Bronson Arroyo pitched like he had a guitar playing gig after the game.
He used just 92 pitches to throw a complete game in just 2 hours and eight minutes.
The Reds beat the Astros 6-1. The only batter he walked was the game's leadoff hitter, Michael Bourn. Bourn stole second base, advanced to third when Miguel Tejada ground out. He scored on a foul ball out down the leftfield line by Red killer Lance Berkman.
He scattered four singles and a double the rest of the way.
"I think I completed a game in under 100 pitches one other time," Arroyo said. "I was getting a lot of ground balls with my sinker. They were swinging a lot early in the count which helped out."
Arroyo found a way to get two guys out that have haunted him in the past, Berkman and Carlos Lee.
Berkman was 0-for-3 and Lee 0-for-4. Berkman started the game with a .317 average and five home runs in 41 at bats against Arroyo. Lee started the contest with a .355 average against the fair haired, hurler.
"I pitched them a little differently. It's a chess match with them. Tonight it worked out pretty well," Arroyo said.
Arroyo improved to 7-3 on the season and has won three of his last four starts. He has a decision in each of his 10 starts which is a modern marvel, and a rare occurence in major league baseball these days.
"That's really weird," Arroyo said.
The quick game gave Dusty Baker's bullpen a rest.
"Bronson made it look easy. He had it going on," Baker said. "I wanted to give the bullpen a rest and Bronson gave it to us. Everybody (in the bullpen) was in pretty good shape tonight. At least they said they were but I didn't think they were. We have the day off tomorrow, then we go into Milwaukee with a lot at stake."
The Reds trail the Cardinals by a game and a half. They meet in St. Louis Monday to start a four-game set. They trail Milwaukee by half a game and could come out ahead of the Brewers by winning the series.
They are six games over .500 for the second time this season.
Cincinnati Sports News and Commentary
About Me
- Gary Schatz
- I am a freelance writer. I've covered the Cincinnati Reds, Bengals and others since 1992. I have a background in sales as well. I've sold consumer electronics, advertising and consumer package goods for companies ranging from the now defunct Circuit City to Procter&Gamble. I have worked as a stats operator for Xavier University, the University of Cincinnati, the College of Mount St. Joe and Colerain High School.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Arroyo Mows Down the Astros in Record Time
Bronson Arroyo pitched like he had a guitar playing gig after the game.
He used just 92 pitches to throw a complete game in just 2 hours and eight minutes.
The Reds beat the Astros 6-1. The only batter he walked was the game's leadoff hitter, Michael Bourn. Bourn stole second base, advanced to third when Miguel Tejada ground out. He scored on a foul ball out down the leftfield line by Red killer Lance Berkman.
He scattered four singles and a double the rest of the way.
"I think I completed a game in under 100 pitches one other time," Arroyo said. "I was getting a lot of ground balls with my sinker. They were swinging a lot early in the count which helped out."
Arroyo found a way to get two guys out that have haunted him in the past, Berkman and Carlos Lee.
Berkman was 0-for-3 and Lee 0-for-4. Berkman started the game with a .317 average and five home runs in 41 at bats against Arroyo. Lee started the contest with a .355 average against the fair haired, hurler.
"I pitched them a little differently. It's a chess match with them. Tonight it worked out pretty well," Arroyo said.
Arroyo improved to 7-3 on the season and has won three of his last four starts. He has a decision in each of his 10 starts which is a modern marvel, and a rare occurence in major league baseball these days.
"That's really weird," Arroyo said.
The quick game gave Dusty Baker's bullpen a rest.
"Bronson made it look easy. He had it going on," Baker said. "I wanted to give the bullpen a rest and Bronson gave it to us. Everybody (in the bullpen) was in pretty good shape tonight. At least they said they were but I didn't think they were. We have the day off tomorrow, then we go into Milwaukee with a lot at stake."
The Reds trail the Cardinals by a game and a half. They meet in St. Louis Monday to start a four-game set. They trail Milwaukee by half a game and could come out ahead of the Brewers by winning the series.
They are six games over .500 for the second time this season.
He used just 92 pitches to throw a complete game in just 2 hours and eight minutes.
The Reds beat the Astros 6-1. The only batter he walked was the game's leadoff hitter, Michael Bourn. Bourn stole second base, advanced to third when Miguel Tejada ground out. He scored on a foul ball out down the leftfield line by Red killer Lance Berkman.
He scattered four singles and a double the rest of the way.
"I think I completed a game in under 100 pitches one other time," Arroyo said. "I was getting a lot of ground balls with my sinker. They were swinging a lot early in the count which helped out."
Arroyo found a way to get two guys out that have haunted him in the past, Berkman and Carlos Lee.
Berkman was 0-for-3 and Lee 0-for-4. Berkman started the game with a .317 average and five home runs in 41 at bats against Arroyo. Lee started the contest with a .355 average against the fair haired, hurler.
"I pitched them a little differently. It's a chess match with them. Tonight it worked out pretty well," Arroyo said.
Arroyo improved to 7-3 on the season and has won three of his last four starts. He has a decision in each of his 10 starts which is a modern marvel, and a rare occurence in major league baseball these days.
"That's really weird," Arroyo said.
The quick game gave Dusty Baker's bullpen a rest.
"Bronson made it look easy. He had it going on," Baker said. "I wanted to give the bullpen a rest and Bronson gave it to us. Everybody (in the bullpen) was in pretty good shape tonight. At least they said they were but I didn't think they were. We have the day off tomorrow, then we go into Milwaukee with a lot at stake."
The Reds trail the Cardinals by a game and a half. They meet in St. Louis Monday to start a four-game set. They trail Milwaukee by half a game and could come out ahead of the Brewers by winning the series.
They are six games over .500 for the second time this season.
Dr. Scald Prescribes Rest and Bruce Responds.
Jay Bruce would never ask for a day off. He expects to play every day.
Yet, Dusty Baker, who was knicknamed Dr. Scald by his old teammate Rick Monday, gave his struggling young star Monday off.
"It's crazy. I got antsy but mentally I feel it was good," Bruce said.
Baker saw the signs, the lack of focus, the impatience of the 22-year old slugger.
Yet, Dusty Baker, who was knicknamed Dr. Scald by his old teammate Rick Monday, gave his struggling young star Monday off.
"It's crazy. I got antsy but mentally I feel it was good," Bruce said.
Baker saw the signs, the lack of focus, the impatience of the 22-year old slugger.
"It was a day off at the ballpark," Baker said. "He got to see the other guys hit. A day off away from the park, you get your rest but being around the other guys without the pressure helps. As long as the guy that replaces you does the job, its a good day off."
Bruce was recalled from Louisville a year ago today. He celebrated the anniversary with his 13th and 14th home runs and a triple, driving in four runs. His average rose to .241.
"I appreciate the day off," Bruce said. "We can go on the road with momentum. I'm excited about this team."
 |
| By Jerry Dowling |
Dr. Scald Prescribes Rest and Bruce Responds.
Jay Bruce would never ask for a day off. He expects to play every day.
Yet, Dusty Baker, who was knicknamed Dr. Skald by his old teammate Rick Monday, gave his struggling young star Monday off.
"It's crazy. I got antsy but mentally I feel it was good," Bruce said.
Baker saw the signs, the lack of focus, the impatience of the 22-year old slugger.
"It was a day off at the ballpark," Baker said. "He got to see the other guys hit. A day off away from the park, you get your rest but being around the other guys without the pressure helps. As long as the guy that replaces you does the job, its a good day off."
Bruce was recalled from Louisville a year ago today. He celebrated the anniversary with his 13th and 14th home runs and a triple, driving in four runs. His average rose to .241.
"I appreciate the day off," Bruce said. "We can go on the road with momentum. I'm excited about this team."
Yet, Dusty Baker, who was knicknamed Dr. Skald by his old teammate Rick Monday, gave his struggling young star Monday off.
"It's crazy. I got antsy but mentally I feel it was good," Bruce said.
Baker saw the signs, the lack of focus, the impatience of the 22-year old slugger.
"It was a day off at the ballpark," Baker said. "He got to see the other guys hit. A day off away from the park, you get your rest but being around the other guys without the pressure helps. As long as the guy that replaces you does the job, its a good day off."
Bruce was recalled from Louisville a year ago today. He celebrated the anniversary with his 13th and 14th home runs and a triple, driving in four runs. His average rose to .241.
"I appreciate the day off," Bruce said. "We can go on the road with momentum. I'm excited about this team."
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Right Side of Reds Infield Ailing
Earlier this month Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips the right side of the infield and the heart of the batting order went down on the same day with the flu.
The flu turned into a nightmare for Votto. Air travel combined to cause an inner ear infection, leading to dizziness. Phillips, however, returned to bump his batting average from .188 to .275. He leads the National League with 27 RBI for the month of April.
On Saturday both were in the lineup at the same time.
Votto had two home runs and four RBI in his first two at bats. But Phillips had to leave the game in the seventh inning. He took a ground ball off his right thumb, sustaining a hairline fracture.
He does not want to go on the disabled list. He wants to try to play in a couple days if his protected thumb allows him to swing the bat and throw. Wilkin Castillo was recalled as a back up when emergency starter, Homer Bailey was sent back to Louisville as planned.
When the lineups were posted Sunday, Votto's name was conspicuosly absent.
"Joey is still feeling some of the effects," Dusty Baker said. "We knew it wouldn't go away over night. He could pinch hit. We'll see."
The Reds thought they had survived the loss of its two hottest hitters when the flu ran its course. Less than a month later they have the same storm to weather.
"If we get through this stretch, we'll be great," Baker said. "It's not exactly how we planned it but it doesn't do any good to feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to keep playing."
The flu turned into a nightmare for Votto. Air travel combined to cause an inner ear infection, leading to dizziness. Phillips, however, returned to bump his batting average from .188 to .275. He leads the National League with 27 RBI for the month of April.
On Saturday both were in the lineup at the same time.
Votto had two home runs and four RBI in his first two at bats. But Phillips had to leave the game in the seventh inning. He took a ground ball off his right thumb, sustaining a hairline fracture.
He does not want to go on the disabled list. He wants to try to play in a couple days if his protected thumb allows him to swing the bat and throw. Wilkin Castillo was recalled as a back up when emergency starter, Homer Bailey was sent back to Louisville as planned.
When the lineups were posted Sunday, Votto's name was conspicuosly absent.
"Joey is still feeling some of the effects," Dusty Baker said. "We knew it wouldn't go away over night. He could pinch hit. We'll see."
The Reds thought they had survived the loss of its two hottest hitters when the flu ran its course. Less than a month later they have the same storm to weather.
"If we get through this stretch, we'll be great," Baker said. "It's not exactly how we planned it but it doesn't do any good to feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to keep playing."
