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Reds Tidbits (2006 Season)

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Cincy

4/19/06

Phillips 'surprised' with playing time

In 2nd-base mix more with Freel moving to OF duty

BY KEVIN KELLY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->A week before the Reds broke camp this spring, Jerry Narron met with players vying for playing time at second base.
The Reds' manager told veteran Tony Womack that he might play only once or twice per week when the season began.
"So he knew coming in that's what the situation was going to be," Narron said Tuesday. "So far he's handled it well.
That's something I tried to do with every one of those guys. I tried to let them know their situation."
Two factors - the acquisition of infielder Brandon Phillips from the Indians and outfielder Ken Griffey Jr.'s right knee injury - are influencing the Reds' second-base situation these days.
Utilityman Ryan Freel made four starts at second base this season, but against the Marlins on Tuesday played center field for the sixth straight game with Griffey out of the lineup.
Phillips made his third consecutive start - and fourth overall since being dealt by the Indians on April 7 - at second base.
"I'm very surprised by how much playing time I'm getting," said Phillips, who played in only 12 games with the Indians over the last two seasons. "But I'm very happy with the playing time I'm getting."
Womack started at second base in five of the Reds' first 10 games, including Opening Day, but hasn't started since Friday. He's batting .250 with two doubles, three RBI and a .368 on-base percentage.
Rich Aurilia has made one start at second base, two at third base and six at first base.
"When you've got Freel, Aurilia, Phillips and Womack here, somebody is not going to play," Narron said. "It's as simple as that. Phillips went about 10 days without playing a game (after the Indians designated him for assignment). I'm really doing everything I can to get him some playing time."
Before doubling in his first at-bat Tuesday, the 24-year-old was hitting .313 with two doubles and four RBI with the Reds.
Phillips matched career highs with three hits and four RBI during Monday's loss against the Marlins.
"Everything has been going well," he said. "I hope everything just keeps clicking and I keep seeing the ball the way I'm seeing it."
In addition to having Phillips field fly balls before the game to familiarize himself with the outfield, which he has never played, the Reds also want him to focus more on hitting to all parts of the field.
"They let me know what type of hitter they want me to be," he said. "That's a plus. Once somebody tells you what type of hitter and what they want from you, it's a big plus.
"When it's time to take some balls in the cage and hit on the field, I know what to work on and what they want me to do."
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Cincy

4/19/06

Reds notebook

Griffey OK with going on disabled list

BY KEVIN KELLY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->Ken Griffey Jr.'s right knee needed a few more days to heal, and the Reds needed an open roster spot.
So the center fielder went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained tendon in his right knee Monday, allowing catcher Jason LaRue to return from a minor-league rehabilitation assignment Tuesday and be activated from the 15-day DL.
"There are certain things that what's good for the player is good for the team," Griffey said. "It was a mutual decision (based) on what we needed at the time."
Griffey will be eligible to come off the DL when the Reds begin their next homestand April 28, and expects to be ready to resume playing immediately.
"You just don't want it to get to a point where I'm out for a longer period of time because I did something else trying to compensate," said Griffey, who missed five games before going on the DL. "This way we get it done, get it over with."
IN THE MIX: LaRue began the season on the 15-day DL following arthroscopic surgery March 27 to repair a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, and played in five minor-league games during his rehabilitation assignment.
"I'm ready to play right now," LaRue said before Tuesday's game. "I try to be true to myself and try to be true to the team and tell them when I was ready to (the point) I could play every day where it wouldn't have to be a thing where they would have to ease me in."
A SURPLUS: The Reds have three catchers on the 25-man roster with the addition of LaRue. Reds manager Jerry Narron said he will try find playing time for LaRue, David Ross and Javier Valentin.
Valentin will be available as a left-handed bat off the bench when he's not starting.
"We can use him in the big spots early in the game where we couldn't in the past," Narron said. "That's the biggest benefit of having three catchers - just the availability of having (Valentin)."
LaRue, who has averaged 103 starts the past five seasons, is expected to be in the starting lineup today. Ross started his sixth game Tuesday with Valentin accounting for the remaining eight starts.
"As far as I know I'm the starting catcher and I'll get the amount of playing time I've had the last (five) years," LaRue said. "That's what I expect."
MINOR MATTERS: Brandon Claussen wasn't the only Reds starting pitcher that did not allow a run Monday.
Triple-A Louisville pitcher Justin Germano allowed four hits over seven shutout innings in a win against Ottawa. Single-A Sarasota pitcher Homer Bailey, the Reds' first pick in the 2004 draft, allowed one hit over five shutout innings in a win against Clearwater.
ODDS AND ENDS: Entering Tuesday's game, left fielder Adam Dunn's last six hits were home runs. ... Andy Abad cleared waivers Tuesday and accepted an outright assignment with Louisville. The Reds designated the first baseman/outfielder for assignment Friday. ... Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez began the game with a leadoff home run off Reds starter Eric Milton. It was his first major-league home run and was the Marlins' first leadoff home run on the road since Mark Kotsay hit one May 2, 2000.
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.02

