Madison graduation 2012
Warren County CC graduation
New Miami graduation 2012
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 > Entry
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.
Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment |
Tweet
Comments
By Jerry
March 23, 2008 8:28 AM | Link to this
1st. Hal, I agree with you about Baker. Let’s get off his case until he actually has assembled his team and managed it. I seem to remember in 1990 we were all asking “Why did we hire this clown?” and I think we know how that season ended. The team responded very well to Pete Mac last year who was a Players Manager and now we have the ultimate Players manager in place. 2nd. I also agree Homer Bailey needs more time in AAA to find his control and get his pitch count down. A lot of people complained Dusty blew out young pitchers by running up pitch counts and innings. It appears to me he’s trying to avoid that with Bailey. 3rd. As for Jay Bruce, I also agree with getting him a little more seasoning in AAA. Corey Patterson is a good example of bringing up your young “Phenom” and inserting him in the lineup too fast. If Bruce had come up last September and tore it up as Votto did I might feel differently. The guy has never faced major league pitching yet! Would everyone be happy if he started in CF and fell flat on his face, and ruined his confidence? 4th. Joey Votto - His situation is different from Bruce. He has shown he can play in the majors and I feel like Baker will give him a chance. I think he will get the majority of playing time at 1B unless he doesn’t produce. Hatteburg is a pretty good fall back if needed. 5th. Pitching - Starters: Harang, Arroyo, Cueto, Volquez, Fogg. Very short leash on the 2 youngsters with Belisle and Bailey in AAA as insurance. Bullpen: Cordero, Weathers, Mercker, Coffey, Affeldt, Bray, Burton. Let Lincoln go to AAA and get some more innings in. He’s been out almost 2 years after all the surgerys. If Burton or any of the others falter bring him up. Castellini has shown he will eat a contract for the betterment of the team, so Stanton is at the unemployment office. 6th. Position Players - CF Patterson/Hopper, SS Keplinger, RF Griffey, 2B Phillips, LF Dunn, 3B Encarnacion, 1B Votto, C Valentine/Bako. Bench - Hatteburg, Gil, Hopper, Bako, Cabrera. According to SI.com Freel is on the block and several teams are interested. If he stays, he takes Cabrera’s place. Castro is washed up and probably gone. Ross and Gonzo start the season on the DL.
By Tim in Stuttgart
March 22, 2008 5:02 PM | Link to this
Hal,(1) 2nd,maybe 1st (2)I agree with you. I don’t know if MB will ever make that next step (3)I’m okay with defering to DB here. While we have all seen the down side to bringing up a kid too soon, I’m not sure what the down side is in sending them down, as long as somone else is getting it done in Cincy. (4) On this one I say Votto for a couple reasons I’m surprised have not yet been mentioned. Hattie can hit falling out of bed, so he is very valuable as a pinch-hitter and late inning defense. Votto is neither of the above, but I believe he does merit the opportunity to lose the job. If he does not start though I’d send him down to get ABs and more experience. (5) Based purely on what I have read, I’d say A+ as well. However, I’ll reserve final grading until I see how he handles the staff and the BP and all the other game time decisions. Thanks for all your great and hard work Hal! How’s the sun burn?
By Jeff
March 22, 2008 1:06 PM | Link to this
As we all know this division is weak. I think the Reds will finish 2nd but if the two young starters can live up to their potential, I think they can challenge the Cubs for 1st. The rotation – Harang, Arroyo, Cueto, Fogg and Volquez. Bailey needs more time in the minors. Hopefully, he’ll continue to mature. Given his performance the last few years, Fogg’s numbers indicate he’s a more than adequate number 5. Why I don’t put him at 5 is I believe that Cueto and Volquez are too similar and would benefit from being separated. If they both continue to pitch at a high level, you could move Cueto to 2, Arroyo to 3 and Volquez to 4. Probably not this season, though. Bruce would have been my choice…if he was still with the team. Since he’s not there, I’d start Patterson but put him on a very short leash. If he’s not getting it done by mid-May and Bruce is putting up the numbers we all expect, you make the switch. 4.Votto has done all he can in AAA Let the kid play. If he falls on his face, Hatteberg can replace him. I think we got a pretty good indication of what he can do at this level last September. I haven’t looked at the numbers, but my impression by looking at the lines for the games is that Votto hasn’t gotten nearly the playing time someone would get if they were truly being given a chance to earn a spot on the roster. It sounds like he’s running a more rigorous spring training than recent ones. It also appears like he’s not afraid to give players a nice kick in the butt when they need it. I am though, starting to become convinced that he has an affinity for veterans and players from his past, but I think is specific to position players, not pitchers. I really don’t think Bruce and Votto have been in the lineup regularly enough to be considered a fair chance. Plus his comments about Bruce the first week of spring training where he stated that there is more to centerfield than hitting. I think the Cueto, Volquez and Bailey have been given a lot of opportunities to prove themselves.