Right Side of Reds Infield Ailing
Earlier this month Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips the right side of the infield and the heart of the batting order went down on the same day with the flu.
The flu turned into a nightmare for Votto. Air travel combined to cause an inner ear infection, leading to dizziness. Phillips, however, returned to bump his batting average from .188 to .275. He leads the National League with 27 RBI for the month of April.
On Saturday both were in the lineup at the same time.
Votto had two home runs and four RBI in his first two at bats. But Phillips had to leave the game in the seventh inning. He took a ground ball off his right thumb, sustaining a hairline fracture.
He does not want to go on the disabled list. He wants to try to play in a couple days if his protected thumb allows him to swing the bat and throw. Wilkin Castillo was recalled as a back up when emergency starter, Homer Bailey was sent back to Louisville as planned.
When the lineups were posted Sunday, Votto's name was conspicuosly absent.
"Joey is still feeling some of the effects," Dusty Baker said. "We knew it wouldn't go away over night. He could pinch hit. We'll see."
The Reds thought they had survived the loss of its two hottest hitters when the flu ran its course. Less than a month later they have the same storm to weather.
"If we get through this stretch, we'll be great," Baker said. "It's not exactly how we planned it but it doesn't do any good to feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to keep playing."
The flu turned into a nightmare for Votto. Air travel combined to cause an inner ear infection, leading to dizziness. Phillips, however, returned to bump his batting average from .188 to .275. He leads the National League with 27 RBI for the month of April.
On Saturday both were in the lineup at the same time.
Votto had two home runs and four RBI in his first two at bats. But Phillips had to leave the game in the seventh inning. He took a ground ball off his right thumb, sustaining a hairline fracture.
He does not want to go on the disabled list. He wants to try to play in a couple days if his protected thumb allows him to swing the bat and throw. Wilkin Castillo was recalled as a back up when emergency starter, Homer Bailey was sent back to Louisville as planned.
When the lineups were posted Sunday, Votto's name was conspicuosly absent.
"Joey is still feeling some of the effects," Dusty Baker said. "We knew it wouldn't go away over night. He could pinch hit. We'll see."
The Reds thought they had survived the loss of its two hottest hitters when the flu ran its course. Less than a month later they have the same storm to weather.
"If we get through this stretch, we'll be great," Baker said. "It's not exactly how we planned it but it doesn't do any good to feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to keep playing."
Saturday, May 23, 2009
And The Not So Funny
After so long in the press box, I realized that I'm a fish out of water in the stands now.
I have trained myself not to cheer. It is frowned upon.
On Wednesday, I'm in the stands at the Reds game with Philadelphia. I am oblivious to the fans in the row in front of me. I was discussing Tony LaRusa to a man to my left, who I had never met. He found out that I have been in major league clubhouses and occasionally hear things that give insight but are off the record.
One major league manager blurted out an unsolicited, unflattering opinion of LaRusa using the f-word twice. I told the man next to me the story, unedited.
I don't use that type of language often. I will to add color to a story, among friends and strangers as long as it adds to the story. But I don't cuss just to cuss. I try very hard to communicate without unnecessary shock value.
A fan in front of me, who was not and should not been involved in the conversation jumped all over me. He was offended and I believe used his five-year old grandson, who had a hot dog on his mind and not anything I said.
It was the way he immediately jumped me that pissed me off. I would have felt bad if the kid heard me but he didn't. I was not going to let some yahoo, who had no right to involve himself in my private conversation.
I unpolitely told him to mind his own business and butt the H out of my private conversation.
It is not my intent to offend people but I do not worry about the sensibility of others when I am not directing my speach to them.
I believe in free speech. I believe that there is far too much censorship. Words no matter how vulgar the meaning have never hurt anyone, unless the "victim" allowed it. I even hold the contention that even the youngest children are not harmed by hearing foul language. I believe that they should not be sheltered. I believe parents should teach their children that these words exist and how to react reasonably.
The eight o'clock moral TV standard is one of the reasons that this country is becoming too soft, too sensitive for its own good.
So now I've said it. Deal with it.
I have trained myself not to cheer. It is frowned upon.
On Wednesday, I'm in the stands at the Reds game with Philadelphia. I am oblivious to the fans in the row in front of me. I was discussing Tony LaRusa to a man to my left, who I had never met. He found out that I have been in major league clubhouses and occasionally hear things that give insight but are off the record.
One major league manager blurted out an unsolicited, unflattering opinion of LaRusa using the f-word twice. I told the man next to me the story, unedited.
I don't use that type of language often. I will to add color to a story, among friends and strangers as long as it adds to the story. But I don't cuss just to cuss. I try very hard to communicate without unnecessary shock value.
A fan in front of me, who was not and should not been involved in the conversation jumped all over me. He was offended and I believe used his five-year old grandson, who had a hot dog on his mind and not anything I said.
It was the way he immediately jumped me that pissed me off. I would have felt bad if the kid heard me but he didn't. I was not going to let some yahoo, who had no right to involve himself in my private conversation.
I unpolitely told him to mind his own business and butt the H out of my private conversation.
It is not my intent to offend people but I do not worry about the sensibility of others when I am not directing my speach to them.
I believe in free speech. I believe that there is far too much censorship. Words no matter how vulgar the meaning have never hurt anyone, unless the "victim" allowed it. I even hold the contention that even the youngest children are not harmed by hearing foul language. I believe that they should not be sheltered. I believe parents should teach their children that these words exist and how to react reasonably.
The eight o'clock moral TV standard is one of the reasons that this country is becoming too soft, too sensitive for its own good.
So now I've said it. Deal with it.
And The Not So Funny
After so long in the press box, I realized that I'm a fish out of water in the stands now.
I have trained myself not to cheer. It is frowned upon.
On Wednesday, I'm in the stands at the Reds game with Philadelphia. I am oblivious to the fans in the row in front of me. I was discussing Tony LaRusa to a man to my left, who I had never met. He found out that I have been in major league clubhouses and occasionally hear things that give insight but are off the record.
One major league manager blurted out an unsolicited, unflattering opinion of LaRusa using the f-word twice. I told the man next to me the story, unedited.
I don't use that type of language often. I will to add color to a story, among friends and strangers as long as it adds to the story. But I don't cuss just to cuss. I try very hard to communicate without unnecessary shock value.
A fan in front of me, who was not and should not been involved in the conversation jumped all over me. He was offended and I believe used his five-year old grandson, who had a hot dog on his mind and not anything I said.
It was the way he immediately jumped me that pissed me off. I would have felt bad if the kid heard me but he didn't. I was not going to let some yahoo, who had no right to involve himself in my private conversation.
I unpolitely told him to mind his own business and butt the H out of my private conversation.
It is not my intent to offend people but I do not worry about the sensibility of others when I am not directing my speach to them.
I believe in free speech. I believe that there is far too much censorship. Words no matter how vulgar the meaning have never hurt anyone, unless the "victim" allowed it. I even hold the contention that even the youngest children are not harmed by hearing foul language. I believe that they should not be sheltered. I believe parents should teach their children that these words exist and how to react reasonably.
The eight o'clock moral TV standard is one of the reasons that this country is becoming too soft, too sensitive for its own good.
So now I've said it. Deal with it.
I have trained myself not to cheer. It is frowned upon.
On Wednesday, I'm in the stands at the Reds game with Philadelphia. I am oblivious to the fans in the row in front of me. I was discussing Tony LaRusa to a man to my left, who I had never met. He found out that I have been in major league clubhouses and occasionally hear things that give insight but are off the record.
One major league manager blurted out an unsolicited, unflattering opinion of LaRusa using the f-word twice. I told the man next to me the story, unedited.
I don't use that type of language often. I will to add color to a story, among friends and strangers as long as it adds to the story. But I don't cuss just to cuss. I try very hard to communicate without unnecessary shock value.
A fan in front of me, who was not and should not been involved in the conversation jumped all over me. He was offended and I believe used his five-year old grandson, who had a hot dog on his mind and not anything I said.
It was the way he immediately jumped me that pissed me off. I would have felt bad if the kid heard me but he didn't. I was not going to let some yahoo, who had no right to involve himself in my private conversation.
I unpolitely told him to mind his own business and butt the H out of my private conversation.
It is not my intent to offend people but I do not worry about the sensibility of others when I am not directing my speach to them.
I believe in free speech. I believe that there is far too much censorship. Words no matter how vulgar the meaning have never hurt anyone, unless the "victim" allowed it. I even hold the contention that even the youngest children are not harmed by hearing foul language. I believe that they should not be sheltered. I believe parents should teach their children that these words exist and how to react reasonably.
The eight o'clock moral TV standard is one of the reasons that this country is becoming too soft, too sensitive for its own good.
So now I've said it. Deal with it.
Fans Say the Funniest Things
Since 1992, I have covered thousands of MLB baseball games as well as hundreds of NFL games, a couple NBA and NHL games, lots of college and high school games. I've worked ABL pro-basketball, professional indoor soccer if anyone remembers the Cincinnati Silverbacks.
The stories I like the best are some that don't get into the paper. When I was younger and didn't really understand the nuances of the game, I could name all sorts of statistical records. I was the nerdy little kid with glasses, who could tell you Johnny Temple's batting and fielding average.
As I grew older, my enjoyment of sports shifted from the statistical to the human interest. I enjoy the locker room humor and the stories that give insight to the personalities of the participants.
Lately, my professional participation has slumped along with the economy. The news media has been forced to cut back coverage at a time when more and more people have the ability to publish their insights, like I'm doing on this blog.
Last year was the first season in which I did not cover all of the Reds home games. I sat in the stands with my lovely girlfriend for the first time in close to 20 years. Normally, I prefer to watch games at home but living alone, I occasionally like to watch at a sports bar.
I was not assigned to the Reds, Friday night contest in the cross state series between Cleveland and Cincinnati. I went to a neighborhood establishment to watch the last five innings. I intentionally picked one that I did not go to on a regular basis so that I could watch and not get sucked into a lengthy bar conversation, yet there were people around.
The thing that I have noticed from sitting in the stands and going out to watch on TV with a crowd is the commentary. It is the perfect example how a little bit of knowledge is so totally depleted of fact.
Cincinnati had runners on second and third with one out in a tie game. Pitcher Bronson Arroyo was the batter. Arroyo, would not be a superstarter hitter, but he does have a clue. He can get the occasional hit and is a decent bunter.
The Cleveland pitcher threw a pitch out of the strike zone, then Arroyo attempted a squeeze bunt but it rolled foul. The next two pitches were out of the strikezone. The Indians played the infield in to choke of the run and prevent a weak ground ball from giving the Reds a lead.
