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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 > July > 09
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
They’re not batty about Cincinnati
First of all, enough of the oft-repeated and unfounded opinions that Dusty Baker ruined Mark Prior and Kerry Wood when he managed the Cubs.
Knowledgeable folks from Chicago dispute that Baker ruined Wood or Prior. Hey, Wood and Prior dispute it themselves, so that’s good enough for me. Wood remains close friends with Baker.
And by the way, maybe somebody should ruin some more pitchers. The guy Baker supposedly ruined, Wood, recorded his 23rd save of the season against the Reds Wednesday.
Somebody ruin me, please.
It just isn’t true, but fans who believe everything they hear keep repeating it. Both Wood and Prior were experiencing arm problems before Baker even landed in Chicago.
So let’s not transfer those thoughts to Cincinnati and blame Baker for anything that happens to Aaron Harang.
Over the last three years Harang has pitched 211 2/3 innings, 234 1/3 innings and 231 2/3 innings - and Baker wasn’t here. So if something dastardly comes out of the MRI of Harang’s forearm today, don’t blame Dusty.
That said, so much for the Reds becoming born again contenders on this trip.
For those who got excited because the Reds swept four from the Washington Unnaturals, well, those Nationals are like the old Washington Senators, about whom it was once written: “Washington - first in war, first in peace and last in the American League.” (There were in the American League then).
The Reds are now playing Real Baseball teams and, frankly, they aren’t good enough to compete. They aren’t close to being as good as the Cubs and probably not close to being good as the Brewers.
What I feared on this trip was that the Reds might do something goofy like win five or six or four of six and delude themselves and their fans into thinking they can still compete this year for the ol’ gonfalon (ask your dad, kids).
But by losing their first two to the division-leading Cubs, it is self-evident that - all together now - “This is not a very good baseball team.”
Now general manager Walt Jocketty can start looking to made trades for 2009 and beyond.
But he has a major problem: the players he would like to trade are not what other teams want, mostly overpriced and underachieving. The untouchables are the players other teams want and Jocketty can’t trade those if he is trying to build.
He has a major challenge. He worked magic in St. Louis and I’ve been looking for his sorcerer’s hat. Haven’t found it yet. Not even a magic wand. He’ll have to do it on his own.
OK, it’s nearly midnight and Wrigley Field is empty and the press box is a sauna. Outside in Wrigleyville, one can still hear the fans singing, “Go Cubs go, Go Cubs go,” a catchy tune fans begin singing after every win.
I’ve been hearing it a lot lately. Even in my dreams.
I can remember back in The Big Red Machine Days when Cincinnati TV icon Ruth Lyons had folks on her show singing, “The Whole Town’s Batty, About Cincinnati, What a Team, What a Team, What a Team.”
Right now I’m saying the same thing: “What a team.”
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TweetHarang to undergo MRI
Ah, we all knew it, didn’t we?
Aaron Harang returned to Cincinnati on Wednesday and will have an MRI on his right forearm, the forearm that he said didn’t bother him when he walked seven Cubs in 4 1/3 innings Tuesday, the forearm that caused him to miss his turn Saturday against the Washington Nationals.
Prediction, here? Hate to be a predictor of gloom, but could it be Tommy John ligament replacement surgery in his immediate future. An MRI today will determine exactly what it is.
I’m no doctor, but it’s past history. Remember when Ryan Dempster pitched for the Reds and was so bad fans called him Ryan Dumpster? Well, when he was with the Reds he lost command of his pitches - just like Harang - because of forearm tightness. He ended up with Tommy John.
But Harang and, so far, Dr. Tim Kremchek believe it is only muscular and that the ligament is fine.
Harang has not been the same since he threw 108 pitches in 5 1/3 innings in San Diego May 22, then came back three days later to pitch four innings in that 18-inning game the Reds lost.
Some also think it might have been Harang pitching on his regular turn the next time through the rotation after throwing 166 pitches in a four-day span.
Harang - and the Reds- remain optimistic that it is no more than a muscular problem.
Harang said he was fine during the game, had a great long toss session before the game and a great bullpen before the game - no pain.
He said he woke up at 5:30 this morning and the forearm had stiffened up again. He went back to sleep until 10, then called trainer Mark Mann. Mann talked to Baker and general manager Walt Jocketty and it was decided to send him back to Cincinnati.
“Same area of my forearm,” he said. “It is obviously something that didn’t completely go away.”
Asked if he is worried, Harang said, “No, because from the examination I had last week the doctor said from the tests he’d did on the ligaments I’d be screaming if there was something wrong there.
“He thought it was just muscular,” Harang added. “We’re hoping with rest and treatment it’ll be all right. We’re just going to check to see that there is no structural damage.”
Said Baker, “Harang said he is having more discomfort than usual. We’re going to see what’s wrong and we hope it’s muscular and rest will calm it down. That’s what the Cubs did with Carlos Zambrano earlier this year and he’s OK now. It’s been a month to six weeks now that he hasn’t been the real Aaron Harang.”
Harang was supposed to pitch Sunday in Milwaukee against C.C. Sabathia (That’s enough to make anybody feel woozy), but now that start will be taken either by Daryl Thompson or Homer Bailey.
I WOULD HAVE had this report quicker, but when I got to the Wrigley Field press box today every seat was occupied. By tourists. And the tour guide kept them there for 20 minutes with tales of Wrigley.
They just started this recently - tours during homestands, at $25 a head.
With their payroll, the Cubs probably need the money. After all, they only sell out every home game.
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