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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 > June > 22 > Entry
Sometimes the Reds just drive you Coco
UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave while puffing through four cigars and wondering why I had a headache after the Cincinnati Reds-Oakland Athletis game. I thought it was the cigars, but it might have been caused by closer Coco Cordero.
It was like pulling a molar with tweezers, but the Reds won one Monday night against the Oakland Athletics in spite of themselves.
They won in 10 innings, 6-4, but it wasn’t easy and it was a ‘10’ on the difficulty scale.
—They struck out 14 times.
—They scored one unearned run in the first eight innings.
—They took a 2-1 lead in the ninth inning, but Cordero blew the save in the bottom of the ninth when Kevin Kousmanoff hit Coco’s first pitch over the right field wall.
—They hit three home runs in the top of the 10th to take a 6-2 lead, but Cordero walked the first two in the bottom of the 10th and the A’s scored two runs before rookie Jordan Smith recorded a strikeout for his first major-league save.
Gasp. Make that two gasps and a deep sigh.
MIKE LEAKE CRANKED up another good one, giving up one run and five hits over six innings while walking four and striking out two. But Oakland left-hander Gio Gonzalez was even better, giving up one run and four hits over seven innings, walking one and striking out nine.
After scoring one run in three games over the weekend in Seattle, the Reds scored a run Monday in the first inning - an unearned run. Brandon Phillips, batting lead-off because shortstop Orlando Cabrera took the night off, reached on an error and scored on Joey Votto’s one out double off the wall.
And that was it for the Reds for a long, long, long time.
The A’s reached Leake for a run in the fifth after he issued a one-out walk to Cliff Pennington. Daric Burton single to right, putting runners on first and third. Leake had Connor Jackson 0-and-2 before giving up a run-scoring single to tie it, 1-1.
THAT’s THE WAY it stood until the Cincinnati ninth when the Reds started a rally with two outs and nobody on. Drew Stubbs walked and stole second. Manager Dusty Baker sent up Jay Bruce to pinch-hit for Chris Heisey, who started in right field in place of Bruce.
Bruce, much-maligned this season for failing to produce with runners in scoring position, fouled off two 0-and-2 pitches before dropping a single into right field to score Stubbs for a 2-1 lead.
All that was needed was for closer Cordero to do his job. He didn’t. His first-pitch fastball to Kouzmanoff landed over the right field fence, Kouzmanoff’s eight career home run against the Reds.
Then in the 10th, the Reds finally unsheathed their bats. Ramon Hernandez led the inning with a home run off the left field foul pole. Phillips singled to center and Paul Janish, playing shortstop, bunted him to second. Votto homered and Scott Rolen homered and it was 6-2.
BAKER SENT Cordero back out for the 10th, a major mistake, as it turned out. Cordero walked the first two A’s. Baker replaced Cordero with Daniel Ray Herrera and he quickly gave up a single to Kurt Suzuki, filling the bases with no outs.
Now the A’s had the tying run at the plate, with no outs. Herrera got a ground ball out, as a run scored. Baker brought in Smith, called up last week from Class AA Carolina. Smith also got a ground ball as another run scored to make it 6-4. Then he struck out Jack Cust to end it.
It became the Reds 13th victory in their final at-bat - and on this night they had to do it twice.
The most absurd thing of all was that Cordero was the winning pitcher. He blew the save, but was still in the game when the Reds scored four runs in the 10th, so he received the victory. It was the second time this year he blew a save, only to get the victory.
This one belonged to Mike Leake, no ifs, ands or rebuttals.
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By Dave
June 26, 2010 1:42 AM | Link to this
I agree. The man who got the win is the one who deserved it the least.
By wingnut
June 25, 2010 9:42 PM | Link to this
A blown save does not deserve a win. The pitcher who pitched the longest to get the closer into the save situation should get the win.
By Believe It
June 23, 2010 12:18 AM | Link to this
Why is Cabrera back in the lineup? He has thrown 3 or four balls in the dirt to Votto at first! Scatter arm can’t do it anymore. Terrible.