Well you have to take 2 out of 3 at home from a team like the Marlins so thats good they were able to pull it off.

The pitchers shouldn't be allowed on the team plane. The majority aren't real major leaguers anyway so make 'em fly commercial.

20 runs in 2 days to the fucking punch and judy Florida Marlins. Some no name SS hits a 500 ft HR for the first of his career. Just disgraceful.

Adam Dunn is absolutely cursed. To be a hitter of his caliber in the NL central but be on the Reds instead of getting to face Reds pitching 15 times a yearis just a damn shame. Imagine how many HR's and RBI's its cost him.
 
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So who was it saying we should get rid of EE.:biggrin:

Jaxbuck said:
.02

Well you have to take 2 out of 3 at home from a team like the Marlins so thats good they were able to pull it off.

The pitchers shouldn't be allowed on the team plane. The majority aren't real major leaguers anyway so make 'em fly commercial.

20 runs in 2 days to the fucking punch and judy Florida Marlins. Some no name SS hits a 500 ft HR for the first of his career. Just disgraceful.

Adam Dunn is absolutely cursed. To be a hitter of his caliber in the NL central but be on the Reds instead of getting to face Reds pitching 15 times a yearis just a damn shame. Imagine how many HR's and RBI's its cost him.
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Look no farthere than Pujols and the ungodly #'s that he puts up against us.
 
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That would be me.

I was thinking about my post as that 3 run homer was clearing the wall. They talked to him today after his game-winning single and he seemed a bit lost behind the mic. I have to admit though his bat seems to be coming around a little bit. His fielding and throwing are still a little disgraceful though. I don't understand how a professional baseball team can play this bad of defense. It sounds like Marty wants to vomit at least once a game announcing something stupid our defense does. All in all I'm still optimistic regarding the outcome of this season. A deal has to be made involving a big time starter before this team has a shot at post season play though.
 
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Bestbuck36 said:
That would be me.

I was thinking about my post as that 3 run homer was clearing the wall. They talked to him today after his game-winning single and he seemed a bit lost behind the mic. I have to admit though his bat seems to be coming around a little bit. His fielding and throwing are still a little disgraceful though. I don't understand how a professional baseball team can play this bad of defense. It sounds like Marty wants to vomit at least once a game announcing something stupid our defense does. All in all I'm still optimistic regarding the outcome of this season. A deal has to be made involving a big time starter before this team has a shot at post season play though.
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EE's bat was never the question and that was the main reason why he was one of the top prospects in the minors. He had a killer spring and then he struggled a little at the start of the season, but he is seeing the ball much better now.

As for our defense, I think part of it is the fact that the guys just never know who the hell is going to be beside them and what type of play they are going to have to make.

Like last year alot of the guys knew that a short hop throw to Casey was probably going to be picked out of the dirt.

Now this year it is either Hatteberg who can't pick the ball or Aurillia who is not a first baseman and they are probabably pressing at times to make the perfect throw.

As for booting ground balls for EE and not so much Lopez as much is due to just not seeing the balls coming that hard and that takes some getting used too.

And there is just no answer for why Dunn can't catch 5/10 flyballs. But he sure as hell can see the ball enough to smack it out of the park.
 
