Reds Tidbits (2006 Season)

[crazybuckfan40]

Well I continue to fell for Rameriz, he seems to go out and throw a winnable game every nite, but he just doesnt get the run support. I still think he is a good young pitcher that should be around for a while. He has the ability to get guys out.

Also if we hadnt been on a long winning streak and playing good many people would of been up in arms after last nites little league performance we put on last nite. Balls being thrown all over the place and once in the 6th we had 1st and 3rd noone out and Phillips comes up rocks one to right, but not far enough for a sac fly. Lopez gets out stealing and then Griffey walks and Aurilla pops out.

Then in the ninth after we had thrown the ball around to give them a couple runs, we have bases loaded no one out and only need a run to tie two to win and can't score a run against Ryan freakin' Dempster.

It is ok tho, b/c we are a half game out of first place and playing good. Hopefully Clausen can put together a good outing today.

 

[coastalbuck]

We need to get back to winning today. Games on WGN too so I can watch. I don't get to see many Reds games so I'm excited. I haven't seen Milton pitch this year. Got to see Arroyo thursday, that was fun.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/11/06

CUBS 4 REDS 2

Claussen runs into tough luck against Zambrano

Yan allows grand slam to decide pitchers’ duel

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>AL BEHRMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Reds third baseman Rich Aurilia dives for a ball hit by Neifi Perez that was ruled foul. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>

</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>DAVID KOHL ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Reds center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. hauls in a fly ball hit by Michael Barrett in the fourth inning. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CINCINNATI — Suggesting that Brandon Claussen was pitching for his life last night in Great American Ball Park would have been a whopper along the lines of comparing any sport with war.
Saying he might be pitching to hold onto his spot in the Reds’ starting rotation wasn’t a stretch.
Claussen probably accomplished the latter mission by keeping the Chicago Cubs off the scoreboard for 6 2 /3 innings. What followed his departure from the game, however, didn’t fill the Cincinnati clubhouse with smiling faces.
Esteban Yan relieved Claussen with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning and promptly surrendered a grand slam to Michael Barrett. The homer, coupled with a solid performance by Carlos Zambrano, sent the Reds to a 4-2 loss in front of 34,141 rain-soaked fans.
The unhappy ending stung Claussen (3-7), who has lost five of his past six decisions. With veteran starter Joe Mays now in the bullpen, Claussen needed to silence critics by pitching aggressively against a Chicago team that has battered him in the past. He pitched well but didn’t win.
"It was a tough loss," Claussen said. "Honestly, guys, I don’t really know what to say. I pitched my butt off. I felt like I kept us in the game. Unfortunately, you’ve got to catch some breaks sometimes. I didn’t catch the breaks tonight."
Claussen and Zambrano each took a shutout into the seventh inning. Two close plays kept Claussen from putting another zero on the scoreboard. With two outs and Neifi Perez on second base, Juan Pierre hit a screamer that second baseman Brandon Phillips flagged down. He threw from his knees but pulled Scott Hatterberg off first base.
Claussen (3-7) turned his attention to Todd Walker. He dropped down on a 2-and-2 pitch and froze Walker. The pitch was close, but home-plate umpire Randy Marsh called it a ball. Walker drew a walk on the next pitch and Claussen was finished for the night.
"It could have gone either way," Claussen said of the close pitch. "I’m a fan of baseball. The crowd was into it. They were wanting a strikeout. I wish (Marsh) had just given it to them."
Claussen was in the dugout watching when Barrett turned the second pitch from Yan into four quick runs.
"Fastball," Reds manager Jerry Narron said of the home-run pitch. "It looked like it was right down the middle of the plate, and (Barrett) didn’t miss it. With Claussen at 114 pitches or whatever, I couldn’t have lived with myself if I had let him give up the go-ahead runs right there."
Zambrano (5-3) didn’t give Claussen much breathing room. After Ken Griffey Jr. doubled in the first inning, Zambrano didn’t allow another hit until Quinton McCracken delivered a pinch-triple with two outs in the seventh. Griffey, who robbed Barrett of an extra-base hit with a circus catch against the center-field wall in the fourth, broke up the shutout with a home run in the eighth.
Chicago manager Dusty Baker went to his bullpen with two outs in the eighth. With two on and the tying run at the plate, Bob Howry struck out David Ross. In the ninth, closer Ryan Dempster allowed an RBI single to Phillips but finished off his former teammates for the second consecutive night.
"(Claussen) definitely gave us a chance to win the game," Narron said. "When you’re facing Zambrano, you know you can’t give up a lot of runs. He’s one of the better pitchers in baseball."
[email protected]