By wrc
June 22, 2010 6:04 PM | Link to this
Now you know why no-one else was so stupid to paid Cordero the way the Reds did.How Baker ranted an raved on how lucky the Reds were to get him.The Reds need Matthew Jr about as much as they need Dusty for his supposely baseball smarts.That a laugh in itself using smarts and Dusty in the same sentence.Knowing Dusty he sign both Matthew’s Jr and EE to three years deals an extend Coco contract,then try to tell us how lucky we are to get them.If it wasn’t for Bonds Dusty would have been gone from MLB long long ago.As it didn’t take SF once Bonds was gone or the Cubs long to realized that Baker should be nowhere near a Major League Baseball.
By Y-City Jim
June 22, 2010 5:00 PM | Link to this
Mike, that’s what they say but Baker will find some excuse to call him up and start him in CF. This deal has absolutely no positives associated with it. Fix the bullpen and leave the rest of the team alone.
By Mike
June 22, 2010 3:39 PM | Link to this
Re: Matthews Jr. — EVERYTHING out there indicates that he would be signed to a minor league deal. Nothing to indicate he would even be included on the 40-man roster, much less the 25-man.
By Marc
June 22, 2010 11:46 AM | Link to this
Why is Cordero still the closer and WHY is Baker still the manager????? Lets find someone who can manage, then make some trades to improve this team!
By russb
June 22, 2010 10:01 AM | Link to this
Hal,my question to you is who goes to the bench so Mathews can play?My guess is he will be one of Dustys boys as was Taveras and some of the other clowns that he had with the Cubs or played when their daddy did.On a different note MLB needs to change the rule that you can blow a save and still get the win,eventually even bloblo will miss 3 bats in an inning given enough chances.
By Jeff
June 22, 2010 10:00 AM | Link to this
Hey a win is a win. give this team credit they could have folded after coco blew it again. the bats will come around but hopefully in time before the cards get hot. As for Cordero the Reds have to seriously consider doing something. YOU CAN NOT WALK 3 GUYS and make 12 million. He has now blown 5 saves and has an ERA of 4.36. No hitter fears this guy I think the opponent average is over .300 against him. He cant keep blowing leads especially when the offense struggles. Not sure what they can do but right now this team and manager should have no confidence in sending him to the mound. forget those 3 games where he didnt struggle because there was no pressure
By Zeke
June 22, 2010 9:50 AM | Link to this
I hope Heisey stays up. 3 PH HR’s is enough to convince me he belongs. And he fills in nice for Stubbs or Bruce. Frankly I see a bit more potential in his bat at this point.
By Jack
June 22, 2010 9:43 AM | Link to this
Matthews Jr. was a product of steroids, but did well for himself with the monster contract. Take a flier…sure, but very doubftful we see him anyone near the major leagues. At the most it would cost 300k or so, so no big deal. Anyone see EE got cut by the Blue Jays? Who was the poster that LOVED EE?
By florence ky
June 22, 2010 8:38 AM | Link to this
Phillips is the best 2B in the NL this year. I can put up with a little showboat when the guy plays great defense, hits for average and power and can steal a base. Also the guy is great with the fans. He signs autos everyday. He is always on the caravan and at Redsfest. He is the Reds best OVERALL player.
By David
June 22, 2010 8:36 AM | Link to this
Aaron B., you wrote, “How can Baker be that inflexible in his thinking”. It is malicious of you to accuse Dustbag Baker of thinking. All he does is read his little post-it notes and his copy of “Managing Baseball for Dummies”.
By Tom
June 22, 2010 8:05 AM | Link to this
Hal, I see Phillips is back as his show boat self again. Dropped third strike and acts like nothing happened. He needs to be set down for his actions. We can do with out this type of player when there are eight who play their heart out.
By grumpy
June 22, 2010 7:57 AM | Link to this
That would be Matthews Jr.
By grumpy
June 22, 2010 7:55 AM | Link to this
Well, I see Senior Sweat stepped in another pile and came out smelling like a winner. What an injustice for Leake. The bright side is they won. they still dont have a closer. Can Rhodes be any worse? Or Masset? Or Smith? No Mattheds Jr. PLEASE!!
By dude
June 22, 2010 7:48 AM | Link to this
I dont care who would pick up Matthews salary. I dont care to see him a Red. He had done nothing for far too long and did little before that. I like the outfielders they have now. Still young and learning, let them play. I too would like to see Rhodes try the closing role. How much worse could it be?
