A: To be considered great, a player would have had to lead the league in a lot of categories and made several All-Star teams. There was a player I greatly admired who never got enough credit and that was second baseman Ron Oester. He played the game hard and it played it right, never made a mistake, never threw to the wrong base, never made a baserunning blunder. And despite the fact he was as skinny as a palm tree, he was heavyweight tough. He played hurt, but was given a day off once and before the game muscle-bound Cesar Cedeno accused him of faking it. Oester pounced on him and it took four guys to pry him off Cedeno.
Q: Elly De La Cruz is struggling when he bats right-handed, so why doesn’t he just hit left-handed? — BILL, Hamilton.
A: That thought also infiltrated my mind when I see him strike out right-handed. Then it hits me. He strikes out left-handed, too. If he gave up switch-hitting he would not be the first. Cincinnati Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart gave it up to bat only right-handed, but he had trouble hitting from both sides. Pittsburgh’s Orlando Merced stuck to the right-handed side, as did Philadelphia’s Shane Victorino. But San Francisco’s J.T. Snow and Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins became strictly left-handers. And thank goodness, Mickey Mantle and Pete Rose stayed with switch-hitting. So should De La Cruz.
Q: Can MLB umpires be demoted to the minors like players when they aren’t performing well? — JOE, Englewood.
A: Unfortunately, no. The umpires’ union is extremely strong and it protects its members, which is why a bad umpire like Angel Hernandez kept his job. Once an umpire makes the majors, he is pretty much there until he retires. I saw a veteran umpire have four calls at first base reversed by replay in a game this year. A rookie umpire makes $150,000 a season and a veteran can make up to $450,000. So even a veteran umpire is only making close to half the $785,000 minimum a rookie player makes. Umpires these days remain pretty much incognito, not like flamboyant arbiters of the past like Doug Harvey, Bruce Froemming, Joe West, Eric Gregg and John McSherry.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Q: There seems to be an inordinate number of arm injuries to pitchers the last couple of years, so does the pitch clock have anything to do with it? — STEVE, Heber Springs, Ark.
A: I have heard that theory. Injuries to pitching arms are all part of the game because it is not a natural motion and puts a lot of stress on the arm. It seems more rampant now because velocity is encouraged. Pitchers know they aren’t going more than five or six innings, so they throw as hard as they can on nearly every pitch. I don’t think the shot clock is a cause, as long as pitchers aren’t altering their deliveries to beat the clock. They shouldn’t. They have plenty of time.
Q: Why do catchers throw baseballs out of play when pitches skip in the dirt? — ED, Kettering.
A: Umpires do it, too. I once asked umpire Ed Vargo why they do it and he shrugged and said, “That’s the way we’ve always done it.” Not really. Way back in the day they used a ball until it was totally black. Hey, when I was a kid we used a ball until the cover came off and then we covered it with electrician’s tape. As for catchers throwing out scuffed baseballs, it perplexes me because pitchers prefer a scuffed ball. They can make it whistle, sing and dance.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Q: Is it easier to develop pitchers or find position players? — LARRY, Washington Twp.
A: Bananas and tangerines. They are totally different. Finding pitchers and developing them is difficult. Teams look for high-velocity pitchers, believing they can teach the nuances. Guys who don’t throw 95 are ignored, meaning Greg Maddux never would have been signed. Figuring in inflation, position players are a dollar a dozen and are easily located, as long as they have speed, a strong arm and a quick bat. But none of it certainly is a strict science.
Q: Who was the Reds best hitting coach and is Eric Davis a roving batting instructor? — JACK, Miamisburg.
A: Hitting instructors come and go, mostly go, without being remembered. I do remember Ted Kluszewski. He would stand behind the batting cage and tell the hitters, “See the ball, hit the ball.” Eric Davis is just listed as a roving instructor, advising minor leaguers how to play the outfield and everybody on how to run the bases and how to hit. To me, Eric the Red would be a fantastic hitting instructor for the Reds. He has done wonders with Will Benson.
Q: Does Cincinnati Reds manager Tito Francona chew tobacco? — LARRY, Springfield, Ill.
A: No, he doesn’t, at least not during games. Yes, his cheek is stuffed with something. If one watches closely, you’ll see him constantly spitting something out of his mouth. Those are sunflower seeds, which he chomps on from the first inning to game’s end. Folks around him say sunflower seeds are better than tobacco juice on the dugout floor.
Q: Did you miss any decent meals when former Reds owner Marge Schott barred you from the media dining room three times? — GEORGE, Morton Grove, Ill.
A: Not really. Those weren’t gourmet meals, mostly rubber chicken and shoe leather beef. And during games, when she wasn’t looking, I sneaked in there and assaulted the ice cream machine. When I was barred, it usually only lasted a few days and Eric Davis always sent me a pizza to the press box when I was persona non grata.
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