With a 3-1 count, Arroyo fouled off the next pitch. The local barstool manager, threw up his arms and yelled to Dusty Baker as if he could be heard through the bar's wide screen. "Why didn't he have the pitcher take that pitch?" the fan demanded. Not knowing the full background of Arroyo's and his relative ability as a hitter, it seemed like the logical strategy. I bit my tongue as the other bar flies agreed.
Major League managers do not micromanage pitch-by-pitch. They let the players make the in game decisions much more often than not. Players would not want to play for a manager that would constantly flash a take sign. It would be foolish to do so. Players in the batters box really have to be on their own. Do they make mistakes? Of course. The game is much harder than it looks from the press box and broadcast booth. I consider Thom Brennaman a horrible broadcaster. He should stick to play by play and save his less than knowledgeable opinion.
You have to let the player make the instantaneous decisions. They become professionals by their ability. The reason they go through several years of minor league play is to learn how to make the thousands of in-game decisions. Why try to dictate their movements when sitting dozens of rows in the stands. It makes no sense.
Arroyo eventually popped up. The fan blamed Dusty Baker, who did nothing wrong at all. It was so unfair but again I let it slide untill............
The Indians put runners on first and third with one out. Arroyo threw the next pitch and the Cleveland hitter bounced into a double play.
I jumped up, pumped my fist and said, "That's the way Dusty," in front of the bar full of strangers, who did not know my background.
The original "expert" looked at me with surprise. "What did Dusty do," he wondered out loud.
"He gave Arroyo the signal to throw the pitch that got the double play," I explained.
"Dusty didn't do anything," he countered.
"If you're going to blame him for Arroyo's at bat, you have to give him credit for Arroyo's pitch," I told him.
They got the point. We all had a laugh but it is true. Fans tend to blame the manager for strategies that they assume and rarely happen on the field.
The same crowd. The same game. Adam Rosales came to bat with a runner in scoring position.
The TV graphic was on the screen with the acronym RISP Runners in scoring position to show Rosales average in those situations.
"Why would anyone name their kid Risp," the fan asked in all seriousness.
I let the bar expert explain as I laughed out loud.
The stories I like the best are some that don't get into the paper. When I was younger and didn't really understand the nuances of the game, I could name all sorts of statistical records. I was the nerdy little kid with glasses, who could tell you Johnny Temple's batting and fielding average.
As I grew older, my enjoyment of sports shifted from the statistical to the human interest. I enjoy the locker room humor and the stories that give insight to the personalities of the participants.
Lately, my professional participation has slumped along with the economy. The news media has been forced to cut back coverage at a time when more and more people have the ability to publish their insights, like I'm doing on this blog.
Last year was the first season in which I did not cover all of the Reds home games. I sat in the stands with my lovely girlfriend for the first time in close to 20 years. Normally, I prefer to watch games at home but living alone, I occasionally like to watch at a sports bar.
I was not assigned to the Reds, Friday night contest in the cross state series between Cleveland and Cincinnati. I went to a neighborhood establishment to watch the last five innings. I intentionally picked one that I did not go to on a regular basis so that I could watch and not get sucked into a lengthy bar conversation, yet there were people around.
The thing that I have noticed from sitting in the stands and going out to watch on TV with a crowd is the commentary. It is the perfect example how a little bit of knowledge is so totally depleted of fact.
Cincinnati had runners on second and third with one out in a tie game. Pitcher Bronson Arroyo was the batter. Arroyo, would not be a superstarter hitter, but he does have a clue. He can get the occasional hit and is a decent bunter.
The Cleveland pitcher threw a pitch out of the strike zone, then Arroyo attempted a squeeze bunt but it rolled foul. The next two pitches were out of the strikezone. The Indians played the infield in to choke of the run and prevent a weak ground ball from giving the Reds a lead.
With a 3-1 count, Arroyo fouled off the next pitch. The local barstool manager, threw up his arms and yelled to Dusty Baker as if he could be heard through the bar's wide screen. "Why didn't he have the pitcher take that pitch?" the fan demanded. Not knowing the full background of Arroyo's and his relative ability as a hitter, it seemed like the logical strategy. I bit my tongue as the other bar flies agreed.
Major League managers do not micromanage pitch-by-pitch. They let the players make the in game decisions much more often than not. Players would not want to play for a manager that would constantly flash a take sign. It would be foolish to do so. Players in the batters box really have to be on their own. Do they make mistakes? Of course. The game is much harder than it looks from the press box and broadcast booth. I consider Thom Brennaman a horrible broadcaster. He should stick to play by play and save his less than knowledgeable opinion.
You have to let the player make the instantaneous decisions. They become professionals by their ability. The reason they go through several years of minor league play is to learn how to make the thousands of in-game decisions. Why try to dictate their movements when sitting dozens of rows in the stands. It makes no sense.
Arroyo eventually popped up. The fan blamed Dusty Baker, who did nothing wrong at all. It was so unfair but again I let it slide untill............
The Indians put runners on first and third with one out. Arroyo threw the next pitch and the Cleveland hitter bounced into a double play.
I jumped up, pumped my fist and said, "That's the way Dusty," in front of the bar full of strangers, who did not know my background.
The original "expert" looked at me with surprise. "What did Dusty do," he wondered out loud.
"He gave Arroyo the signal to throw the pitch that got the double play," I explained.
"Dusty didn't do anything," he countered.
"If you're going to blame him for Arroyo's at bat, you have to give him credit for Arroyo's pitch," I told him.
They got the point. We all had a laugh but it is true. Fans tend to blame the manager for strategies that they assume and rarely happen on the field.
The same crowd. The same game. Adam Rosales came to bat with a runner in scoring position.
The TV graphic was on the screen with the acronym RISP Runners in scoring position to show Rosales average in those situations.
"Why would anyone name their kid Risp," the fan asked in all seriousness.
I let the bar expert explain as I laughed out loud.
Fans Say the Funniest Things
Since 1992, I have covered thousands of MLB baseball games as well as hundreds of NFL games, a couple NBA and NHL games, lots of college and high school games. I've worked ABL pro-basketball, professional indoor soccer if anyone remembers the Cincinnati Silverbacks.
The stories I like the best are some that don't get into the paper. When I was younger and didn't really understand the nuances of the game, I could name all sorts of statistical records. I was the nerdy little kid with glasses, who could tell you Johnny Temple's batting and fielding average.
As I grew older, my enjoyment of sports shifted from the statistical to the human interest. I enjoy the locker room humor and the stories that give insight to the personalities of the participants.
Lately, my professional participation has slumped along with the economy. The news media has been forced to cut back coverage at a time when more and more people have the ability to publish their insights, like I'm doing on this blog.
Last year was the first season in which I did not cover all of the Reds home games. I sat in the stands with my lovely girlfriend for the first time in close to 20 years. Normally, I prefer to watch games at home but living alone, I occasionally like to watch at a sports bar.
I was not assigned to the Reds, Friday night contest in the cross state series between Cleveland and Cincinnati. I went to a neighborhood establishment to watch the last five innings. I intentionally picked one that I did not go to on a regular basis so that I could watch and not get sucked into a lengthy bar conversation, yet there were people around.
The thing that I have noticed from sitting in the stands and going out to watch on TV with a crowd is the commentary. It is the perfect example how a little bit of knowledge is so totally depleted of fact.
Cincinnati had runners on second and third with one out in a tie game. Pitcher Bronson Arroyo was the batter. Arroyo, would not be a superstarter hitter, but he does have a clue. He can get the occasional hit and is a decent bunter.
The Cleveland pitcher threw a pitch out of the strike zone, then Arroyo attempted a squeeze bunt but it rolled foul. The next two pitches were out of the strikezone. The Indians played the infield in to choke of the run and prevent a weak ground ball from giving the Reds a lead.
With a 3-1 count, Arroyo fouled off the next pitch. The local barstool manager, threw up his arms and yelled to Dusty Baker as if he could be heard through the bar's wide screen. "Why didn't he have the pitcher take that pitch?" the fan demanded. Not knowing the full background of Arroyo's and his relative ability as a hitter, it seemed like the logical strategy. I bit my tongue as the other bar flies agreed.
Major League managers do not micromanage pitch-by-pitch. They let the players make the in game decisions much more often than not. Players would not want to play for a manager that would constantly flash a take sign. It would be foolish to do so. Players in the batters box really have to be on their own. Do they make mistakes? Of course. The game is much harder than it looks from the press box and broadcast booth. I consider Thom Brennaman a horrible broadcaster. He should stick to play by play and save his less than knowledgeable opinion.
You have to let the player make the instantaneous decisions. They become professionals by their ability. The reason they go through several years of minor league play is to learn how to make the thousands of in-game decisions. Why try to dictate their movements when sitting dozens of rows in the stands. It makes no sense.
Arroyo eventually popped up. The fan blamed Dusty Baker, who did nothing wrong at all. It was so unfair but again I let it slide untill............
The Indians put runners on first and third with one out. Arroyo threw the next pitch and the Cleveland hitter bounced into a double play.
I jumped up, pumped my fist and said, "That's the way Dusty," in front of the bar full of strangers, who did not know my background.
The original "expert" looked at me with surprise. "What did Dusty do," he wondered out loud.
"He gave Arroyo the signal to throw the pitch that got the double play," I explained.
"Dusty didn't do anything," he countered.
"If you're going to blame him for Arroyo's at bat, you have to give him credit for Arroyo's pitch," I told him.
They got the point. We all had a laugh but it is true. Fans tend to blame the manager for strategies that they assume and rarely happen on the field.
The same crowd. The same game. Adam Rosales came to bat with a runner in scoring position.
The TV graphic was on the screen with the acronym RISP Runners in scoring position to show Rosales average in those situations.
"Why would anyone name their kid Risp," the fan asked in all seriousness.
I let the bar expert explain as I laughed out loud.
The stories I like the best are some that don't get into the paper. When I was younger and didn't really understand the nuances of the game, I could name all sorts of statistical records. I was the nerdy little kid with glasses, who could tell you Johnny Temple's batting and fielding average.
As I grew older, my enjoyment of sports shifted from the statistical to the human interest. I enjoy the locker room humor and the stories that give insight to the personalities of the participants.
Lately, my professional participation has slumped along with the economy. The news media has been forced to cut back coverage at a time when more and more people have the ability to publish their insights, like I'm doing on this blog.
Last year was the first season in which I did not cover all of the Reds home games. I sat in the stands with my lovely girlfriend for the first time in close to 20 years. Normally, I prefer to watch games at home but living alone, I occasionally like to watch at a sports bar.
I was not assigned to the Reds, Friday night contest in the cross state series between Cleveland and Cincinnati. I went to a neighborhood establishment to watch the last five innings. I intentionally picked one that I did not go to on a regular basis so that I could watch and not get sucked into a lengthy bar conversation, yet there were people around.
