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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 > May > 22
Friday, May 22, 2009
Gomes starts with Big Bang Theory
All together now and shout it loud, “I TOLD YOU SO.”
All those clamoring for the appearance of Jonny Gomes - and I was leading the hallelujah chorus, can stand up and cheer.
Gomes turned a boring evening against a pathetic Cleveland Indians team into something special, providing early fireworks on a night when they set off a ton of explosives behind Great American Ball Park after the game.
The Reds and Indians were stumbling and tripping over their feet and tongues and shoelaces and long baggy pants for seven innings, locked in a 1-1 death struggle that had the excitement of a dog sniffing a fire hydrant.
THEN: Jonny Gomes time.
He was called up Friday to replace befuddled outfielder Darnell McDonald. He didn’t start Friday, but with lefthanders starting the next three days look for him standing in left field.
On Friday, when the Indians brought in lefthander Aaron Laffey, Gomes sensed a possible pinch-hitting assignment. So he got loose and did some quick homework, discovering that Laffey was 5-for-5 on first pitch strikes.
So when he batted for Laynce Nix to open the eighth, he was determined to whack at the first pitch. And that’s what he did, sending a screamer over third base and into the left field corner for a double. Adam Rosales then doubled him home for a 2-1 lead and the Reds won, 3-1.
“The situation called for aggressiveness,” said Gomes. “I hit that ball so hard I thought the third baseman would duck. Instead he jumped up and almost caught it.” But once it eluded Jamey Carroll’s glove, it was into the left field corner in a blur.
“That ball was a missile,” said manager Dusty Baker. “They were guarding the lines, but that ball was hit so hard they still couldn’t stop it from being a double. That’s how you pinch-hit. Look for a good pitch and put fire into it.”
For Gomes, it was an emotional uplift after getting his game together for a month-and-a-half at Louisville and his feelings showed with his hard pop-up slide into second base.
“Guys in uniform can tell you about the inner feelings, how it really is,” he said. “It was much more to me than a double after grinding away down there in Triple-A and finally getting and helping the team win. For that to work out was pretty exciting for me.”
OTHEER NOTEWORTHIES:
Adam Rosales, 0 for 14 at the time, followed Gomes’ double with a double of his own to drive home Gomes to break a 1-1 tie.
Alex Gonzalez followed Rosales’ double with a run-scoring single, his third hit of the night. In addition, his defensive was provocatively good. He started two double plays and roamed deep behind second on another play and used his strong arm to throw out the runner at first. Shall we not be too hasty and riding Gonzalez out of town on one of those Ohio riverboats?
Bronson Arroyo, 1-2 at home and 4-1 on the road when the night began, held the Indians to one run and five hits over eight innings and said, “It isn’t often you leave a tie game in the eighth inning and still get the win.”
THEY HAD the Ohio Cup sitting on a table covered with a black cloth in front of the Cincinnati Reds dugout Friday night.
If you lined up all 25 Reds and all 25 Cleveland Indians, right in front of the cup, and asked them what it was, they wouldn’t know. Nor care.
Every year, the winner of the six games played between the Reds and Indians gets one-year possession of the silver bowl.
It used to be presented to the winner of a spring training game, usually played in Columbus, the last exhibition game before Opening Day.
One year Reds pitcher Tim Birtsas was the pitcher against the Indians and he was asked, “Are you excited pitching for the Ohio Cup?” Said Birtsas, “The Ohio Cup? What’s that, a boat race?”
The only person who really cared, God bless her little heart, was former owner Marge Schott, who once took possession of the Ohio Cup and put it in here house. To keep. It was suspected she liked to fill it with cheap vodka - but that’s cruel.
On e year in Columbus it was about 24 degrees, the snow was flying, and the players just wanted to get the game over and get to Cincinnati for Opening Day. So they rushed through the game in less than two hours and the Reds lost, 1-0. Marge Schott was deeply angered over the loss. It’s a wonder the manager didn’t get fired.
AFTER TWO games with the Phillies, free lance writer Mark Schmetzer mentioned to manager Dusty Baker that Phills leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins wasn’t hurting the Reds: 1 for 8 in two games. Said Baker, “Oh, man. You had to say that, didn’t you? Why’d you say that? You’re gonna wake him up.”
Next day. Sunday. Rollins 4 for 6, two runs scored, one RBI. After the game Baker looked at Schmetzer and said, “It’s your fault. See what happens?”
BEFORE FRIDAY’S game, Schmetzer said to me, “I’m not going to say a word about Cleveland’s Grady Sizemore (.213).” And he didn’t. But Sizemore came up in twhe first inning and cranked a home run into the right field seats against Bronson Arroyo.
Let’s see now: The Reds are 16-2 when they score first. When the other team scdores first they are 5-17. But here’s one for you. The Indians have lost six games this year on the other team’s final at-bat, when the Tribe either was tied or ahead in the game.
THEN CAME AN amazing bottom of the first inning. Cleveland pitcher Anthony Reyes started the inning by throwing balls out of the strike zone 12 of his first 13 pitches. He loaded the bases on a walk, hit batter and walk. Then he went 3-and-0 on Brandon Phillips.
On 3-and-1 Phillips flied to left, a sacrifice fly. So Reyes at that point had faced fouer batters without an official at-bat. Stupidly, Laynce Nix then swung at the first pitch and flew to left. Ramond Hernandez walked to re-load the bases. Adam Rosales fouled to first base.
One run out of all that. One freakin’ run.
So all you Reds fans can say, “Thank you Jonny Gomes. Thank you Adam Rosales.” And of course, thank the Cleveland Indians for being, well, the Cleveland Indians.
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TweetGomes called up, McDonald sent down
What fans have been howling for (some of us media, too) has come to pass - the Cincinnati Reds have recalled outfielder Jonny Gomes from Class AAA Louisville and designated for assignment outfielder Darnell McDonald to Louisville.
Also, as espected, the Reds played pitcher Edinson Volquez on the DL and called up Homer Bailey to take his place temporarily in the rotation, beginning with a start Saturday against the Cleveland Indians.
The Reds also called up RHP Carlos Fisher, a No. 11 draft pick in 2005. Fisher, 26, spent the 2006 season with the Class A Dayton Dragons and was 12-5 with a 2.76 ERA over 27 starts, but was shifted to the bullpen at Class AA Chattanooga last year, then was called up to Louisville and was 5-0 in 14 appearances with a 1.04 ERA.
To make room for Gomes on the roster, the Reds designated for assignment McDonald and optioned RHP Ramon Ramirez back to Louisville.
Bailey made eight starts at Class AAA Louisville and went 3-5, 4.57 (45.1 innings, 46 hits, 17 walks, 43 strikeouts, 9 homersh).
Fisher made 13 apparances for the Bats, all in relief, and went 2-0, 2.00 and when he pitches he will be making his Major League debut.
In 37 games at Louisville Gomes hit .282 and leads the team in homers (9) and RBIs (27) Many thought Gomes should have come north with the team out of spring training, but he was a non-roster player and reassigned to Louisville the day before Opening Day.
Rob Butcher
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