By Mike-Cinci
June 22, 2010 7:19 AM | Link to this
Eventually a player or pitcher loses his job through non-performance. The problem with Coco right now is no Reds fan would want him in a close game in the 7th or 8th inning either. Votto is good. Will Gary Matthews Jr. become a Red as current rumors suggest? Is there anything left in his tank? Was there ever anything in his tank? It’s been 3 years since he has done anything and he has had only one good year(2006 in Texas) over his 12 seasons and he turned that into a multi-year financial windfall. I guess if Matthews comes this will send Heisey to Louisville. The good news, if there is good news, is the Angels and/or the Mets will be paying virtually all of his salary.
By Max
June 22, 2010 7:08 AM | Link to this
Hal, as a fan of your insight over the years it must have been observed by others as well as yourself during ‘mirror moments’ that writing about the Reds is a more challenging task than responding to the wife’s question, “How do you like my hair?” You (well, we) are obligated to be a Red’s fan but sometimes the hair - the Reds - is just plain awful and comments about other, more positive features are more politically safe fare for comment. I guess looking for parts of the Reds that work is something much like having a car with a blown engine, but the CD sound system is great…..Isn’t it time to start looking at Benzinger as a Reds coach?
By Max
June 22, 2010 7:07 AM | Link to this
Hal, as a fan of your insight over the years it must have been observed by others as well as yourself during ‘mirror moments’ that writing about the Reds is a more challenging task than responding to the wife’s question, “How do you like my hair?” You (well, we) are obligated to be a Red’s fan but sometimes the hair - the Reds - is just plain awful and comments about other, more positive features are more politically safe fare for comment. I guess looking for parts of the Reds that work is something much like having a car with a blown engine, but the CD sound system is great…..Isn’t it time to start looking at Benzinger as a Reds coach?
By Max
June 22, 2010 7:06 AM | Link to this
Hal, as a fan of your insight over the years it must have been observed by others as well as yourself during ‘mirror moments’ that writing about the Reds is a more challenging task than responding to the wife’s question, “How do you like my hair?” You (well, we) are obligated to be a Red’s fan but sometimes the hair - the Reds - is just plain awful and comments about other, more positive features are more politically safe fare for comment. I guess looking for parts of the Reds that work is something much like having a car with a blown engine, but the CD sound system is great…..Isn’t it time to start looking at Benzinger as a Reds coach?
By Randy
June 22, 2010 6:48 AM | Link to this
Ditto to what Aaron B said! Hal above & beyond the call of duty and Rhodes is the closer if you want to have a chance.
By Andy L.
June 22, 2010 3:13 AM | Link to this
I agree that bringing Rhodes in for one hitter with no one on base wasnt necessary, but Cordero is the closer. He is suppose to be called in to close out games in the 9th and beyond. Yeah, he stunk it up today like he has multiple times, but I cant disagree with Baker bringing him in to close out the game. It sucked that Cordero gave up the tieing home run, but that didnt bother me. What bothered me was him coming back in the 10th, walking the first 2 batters with a 4 run lead.
By Jeff
June 22, 2010 3:11 AM | Link to this
After facing 2 batter in the 10th inning (walking both of them), Dusty Baker did the right thing and pulled Cordero from the game. I hope this is a clear message to the closer that he needs to get his act together. I hope he doesn’t look at it like he shouldn’t been pitching a second inning. I just wonder in a future game if Dusty will be brave enough to pull Coco in the middle of his initial inning when he is being ineffective.
By Aaron B.
June 22, 2010 2:01 AM | Link to this
Wow, Hal, isn’t it WAY past your bedtime! Going above and beyond, that’s why your a hall-of-famer! You know I have to post a formal complaint about how Arthur Rhodes was “utilized” today. He was summoned with 2 outs in the 8th inning, no one on base and a non-dangerous hitter at the plate. Fine. But then Baker automatically brings Cordero in to pitch the 9th — nevermind his general lousiness and unreliability all season long and nevermind that Rhodes only threw 4 pitches and could have easily started the 9th. Why use Rhodes like that? If the Reds don’t score, Rhodes surely pitches the 9th so it comes down to the fact that it was a “save opportunity”. How can Baker be that inflexible in his thinking, not to roll with his best pitcher and get him a save in the process? Is he afraid of irking Cordero? Cordero SHOULD be IRKED… with himself.. he has been horrible this year. Maybe he needs a wake up call like watching Rhodes take one of his precious saves.