Dispatch

6/11/06

REDS NOTEBOOK

Ross has panned out as good catch for Krivsky

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CINCINNATI – David Ross appeared on the Reds’ doorstep at their Sarasota, Fla., spring training address in late March as a foundling third catcher behind veterans Jason LaRue and Javier Valentin.
General manager Wayne Krivsky acquired Ross in a trade with the San Diego Padres and wanted him enough to juggle the roster in the early weeks of the season to keep him. Two-plus months later, Ross has emerged as a key player in Cincinnati’s surprising rise in the National League Central.
Though Ross had his 12-game hitting streak ended last night, Brandon Claussen’s presence on the mound showed that Ross no longer is catching exclusively when Bronson Arroyo pitches.
Ross clearly likes where he landed.
"I’m enjoying hitting the ball well now," Ross said. "I’m enjoying winning. That’s the main thing. I think that’s what everybody’s goal is."
As soon as the trade occurred, Ross realized that LaRue and Valentin were ahead of him in the pecking order. LaRue has been the No. 1 catcher for the Reds since the 2001 season.
"There’s always questions when you come into a situation with two other really good catchers that have established themselves in the big leagues," Ross said. "You want to try to fit in as best you can. I feel like I’ve gotten along with these guys really well."
Reds manager Jerry Narron likes the fact that Ross has been in pennant drives with the Padres last season and the Los Angeles Dodgers in ’04.
"I just feel like when you’re on a winning team, you figure out what it takes through a whole season," Ross said. "You realize that you can’t get too excited about a winning streak, and you can’t get too down about a losing streak. You just try to ride the wave."
New card carrier

Ken Griffey Jr. carried the Cincinnati lineup card to the umpires for the eight-game winning streak that ended Friday night in the 6-5 loss to the Cubs. First base coach Billy Hatcher replaced him last night.
"I messed it all up," said Griffey, who made the final out. "I had a chance to keep it going. But I can say I held the longest streak since ’99. And they’re going to need me again one day."
Draft signings

The Reds announced 12 signings from the first-year player draft. The list included fourthround pick Justin Reed, an outfielder from Hillcrest Christian High School in Jackson, Miss., and 26 th-round pick Anthony Gressick, a right-handed pitcher from Ohio University and Lancaster.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/13/06

BREWERS 6 REDS 5

Loss adds to Reds’ struggles at home

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CINCINNATI — This isn’t how the Reds envisioned their triumphant homecoming.
The same team that swept the Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals on the road and brought a seven-game winning streak to Great American Ball Park suddenly can’t figure out a way to win against sub-.500 National League Central rivals in its home stadium.
"Yeah, and I haven’t helped," reliever Kent Mercker said. "That’s a game we should win right there. I’ve got no excuses. I’ve been through this before. When it goes bad, it goes bad."
Mercker and closer Todd Coffey combined to give up two runs in the eighth inning to the Milwaukee Brewers last night and turned what looked like a come-from-behind victory into a 6-5 defeat. The loss followed three straight defeats at the hands of the Chicago Cubs and left the Reds two games behind the first-place St. Louis Cardinals.
The turnaround was stunning. Cincinnati had rallied from a 4-1 deficit to take a 5-4 lead into the eighth on the strength of two home runs by David Ross and a solo, pinchhit shot from Jason LaRue.
Everything came apart after Mercker surrendered a leadoff homer to Prince Fielder that tied the score at 5. He got the next two outs before Brady Clark singled. Coffey entered the game and walked Jeff Cirillo ahead of an RBI single from Rickie Weeks.
"Really I liked the matchup there with Coffey (against Cirillo)," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "Normally he comes in and he’s going to throw strikes. He just struggled to throw strikes to Cirillo."
Cincinnati similarly has struggled all season in its home ballpark. Harang is the poster child for the Reds in and out of the city. Away from Great American, he is a sparkling 5-2 with an NL-second best 1.86 ERA. But at home, Harang is 2-2 with a bruised 6.34 ERA.
He had a ready excuse last night. He was felled by flu-like symptoms Sunday after the game but still pitched.
"It hit me late at night and this morning," Harang said. "I just went out and I didn’t feel like I had it today. I was struggling with my location on my fastball and just falling behind."
He shrugged off the difference between his home and road numbers.
"There’s nothing (different) that I can think of," Harang said. "It’s just one of those weird things about this game you can’t explain."
Harang had trouble all night putting away the Brewers and his pitch count already had passed 50 after two innings. Adam Dunn presented him with a 1-0 lead in the second inning by hitting his 21 st home run of the season.
The Brewers took the lead in the fourth when Carlos Lee homered and Brady Clark delivered a sacrifice fly. They added two more runs in the fifth on a sacrifice flies by Lee and Fielder.
The Reds took Harang off the hook in the fifth with back-toback home runs by Ross and Jason LaRue. Ross hit a two-run homer off Zach Jackson (1-0). LaRue tied the score at 4 with a pinch-hit drive into the seats in left.
Joe Mays relieved Harang and pitched two perfect innings, and the night looked positive when Ross delivered his second homer in the seventh. Mercker couldn’t hold it and the team’s record dropped to 16-15 at home.
"Make one bad pitch and it’s a home run," he said. "If it’s going good, that same pitch is popped up to second base. It’s not that we feel like we’re going to lose at home. We’ve just lost a few games here that we should have won."
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Dispatch

