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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 > July > 08 > Entry
Weathers wasn’t the Lone Ranger
Let’s not pin this one entirely on the 39-year-old body of David Weathers, who trudges up the left side of the mound before every pitch like a sherpa going up the Himalayas.
Yes, he gave up the game-ending, game-winning single to Shane Victorino tonight in the Reds’ 3-2 loss. But it wasn’t an awful pitch. Victorino, an excellent lefthanded hitter, reached out and drove the ball into left-center.
Game over.
The positive of this one was another stellar performance by Homer Bailey. Two in a row. The kid gets it. He looks like a man with a plan who knows how to execute it. For the second straight time, he pitched with aplomb and confidence and vigor.
He was done in by one pitch when he led, 2-1, with two outs and nobody on in the sixth. He wanted to throw a ball inside to Jayson Werth. Then he wanted to get him with a slider. He never got to throw the slider. The fastball for a ball slithered back over the plate and Werth knocked it out of the park.
So poor Mr. Weathers (Stormy is the correct nickname right now) gave up a grand slam last Friday to Albert Pujols after Bailey turned over a 3-0 lead and the Reds lost, 7-4. On this night Bailey turned over a 2-2 tie and Weathers had the misfortune to serve up the game-ender.
But manager Dusty Baker is more concerned with a pokey offense - and rightfully so.
He lamented the stranding of runners in scoring position. The Reds had a chance to bust it open in the fourth when their first four runners reached base and they had a run in with no outs and the bases loaded. The only scored one more run.
“We have to hit with runners in scoring position,” said Baker. “We got one run with no outs and the bases loaded. We just gotta get ‘em in.”
Fundamentals hurt the Reds in that inning. Jay Bruce grounded to second and Chase Utley picked up the ball and tagged Laynce Nix, then threw to first to complete the double play.
“That’s at least three times this year we’ve run right into the second baseman to start a double play,” said Baker. “We can’t let that happen. You either stop so he can’t tag you or you run him over so he can’t throw.”
Baker excused the heavily worked bullpen by saying, “We have to score runs. You can’t expect the bullpen night after night to hold ties and one-run leads.”
So the Reds are back to one-game under .500 at 41-42, with one game left in Philly and three in New York before the All-Star break.
Now excuse me while I go chase a cab and see which way he takes me back to make the meter spin.
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Comments
By 0for21stcentury
July 9, 2009 7:59 PM | Link to this
Bruce is having a hard time establishing himself as a consistent young hitter. MLB pitchers are exploiting his long loopy swing. His superior talent and rapid ascension thru the minors has made any hitting coach reticent to make changes. But, this aint kansas anymore. Baseball is a game of adJustments and the 21 year old phenom hasnt made any. Be shorter to the ball, and get rid of the Adam Dunn loopy windmill. Wheres the hitting coach? When is held accountable ? Bruce’s struggles arent mental…. theyre mechanical and fundamental and relatively simple.
By 0for21stcentury
July 9, 2009 7:38 PM | Link to this
Weathers gives up a grand slam in a 3-0 game to lose. Redsland/Weathers says one game does not a season make. Reds lose 22-1, Redsland says one game does not a season make. Weathers blows another wellpitched Bailey game, this time in the 9th. More excuses on one game does not a season make. Weathers will be clutch in late August in a tie game against the Pirates when we’re 14 games back. Too many enablers in Redsland.
By mike cahill
July 9, 2009 1:44 PM | Link to this
I think it may be time for Ol’Stormy to get on with his life’s work.He’s eminently hittable these days and I doubt he’s having much fun.
By Jack
July 9, 2009 12:05 PM | Link to this
Is the bullpen worn out? Weathers and Rhodes have not looked that great the last few times out when they have looked really good all year? When something happens three times that you do not like Dusty, its time to start blaming yourself. Has Dusty accepted any blame this year? It seems like he is constantly ripping on his new players. Should be mandatory that the first two hitters bunt tonight, wear out the 50 year old pitcher from the start. Very nice to see Homer pitching well.
By RC
July 9, 2009 11:55 AM | Link to this
Well, I was being a little facetious with the Lehr suggestion, but I’m dead serious about the idea that the Reds’ minor league system doesn’t seem to do a very good job of “developing” players. Kearns, Dunn, Wily Mo Pena, Bruce… guys who hit the major leagues with pretty much the same skill sets they had when they were in A ball. Votto actually seems to have blossomed up here - he was pretty much a .290-.300 hitter before this year. And Bailey had to pick up the pitch that made him a viable big-leaguer “on the streets”, as it were. It seems like we have some decent talent in the minors right now. But do we have the coaching talent down there to develop these guys into major league contributors? I have my doubts.
By kyhal
July 9, 2009 11:18 AM | Link to this
Yes we need a new pitching coach but we also in my opinion need a new batting coach. Perhaps a new batting coach could help poor Bruce.
