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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 > 07 > Entry
Phillips: ‘I’m a showboat, always have been’
BRANDON PHILLIPS flashed that ocean-wide grin and said without malice, “I’m a showboat. Yes, I AM a showboat. Always have been, always will be. That’s me. If people like it, fine. If not, I apologize. But I gotta be me.”
The conversation came up after Phillips knocked over Washington catcher Wil Nieves Saturday, dislodging the ball to score an important run. Then Phillips celebrated - the way he celebrates everything. He danced a little jig, thumped his chest, pointed to the sky and flashed his ultra-whites.
Washington took offense at Phillips’ celebratory nature. On his next at-bat, they plunked him with a pitch on the butt cheek. Phillips smiled, took his base without protest and said later, “That’s fine with me. Just helps my on-base average.”
Of the celebration after cold-cocking Nieves, Phillips said, “If I’m on their team, they love it. But I’m not, so they don’t like me. Yeah, I showboat. But I do it after everything I do. I do it if I get down a sacrifice bunt. I do it if I draw a walk. I do it on a good defensive play. I do it on anything I do, always have. If I change, it’s not me.
“I won’t apologize for it,” he said. “I love the game, I only have one career, and I’m going to do it my way. I’m gonna keep showboating.”
ASKED IF he had it in his head that the Nationals might hit him on his next at bat, he said, “Yeah I thought I might. But Dusty said I did the right thing and there was nothing wrong with what I did. Nobody said anything. Not even anybody on the other team said anything.
“Adam Dunn did say, ‘You bringing back your football days?,’ but he smiled,” said Phillips, a high school football star as a cornerback and wide receiver at Stone Mountain, Ga.
But it was the celebrating that irked the Nats.
“Pitchers celebrate all the time after they strike you out, prance around the mound, and nobody says anything,” said Phillips. “I don’t. I just want that much more to get a hit next time up.”
Some notorious mound celebrants were Jose Lima, Pascual Perez and, of course, Cincinnati’s Brad “The Animal” Lesley (1982-84). When he struck out a batter, he screamed at the top of his voice and pumped his arm the way umpires do to call strike three.
“All I know is that it felt good to touch home plate and score an important run,” said Phillips. Was it like making a good hit in football? No. Was it like three strikes in a row, a turkey, when he is bowling, his favorite pastime. “Naw, man. It was more like six strikes in a row.”
Phillips also pointed out that he takes some heavy hits from guys at second base trying to break up double plays, “And I know the guy is just trying to do his job. I was doing my job. What was I supposed to do, slide in with my feet when he has the plate blocked, let him tag me out, then get up and pat him on the butt and say, ‘Nice job?’ Won’t happen. Won’t ever happen. I’m just being me.”
HOMER BAILEY wanted to take his regular turn Tuesday in Great American Ball Park against the San Francisco Giants. Instead, he’ll throw 80 pitches in Syracuse for the Louisville Bats, “A tuneup,” said manager Dusty Baker.
“We’re anticipating that he will be OK after he threw a couple of real good bullpens,” said Baker. “He’s chomping at the bit to pitch, but we felt it would be better for him to tune up there than to tune up in a game here.”
As of now, Sam LeCure remains scheduled for Sunday’s start against Kansas City, but that could change - and probably will.
Somebody asked if LeCure might go to the bullpen and Baker said, “It depends on how LeCure does (Tuesday) and how Homer is. Sunday is a long way off.”
MANAGER DUSTY BAKER thinks he may have heard the makings of a new team motto. After the Reds beat the Washington Nationals in 10 innings Sunday, as the team ran up the tunnel to the clubhouse Baker heard Laynce Nix say, “We’re some Fightin’ Fools.”
MANY OF YOU misunderstood what I said about Sunday’s game when I said I would have sent Bronson Arroyo back out to pitch the ninth inning Sunday after the Reds took a 4-2 lead. You rightfully pointed out the Scott Rolen pinch-hit for Arroyo and hit the two-run home run, so Arroyo COULDN’T go back out.
That’s not what I meant. What I meant was that after the Reds tied the game, 2-2, it was Arroyo’s turn to bat with a runner on second and two outs in the top of the ninth. That’s when Baker pinch-hit for Arroyo.
I wouldn’t have pinch-hit for him. The Reds had tied the game. Arroyo is a decent hitter. Maybe he might have driven in the run. If not, the game was still tied and Arroyo could have gone back out to pitch.
I know, I know. You don’t play for a tie on the road. Only at home, where you have the last at-bat. But with the way the bullpen has struggled, I’d rather have Arroyo out there protecting that tie.
As it happened, Rolen batted for Arroyo and homered. BUT the bullpen, Coco Cordero, did NOT protect that 4-2 lead.
IN THE EIGHTH inning, the Nationals had a runner on base with two outs and Adam Dunn at the plate. Baker went to the mound to check on Arroyo, who had struck out Dunn three straight times. After chatting with Arroyo, Baker permitted him to stay in the game and Dunn popped out.