By Bubba
March 22, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this
Hey Don B., they DID spread it around. The agreement (as I heard it) was that baseball pony up half the money, and the players will pay the coaches and staff the other half!
By Bill
March 22, 2008 9:53 AM | Link to this
The stars will align/Better pitching will be the difference/The little Red Caboose will chug all the way to a pennant! You heard it here, first!
By Don B.
March 22, 2008 8:26 AM | Link to this
Hal, Once again, thank you for all you do and have done over the years. Keep it up! Anyway, I agree mostly with your analyses. I want to respond to the 40K question where someone wrote the players were trying to look out for the little guy. If they were, why don’t these young “millionaires” spread their wealth and split the money with these guys. This reminds me of an anectdote about Congressman Davy Crockett voting against the Congress giving away our tax money on charity cases. If they are so concerned, let them spend their own money, not someone elses.
By John Ferris
March 22, 2008 7:32 AM | Link to this
Hal: I sorta play this game when any professional athlete is interviewed on TV: I count the “you knows” and other trite speech patterns and wonder why grown men making the money they do cannot string one sentence together without gathering their thoughts before they speak. I dearly love Adam Dunn, but when his “you know” count reached 79 during a two-minute interview yesterday, I had to walk away. When writing your articulate columns, how do you extract meaningful comments sandwiched in between the “you knows,” the “like I said befores,” and the “I means”? And do you find this as distracting as I do?
By Wordman
March 22, 2008 2:35 AM | Link to this
Yes, give DB a chance to run the club his way. The old way Miley and Narron ran it didn’t work.We all wanted change, so let’s see how it goes.
By got milk
March 21, 2008 8:50 PM | Link to this
To answer your questions: Put me down for a second place finish by the Reds this year and they will be playing meaningful games in Sept. 2. Gotta agree with your rotation. The right five guys are in there. I am concerned about Bailey in AAA, though. He’s already shown he can blow through that league with his current ‘stuff’. I just don’t know how much he will improve his game down there. 3. The only reason to put Patterson in CF over Bruce is that Corey will track down more fly balls than Jay. I say Corey has the month of April to show that the light has come on in regards to getting on base. If he’s still posting a .300 OB% after the first month of the season, give him some lovely parting gifts. 4. Gotta go with Votto at first base. The upside potential, especially with power, is too great not to go for it. 5. I think Dusty’s done a very good job. I’ve really liked the stories this spring where he’s been quoted as telling players to quit horsing around and to get to work.
By Robert
March 21, 2008 5:15 PM | Link to this
Hal - The Red Sox players were standing up for the guys who DO make $30,000 or $40,000 a year in alot of cases. The bullpen catcher. The club house guys, etc. They should be commended not ridiculed. True the money doesn’t make a difference for most of the players but that was not the point, they were looking out for the little guys.
By Robert
March 21, 2008 5:15 PM | Link to this
Hal - The Red Sox players were standing up for the guys who DO make $30,000 or $40,000 a year in alot of cases. The bullpen catcher. The club house guys, etc. They should be commended not ridiculed. True the money doesn’t make a difference for most of the players but that was not the point, they were looking out for the little guys.
By Y-City Jim
March 21, 2008 2:17 PM | Link to this
1- I see the Reds in 2nd because they are going to get off to a slow start offensively. Patterson is a mistake especially as a leadoff hitter. Has anyone noticed that he hasn’t draw a BB in his eight games? 2- I agree the rotation starts off as Harang, Arroyo, Cueto, Volquez, and Fogg. If Foggs falters and Bailey learns to consistently hit the strike zone then he takes over the 5 spot. 3- Jay Bruce. The future is now. Once the kid relaxes he’ll be on fire! 4- Joey Votto. Again, the future is now. If Gonzalez returns perhaps spell him with Keppinger against the tough left handers. 5- I give Baker a “D” grade so far. He is not objective in his evaluations. Instead of taking the 20-year-old Bruce under his wing, he publicly criticized him on occasion and set him up to fail. Lastly, he had too many people in camp for too long a time period.
