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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > August > 10
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Harang-a-bang-bang-bang
Before Aaron Harang threw his first pitch, a scout asked, “Why are they pitching him after only one rehab start in Louisville? Have they looked at the standings? Do they want to ruin the guy? Bad idea.”
As it turned out, it was about as bad of an idea as the Edsel. In fact, Harang looked like an Edsel Citation with that sour lemon grille (ask your grandpa). He gave up five runs in the first inning before some fans tipped the ushers on the way to their seats.
You do tip the ushers, right?
In four innings, Harang gave up eight earned runs, the most in his career and nine hits.
As another scout said, “This is real ugly.” That’s the nicest thing I heard about the 13-4 leg-breaking the Astros handed the Cincinnothing Reds - their sixth straight loss, their ninth loss in 10 games since they traded Ken Griffey Jr., their 14th loss in 16 games and they are 1-7 against the Astros this year.
Gary Majewski was in the spirit this day - in that the Reds gave away stuffed dogs to the fans (fill in your own canine comment). Majewski faced seven batters and retired one in the eighth inning, giving up five runs.
As one press box occupant said when Houston scored its 13th run, “A Baker’s dozen.”
How bad is it? After games these days you could spray the post-game clubhouse with an Uzi and not hit a player. There are more places for players to hide in the Reds clubhouse than in a Colombian jungle and who can blame these guys for hiding their heads?
What else can we talk about?
Well, Mr. Redlegs was sitting mid-game in the media dining room, head off, enjoying a soft drink.
“Hey, Hal McCoy,” he said.
“Man, you’ve gone and lost your head,” I said. Well, what else do you say to a mascot with his head off when the game on the field is boredom personified?
When I returned to my seat and wasn’t paying attention (who can pay attention to this?) Houston’s Lance Berkman fouled one into the press box. It hit just to my right, chipping wood on the frame in front of my working space, and bouncing past.
Please hit me. Please. Put me on the DL. I’ve had enough. UNCLE!
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TweetRoss gone: Changes have begun
The clubhouse-cleansing has begun by the Cincinnati Reds and general manager Walt Jocketty.
Catcher David Ross was designated for assignment Sunday and catcher Ryan Hanigan was not only called up from Class AAA Louisville, he was in Sunday’s lineup.
REACTION: Should have been done a long time ago. Ross has been awful for all of last year and most of this year.
“It’s time to find out,” said manager Dusty Baker. “If Hanigan is part of our future, we need to find out right now if he is a No. 1 or is he a back-up or what is he?”
As expected, pitcher Homer Bailey was optioned back to Louisville to make room for Sunday’s starter, Aaron Harang.
Asked if he was bummed about going back to Louisville, Bailey said without pause, “It’s not the big leagues, but honestly I’m looking forward to it. They are seven or eight games up and in a playoff race. When I was down there before the guys were winning and there is good morale.
“Hopefully, I can help those guys win,” Bailey added. “I hope I can’t screw ‘em up too bad. I don’t know if they really want me. I haven’t had a win since April. Maybe they’ll say, ‘Hey, no, we don’t want Homer.’ They might send me to ‘A’ ball and I hope they’re in contention.”
REACTION: Bailey said this all with good humor, but the one part that caught my attention was the “good morale” comment. Obviously, morale isn’t good on a last place team retreating faster than the Italian army.
Is there more to come? Somebody asked manager Dusty Baker about outfielder Chris Dickerson.
“Dickerson has had one of his better offensive years and is getting better offensively. What’s he hitting, about .280?” said Baker. “He still has some things to learn and work to do, but I have my eye on him. I go through the reports.”
Baker said there were waivers on Ross, but no teams claimed him, but there were some teams interested in him.
“Right now, we’re not headed north, we’re headed south,” said Baker. “There are things now we have to find out about some other guys. I have nothing bad to say about Ross, it just that Hanigan has a chance to be in our future.”
While some of the players are acting and playing as if the season is over, Baker sees it differently.
“That’s the problem I saw when I got here,” he said. “We have a dozen free agents. When the season gets late, if you are in the hunt through October, then it can be a motivator. If you are not in the hunt you see a lot more, ‘I have to look out for myself’ type of thing.
“I didn’t say I’m seeing it here, but I’ve seen it happen. Human nature. Makes sense,” he said.
“When you are 18 games out, it’s tough to say, ‘I’m going to get that runner over from second to third with nobody out by giving myself up,’ ” Baker added. “It is a lot easier when you are winning at this time of year.
“Winning takes care of a lot of stuff, including my sleep pattern,” he said. “The next six weeks count a lot. Like my schoolteacher mom always said, ‘Those last two weeks before the grades come out are important.’ We’re looking at who still wants to win right now. That’s big. If you want to win right now under these circumstances then how much better are you going to be in better circumstances?”
WHEN THE REDS announced their roster moves, Houston manager Cecil Cooper said, “I’ll take Homer Bailey. I’ll take Matt Belisle, where’s he? (Class AAA Louisville). I’ll take Ryan Freel, where’s he (disabled list)?”
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