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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 > 2010 > March > 07 > Entry
Where oh where are the Reds’ bats?
GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Is it too early to clang the alarm bell after two exhibition games?
What the Cincinnati Reds have done in their first two games, both against the Cleveland Indians, strikes a tone of familiarity.
They’ve lost to the Tribe 9-2 and 4-2, scoring four runs in 18 innings. They’ve been outhomered 4-1. They’ve stranded 13 runners. They’ve struck out 18 times and walked only twice.
In other words, they way they’ve swung the bats wouldn’t crush a scorpion or even daze a coyote.
Stop me if you’ve heard all this before, as in last year and the year before and the year before, ad nauseum.
The only homer produced the only two runs in Saturday’s 4-2 defeat, a two-run blast by Miguel Cairo, a guy trying to win a spot on the bench.
And after Mike Lincoln’s shakedown cruise Friday was a four-run, seven-hit affair over only 1 1/3 innings. Johnny Cueto, Saturday’s starter, gave up four runs and four hits in two innings, including a two-run home run by Andy Marte.
THE BRIGHT side of the day, played in sun-drenched Goodyear Ballpark and 76 degrees, was the performances of the team’s two top young pitching prospects - Travis Wood and Mike Leake.
Wood followed Cueto with two runless, hitless innings, giving up a walk and striking out one. Leake followed Wood with one perfect inning, striking out one.
Are these two young pitchers pure competition for the No. 5 spot in the Reds’ rotation, along with well-seasoned Matt Maloney?
Wood, 23, was the Reds No. 2 draft pick in 2005. He is 35-25 for his five-year minor-league career and was a combined 13-5 last year at Class AA Carolina and Class AAA Louisville, 4-2 with a 3.14 ERA in eight starts for Louisville. He dominated at Carolina - 9-3 with a Southern League-leading 1.21 ERA for 19 starts.
Leake, 22, was the team’s No. 1 draft pick last June and was a late signee, so he didn’t pitch in the minors. He was 40-6 with a 2.91 ERA for 63 appearances (47 starts) at Arizona State University. He pitched for the Peoria Seguaros in the Arizona Fall League last year and was 1-2 with a 1.37 ERA in six games (five starts).
Wood is a possibility while Leake is an unproven long shot starting from an outside gate, but manager Dusty Baker puts them on a double-high pedestal.
“Wood and Leake are not only young arms, they are pretty advanced pitching-wise,” said Baker. “Location, movement, change of speeds. They pitch older than their age, I think,” said Baker.
If nothing else, they are picks-to-click for the future.
THE ARIZONA weather is expected to turn nasty Sunday, threatening a game in Maryvale against the Brewers - an all-day rain predicted with temperatures in the high-50s, a threat to wipe out Bronson Arroyo’s first start of the spring.
If the game is played, it would behoove the Reds to pack a few warm bats.
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By My Oh My
March 8, 2010 2:57 PM | Link to this
MAC - no one in the history of baseball management would judge a team after two early March spring training games, regardless of that team’s history. My comments were around Hals’ article “where are where are the bats” and people writing diatribes about the lack of hitting after 3-8 at bats per player in two games the first week of March. Alarm bells (to quote Hal) after two games in completely ridiculous - whether they they hit 4 home runs and score 20 runs or get shutout both games.
By MAC
March 7, 2010 9:16 PM | Link to this
My oh my; U don’t get it do U? Most of our guys have several yrs of history @ ML level. Common sense says U just don’t forget their history. Did anyone else notice that they also had 2 errors in game one; doesn’t that sound familar as well? Indians didn’t have any errors; it’s early for them too. Nevertheless, I’m realistic as well; we do have to give them time to get going. Hopefully they’ll improve overall and become more disciplined & consistent hitters.
By My oh my
March 7, 2010 6:39 PM | Link to this
It’s March 7 … are we really reading four paragraph posts already about the Reds lack of hitting when they have played two games? One guy wrote “no need to panic yet” … and another wrote “I don’t think we have to wait another 1/2 season to figure out we’ve had problems scoring runs in the past” .. panic after two games? No … wait half a season? No … let them have more than 3-8 at bats before judging anything? Perhaps they might be the prudent thing.
