QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Q: Do you find it strange that Reds owner Bob Castellini and general manager Walt Jocketty have stayed silent and out of sight during this rough start? — MARK, Dayton.
A: One can always find Castellini fleeing from his private box after games and you can tell the result of the game from the look on his face. The man wants to win. Jocketty, too, can be seen on the postgame media elevator most of the time. They aren’t ducking anything. They are available to the media, upon request. Will they share their innermost thoughts right now? Probably not.
Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy knows a thing or two about our nation’s pastime. To tap into that knowledge, send an email to halmccoy1@hotmail.com.
Q: Does Cy Young turn over in his grave when a .500 pitcher like Johnny Cueto is mentioned for the award that bears his name? — DAVE, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek.
A: I’ve always wanted to see a dead person roll over in his grave. Don’t think it happens. Pitchers can’t control wins and losses, they can only control what the other team does. Cueto is 6-5 but leads the world in ERA, strikeouts, innings and lowest batting average against. Who knows? If the Reds discover their missing bats, Cueto might be 25-6 by season’s end. Johnny Beisbol easily could be 11-1 now with a little help.
Q: Why does Jay Bruce constantly backpedal when batting and why can’t he just stay in the batter’s box? — PAUL, Dayton.
A: Have you seen ANY hitter stay in the batter’s box? They all step out between pitches. Bruce just wanders away farther than most. All hitters have their rituals and his is just more extravagant. They always talk about speeding up the game so why not put in a rule to require batters to stay in the batter’s box at all times. That’s the only place that counts.
Q: With the struggles of Ryan Ludwick, are the Reds looking to possibly trade a pitcher for a left fielder or will they just live with the struggling outfielder? MARK, Batavia.
A: Obviously you haven’t noticed that Ludwick isn’t the everyday left fielder. Manager Bryan Price is using a three-pronged platoon of Ludwick, Chris Heisey and Skip Schumaker, hoping one might find his groove. So far, so bad. But I like Schumaker’s style — all-out all the time and a team-first attitude. I’d hate to see the Reds trade good pitching. Pitching is what is keeping them barely afloat.
Q: Before the draft began in 1965, how did teams acquire players? — BILL, Dayton.
A: All players were fair game to any team that offered a contract. Branch Rickey of the St. Louis Cardinals established a minor league system and stockpiled players, as did the New York Yankees. So the draft was established so that a player could sign only with the team that drafted him. So why do the Cardinals still seem to get all the good players?
Q: Despite his tender age of 23, Billy Hamilton seems to have a delightful personality and charisma. Do you see him moving into a leadership position? — MARTHA, Clayton.
A: Hamilton, indeed, is a sheer delight. But he is still learning the path toward being an established big leaguer and, yes, an established star. He is more the type to be a leader by example and right now is a follower of the established stars. Let’s permit him to grow and mature before anchoring him with a veteran’s responsibilities. Check back in five years.
Q: With the Reds bringing back many past stars as mentors, why haven’t they hired Tracy Jones, because I’ve heard talk on WLW about him being a superstar? — JACK, Vandalia.
A: Jones is a legend in his own mind and a master of shtick, a WLW specialty. He played only six years and for five different teams and had a career .273 batting average. He talks a big game, which is his job. Cooperstown has not called.
Q: What is your take on Edwin Encarnacion either figuring it out or using PEDs? — JASON, Denver.
A: Encarnacion’s reincarnation is man-made. With surprise testing done frequently, you can be certain he has been tested more than once. My take is that he underachieved with the Reds and is now overachieving with the Toronto Blue Jays. Give him credit for figuring it out. It is now up to the pitchers to figure him out.
Q: I love watching the current day baseball with all the amazing athletes, but what was your favorite era? — JAY, Englewood.
A: My favorite era was before free agency, before the designated hitter, before interleague play, before steroids and before replay challenges. Take me back to the early 1970s and The Big Red Machine when none of that existed and all we talked about was baseball instead of steroids, free agents, huge salaries and let’s go to the replay and see if we got it right.
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