A: The only player I ever saw in tears was a tough guy. It was Pete Rose and they were tears of joy after he passed Ty Cobb to become The Hit King. The best frustration eruption came from highly competitive pitcher Danny Jackson. After a bad night, he took a bat to his wooden dressing cubicle in the clubhouse and turned it into kindling. When a writer asked him about it, he said, “What I am going to do is unscrew your head and expletive down your neck.”
Q: When was the last official Opening Day when the Cincinnati Reds got to play the first game of the season? — FRED, Brookville.
A: To honor the team as the first professional team, the Reds were given the privilege of playing the first game of the season, no other games. The tradition began in 1882 when the Reds played the Pittsburgh Pirates. And it lasted more than 125 years — until TV moguls took over. They preferred bigger market teams for bigger ratings. This year, the New York Yankees (of course) played the San Francisco Giants Wednesday night, the only game. Opening Day remains a big deal in Cincinnati with the Findlay Market parade and the pre-game festivities. But, unfortunately, in recent years, it no longer is a national big deal. TV and big money always talks loudest. (Editor’s Note: 1993 is believed to be the last year the Reds were the first game on the Opening Day slate).
Q: What is the guy holding the clipboard in the bullpen doing while he stands next to a pitcher while he warms-up? — GREG, Beavercreek.
A: That’s usually the bullpen coach monitoring how many pitches are thrown and documenting the different pitches he throws. He observes what might be working and what might not be working. And he makes sure the pitcher doesn’t throw too hard early in the session. And he monitors the pitcher’s mechanics. Then he relays to the dugout that the pitcher is ready ... or not. Then he whacks the pitcher’s backside and says, “You’re in and now you’re on your own, pal.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Q: Were there years that you correctly predicted that the Reds were World Series contenders and were there years when you missed that they were World Series contenders? — JIM, Centerville.
A: My prognostication acumen is about as accurate as Punxsutawney Phil’s. It was an easy chore in the early 1970s for The Big Red Machine when I predicted a World Series for the 1975 and 1976 Reds. I missed by a mile-and-a-half on the 1990 Reds when they won it all after having a losing record in 1989. And I missed four straight years from 1985-88. I predicted a World Series appearance all four years. They finished second in the division all four years. Win some, lose most.
Q: How much does analytics influence in-game decisions versus a manager’s instincts? — KAREN, Beavercreek Twp.
A: Analytics too much. Instincts not enough. Analytics has turned managers into push-button decisions. Of course, it depends on the managers. The old-school guys rely more on their instincts, but those guys are disappearing from the game. Governor Mike Dewine told me the Cleveland Guardians gave him and six grandkids a two-hour tour of their spring training facilities and he was amazed by the science he observed. Remember TV’s Watch Mr. Wizard (Don Herbert)? It is guys like him that now manage MLB teams.
Q: Who was a player that you thought had the talent to be a big league star, but it did not work out for him? — ALAN, Sugercreek Twp.
A: Two come to mind — Jack Armstrong and Brandon Larson. In 1990, Jack Armstrong won eight of his first nine starts and was the National League starter in the All-Star game. But that was it. He finished the year 12-9 and never approached that 1990 start. Brandon Larson, a truly nice guy, was the Reds first-round pick in 1997, but didn’t produce — .179 with eight home runs in 109 games. Injuries plagued him, including some bizarre ones. He was hit in the dugout by a line drive foul ball hit by Todd Walker. He tried to duck it and put his left hand down to break his fall and broke it. And he broke a toe when Randy Johnson hit him with a 100 miles an hour fastball. If there was a Hall of Fame for Bizarre Baseball Injuries, Larson would be in it.
Q: Did you collect baseball cards as a kid and what player’s card was your favorite? — TIM, Xenia.
A: Yes, I did ... tons of them. Every week I depleted Helsel’s Square Deal Grocery Store’s supply of Bowman’s bubblegum/baseball cards. I was searching for my favorite Cleveland Indians player, Al Rosen. I bought and bought and bought in 1954. No Al Rosen. Only later in life did I learn that Rosen was never in Bowman’s collection that year. He was in Topps, which I didn’t collect. When my friend, Shaun Frost, heard my story last year he gave me a 1953 Bowman’s card of Rosen.
Q: We often hear Reds broadcaster Jeff Brantley talk about his love of food, so what former Reds player could crush a lot of food? — CRAIG, Centerville.
A: For his diminutive size, Jeff Brantley could destroy the clubhouse food table from fried chicken to ice cream to Mexican Coca-Cola. Players ate well after games except when manager Lou Piniella upset the table and scattered the food all over the floor after a loss. Pitcher Frank Pastore was a monster eater, once setting a record by eating a 4 1/2-pound steak in 10 minutes at the Big Texan Steak House. That’s 4 1/2 pounds, not 4 1/2 ounces.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Q: Have you ever developed a blister on your fingers from typing your stories while covering the Reds and had to go on the IL or get a designated typist? — MIKE, Fairfield.
A: I presume you are poking fun at Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo, who has had an epidemic of blisters on the index finger of his pitching hand. No blisters on my typing fingers, but my posterior aches some nights from sitting through 3 1/2-hour games. I’ve heard the cure for blisters is to soak the digits in pickle juice, sweet or dill, doesn’t matter.
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