The thing that I have noticed from sitting in the stands and going out to watch on TV with a crowd is the commentary. It is the perfect example how a little bit of knowledge is so totally depleted of fact.
Cincinnati had runners on second and third with one out in a tie game. Pitcher Bronson Arroyo was the batter. Arroyo, would not be a superstarter hitter, but he does have a clue. He can get the occasional hit and is a decent bunter.
The Cleveland pitcher threw a pitch out of the strike zone, then Arroyo attempted a squeeze bunt but it rolled foul. The next two pitches were out of the strikezone. The Indians played the infield in to choke of the run and prevent a weak ground ball from giving the Reds a lead.
With a 3-1 count, Arroyo fouled off the next pitch. The local barstool manager, threw up his arms and yelled to Dusty Baker as if he could be heard through the bar's wide screen. "Why didn't he have the pitcher take that pitch?" the fan demanded. Not knowing the full background of Arroyo's and his relative ability as a hitter, it seemed like the logical strategy. I bit my tongue as the other bar flies agreed.
Major League managers do not micromanage pitch-by-pitch. They let the players make the in game decisions much more often than not. Players would not want to play for a manager that would constantly flash a take sign. It would be foolish to do so. Players in the batters box really have to be on their own. Do they make mistakes? Of course. The game is much harder than it looks from the press box and broadcast booth. I consider Thom Brennaman a horrible broadcaster. He should stick to play by play and save his less than knowledgeable opinion.
You have to let the player make the instantaneous decisions. They become professionals by their ability. The reason they go through several years of minor league play is to learn how to make the thousands of in-game decisions. Why try to dictate their movements when sitting dozens of rows in the stands. It makes no sense.
Arroyo eventually popped up. The fan blamed Dusty Baker, who did nothing wrong at all. It was so unfair but again I let it slide untill............
The Indians put runners on first and third with one out. Arroyo threw the next pitch and the Cleveland hitter bounced into a double play.
I jumped up, pumped my fist and said, "That's the way Dusty," in front of the bar full of strangers, who did not know my background.
The original "expert" looked at me with surprise. "What did Dusty do," he wondered out loud.
"He gave Arroyo the signal to throw the pitch that got the double play," I explained.
"Dusty didn't do anything," he countered.
"If you're going to blame him for Arroyo's at bat, you have to give him credit for Arroyo's pitch," I told him.
They got the point. We all had a laugh but it is true. Fans tend to blame the manager for strategies that they assume and rarely happen on the field.
The same crowd. The same game. Adam Rosales came to bat with a runner in scoring position.
The TV graphic was on the screen with the acronym RISP Runners in scoring position to show Rosales average in those situations.
"Why would anyone name their kid Risp," the fan asked in all seriousness.
I let the bar expert explain as I laughed out loud.
Homer Bailey Makes His First Major League Start of the Season
Edinson Volquez tried to take a flight of steps two at a time for some unknown reason. The conditioned professional athlete felt a twinge in his back and made an early exit from his last start.
Efforts to treat the injury to allow "Two Step" Volquez to make his scheduled start against the Cleveland Indians were unsuccessful.
The Reds called up its prized pitching prospect, Homer Bailey to start Saturday against the Indians. Ironically, Bailey made his first career start against the Tribe on June 8, 2007. He recorded a victory in a 4-3 Reds triumph.
Bailey, who is still only 23-years old, pitched well this spring, nearly winning a spot in the rotation that eventually was assigned to the more seasoned, Micah Owings.
Bailey returned to Louisville and had a couple rough starts but rallied to put together a streak of six starts in which he pitched at least six innings. Four were quality starts under MLB scoring criteria.
His record in Louisville was 3-5 with a 4.57 earned run average. In his last start Monday, Bailey was the losing pitcher in a 2-0 loss to Norfolk in a double-header seven inning game. Bailey got a complete game by working six innings as the visiting starter.
The highlight of the season for Bailey was a 15 strikeout performance against the Toledo Mud Hens on April 26.
Bailey had control problems and appeared to have problems communicating with catcher Ramon Hernandez. He walked the leadoff hitter, Asdrubal Cabrera, to open the game. He escaped in part because shortstop Alex Gonzalez ran down a pop up down the leftfield line off the bat of Grady Sizemore. That is the kind of defensive support that pitchers do not get at the Triple AAA level. Many times a pitcher's Triple A ERA is inflated when they come to the Major Leagues.
Bailey fanned Victor Martinez, who was hitting .391 as he stepped to the plate. Cabrera was gunned down trying to steal by Ramon Hernandez to end the inning.
The second inning was not so forgiving.
Joey Votto hit a home run to stake the Reds to a single-run lead but Bailey couldn't hold it. Shin-Soo Choo walked to open the inning and Mark DeRosa hit his seventh home run to put the Indians on top. Matt LaPorta singled. Jamey Carrol walked one out later. Opposing pitcher, David Huff bunted the runners along. Cabrera's two out single scored the runners, leaving the Reds trailing 4-1.
Votto's second home run of the game capped a five-run second half by Cincinnati and Bailey was handed a two-run lead.
He blanked the Indians in the third and fourth but lost control in the fifth. He walked Cabrera, Sizemore and Choo around a fly out by Martinez.
Baker took out the young prospect with the bases loaded, two out shy of the requisite five innings needed to qualify for a win.
His replacement, Jared Burton, allowed a game-tying single to left by DeRosa, both runs charged to Bailey.
He finished with 4 1/3 innings. He only gave up three hits but walked a career-high six and allowed six runs that tied a career-high.
Efforts to treat the injury to allow "Two Step" Volquez to make his scheduled start against the Cleveland Indians were unsuccessful.
The Reds called up its prized pitching prospect, Homer Bailey to start Saturday against the Indians. Ironically, Bailey made his first career start against the Tribe on June 8, 2007. He recorded a victory in a 4-3 Reds triumph.
Bailey, who is still only 23-years old, pitched well this spring, nearly winning a spot in the rotation that eventually was assigned to the more seasoned, Micah Owings.
Bailey returned to Louisville and had a couple rough starts but rallied to put together a streak of six starts in which he pitched at least six innings. Four were quality starts under MLB scoring criteria.
His record in Louisville was 3-5 with a 4.57 earned run average. In his last start Monday, Bailey was the losing pitcher in a 2-0 loss to Norfolk in a double-header seven inning game. Bailey got a complete game by working six innings as the visiting starter.
The highlight of the season for Bailey was a 15 strikeout performance against the Toledo Mud Hens on April 26.
Bailey had control problems and appeared to have problems communicating with catcher Ramon Hernandez. He walked the leadoff hitter, Asdrubal Cabrera, to open the game. He escaped in part because shortstop Alex Gonzalez ran down a pop up down the leftfield line off the bat of Grady Sizemore. That is the kind of defensive support that pitchers do not get at the Triple AAA level. Many times a pitcher's Triple A ERA is inflated when they come to the Major Leagues.
Bailey fanned Victor Martinez, who was hitting .391 as he stepped to the plate. Cabrera was gunned down trying to steal by Ramon Hernandez to end the inning.
The second inning was not so forgiving.
Joey Votto hit a home run to stake the Reds to a single-run lead but Bailey couldn't hold it. Shin-Soo Choo walked to open the inning and Mark DeRosa hit his seventh home run to put the Indians on top. Matt LaPorta singled. Jamey Carrol walked one out later. Opposing pitcher, David Huff bunted the runners along. Cabrera's two out single scored the runners, leaving the Reds trailing 4-1.
Votto's second home run of the game capped a five-run second half by Cincinnati and Bailey was handed a two-run lead.
He blanked the Indians in the third and fourth but lost control in the fifth. He walked Cabrera, Sizemore and Choo around a fly out by Martinez.
Baker took out the young prospect with the bases loaded, two out shy of the requisite five innings needed to qualify for a win.
His replacement, Jared Burton, allowed a game-tying single to left by DeRosa, both runs charged to Bailey.
He finished with 4 1/3 innings. He only gave up three hits but walked a career-high six and allowed six runs that tied a career-high.
Homer Bailey Makes His First Major League Start of the Season
Edinson Volquez tried to take a flight of steps two at a time for some unknown reason. The conditioned professional athlete felt a twinge in his back and made an early exit from his last start.
Efforts to treat the injury to allow "Two Step" Volquez to make his scheduled start against the Cleveland Indians were unsuccessful.
The Reds called up its prized pitching prospect, Homer Bailey to start Saturday against the Indians. Ironically, Bailey made his first career start against the Tribe on June 8, 2007. He recorded a victory in a 4-3 Reds triumph.
Bailey, who is still only 23-years old, pitched well this spring, nearly winning a spot in the rotation that eventually was assigned to the more seasoned, Micah Owings.
Bailey returned to Louisville and had a couple rough starts but rallied to put together a streak of six starts in which he pitched at least six innings. Four were quality starts under MLB scoring criteria.
His record in Louisville was 3-5 with a 4.57 earned run average. In his last start Monday, Bailey was the losing pitcher in a 2-0 loss to Norfolk in a double-header seven inning game. Bailey got a complete game by working six innings as the visiting starter.
The highlight of the season for Bailey was a 15 strikeout performance against the Toledo Mud Hens on April 26.
Bailey had control problems and appeared to have problems communicating with catcher Ramon Hernandez. He walked the leadoff hitter, Asdrubal Cabrera, to open the game. He escaped in part because shortstop Alex Gonzalez ran down a pop up down the leftfield line off the bat of Grady Sizemore. That is the kind of defensive support that pitchers do not get at the Triple AAA level. Many times a pitcher's Triple A ERA is inflated when they come to the Major Leagues.
Bailey fanned Victor Martinez, who was hitting .391 as he stepped to the plate. Cabrera was gunned down trying to steal by Ramon Hernandez to end the inning.
The second inning was not so forgiving.
Joey Votto hit a home run to stake the Reds to a single-run lead but Bailey couldn't hold it. Shin-Soo Choo walked to open the inning and Mark DeRosa hit his seventh home run to put the Indians on top. Matt LaPorta singled. Jamey Carrol walked one out later. Opposing pitcher, David Huff bunted the runners along. Cabrera's two out single scored the runners, leaving the Reds trailing 4-1.
Votto's second home run of the game capped a five-run second half by Cincinnati and Bailey was handed a two-run lead.
He blanked the Indians in the third and fourth but lost control in the fifth. He walked Cabrera, Sizemore and Choo around a fly out by Martinez.
Baker took out the young prospect with the bases loaded, two out shy of the requisite five innings needed to qualify for a win.
His replacement, Jared Burton, allowed a game-tying single to left by DeRosa, both runs charged to Bailey.