“I can trust Arroyo,” said Baker. “If his tank is empty, he tells me. If he thinks he has more in the tank, he’ll tell me that. And I believe him. When he says, ‘I’ve got enough,’ that’s enough for me. When some pitchers tell you they have enough, they don’t.”
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By home loan
July 27, 2010 5:28 PM | Link to this
Wonderful journey and experience!
By wholesale sunglasses
June 14, 2010 10:53 PM | Link to this
Enjoyed reading the report - most informative thanks
By Christian Louboutin
June 12, 2010 7:37 PM | Link to this
Really good sharing this.
By Believe It
June 10, 2010 12:07 AM | Link to this
Correcting you again:You’d be the fool arguing—since you have no points to make!
By Kyle
June 9, 2010 10:55 PM | Link to this
I’d argue with you and point out the flaws and inconsistencies in your posts, but that would be arguing with a fool, and we all know what they say about that.
By Believe It
June 8, 2010 10:52 PM | Link to this
In addition, we have seen BP take a throw from 3rd or short,only to jump over a sliding runner, and decide not to complete his throw while in the air, because he failed to utilize the aforementioned pivot techniques! Ahhh, Randy you might want to stay after class for extra help on the 10:35 post!!!
By Believe It
June 8, 2010 10:35 PM | Link to this
Kyle: You have proven the point that YOU have no idea how, or when, certain pivots are made at second base, by the second baseman. It is also certain that you didn’t see Brandon, finally, make a proper pivot by stepping on, and then away from second base{TOWARD RF WITH HIS BACKSIDE}and then completing his throw to first base, with no contact from the oncoming base runner from first—because he removed himself from the path of the runner! What the hell are you talking about? A second baseman also takes himself out of the runners path, by crossing over the bag, MOVING TOWARDS 3rd BASE, before completing his double play throw to 1st base! And, finally your real stupidity is in suggesting that standing at second, AS THE RUNNER SLIDES INTO YOU, is in any way intelligent, or taught!You stand there, only when you have time to complete the throw to first, without a runner’s slide affecting the relay to first! In fact, he has, and will in the future, “stand at the bag” and allow runners a shot at his legs—open your eyes, and watch—you will see it! He has OFTEN done it—because of either laziness or stupidity, because I saw him do it, correctly, tonight!!! If you didn’t, you aren’t paying attention. I call it lazy or stupid because we never know what to expect from him—he’s supposed to know which pivot to make, based upon the relationship of he and the runner, when receiving the throw! But, you wouldn’t have any idea about that because your previously written ignorance proves you have never played the position!
By Randy
June 8, 2010 6:41 PM | Link to this
subbingforbelieveit; I find it hard to “believe it” but you sound even dumber than believe it!!
By dude
June 8, 2010 6:36 PM | Link to this
Some of these comments are more entertaining than the game last night… The Reds Bull Pen has emploded folks. There will be no playoff hopes with this pen the way it is. Something has got to get done.
By Kyle
June 8, 2010 5:11 PM | Link to this
you see, this is the big boy leagues. They actually make it to second quickly to break up the double plays. And they slide half way into right center field to do it. He’s just saying he takes plenty of contact and that it’s part of the game. He doesn’t just stand there and invite the contact. To him, making the throw accurately is more important than jumping out of the way. You might have forgotten that he’s coming from second, not short. He can’t come across the bag and bail out for right field.
By subbingforbelieveit
June 8, 2010 4:26 PM | Link to this
Dearest Randy: Simple solution for those who cannot see for themselves, meaning you, Dusty and the Jocketty Strap—find pitchers who can make better pitches{including the ability to throw strikes when necessary} than the ones you erroneously have chosen.
By what'sakyle
June 8, 2010 4:18 PM | Link to this
And, Kyle should have one? I doubt Kyle ever knew how a pivot was supposed to be executed, and when.
By jred
June 8, 2010 9:15 AM | Link to this
Come on Hal. You really expect Arroyo to hit in that situation? Dusty made the right call to bring in Rolen and Cordero blew it. Plain and simple. Still the right managerial call though. You can’t play for the tie. I love your writing but this comment got me going.
By Randy
June 8, 2010 6:42 AM | Link to this
Believe It now that you have Brandon Phillips corrected could you please correct the bullpen? We are counting on you.
By RGuy
June 8, 2010 6:40 AM | Link to this
Hal when are the Reds going to do something about the bullpen before it is too late? Now is the time and they have plenty of arms they could audition or even make a trade.
By Kyle
June 8, 2010 6:29 AM | Link to this
Wow. Believe it. Some people shouldn’t have keyboards. You’re one of them.
By Believe It
June 7, 2010 10:12 PM | Link to this
Phillips also pointed out that he takes some heavy hits from guys at second base trying to break up double plays, “And I know the guy is just trying to do his job…” Problem with taking “heavy hits” is because once again, Brandon isn’t doing “his” job!He is standing at the bag, refusing to make a proper pivot when a runner is almost on top of him—instead of crossing the bag/stepping back away from the bag{towards right field}. Brandon, by not doing the above, is either being lazy or stupid; and he is hurting his team by allowing runners to get into him!!! He has done this a lot lately. Brandon doesn’t play the game correctly!!!