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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 > April > 13 > Entry
Reds once again Late Night entertainers
UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS while watching the Cincinnati Reds beat the Florida Marlins in extra innings for the second straight night:
All of us harp and harp and harp, like angels strumming in heaven, about the Reds’ inability to do the little things to win baseball games.
Well, with all that went on late in the 10-8 11-inning victory over the Marlins, it was the little thing that meant a lot.
With the score tied in the 11th, 8-8, catcher Ryan Hanigan poked his third hit of the night and Chris Dickerson ran for him. Up came Laynce Nix, known as a power hitter.
He hadn’t been asked to bunt much in his career, hadn’t put one down in the majors since 2004. Had only done it twice in his career. But manager Dusty Baker flashed the sacrifice sign and after fouling off his first attempt Nix put down a beauty and there was Dickerson on second base.
That enabled him to score the winning run on Joey Votto’s two-out 2-and-2 broken-bat single to left, just inches over the glove of leaping shortstop Hanley Ramirez, only Votto’s second RBI this season.
THERE WERE other heartening occurrences in this one - and some disheartening, too.
The Reds and Bronson Arroyo blew a 6-1 lead. Then they blew an 8-5 lead in the eighth when Logan Ondrusek gave up a three-run home run to former Red Cody Ross.
And Drew Stubbs struck out three more times and has 12 strikeouts in his 30 at-bats. Anybody want to wager that Chris Dickerson is in center field tonight, batting leadoff?
One of the best features in this one was the continued resurgence of pitcher Micah Owings, who was 7-12 last year, mostly as a starter. When the Reds got him toward the end of the 2008 season, he was coming off shoulder problems and didn’t pitch the rest of the year.
It seems to me that his shoulder wasn’t fully recovered all of last year. But now? Wow. Owings pitched two scoreless innings (ninth and tenth), giving up one hit and striking out three. He got the win and is 2-0.
Last Thursday he took over for Homer Bailey against the Cardinals and pitched three scoreless innings and got that win when Jonny Gomes hit a walk-off game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth.
Gomes and Hanigan each hit three-run homers to give the Reds the 6-1 lead.
Brandon Phillips lashed four hits and seems to be out of his funk. What was so special about those hits is that three were singles, plus an opposite-field double to right that scored a run and gave the Reds a 7-5 lead.
Still disturbing, though, is Jay Bruce. He still doesn’t have an RBI and popped up for the third out with two on in the 10th inning.
So, let’s give Three Stars tonight - one to Owings, one to Nix and one to Phillips. And Joey Votto? Well, he is always the Star of Stars on this team.
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By Horse Manure thrower
April 19, 2010 11:45 PM | Link to this
Horse Manure! Mickey Mantle platooned in right field, while Dimaggio was finishing in center—The Mick didn’t weaken too much!
By Kimmy
April 16, 2010 7:11 AM | Link to this
Well said Steve.
By Retired Sgt
April 16, 2010 6:36 AM | Link to this
Steve, I will give you the Morris/Benzinger platoon in 1990, but that was 1 year. Platoons generally do not work, because it really weakens the player, not strengthens the team. The idea of a platoon is to take advantage of players strong suits, ie: Morris hit against Righties, Benzinger against lefties. BUT, it also weakens those same players as they dont develope experience with hitting the other side, so, when you need them to do so, they normally fail. PLUS, this was one position, one year, with good results. Right now, Baker is platooning these positions: Cather, LF, RF, and CF. The only “regulars” are Votto, Phillips, Rolen, Cabrara. Not a good situation, and an example WHY Baker has not bee successful getting to and going far in the post season.
By Believe It Or Not
April 14, 2010 10:00 PM | Link to this
The reason for playing backups more regularly than Baker, and others, want to: 1. Janish is twice the defensive SS that Cabrera is; and is now coming into his own as a hitter. 2.Hanigan is twice the defensive catcher that Hernandez is; and is now coming into his own as a hitter. 3.Stubbs will never be a good leadoff hitter{but might be OK lower in the lineup};But, Dickerson{our best available option} playing center and leading off will provide a base runner, more consistantly than will Stubbs. 3. Gomes is the RH hitting left fielder that the team needs. Dusty gets too stubborn with his lineups, ala Patterson/Taveras/Agon
By dental hygienist
April 14, 2010 8:44 PM | Link to this
Wow this is a great resource.. I’m enjoying it.. good article
By Steve
April 14, 2010 6:26 PM | Link to this
Retired Sgt. I might point out that the reds have been successful in platooning. The 1990 Team platooned Hal Morris and Todd Benzinger at 1B. That doesn’t mean that this current platoon is a good situation, but it does mean that platooning can work for the Reds.
