First of all the Reds dropped two of three to the Pirates, then in three very close and tightly contested games, dropped two out of three to the Detroit Tigers. The last was potentially devastating as the usually reliable bullpen gave up a four-run lead.
Then during an off day on Monday, several Reds went to Kings Island. Some of them came back sick. On Tuesday the team was down to a bench of two players. Drew Stubbs, Devin Mesoraco and Chris Heisey each had injuries that caused them to miss time but the Reds put together a winning streak anyway.
"I'm glad my guys are as mentally tough as I thought they were," manager Dusty Baker said after the Reds swept the Cleveland Indians in a three-game set. Now they've arrived in New York and taken two games from a Mets team that had just swept the Tampa Bay Rays in the Rays' home park.
Dusty Baker has a reputation of being a player's manager and admits that he hates to lose. Yet after the meltdown of his bullpen on Sunday night, he didn't rant, rave and throw things.
When I walk into the Reds clubhouse, I can't tell whether the team has been winning or losing. The players all go about their business. That is a reflection on Baker. They will hear it from Baker when they make avoidable errors or make the wrong decisions during the game but it is delivered in a tone that is conducive to learning rather than punishment.
"Why put any more pressure on the team than there already is," Baker has said. "Why would you do that? I don't need to yell and scream to get my point across."
Baker also is very keen at picking up a players' strength and weaknesses. He realizes that each player has them and that some players have more ability than others. Baker has been there and remembers what it's like.
When Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips signed their big contract extensions early in the year, Baker anticipated the pair might struggle for trying to live up to the size of the contract.
"I have to have a talk with them," Baker said. "That money ain't spinach. You can't eat it to get better."
There is a lot of criticism of Baker's patience with Stubbs. It is heard everywhere: "Stubbs strikes out too much. Stubbs needs to cut down on his swing, bunt more, use his speed."
Baker knows that is not the answer. He knows how valuable Stubbs is doing the things he does well. He provides the Reds with such range in the outfield that he tracks down easily balls that others have to make all-out efforts to catch. Chris Heisey dived for a pair of fly balls this week that Stubbs would catch easily. Heisey himself is an above average outfielder.
Baker knows that no matter how hard Stubbs tries he is going to strike out a lot.
"I don't want him to try to be something he's not," Baker said. "Everybody isn't Joey Votto."
There are things that very few people can do with a bat and the ability to focus that Votto does.
Sean Casey, the popular former Reds' firstbaseman, backed up Baker on the MLB broadcast with a statement about Stubbs and Mets centerfielder, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, whom the Mets would like to see cut down on his swing and misses.
"You may want them to cut down on strikeouts but you don't want to make them a Judy (a players' term for a player that has little power in his swing);" Casey said.
The team will go through tough times again but now know that they can rise above it with the proper leadership.
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| Professionally edited by ML Schirmer for proofreading services Call 513-240-3120 |
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