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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 > June > 04 > Entry
Carpenter hammers, nails Reds
A beautiful day in the Busch Stadium neighborhood - 71 degrees at game time and I’m enjoying it. When we come back in August it will be so hot and humid that players will be wringing a jar of sweat out of their underwear every three innings.
Busch beer vendor: “I got beer so cold in this box I don’t want to reach inside, but I’ll do it for you guys.”
The Reds didn’t want to stick their hands into the pitcher’s box where Chris Carpenter stood. No chance, no way. He held the Reds to one run, three hits, in a 3-1 win. The Reds and Cardinals split the four games and the Reds come home with a 2-5 work sheet for the trip.
I’M NOT SURE if I’d EVER give Albert Pujols a pitch to hit. And a St. Louis writer said to me, “The Reds challenge Pujols more than any other team.” Well, Aaron Harang challenged him Thursday in the third inning of a 0-0 game with two outs and a runner on first. The challenge was met by Pujols and he turned it into a Challenger flight, 431 feet worth of home run and a 2-0 St. Louis lead.
Then darned if they didn’t do it again his next time up. With a runner on first and nobody out, Harang grooved his first pitch and Pujols nearly put a hole in the left field wall with a run-scoring double.
It isn’t as if the Reds don’t recognize Pujols. Every other fan who walks into the park wears a No. 5 jersey - and it isn’t for Johnny Bench or Joe DiMaggio.
Harang has given up at least one home run in each of his last eight starts. Now I’m not pitching coach, but I don’t think that’s good. He has given up 11 this year, well on his way to matching the 28 he gave up last year.
Harang, though, has a long way to go to match the team record. In 2005, Ramon Ortiz gave up one or more home runs in 15 straight games. Ortiz’s nickname was The Red Napper because he loved red snapper for a meal but couldn’t say it, calling it, “Red napper.” Just a little side-bit for you.
Meanwhile, Chris Carpenter gave up two hits over 7 2/3 innings, both to Chris Dickerson. both time Brandon Phillips grounded into inning-ending 5-4-3 double plays.
AND HOW IS this one? Harang was able to get out of trouble four times when the Reds turned four inning-ending double plays.
PHILLIPS was watch a game on TV before Thursday’s game and said, “Aaron Hill (Blue Jays) should be the starting second baseman for the American League All-Stars. He is tearing it up. Whoever is doing the best should be starting, but I’ll bet you (Tampa Bay’s) gets it.
Hill is running fourth in the balloting and Longoria leads all vote-getters for all positions with 1,036,071, but, uh, Brandon - Longoria is a third baseman. Ian Kinsler of the Rangers lead the second basemen.
Anyway, Brandon put both the third baseman and the second baseman to work in his first two at-bats with the third-to second-to first double plays.
WHY IS ALEX Gonzalez losing his bat so much when he swings. Three times in his last three games he has swung at a pitch and missed as his bat went helicoptoring toward the seats. Is he allergic to pine tar or what?
ST. LOUIS BROADCASTER and former Cardinals third baseman Mike Shannon was telling tales in front of the Reds dugout before Thursday’s game. He played with Bob Gibson, one of baseball’s all-time mean guys on the mound.
Shannon said Dodgers first baseman Ron Fairly used to hit Gibson pretty good and before a big game and his first at-bat against Gibson he said to a teammate, “I’m not going to like this at-bat, am I?” Sure enough, first pitch. Gibson hit him in the rib-cage. When Fairly walked back to the dugout he said, “No, I didn’t like that at-bat.”
Shannon said Gibson hated to issue intentional walks. “He said he’d rather use one pitch and hit the guy in the ribs than waste four pitches.”
IN CASE nobody noticed, Jay Bruce went 1 for 28 on the trip with one RBI, after ging 0 for 3 Thursday. But he wasn’t The Lone Ranger in futility against Carpenter.
