Catcher Hernandez rewarded with start

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By Hal McCoy, Staff Writer 11:35 PM Tuesday, September 22, 2009

PITTSBURGH — Ramon Hernandez, just a couple of days off the disabled list and one of four catchers employed by the Cincinnati Reds, found himself in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Showing ultimate class, catcher Ryan Hanigan, Hernandez's No. 1 replacement while Hernandez was gone, walked over the Hernandez, shook his hand and said, "Back in the game, boy? Welcome back."

Said Hernandez, "Lot of hard work, man. Lots of it."

And that, says manager Dusty Baker, is why Hernandez is playing.

"He has worked hard to get back to this point," said Baker. "I like to reward guys who work hard to get back in there to play."

Hernandez underwent knee surgery July 21 and missed two months, but seldom missed a day of work drudgery to get back.

"Before, I couldn't run, I could hitl, I couldn't even land my foot when I'd take a pitch, like a knife going through my knee every time I pushed on it," he said. "It got so bad, I couldn't walk up stairs or down stairs.

"Now it feels great, swollen a little bit, but it isn't bad enough that they won't let me play," he added. Hernandez will wear pads on his shin guards and said, "Never used them, but I'll use them today. I used them in the bullpen a couple of times when I caught and they were uncomfortable. I tried it one time before and I didn't like them — feels like I have two rocks on my feet."

Is Taveras Pipp?

While Baker is rewarding Hernandez for dedication, he is in no hurry to put Willy Taveras back in center field, even though he, too, is off the DL.

Baker, in fact, was emphatic in his answer when asked how he would use Taveras.

"Well, I mean, I don't know. I'll work it, not to be a smart-aleck, but I'll work it like I feel like it," he said. "Drew Stubbs has been playing good. We'll see how Willy is feeling and I've asked him and he says he is still feeling something (in his quadriceps).

"We're doing fine with who we've got out there," Baker added, talking about Stubbs. Since Taveras went down and Stubbs arrived, Stubbs leads the team in home runs (8), total bases (65), steals (7) and runs scored (20). That's more production in 32 games.

"Sometimes Wally Pipp is still alive," said Baker. Pipp was a first baseman for the New York Yankees and took a day off. He was replaced by Lou Gehrig, who then played 2,130 straight games and Pipp was never heard from again as a Yankee.

Lincoln throwing

It was expected that pitcher Mike Lincoln would be throwing off a mound any time this season after he underwent surgery to have a cervical disk in his neck replaced in mid-June.

But on Tuesday, he threw off a mound for the second time in a week and said, "I felt really good. I really couldn't locate pitches very well, had no feel, but I had no problems with my neck.

"Yeah, I'd like to pitch again this year in a game, but they said no," said Lincoln . "That probably a good idea."

Quote of the day

"I find myself looking at the tops of building a lot. I haven't seen anybody, but I know they're up there." — Manager Dusty Baker, talking about the security in Pittsburgh the the G20 Summit talks.

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