6/13/06

REDS NOTEBOOK

Weathers’ shoulder sore but no cause for alarm

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>AL BEHRMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>The Brewers’ Corey Koskie slides safely into second with a double as Reds shortstop Felipe Lopez is late with the tag in the fourth inning. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CINCINNATI — Reds reliever David Weathers remained upbeat yesterday about 24 hours after he walked off the Great American Ball Park mound because of tendinitis in his right shoulder.
"It’s pretty sore," Weathers said. "I could definitely tell last night when it cooled down. There was a lot of throbbing and a lot of soreness."
The Reds’ medical staff is confident that a few days off will cure the problem. There are no plans to place Weathers on the disabled list.
"If we get in there round-the-clock and get the inflammation down, we think two or three days of hard treatment will do it," Weathers said.
He has a frame of reference for the injury that includes a happy ending.
"I had it in my elbow two or three years ago," Weathers said. "It just flared up on a flight. We were going from New York to Arizona and my elbow just blew up. I thought I had torn a ligament or something. But once we got the inflammation out, I was ready to go. I’m hoping that’s what it is again."
On a personal note, Weathers figures his son, Ryan, is sadder about the injury than he is. He throws batting practice to the 6-year-old on an almost daily basis and retrieves the balls that the boy peppers around the stadium.
"I’ve got to find somebody to throw to him," Weathers said. "Maybe (clubhouse manager) Rick Stowe will. His heart was broken yesterday when I walked off the mound. Man, he loves to come in here. So I’ll have to find somebody. But I’ll be ready to go in two or three days."
M * A * S * H notes

Two other relievers also are on the mend. Matt Belisle threw a second bullpen session yesterday and appears close to going out on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment.
"Belisle was really good today," head trainer Mark Mann said. "He threw for about 11 minutes in the bullpen. We’ll see how he responds (today) to determine the next step." The Reds also brought up right-hander Grant Balfour from extended spring training in Sarasota, Fla., to continue his rehabilitation from elbow and shoulder surgeries.
Good news

Pitcher Brandon Claussen and his wife, Kelli, learned yesterday that their first child would be a girl. Mrs. Claussen underwent a sonogram in the morning. The due date is Oct. 21.
All - Star voting

Ken Griffey Jr. jumped from third to second among outfielders in the latest release with 761,091 votes. He trails only Atlanta’s Andruw Jones (813,990). Adam Dunn is 11 th with 304,364 votes. No other Reds are among the leaders.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/14/06

