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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy is in his 36th year of covering the Cincinnati Reds, the longest tenure for any active writer covering one team. Counting spring training and postseason games, McCoy has covered more than 7,000 major-league baseball games, written close to 18,000 baseball stories and eaten enough hot dogs to give Babe Ruth indigestion.Home > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > August > 08 > Entry
Volquez learned the hard way
As expected, Aaron Harang will pitch Sunday against the Houston Astros and Edinson Volquez gets two extra days of rest due to Monday’s off day.
While it is OK with Volquez, to a point, he is not happy that people keep saying he is tired because he pitched in winter ball.
“I pitched eight innings of winter ball,” he said. “How can that make me tired? I pitched more innings in spring training.”
Volquez also is keeping Johnny Cueto on a positive level, despite the fact Cueto was 0-3 in his last five starts before facing the Astros Friday.
“He’s lucky,” said Volquez. “He’s 7-11 in his first year. I was 1-11 when I started - 0-6 my first year and 1-5 to start my second year.”
Of his extra days off, Volquez said, “I threw a bullpen today and felt really good. I’m ready to pitch. But I told Dusty Baker that it’s OK (the extra days). It just gives me two extra days to work.”
So how did he keep his confidence above the water table? How does a guy like Homer Bailey, 0-6 this year, keep from climbing atop the Roebling Bridge?
“I had a lot of old guys next to me, like Vicente Padilla and Francisco Cordero (in Texas),” said Volquez. “They kept telling me, ‘You know you can pitch in the big leagues, just keep working.’ That’s what I kept in my mind, even when I was 1-11. Keep confident. I knew I could sometime have a year like this year.”
Said Baker, “Volquez is very upset that people think he’s tired. Actually, sometimes you just go through stretches - I mean like Bronson Arroyo. For a while it looked like Bronson couldn’t beat anybody. Now look at him (a winner in six of his last seven start). It’s hard to go a whole year and just be great. I haven’t seen many. When you do, that’s a Cy Young year.
“Does it make it any easier? No. But you’re going to go through it,” Baker added.
And then there is the case of Bailey - about the same age now as when Volquez went 1-11.
“Correrct, exactly,” said Baker. “Then Dick Pole assured Bailey about how Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine started in their first years. They were terrible - bad records. And they’re headed for the Hall.”
And what does Baker tell Bailey?
“No. 1, he has to believe in himself,” said Baker. “No. 2, that’s why I left him in there in his last start, to give him an opportunity to win. Whenever I can give a kid a chance to win early in a game, I’m going to give it to him. That’s part of the building of a pitcher.
“And most of the time you learn more from losses than wins,” Baker added. “You learn more about yourself, learn more about the opposition, more about the importance of every pitch and how to win. That’s a tough lesson sometime.”
Bailey’s learning curve should be very high, although it is a tough, tough lesson. But he can ask Volquez how to be a survivor.
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Comments
By donb51
August 10, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this
“And most of the time you learn more from losses than wins,” Baker added. Surely, then, all the Reds must be geniuses by now. You would think after 8 years of losing, they would all be smart enough to at least play .500 ball by now. Hal, you certainly know how to turn a loser into what appears to be a very wise man. Maybe Baker IS really smart, and all we have to do is to lose the rest of the way to see the light for a winning season next year.By Post Office Deran
August 9, 2008 11:00 PM | Link to this
I only saw the last two innings tonight, but I still want to puke, please, please tell me why Cory Patterson was up against a left handed pitcher, he has to be Dusty’s son-in-law.By Y-City Jim
August 9, 2008 3:58 PM | Link to this
I think the Reds should watch the Little League World Series to see some fundamental baseball.By SpongePants
August 9, 2008 3:13 PM | Link to this
The Night of the Living Deads. You said it in your headline in today’s column, Hal, “Agonizing.” And Baker said it in the very last sentence of the article…”and it was just another bad night,” Baker said. ‘Nuff said.By Mike
August 9, 2008 1:20 PM | Link to this
25,000 fought thier way into GASP last night to watch the Reds fall to 18 1/2 games out. But, it’s Saturday night, expect 35,000 tonight to struggle with the overflow crowd to get thier very own Bronson T Shirt. The Reds could be 40 games out and it would make and difference at all. Reds Marketing people will be smiling.By MAC
August 9, 2008 12:23 PM | Link to this
