2012 senior class photos
2012 West Carrollton graduation
Home of the Week
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 > 22
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Chasing that coveted No. 5 spot
SARASOTA, Fla. — Competition for the oh-so-available No. 5 spot in the Cincinnati Reds starting rotation doesn’t just start during exhibition games.
It starts from Day One and it was apparent Sunday afternoon during live batting practice.
On one field, Nick Masset was throwing to hitters, who were not making solid contact and manager Dusty Baker said, “Umm, umm. He is throwing really good, isn’t he?”
Baker, general manager Walt Jocketty and pitching coach Dick Pole watched intently.
Masset was happy with his session and said as he walked off, “Just want that No. 5 spot.”
As Masset left, the scene shifted to another field and Baker, Jocketty and Pole all left to watch Micah Owings.
“Somebody is going to be a big surprise, I’m telling you,” said Baker. “Owings is throwing good, too. It is good to have these options. Either Masset or Owings could make the rotation and the other guy could be valuable in the bullpen.”
Homer Bailey? They say he remains in the mix and he will pitch with the starters the first week of exhibition games, but his name on the depth chart board hanging in Baker’s office is far, far, far down the list.
BAKER WATCHED lefthanded sidearm pitcher Ron Flores during live batting practice and said, “This guy is interesting. He throws harder than Brian Shouse (highly successful lefthanded sidearmer) but doesn’t have the same consistency on his breaking ball.”
Flores, 29, is 1-4 with a 3.05 ERA for 53 major-league relief appearances for Oakland. The Reds signed to a minor-league contract and invited him to camp.
With Bill Bray and Arthur Rhodes the only lefthanders in the bullpen for now, Flores could be an interesting addition as a guy to come in and face a lefthander or two, the way Shouse does it so well.
BAKER HAS MIXED emotions on how to handle shortstop Alex Gonzalez as he returns from knee surgery.
“I have to talk to him about whether he’ll start right away in exhibition games,” said Baker. “There is a point when you wonder about holding him back so he won’t be ready or when you might be overexposing him. He’s still in a gray area.
“The real hurdle is getting past when you have to think about things,” Baker added. “When you no longer have to calculate your cuts and moves and plants and turns and jumps and throws. You just do it.”
Gonzalez isn’t there yet, “But he is a lot better than a lot of people thought he would be. He is way ahead.”
Sounds to me as if this is iffy, iffy, iffy, a situation that needs to be monitored closely.
RELIEF PITCHER David Weathers to coach Ted Powers as he warmed up: “Does it mean anything when buzzards circle over head when you start throwing?” For a guy who performs pretty well in the clutch most of the time (yes, he makes it squirmy and breath-holding sometimes), he takes a lot of grief. Somebody e-mailed me the week spring training began by saying, “This is the week that pitchers, catchers and David Weathers report.”
Ouch, that’s nasty.
PLAYERS ARE SUPPOSED to report to the clubhouse each morning by 9:15, but first baseman Joey Votto was on a field at 8 a.m. working on his defense and Baker said: “That’s Joey Votto. That doesn’t shock me.”
Doesn’t shock me, either. He’s the strong, silent type. Never makes noise. Never know he’s around. Until he gets into the batter’s box and that’s when the noise begins.
(For a blog posting early Sunday morning, read the previous blog belowtg this one)
Permalink | Comments (15) | Post your comment |
TweetJones, Gomes: no great risk involved
It is neither a shock nor a secret that Jacque Jones and/or Jonny Gomes is/are reclamation projects - guys who tripped over baselines or disappeared in a far corner of dugouts last year.
Both signed minor league contracts with the Cincinnati Reds so if they can’t recapture their days of success, well, nothing ventured nothing gained - or lost.
The Reds are looking for a left fielder if Chris Dickerson can’t hold it. And they’re looking for bench help if Dickerson lays claim to left field.
Manager Dusty Baker realizes he is flirting with another Corey Patterson situation. Patterson played for Dusty in Chicago, was brought in to Cincinnati last year, and was a bigger flop than any one-day-and-close Broadway Show.
He doesn’t believe that will happen with Jones.
“Jacque can play,” said Baker. “Jacque can run, he hustles, he is a good outfielder. He had a down year last year just like Gomes. But they both have some track records of excellence. Just because you fall down for a while doesn’t mean that you’re through.”
Jones, once a star in Minnesota, was a 2008 fizzle - .165 in 24 games with Detroit and .108 in 18 games with Florida. He played winter ball in Mexico to resurrect his career.
Gomes, once a budding star in Tampa Bay, hit .182 in 77 games last year and was sent to Triple-A at one point and then was left off TB’s postseason roster.
Jones will be 34 in April and Gomes is 28.
“Jones is 33? That ain’t nothing,” said Baker. “Al Campanis (former Dodger GM) told me you are in your prime from age 32 to 36. Then you stay there or go down from there depending upon body type, how you take care of yourself, injuries and desire to play.”
For sure, Jones has a sculpted, fat-free body. But so did Patterson. Let’s see what happens before fans come down heavily in their combat boots and work shoes on any necks.
CATCHER HUMBERTO COTA, the last player signed (minor league contract, invite to majoer-league camp), had difficulties getting out of Mexico (he didn’t think it would be too cool to try to cross the border at Tijuana under cover of darkness), showed up in camp Sunday morning.
He won’t be here long. He leaves a week from tomorrow (March 2) to play for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. Also leaving the Reds that day are Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto (Dominican Republic), Joey Votto (Canada), Jerry Hairston Jr. (Mexico) and Ramon Hernandez (Venezuela).
“And we found out today that Pedro Viola (hard-throwing lefthanded pitcher) is going to pitch for the Dominican Republic,” said Baker.
EVEN THOUGH EXHIBITION games start Wednesday, after an intrasquad game is played Tuesday - a shorter than usual workout period - Baker said the team has accomplished most of what needs to be done.
“We haven’t done sliding yet,” he said. “We’ll try to do that tomorrow (Monday). “You get more injuries sliding than you get in any other thing. We’re working on cutoffs and relays and chasing pop-ups today.
“You never get everything in because there are not enough days prior to games,” he said. “You try to get the more important stuff in before the games. Then you add-on as you play the games. Or you go over again what you need to go over as you go along.”
Not too many people are thrilled about moving spring training to Arizona next year, but Baker knows one reason it is good.
“The one drawback with Florida versus Arizona, is that in Arizona all the teams are so close together you can do fundamentals AND batting practice before you leave for a road game because the other parks are so close. You just go play the game.
“Here in Florida, with the lengths of so many of the trips, you’re lucky to get batting practice at their parks and that’s about it. You have to do all your work only for home games. In Arizona you can work every day.”
FOR THOSE once-in-a-while complaints about typographical errors and misused syntax, here’s the deal. If you’re an English teacher looking for perfection, look elsewhere.
Our blog posting site has no spell check. I read what I write quickly because I want to post it for the readers as soon as possible. The type is very small and difficult for me to read (I’m legally blind and errors do slip through). And don’t blame DDN editors. They don’t read the copy before I post it. It is my blog and my responsibility. You want perfection? Go elsewhere. You want information and you want entertainment, come on in.
And I thank those who always step forward to defend me. Appreciate, it, guys (and gals).
Permalink | Comments (31) | Post your comment |
Tweet