By WishIWasAlwaysCorrect
March 7, 2010 6:22 PM | Link to this
Poor Mike-Cinci, he can’t stand the thought that Chris Dickerson may prove his age theory incorrect.Wonder how old the guys were who came back after WW2? I’m sure MC will inform us…
By MAC
March 7, 2010 1:47 PM | Link to this
I don’t think we have to wait another 1/2 season to figure out we’ve had problems scoring runs in the past? As Hal points out, their lack of production, fundamentals (Walks to K ratio) is exactly what we’ve seen for several yrs now & we essential have the same players or same type of players playing. Winning ST games isn’t issue, the approach our guys take to the plate; what they do when they get there is! The problem w/ many of our young guys is they’ve been rushed because of our lack of talent in the ML & when they arrive they’re over matched & undisiplined or try to do too much & struggle. Stubbs struggled to hit 280 in AAA, yet he’s been given CF job because of 20-40 games last yr? Heisey was very good @ AA, but again had a hard time staying above 280 in AAA. That’s not exactly All Star numbers folks. Good news is it’s early & Hernandez, Cabrera? & Cario give them a few more vets to work w/. Like many, I don’t like line up either. More importantly is the lack of discipline in AAA IMO. Stop all the free swinging & make these guys bunt & hit behind runners; the power will come once they’re established & have physically matured…learn what they can handle & to make contact first…stop the Ks already.
By Tom
March 7, 2010 12:47 PM | Link to this
No need to panic, yet. But the off-season new pitching coach was not followed up by a replacement of the hitting coach which I think is in order.
By steven ross
March 7, 2010 12:26 PM | Link to this
If the Reds still have offensive struggles in June, then I might be concerned. Two games in early March won’t be remembered.
By Mike-Cinci
March 7, 2010 11:03 AM | Link to this
When did Hal start worrying about winning games in Spring Training? The cagey veteran has been around too long to start thinking Spring training wins mean anything. Whether the Reds win or lose these games makes no difference. The Indians are projected to have the worst record of any major league team this year so I’m glad to see them get some wins now because they won’t get them later. I saw an analysis the other day that said if a ball player does not make the majors by age 24 he will not amount to much. The Reds have several so called top propsects who are 24+ and have not made the majors. If they don’t do it this year more time in the minors won’t help. They will be just triple A players or journeymen major leaguers. That’s why Bruce, Votto, Bailey should turn out to be very good. They go to the majors early. They have the natural ability to succeed and chances are they will.There are always exceptions but generally the real good ones are playing everyday by age 24.
By Hal, please
March 7, 2010 10:34 AM | Link to this
Uhhh … Hal …. it’s March 6 … relax …
By Dennis
March 7, 2010 9:31 AM | Link to this
(repost with correction) In real estate, it’s location, location, location. For run production in baseball, it’s lineup, lineup, lineup. It’s rather disconcerting that Dusty surrounds our best batter (Votto) with a shortstop hitting in front of him and a second baseman hitting behind him. So how can we rag on the players about fundamentals, when our fearless leader refuses to fundamentally establish a lineup that will produce an abundance of runs?
By Dennis
March 7, 2010 9:27 AM | Link to this
In real estate, it’s location, location, location. For run production in baseball, it’s lineup, lineup, lineup. It’s rather disconcerting that Dusty surrounds our best batter (Votto) with a shortstop hitting in front of him and a second baseball hitting behind him. So how can we rag on the players about fundamentals, when our fearless leader refuses to fundamentally establish a lineup that will produce an abundance of runs?
By MAC
March 7, 2010 7:15 AM | Link to this
Right U R Yodasbrother. Troubled I have been about their hitting; trust the force they have NOT? Perhaps a name change and color choice should be implemented? Cincinnati Greens they should be or perhaps move to the Dark Side they should?
By Yodasbrother
March 7, 2010 7:00 AM | Link to this
Mac’s right about the fundamentals. We can be an above .500 team this year without scoring huge amounts of runs every game. We just need to steal some wins with an extra base here and there with smart baserunning, etc.
By MAC
March 7, 2010 4:00 AM | Link to this
The other ? should ask “what R they being taught in AAA? Why do we continue to see prospects that don’t know the strike zone, can’t execute the fundamentals of bunting or making contact w/ 2 strikes let alone hit behind a runner for a productive out?? Frazier & Heisey have shown an ability to stay inside the BB & hit the other way. Because of this, I think they stand the best chance to be successful in MLs. I really doubt the other free swingers: Stubbs, Bruce, Francisco?
By MAC
March 7, 2010 3:53 AM | Link to this
A very good ? Hal & yes we’ve discussed their hitting failures ad nauseum. In contrast, let’s consider who has been successful thus far: Rolen, Hernandez, Cario…the vets…which begs to question why so many Reds’ fans continue to clammer for the young guys? Forget the organizations marketing plan. Why not let these prospects develop into complete hitters @ AAA before forcing them into a ML lineup where they’ll struggle? Doing so will give the team someone who is truely ready when injuries occur & or when the team really needs them.