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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 > July > 18 > Entry
Was Harang’s downfall ‘One More Batter?’
WONDER IF Aaron Harang regrets IT. Wonder if Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker regrets IT.
IT?
Rewind your memory back to May 25, Reds versus Houston in Great American Ball Park. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Harang owned a 5-3 lead, one out away from the five innings necessary to qualify for a victory
Then came the rain. It rained for two hours and three minutes before play resumed. Harang warmed up under the stands in the indoor batting cage four times. Then he asked Baker to let him go back out after the rain delay and get the last out.
He went back out and gave up a single to Hunter Pence, then struck out Humberto Quintero to qualify for his win and left the game.
What price glory?
Since that day, Harang has made 10 starts with nary a win. Not one. He is 0-6 with a 5.08 ERA in those 10 starts, including Saturday’s 5-1 defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers.
On his next start after the rain-delayed outing, he pitched in Milwaukee and gave up eight runs and 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings. He hasn’t been the same since.
Coincidence? I don’t believe in coincidences. Getting that one out for a victory may have cost Harang his season. And it judging from Harang’s string of 10 straight starts without a win, it is costing the Reds dearly.
WE HAD ANOTHER rain delay Saturday night. What do we do?
Well, there were a dozen major-league scouts from 12 different teams and I asked several about Harang.
Some comments:
“He isn’t throwing with the same velocity.”
“His slider has flattened out. Used to be his out pitch.”
“He is relying much more on his curve than his slider.”
“He can’t put away hitters the way he used to be able to do.”
“He’s a fly ball pitcher, but he isn’t getting that many.”
“His pitches don’t have the moment they once had, they don’t sink the way they used to sink.”
AND FOR those who care, like us who sit and sit and sit and miss our deadlines, Saturday’s delay was the 13th the Reds have endured this season, 10 at Great American Ball Park.
WITNESSED WHAT may have been the worst scoring decision of my 37 years of writing about ball.
Happened in the fourth inning of tonight’s game when Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder scorched one through the box. The ball one-hopped off pitcher Aaron Harang’s glove. A hockey goalie would have been proud to save that one. Harang had zero reaction time and no time to throw up his glove. It just happened to ricochet off his glove toward base.
A run scored and every writer in the pressbox marked hit and an RBI for Fielder in their scorebooks. Came the call from the booth, “Error one, no RBI.”
What? Everybody in the press box was incredulous. Brewers media relations director Mike Still an error that cost Fielder an RBI. Again. Incredulous. Never in my career have I ever seen a pitcher charged with an error on a ball smoked that hard off his personage.
CHATTED WITH TODD Coffey Friday in the Milwaukee clubhouse and he insisted, “Facing Cincinnati is just like any other team. Just give it my best, like I always do.”
Yeah, right? The former Reds bullpenner, booed out of town, looks like the Monster That Ate Boston these days. He’s huge. But the Reds can’t hit him.
On Saturday, he pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning, then sat through a rain delay of an hour and 59 minutes, then came back to pitch a 1-2-3 eighth, throwing a 97 miles an hour fastball at Joey Votto.
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By Jonathan
July 24, 2009 12:31 PM | Link to this
Coffey always had the stuff. I never could figure out what the problem was in Cincy for him. Now he is dang near unhittable. It really makes you wonder what is going on with the coaching not just with the big team, but also in the minors. Also of note. Every single starting pitcher and most of the bullpen pitched better the first part of the year than they have the last month. My conclusion is that the Reds need to overhaul the coaching staff, because pitching isn’t the only problem. If they won’t fire Baker, which they won’t. They should at least change hitting and pitching coaches.
By steven ross
July 24, 2009 11:08 AM | Link to this
To Joe: Baker didn’t ruin Prior and Wood. They’ve both gone on record as saying he had nothing to do with it. Prior had bad mechanics coming out of USC. To barhopper on Coffey: Hal can correct me but Reds didn’t want him to use his four seam fastball. That was his go pitch but they insisted on a two seam. Brewers said go ahead, use the 4-seam. There you go.
