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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 > 28
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Brandon Phillips at his best (worst?)
May I borrow a phrase?
We have, “That’s Rickey being Rickey (Rickey Henderson).” And we have, “That’s Manny being Manny (Manny Ramirez).” And on Sunday in Cleveland we had, “That’s Brandon being Brandon.”
Brandon, a cooperative and delightful interview for most of the season, has his athletic supporter in a knot these days because all three Cincinnati Reds beat writers wrote about all the ramifications after he ignored a take sign in Kansas City.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Phillips had a 3-and-0 count. Third base coach Mark Berry flashed the take sign. Not only did Phillips not see it, he didn’t look for it, saying later that since the team was struggling at the time he was up there to make things happen.
What he made happen was a pop-up to end the inning and one angry manager.
FAST FORWARD to now. Phillips isn’t saying hello and cracking one-liners at the media as he was earlier this season. He is back to being sullen and answering questions like a wise guy.
Brandon being Brandon. Before Sunday’s game, Phillips was 1 for 16 and 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position. In the second inning, he banged a two-run single and in the fifth he ripped a run-scoring single - three hits, three RBIs, three runs scored.
It helped the Reds beat the Indians, 8-1, on a day the Reds had 15 hits after they had 13 on Saturday in a 7-3 win.
Now here is a transcript of Brandon’s post-game set-to with the media:
CLEVELAND WRITER: Nice day for your birthday.
BRANDON PHILLIPS: “Is it my birthday? Just another day. Another blessed day.”
REDS WRITER: “You didn’t know it was your birthday?”
BP: “Today is just another blessed day.”
CW: “Have you been feeling better the last couple of days? Any difference?
BP: “Why, do I look different or something?”
CW: “No, just … have you, uh, did you feel better than the last few days?”
BP: “When did it start? When are we talking about?”
CW: “You’ve been struggling a little bit lately …”
BP: “I’ve been struggling? Really?”
CW: “Well … I don’t know.”
BP: “Any positive questions? Anybody got a positive question?
RW: “Was it nice to do this against a former team?”
BP: “Yes, it is. That’s a positive question. It’s good to do something positive, a game like I had today, especially on my birthday, you know what I’m saying? Especially with a win for the team. I’m glad we won the game. We should have swept ‘em, but we’ll take two out of three.”
RW: “Nice to see the team get 28 hits in two games after …”
BP: “That’s another positive question. Yes, it is. We were hitting the ball where they weren’t, where they can’t catch it. Everybody came through. I got a key hit today. And Micah Owings, he did his thing today. It was all about M.O. He did his thing today. Probably was the best game he ever pitched.”
From there, Phillips loosened a bit, but it was both a humorous and uncomfortable exchange on a day Phillips should have been one happy guy, especially on his 28th birthday. Do I think he really didn’t know it was his birthday? Not a chance. It was part of his schtick right now - Brandon being Brandon.
OTHER THAN PHILLIPS, Ramon Hernandez had a triple, double and a single, a home run shy of the cycle. And he tried for it, swinging from his heels in the ninth and nearly fell down. He laughed and said, “I tried, man. I really tried.” He later filed deep to right.
During the six games of the Ohio Cup, Hernandez was 9 for 19 (.474) and won the Most Outstanding Player trophy. In case you care, the Reds won the Ohio Cup, four games to two. “I knew these two teams had something going on between them, but I didn’t know what it was,” said Hernandez. “But winning the award is cool. Really neat.”
Michal Owings won for only the second time in nine starts, but struggled - one run, five hits, four walks, one hit batter, 106 pitches in six innings.
WILLY TAVERAS had three hits, including a bunt single during a four-run second inning. Jay Bruce had two hits. Jonny Gomes hit a home run and did something no other player ever did on the Reds.
The Reds played nine interleague games on the road and Gomes was the DH in all nine games. No other players in Reds’ franchise history was ever the DH for every interleague road game.
“And I got at least one hit in all nine games,” said Gomes.
“Why did you tell him?” Bruce asked me. “Now he is going to have to find a bigger hat.”
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