DH Controversy Between Dusty Baker and Kirk Gibson

Dusty Baker expected to have Shin-Soo Choo hit to get some at bats.  Kirk Gibson wanted to play a National League game.

There was a conflict in philosophies at home plate before the game.

Shin-Soo Choo has a tight quadriceps muscle.  Baker wanted to get him at bats without having him play the field.

Since these games don't count, there are times when one team uses a DH and the other team does not.

This early, the pitchers only pitch one or two innings so the starter rarely gets an at bat anyway.

The Diamondbacks sent word to the Reds that they were not going to use the DH but Baker tried to talk Gibson into it around home plate before the game.


"He wanted his pitcher to hit and I wanted Choo to DH," Baker said.  "It's up to the
home team what they want to do.  Usually here, we let teams DH early.
I didn't care we can DH and they can let the pitcher hit. That's the
way it is.  We didn't have a very pleasant encounter at home plate.
It's over."

The Reds stumbled, bumbled and lost again, 7-2, making three errors.

"We didn't play a very good defensive game.  All the runs were
accounted by errors and we don't usually do that," Baker said.

Zack Cozart hit a long home run in the first inning but the Reds scored only one run after that.

The Reds had five hits after that with two coming in the ninth inning.  Xavier Paul had two of the hits.

Choo had one at bat and grounded out.  He did not play the field.

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