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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 > 2011 > September > 28 > Entry
Did Reyes take the cowardly way out?
UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, watching the last game of the season and wondering, “Where did it go?” Only 190 days until Opening Day, 2012.
An interesting thing happened Wednesday in the New York Mets-Cincinnati Reds game Wednesday and I’m not sure how to take it.
New York’s Jose Reyes, locked in a batting title race with Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun, led off the bottom of the first with a bunt up the third base line for a hit.
It was no shock. On Edinson Volquez’s first pitch Reyes revealed his game plan. He shortened to bunt, but took the pitch. On the second pitch, he bunted again and third baseman Juan Francisco couldn’t even make a throw and Reyes had a hit.
Then, he left the game. He had it all figured out. His hit lifted his batting average to .337, meaning Braun had to go 4 for 4 in his game Wednesday night to catch Reyes. So Reyes sat on his .337 average.
Is that sporting? Is that fair? When Reyes came to bat, the fans in Citi Field gave him a standing ovation. When he trotted from first base to the dugout after his bunt hit those same fans, who paid big money to see New York’s star shortstop, booed lustily.
Good for them. I agree. It was a cowardly way out. And I hoped Braun would get those four hits.
IT REMINDED me of 1976 and Ken Griffey Sr. Griffey went into the final game of the season leading Pittsburgh’s Bill Madlock in the batting title race.
Manager Sparky Anderson decided to keep Griffey out of the lineup on the final day of the season against Atlanta. Griffey wanted to play.
Pittsburgh was playing Montreal and word reached the Cincinnati dugout that Madlock had two hits in his first two at-bats to pass Griffey.
Anderson immediately put Griffey in the lineup and he went 0 for 2. Madlock got two more hits to go 4 for 4 and beat Griffey .339 to .336. And Griffey never forgave Sparky.
A MORE MANLY way was shown by Ted Williams in 1941. He was batting .400 on the last day of the season and the Red Sox had a doubleheader in Philadelphia. Williams’ manager offered to sit him out to protect that .400 average.
Williams would have none of it. He wanted to play. Both games. He went 3 for 5 in the first game and 2 for 3 in the second game and finished at .406.
Oh, well. Braun is going to win the National League MVP, even if he doesn’t win the batting title.
AND THAT bring us to Brandon Phillips. He left Tuesday’s game with a leg injury, with his batting average at .300. And he didn’t play Wednesday.
Was he sitting on his .300 or was he hurt. In this case, knowing how often Phillips played hurt this year and how much effort he put into his game this year, I give him any benefit of the doubt. If there are two real gamers on this team it is Joey Votto and Phillips.
EDINSON VOLQUEZ, probably pitching for his Cincinnati life, came up with a quality start Wednesday (if you are an advocate of quality starts, and I’m not). He gave up thee runs and six hits over seven innings in a 3-0 loss.
A walk and a home run, plus his team’s inabililty to score runs off 40-year-old Miguel Batista, did him in. The Reds had two hits, none after the second inning and didn’t get a runner to second base after the second inning.
A one-out walk to Willie Harris in the fourth led to a run. David Wright rolled an infield hit roller to third and Harris scored on a single by Nick Evans.
It stayed 1-0 until the sixth when another infield hit put a runner on base and rookie Mike Baxter ripped his first major-league home run for a 3-0 lead that stood up.
So that’s it. Another season gone by and certainly a major disappointment in Reds Country — the 10th losing season in the last 11 after a one-year breath of life when the Reds won the division in 2010.
There is a lot of work for General Manager Walt Jocketty to do this winter.
Stay tuned.
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By Believe It
October 4, 2011 11:30 PM | Link to this
Unless, of course, they want to bring a real center fielder back—Chris Dickerson—and give him a REAL opportunity to play center this time. Oh, and wasn’t it double D who said Chris Dickerson would not be in the playoffs? Must have been his twin brother running the bases for the Yanks tonight.Wonder what Stubbs is doing—running to the grocery? I’m telling you you can’t believe a word the Blog Cop says…
By Jim
October 4, 2011 2:25 PM | Link to this
Its Heisey in Center Bruce in right and left, up for grabs. Hard to imagine another season of Stubbs, agree?
By Chuckbilly
September 29, 2011 4:18 PM | Link to this
All the guys you mentioned after Reyes were old-timers or played like old-timers. No one after 1994 gives a hoot (not my word of choice here) about the game but about themselves, hence the steroids and the blind eye turned to the “records for HRs”. The last true HR hitters were Ken Jr. and Jim Thome. The rest are steroid thugs. Put Reyes in their with them.
By bsvr
September 29, 2011 2:25 PM | Link to this
I can’t stand the Cardinals, but I respect them. Even before they made their run you could see them fighting every night. My guess is that they follow the lead of their manager who doesn’t give an inch on anything and plays every inning like it counts. Dusty’s laid back approach to the game is exactly what we got from the Reds this year. Does anyone honestly see Baker leading a team back into a playoff race after they were as far back as the Cards were? Not in a million years. Time to make a change if only to send a message to the players we have who went “soft” this year.
