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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 > 31 > Entry
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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By Doco
April 2, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this
I’m alarmed by Dusty making excuses for his players. Every baseball player has thrown countless wet balls and that is NOT an excuse for a bad throw. Don’t rush. There is NEVER an excuse for not getting a bunt down. That reflects directly on the coaching. And it’s too early to tell with Patterson but you can tell he’s Dusty’s buddy by how he felt the need to make excuses for an 0 for 4. If he starts 0 for 25 then we might need reasons, but the answer after 4 at-bats is it’s one game.
By JB
April 1, 2008 5:20 PM | Link to this
You guys ease up on Griff a bit. Name for me a 19 year vet that hustles like a rookie. I’ll help you…None. On the other hand how many teams have a right fielder that is going to hit .300/30/100, while hitting their 600th home run on the way to the Hall of Fame with half the kids in the stadium wearing his jersey. I’ll help you again…None. Also don’t forget he took less money once upon a time to play for his hometown because he loves the game and this town. So you just might want to cut him some slack if you take a minute to really think about things.
By fred
April 1, 2008 12:13 PM | Link to this
don’t know why everybody is stressing, besides the third harrang pitched decent, weathers and coco looked solid, the runs will come, we did face one of the best pitchers in the league.
By fred
April 1, 2008 12:13 PM | Link to this
don’t know why everybody is stressing, besides the third harrang pitched decent, weathers and coco looked solid, the runs will come, we did face one of the best pitchers in the league.
By fred
April 1, 2008 12:13 PM | Link to this
don’t know why everybody is stressing, besides the third harrang pitched decent, weathers and coco looked solid, the runs will come, we did face one of the best damn pitchers in the league.
By Steve
April 1, 2008 9:56 AM | Link to this
I agree with everyone about not hustling, but we should be kind of use to it by now. I remember as a kid going to opening day in 1972 and after a Reds loss the man across the aisle yelled ” you’re just as lousy as last year”. Well we know what happened that year so it is just one game.
By tom
April 1, 2008 8:43 AM | Link to this
I agree with gap express. Get rid of Paterson, bring back Freel and Bruce and Votto. Get rid of Baker while you are at it.
By Pete
April 1, 2008 8:05 AM | Link to this
Certainly, Valentin admiring his single off the wall deserves scrutiny. But I’ve yet to hear or read anyone mention Griffey doing his usual dogging it on the bases Opening Day, specifically on Phillips’ triple. He was practically walking to 2nd base & had the centerfielder cut off the ball, or even knocked it down, Griffey would’ve never made it to 3rd. He didn’t start to run until the ball had skipped past Chris Young & to the wall. And it wasn’t a matter of him having to wait & see if the ball would be caught by Young. I wonder how many more gap-shot singles we’ll see from him again this year. If a big lug like Harang can leg out an infield single, then Dusty can start the culture change w/ Junior. Gonna happen? No.
By gap express
April 1, 2008 7:59 AM | Link to this
who wanted rusty baker anyway….hopper and votto earned their positions last year…send patterson out and let rusty drive him
By ed
April 1, 2008 7:21 AM | Link to this
I watched them last Sat (Mar 22)against Houston, brought in relief pitcher in sixth and gave the game away. Lost 6-5, going to be a another long season.
By Mike K.
April 1, 2008 6:50 AM | Link to this
It is going to be a long season. The Reds are just as pitiful this year as last. Did you see Jr. almost walk to first base when he hit that ground ball to shallow right field. Didn’t run and was thrown out by a huge margin. What an ego. Send him packing.If he can not give 100% do not play.