By RC
July 9, 2009 10:19 AM | Link to this
Yes, by all means, let’s run Weathers and his bloated 2.76 ERA out of town. Sheesh. But here’s the thing that keeps sticking in my personal craw: The splitter that has magically transformed Homer Bailey into a genuine MLB starter - he had to pick that up from another minor league pitcher? No coach at any level in the Reds organization could have worked with him on that, say, two years ago? Should Justin Lehr be the new Reds pitching coach?
By Worn Cleats
July 9, 2009 9:51 AM | Link to this
Andruw Jones hits 3 homers as Rangers beat Angels…And we got Willy Taveras and his alter ego,Dimwit Dusty!
By GreatRedLegFan
July 9, 2009 9:13 AM | Link to this
Jay Bruce is killing any offensive effort, as well as EE. They have to take a step back to the bench or AAA.
By Hawk
July 9, 2009 9:07 AM | Link to this
By Hawk July 9, 2009 8:59 AM Taveras has emerged from his deep, deep hitting slump. He went into Wednesday on a five-game hitting streak in which he’s batted .381, and he’s hit .372 over his last 10 games. Dickerson was hitting .377 over his past 18 games. The big difference between the two players is on-base percentage. Dickerson went into Wednesday at .375; Taveras was at .287. Wednesday was the 15th time Dickerson has hit leadoff this season. Taveras has hit there 59 times. How about we platoon Dimwit Dusty and his son?
By Gaines
July 9, 2009 9:03 AM | Link to this
I can’t understand why fans would rip Weathers for last night. The only sharply hit ball he surrendered that inning was Feliz to lead off the inning. Stormy pitched around Rollins when he got behind and Victorino singled on a pretty good pitch. Give the Phillies a little credit. You can blame Weathers if you want, but it’s hard to make two runs hold up every game, especially to an offense like the Phillies. Reds played just well enough to lose last night.
By Hawk
July 9, 2009 8:59 AM | Link to this
Taveras has emerged from his deep, deep hitting slump. He went into Wednesday on a five-game hitting streak in which he’s batted .381, and he’s hit .372 over his last 10 games. Dickerson was hitting .377 over his past 18 games. The big difference between the two players is on-base percentage. Dickerson went into Wednesday at .375; Taveras was at .287. Wednesday was the 15th time Dickerson has hit leadoff this season. Taveras has hit there 59 times. How about we platoon Dimwit Dusty and his son?
By kenton clint
July 9, 2009 8:58 AM | Link to this
Can Jay Bruce get any worse? Why don’t we sit him a few games? The kid is young, don’t give up yet. But we don’t need another Adam Dunn!
By florence ky
July 9, 2009 8:54 AM | Link to this
The Reds tied for 5th, no offense,Arroyo and Weathers still haunting this team. These two guys need to go. Im sure other teams cant wait too face Arroyo and his 88 mph meat. Weathers nibbles and nibbles because his stuff is terrible. The guy blows more games because his stuff is pathetic. I hated to see them re-sign him.
By Florida Buckeye
July 9, 2009 8:28 AM | Link to this
RampantFedsFan…I loved it, ha! Randy I disagree with your thoughts about Stormy; He’s been an integral part of the bullpen, and more often than not we only seem to remember his mistakes…he eats up innings, and always comes in, in bad situations…I agree with Dusty for once: This team needs to pay attention to fundamentals…SO: my question to him is…How do you go about imprinting that unto the team that YOU are managing? It’s one thing for us, as fans, to gripe on a blog about it…but he’s the Manager, and should have some power/ability to change these bad habits that he’s/we’re all seeing…I’m gonna be happy with a 500/one or two game over season…what I wont be happy with is a team that hasnt improved on basics, and keeps making stupid mistakes, regardless of their record…Good Post Hal!
By Pete
July 9, 2009 8:19 AM | Link to this
Hal, Would someone please tell our pitchers to knock someone on their hind end or at least pitch inside. The Phils hit two of our guys and we dont protect them. This isnt little league.
By kenton clint
July 9, 2009 8:17 AM | Link to this
The Reds hitters looked stupid last night watching all those 3rd strikes go by. Can’t score any runs if you don’t swing the bat. And quit whining to the ump, that never helps! Come on guys you learn that in little league!
By RampantRedsFan
July 9, 2009 8:09 AM | Link to this
You have no idea how happy I am to hear WT is going to be back in the lineup! High OBP and good fielding was getting really hard to watch out of the leadoff spot!
By Randy
July 9, 2009 7:14 AM | Link to this
The nickname is “Bad Weathers” he is consistantly bad so we can forget the stormy. The fundamentals that Laynce Nix failed on last night would be enough for me to send him back to Louisville to LEARN to play.
By Steven Ross
July 9, 2009 6:26 AM | Link to this
One need only look at the past week as a microcosm of the Reds season. Pujols slam, 22 to 1 debacle and last night’s rip-your-heart-out loss. As for Stormy, can he ever get through one inning by retiring the side in order? Finally, somebody tell me why Brook Jacoby still has a job with us?
By SI and Ritter
July 9, 2009 12:56 AM | Link to this
Hal, the greatest, when will you be in Tunica? I live about 3 hrs south of there, would love to come up and have a beer with you.