A: For about 100 years, there were 16 major league teams and 400 players on the 25-man rosters. Now there are 30 teams, 750 players on the 25-man rosters. Does that water down talent? Of course it does. There are players now who would not have been on an MLB roster in the 1950s. Of course, with only 16 teams there also were MLB-level players stuck in the minors because there wasn’t room on a major league team. It works both ways, but I’d lean toward rosters being watered-down because of manpower demand, especially pitchers.
Q: The St. Louis Cardinals have finished first or second in the National League Central Division 15 of the last 20 seasons, so why have they been so successful? — TIM, Oakwood.
A: If other teams could figure it out, they would do it, too ... like Cincinnati. It isn’t market size. St. Louis ranks 18th while Cincinnati is 23rd. Mostly, it is their organization and the way they develop players. When they lose one, they seem to be able to walk into an Iowa cornfield and find a star. And it helps to have a great fan base. Win or lose, which the Cardinals seldom do, the stands are full. To me, it’s the best baseball town in America, the one city where baseball tops the NFL.
Q: As MLB works on the consistency of the baseballs, we know that a qualified manufacturing system can consistently make the exact required specifications, so what gives with the players complaining about the balls? — DENNIS, Spencer, N.C.
A: I trust the players, especially the pitchers, to know if a baseball feels right. The balls are manufactured in Costa Rica and one has to wonder about quality control. Is there any? How difficult can it be to manufacture every baseball in the exact same way? I saw a baseball on TV that had been hit for a double and the stitching was ripped open. I never saw that before. Players continue to complain that each ball feels differently. That’s unacceptable.
Q: Did you know Roger Angell, the New Yorker magazine writer who passed away recently at 101? — RON, Vandalia.
A: Every baseball writer knew who Roger Angell was, the Shakespeare of baseball writers. His lengthy pieces in the New Yorker were always literary masterpieces. And his books were must reads and they all are on my book shelf. I even appeared in one of his spring training pieces. The Reds were in Tampa to play the Yankees. Deion Sanders reached first base against Andy Pettitte. New York post writer George KIng III turned to me and said, “Bet you $5 he picks him off?” I took it. I lost. And Angell mentioned it in his piece.
Q: Would Joey Votto have been able to earn a spot as a starter on the 1975 Reds team? —GLENN, Elk Rapids, Mich.
A: That’s a tough one. Having covered nearly ever 1975 game and most of Votto’s exceptional career, I’d say no. Where would he play? He started as a catcher and he wouldn’t push Johnny Bench aside. He is a first baseman and would he play ahead of Hall of Famer Tony Perez? No. My guess is that if he signed with the Reds, he would have been traded. That’s no knock on Votto,. It’s just that his two positions were occupied by Hall of Famers.
Q: Who will be the next Reds player to be traded away? — ALAN, Sugarcreek Township.
A: It is obvious the Reds are not going to be playing in October. So, more deals are likely. With pitchers Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle on the doorstep of making big money, they are logical suspects. Of course, trades are two-way things. It depends on what the other teams want and what the other teams offer. Let’s hope the Reds get better value in any future trades than what they received the past offseason.
Q: If expansion happens, what two cities would you like to see get a major league team? — GREG, Miamisburg.
A: Expansion is needed. Two teams, one in each league. That would put 16 teams in each league and eliminate the necessity for so many interleague games. With my penchant for blackjack, I’m in favor of Las Vegas. And with MLB’s love affair with on-line gambling advertising, that stigma is removed. My second choice is the great city of Montreal, which never should have lost the Expos. But a new stadium was needed to replace Olympic Stadium, man’s monument to concrete. They would still need a new stadium.
Q: Who do you predict will be the Reds representative on the All-Star team this year? — GREG, Beavercreek.
A: Right now, just one. That would be catcher Tyler Stephenson. He is having an outstanding season both offensively and defensively. And he handles the pitchers well. Will he start? Well, Yadier Molina of the Cardinals is in his final season and is the sentimental choice and Willson Contreras of the Cubs is a solid catcher. For me, it is Molina and Contreras and Tyler, too.
Q: You have analyzed and critiqued thousands of baseball players over your Hall of Fame career, so can you give us a scouting report of a young Hal McCoy on the baseball diamond? — TOM, Beavercreek.
A: If I had been a scout watching me play, I would have written two words on my clipboard: “No prospect.” I could field first base with the best of them and I could hit for average. I never hit under .300 from Little League through high school. But I couldn’t run and couldn’t throw and never hit for power — bad for a first baseman. Famed Phillies scout Tony Lucadello did send me a letter in high school, inviting me to a tryout. I was an anonymous face among about 200 invitees and didn’t get an offer. Mike Schmidt I wasn’t.
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