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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 > May > 07 > Entry
A home run barrage
So I take a day off so I can get two days in a row off (with the Reds off Thursday) - and now I sound like a manager: “We’re giving Griffey off today because we have an off day tomorrow and that gives me two days off in a row.”
I need, it, though. I’ve watched too much bad baseball lately and the three days in Atlanta was like owning a home in Atlanta when Sherman came marching through with the torches.
And we’re going to New York and the dump that is Shea Stadium. Check my column Friday morning in the Dayton Daily News to find out why I despise Shea and a list of my five favorite ballparks.
Meanwhile, I’m listening to the radio and Jeff & Thom tell me the Reds hit four home runs in the second inning - Joey Votto, Adam Dunn, Paul Bako, Jerry Hairston, Jr. I tend not to believe it without seeing it with my eyes, but Jeff & Thom don’t lie to me.
I do, however, believe what Edinson Volquez is doing - no runs through five innings with his fastball at 94/95, his tantalizing change-up and an occasional breaking ball.
And while the Reds were pouring runs across in the second inning, you just know Aaron Harang was sitting in the dugout thinking to himself (he’d never say it out loud): “Hey, guys. Couldn’t somebody, just one of you, hit a home run when I pitch?”
No sooner said than done (not Dunn). Two more home runs - back-to-backers by Votto (his second of the game) and Brandon Phillips, giving the Reds six in the first five innings.
Anybody remember Tuesday’s game? For only the 31st time in 422 GABP games there were no home runs hit. It has never happened back-to-back and the Reds made certain it didn’t happen Tuesday-Wednesday.
Speaking of Jeff & Thom (Marty took a day off, too), the Reds announced that long-time Louisville broadcaster Jim Kelch will be in the radio booth for 14 games this year. He has done Louisville games for 20 years.
Question: Do they have enough chairs in the booth? Is there room?
The Reds keep adding broadcasters. They’re all good. How about some players? Some good players.
Votto is a good player. A very good player. On track to become a great player. Whoops. He just hit his third home run of the game, the seventh by the Reds. Aren’t the Reds happy the big Canadian didn’t take up hockey. He has to be the only male in Canada who not only never played hockey, he can’t skate.
Votto and I have that in common. I can’t even roller skate, let alone ice skate.
And I wonder how long it will take the Reds to trade Scott Hatteberg, a great guy and an excellent clubhouse presence, but a piece of the puzzle the Reds no longer need.
With the Reds ahead, 9-0, and the game in the capable right palm of Edinson Volquez, it is safe for me to go to see my grandson, Eric, play a high school game - weather permitting.
Permalink | Comments (21) | Post your comment |
Comments
By Bob
May 10, 2008 7:23 PM | Link to this
Frequently you hear of a player getting benched in order to give him a wakeup call. Jocketty or the owner need to give Dusty a severly needed wakeup call. Bench and/or option or release Patterson. He doesn’t nor never has resembled a leadoff hitter; maybe nothing more than AAA or AA. Put Freel at #1 until you can do better and Freel always performs at Web Gem level at any position he is inserted. Belisle needs a change of scenery. Look what happened Volquez. Bring up Bruce, send Jr and Dunn packing ASAP.By donb51
May 9, 2008 2:05 PM | Link to this
Hi Hal, Like I said before, I am trying to be positive - especially about Dunn. Even he finally hit one, it was hardly noticed with the other six homeruns being hit - drat - he never gets the proper credit. Had the other SIX homeruns not been hit, Dunn’s homer would have been the game winner.By cdub
May 8, 2008 12:58 PM | Link to this
Patterson is garbage.By rudy
May 8, 2008 11:55 AM | Link to this
MARGARITAVILLE GUY… the Jimmy Buffet thing is lame, not cool, lame. Women drink Margaritas, look it up. Nothing worse than a middle aged native Ohioan in a pair of linen pants and Magnum PI shirt dancing around Riverbend to “Cheeseburger in Paradise”. All of that aside, I really enjoyed your distorted look into the line-up that never-should-be. Thanks for the concise comment, and don’t poke your eye out with one of those manly umbrellas that stick out of your drink.By michael
May 8, 2008 11:48 AM | Link to this
Bruce was ready on opening day. After winning the AAA MVP,and having a good spring, what else can you do to prove you deserve a chance on a losing team? Votto is fun to watch. We have some great young players and a bright future. Let the tired old guys go. Griffey was a great player, but he left his greatness in Seattle. Let him go back and try to “recapture” it.By Steven Ross
May 8, 2008 11:46 AM | Link to this
Griffey and Dunn will both be moved this year unless we go on a long winning streak (insert joke here). It’s time so anybody with an ounce of sense knows it’s true. Bring up Bruce, insert Homer, more Hariston, less Patterson. Looks good.By Cait
May 8, 2008 10:01 AM | Link to this
