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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy is in his 36th year of covering the Cincinnati Reds, the longest tenure for any active writer covering one team. Counting spring training and postseason games, McCoy has covered more than 7,000 major-league baseball games, written close to 18,000 baseball stories and eaten enough hot dogs to give Babe Ruth indigestion.Home > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > March > 27 > Entry
Can Bray stay healthy
Every time, it seems, a guy looks as if he has his act together, as if he has solidified his spot on the Cincinnati Reds roster, he soils the dinner host’s expensive linen.
Take Bill Bray, for example.
Until Wednesday night, the young lefthanded relief pitcher was pulling the light switch on every hitter. Then came the Toronto Blue Jays.
In one-third of an inning, Bray gave up three runs and three hits. He walked his first hitter, then gave up two doubles that nearly put holes in the outfield wall, an infield hit, yadda, yadda, yadda.
With leflthanders strewn everywhere in the bullpen, it wasn’t the most apropos time for Bray to go south - not with Mike Stanton and Jeremy Affeldt and Kent Mercker in the mix, four guys for (at most) three spots in the bullpen.
Even before that happened, manager Dusty Baker was skeptical of Bray’s track record of needing excessive medical attention.
“Bray has been doing well,” Baker said. “The only drawback with Bray might be that he comes up hurt. There is still a question with him of availability and durability. That’s a big issue in the big leagues because we play a lot of games, y’know. He started out this spring hurt.”
Baker wanted to know how much Bray has pitched in the majors and how much he has pitched in the minors. Bray, 24, pitchd only 35 1/3 innings last year, 14 1/3 with the Reds, due to a season stuffed with injuries.
His career consists of 65 major-league innings (42 with the Reds) and 99 2/3s minor-league innings.
He is putting that up against veterans like Jeremy Affeldt and Kent Mercker, guys with long track records, even though Affeldt’s numbers this spring are awful.
“Affeldt has been throwing the ball good all along, he just hasn’t been locating very well,” said Baker. “Throwing the ball good is not the issue. Just location. I mean, this is still spring training, but even in April it is still spring time.
“By Opening Day, you hope to have all your team sharp, but rarely do you have all your team sharp,” he said. “Everybody is not the same. You have hot-weather players, guys who need innings to get real sharp, guys who need 150 at-bats to get started and others who seem to get sharp in days.”
Are we missing a name here? Oh, yeah. Mike Stanton and his $3 million contract (with a $500,000 buyout). The Phillies inquired about his availability, offering first baseman/third baseman Wes Helmes. The Reds said no.
Meanwhile, Baker and general manager Wayne Krivsky met early in the morning, presumably to discuss more cuts. There are still 35 on the roster and 10 must go. Over in Winter Haven, the Cleveland Indians are down to 26, one over the limit.
Of course, the Tribe doesn’t have as many great players to check out as the Reds. Yeah, right.
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Comments
By Troy Guthrie
March 29, 2008 10:27 AM | Link to this
The Reds organization is an enigma wrapped in a riddle. They make a move like cutting Stanton and eating the contract, showing a commitment to get better, but hire “the genius” as a manager. Every good move is offset by a bad one that is just as impactful, if not more…By Cait
March 28, 2008 9:17 AM | Link to this
Why not make the Stanton for Helms trade? We don’t need a 1B-3B, but we could have packaged Helms with Freel or Hopper for a minor league prospect or more big league pitching help. We’d free up an OF spot and we’d be out from under Stanton’s contract. What was to lose?By Marty
March 27, 2008 8:22 PM | Link to this
I can’t believe that the Reds didn’t JUMP on the Wes Helms offer. Stankton’s contract is an albatross and I’d think the Reds’ brass would be eager to take anyone to get him off the books based on last years horrid performance along with his less-than-stellar spring.By Marty
March 27, 2008 8:22 PM | Link to this
I can’t believe that the Reds didn’t JUMP on the Wes Helms offer. Stankton’s contract is an albatross and I’d think the Reds’ brass would be eager to take anyone to get him off the books based on last years horrid performance along with his less-than-stellar spring.By Keith
March 27, 2008 8:16 PM | Link to this
I say trade Stanton for Wes Helms even up. Then we can release Helms to save money $2.3 versus $3.5 for Stanton.By ShockMonkey
March 27, 2008 7:50 PM | Link to this
Stanton cleared waivers! What’s that tell you? Nobody wants him! Looks like we’re stuck unless the suits want to eat his “fat” contract. Merker’s 40 years young fer-cryin-out-loud. Stick with Bray and hope he stays healthy. The pitching staff which goes north at the end of March rarely looks anything like the one you’ll see in June. Not to worry.By Harry the Horse
March 27, 2008 11:30 AM | Link to this
Hal couldn’t resist getting a dig in for his beloved Cleveland Indians. What is it Hal 1948?? Even Hal was in short pants back thenBy Dave
March 27, 2008 11:10 AM | Link to this
Yeah Hal, Mercker’s got a long track record, all right: he hasn’t made it through an entire major league season since 1995. Demoted in ‘96; DL’d in ‘97-00 and ‘03-06; and out of baseball entirely in ‘01, ‘02, & ‘07. And now, at 40, he’s trying to come back from his second major arm surgery. The guy is a lemon: do you really think he’s going to be able to make a significant contribution to this team winning anything? As what, team comedian? Stanton’s overall career track record (both health-wise and on the mound) is way better, and I still think he can rebound from last year. Bray’s had one bad outing this spring. Keeping Mercker seems like a huge waste of time and money to me.By Ryan
March 27, 2008 10:58 AM | Link to this
No surprise the Reds said no to Wes Helms. The last thing we need is another infielder to throw into the mix; although it’d be nice to dump Stanton. Honestly, I’m surprised teams are inquiring about him.