Matt, good pts, but U still want to keep everyone right? On, Coco, Houston guys were right IMO; he should pitch more in hold situations. It would give him the consistent work that he needs. Other than that, the guy has great stuff, but doesn’t come inside enough to make it effective. He needs to pitch inside more. For the new special assistant, what a croc. Yes two good baseball guys should help the Reds make wise decisions, but why didn’t they just keep Wayne and leave Jocketty upstairs? Just more of the same crap from the Reds coming full circle.By ShockMonkey
August 9, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this
I have about 20 Reds loses on TIVO I can send to Jocketty if he needs to keep researching what needs to be Dunn…err…done to improve this bunch. Let’s see, I would start with Dusty who finds ways to depress even Tony Robbins.By Jerry
August 9, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this
These Reds are shades of Casey’s Mets in the 60’s - you watch them to wee how they are gonna lose this one. With Griffey gone, why didn’t they move B. Phillips to #3 and Dunn and Encarnacion to 4 & 5? Take cleanup pressure off Phillips put Dunn in Cleanup? Best HR guys 4 & 5?By Mike-Cinci
August 9, 2008 8:45 AM | Link to this
Reds disappointments vs. expectations: Harang(probably the injury), Cordero, Bailey, Cueto (no phenom yet), Keppinger (maybe the injury), EE (not quite over the hump), Patterson (his worst year ever), Griffey. The surprises on the upside: Volquez, Lincoln, Hairston. All the rest are about as we expected. Final grade: Not good enough. 28th in hitting, 29th in defense, 25th in pitching out of 30 MLB teams.By AP-FLORIDA
August 9, 2008 7:15 AM | Link to this
SORRY-BAD NEWS I work for a trucking co and we just picked up a load of toothpicks consigned to Great American Ballpark c/o D. Baker. He must be here for awhile!!! Sorry guys/galsBy AP-FLORIDA
August 9, 2008 6:41 AM | Link to this
Last night Houston announcers commented in eighth and ninth about why aren’t the Reds using their closer with the score tied. I heard them scratching their heads, puzzled. Then we showed them in the 10th why we didn’t use ‘CoCo” in 8th or 9th, and why we shold not of used him in 10th.By sick of it all
August 9, 2008 5:01 AM | Link to this
dusty is a real motivator..the team looks like stiffs and even lifelong fans are leaving..he will motivate all of us to give up on the deads…where is pete mac???he made them hustle or ride the pineBy Mr. Redlegs (Original)
August 9, 2008 1:30 AM | Link to this
Hal, the last time I can remember a Reds team being this dead was when all the Rose crap came down around this time in 1989. You concur? There’s fog in the gloaming with these guys, just like Tommy Helms’s shellshocked bunch 19 years ago. Parallels?By Matt
August 8, 2008 11:15 PM | Link to this
Brarhopper, no need for a love-fest or anything like that, but I’m happy we agree on something. It’s nice not to have any animosity between us on these couple posts. Go Reds!!By Brarhopper
August 8, 2008 11:01 PM | Link to this
Bless your heart, Matt. We have finally found a place to meet and agree. Yep, tonight’s effort is indicitave of a free fall. A ridiculous and lame performance for a group masquerading as a professional baseball team. Just deeply sad to see this happen. I was going to say disturbing, but I think we’re past that point. NOTE: Interesting to see that the Reds have hired Bill Bavasi as a special assistant. Isn’t that how Walt started during Wayne’s world? That’s two pretty darn good baseball heads being put together with Bill and Walt. Hmmmm.By Mr. Redlegs (Original)
August 8, 2008 10:55 PM | Link to this
Say what you will about Coco, but he’s pitched just 3 innings the past 12 days and only 14 since July 1. He’s had scant few save opportunities since the mid-point. He’s not had regular work at all, like closers prefer. But then, who knows if he would have blown up like he did in early 2006?By Matt
August 8, 2008 10:40 PM | Link to this
Coco Cordero has not been what the Reds paid for this offseason, especially lately. At the start of the season, he was terrific, but it seems like he erodes more every game. It’s just another reason why this team is in last place. They show different reasons why they are where they are every game. Can’t throw to the cutoff man, can’t run the bases properly, pitchers can’t command their pitches, can’t lay sacrifice bunts down, can’t turn easy double plays, can’t hit and run, can’t do much of anything right. It is very easy to see why this team is in last place. Absolutely pathetic.By HuberTucky
August 8, 2008 10:25 PM | Link to this
Is Coco short for Cough-it-up? 3 years at $45 million? What a deal. I bet the Brewres clebrate their savings ever time they read his name in a Red’s box score. Sigh.By bigdoc
August 8, 2008 8:35 PM | Link to this
Hal, Great job interviewing Volquez. Kid has some spink! Glad we have him! Reds may need someone at he ‘coach’ level to communicate well with the Latin guys.By Beard
August 8, 2008 4:50 PM | Link to this
Seems to me the best thing Bailey could learn is some sort of “out” pitch. His fastball appears to have returned to that of what scouts refer to as a plus fastball in the 94 to 96 range. But that isn’t enough in the majors. I’d love to see him try to pick up a split finger pitch to add to his arsenal. It has worked wonders for a lot of hard throwers like Mike Scott,etc. and it extended Clemens’ career (along with some HGH (allegedly)).