By Jeff
July 20, 2009 9:00 AM | Link to this
If the scouts can see all that in one game, why is our manager and pitching coach seeing it? I swear, every night he looks like he just came off a three day drunken stuper!
By joe
July 19, 2009 8:24 PM | Link to this
Don’t forget that Dusty Baker ruined Mark Prior and Kerry Wood and now he has ruined Arron Harang!
By RC
July 19, 2009 5:08 PM | Link to this
Sorry, I need something more. Did he actually injure himself throwing those pitches after the rain delay? What physically happened to the guy that this one rainy night ruined him? Without that info, to me, this theory makes no more sense than the “lost his lucky socks” theory. I ain’t buying.
By BrarHopper
July 19, 2009 4:13 PM | Link to this
Ha! Coffee was a terrible pitcher with the Reds and now is dam near the Brewers closer with a sub 3 ERA. Go figguh! And Harang has not been the same since his San Diego long relief stint last year. And for Dusty to let him go back out after a 2 hour rain delay? Baker should be fired for that alone (along with every other boneheaded move he consistently makes).
By Cheviot Sports Authority
July 19, 2009 11:32 AM | Link to this
Why do people insist on making excuses for Aaron Hrang? He is a great guy, no denying that but his pitching has been on a downhill slide since he showed up fat and out of shape last season. He lost the weight but has been unable to regain his form. Its not because he pitched to 2 batters after sitting thru a rain delay or pitched with a few days of short rest last season. Ask Nolan Ryan, someone who really knows about pitching. St CSA
By W.Va. Fan
July 19, 2009 10:51 AM | Link to this
I wish we could trade Harang and his big salary. Sounds like the scouts aren’t impressed. Even if someone takes him, will we get much in return? I just don’t think he has it anymore. His arm seems dead. No velocity and too many fly balls, which can lead to homers and doubles.
By steven ross
July 19, 2009 10:51 AM | Link to this
I’m probably wrong but I don’t feel Harang’s been the same since his extra inning stint in San Diego last year. Whether he’s the same pitcher anymore or not, losing has taken a toll on his psyche. I think a change of scenery would do him a world of good. Lose for 7 years and how would you feel?
By Ted Lawson
July 19, 2009 10:50 AM | Link to this
The Reds don’t the fire power to win this year and if trades are made its time to give up on the idea that Harang is a number one starter. Trade him and put the best pitcher that have in that position. Thas is Bronson hands down. Just a look at their lifetime records will agree with that. Bronson wins one way or the other.
By Florida Buckeye
July 19, 2009 8:36 AM | Link to this
I have to agree with Jim, the parallels are there…perhaps there was some kind of soft tissue damage? On another note: I wonder what kind of psychological pressure Harang’s putting on himself knowing that he almost has to throw a shut-out in order to get a win…it’s got to be straining to his psyche, no?!?
By JJ
July 19, 2009 7:23 AM | Link to this
Score when we had the chance early and we give the guy something to work with-trade for a dang hitter.
By Jim in Centerville
July 19, 2009 3:20 AM | Link to this
Although Harang hasn’t won since May 25, he has on occasion, when his velocity is consistently 91-93 mph, pitched well. is velocity has been very inconsistent. As Jeff Brantley pointed out earlier in the year, he doesn’t get good velocity if he doesn’t “loadup” prior to delivering the ball to the plate. He didn’t seem to be “loading up” consistently tonight. That said, the correlation of his problems to May 25 this year and the San Diego extra inning game last year are striking. Hal-I hope you pass the scouts comments on to Pole, Brantley and Harang. Their individual responses to you could be very illuminating.
By Blogcopwatcher
July 19, 2009 12:28 AM | Link to this
I believe that the Reds who made outs while facing Coffey, should be immediately banned from baseball!