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Dispatch

REDS 9 MARLINS 8

Reds win shootout on Encarnacion’s double

Thursday, April 20, 2006

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>The Reds’ Jason LaRue, left, slides safely into home plate under Marlins pitcher Dontrelle Willis after a wild pitch in the fourth inning. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>
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CINCINNATI — Maybe the Reds should change the name of the stadium to the Long Branch Saloon.
A team that seems to turn every game into an end-of-thecattle-drive Saturday night in Dodge City could wear a Wild West theme as neatly as a 10-gallon Stetson.
A case in point occurred yesterday afternoon in (ho hum) Great American Ball Park. The Reds stampeded back from 5-0 and 8-4 deficits to outgun the Florida Marlins 9-8 on an RBI double by Edwin Encarnacion in the bottom of the ninth inning.
To win the game, Cincinnati had to face down Florida ace Dontrelle Willis and four home runs by the Marlins. Even though Willis had a lifetime record of 4-0 against the Reds and a 9-0 mark in 11 career starts in April, nobody in the home dugout doubted it could happen.
"It’s just resiliency," first baseman Scott Hatteberg said. "The ability, mentally, for a team not to fold and think it can come back from any deficit (is amazing). This is a team that can put up runs like I’ve never seen. It’s fun to be a part of. There’s no rollover. There’s no give-up."
After the Marlins broke to a 5-0 lead against Reds starter Aaron Harang, the rest of the team focused on the comeback.
"I can tell you exactly what we were thinking," left fielder Adam Dunn said. "We said it. We just needed to work the count, work his pitch count up and get him out of there. On a normal night, you’re not going to get five runs off Dontrelle. We wanted to scratch as many as we could off him and try to get into the bullpen."
The strategy worked. Hatteberg started a rally in the fourth inning with a one-out single. Willis coaxed a fielder’s choice grounder from Encarnacion before walking Jason LaRue and David Ross. Ryan Freel came through with an infield single to score Encarnacion and Willis uncorked a wild pitch to allow LaRue to sprint home.
Brandon Phillips then sliced a looping single by second baseman Dan Uggla to drive in two more runs and the Reds were down 5-4 and back in the game.
"We’ve got a potent offense," Freel said. "We score eight or 10 runs a game. That’s pretty impressive. We’ve just got to give ourselves a chance. We’ve got to be a little more consistent in some of our game. And when you’re called upon to do something, you come in and do it."
The shootout, however, was far from over. Florida rookie Reggie Abercrombie hit a 493-foot home run off reliever Michael Gosling in the sixth. Rick White entered to pitch for the Reds and was lit up for four hits. Dunn threw out Miguel Cabrera at the plate from left field to limit the damage in the inning to three runs.
Willis left after six innings with an 8-4 lead. The Reds took advantage of every Florida miscue over the final three innings. Dunn drove in a run in the seventh with a groundout.
In the eighth, Hatteberg drew a walk to open the inning and Encarnacion and LaRue singled to load the bases. Felipe Lopez’s pinch-hit single caromed off reliever Matt Herges. Uggla fielded the ball and threw wildly past first baseman Mike Jacobs to allow a second run to score. Phillips tied the score with an RBI groundout. Encarnacion won it in the ninth by doubling home Dunn.
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Dispatch

