Beckett Park nearly finished
Marshall vs. Valley View
Chaminade Julienne vs. Monroe
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 > July > 28 > Entry
Reds put the hammer down on the Brewers
UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave with two puppies sleeping on the couch next to me. Paige is only 10 weeks old but already has learned to jingle the bells that Nadine hung on the sun room door to let us know she wants out (Paige, not Nadine). Unfortunately, Paige doesn’t just do it to go to the bathroom. She does it over and over because she knows she gets out of the sun room.
QUESTION: Why is that the Milwaukee Brewers, situated in a smaller drawing area than the Cincinnati Reds, are averaging 35,000 fans at home with a lousy team and the Reds are averaging only 22,000 at home with a wonderfully entertaining a good team with plenty of imaginative promotions? And why would a full house of 38,000 show up at Miller Park Wednesday afternoon?
They must have come to watch the hot dog race because that’s about the only interesting thing happening with the Brewers these days.
ANYWAY, finally, a win for Travis Wood. And for a while it looked as if the Reds would once again refuse to score runs for him. They trailed the Milwaukee Brewers 2-0 in the early goin and had no runs and only four hits off left-handed Brewers starter Chris Narveson after five innings.
But the Reds scored five runs in the sixth inning en route to a 10-2 victory to take two of three in Milwaukee after taking two of three in Houston.
Wood, who was involved in two games in which the Reds lost, 1-0, held the Brewers to two runs and five hits, walking one and struck out six over five innings. During the five-run sixth, manager Dusty Baker pinch-hit for Wood, insuring he would get his first major-league win if the bullpen held the lead. Five guys out of the bullpen held the Brewers scoreless over the final five innings.
IN ADDITION to the five-run sixth, the Reds scored five in the eighth, highlighted by a grand slam home run by Brandon Phillips, his fourth career grand slam and 14th home run this season. The other run in the eighth came on Joey Votto’s career best 26th home run - his third hit of the day to give him seven hits over the last two games in Miller Park.
Phillips started the decisive sixth inning with a lead-off single to right field and stole second base. Before it was over, 11 Reds batted. Votto singled home the first run, cutting the deficit to 2-1, then Jonny Gomes tied it with a double to left field.
NOW COMES another of those decisions by manager Dusty Baker. With the Reds off Thursday, Baker decided to give third baseman Scott Rolen the day off, permitting his ouchy hamstring to have two days of rest - this after he had four hits Tuesday night.
So what happens? Rolen’s stand-in, Miguel Cairo, pulled a two-run double to left field for a 4-2 lead and the Reds never looked back.
MARK ME down as one of those skeptics who said back on January 27 when they signed Cairo, “Why in the world do they need a 36-year-old infielder. Well, at least they signed him to a minor-league contract and we probably won’t see his face under a Reds hat.”
Color my face red. Not only did Cairo make the team and sign a major-league contract, after a slow start, he may be one of the best signings this year by GM Walt Jocketty, along with Jonny Gomes.
As a utility player, Cairo is hitting .304 and over the last 40 games he is hitting .353 with three homers and 15 RBIs. What is more important, is the guy obviously knows how to win. Since 2001, he has played in four post-seasons with three different teams (St. Louis, New York Yankees, Philadelphia).
THERE WAS MUCH to like about this game.
Guess how the Reds scored their fifth run in the six inning? With Cairo on third base and one out, catcher Ryan Hanigan dropped down a squeeze bunt, something the Reds haven’t often tried this season. Hanigan put it down perfectly, lunging for a high and outside pitch to do it.
Right fielder Jay Bruce saved a couple of runs in the fourth after the Brewers scored twice to take a 2-0 lead. With two on and two outs, Carlos Gomez lined a sinking liner to right field. Instead of playing it safely, Bruce dove and made the catch - the same kind of play on which he broke his wrist last year in New York. But he has made that same diving play several times this year without fear of wrecking his wrist again.
