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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > March > 21
Friday, March 21, 2008
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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TweetThe $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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