Brewers hand Reds their fifth loss in row

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>AL BEHRMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Reds center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. ducks out of way of a pitch from the Brewers’ Doug Davis in the first inning. Catcher Damian Miller snared the high and inside pitch. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CINCINNATI — Not even Bronson Arroyo could lead the Reds out of the wilderness last night in Great American Ball Park.
The staff ace, a growing cult hero in these parts, tried his best to pitch Cincinnati out of its recent slump but still wound up on the short end of a 6-4 decision to the Milwaukee Brewers.
The loss was the fifth straight for the Reds and left them three games behind first-place St. Louis in the National League Central.
Arroyo (8-3) had beaten the Brewers twice previously this season and allowed a combined total of two runs. He wasn’t nearly as effective the third time around, allowing four runs and nine hits in seven grueling innings. He stayed on the mound for 127 pitches because he knew what the Reds needed from him.
"You’re going to have these spells where you go down and down," Arroyo said. "I mean you definitely think about it because you’ve got to fight extra hard to get out of these holes.
"They always talk about momentum. Well, when you’re going down, it’s just as easy to keep going down.
"When you’re going good, it’s easy to keep going good. It seems like things are effortless and wins just come. It’s the same with losses."
Looking effortless pretty much described Milwaukee starter Doug Davis. The softthrowing left-hander always makes Cincinnati hitters look like a bunch of kids trying to swat a mosquito with a sledgehammer. No matter how hard they swing, they seldom hit anything but the ground.
Davis (4-4) kept the Reds flailing at the air for six innings and the Brewers bullpen did enough in the final three innings to save the win.
The Cincinnati relief corps, meanwhile, surrendered a run in the eighth and ninth to assure the loss.
The game, however, turned in the sixth with the score 1-1. Brady Clark led off the inning for Milwaukee with a double. Corey Koskie then drew a walk from Arroyo and Carlos Lee singled to load the bases.
Arroyo appeared to get exactly what he needed when Prince Fielder tapped a ball back to the mound. Arroyo threw home for the force of Clark and catcher David Ross appeared to throw out Fielder at first. Home plate umpire Marty Foster called interference on Clark for sliding into Ross out of the base line and Fielder was out at first.
Koskie and Lee were moved back to second and first, respectively, and Arroyo needed one out to escape damage. Instead, Bill Hall walked to reload the bases.
Geoff Jenkins singled in two runs and Damian Miller added an RBI hit to give Milwaukee a 4-1 lead.
"I was glad to see Billy Hall at the plate," Arroyo said. "He hasn’t swung the bat too good against me. And he saw my breaking ball pretty good on 2 and 2. He laid off it. I tried to come back 3-2 and missed. That obviously was probably the biggest at-bat for me in the game."
Some bad blood showed in the seventh when Arroyo sailed a pitch over the head of Clark and drew a warning for both dugouts from Foster. Clark slid into the legs of Ross in the sixth.
The Reds rallied in the bottom of the sixth against Davis with back-to-back home runs from Rich Aurilia and Adam Dunn. Ross also homered in the eighth for Cincinnati, but the Brewers nicked Esteban Yan and Kent Mercker for runs in the eighth and ninth, respectively.
[email protected]

Dispatch

6/14/06

REDS NOTEBOOK

Trade rumors this time of year are nothing new for Griffey

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CINCINNATI — As surely as weeds sprouting in a vacant lot, baseball trade rumors always begin to germinate in June.
Reds center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. has grown used to seeing his name linked to potential deals. The New York Yankees need an outfielder, so why not Griffey? Stories out of Chicago in the past several days have resurrected a rumored trade that would have sent Griffey to the White Sox before the July 31 non-waiver deadline in 2005.
One said the deal nearly happened. The other said Griffey gave his permission but Reds management backed out. Griffey, who has the power to veto any trade, insisted yesterday that then-owner Carl Lindner and then-general manager Dan O’Brien never approached him about such a transaction.
"I don’t know where any of this stuff is coming from," he said. "They never mentioned it to me. They never even talked to me. Nobody ever asked me anything. They can set up a deal and ask me. But I just have to OK it if I want to go somewhere. That’s the bottom line."
With the Reds currently contending in the National League Central, he isn’t paying much attention to the most recent stories.
"As long as this team is in the race, then nobody is going to be going anywhere whether that be in the division or the wild card," Griffey said.
Griffey understands that the Reds have the right to try to move him.
"If the organization doesn’t want you, they’re going to let you know," he said. "And I’ve never held anybody strong-arm. I can look at it as a positive in that there is a team that wanted me.
"But as of right now, I’m not going to worry about that. I’m going to help the 24 guys in this room. If the organization feels that they want to make a move, we’ll look at it and see if it’s a move I want to make. If it is, then I’ll do it. If not, then I won’t."
M * A * S * H notes