By Jack
April 14, 2010 4:30 PM | Link to this
I play Gomes and Stubbs the great majority of the time. Give Dickerson some spot starts all over the outfield, but he is best utilized coming off the bench. Anyone have his stats with RISP or just with people on in general? Have to be beyond poor…but can be very useful in other situations. Starting to hear the same argument on Bruce….just give him time. Willing to give some more time, but against certain lefties, he should sit.
By Retired Sgt
April 14, 2010 11:23 AM | Link to this
Really Kimmy ,what do you disagree with, or do you just like to be argumentative? Prove me wrong on my statement? Have the REDS been successful with platooning? Who do YOU think would better at the postions. State your case..
By Bfred
April 14, 2010 11:23 AM | Link to this
Jay Bruce is the next Austin Kearns. Drew Stubbs is the next Corey Patterson. What ever happened to Devin Mesoraco, the Reds 1st round pick in 2007? Why is it that the Reds early draft picks never pan out?
By Kimmy
April 14, 2010 11:10 AM | Link to this
thank God “Retired Sgt” isn’t making decisions in Cincy. We would really be in trouble…
By David K.
April 14, 2010 11:05 AM | Link to this
Hal I’ve enjoyed reading your columns over the years but, disagree with your stance on Pete Rose. He is a Hall of Fame Player, from what I see his gambling issues was after his playing days.
By Retired Sgt
April 14, 2010 10:02 AM | Link to this
It is still very early in the season, but it is encouraging that the REDS are learning to win late in the game. It is important that they know they can come back. Many games were lost last year by an inability to score late runs. I also think Dusty needs to settle on a lineup and stick with it. Most teams that are successful dont platoon players. They pick the best, stay with them and give them “Rest” days, but the lineup is always the same. Gomes needs to be there every day. He will give you 40 plus homers a year. Bruce needs to play EVERY day, against righties and lefties. He is another 40 HR guy. Pick between Dickerson/Stubbs and stick with them. I think Hanigan is a better fit behind the plate than hernandez. Better defensively, calls a better game and you only lose a little in batting. The players need to play every day to work a rhythem. I hope the REDS keep it up.
By Jamestown Joe
April 14, 2010 9:56 AM | Link to this
Hal,Gomes hit a walk-off game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth when Bronson Arroyo started the game not Homer Bailey. That was the winner in a 2-1 game.
By KI from Delhi
April 14, 2010 9:22 AM | Link to this
Hal I enjoy reading your articles. And enjoyed listening to you on the radio. You have good insight into what is happening on the field. As an English teacher my only negative comment is the typos. (Most columnists won’t admit that they need an editor. :P) Note to whosyourdaddy if you don’t like reading Hal it is not required reading. Go somewhere else your self.
By Mike-Cinci
April 14, 2010 8:04 AM | Link to this
Hat said it all about last night’s game. I think Bruce will come around but the game does not come as easily for him as we all first thought. Minor league stats can be misleading. Stubbs needs to make more contact. All those K’s waste his speed. We need to give Cueto time but could middle relief be good for him and allow Owings to have a few starts to see if he is for real? Hal may have something when he talks about Owings injured shoulder finally healing. When you put Gomes, Dickerson, and Nix together it becomes a very productive player.
By Cb
April 14, 2010 7:51 AM | Link to this
Chilliax…Larson never hit 20 homeruns in a season. Bruce has done that basically twice. Bruce is another Dunn…that is all
By jb
April 14, 2010 3:47 AM | Link to this
Maybe the Reds should get this Chris guy to play the OF,i would like to see him make that play.
By Chris
April 14, 2010 2:22 AM | Link to this
Did you see the bad read Stubbs made on Ramirez’s deep line-drive in the 5th? When you’re not hitting well (as Hal notes his 40% K rate), you need to step up in other parts of your game. A catch would have stopped the bleeding and ended the inning. Is Dickerson better out there?
By Chris
April 14, 2010 2:20 AM | Link to this
Did you see the bad read Stubbs made on Ramirez’s deep line-drive in the 5th? When you’re not hitting well (as Hal notes his 40% K rate), you need to step up in other parts of your game. A catch would have stopped the bleeding and ended the inning. Is Dickerson better out there?
By Mark from C-bus
April 14, 2010 12:26 AM | Link to this
I know it’s early yet, but Bruce is starting to give me uncomfortable Brandon Larson flashbacks…