By Overlook Vet
March 21, 2008 12:14 PM | Link to this
Hal, I sent you some very nice cigars last year, and I’m sure they’re gone by now; however, after seeing you again in Sarasota this past week, I continue to wonder why your cigars are never lit? Regardless, I think the answers to your questions are: 1. Reds finish 2nd, but will make it very interesting late into the season. 2. Same rotation as yours; Cueto and Volquez were electric when I saw them pitch. 3. Freel in CF. 4. Dunn at 1st. 5. Don’t like Dusty, never have. I don’t understand the sweatbands and such. I DO like that he elevated the expectations regarding the “intensity” of practice.
By Nick
March 21, 2008 11:56 AM | Link to this
Hal, I was just wondering if you ever read your loyal fans comments way down here in your blog? I know you day has to be busy but I was thinking that it would be really fun if this blog was a little more interactive. Would you ever consider commenting on our blog comments. Maybe give us some feedback on what you think about our comments. Heck, maybe even just pick out one comment a day to comment back about. Just an idea. Have a good day Hal and Go Reds.
By theberkeleybum
March 21, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this
The only question I care to haggle about: 4. Hatterberg is 38 and a career .274 hitter and has hit over .300 just once. Votto will be 25 this season and his prospect status has about run its course. He needs a full time job in the major leagues - not a time share, not more AAA seasoning. In Dusty’s blundering hands, I’m worried we’re going to have another Hee Sop Choi situation (reference ‘Dusty’s squandered and mishandled talented prospects who are now flipping burgers for a living’ and you’ll find his name).
By Nick
March 21, 2008 10:27 AM | Link to this
Hal, I love your blog. You are the man. Now on to answering your questions. 1. I am predicting a second place finish in the NL Central. The Cubs are just to strong offensively and have an ace at the top of their pitching order. Hou, St. Louis, and the Pirates are below average teams from top to bottom. I am not sold on the Brewers complete rotation as I’m sure Brewer fans are not of ours. I think our offense matches up well with their but I would actually have to give our bulpen a higher grade than their. That is if Dusty keeps the right guys. 2. I really wish I could add more to your comments above but you hit it right on the head. The only thing that I would change is that I would have Volquez as my #3 and Cueto #4. This is solely based on MLB experience and no Fogg should not be ahead of Cueto. 3. I actually like what I see out of Volquez, so far. I think that Hamilton and Bruce would have been perfect with Griffey playing in Seattle but we all see how this played out. Let me put it this way, we are at least a year away from maxing out our talent on this team so why not start Bruce in center field this year. What is the worst that could happen? So he struggles a little and is not a God his rookie year. I could care less. I think that Griffey is gone next year because his salary will be atrocious. Give the kid a chance then move him to right field next year and have Hopper take over center. Maybe that will allow us to free up some money and get a legitimate #2 starting pitcher. 4. Votto showed last season that he belongs in the majors. He is the future and so he needs MLB experience because like I said before this is not our year to win it all. I also love Hatteberg coming off the bench. He is the most professional hitter on this team. 5. So far I am enjoying Dusty Baker. I love his interviews as well. He seems to be straight forward and tells it like it is. The only beef I have with him is that Bruce will be sent down to AAA. I am glad that he should seemingly do the right thing with the starting rotation by having bith Cueto and Volquez in there. Ask me this question again after the final cuts are made. I will be able to give you a more complete answer.
By Matt
March 21, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this
1 - I agree with you, Hal. Second at best. I actually think second is very doable. The Cubs will probably take the division, but I don’t buy the Brewers. I really never have. Their ace is constantly hurt and they’re a couple of Gagne blowups from having to use Derrick “Steroids” Turnbow. Houston and St. Louis should be down, and the Pirates are the Pirates. 2 - Again, I agree with you. Probably in the same order too. I was hoping for more from Homer Bailey, but another stint in Louisville is probably the best for him. And there’s just no place for Belisle right now. 3 - It will be Patterson, but I wish it were Bruce. If the Reds were serious about competing and seeing what they’d have, they’d start Bruce and Votto over Hopper/Freel and Hatteberg – nothing against any of those last three. But it will be Patterson, with Hopper and Freel getting spot starts here and there and coming off the bench. Freel could also be traded. And I think Bowden is too busy calling Mario Soto (You can never have enough pitching!) to talk to Geronimo. 4 - I guess I answered that already. I really like Hatteberg, and from what I’ve read he’s nothing but class. However, it’s time to put the young guys out there. Give Reds fans a spark, something to watch for. It’s not like we expect to go to the World Series this season, but we’d like to get a taste of what’s to come. 5 – I guess a C right now. Maybe a B. I’m not as anti-Dusty as some are, but I do not like the Patterson/Hairston signings. I do appreciate the fact that he has given the young pitchers every chance to shine. I wish he’d do the same for Bruce and Votto.