He finished with 4 1/3 innings. He only gave up three hits but walked a career-high six and allowed six runs that tied a career-high.
Efforts to treat the injury to allow "Two Step" Volquez to make his scheduled start against the Cleveland Indians were unsuccessful.
The Reds called up its prized pitching prospect, Homer Bailey to start Saturday against the Indians. Ironically, Bailey made his first career start against the Tribe on June 8, 2007. He recorded a victory in a 4-3 Reds triumph.
Bailey, who is still only 23-years old, pitched well this spring, nearly winning a spot in the rotation that eventually was assigned to the more seasoned, Micah Owings.
Bailey returned to Louisville and had a couple rough starts but rallied to put together a streak of six starts in which he pitched at least six innings. Four were quality starts under MLB scoring criteria.
His record in Louisville was 3-5 with a 4.57 earned run average. In his last start Monday, Bailey was the losing pitcher in a 2-0 loss to Norfolk in a double-header seven inning game. Bailey got a complete game by working six innings as the visiting starter.
The highlight of the season for Bailey was a 15 strikeout performance against the Toledo Mud Hens on April 26.
Bailey had control problems and appeared to have problems communicating with catcher Ramon Hernandez. He walked the leadoff hitter, Asdrubal Cabrera, to open the game. He escaped in part because shortstop Alex Gonzalez ran down a pop up down the leftfield line off the bat of Grady Sizemore. That is the kind of defensive support that pitchers do not get at the Triple AAA level. Many times a pitcher's Triple A ERA is inflated when they come to the Major Leagues.
Bailey fanned Victor Martinez, who was hitting .391 as he stepped to the plate. Cabrera was gunned down trying to steal by Ramon Hernandez to end the inning.
The second inning was not so forgiving.
Joey Votto hit a home run to stake the Reds to a single-run lead but Bailey couldn't hold it. Shin-Soo Choo walked to open the inning and Mark DeRosa hit his seventh home run to put the Indians on top. Matt LaPorta singled. Jamey Carrol walked one out later. Opposing pitcher, David Huff bunted the runners along. Cabrera's two out single scored the runners, leaving the Reds trailing 4-1.
Votto's second home run of the game capped a five-run second half by Cincinnati and Bailey was handed a two-run lead.
He blanked the Indians in the third and fourth but lost control in the fifth. He walked Cabrera, Sizemore and Choo around a fly out by Martinez.
Baker took out the young prospect with the bases loaded, two out shy of the requisite five innings needed to qualify for a win.
His replacement, Jared Burton, allowed a game-tying single to left by DeRosa, both runs charged to Bailey.
He finished with 4 1/3 innings. He only gave up three hits but walked a career-high six and allowed six runs that tied a career-high.
Votto Returns Ends Apprehension
Joey Votto was described by Dusty Baker as the Reds answer to Baker's old Dodger teammate, Steve Garvey. Garvey played every Dodger game from 1976 through 1980.
Not only does the soft spoken Votto have movie star looks like Garvey. Votto played every inning of every Reds game of the Reds first 27 contests. "Joey Votto's a man," Baker said at the time.
Then the flu bug bit him and he missed four games with a nasty case.
He came back as part of a double switch but thes Reds subequent road trip, he became dizzy in a start at Arizona and had to leave the game. He played one game in San Diego on the next leg of the road trip but last Saturday, was removed after getting dizzy on the field.
Extensive test revealed that the pressure from the airline trips combined with the flu caused an severe inner ear infectioned that caused the dizziness.
After the relief that nothing exotic was causing the problem, Votto needed a couple of days to get back into playing condition by taking ground balls and batting practice.
His name was on the lineup sheet Saturday against the Indians.
"I felt great yesterday," Votto said before his return. "The tough part will be playing the entire game. The last time I played I have to leave. I'm worried about it happening again but once I've had a few games in a row and play nine innings, that will go away."
The apprehension at least over the effect the illness would have on performance was erased on a 3-2 pitch from Indian's starter David Huff. Votto drilled it into the stands in left center. In his next at bat he hit a long home run to right, giving him four RBI in the first two at bats in his comeback. It is his third multi-home run game of his career.
In the field he made a nice backhanded stop on a hard ground ball by Victor Martinez.
Not only does the soft spoken Votto have movie star looks like Garvey. Votto played every inning of every Reds game of the Reds first 27 contests. "Joey Votto's a man," Baker said at the time.
Then the flu bug bit him and he missed four games with a nasty case.
He came back as part of a double switch but thes Reds subequent road trip, he became dizzy in a start at Arizona and had to leave the game. He played one game in San Diego on the next leg of the road trip but last Saturday, was removed after getting dizzy on the field.
Extensive test revealed that the pressure from the airline trips combined with the flu caused an severe inner ear infectioned that caused the dizziness.
After the relief that nothing exotic was causing the problem, Votto needed a couple of days to get back into playing condition by taking ground balls and batting practice.
His name was on the lineup sheet Saturday against the Indians.
"I felt great yesterday," Votto said before his return. "The tough part will be playing the entire game. The last time I played I have to leave. I'm worried about it happening again but once I've had a few games in a row and play nine innings, that will go away."
The apprehension at least over the effect the illness would have on performance was erased on a 3-2 pitch from Indian's starter David Huff. Votto drilled it into the stands in left center. In his next at bat he hit a long home run to right, giving him four RBI in the first two at bats in his comeback. It is his third multi-home run game of his career.
In the field he made a nice backhanded stop on a hard ground ball by Victor Martinez.
Votto Returns Ends Apprehension
Joey Votto was described by Dusty Baker as the Reds answer to Baker's old Dodger teammate, Steve Garvey. Garvey played every Dodger game from 1976 through 1980.
Not only does the soft spoken Votto have movie star looks like Garvey. Votto played every inning of every Reds game of the Reds first 27 contests. "Joey Votto's a man," Baker said at the time.
Then the flu bug bit him and he missed four games with a nasty case.
He came back as part of a double switch but thes Reds subequent road trip, he became dizzy in a start at Arizona and had to leave the game. He played one game in San Diego on the next leg of the road trip but last Saturday, was removed after getting dizzy on the field.
Extensive test revealed that the pressure from the airline trips combined with the flu caused an severe inner ear infectioned that caused the dizziness.
After the relief that nothing exotic was causing the problem, Votto needed a couple of days to get back into playing condition by taking ground balls and batting practice.
His name was on the lineup sheet Saturday against the Indians.
"I felt great yesterday," Votto said before his return. "The tough part will be playing the entire game. The last time I played I have to leave. I'm worried about it happening again but once I've had a few games in a row and play nine innings, that will go away."
The apprehension at least over the effect the illness would have on performance was erased on a 3-2 pitch from Indian's starter David Huff. Votto drilled it into the stands in left center. In his next at bat he hit a long home run to right, giving him four RBI in the first two at bats in his comeback. It is his third multi-home run game of his career.
In the field he made a nice backhanded stop on a hard ground ball by Victor Martinez.
Not only does the soft spoken Votto have movie star looks like Garvey. Votto played every inning of every Reds game of the Reds first 27 contests. "Joey Votto's a man," Baker said at the time.
Then the flu bug bit him and he missed four games with a nasty case.
He came back as part of a double switch but thes Reds subequent road trip, he became dizzy in a start at Arizona and had to leave the game. He played one game in San Diego on the next leg of the road trip but last Saturday, was removed after getting dizzy on the field.
Extensive test revealed that the pressure from the airline trips combined with the flu caused an severe inner ear infectioned that caused the dizziness.
After the relief that nothing exotic was causing the problem, Votto needed a couple of days to get back into playing condition by taking ground balls and batting practice.
His name was on the lineup sheet Saturday against the Indians.
"I felt great yesterday," Votto said before his return. "The tough part will be playing the entire game. The last time I played I have to leave. I'm worried about it happening again but once I've had a few games in a row and play nine innings, that will go away."
The apprehension at least over the effect the illness would have on performance was erased on a 3-2 pitch from Indian's starter David Huff. Votto drilled it into the stands in left center. In his next at bat he hit a long home run to right, giving him four RBI in the first two at bats in his comeback. It is his third multi-home run game of his career.
In the field he made a nice backhanded stop on a hard ground ball by Victor Martinez.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Pete Rosales
Adam Rosales does nothing at half speed. He sprints to his position. He sprints off the field. He sprints to firstbase on a walk. He sprints to the bathroom to merely brush his teeth, not to heed nature's call. He runs to get into position to run.
He extended the Reds five run rally on Saturday by beating a throw to first on a force play. Cincinnati benefited by scoring two more runs.
In the second inning on Sunday, he beat a double play relay. The Reds didn't score that inning but they cleared the pitchers spot in the order, allowing the top of the lineup to start a tw0-run third inning, in which Jay Bruce cut a 4-1 deficit to 4-3 with his 10th home run.
Rosales earned the nickname "Pete" after the hustling style of Pete Rose, still an icon in Cincinnati in spite of his famous fall from grace.
In one spring training game in March against the Twins in Ft. Myers. Rosales came to the plate with the Reds trailing by four runs, with two outs and the bases empty. He clubbed a line drive into the gap for what appeared to be a double but as we looked up after the ball landed, Rosales was already half way between second and thirdbase.
In the fourth inning Sunday Rosales hit his first major league home run in to the leftfield stands and sprinted around the bases, full speed ahead. The joke in the press box was that one day he would be in the dugout before the ball landed in the stands. He would get knocked down for watching his home run, except he'd be watching from the dugout.
He extended the Reds five run rally on Saturday by beating a throw to first on a force play. Cincinnati benefited by scoring two more runs.
In the second inning on Sunday, he beat a double play relay. The Reds didn't score that inning but they cleared the pitchers spot in the order, allowing the top of the lineup to start a tw0-run third inning, in which Jay Bruce cut a 4-1 deficit to 4-3 with his 10th home run.
Rosales earned the nickname "Pete" after the hustling style of Pete Rose, still an icon in Cincinnati in spite of his famous fall from grace.
In one spring training game in March against the Twins in Ft. Myers. Rosales came to the plate with the Reds trailing by four runs, with two outs and the bases empty. He clubbed a line drive into the gap for what appeared to be a double but as we looked up after the ball landed, Rosales was already half way between second and thirdbase.
In the fourth inning Sunday Rosales hit his first major league home run in to the leftfield stands and sprinted around the bases, full speed ahead. The joke in the press box was that one day he would be in the dugout before the ball landed in the stands. He would get knocked down for watching his home run, except he'd be watching from the dugout.
Pete Rosales
Adam Rosales does nothing at half speed. He sprints to his position. He sprints off the field. He sprints to firstbase on a walk. He sprints to the bathroom to merely brush his teeth, not to heed nature's call. He runs to get into position to run.