4/20/06

COMMENTARY

Reds’ park contributes to increase in homers

Thursday, April 20, 2006


BOB HUNTER

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CINCINNATI — You know how many major-league home runs Reggie Abercrombie had hit before he jacked one 493 feet into the left-field bleachers yesterday in Great American Ball Park?
None. None. Yet Abercrombie, owner of a .133 batting average and a total of 74 home runs in six years in the minors, logged the third longest homer in the ballpark’s four seasons.
This, just six innings after Florida Marlins’ teammate Miguel Cabrera had propelled one of Reds starter Aaron Harang’s pitches a measly 440 feet. That was one was one of three homers Harang gave up in four innings.
"(The ballpark’s) playing real small; I guess that’s obvious," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "There’s some people even thinking the ball might be juiced up this year, too. I don’t know about that, but the ballpark is playing small."
Interesting word, "juiced." It usually describes baseball players who used to cram two or three seasons worth of homers into one. Now some skeptics are starting to wonder whether worried baseball officials might not have juiced the ball in order to make it seem like the steroid-induced home run binge of recent years wasn’t that big of a deal.
Whether this is just another welldeveloped, but fictitious, conspiracy theory or the work of the baseball commissioner and his merry band of marketing geniuses, we must acknowledge two facts before we even consider it: Great American Ball Park has been a launching pad since it opened in 2003, and the Reds pitching staff hasn’t really been much of a deterrent to the sport’s home run explosion. Entering last weekend, home run totals this season were up 11 percent.
"All I can tell you is the baseball is flat-out jumping," Narron said, "ballpark or not. And we’ve seen that everywhere this year."
Narron isn’t concerned about "everywhere," or at least not as concerned as he is about the runs being given up by his pitching staff. That his Reds came from behind and beat the lowly Marlins 9-8 yesterday somehow didn’t seem as significant as the idea that Cincinnati actually had a chance to beat Florida ace Dontrelle Willis. But the Reds that feat because the bullpen surrendered three more runs after they managed to cut the Florida lead to 5-4 by taking advantage of a couple walks by Willis and some bloop hits.
These Reds can score runs in bunches, but they will only go as far as their pitching will take them. Opponents’ .340 batting average against the Reds bullpen is downright scary.
"The park plays small, but if you execute your pitches properly, it doesn’t matter how the park plays," Harang said. "I left some pitches up today."
Good major-league hitters will usually make a pitcher pay for those mistakes, particularly in parks where the ball carries this well.
"Baby Coors," Reds reliever David Weathers said, referring to that thin-air Coors Field launching pad in Denver. "Every team that comes in here, that’s the first thing they say, Baby Coors."
Scan the Reds lineup — Adam Dunn already has 10 homers and Austin Kearns five in 15 games — and it’s clear that playing in Great American Ball Park also has its positive side for the home team. But you can’t escape the thought that if the Reds intend to become serious contenders in the National League Central, their pitchers are going to have to find some way to keep the ball in the yard.
If the ball is juiced, if the air is thin, they’re going to have to deal with it.
"I think it’s more pitches than it is ballpark," Narron said. "If you make good pitches, you have a chance to get ground balls. You have a chance to keep guys from centering the baseball."
They didn’t do that yesterday and the Reds still won, albeit against the team with the lowest payroll in baseball. They also lost to those same Marlins 12-6 on Tuesday, which prompted a reporter to ask Narron whether the Reds could expect to keep winning games by scores this high.
There was a long pause before he answered.
"Honestly," Narron said, "it would be a struggle."
You think?

Bob Hunter is a sports columnist for The Dispatch .

[email protected]
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Rumor mill during the seventh inning stretch yesterday had the Reds management inquiring on the availability of Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrerra. Would love to see either of these two guys in Cincinnati, but very seriously doubt it will ever happen.
 
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Bestbuck36 said:
Rumor mill during the seventh inning stretch yesterday had the Reds management inquiring on the availability of Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrerra. Would love to see either of these two guys in Cincinnati, but very seriously doubt it will ever happen.
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That rumor was started on some UC board IIRC. I would be shocked to see anything come of it. The Marlins will give up on high price players but they are excellent at getting prospects in return. Our minor league system has nothing to offer.
 
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Dave Williams is the worst freakin' pitcher in the major league, but yet he is a starter on our staff.

He has a 9.53 ERA for the year and he has walked 9 guys vs. his 6 SO.

I know it is a small sample size of only 11 innings, but he has given up 13 runs and he is about to give up some more.:!

Edit. He gave up an RBI single to the pitcher and then a sac fly. So know it is up to 15 runs in 12 innings.
 
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.....................Freel

Griffey ..................................Kearns


............Lopez.............. Phillips

Encarnacion .............................Dunn



.................Valentin/LaRue


I think someone already suggested it, but this looks pretty damn good to me for an everyday lineup. Get rid of Hatteberg, use Aurilia to spell 1st, SS, and 3rd and Womack to spell 2nd, and all OF's.

Phillips now has 13 RBI in 29 AB's, good for second on the team behind Dunn. :yow1:

If we could get six innings of 4 run ball out of our starter every game, we could win 100 games. :p
 
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