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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 > April > 02
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Some unsolicited advice: Don’t sign Sheffield
At dawn’s early light, after a night of reflection, here’s my take on signing Gary Sheffield:
Don’t.
Why should the Cincinnati Reds take on a 40-year-old DH when the National League doesn’t have a DH? Sheffield has rarely played afield for three years and when manager Dusty Baker was asked if he can play left field, he shrugged and said, “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him.”
Nor has anybody else.
And Sheffield carries a rough and gruff reputation, something the Reds don’t need in their clubhouse. Why give playing time to a guy on the downside when so many candidates are on the upside of their careers with the Reds?
A better alternative, if they MUST sign a veteran? How about Geoff Jenkins, released this week by the Philadelphia Phillies. He would be more receptive to a bench and part-time role than Sheffield.
“He got released, too?” said Baker. “I better check on that.” General manager Walt Jocketty already is checking.
As for Sheffield, Baker said, “I’ve known Sheffield forever, ever since he came into the league with Milwaukee. He was real tight with a couple of my homeys from Sac. I’ve been knowing him a long time.
“I’m sure he has some offers,” Baker added. “I asked Walt for permission to make the call to him. I made the call and Walt talked to Bob Castellini. I talked to Jim Leyland (Tigers manager) just to see because Shef hasn’t played the outfield in a long time.
“I’m told his teammates like him, even though he is straight-forward and says what he wants, which is what he gets publicity for,” Baker said. “But I’m told he keeps quiet and is off to himself in a corner of the clubhouse.”
Then Baker got into the crux.
“I don’t even know if we’re in the running,” he said. “He wants playing time. I don’t know how much he’d get here - probably a ‘no’ against righthanders because Chris Dickerson has come a long way, coming quick. I’m not going to lie to him. I told him he might spell Joey Votto some at first base since Sheffield has played there. He’d play against some tough lefthanders and be a guy off the bench.
“Guys we have now are doing a heck of job, Jonny Gomes and Darnell McDonald,” Baker added. “That’s no slight against them because Gary Sheffield is available.”
Bottome Line: If that’s what Baker told him and Sheffield has opportunities elsewhere that includes playing time, he won’t come to Cincinnati.
And to me, that’s a good thing.
HOMER BAILEY took another gigantic stride Wednesday against the Astros in Kissimmee - two runs, four hits, one walk, eight strikeouts.
And you heard it here first: Bailey may beat out Micah Owings for the No. 5 spot. Nothing has been decided, but I detect a leaning that way.
“Bailey was getting some swings and misses I hadn’t seen before,” said Baker. “Might have been the best I’ve ever seen him.”
When told that, Bailey laughed and said, “Does that mean I need to send a crate of oranges to him.”
No, the messages on the mound have been enough.
“We have to confer with (pitching coach) Dick Pole, the coaches, Walt, me and a couple of advisors upstairs,” Baker said about name the No. 5 starter. “That’s how you do things. I’m the one talking to them, but it is a joint thing. If not, why have advisors if you don’t use them.”
And Bailey?
“I don’t want it easy,” said Baker. “Usually, they’ve been sifting to fill some spots, searching between who’s better. I don’t know if my partner, Hal (that’s me and I don’t remember becoming a partner, but I’ll look for the check) believed me or not, but I told him I was just going to give Homer the ball, ‘Here’s the ball.’ That’s all you can do is give them an opportunity and be as far as you can. The rest is up to them. You can’t pitch for them.”
Bailey was more thrilled with his one four-pitch walk than his eight strikeouts.
“I’m proudest of the fact I’ve walked only four guys this spring (20 2/3 innings),” he said. “That’s a big key, not giving up free passes. The walk yesterday was on four pitches so I guess if you are going to walk somebody you don’t want to wase seven or eight pitches. That’s the biggest thing. It shows fastball command and my offspeed pitches have been better.”
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