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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 > 2009 > February > 14
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Harang: Lean, mean machine
Spring training is even a better harbinger of spring than the first robin.
And I had two early indications that spring training finally is here: (ONE) My transportation engineer, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, got stuck for 10 minutes at the south end drawbridge getting off Siesta Key en route to the ballpark and (TWO) I had my first meal at Gus’s 12th Street Cafe across the street from the ballpark, where omelettes are as big as truck tires.
Or as Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker said, “You know spring training has begun when you board the plane for Florida. It’s like the first day of school. We even get new clothes.”
BAKER WASTED NO time in dropping some news: Despite his 6-17 record last year, Aaron Harang, barring unforeseens, is the Opening Day pitcher April 6 against the New York Mets.
“If we started the season tomorrow, Harang would pitch,” said Baker. “If he stays healthy he’s the guy.”
Harang has started the last three openers and Baker said, “I’m not going to let one down year spoil three straight Opening Days for him. And confidence-wise, it will be good for him.”
Harang walked into the clubhouse and mouths dropped. As he took his physical, team physician Dr. Tim Kremchek asked, “What did you do, leave half of yourself at home?”
Harang says he left more than half at home: 25 pounds and memories of last year and said, “I’ve flushed two things down the toilet - 25 pounds and what happened last year. I’m not even looking back over my shoulder.”
Harang pitched at 280 pounds last year and is at 255, looking thin in his 6-foot-7 body.
“I did it with workouts and a change of diet - less eating out, better meals, smaller portions,” he said. “I think it will add to my durability?”
Durability? Nobody is more durable than Harang, who has pitched 211.2, 234.1, 231.2 and 184.1 (he had a sore elbow last season) innings over the past four years.
“Maybe this year both Bronson Arroyo and I can pitch 240 innings, while Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto pitch 220 and whoever the fifth starter is pitches 200, that would be great. It would be good for the bullpen, too.”
BAKER WAS ASKED what he says to people who say the Reds are not as good this year as they were last year.
“Nothing,” he said. “What can you know now? Did anybody last year think Cueto would make the rotation? Did anybody last year think Volquez would win 17? Did anybody last year think Harang would lose 17? I can see improvement.
“I don’t care what people say,” he said. That’s why we play the games. I wish I had a crystal ball, but then that would take the fun out of it.”
The fun has just begun.
IN HONOR of St. Valentine’s Day, when the pitchers finished their first day’s workout, they found valentine’s addressed to them in the clubhouse. Pitching coach Dick Pole personally signed each one and inside they said, “You’re magical.”
ALL THE PITCHERS threw of a mound for 10 minutes Saturday and after Homer Bailey’s first eight minutes catcher Ramon Hernandez turned to a catcher next to him and said, “Does this guy every throw balls out of the strike zone. So far every pitch has been a strike.”
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