He extended the Reds five run rally on Saturday by beating a throw to first on a force play. Cincinnati benefited by scoring two more runs.
In the second inning on Sunday, he beat a double play relay. The Reds didn't score that inning but they cleared the pitchers spot in the order, allowing the top of the lineup to start a tw0-run third inning, in which Jay Bruce cut a 4-1 deficit to 4-3 with his 10th home run.
Rosales earned the nickname "Pete" after the hustling style of Pete Rose, still an icon in Cincinnati in spite of his famous fall from grace.
In one spring training game in March against the Twins in Ft. Myers. Rosales came to the plate with the Reds trailing by four runs, with two outs and the bases empty. He clubbed a line drive into the gap for what appeared to be a double but as we looked up after the ball landed, Rosales was already half way between second and thirdbase.
In the fourth inning Sunday Rosales hit his first major league home run in to the leftfield stands and sprinted around the bases, full speed ahead. The joke in the press box was that one day he would be in the dugout before the ball landed in the stands. He would get knocked down for watching his home run, except he'd be watching from the dugout.
He extended the Reds five run rally on Saturday by beating a throw to first on a force play. Cincinnati benefited by scoring two more runs.
In the second inning on Sunday, he beat a double play relay. The Reds didn't score that inning but they cleared the pitchers spot in the order, allowing the top of the lineup to start a tw0-run third inning, in which Jay Bruce cut a 4-1 deficit to 4-3 with his 10th home run.
Rosales earned the nickname "Pete" after the hustling style of Pete Rose, still an icon in Cincinnati in spite of his famous fall from grace.
In one spring training game in March against the Twins in Ft. Myers. Rosales came to the plate with the Reds trailing by four runs, with two outs and the bases empty. He clubbed a line drive into the gap for what appeared to be a double but as we looked up after the ball landed, Rosales was already half way between second and thirdbase.
In the fourth inning Sunday Rosales hit his first major league home run in to the leftfield stands and sprinted around the bases, full speed ahead. The joke in the press box was that one day he would be in the dugout before the ball landed in the stands. He would get knocked down for watching his home run, except he'd be watching from the dugout.
Joey Pipp Votto
Joey Votto is healthy enough to play after missing three games with the flu, yet he was not in the starting lineup Sunday. Ramon Hernandez, who is the starting catcher, has been subbing at firstbase. Ryan Hanigan, the backup catcher, has been behind the plate in Votto's absence.
Far from the famous Wally Pipp scenario in which Pipp missed a game with a hangover, a young Lou Gehrig took over for the next 2,000 plus games, the Reds have played so well in Votto's absence that manager Dusty Baker gave him another day off. The Reds won all three of his missed starts coming into Sunday.
"He's close. He's real close. If we weren't playing so well, he'd be in," Baker said. "This way he can get his strength back. It will be great weather where we're going (Arizona). We added up everything."
"He is such a team guy. I talked to him too he said, 'yeah we're going to good.' He said he would have felt bad if he played and we lost. He asked 'what if we win tonight' I said you're playing Monday," Baker said.
Hernandez, while not dazzling, held his own at firstbase. He also contributed four hits in nine at bats. Hanigan threw out a runner attempting a steal in a key moment on Friday night. He also contributed two hits in the win over the Cardinals on Friday.
And as often happens with pregame plans in baseball. Votto entered the game Sunday in the seventh inning on a double switch with Hernandez replacing Hanigan, who made the last out of the sixth, at catcher.
Leading off the bottom of the seventh against Kyle McClellan, Votto declared himself fit with his fourth home run of the season to the leftfield, no less.
Far from the famous Wally Pipp scenario in which Pipp missed a game with a hangover, a young Lou Gehrig took over for the next 2,000 plus games, the Reds have played so well in Votto's absence that manager Dusty Baker gave him another day off. The Reds won all three of his missed starts coming into Sunday.
"He's close. He's real close. If we weren't playing so well, he'd be in," Baker said. "This way he can get his strength back. It will be great weather where we're going (Arizona). We added up everything."
"He is such a team guy. I talked to him too he said, 'yeah we're going to good.' He said he would have felt bad if he played and we lost. He asked 'what if we win tonight' I said you're playing Monday," Baker said.
Hernandez, while not dazzling, held his own at firstbase. He also contributed four hits in nine at bats. Hanigan threw out a runner attempting a steal in a key moment on Friday night. He also contributed two hits in the win over the Cardinals on Friday.
And as often happens with pregame plans in baseball. Votto entered the game Sunday in the seventh inning on a double switch with Hernandez replacing Hanigan, who made the last out of the sixth, at catcher.
Leading off the bottom of the seventh against Kyle McClellan, Votto declared himself fit with his fourth home run of the season to the leftfield, no less.
Joey Pipp Votto
Joey Votto is healthy enough to play after missing three games with the flu, yet he was not in the starting lineup Sunday. Ramon Hernandez, who is the starting catcher, has been subbing at firstbase. Ryan Hanigan, the backup catcher, has been behind the plate in Votto's absence.
Far from the famous Wally Pipp scenario in which Pipp missed a game with a hangover, a young Lou Gehrig took over for the next 2,000 plus games, the Reds have played so well in Votto's absence that manager Dusty Baker gave him another day off. The Reds won all three of his missed starts coming into Sunday.
"He's close. He's real close. If we weren't playing so well, he'd be in," Baker said. "This way he can get his strength back. It will be great weather where we're going (Arizona). We added up everything."
"He is such a team guy. I talked to him too he said, 'yeah we're going to good.' He said he would have felt bad if he played and we lost. He asked 'what if we win tonight' I said you're playing Monday," Baker said.
Hernandez, while not dazzling, held his own at firstbase. He also contributed four hits in nine at bats. Hanigan threw out a runner attempting a steal in a key moment on Friday night. He also contributed two hits in the win over the Cardinals on Friday.
And as often happens with pregame plans in baseball. Votto entered the game Sunday in the seventh inning on a double switch with Hernandez replacing Hanigan, who made the last out of the sixth, at catcher.
Leading off the bottom of the seventh against Kyle McClellan, Votto declared himself fit with his fourth home run of the season to the leftfield, no less.
Far from the famous Wally Pipp scenario in which Pipp missed a game with a hangover, a young Lou Gehrig took over for the next 2,000 plus games, the Reds have played so well in Votto's absence that manager Dusty Baker gave him another day off. The Reds won all three of his missed starts coming into Sunday.
"He's close. He's real close. If we weren't playing so well, he'd be in," Baker said. "This way he can get his strength back. It will be great weather where we're going (Arizona). We added up everything."
"He is such a team guy. I talked to him too he said, 'yeah we're going to good.' He said he would have felt bad if he played and we lost. He asked 'what if we win tonight' I said you're playing Monday," Baker said.
Hernandez, while not dazzling, held his own at firstbase. He also contributed four hits in nine at bats. Hanigan threw out a runner attempting a steal in a key moment on Friday night. He also contributed two hits in the win over the Cardinals on Friday.
And as often happens with pregame plans in baseball. Votto entered the game Sunday in the seventh inning on a double switch with Hernandez replacing Hanigan, who made the last out of the sixth, at catcher.
Leading off the bottom of the seventh against Kyle McClellan, Votto declared himself fit with his fourth home run of the season to the leftfield, no less.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Happy Birthday Harang
Aaron Harang gave himself a present on his 31st birthday. He pitched his way to an 8-3 victory over the division leading St. Louis Cardinals.
Harang has been the victim of non-support over the last two years losing or levied no decision in well pitched games because the Reds hitters couldn't score runs. To that end Harang also gift wrapped a two-out, two-run single in the Reds decisive five-run fifth that broke the 2-2 tie.
"Im happy we got some runs for him," Dusty Baker said. "He made just one mistake to Ryan Ludwick. The pitch was supposed to be farther inside."
Ludwick's two-run home run in the third matched Jay Bruce's two-run first inning home run. It was the eighth home run of the season for Ludwick and the ninth for Bruce.
"I'm more happy with the way I pitched with that (Cardinals) lineup," Harang said. "On the hit I was just trying to put the ball in play and make something happen."
To navigate that lineup, Harang had to face Albert Pujols four times with a total of five runners on base. Pujols had whopping .364 career batting average against Cincinnati with 35 home runs and 102 RBI coming into the game Saturday despite an 0-for-4 evening on Friday night. Harang had more success against Pujols with a .304 average and two home runs.
"I just went after him," said Harang, who hung Pujols with his second straight 0-for-4. The last two games are the only two that Pujols has not reached base at least once this season. "Great hitters like him feed off the timidness of pitchers that try to pitch around him."
The larger-than-normal bobblehead crowd let out a loud cheer if not a relieved exhale when Pujols fouled out to catcher Ryan Hanigan on the first pitch to him in the seventh inning. Visions of a 7-6 game swirled in the head of Dusty Baker
"I don't want to do that again," Baker said. "You don't want to mess with Albert."
The Reds have won three games in a row, missing its entire starting infield until Brandon Phillips returned from a battle with the flu. Joey Votto is still out with the same malady, even though they Reds gave away bobbleheads with his likeness that drew 40,651 to the park.
"I'm happy the team was winning without me and Joey," said Phillips, who contributed two hits to the cause. "It was fun playing in front of the big crowd. I thank Joey for his bobblehead. We get to show the fans that we have a good team. It was like the Field of Dreams. Win and they will come."
Baker also liked the crowd and the energy that they showed.
"We had over 9,000 walkups," Baker said. "It shows we have some buzz going in this town."
Harang has been the victim of non-support over the last two years losing or levied no decision in well pitched games because the Reds hitters couldn't score runs. To that end Harang also gift wrapped a two-out, two-run single in the Reds decisive five-run fifth that broke the 2-2 tie.
"Im happy we got some runs for him," Dusty Baker said. "He made just one mistake to Ryan Ludwick. The pitch was supposed to be farther inside."
Ludwick's two-run home run in the third matched Jay Bruce's two-run first inning home run. It was the eighth home run of the season for Ludwick and the ninth for Bruce.
"I'm more happy with the way I pitched with that (Cardinals) lineup," Harang said. "On the hit I was just trying to put the ball in play and make something happen."
To navigate that lineup, Harang had to face Albert Pujols four times with a total of five runners on base. Pujols had whopping .364 career batting average against Cincinnati with 35 home runs and 102 RBI coming into the game Saturday despite an 0-for-4 evening on Friday night. Harang had more success against Pujols with a .304 average and two home runs.
"I just went after him," said Harang, who hung Pujols with his second straight 0-for-4. The last two games are the only two that Pujols has not reached base at least once this season. "Great hitters like him feed off the timidness of pitchers that try to pitch around him."