Reliever Matt Belisle (back) is going to Dayton on Thursday to pitch in a minor-league rehabilitation game for the Class A Dragons. Reds manager Jerry Narron said Belisle would pitch "probably one inning, maybe two." The team will decide the next move for Belisle after the outing.
Front - office change

Assistant general manager Dean Taylor accepted a job as vice president of baseball operations and assistant GM for the Kansas City Royals. Former Reds GM Dan O’Brien hired Taylor. Bob Miller was promoted to assistant GM with the Reds.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/15/06

Dunn’s shot ends Reds’ ugly skids

HR halts losing streak, drought with runners in scoring position

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Ken Griffey Jr. hugs Adam Dunn following Dunn’s home run in the 11 th inning. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CINCINNATI — By the time the 11 th inning rolled around yesterday, everybody in the Reds dugout was keenly aware of the statistical elephant that had taken a seat behind second base in Great American Ball Park during a five-game losing streak.
With runners in scoring position, Cincinnati hadn’t produced an RBI hit in 24 consecutive at-bats. They were 0 for 6 on the afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers and locked in a scoreless tie when Adam Dunn stepped to the plate with teammates on first and second.
On the fifth pitch from reliever Dan Kolb, Jumbo left the building. Dunn drove a 458-foot home run into the seats in right field to lift the Reds to a 3-0 victory. It was his 23 rd homer of the season and fourth in four games. Of note, it was the first in that grouping not of the solo variety.
"First of all, it was a long game and a frustrating game," Dunn said. "We had our opportunities and just didn’t capitalize. That’s the difference between winning and losing. That’s why we lost our last (five). But we’re not 0 for 24 anymore. We’re 1 for 1 now."
The Dunn home run appeared to lift a weight off the shoulders of his teammates, who mobbed him at home plate. The recent skid, which followed an eight-game winning streak, was taking its toll. Everyone could see the elephant.
"It was getting pretty obvious," first baseman Scott Hatteberg said. "We haven’t been scoring runs. We’ve had opportunities and we weren’t coming through."
The pitching performance turned in by starter Elizardo Ramirez added to the frustration. He shut out the Brewers on five hits over eight innings and logged a career-high 10 strikeouts. The Reds, however, couldn’t push a run across the plate while he was pitching. It’s something they have to do better.
"It’s what wins games," Hatteberg said. "Every team I’ve ever been on, playoff teams included, it’s always come up at some point. It just becomes one of those things that snowballs. Everybody wants to come through. Everybody becomes aware of it."
Being aware of the problem doesn’t necessarily help solve it.
"I think it puts more pressure on you," Hatteberg said. "When you’re unaware of it, it’s just another at-bat. When you’re aware of it — and we know we are not coming through when we need to — you subconsciously are just putting more pressure on yourself. It’s frustrating. If there was a way to come out of it, I would have already written the book."
Ramirez turned the game over to Todd Coffey, who pitched a scoreless ninth and 10 th. Chris Hammond (1-1) worked a perfect 11 th inning.
Dunn came to the plate against Kolb (2-1) after Ken Griffey Jr. and Rich Aurilia singled.
"I love it," Dunn said. "I don’t care if I’m 0 for 150 with runners in scoring position. If it’s the bottom of the ninth with a man on in a close game, I promise from the bottom of my heart I want to be the guy up at the plate."
He delivered the fourth game-ending home run of his career and hopes the hit leads to more production with runners in scoring position.
"We’re weird with that," Dunn said. "It seems like that goes in cycles. I remember the last time (we struggled). I think David Ross got a little bloop single with the bases loaded and we went on a little tear there. Hopefully, this will get us jump-started and playing good baseball again."
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Dispatch

