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Cincinnati Reds

Reds' Hairston: Goal is to make playoffs

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By Hal McCoy, Staff Writer Updated 2:21 AM Wednesday, May 13, 2009

PHOENIX — Jerry Hairston Jr. doesn’t want to be Ernie Banks in only one respect.

Oh, he’d love to play shortstop the way Banks played it for the Chicago Cubs and he’d love to hit home runs and for average the way Banks did it.

What Hairston doesn’t want to do is play his whole career without ever reaching the postseason, like Banks did.

Hairston, 32, is in his ninth major-league season and hasn’t sniffed the sweet aroma of postseason play. Banks played 18 seasons.

“I’ve played for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers,” he said. “Do the math.”

You don’t need to understand trigonometry to figure out those teams Hairston has played for are not postseason icons.

But Hairston sniffs something special with the 2009 Cincinnati Reds.

“I hope I have four or five good years left in me and I can do it in Cincinnati because I want to be a part of a team that wins, man,” he said. “You hear so many stories about teams going to the playoffs, how great it is, what the feeling is — and I want that feeling.”

Is it coincidence that since Hairston began to play regularly and bat second that the Reds have suddenly resembled postseason material? Baseball and coincidence are not synonyms.

When Hairston has batted second, the Reds are 10-6. When Hairston plays shortstop, as he is doing now while Alex Gonzalez rests his sore side, the Reds are 3-1.

Hairston entered Tuesday’s game against Arizona with a seven-game hitting streak  (12-29, .414) with two homers, six RBIs and 10 runs scored.

Batting second agrees with him.

"I love hitting at the top of the order, first or second," he said. "Whatever helps us score runs is what I like to do and I feel comfortable helping out at the top of the order."

For those who say Hairston's on-base average isn't high enough (.313), there is a correlation. He has walked only six times in 83 plate appearances.

"I'd love it to be really, really high, but realistically you have Willy Taveras on base in front of me and Joey Votto batting behind me so you won't walk a whole lot. You want to, especially with Votto swinging the bat, but they won't walk me.

"You want to do things to get runners in scoring position for Votto and Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce and I do all I can to make that happen," Hairston said.

What happens Friday when Gonzalez returns to shortstop? Hairston probably returns to platoon in left field, starting only against left-handers.

“You know Hairston is going to do a good job and he is just now getting hot,” said manager Dusty Baker. “Nobody is Alex Gonzalez at shortstop. Everybody knows that. Hairston comes to play every day and he is part of us having so many interchangeable parts.”

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If Hairston wants to make the playoffs, he'd better learn how to bunt down the third base line!

Wizard
10:22 PM, 5/13/2009

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this gonzalez has done nothing but scam this team for three years with his injury bs cant hit'but yet he is out at nightclubs in miami everynight in the offseason chasing skirts
when is this management going to wise up
and opt him out he dosent deserve to be in mlb
let him go play in venezula

sam
9:44 PM, 5/13/2009

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i tell myou what happens when gonzalez returns to ss and you pull hairston you stop winning
stupid baker

tom
9:39 PM, 5/13/2009

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EE is wired in the asleep-at-the-wheel position. He's a dud & has been given more than a fair shake & way more than ample opportunity with the Reds...time to cut this snoozer loose. He's another Felipe Lopez...tons of potential he's quite simply unable or unwilling to live up to. Great day when they 86'd Lopez, Kearns, Griffey, Dunn & will be a great day when they do the same with Edwin.

Johnnie B (not so good) Baker
3:03 PM, 5/13/2009

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I know I'm stupid and a really inept manager, just don't nobody tell Walt or Bob 'cause they thinks I'm awesome. Besides, look at our awesome #s when EE and A-Gon and Dickerson play regularly! I'm a friggin'; genius...just you watch timb and JimT and Mr Redlegs Original Authority or whatever the hell you are. I tell, I'm amazing 'specially with my 3 MOYs in my pocket he he he...

Toothpick
2:59 PM, 5/13/2009

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