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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 > 09 > Entry
Cueto on pace to be an All-Star
JOHNNY CUETO can be exasperating in the first inning, as he was Tuesday night, but when he gets out of it, as he did Tuesday against the Washington Nationals, he is the best starting pitcher on the Cincinnati Reds staff.
Cueto showed some imagination Tuesday. He put four runners on base in the first inning, but none scored, thanks to an incredible double play started by shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Cueto gave up two hits and two walks in the first.
Then he closed the vault with a thud.
From the second through the seventh he gave up two hits, one a home run to Elijah Dukes. He is 6-3 with one of the league’s best earned run averages, 2.33. If he continues for a month he is my candidate to be an All-Star.
Brandon Phillips gave Cueto a comfort zone in the fifth, breaking a 1-1 tie with a two-run double that skittered just inside the first base bag. Arthur Rhodes gave up an eighth-inning home run to Cristian Guzman but the Reds hung on, 3-2.
The 15-41 Nationals are on pace to lose 120 games, which would tie the 1962 New York Mets, a team about which its manager, Casey Stengel once asked, “Can anybody here play this game?”
I SWEAR ON a stack of Baseball Digests that four seats down from me there is a guy sound asleep in the press box. I mean, the Nationals probably are boring to watch every day, but if you’re coming to cover the game, mix in some coffee and No-Doz. They made a couple of announcements at loud volume and the guy never opened his eyes.
SOME FAMILIAR faces in Nationals Park, besides former Reds outfielders Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns. Former Reds relief pitcher Rob Dibble, one-third of the famed Nasty Boys, is part of the Nats’ broadcast team. Former Reds player and manager Ray Knight does a pre-game and post-game TV show for the Nationals.
The Dibble stories are legendary — his fight with manager Lou Piniella, his tossing of a baseball into the center-field seat that struck an elementary school teacher, his throwing at the legs of Doug Dascenzo as he ran up the first-base line after bunting, his dumping of ice water over the head of writer Mike Paolercio. They’ve all been documented here.
Here’s one you probably haven’t heard about. When the Reds trained in Plant City, there was a large retaining pond behind the right-field wall, home to a 10-foot alligator. One game Dibble was rocked, never got a batter out. The clubhouse was also behind the right-field wall, next to the pond.
Dibble walked into the clubhouse and gathered a stack of chairs from in front of several players’ lockers, walked to the edge of the pond and heaved them into the water.
We were in the press box and never would have known about it, except the son of Columbus Dispatch writer Bob Hunter happened to be playing between the clubhouse and the pond and saw Dibble’s chair-heaving act.
He was forced to pay for the chairs. They should have made him wade in and retrieve them, but they probably feared for the alligator’s life.
KNIGHT WAS a fun guy, too. Remember when he played third base for the Mets and Eric Davis did a hard pop-up slide into third? Well, when Davis popped up Knight popped him - right in nose. Down went Davis, down went Davis.
When Knight managed the Reds he missed several games because of kidney stones and once told the beat writers, “My doctor said I’m the world’s largest producer of kidney stones.” So what did he want us to do with them, line our driveway with them?
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By maxhack
June 11, 2009 1:02 AM | Link to this
I have to disagree on Owings. Two of his last three outings have been excellent. He did the six innings in the extra inning game, came back on short rest, didn’t do well in that game but came back with an quality start in his next outing. The thing I like about him is his size. You cannot teach size and I’d rather stick a while longer with a guy who has the physical makeup. Plus he seems to get it mentally.
By ross
June 10, 2009 4:52 PM | Link to this
I agree max. Owings is not very good. Harang is turning into a 500 pitcher hardly an ace. Volquez will probably not top last years performance and again he may. Arroyo can get lit up at any time. his ERA still around 5. This staff is decent but to say best in the ML is comical
By Jimmy1Time
June 10, 2009 4:19 PM | Link to this
Did Davis get a shot in? Ray threw me a ball up n th estands when he was the 3rd base coach. I can only hope Eric got a shot off. Did anybody notice that the Reds have drafted over 10 pitcers so far! Awsome! Hal five guys down here in Lexington rocks! Very busy
By Michael in Monterey, CA
June 10, 2009 4:12 PM | Link to this
Owings doesn’t have the tools of a starting pitcher. The Reds have to move him to the bullpen or suggest he go Rinck Ankeil.
By RC
June 10, 2009 12:44 PM | Link to this
Owings’ ERA is still under 5.00, even if not by much. I suspect that when compared to other #5 starters, his numbers don’t stack up all that badly - unfortunately, I don’t have time today to do the research to back that up. If someone wants to smack me down via stats, have at it… …
By TB
June 10, 2009 10:05 AM | Link to this
And to think we signed Cueto for pennies as an undrafted free agent…
By Diamond Dave
June 10, 2009 9:55 AM | Link to this
Got that Knight-Davis brawl (and game) on tape. July 18, 1986, I believe. Parker drops a fly ball in the 9th to allow the Mets to tie it, then the eventual World Champs win it in extras. It was very memorable, for sure…
By Andrew
June 10, 2009 6:05 AM | Link to this
Cordero is on track for the All-Star game as well.
By pat
June 10, 2009 2:24 AM | Link to this
I learn more about my family reading your blog. I guess I should call them once in a while.
By lonered
June 10, 2009 2:09 AM | Link to this
Hal, Have you ever had a chance to write a book with the stories that you have? Between traveling problems and players stories and heck, anything else. You are a really fun writer to read. I really think you should release a book the day you retire of every story who have written on major League Baseball. Would love to read it!!! God Bless and Good Thangs and Go REDS!!! Thank you for your time.
By Max
June 10, 2009 1:41 AM | Link to this
Hold your horses, Ryan. Owings still seems to pitch badly more often than he pitches well, Harang is still not where he once was, and Volquez is not yet healthy. The Reds starting pitchers do have a long way to go.
By Gary Maloy Jr
June 10, 2009 1:22 AM | Link to this
“and for the Reds, pitching, number forrrrty sevenn, JohnNY KKKKKueeeeto! Cueto!” Geez, Ryan - you’re more upbeat and positive than I am - and that’s saying something haha. I’ve been saying since February that this is the best front five in baseball. I’m still waiting on Micah a bit, but good googelywoogely I’m impressed with our pitching this year! I mean, I knew it was going to be good, but the bullpen is lights-out, too. Nice!
By Ryan-Madison, IN
June 10, 2009 12:49 AM | Link to this
Yes, Johnny Cueto is our best pitcher and it’s not even close. I said it last year and obviously i’m sticking to it. Can you imagine the numbers he’ll put up when he is 100 % developed? This team will be in the hunt all year. Our boy Joey will get his head right..Bruce will start to hit again and we will be right there. Watch and see if we don win 15 out of the next 20 games..It’s coming. We’ll be in first place at the ed of the month. Just in time when everyone will be in the lineup healthy. We might just blow out the division. It’s so awesome to have the best pitching staff in baseball..Yeah i said it.BEST PITCHING STAFF IN BASEBALL!!!