston Jr. wandered into camp Tuesday morning.
Patterson and Hairston played for Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker in Chicago. Both were free agents seeking employment and Baker said, “Come on down.”
Baker insists this isn’t becoming Chicago Cubs-East, but just filling a need for warm and tender bodies due to injuries to Jerry Gil and Jay Bruce, even though both are expected back soon.
One wonders, though — is this the end of Jay Bruce and Ryan Freel? Bakers says it isn’t, but check back when the team breaks camp and heads north.
“No. 1, we’re short of bodies,” said Baker. “No. 2, competition is healthy. We’re trying to improve ourselves for now and, possibly, in the future. We’re trying to win this thing; we’ll go north with the best possible team at the time.”
Patterson is a center fielder who Chicago fans insist was rushed to the majors, leading to setting him back two or three years. Maybe, maybe not. All that is germane now is that Baker likes Patterson.
“Main thing, he is still young (28),” he said. “To me, he hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he can do. He is one of the fastest runners in the league. He plays a great center field.”
Baker said Patterson didn’t know what he was when the Cubs brought him up.
“He was caught between what he wanted to be,” said Baker. “He didn’t know if he was a get-on-base speed guy or if he had enough power just to mess him up. He was confused. Didn’t know if he was a hitter or slugger. I think, through hook or crook, he realized he is a hitter.
“He is the epitome of hype to the point where fans begin clamoring for him,” Baker added. “Where is so-and-so? He is where Jay Bruce used to be. In Chicago, they were saying, ‘We want Corey, we want Corey.’ I said once that the Cubs rushed him and I got in trouble with the organization.”
Baker probably meant that Bruce is where Patterson used to be — a blossoming star who fans want to see playing right now, but he said it the other way around.
But where does this leave Bruce? Louisville? Bench?
“I didn’t say Bruce isn’t making the team or anything like that,” Baker said. “No, no. Not at all. Bruce is a tremendous talent and this guy is going to be a star for a long time, a long time. You don’t know if the timing is right for now or not.
“If I didn’t think he had a chance to make this club, I surer wouldn’t be playing him as much as I have,” Baker said. “He has more at-bats this spring than anybody on the team. I leave my mind open for anything. But you have to figure out what’s best for the team now and what’s best for him.”
Prediction: Patterson in center field, Bruce in Louisville.
Sights and sounds
Question: How does $3.5 million taste, with or without ketchup? Are the Cincinnati Reds willing to sit down and consume that much money, the $3 million they will pay lefthanded relief pitcher Mike Stanton if they keep him this year.
Or are they willing to forget the cash and improve the bullpen.
On Sunday in Dunedin, Stanton gave up a two-run home run to Buck Coats. Real fans remember Coats as a fringe player general manager Wayne Krivsky brought in to the Reds last season.
Coats contributed nothing and is known for not much more than naming his son Country, as in Country Coats. And Stanton gave up a home run to him that wiped out a 2-1 Reds lead.
What do you think…and, remember, it is not YOUR $3 million.
Stanton, though, was not the Lone Ranger during an 8-4 loss to the Blue Jays. David Weathers gave up two runs in one inning and Kent Mercker gave up two runs in one inning.
Manager Dusty Baker defended them by saying as baseball geezers, baseball senior citizens, baseball old-timers, they need longer to get ready, to get sharp, to find location and control. So maybe they all get a free pass for now.
Knology Park in Dunedin is another new venue for Baker, as is nearly every minor-league park in Florida. Told that Knology was a glorified high school field (The Toronto Blue Jays and Dunedin High School share the place), Baker raised his eyebrows and said, “Really.”
When the wind blows out in this place, baseballs are lost by the dozen and during batting practice Baker spotted a building directly behind the right field fence and said, “I hope those windows are shatterproof.”
Before the game, seven Canadian writers surrounded Canadian-born Joey Votto. They called him Vote-oh, so Reds beat writers asked him, “Are we pronouncing it wrong when we call you Vaht-oh?”
“No,” he laughed. “They’re wrong.”
Eh?
Pitcher Kent Mercker spotted Votto surrounded by the Canadian writers and said, “Hey, Joey, are you from Dunedin? Are you giving them your high school stats?”
BAKER IS WEARING uniform No. 12, the digits he wore from his first day in the majors, right through managing the San Francisco Giants and managing the Chicago Cubs.
No. 12 was worn last year by Edwin Encarnacion and sometimes when a player has a number another player (or manager) wants, it costs them - sometimes as much as a Rolex wartch. When Jack McKeon managed the Reds and wore No. 15, pitcher Denny Neagle wanted 15. The cost to get it off McKeon’s back? Two boxes of fine cigars.
Encarnacion is wearing No. 28 now and Baker said, “I tried to call him this winter to ask him about the number 12, but couldn’t get him. If it was special to him, if he wanted it, I would have let him keep it. Once he showed up in camp he said it was OK, that 12 was not special to him.”
Why is 12 special to Baker?
“It’s the number the Atlanta Braves gave me my rookie year,” he said. “I think they knew my hero was Tommy Davis. Davis, an outfielder with the Dodgers, wore No. 12.
As it turned out, Baker was later traded to the Dodgers and replaced Davis - in many ways. He was given No. 12, “So, I wore his number, I played his position (left field) and I batted in his spot in the order (third). And we became good friends after he was out of baseball and are even closer friends to this day.”
Now it’s time to go watch some ball - Reds vs. Jays, with Bronson Arroyo flinging for the visitors and Jay Bruce batting, uh, LEADOFF???