The larger-than-normal bobblehead crowd let out a loud cheer if not a relieved exhale when Pujols fouled out to catcher Ryan Hanigan on the first pitch to him in the seventh inning. Visions of a 7-6 game swirled in the head of Dusty Baker
"I don't want to do that again," Baker said. "You don't want to mess with Albert."
The Reds have won three games in a row, missing its entire starting infield until Brandon Phillips returned from a battle with the flu. Joey Votto is still out with the same malady, even though they Reds gave away bobbleheads with his likeness that drew 40,651 to the park.
"I'm happy the team was winning without me and Joey," said Phillips, who contributed two hits to the cause. "It was fun playing in front of the big crowd. I thank Joey for his bobblehead. We get to show the fans that we have a good team. It was like the Field of Dreams. Win and they will come."
Baker also liked the crowd and the energy that they showed.
"We had over 9,000 walkups," Baker said. "It shows we have some buzz going in this town."
Happy Birthday Harang
Aaron Harang gave himself a present on his 31st birthday. He pitched his way to an 8-3 victory over the division leading St. Louis Cardinals.
Harang has been the victim of non-support over the last two years losing or levied no decision in well pitched games because the Reds hitters couldn't score runs. To that end Harang also gift wrapped a two-out, two-run single in the Reds decisive five-run fifth that broke the 2-2 tie.
"Im happy we got some runs for him," Dusty Baker said. "He made just one mistake to Ryan Ludwick. The pitch was supposed to be farther inside."
Ludwick's two-run home run in the third matched Jay Bruce's two-run first inning home run. It was the eighth home run of the season for Ludwick and the ninth for Bruce.
"I'm more happy with the way I pitched with that (Cardinals) lineup," Harang said. "On the hit I was just trying to put the ball in play and make something happen."
To navigate that lineup, Harang had to face Albert Pujols four times with a total of five runners on base. Pujols had whopping .364 career batting average against Cincinnati with 35 home runs and 102 RBI coming into the game Saturday despite an 0-for-4 evening on Friday night. Harang had more success against Pujols with a .304 average and two home runs.
"I just went after him," said Harang, who hung Pujols with his second straight 0-for-4. The last two games are the only two that Pujols has not reached base at least once this season. "Great hitters like him feed off the timidness of pitchers that try to pitch around him."
The larger-than-normal bobblehead crowd let out a loud cheer if not a relieved exhale when Pujols fouled out to catcher Ryan Hanigan on the first pitch to him in the seventh inning. Visions of a 7-6 game swirled in the head of Dusty Baker
"I don't want to do that again," Baker said. "You don't want to mess with Albert."
The Reds have won three games in a row, missing its entire starting infield until Brandon Phillips returned from a battle with the flu. Joey Votto is still out with the same malady, even though they Reds gave away bobbleheads with his likeness that drew 40,651 to the park.
"I'm happy the team was winning without me and Joey," said Phillips, who contributed two hits to the cause. "It was fun playing in front of the big crowd. I thank Joey for his bobblehead. We get to show the fans that we have a good team. It was like the Field of Dreams. Win and they will come."
Baker also liked the crowd and the energy that they showed.
"We had over 9,000 walkups," Baker said. "It shows we have some buzz going in this town."
Harang has been the victim of non-support over the last two years losing or levied no decision in well pitched games because the Reds hitters couldn't score runs. To that end Harang also gift wrapped a two-out, two-run single in the Reds decisive five-run fifth that broke the 2-2 tie.
"Im happy we got some runs for him," Dusty Baker said. "He made just one mistake to Ryan Ludwick. The pitch was supposed to be farther inside."
Ludwick's two-run home run in the third matched Jay Bruce's two-run first inning home run. It was the eighth home run of the season for Ludwick and the ninth for Bruce.
"I'm more happy with the way I pitched with that (Cardinals) lineup," Harang said. "On the hit I was just trying to put the ball in play and make something happen."
To navigate that lineup, Harang had to face Albert Pujols four times with a total of five runners on base. Pujols had whopping .364 career batting average against Cincinnati with 35 home runs and 102 RBI coming into the game Saturday despite an 0-for-4 evening on Friday night. Harang had more success against Pujols with a .304 average and two home runs.
"I just went after him," said Harang, who hung Pujols with his second straight 0-for-4. The last two games are the only two that Pujols has not reached base at least once this season. "Great hitters like him feed off the timidness of pitchers that try to pitch around him."
The larger-than-normal bobblehead crowd let out a loud cheer if not a relieved exhale when Pujols fouled out to catcher Ryan Hanigan on the first pitch to him in the seventh inning. Visions of a 7-6 game swirled in the head of Dusty Baker
"I don't want to do that again," Baker said. "You don't want to mess with Albert."
The Reds have won three games in a row, missing its entire starting infield until Brandon Phillips returned from a battle with the flu. Joey Votto is still out with the same malady, even though they Reds gave away bobbleheads with his likeness that drew 40,651 to the park.
"I'm happy the team was winning without me and Joey," said Phillips, who contributed two hits to the cause. "It was fun playing in front of the big crowd. I thank Joey for his bobblehead. We get to show the fans that we have a good team. It was like the Field of Dreams. Win and they will come."
Baker also liked the crowd and the energy that they showed.
"We had over 9,000 walkups," Baker said. "It shows we have some buzz going in this town."
Six Pack Abs
Kyle Lohse was the Cardinals starting pitcher, a former Red. His old friends roughed him up with five runs in the fifth inning, including a run scoring single by opposing pitcher Aaron Harang. Harang lost 25 pounds since he last faced the Cardinals.
Denis Reyes, who Jack McKeon called "Big Sweat", came by and said hello. Reyes is a big man with a pot belly and a physique that would never tip off that he is a professional athlete. Besides that he is missing a rib on one side. When he walks away from you it looks like he is leaning to his right.
When he was with the Reds at the end of one spring training, the players sign up to have their cars trucked back to Cincinnati. A list with the players names and make of cars are listed. One spring pitcher/jokester, Pete Harnisch wrote Reyes' name on the list and put down burro for his mode of transportation.
The writer of this blog went to the Orange Bowl game to watch the University of Cincinnati play on January 1st. On the flight to West Palm Beach, he couldn't get the seat belt around his ample hips and belly. That prompted him to drop close to 70 pounds since.
Jason LaRue the former Red catcher came up to him and said. "Dude you've gone from half barrel abs to six pack abs."
LaRue exaggerated some. It is more like 12 pack abs but a couple of rounds away from being six pack abs. The dude desires to be cut when his girlfriend comes to town.
It is rare that a baseball player will notice the physical appearance of another person. They are pretty narcissistic as a rule. And rarely one involving the shape of a writer, since they around hard bodies most of the time and consider that the norm.
LaRue himself has changed appearance from his clean cut Reds days. His hair is longer and he has more facial hair than he's ever had. He wore a bandana on his head and looks like he should be playing for the Pirates.
Denis Reyes, who Jack McKeon called "Big Sweat", came by and said hello. Reyes is a big man with a pot belly and a physique that would never tip off that he is a professional athlete. Besides that he is missing a rib on one side. When he walks away from you it looks like he is leaning to his right.
When he was with the Reds at the end of one spring training, the players sign up to have their cars trucked back to Cincinnati. A list with the players names and make of cars are listed. One spring pitcher/jokester, Pete Harnisch wrote Reyes' name on the list and put down burro for his mode of transportation.
The writer of this blog went to the Orange Bowl game to watch the University of Cincinnati play on January 1st. On the flight to West Palm Beach, he couldn't get the seat belt around his ample hips and belly. That prompted him to drop close to 70 pounds since.
Jason LaRue the former Red catcher came up to him and said. "Dude you've gone from half barrel abs to six pack abs."
LaRue exaggerated some. It is more like 12 pack abs but a couple of rounds away from being six pack abs. The dude desires to be cut when his girlfriend comes to town.
It is rare that a baseball player will notice the physical appearance of another person. They are pretty narcissistic as a rule. And rarely one involving the shape of a writer, since they around hard bodies most of the time and consider that the norm.
LaRue himself has changed appearance from his clean cut Reds days. His hair is longer and he has more facial hair than he's ever had. He wore a bandana on his head and looks like he should be playing for the Pirates.
Six Pack Abs
Kyle Lohse was the Cardinals starting pitcher, a former Red. His old friends roughed him up with five runs in the fifth inning, including a run scoring single by opposing pitcher Aaron Harang. Harang lost 25 pounds since he last faced the Cardinals.
Denis Reyes, who Jack McKeon called "Big Sweat", came by and said hello. Reyes is a big man with a pot belly and a physique that would never tip off that he is a professional athlete. Besides that he is missing a rib on one side. When he walks away from you it looks like he is leaning to his right.
When he was with the Reds at the end of one spring training, the players sign up to have their cars trucked back to Cincinnati. A list with the players names and make of cars are listed. One spring pitcher/jokester, Pete Harnisch wrote Reyes' name on the list and put down burro for his mode of transportation.
The writer of this blog went to the Orange Bowl game to watch the University of Cincinnati play on January 1st. On the flight to West Palm Beach, he couldn't get the seat belt around his ample hips and belly. That prompted him to drop close to 70 pounds since.
Jason LaRue the former Red catcher came up to him and said. "Dude you've gone from half barrel abs to six pack abs."
LaRue exaggerated some. It is more like 12 pack abs but a couple of rounds away from being six pack abs. The dude desires to be cut when his girlfriend comes to town.
It is rare that a baseball player will notice the physical appearance of another person. They are pretty narcissistic as a rule. And rarely one involving the shape of a writer, since they around hard bodies most of the time and consider that the norm.
LaRue himself has changed appearance from his clean cut Reds days. His hair is longer and he has more facial hair than he's ever had. He wore a bandana on his head and looks like he should be playing for the Pirates.
Denis Reyes, who Jack McKeon called "Big Sweat", came by and said hello. Reyes is a big man with a pot belly and a physique that would never tip off that he is a professional athlete. Besides that he is missing a rib on one side. When he walks away from you it looks like he is leaning to his right.
When he was with the Reds at the end of one spring training, the players sign up to have their cars trucked back to Cincinnati. A list with the players names and make of cars are listed. One spring pitcher/jokester, Pete Harnisch wrote Reyes' name on the list and put down burro for his mode of transportation.
The writer of this blog went to the Orange Bowl game to watch the University of Cincinnati play on January 1st. On the flight to West Palm Beach, he couldn't get the seat belt around his ample hips and belly. That prompted him to drop close to 70 pounds since.
Jason LaRue the former Red catcher came up to him and said. "Dude you've gone from half barrel abs to six pack abs."
