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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 > 2009 > February > 16
Monday, February 16, 2009
Taveras: “I can steal 100 bases”
Willy Taveras can do the math.
-Only 533 late appearances last year.
-Only a .251 batting average last year.
-Only a .302 on-base average last year.
And still he stole 68 bases for the Colorado Rockies.
Taveras, newest leadoff hitter for the Cincinnati Reds, doesn’t change expressions when he says, “I can steal 100 bases this year.”
That’s because Taveras believes he should get 700 plate appearances this year. He also believes he can hit .300 and raise his on-base average to .350.
“Do all that and, yes, I can see steal 100 bases,” he said.
Taveras sat a lot last season, a Never On Sunday player.
“I can remember only playing one game on Sunday all year, for some reason,” he said.
There can’t be a happier man anywhere to be in a different venue.
“I’m more than excited,” he said. “I’m pleased to be here. I’m so blessed to be able to put on a major-league uniform, I’m blessed to play for Dusty Baker and I’m blessed to play with my friend, Edwin Encarnacion and I’m blessed to play for the Cincinnati Reds.”
Taveras said some things escaped him last year in Colorado and he plans to recapture some 2007 magic when he hit .320.
“I have to use my speed and bunt more,” he said. “I got away from that last year. I’m working on it and I can say that I’ll try to bunt at least once a game. I need to do that to put pressure on the other team - first by bunting, then by stealing bases. No excuses. I’ll be better.”
MANAGER DUSTY BAKER was talking about the possibility of three Latinos in the rotation (Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, Ramon Ramirez) and somebody asked how important it might be to have a Latin catcher like Ramon Hernandez.
“Well, (pitching coach) Dick Pole, me and (third baseman) Edwin Encarnacion all speak Spanish, too,” said Baker. “Of course, Edwin talks so low you can’t here him. That probably comes from the fact he comes from such a large family (15 brothers and sisters), so he probably was never heard anyway.”
SPEAKING OF CATCHER Hernandez, Baker is trying to give him a crash course in learning the pitchers. The newly acquired Hernandez is leaving camp to begin March 2 practice with the Venezuelan team for the World Baseball Classic.
Baker is trying to get Hernandez to catch every pitcher in camp at least once during their sessions before he leaves, “Give Ramon a condensed synopsis of our pitching. He is leaving so soon I was concerned. But he said he went through the same thing in Baltimore and came out OK. He is one of the best catchers out of his country and everybody is short of catching.”
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