And then there was the throw Gomes made from left field in the seventh inning. The Reds led, 5-2, when Gomez led the inning with a drive into the left field corner. With no outs and his team down by three runs, Gomez should have been content with a double. Foolishly, though, he tried for a triple and Gomes threw a strike on the bag and Cairo tagged him out.
HOW MANY times have you seen this play. A team has runners on first and third. The pitcher fakes a throw to third base, then throws to first base. I have to have seen that play tired 1,000 times and only once did I see it work. Eduardo Perez got picked off first after the pitcher faked a throw to third base.
You know what makes this play ridiculous? How many times have you EVER seen a pitcher try to pick a runner off third base? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pitcher throw to third base on a pick-off attempt. So why would any runner on first base EVER fall for a fake throw to third base?
Nevertheless, the Brewers tried it three times in the eighth inning before Phillips hit his grand slam and Votto hit his 26th homer.
YOU ALL HAVE been fantastic this year with the Ask Hal questions. Keep ‘em coming. I’ll be doing Sunday’s Ask Hal column tomorrow afternoon (Thursday), so send them tonight or tomorrow morning to halmccoy@hotmail.com and see you in Sunday’s sports section.
Permalink | Comments (27) | Post your comment |
Tweet
Comments
By Schlage Keypad
December 27, 2010 9:02 AM | Link to this
There are some interesting points in time therein article but I don’t know if I see all of them center to heart. There is some validity but I will hold opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we want more! Added to FeedBurner as well.
By Hey Moron
August 2, 2010 10:28 PM | Link to this
We will try to help you in your spelling on your papers, as well. A$$!
By Wordpress Themes
August 2, 2010 8:57 AM | Link to this
Nice fill someone in on and this mail helped me alot in my college assignement. Thank you as your information.
By Worn Cleat
July 30, 2010 9:05 PM | Link to this
To silverquill, and other blog cops, who do not know anything about bunting:In tonights game, the Cowboy in announcing Cueto entering the batters box, suggested “…we have seen him {Cueto}DRAG bunt, and we have seen him PUSH bunt…” In case, you don’t know it—Cueto only bats right handed; which therefore makes the previous comments YOU made that only LH batters can drag bunt,one more ignorant comment from YOU, the “all-knowing”{you wish} blog cop on the game of baseball. Right handed hitters, bunting down the third base line, are drag bunting; and down the first base line are push bunting! Please try to know more about what you are talking about on the game of baseball, before you make yourself an arrogant spectacle!
By Joe
July 30, 2010 11:43 AM | Link to this
Padres acquire Tejada for a (one) minor league pitcher and Cantu to the Rangers for two minor league pitchers. I’ve got to believe Jocketty was in the hunt for a bat and these two were in his sights. Either one would have provided some much needed support. I wonder who the Orioles and the Marlins wanted from the Reds.
By Bruce
July 29, 2010 11:03 PM | Link to this
When might you be starting to impart your knowledge, grumpy? How long have you been posting, now? Any baseball knowledge would be a start.
By grumpy
July 29, 2010 8:59 PM | Link to this
Bruce, I met Johnny Bench once.. In about 30 seconds I managed to learn everything there is to know about catching.
By Mutaman
July 29, 2010 5:41 PM | Link to this
“Milwaukee is not a great sports town, the Brewers are really all they have.” Average Marquette attendance: 16,000- 10th best in the country. Average Cincinnati Bearcat attendance - 8,000. Average Bucks attendance- 15,000. Average Cincinnati NBA attendance- oh thats right.
By RC
July 29, 2010 2:40 PM | Link to this
Sockpuppets!!
By Raoul
July 29, 2010 11:36 AM | Link to this
Hal, I think the Dayton Dragons are hurting the Reds attendance. I know of many people in Dayton who are content to go to a Dragons game rather than make the trip to Cincy. I am one of them. With cable and satellite TV, you can watch nearly every Reds game. Do the Reds get a cut of the Dragon’s proceeds?
