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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 > 11 > Entry
More Dibble stories as we await the rain
ROB DIBBLE STORIES never get old. Dibs is now a broadcaster for the Washington Nationals and when Reds third-base coach Mark Berry saw him he laughed and told a story I hadn’t heard.
“I caught the last game Dibs ever started,” said Berry. “It was in Madison, Wis. And we were roommates. After his fourth loss he came back to the room and started throwing things around and cussing away.”
Berry said Dibble said, “They want to turn me into a closer. I’m quitting. I’m done. I’m going to go home and work for my father at his radio station.”
Said Berry, “He didn’t go and the rest is history.”
AND THEN Dibble told one on himself. He came out of a game one day angry about something. He had two hockey sticks in his locker, “One signed by Wayne Gretzky and one signed by Mario Lemieux,” he said. “I splintered those suckers, spent pieces everywhere. Within five minutes, Bernie Stowe and Rick Stowe had that mess cleaned up and saved me from getting into trouble.”
Dibble smiled and said, “Those were the days. Players don’t do stuff like that anymore. Remember when Norm Charlton (another member of the Nasty Boys) burned everything in his locker after a bad game?”
THE OTHER MEMBER of the Nasty Boys, Randy Myers, fancied himself a guerrilla warrior, an insurgent, a mercenary. He kept military stuff in his locker — knives, an Army helmet. Hand grenades. He had a sign hanging on his locker, “No photo’s.” Yeah, I know. He didn’t need the apostrophe in photos, but it was there.
Everybody assumed the hand grenades were not live. But we never were sure.
MANAGER DUSTY BAKER kept Jerry Hairston Jr. at leadoff and had Willy Taveras batting second again for Wednesday’s finale in Washington. With that alignment, Taveras was 0-for-5 and enters today’s game 0-for-20, longest hitless streak of his career.
Hairston was 0-for-5 until he singled home a run in the 12th inning of the Reds’ 4-2 win after midnight Wednesday. In fact, the first five batters in the order were 2-for-24, 0-for-20 until Brandon Phillips singled in the 11th.
JUST AMAZING, isn’t it? So many of you are complaining about Dusty Baker, but he doesn’t have Joey Votto, he doesn’t have Edinson Volquez, he doesn’t have Edwin Encarnacion, he is playing a catcher a first base, he dodges and feints with different lineup combinations and guess what? The Reds are 1 1/2 games out of first place.
And for those who keep asking for Baker’s removal? How are you going to feel when he is Manager of the Year. Could happen, you know?
IT IS 3 O’CLOCK and we’re under a severe storm watch that is in effect until 7 p.m. The game starts at 4:30. I figure the rain will hit with the Reds leading, 2-0, in the bottom of the ninth when Coco Cordero walks the first batter and goes 2-and-2 on the next batter.
Then the rains come and we have a two-hour delay. Oh, we’ve heard that one? If it happens again, that’s when I take a dive out the press box window — which is high enough that I’d have time to parachute before I hit the ground.
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By jt
June 17, 2009 6:42 PM | Link to this
There is great talent on the Reds!! For some to say some have failed…give them a break.. Go Reds!!
By jt
June 17, 2009 6:42 PM | Link to this
There is great talent on the Reds!! For some to say some have failed…give them a break.. Go Reds!!
By wizard
June 12, 2009 10:21 PM | Link to this
One game off the pace takes in a lot of reasons, including lack of pitching and competitive performance by those teams expected to win, in the Central division… In looking at this team and its mgr, and tonight’s lineup, I now believe that the Reds pitching, even if all are healthy, can not overcome Baker’s stupidity, and its lack of offense.
By Colgar
June 12, 2009 12:38 PM | Link to this
Here’s a correctly spelled argument, Blogcopwatcher. The Reds are 1 game off the pace without their best hitter but you clowns are right Dusty sucks.
By puny offense
June 12, 2009 10:34 AM | Link to this
Jocketty has not done anything to improve this offense. They are terrible. Dusty is playing with Bruce .210, Rosales .215. A-Gone .220. Gonzalez is getting better. 40 hitting CFs. Dusty has done a tremendous job with a terrible baseball team
By Wizard
June 12, 2009 10:09 AM | Link to this
“Anybody with any baseball knowledge at all would know that roster decisions are made by the general manager, Walt Jocketty, not Dusty.” Says the Quill. Yep, just like the President makes decisions, after consultation with the VP or Secretary of State! DUH. Clever people on this blog
By AP-FLORIDA
June 12, 2009 8:28 AM | Link to this
Two things that have lead to this year’s improvment. Better pitching (basically same staff) and better player chemistry, neither has anything to do with the head idiot. Just think what we would be doing with a real manager Your manager is your field leader and you have to admit, he (idiot) is not a field manager….
By blogcopwatcher
June 11, 2009 9:20 PM | Link to this
It is important to point out to Colgar, that Greg and Sal apparently did much better in their spelling sessions in school, than did he.They, also, present better arguments than colgar.
By ME
June 11, 2009 9:13 PM | Link to this
“Why is it always two or three days after various blog posts, numerous radio-call ins and impassioned pleas by fans (Nix instead of Dickerson, Gomes up and McDonald out) that Dusty makes the right move. It’s like these things never occurred to him until the fans reach near-fever pitch.” Great post, Greg. This statement is very true. Have seen it happen all year!
By ME
June 11, 2009 9:09 PM | Link to this
“Why is it always two or three days after various blog posts, numerous radio-call ins and impassioned pleas by fans (Nix instead of Dickerson, Gomes up and McDonald out) that Dusty makes the right move. It’s like these things never occurred to him until the fans reach near-fever pitch.” Great post, Greg. This statement is very true. Have seen it happen all year!