6/15/06

REDS NOTEBOOK

Ramirez’s impressive outing doesn’t go unnoticed

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CINCINNATI — Elizardo Ramirez wasn’t around when the Reds finally knocked off the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 in 11 innings yesterday afternoon.
Yet Ramirez left a good impression on manager Jerry Narron and teammates after pitching eight shutout innings. He also recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts.
"He really has gotten better from where he was a year ago," Narron said. "I think working with (pitching coach) Mario Soto in Louisville with the change-up really helped him a great deal with his off-speed stuff."
Ramirez showed his growing confidence in the seventh after he gave up a leadoff double to Prince Fielder. He struck out Bill Hall, Geoff Jenkins and Chad Moeller. In the eighth, he also received defensive help from right fielder Ryan Freel, who crashed into the wall to rob Rickie Weeks of an extra-base hit.
"It’s like nothing fazes him," left fielder Adam Dunn said.
No stars

Narron described the Freel catch as a "game saver." It came at a cost.
"I hit my noggin," Freel said. "It almost felt as soon as I hit my head I was about to black out. I hit it pretty good. I’ve hit the wall here and there a couple of times in my career. It was pretty intense, that one was. I didn’t see any stars."
Bengals take BP

For all of the communication that existed between the owners of the Reds and Bengals while they shared Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field, the two franchises might as well have occupied opposite sides of the moon.
A large sign of the thaw in the icy relations occurred yesterday when the Bengals arrived in Great American Ball Park to take batting practice. A good time seemed to be had by all — even the overwhelmed staff in the Reds clubhouse kitchen suddenly faced with 70 hungry football players.
"As soon as they got here they found the food room," clubhouse manager Rick Stowe said. "They went through it like buzzards."
Etcetera

Narron expects reliever David Weathers to be ready to pitch Friday against the Chicago White Sox. Weathers left Sunday’s game against the Chicago Cubs with stiffness in his right shoulder. …The Reds signed Drew Stubbs, their first-round pick and eighth pick overall in the first-year player draft, to an undisclosed contract. Stubbs, 21, was an All-American center fielder at the University of Texas.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/15/06

COMMENTARY

Which Reds team will show up on a given day?

Thursday, June 15, 2006


BOB HUNTER

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CINCINNATI — Things around Great American Ball Park get awfully confusing sometimes.

Depending on when you happen to drop by, the Cincinnati Reds team that plays here is either the reincarnation of the Big Red Machine or the 2003 Big Red Disaster. It is either a powerhouse or a power failure, a team destined for postseason glory or middle-of-the pack oblivion.

Last week, these Reds were fantastic. They reeled off eight straight wins and climbed to the top of the National League Central, a half-game ahead of defending champion St. Louis and light years ahead of where most observers expected them to be.

This week, they have been abysmal, losing five straight to the fifth-place Chicago Cubs and fourthplace Milwaukee. Yesterday, they were building on their embarrassing streak of failed at-bats with runners in scoring position — it reached 0 for 24, some of those coming against a Brewers pitcher (Carlos Villanueva) who was not long from double-A. Then Adam Dunn hit a three-run homer off Dan Kolb in the bottom of the 11 th to give the Reds a 3-0 victory.

Boy, these guys are good.

"I hate to say it’s just baseball," outfielder Ryan Freel said, "because, damn, you can only keep saying that so much. We just have too much talent. We’ve shown it. We’re shown how good we are and we’ve definitely shown how bad we are."

Sometimes, they show it in the same game. Yesterday, they hit into three rally-killing double plays and ended two rallies with a foul pop to the catcher and a strikeout. They also received an impressive eightinning, five-hit shutout performance from starter Elizardo Ramirez; a dramatic backhanded, ram-yourhead-into-the-wall catch by Freel in the eighth; and Dunn’s homer.

If the Reds had been able to get one of those runners home against Villanueva, this would have been an afternoon for the home boys to frame for posterity. Instead, the lasting impression was that of a team that can’t get a big hit, despite Dunn’s game-winner.

"I really feel like we’re going to put together a good stretch where everybody’s hitting and we’re gonna score a lot of runs," manager Jerry Narron said. "I just keep waiting for it to happen."

It should be cause for concern, and, apparently, it is.

"I’m upset about it," Freel said. "It wouldn’t bother me so much if I didn’t think we had a good team, but I know we’ve got a great team. It’s frustrating. Oh-for-24 with men in scoring position? Shoot, that’s pathetic."

In fairness, it happens to every team at some point during a 162-game season. What’s disturbing is that the Reds seem intent on making inconsistency their trademark. They already had a six-game win streak and five-game losing skid on their record before the recent ones.