By Bruce
July 29, 2010 10:01 AM | Link to this
Gee, I wonder who knew more about bunting: Billy Martin or SilverQuill?
By SC Red
July 29, 2010 9:49 AM | Link to this
As a lifelong Red fan living in Wisconsin I must attest to Rickbee’s observation about tailgating. I went to the game on Tuesday and there is a difference in parking lot atmosphere at Miller Park than Great American. That said, tickets- I believe- are more expensive at Miler Park. I attribute the higher attendance to Milwaukee’s recent success. Believe me, when football season comes around the fans will not be pouring in like they have been. Wisconsin is a football state, and the Brewers won’t really be in contention. The Brewers have a decent fan base, but have really come out since Miller Park has opened and Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun have been playing here. Milwaukee is not a great sports town, the Brewers are really all they have. The Bucks are a joke, even as half decent as they are. So really Milwaukee sports is dominated by baseball, and the recent rivalry between the Brewers and Cubs really has intensified baseball interest in Milwaukee. Brewers fans are fair weather fans, they already lost one franchise and correct me if I’m wrong but nearly lost the Brewers in the mid to late 90’s. Cincinnatti is a better baseball town, more knowledgeable fans and a smaller city. I love this team, and will people cut Bruce some slack. He was in a bit of a hitting slump but he is worth the defensive help. I truly believe he will help us win the Central.
By Bill
July 29, 2010 9:48 AM | Link to this
In support of Worn Cleats assessment of bunting technique: He is correct about right handed bunting-a drag bunt for rh hitters goes down the third base line. And, a rh hitter is moving his right leg towards first base, as contact is made by ball to bat, on a drag, or on a push bunt-so he is “on the move”. A push bunt is not the correct name for a ball which is bunted at the last second, down the third base line, by a RH hitter. Although a LH hitter does drag a bunt towards first; it is also called a “drag” bunt when a RH hitter does so “on the move”, as the ball is directed down the third base line. It is NOT “pushed” down the third base line! It is “pushed” down the first base line, only.
By Worn Cleat
July 29, 2010 9:05 AM | Link to this
How ignorant of you silverquill. On the fields I played on a drag bunt from a RH hitter went down the third base line and a push bunt went down the first base line—at least that is what professionals, like Billy Martin, at the time, would tell me,during my tryout. Of course, we should probably disregard all of that, in favor of a senile moron’s comments on a blog in 2010!
By rickbee
July 29, 2010 8:42 AM | Link to this
Rather than compare Cincy to Milwaukee, look at historical Reds attendance. They’re on pace to have a top 20-30 best year in franchise history, outdrawing teams from the Big Red Machine era. Also the Brewers seem to foster a robust tailgating culture; a rarity in MLB.
By jim T
July 29, 2010 8:06 AM | Link to this
I go to a number of games a year but I got to say that having the ability to close the roof and control climate is a bonus. Very tuff to go to day or night games when its 90 and humidity is way up there as well.Special thanks to Bob,Walt and Dusty for making Cincy baseball relevent again. Even the negative post show interest. The town is alive with baseball and soon people will realize all this arguing and debate is pennant fever. Something that has been missing in my hometown for quite awhile.Go reds!!!!
By Rob
July 29, 2010 4:38 AM | Link to this
Estimated Milwaukee population: 604K (16th in the ML) Estimated Cincy population: 333K (30th in the ML) More people, more fans to fill the seats. Cincy beats Milwaukee when it comes to MSA (2,198,337 to 1,739,497) which, I imagine, is why the Reds get pretty large crowds on the weekends. While the Brewers only made the post-season in 2008, they were also in contention in 2007, finishing only two games back in the division. The roof also helps significantly. If it looks like it’s going to rain, people won’t chance coming. You’d be a fool to trust the weather forecasters.
By Mutaman
July 29, 2010 2:16 AM | Link to this
The Brewers have been to the post season once in the last 26 years, 3 times in the last 40. Milwaukee is just a better sports town than Cincinnati.