By the way, Hal, I have tix to the Sunday, June 22, Reds game at Yankee Stadium. In your next blog from NYC, could you give us a couple of tips on places to eat - especially someplace to get that good NY pizza.By Jeff
May 8, 2008 9:19 AM | Link to this
Yes there were alot of homers but what is impressive about Vottos is that two of them were opposite field. It is nice to see a reds hitter go the other way. You would think Griffey and Dunn could remember that. Even Phillips is pulling off of pitches way to much. Also, isn’t it time the expensive experiment for Corey Patterson is over. Dude works hard but so do car engines. I’m sorry but Dusty needs to cut the cord on this one. When Hopper gets back Patterson needs to go.By Richard
May 8, 2008 7:28 AM | Link to this
I have to agree with Gary Maloy,take away the home runs and what do you have? 90% of the players on this team want to be home run hitters. I have said it before, little ball is what wins games. The winning teams play as a team and play little ball. This team needs a a player that will assume a leader role and light a fire under there butts and get them to play as a team. When they do get on base, there base running also sucks.Tomorrow, they will try a repeat performance and won’t get the ball out of the infield. Also has anyone noticed, but it seems like the win more games, when they aren’t televised?By ShockMonkey
May 8, 2008 6:28 AM | Link to this
Good point Huber Tucky! Move Griffey-Dunn and go with the kids. Time for Bruce and let’s find a spot for Homer too. Can you imagine Harang, Volquez, Cueto and Homer in the rotation? I can.By MAC
May 8, 2008 3:43 AM | Link to this
I can’t resist the opportunity to once again point out how Joey V. has an approach in mind each and every time he goes to the plate and the professional discipline to stick w/ it. He takes pitches, works the count in his favor, hits the ball hard in most ABs and hits for power doing it as well. Proof again that you don’t have to swing for the fences to hit the ball a long way and be a threat at the plate. If we could get Griffey and Dunn to buy into this approach and start hitting the ball the other way to take advantage of the over shifted Def, I think we’d see the team start to gel a little more and my guess is their power numbers would pick up as well.By margaritaville dreamer
May 8, 2008 2:47 AM | Link to this
Fantasy Baseball No, no, not the kind where you get together with a bunch of your drunken buddies and draft players and then precede to spend the rest of the summer scanning box scores like a menu in a Chinese restaurant. No, I’m talking about an epiphany, that instant moment of clarity that comes only after the third margarita. You know when you slur your words and blurt out “You know what I’d do if I ran the Reds?” Yea. You know that moment. So, memo to Walt and Dusty, not because I’m smarter but just because I’m drunker (although, come to think of it…) here’s your new lineup for the Reds. Brandon Philips. A lot of good, even great power hitters have hit leadoff. If Jimmy Rollins, Curtis Granderson, Alfonso Soriano et al can lead off so can Phillips. Have Dusty take some of that 12 million dollars and give BP $1,000 for every hit he gets but fine him $5,000 for every home run he hits (Hey, I said this was a fantasy). He could be a doubles hitting-base stealing machine. Ryan Freel. He can handle the bat, is tough to double up and can bunt Phillips along. Get ‘em on, get ‘em over and next… Joey Votto. Big responsibility, I know. Dusty sees him 5th I see him in a spot where he gets more at bats. He doesn’t pull everything. His job is to put the bat on the ball (hard whenever possible) to all fields. Adam Dunn. This is not really rocket science. He hits the most home runs on the team. Period. Does anybody out there really think he won’t end up leading the team in HRs? All of this talk about batting him 8th or 7th is ridiculous. He’ll hit and if he doesn’t, you’re not going to win anyway. Plus his OBP is perfect for a second inning leadoff man. How many times does this team go 1-2-3 in the first? Jeff Keppinger. Unorthodox perhaps but look at him as batting second in the second. With Dunn’s walks he’s perfect to move him along. This spot will someday belong to Edwin but not now. Jeff is developing into a real professional hitter and can help you anywhere in the lineup. Jay Bruce. On the job training time. Look up Alex Gordon of the Royals. Had a terrible first half last year, better second half and a good start to this year. Show Jay a bunch of tapes of Gorden and assure him it’s OK to stink in the beginning. Beats hitting 300 in the minors. Edwin Encarnation. Relax. Relax. Relax, Edwin. You the man. Tell him the 7th hole is his home for the remainder of the season. No pressure to compete to move up. Only good solid hitting from the bottom of the lineup. Teach him to meditate and do relaxation techniques and have him continue to take extra ground balls. His reward will be in heaven or at least next year when he bats 4th or 5th. But for right now we make EE as comfortable and stress free as possible. You could try explaining to him that he’s really