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By Jody
June 6, 2009 7:55 AM | Link to this
Hal, Do the Reds need a new hitting coach? Thanks, Jody
By Rick M. of Anderson Township
June 6, 2009 5:21 AM | Link to this
Did I hear somebody say Bob Gibson? From the ‘When Boys Were Boys and Men Were Men’ category comes my favorite “Mean Bob Gibson” story….JULY 7, 1963…Giants’ third baseman Jim Ray Hart makes his major league debut in the first game of a doubleheader against the visiting Cardinals. Hart hits a single, a double, and takes some mighty big swings against veteran lefty Curt Simmons. The Giants win a thriller in 15 innings, 4-3. Pitcher Bob Gibson starts the second game for St. Louis. Gibson, the toughest of all tough competitors, doesn’t like the idea of Hart swinging for the fences on his first day in the big leagues. Gibson uses his best fastball and puts Hart in his place, ….writhing in pain while on the ground with a broken collarbone. On August 16, just three days after returning to the Giants’ line-up, Hart faces Simmons again. This time, Simmons gets the best of Hart. Hart takes a beaning, goes to the hospital, and misses the rest of the season.
By JG
June 5, 2009 4:46 PM | Link to this
Pujols turned a pitch into a “Challenger flight?” Is that supposed to be witty or funny somehow? Bad form, Hal. Not one of your better moments.
By clint
June 5, 2009 4:40 PM | Link to this
a good read about baseball psychology and how you all play a part: http://www.diamondhoggers.com/2009/06/prediction-time-deal-will-be-coming-out.html
By Jim in Centerville
June 5, 2009 4:18 PM | Link to this
On Jay Bruce, I’ll repost this from yesterday: http://www.kingdomeheadache.com/2009/05/learning-curve-jay-bruce.html Jeff Brantley gave a very compelling clinic on pitching mechanics last night pointing out serious flaws with Harang’s mechanics. Among other things he pointed out that Harang does not “load up” at the balance point. According to Brantley this cost Harang 4-5 mph off his fastball. The other thing was that Harang spins open on his delivery which causes his hand to rotate from the top of the ball to the side resulting in his pitches staying up in the zone. This was especially evident when compared on a split screen with Carpenter’s mechanics. If it is as obvious as it seems to Brantley and as clear to the viewer as seen in slow motion last night on FSN, why is it still a problem with Harang? Harang has been struggling for over a year with decreased velocity and pitch placement. Is there something else wrong with Harang? Hal?
By ross
June 5, 2009 4:02 PM | Link to this
naturalmevs, Bruce has not had 3 hits total in 2 weeks. the guy will never be much more then .240-25 Homer guy. EE hit 26 in that cracker box so this guy is no better then Kearns
By Infielder
June 5, 2009 3:47 PM | Link to this
Turds Naturalmevs if you think Jay Bruce will ever be an all star you must have a case of the——-The Reds have a couple of potential all stars Phillips?votto but 1B will be tough and maybe Voquez again Cueto. The wizard of minor leagers thinks Janish/Dickerson/Rosales could be potential all Stars.
By TheNaturalMevs
June 5, 2009 1:03 PM | Link to this
You’re all the same turds who were whining that Phillips would never hit again when he was in an identical slump as Bruce is now. Does anyone here really know baseball? It doesn’t seem like it. This kind of stuff happens to young players. This time next year he’ll be an All Star and you’ll all be riding his coat tails again the next three hit night he has
By Brad
June 5, 2009 11:20 AM | Link to this
I think Harang should do to Poo-holes what Gibson did to Fairly. (But nowadays Aaron would probably get a 10-game suspension if he did it twice)
By TB
June 5, 2009 10:18 AM | Link to this
I also found myself wondering last night why Gonzalez keeps losing his bat. And can someone please teach Phillips to plant his foot when he swings so that he doesn’t fall on his knee and lose 2 or 3 steps running out of the box?
By Jack
June 5, 2009 10:15 AM | Link to this
Now Bruce is somewhere south of .175 when batting third or fourth, but I am sure Mr. Stubborn will keep him there. For the stats’ guys, what is Dickerson hitting with runners on base. Seems more loose when no one is on. Not a great sign, but perhaps he should be leading off. Last night no surprise, great picthers will eat this team alive. Big Z tonight? Havent the Reds hit him fairly well? Look for a high scoring game tonight.