By Steve F
September 29, 2011 11:56 AM | Link to this
Hal, I seem to remember Sparky getting advice from the “Big Four ” to sit Griffey and they agreed with their manager.
By Wally Post-favorite player
September 29, 2011 11:15 AM | Link to this
Been a Reds fan since the 50s, sitting on grandpa’s lap listening to the radio. Let’s change things, and update baseball! Expand NL & Al to 20 teams. Each has 5 divisions of 4 teams, and play each team in your division 18 times=54 games. Then play the 16 teams outside your division 4 times=64 games for a grand total of 118 games. Start the season on April 15th, end it on Labor Day. No designated hitters, but only the 8 position players bat, the pitcher never bats. Each team can have 20 players on their roster. Have 5 division champs and 3 wild card teams. The current season drags on too long, and is just the same thing repeated over & over. For many of the teams and fans the games become meaningless at the end. 2 other changes, once the pitcher steps on the rubber, he can’t step off, and once the batter is in the batter’s box, he has to stay in the batter’s box until his at-bat is over.
By Jon
September 29, 2011 9:34 AM | Link to this
Ron Boyles, I think Hal meant to say Chicago Cubs, he got the year and the fact it was Madlock.
By ohiodale
September 29, 2011 8:30 AM | Link to this
Short answer, no it was not a cowardly way out. I guess I would like to know out of what? Also since the Mets WON there is really no point is bring this up.
By rj
September 29, 2011 8:27 AM | Link to this
Cowardly? And this word coming from a baseball so-called “hall” of fame writer? But then, that august group of hypocrites surely know what “cowardly” means.
By ron boyles
September 29, 2011 1:02 AM | Link to this
big pirate fan here.bill madlock did not play for the pirates in 1976,bucs traded for him in the middle of 79 season.
By Randyman1956
September 29, 2011 12:32 AM | Link to this
Dusty was quoted after the game and said, “This is not the way I expected the season to go” Wow! Very prophetic or rather pathetic. Why is Volquez fighting for his Cincy life? He was the one who turned down a multi-year contract before the season. Can’t wait for 2013 season to begin. Cut and paste this season for next season. Don’t expect Jock to stop sitting on his hands. There will be a couple minor league trades that’s all. I stand by my accusation that Jock’s loyalties lie with his ole Cardinals that’s why he stood pat during this year’s trade deadline. Now, let’s see him prove me wrong by upgrading the team during this off season. Take care Hal and thanks for letting us vent.
By Mike Mc In Ky
September 28, 2011 10:46 PM | Link to this
Another loss halfway played by a lineup of half@ss players today who wish they were anywhere but New York the last game of a hope-less year for us reds fans! But who knows? Walt has a 3 yr deal now, and Dusty “played everyone” in the expanded roster, so he saved his job & his half@ss coaches jobs as well. Not one person received any help from em (Stubbs,Chapman,Volquez,Leake,Janish,Alonso, etc.) when they needed it! They sent the majority to AAA where Sweet, Power & Smokey could help them! I think it’s BS that these coaches don’t get the blame for the lack of basic teachings on missing signs, sliding into bases, bunting, getting the leadoff man to 3rd w/less than 2 outs, etc. These guys forgot to play as a team this yr! Last yr was all about the team, & this yr mostly noone besides Joey,Brandon,Cairo & Hanigan knew what that meant! I’m hoping that next yr we have one purpose, to win the pennant! Walt has to get a #1 starter, a 4 or 5hole rbi guy to protect Joey. Hal, god bless, see ya nxt year!
By bobmc
September 28, 2011 5:56 PM | Link to this
Volquez didn’t look like he was pitching for his Cincinnati life. His body language looked as if he was dreaming of being at home in the DR. Early in the game, Votto had to go to the bag unassisted because Edison wasn’t hustling to the bag. The Reds, according to Marty, traded a distraction (Josh Hamilton) to Texas for another distraction. Volquez, along with some other teammates, looks like Huntz Hall, of the old Bowery Boys, with his flat billed, off center cap; even though it’s not turned up in front. Must be another “new look” like the over-sized baggy uniforms. Marge is rolling over in her grave. I hate the Yankees, but they have always looked like a professional baseball team. Clean cut in every regard.
By gom
September 28, 2011 4:26 PM | Link to this
yes, it is the cowardly way out. Don’t understand the previous Moneyball reference. It’s actually the anti-Moneyball way of rewarding performance. Ask Art Howe. If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, don’t make the reference.
By Fishmo
September 28, 2011 3:57 PM | Link to this
Cowardly! This is a Moneyball — player’s style. He’s a free agent. That batting title could be worth another $5-7 million a year or more when he signs a new contract. I’m the batting champion baby. Show me the money.