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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 > August > 13
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Why Fogg and not Bailey?
Let’s play Two Questions (Twenty Questions takes too long).
ONE — Why is Josh Fogg still in the pitching rotation of the Cincinnati Reds when it is vivid that the season has been officially declared irretrievable?
Fogg has the same chance of being in the Reds rotation in 2009 as Hillary Clinton has of living in the White House next year.
TWO — Why isn’t Homer Bailey back in the rotation? Right now, his 0-6 record means nothing as far as where the Reds are headed this year ,and even if he finished 0-12 shouldn’t he be wearing a Reds uniform to see if he’ll be part of next year’s rotation?
Nevertheless, there was Fogg Wednesday night in PNC Park, pitching a meaningless game between the two worst teams in the National League Central.
And there was Fogg giving up four runs in the fifth inning that led to the Reds’ 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, pushing the Reds 20 1/2 games out of first place, 2 1/2 behind the next-to-last Pirates.
Fogg? He is 2-5 with a 7.96 earned run average for his 11 starts and six relief appearances. This is looking at the future?
Meanwhile, Bailey works in Louisville, where he has nothing to prove or show, although he said before he left he was looking forward to pitching for the Bats because they are in first place, they are having fun and the morale is good.
Bailey also said before he departed for horse country, “I’m considering this season a washout. I’ll start all over next year.” What he should have said was he was considering the season up to that point a washed-out bridge and he was starting all over at that point.
Right now. With the Reds. Not the Bats.
THE REDS’ OFFENSE against left-hander Paul Maholm consisted of two solo home runs, one by Corey Patterson in the third inning on his 29th birthday that gave Fogg a 1-0 lead and one by Jay Bruce in the seventh that broke his 0 for 11 skid after he hit into double plays his first two times.
The 1-0 lead after Patterson’s home run lasted for four innings as Fogg held the Pirates to no runs and four hits.
Fogg was good up to then and, as he said, “Was. The key word, was.”
Brandon Moss doubled to lead the fifth and Jason Michaels homered to make it 2-1.
Then Fogg issued two walks and single to load the bases and Ryan Doumit unloaded with a two-run double that nearly was a grand slam.
“I wasn’t throwing as many strikes in the fifth, walked a couple of guys, but mostly I wasn’t making the pitches I needed to make,” said Fogg. “After Michaels’ home run, the rest of the inning got away from me.
“If I’m able to get the third inning before Doumit hit the double and we’re still a 2-1 ballgame, but I wasn’t able to finish off the inning,” he added.
With the way the Reds are going and with their future map outlined without Fogg (a nice guy), he shouldn’t be able to finish off the season, either.
“Those walks in the fifth (by Fogg) is what set it up for the big boys to come up in the fifth,” said manager Dusty Baker. “We know Fogg is going to give you six or six-and-a-fraction.
“He gave up the home run (Michaels) and that made it 2-1, no problem, but then he lost command of the strike zone and it turned into a big inning.”
The Reds did very little with Maholm, either — two runs and seven hits over eight innings.
“These guys can turn some double plays, too (Bruce hit into two and Jolbert Cabrera one). And their third baseman (Freddy Sanchez) made some outstanding plays on us. He saved the day for them,” Baker added. “The left side of their infield is really alert when Maholm pitches because he is throwing sinkers and change-ups.”
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TweetOf Owings, Korea, Dickerson
Somebody said to manager Dusty Baker, “So, you’re getting Micah Owings from Arizona in the Adam Dunn deal?”
Before he thought, Baker said, “Yeah.” Then, realizing this stuff hasn’t been announced yet, he added, “Really?”
But the flash in his eyes said it all.
Then he was told that there is a report that the Reds can’t get Owings right now — because he had to clear waivers and Washington general manager and former Reds GM Jim Bowden put in a claim for him.
That forced Arizona to withdraw Owings from waivers and now the Reds can’t get him until after the season.
“Bowden was just doing what he could to help his club,” said Baker, another smile on his face while responding to hearing about what Bowden allegedly did.
There is a report that Arizona has not yet placed Owings on waivers, so no team could have claimed and blocked any deal, but another source insists Owings was on waivers.
Baker said before Wednesday’s game, “There is some problem with the league concerning the Owings trade.”
Nevertheless, Owings is coming to the Reds at some point.
If Bowden or anybody else claimed Owings, they might have done the Reds a favor. If Owings arrived right away, the Reds might be tempted to use him. And he might not be usable right now.
After AAA Tucson on July 29. In his first two starts there, he was 0-2 over 11 innings with a 4.09 ERA.
The big thing, though, is that he was supposed to start tonight but was scratched due to shoulder discomfort.
Oh, boy.
SEVERAL REDS were watching the U.S.-South Korea Olympic Games baseball game in the pregame clubhouse, a game started by J.K. Bong for South Korea. Bong briefly pitched for the Reds and spent most of his time injured.
“Is this live?” asked Jerry Hairston Jr., looking at the TV.
“No, they all died,” said Francisco Cordero. Is that Dominican humor? Well, the U.S. team died, losing on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth.
And speaking of Korea, the Korean Professional League folded recently and two pitchers from the Reds system are back in the States. Tom Shearn, though, is pitching in the Minnesota system. Justin Lehr returned to Class AAA Louisville.
AFTER MAKING his major-league debut Tuesday in left field, batting leadoff, Chris Dickerson was on the bench Wednesday under the BPA — the Baker Protective Agency.
“Pittsburgh starter Paul Maholm (a left-hander) is really tough and Dickerson had a little problem with left-handers in the minors,” said Baker. “As I promised, I’m going to protect him, not ruin his confidence, protect his confidence by playing him where he has a better chance to succeed. He’ll be back in there Thursday against Ian Snell.”
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