By Mark in Sun Valley
June 5, 2009 9:42 AM | Link to this
Would you send a hitter with a .220 average for a full year back to the minors? That is what Bruce has hit after the first 2 weeks of his career. And his power and RBIs are no better that EE’s, who people rail against, not to mention his poor OBP. Stats aside, you do not need some fancy fantasy baseball stat to see that he looks awful at the plate, swing at bad balls and trying to pull everything. His best success was going the other way in that first 2 weeks. If this is how he looks after a year with Jacoby coaching him, he is either not doing what he is told or Jacoby does not know how to coach him. Lousiville and another coach might make a difference. Also, since he was annointed with the “can’t miss” title, he might be believing his own press, and a little humility from a demotion might be in order. .
By Jeff
June 5, 2009 9:36 AM | Link to this
1st- let’s be happy we are only 2 1/2 out. we don’t have votto, taveras, bp’s thumb is broke, bruce is in the slump of his life, volquez is hurt, harang is in a funk even though he pitched a CG. 2ND.- WE NEED TO REALIZE DUSTY ISNT THE SMARTEST DUDE ON THE BLOCK. Why would you pitch to Pujols. I would walk him with the basesloaded.. Plus Bruce is hitting .200 and he has him batting fourth, why not move nix up and move Bruce down. why not give bruce a day off against carpenter who you know is going to own him. There have been way too many example of mismanaging this team this year but they are only 2/12 out so you cant say much. 3rd, you wanna know why Gonzo is olosing his bat and why phillips is grounding out to 3rd all the time is because they are not using a hitting apprach they are swing from their heels and not looking the other way. Phillips gets to homer happy.. Jacoby needs to more of a technician as a hitting coach. These guys have no approach at the plate. We need to remember this is a young team bruce is only 22, he needs to play but not in the 4 hole. Dusty is putting him in positions to fail and ahte manager needs to change that. When votto gets abck, and taveras healthy and now dickerson is hitting better you may have to think about platooning bruce and dickerson, thats scary because bruce is a very good young talent. i said in the begginning of this road trip if we can go 4-6 or 5-5 i would be happy, w/o votto it will be tought but take 2-3 and we will be fine
By Deaner
June 5, 2009 9:33 AM | Link to this
I love listening to Mike Shannon broadcast a game.
By Brian A
June 5, 2009 9:28 AM | Link to this
Get to Big Z early tonight maybe he’ll go balistic. After 2-5 trip lose only 1 game standings pretty incredible. Beat up on those Cubbies.
By Bill in Georgetown
June 5, 2009 9:11 AM | Link to this
Personally, I think Jeff Brantley knows what he is talking about; and adds to the broadcast.Silly sometimes? Sure. But, baseball-wise.
By RRF
June 5, 2009 8:46 AM | Link to this
If Cowboy has all the answers why A. Harang has pitching problems as he constantly pointed out on TV last night, why is D. Pole still the pitching coach? Sounded as if he thinks Dick is missing something? Does Cowboy’s comments want to just make you puke? And with Thom B., it is worse.
By AP-FLORIDA
June 5, 2009 7:29 AM | Link to this
Hey AO, I think part of the problem is that Agone and Traveras are in “our normal lineup”
By Anemic Offense
June 5, 2009 12:05 AM | Link to this
How many games have we played this season with our normal starters: Votto, Phillips, Gonzales, Encarnacion, Hernandez, Bruce, Taveras, insert left field platoon here? No wonder we can’t score any runs.
By TheNaturalMevs
June 4, 2009 11:45 PM | Link to this
Yeah, we noticed about Bruce. We noticed because that’s all that anyone is talking about. We all need to stop and think about slowing down on heaping too much pressure non this kid. He’s going to be fine. There is nothing wrong with him. He is 22 and in a slump. All the writers and the internet and the media are stuff that people didn’t have to deal with back in Mantle and Dimaggio’s day. We’re all guilty of it. The internet age pressures athletes too much. Jay would tell you himself he’s not happy with his play. NO reminders needed in every post. He will be fine. You’ve been around baseball long enough to know that it’s a long season. This slump might look so very far away after a great week of play by Bruce. But talking of Lousiville and mentioning his slump all the time, that doesn’t do much for our guy.
By Bill in Georgetown
June 4, 2009 10:28 PM | Link to this
Three Hits and Dickerson has two of them.