By blogcopwatcher
June 11, 2009 9:01 PM | Link to this
And, I suppose the quill is going to suggest that Jocketty, not Baker, wanted Corey Patterson and Willy Patterson??? Hogwash. Anyone who believes that is blind.
By Colgar
June 11, 2009 8:18 PM | Link to this
And Redlegs you have been listening to Marty for insights such as “The Reds can not keep putting runners on base and keep them off the board” Gee Mr. Obviouss
By Colgar
June 11, 2009 8:15 PM | Link to this
It is comical what you guys come up with. Would any thinking person want Sal Monella as the manager? or Greg? What is not argueable is that these two rubes don;t knoew squat
By Redlegs44
June 11, 2009 7:56 PM | Link to this
Don’t know about Dusty, but this team can’t continue to blow leads like they did tonight. Bottom line is they just aren’t good enough. Do they have some pieces sure, but not nearly enough. Look at Hairston. Play him everyday, which they have to do, and he gets exposed. What was he thinking on that ground ball where he just stepped on third? Same with Rosales. He is not an everyday player either. He i htye piecess
By RC
June 11, 2009 7:50 PM | Link to this
Yeah, darn you, Baker! Why would you have BP make that throw? That’s crazy, man! If it weren’t for that brave army of blog posters and talkshow callers, why, we’d be in last place for sure. Bless you, boys… keep up the skeer.
By Sal Monella
June 11, 2009 7:43 PM | Link to this
C’mon, Baker was making the same stupid moves before Jockety arrived. Baker is a dunce and to argue otherwise indicts yourself as a dunce as well. Silver Quill doesn’t know squat. Now watch Baker lose today’s game….
By silver quill
June 11, 2009 7:12 PM | Link to this
Anybody with any baseball knowledge at all would know that roster decisions are made by the general manager, Walt Jocketty, not Dusty. That makes what Dusty is doing even more remarkable. For many games he has played with 23 and 24 players because Jocketty did not replace injured or hurt players. Dusty made the adjustments. How uninformed can some of you Dusty haters be?
By Greg
June 11, 2009 6:43 PM | Link to this
The Reds are winning DESPITE Dusty, not because of him. Maybe he’s a good “motivator” - whatever that means - but it’s practically inarguable that his command of even the most basic baseball strategy is more than a bit lacking. Why is it always two or three days after various blog posts, numerous radio-call ins and impassioned pleas by fans (Nix instead of Dickerson, Gomes up and McDonald out) that Dusty makes the right move. It’s like these things never occurred to him until the fans reach near-fever pitch. It’s just infinitely frustrating that we finally have talent, but always in the back of our minds is that we’re never going to get over the hump with Dusty pulling the strings.
By ME
June 11, 2009 5:41 PM | Link to this
Ramon had played first, previously. Baker can have all the credit he deserves…and blame. Since this is a blog concerning he and others, it is unlikely he will be considered perfect in all of his judgments. If hits, runs and walks keep you in the lineup: Janish, Hanigan, and Dickerson should have played earlierents.
By Silver Quill
June 11, 2009 5:25 PM | Link to this
Was he FORCED to put Ramon Hernandez at first? No, he could have put Adam Rosales there with his now dwindling .222 average. What happened to everybody wanted him to play every day. Hustle is nice, but hits, runs and walks keep you in the lineup. Was Dusty forced to start playing Nix and Gomes instead of Dickerson and hiss .244 average? I do agree, though, that Dickerson should be playing center over Taveras. Dickerson is hitting better now and is a better defensive player. Anybody who doesn’t give Baker some credit doesn’t know a baseball from a grapefruit.
By ME
June 11, 2009 5:02 PM | Link to this
S**t, he was FORCED to play Hanigan, because of Votto. It didn’t occur before the Votto incident did it? I said, FORCED.
By silver quill
June 11, 2009 4:56 PM | Link to this
Gee, Rampart, I wonder who makes out the lineup card to put Hanigan in the lineup and who thought about putting Hernandez at first, when he had never played first? With some of you people I fear it is racist. I don’t know what the guy has to do? He’s winning and you people are complaining. We could have Bob Boone or Ray Knight screwing things up big-time, as Dusty would say.
By wizard
June 11, 2009 4:55 PM | Link to this
Very few manager’s of the year, did so without good pitching, good and timely hitting, and a lot of good luck! AND ALWAYS, good players!
By econprof
June 11, 2009 4:52 PM | Link to this
I’ve come to appreciate that Dusty manages people and not ballgames. Strategy is not his focus; rather, it’s building people up and motivating them to succeed. For a guy who reputedly prefers veterans over young players, he’s proving himself to be great with the youngsters.
By Wizard
June 11, 2009 4:11 PM | Link to this
Amen to that rampantRedsFan!Wonder what might have happened had he given Janish more playing time, when GONZO was: .000? That is before Paul’s muscles atrophied.
By RampantRedsFan
June 11, 2009 4:05 PM | Link to this
The reason why Dusty is successful is because of the players. The pitching staff (with the exception of Lincoln and Burton) is pitching amazing. And his backup catcher (temporarily starting) would be the favorite for ROTY if he was expected to play the whole year.
By AK
June 11, 2009 3:56 PM | Link to this
I was told Berry was a good player in the minors before he tore his arm up. Dibble was great. I love the stories about him
By nick w
June 11, 2009 3:42 PM | Link to this
thank you hal for saying that about dusty i totally agree. I said the same thing in the blog before this one. if we were in last place then yea trash dusty all you want but when were in second place in one of the toughest divisions u can’t say a thing.
By WhoDey
June 11, 2009 3:26 PM | Link to this
i hope the rain holds. I am on my way to the park now!!!