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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 > 27
Friday, February 27, 2009
Arroyo was all thumbs (texting)
Bronson Arroyo spent at least two hours standing outside in the sun, near the Cincinnati Reds offices, wearing civvies and scrolling through his cellphone.
“Do it about once a week,” he said. “I’m so busy doing stuff around here that I can’t answer so everybody leaves me a text or a voicemail. I answer ‘em all, but I do it like once a week.
“Some players are real jerks and don’t answer their messages, but I try to answer ‘em all,” he said.
In between thumbing texts and answering voicemails, Arroyo said, “I can’t wait to get on the mound today. Feels like it has been a year-and-a-half since I pitched. I know we’ve been throwing on the back fields, but that’s not like facing hitters on the other team. And, for some reason, I feel so skinny.”
In the first inning, it was as if Arroyo sent texts to Philadelphia’s Sane Victorinio and Raul Ibanez to tell them what pitches were coming. Both doubled for a run as Arroyo appeared to be lobbing the ball.
He was. He said he just tries to throw strikes in the first inning, get a feel for things. He’d rather give up hits than walk people and said, “No matter how established you are you don’t want to go out there and walk people. Shane Victroino (Philadelphia’s leadoff hitter) smoked that double off me, but I was happy that it was a good pitch.”
He was more Arroyo-like in the second inning, going 1-2-3.
ARROYO’S POINT was well-proved by Philadelphia starter Andrew Carpenter, a rookie. He didn’t retire a batter at all, not one. He walked three, gave up three hits and four runs. He faced six hitters and all reached base. That spawned the down home hlumor of Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel, who said, “What did he do wrong? He didn’t get anybody out, that’s what he did wrong.”
From the four-run first, the Reds built it into a 10-3 victory.
Joey Votto had a run-scoring single, Juan Francisco, playing third base for Edwin Encarnacion, banged a two-run double to left (the opposite way) and Jonny Gomes drilled a two-run double. Gomes later doubled again.
WILLY TAVERAS walked and stole second in the first inning, his first theft of the spring. But since this one doesn’t count on his stats, he still has 100 to go to reach his goal for 2009. Taveras also dropped a bunt for a hit in the fourth inning.
Of Francisco’s two hits, manager Dusty Baker said, “That young man can hit.”
The game ended with left fielder Darnell McDonald making a diving, belly-flopping catch.
“Good defense again, especially the one to end the game,” said Baker. “We’re playing good defense every game and that’s a great sign this early.”
NICK MASSET starts for the Reds tonight at 7:05 in a game at Fort Myers against the Boston Red Sox. Aaron Harang pitches against the New York Yankees in Sarasota Sunday afternoon in front of an expected full house of Yankee fans, most wondering if Alex Rodriguez will make the trip across the Sunshine Skyway.
The guess here? No.
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TweetJuan Francisco: A bright, bright future
The Cincinnati Reds clubhouse was closed to the media at 8:30 this morning so that Players Association Executive Director Donald Fehr could talk to them, something about, “Don’t get caught using steroids.”
Before the doors were closed, Fehr was heard telling an associate, “When I write a book I’m going to point out that a good team is something other than a collection of good players.”
Profound. Very profound. I’d love to see what kind of team he would put together. For sure, it was have a higher payroll than the Yankees.
THE REDS host the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies this afternoon and manager Dusty Baker gave Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce and Edwin Encarnacion a day off. It makes sense because those three will play a night game Saturday in Fort Myers against the Boston Red Sox, “Then we come back and play a day game on Sunday (against the New York Yankees),” said Baker.
The Phillies didn’t bring their ‘A’ team to Sarasota. In fact, it was barely a ‘B’ team. No Ryan Howard, No Jimmy Rollins. No Chase Utley. And former Reds pitcher Gary Majewski, trying to make the Phillies, was not on the trip - cutting down the chances of one very long inning.
With Encarnacion out of the lineup, fans were presented the chance to see Juan Francisco at third base. Just two years ago, the 6-2, 180-pound Dominican hit 25 homers and drove in 90 runs for the Class A Dayton Dragons in 135 games. Last year he hit 23 homers and drove in 92 runs in 127 games for Class A Sarasota.
During winter ball in the Dominican this year, he hit 12 home runs for Cibao, a Dominican Winter League record for lefthanded hitters.
“He can hit,” Baker said of Francisco. “He is what you want young hitters to be. He is aggressive. You want a young hitter you can tone down rather than have to tone up. You want guys to be selective, you want guys to go deep in the count. But that comes with experience. But you want to see young hitters be aggressive.”
Francisco’s aggression has led to 284 strikeouts the last two years and Baker said, “That’s what I mean about toning something down. You can turn that flame down. That’s easier than turning a flame up.”
Baker said Francisco’s winter ball numbers carry credence.
“I put big stock in them,” said Baker. “Anybody who has played winter ball knows. It’s more serious baseball for guys in that country than ours is. You have people into it big-time, gambling on games (by fans). That’s how it is, therefore it puts pressure on you. You better play good or you’re going to hear from somebody up there.”
Tossed bottles and pulled guns are part of the winter league fabric.
“Dominican baseball is as good as there is in winter ball and Francisco is batted cleanup on his team, a kid (21) just out of ‘A’ ball,” Baker added. “And those parks down there are big. I put a lot of stock in that.”
Francisco is a third baseman by trade, but there is chatter about moving him to the outfield or first base.
“He has a great arm,” said Baker. “There is a good athlete in that young oversized body right now. He’ll tone up. He’s working hard. Not everybody is born skinny. Everybody wants him to be thinner, but Albert Pujols wasn’t skinny when he started, either.”
Francisco has the quick hands of a third baseman, but as Baker says, “I’m sure he can play the outfield and can play first base, too. It depends on what the organization needs. I mean it’s a matter of stockpiling.
“You got Todd Frazier at short and Yonder Alonzo at first and Frazier also at third and Chris Valaika at short. Eventually they are all going to be playing together so you have to find where they can play according to body type, arm, speed, athleticism. We have to make the right decisions on where we put these kids,” Baker added.
BAKER DISPLAYED nothing but sympathly for first baseman Yonder Alonso and his mishap Thursday. The team’s No. 1 draft pick last June made his debut in an exhibition game against the Twins. The first ball hit to him ricocheted off his glove with two outs and the bases loaded.
A run scored on the error then the next batter hit a grand slam home run.
“A little too aggressive,” said Baker. “He needs to turn the flame down a little. But I remember my first play in a spring exhibition game for the Braves. They put me in left field and I’d never played there. I had a ball hit to me and a guy was trying to score from second. I thought, ‘I got this guy,’ but my throw went 50 feet up the backstop screen. I’m not kidding. Fifty feet up the screen.”
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