By Mutaman
July 29, 2010 2:16 AM | Link to this
The Brewers have been to the post season once in the last 26 years, 3 times in the last 40. Milwaukee is just a better sports town than Cincinnati.
By silverquill
July 29, 2010 12:06 AM | Link to this
Worn Cleat is showing his lack of baseball savvy in more than one way. Mostly, any baseball fan should know that only a lefthanded batter can drag bunt. A righthanded batter cannot drag a bunt. If he bunts on the run it is a push bunt. Only a lefthander on the left side of the box can run as he is bunting and DRAG it with him. Last time I checked, Stubbs bats righthanded.
By Worn Cleat
July 28, 2010 10:29 PM | Link to this
Until Stubbs gets some balls and learns how to drag bunt, he will be no threat at all. Dickerson and Heisey for that matter, have neither one been alloted the same amount of opportunity to play, like Stubbs has—until THAT happens rating each player’s potential is a waste of time! Baker and Jocketty determined that Stubbs would be the ‘second coming’ of Mickey Mantle—they alone can erase their stupidity, by playing Dickerson and Heisey an equal amount of time!
By grumpy
July 28, 2010 9:20 PM | Link to this
Have to agree with the retractable roof. No rain and no heat. Ticket price is also a factor I think.
By Hopalong
July 28, 2010 9:00 PM | Link to this
Outstanding improvement in the Reds this year. They are so much improved that they are able to overcome two terrible slides today: into third by Cabrera, and the worst slide of all, by Bruce into second-both players sliding over the bags. The Reds continue to demonstrate poor fundamentals: base running/sliding/bunting{except for Hanigan’s great effort today}.Fortunately, the mistakes they made today did not cost them a win. I don’t think Dusty Baker wants to bunt, or steal bases—he passes up too many opportunities, especially with Stubbs, when he finally does get on base. There have been numerous times lately when I thought Gomes should have been asked to bunt, in order to move runners up-but he didn’t. Baker acts like he’s managing the ‘27 Yankees—but he ain’t! Gomes should have bunted today—especially since DB insists that the Reds work really hard on that aspect of the game! Much more small ball is needed from Baker.When Gomes is hitting, let him swing; when he is not hitting make him bunt—same for Bruce, etc. Nice job once again by Wood. Go Reds.
By Mike-Cinci
July 28, 2010 8:49 PM | Link to this
Milwaukee built a retractable roof stadium which assures a game will be played every day or night that it is scheduled. It took more money but it will surely pay off over time. Fans are never inconvienced and they know no matter how hard it rains the game will be played…on time. Also, the Brewers have been vey good the last couple of years. That said, if the Brewers keep losing there will be many more empty seats but not as many if they were sitting out in a cold drizzle.
By redsfandownunder
July 28, 2010 8:31 PM | Link to this
I don’t understand it either. If I still lived in N. KY, I would be at GABP every chance I had. Who cares about the last 10 years - this is an exciting team. The current ownership have done everything possible to put a great team on the field. Meanwhile Paul Brown gets his sellout nearly every game of every year. Sadly, Cincinnati is no longer a baseball town regardless of the product that is put on the field.
By Ryan
July 28, 2010 8:02 PM | Link to this
With runners on first and third, the pitcher is not so much trying to fake a throw to third as he is trying to catch the runner at first going on first movement. It’s more of a fake to home than a fake to third, in a sense. Also, with Leake up to bunt, they were trying to see if some sort of play was on. Agreed, though, it should never work and three times with Leake up was excessive. (side note, what an AB by Leake in that inning!)
By Lee
July 28, 2010 7:36 PM | Link to this
Hal, Remember the Brewers have been to the play-offs several times over the past five years. The Reds have not even sniffed at the play-offs over the last ten. The Brewers fans have reason to come support them based on their recent play-off history. Big win for the Reds!