LaRue exaggerated some. It is more like 12 pack abs but a couple of rounds away from being six pack abs. The dude desires to be cut when his girlfriend comes to town.
It is rare that a baseball player will notice the physical appearance of another person. They are pretty narcissistic as a rule. And rarely one involving the shape of a writer, since they around hard bodies most of the time and consider that the norm.
LaRue himself has changed appearance from his clean cut Reds days. His hair is longer and he has more facial hair than he's ever had. He wore a bandana on his head and looks like he should be playing for the Pirates.
Reds Nearly Healthy
Brandon Phillips recovered from the flu but the malady kept Joey Votto sidelined. The possibility exists that he could make a pinch hit appearance on his "bobblehead" night. The bobblehead did not come with a mask.
"Tonight its possible he could pinch hit. Last night there was no chance," Dusty Baker said before batting practice on Saturday. Votto took some swings in the cage.
"He is past the incubation period," Baker said. "So he won't spread around the clubhouse or relapse himself.
"Tonight its possible he could pinch hit. Last night there was no chance," Dusty Baker said before batting practice on Saturday. Votto took some swings in the cage.
"He is past the incubation period," Baker said. "So he won't spread around the clubhouse or relapse himself.
Reds Nearly Healthy
Brandon Phillips recovered from the flu but the malady kept Joey Votto sidelined. The possibility exists that he could make a pinch hit appearance on his "bobblehead" night. The bobblehead did not come with a mask.
"Tonight its possible he could pinch hit. Last night there was no chance," Dusty Baker said before batting practice on Saturday. Votto took some swings in the cage.
"He is past the incubation period," Baker said. "So he won't spread around the clubhouse or relapse himself.
"Tonight its possible he could pinch hit. Last night there was no chance," Dusty Baker said before batting practice on Saturday. Votto took some swings in the cage.
"He is past the incubation period," Baker said. "So he won't spread around the clubhouse or relapse himself.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
May Day Owings Pitches Reds to 6-5 Win
Micah Owings is barely old enough to remember Sam "May Day" Malone the character from the 25 year old sitcom Cheers but the Cincinnati Reds sent out an SOS.
Dusty used Paul Janish as a pitcher last night in the Reds 15-3 defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers last night. Janish, who is subbing for Alex Gonzalez and his sore oblique muscle, was sore due to the one-inning stint that saved Dusty Baker's bullpen an inning.
He was supposed to rest his shoulder but a non-swine variety of the flu wiped out the right side of the Reds infield. Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips the third and fourth hitters in the lineup were sick. Baker has to wait to see if they are well enough to be in the lineup.
Catcher, Ramon Hernandez played first with Ryan Hanigan behind the plate. Votto had played every inning of the Reds first 27 games. With the two catchers in the lineup and arguably two pitcher, albeit Janish had just one career inning, the Reds had a spare battery right in the lineup.
Owings had to pick up not only some big time slack for a pitching staff that needed innings from its starter but he also had to provide some offense.
"It was crazy," Owings said.
"The bullpen was upside down," Baker said. "The lineup was upside down too. The guys came through."
Jerry Hairston played secondbase and turned double plays started by Janish in the second and third innings. But after Cincinnati built a three-run lead, he dropped a potential double play ball that helped the Brewers load the bases. Prince Fielder unloaded them with a double.
"If they had turned that Micah might not have given up anything," Baker said.
That is when Owings bat made a difference.
"I've been blessed with the ability to swing it," said Owings, who was a DH and firstbaseman when he wasn't pitching in his college days.
He followed Janish's second hit of the game with a triple to right center. He scored what turned out to be the winning run on a wild pitch.
The Brewers made it close but the regular bullpen, Nick Masset, Arthur Rhodes and Francisco Cordero closed it out.
"It was a big win. It showed us we can win, no matter who we put out there," Baker said.
Asked if he could play firstbase in an emergency, Owings responded, "Phew, I'd have to let Dusty make that call."
Jay Bruce, who started the Reds offense in the first with his eighth home run off Braden Looper in the first inning, volunteered to switch positions to help a bench that consisted of just outfielders Darnell McDonald and Chris Dickerson.
"I told Dusty that I could play firstbase," Bruce said. "I played it when I was real young but as I got a little older, I grew into my body I got faster. They put me in the outfield."
Dusty used Paul Janish as a pitcher last night in the Reds 15-3 defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers last night. Janish, who is subbing for Alex Gonzalez and his sore oblique muscle, was sore due to the one-inning stint that saved Dusty Baker's bullpen an inning.
He was supposed to rest his shoulder but a non-swine variety of the flu wiped out the right side of the Reds infield. Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips the third and fourth hitters in the lineup were sick. Baker has to wait to see if they are well enough to be in the lineup.
Catcher, Ramon Hernandez played first with Ryan Hanigan behind the plate. Votto had played every inning of the Reds first 27 games. With the two catchers in the lineup and arguably two pitcher, albeit Janish had just one career inning, the Reds had a spare battery right in the lineup.
Owings had to pick up not only some big time slack for a pitching staff that needed innings from its starter but he also had to provide some offense.
"It was crazy," Owings said.
"The bullpen was upside down," Baker said. "The lineup was upside down too. The guys came through."
Jerry Hairston played secondbase and turned double plays started by Janish in the second and third innings. But after Cincinnati built a three-run lead, he dropped a potential double play ball that helped the Brewers load the bases. Prince Fielder unloaded them with a double.
"If they had turned that Micah might not have given up anything," Baker said.
That is when Owings bat made a difference.
"I've been blessed with the ability to swing it," said Owings, who was a DH and firstbaseman when he wasn't pitching in his college days.
He followed Janish's second hit of the game with a triple to right center. He scored what turned out to be the winning run on a wild pitch.
The Brewers made it close but the regular bullpen, Nick Masset, Arthur Rhodes and Francisco Cordero closed it out.
"It was a big win. It showed us we can win, no matter who we put out there," Baker said.
Asked if he could play firstbase in an emergency, Owings responded, "Phew, I'd have to let Dusty make that call."
Jay Bruce, who started the Reds offense in the first with his eighth home run off Braden Looper in the first inning, volunteered to switch positions to help a bench that consisted of just outfielders Darnell McDonald and Chris Dickerson.
"I told Dusty that I could play firstbase," Bruce said. "I played it when I was real young but as I got a little older, I grew into my body I got faster. They put me in the outfield."
May Day Owings Pitches Reds to 6-5 Win
Micah Owings is barely old enough to remember Sam "May Day" Malone the character from the 25 year old sitcom Cheers but the Cincinnati Reds sent out an SOS.
Dusty used Paul Janish as a pitcher last night in the Reds 15-3 defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers last night. Janish, who is subbing for Alex Gonzalez and his sore oblique muscle, was sore due to the one-inning stint that saved Dusty Baker's bullpen an inning.
He was supposed to rest his shoulder but a non-swine variety of the flu wiped out the right side of the Reds infield. Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips the third and fourth hitters in the lineup were sick. Baker has to wait to see if they are well enough to be in the lineup.
Catcher, Ramon Hernandez played first with Ryan Hanigan behind the plate. Votto had played every inning of the Reds first 27 games. With the two catchers in the lineup and arguably two pitcher, albeit Janish had just one career inning, the Reds had a spare battery right in the lineup.
Owings had to pick up not only some big time slack for a pitching staff that needed innings from its starter but he also had to provide some offense.
"It was crazy," Owings said.
"The bullpen was upside down," Baker said. "The lineup was upside down too. The guys came through."
Jerry Hairston played secondbase and turned double plays started by Janish in the second and third innings. But after Cincinnati built a three-run lead, he dropped a potential double play ball that helped the Brewers load the bases. Prince Fielder unloaded them with a double.
"If they had turned that Micah might not have given up anything," Baker said.
That is when Owings bat made a difference.
"I've been blessed with the ability to swing it," said Owings, who was a DH and firstbaseman when he wasn't pitching in his college days.
He followed Janish's second hit of the game with a triple to right center. He scored what turned out to be the winning run on a wild pitch.
The Brewers made it close but the regular bullpen, Nick Masset, Arthur Rhodes and Francisco Cordero closed it out.
"It was a big win. It showed us we can win, no matter who we put out there," Baker said.
Asked if he could play firstbase in an emergency, Owings responded, "Phew, I'd have to let Dusty make that call."
Jay Bruce, who started the Reds offense in the first with his eighth home run off Braden Looper in the first inning, volunteered to switch positions to help a bench that consisted of just outfielders Darnell McDonald and Chris Dickerson.
"I told Dusty that I could play firstbase," Bruce said. "I played it when I was real young but as I got a little older, I grew into my body I got faster. They put me in the outfield."
Dusty used Paul Janish as a pitcher last night in the Reds 15-3 defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers last night. Janish, who is subbing for Alex Gonzalez and his sore oblique muscle, was sore due to the one-inning stint that saved Dusty Baker's bullpen an inning.
He was supposed to rest his shoulder but a non-swine variety of the flu wiped out the right side of the Reds infield. Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips the third and fourth hitters in the lineup were sick. Baker has to wait to see if they are well enough to be in the lineup.
Catcher, Ramon Hernandez played first with Ryan Hanigan behind the plate. Votto had played every inning of the Reds first 27 games. With the two catchers in the lineup and arguably two pitcher, albeit Janish had just one career inning, the Reds had a spare battery right in the lineup.
Owings had to pick up not only some big time slack for a pitching staff that needed innings from its starter but he also had to provide some offense.
"It was crazy," Owings said.
"The bullpen was upside down," Baker said. "The lineup was upside down too. The guys came through."
Jerry Hairston played secondbase and turned double plays started by Janish in the second and third innings. But after Cincinnati built a three-run lead, he dropped a potential double play ball that helped the Brewers load the bases. Prince Fielder unloaded them with a double.
"If they had turned that Micah might not have given up anything," Baker said.
That is when Owings bat made a difference.
"I've been blessed with the ability to swing it," said Owings, who was a DH and firstbaseman when he wasn't pitching in his college days.
He followed Janish's second hit of the game with a triple to right center. He scored what turned out to be the winning run on a wild pitch.
The Brewers made it close but the regular bullpen, Nick Masset, Arthur Rhodes and Francisco Cordero closed it out.
"It was a big win. It showed us we can win, no matter who we put out there," Baker said.
Asked if he could play firstbase in an emergency, Owings responded, "Phew, I'd have to let Dusty make that call."
Jay Bruce, who started the Reds offense in the first with his eighth home run off Braden Looper in the first inning, volunteered to switch positions to help a bench that consisted of just outfielders Darnell McDonald and Chris Dickerson.
"I told Dusty that I could play firstbase," Bruce said. "I played it when I was real young but as I got a little older, I grew into my body I got faster. They put me in the outfield."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)