batting fourth in the second inning Jeff Clement. Guess by now you’ve figured something was missing. I know, Bako is doing a great job but please buy his baseball card and read it. I love him but the gum I got with his card isn’t going to keep its taste forever. Clement is just what the doctored ordered. You know, a young guy who can be here a while, somebody who can grow into the job. And yes, we get him from Seattle for Griffey. Trade Ken Griffey Jr. for either Clement or minor league pitching prospects. This young team will need plenty of young pitching to play video games with. I love Ken Griffey Jr. He is my favorite baseball player. He is one of the few to put team over money and I know that he really wanted to win here. That’s why he came (that plus the Skyline chili). But alas, it was not to be. It’s been a rocky romance and he took more grief than he deserved. Our wounded warrior should now be allowed to return home. The fans love him in Seattle in ways that fans in Cincinnati could never understand. If you saw his standing ovation after his home runs against the Mariners last year then you know what I’m talking about. A standing O for a visiting player. Never seen anything like it before. No, as much as it grieves me to say it: It’s time. He deserves it. Well Walt I’d go through the pitching but I have a rule where I GM only between the third and fourth margarita. I’ll get drunk again as soon as I can and explain my plan for Homer Bailey. It’s a real fantasy.By Gary Maloy
May 8, 2008 12:42 AM | Link to this
I’m certainly thankful for 7 homeruns and I shouldn’t paint the world black, but… Isn’t this a sympton of what’s bothering the Reds offense? It’s either the penthoug or the outhouse. And far too often - so far anyway - the Reds have been in the outhouse. I didn’t see the game, or listen to the game. But what if those 7 homers had all hit the outfield wall? Because of the back-to-backs, we would have scored 3 runs, or so. Still enough to win 3-0, but still!By BobbyTwoNames
May 7, 2008 10:38 PM | Link to this
Wow! Were the Reds channelling the Big Red Machine today, or what? Volquez was just filthy. Seems to me the Reds need some right-handed pop and someone who will put the ball in play. If they can move Dunn, even eating part of his salary, you could get Jerry Hairston (with good right hand pop) into left. Use Votto to protect Griffey. Use Hairston to protect Votto. Hit Kep second. Hit Bako 7th and Encarnacion 8th. Put Freel in Center and lead him off. Never let Patterson even SEE the field. Nice righty-lefty balance. Less strikeouts. Sure, you lose Dunn’s OBP, but you also lose a LOAD of strikeouts and that stupid shift he can’t seem to beat.By Broadway
May 7, 2008 10:07 PM | Link to this
Hate to say it—but Patterson is weird acting on the field!The guy just always looks like he is looking over his shoulder—like someone is gaining on him. He looks uncomfortable in his surroundings—seldom see him conversing in the dugout. Is it me or have others noticed this? It is as if the bright lights have taken him out of his comfort zone—if he has such a thing!By Mike
May 7, 2008 6:33 PM | Link to this
Well..don’t get too excited..what happened today with the offensive onslaught is called the law of averages. It was way over due. Just like the game last night was homerless. The trick is to do it again in NY and win the series there. Don’t have a lot of confidence in Matt Belisle to continue the torch of winning. Then the 2nd game they must beat Santana. I hope this wasn’t an illusion or a team of imposters who over achieved and beat the snake bitten Cubbies. So, Friday night..hold your breath..Matt Belisle is pitching and don’t be surprised to see Patterson back at leading off. Wouldn’t surprise me.By Harry the Horse
May 7, 2008 6:18 PM | Link to this
Wow, Marty Brennaman and Hal took the day off and the Reds win 9-0!! I guess with no negative vibes in the park…… Karma baby Karma!! Take the weekend off HOF’ers and maybe we can get a streak going.By Sigh Yung
May 7, 2008 5:31 PM | Link to this
It’s “still early”—and not too late…as I have been saying!They haven’t even begun to approach their abilities—and Jay and Homer aren’t here yet!By Cait
May 7, 2008 5:02 PM | Link to this
Harang should wear Volquez’s jersey when he is pitching, then he’ll get some run support. I agree that Hatteberg should be traded. Good guy, yes, but Votto has to play everyday and we have Valentin to back him up, and Keppinger/Hairston/Dunn, too, if the need arises. This could get Valentin some more playing time to keep his bat fresher for pinch hitting.By Rob
May 7, 2008 3:46 PM | Link to this
Can we just skip Arroyo’s start on Saturday? or maybe Belisle’s on Friday? Everyone else will be right on schedule.By HuberTucky
May 7, 2008 3:35 PM | Link to this
Here’s a real scary thought…imagine where the last place worst team in baseball Deads would be this year WITHOUT Volquez and Cueto and Votto! I guess that might say something about the young guys who aren’t up yet. Yep, 2 of the 3 games with the Cubs the Deads have come to life. Hope they can keep the momentum. Maybe the solution is just quit going on the road.