The opportunities that have sprouted make it that much more frustrating. Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols is out and Jim Edmonds is playing hurt. Astros ace Roy Oswalt has missed time because of a back strain and Roger Clemens is still a couple of weeks away.

Even if you don’t believe the Reds can finish ahead of St. Louis — they were two games behind after the Cardinals lost to Pittsburgh last night — the wild card is still a realistic goal.

Realistic, that is, if the Reds can find some consistency.

"This here is a postseason team," Freel said. "But if you look at those guys who go to the World Series, they don’t win eight games and then come back and lose six or seven games, win five and then lose seven — you have to mix in a win. If you’re struggling, you’ve got to somehow grind it out and figure out a way to win. There’s talent on this team, but I don’t think we’re doing that."

But will they?

It sure seems like it. Today.

Bob Hunter is a sports columnist for The Dispatch


[email protected]

 

[coastalbuck]

Great game by Ramirez yesterday, really needed that win going into an off day.

Link

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/16/06

REDS NOTEBOOK

White Sox, Mets will provide stern tests for slumping Reds

Friday, June 16, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CINCINNATI — The stumble the Reds took while losing five of seven games to the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers could not have come at a more inopportune time given the steep rise in competition during the next week.
The Reds returns to interleague play at 7:10 tonight against the Chicago White Sox, the defending World Series champions, and then head out on a four-game trip to Shea Stadium, where the National League East Division-leading New York Mets await.
"We’ve got a pretty tough schedule here over the next couple of weeks," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "I know it will be good to see the White Sox here. They are the best.
"After that, we go to New York and get the Mets. But it seems like we’ve played our best baseball against the better teams. So we’ll see what happens."
Narron knows that the Reds will have to play better than they did against the Cubs and Brewers to hold onto second place in the NL Central. They lead the league with 99 home runs, but the club simply hasn’t hit with runners in scoring position. Adam Dunn broke an 0-for-24 string in that category with a three-run homer in the 11 th inning Wednesday to win the game against the Brewers.
Reds first baseman Scott Hatteberg, who played the past four seasons in the American League for Oakland, can testify that the White Sox are a different animal than the Cubs or Brewers.
"Well, they’ve always been offensively minded," Hatteberg said. "They’re an incredible team. They’ve got a lot of power and they’ve got some really veteran hitters."
First baseman Paul Konerko, who briefly played for the Reds in 1998, anchors the Chicago lineup with right fielder Jermaine Dye.
Former Cleveland star Jim Thome, the designated hitter, leads the AL with 21 home runs. He likely will be limited to pinch-hitting with Cincinnati starting left-handers Brandon Claussen and Eric Milton in the first two games. That break will be tempered becauses the White Sox are more than an offensive team.
"Now they’ve got some great pitching," Hatteberg said. "I’ve faced Freddy Garcia, and (Jose) Contreras has gotten better. They’re tough. In my opinion, they’re as good as any team in baseball. So we need to play better. We’ve got our work cut out for us."
Utility man Ryan Freel agreed that the Reds need to upgrade their level of play.
"Instead of having these peaks and valleys, we’ve got to stay more consistent," he said. "The White Sox, wow, they’ve got a great team. Everything about that team is good. We’re going to have to be on top of our game. We’ve got to play everything flawless against that team and hope for the best."
Short stops


• The Reds reacquired infielder Juan Castro from the Minnesota Twins yesterday in a trade for minor-league outfielder Brandon Roberts.
Castro, 33, previously played for Cincinnati from 2000 to 2004. He is a defensive specialist, capable of playing second base, shortstop and third.
To make room for Castro on the 40-man roster, the Reds placed pitcher Paul Wilson on the 60-day disabled list.

• Five more selections from the first-year player draft signed contracts. The group included second-round choice Sean Watson, a right-hander from the University of Tennessee, and eighth-round pick Travis Webb, a left-handed pitcher from Washington State.
The Reds also released minorleague outfielder Alex Sanchez.
[email protected]

 

[Tipdogusaf]

I, for one would not be disappointed if this was the last time claussen played in a reds uniform. He is a coward when it comes to pitching.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/17/06

WHITE SOX 12 REDS 4

Bad night might put Claussen in bullpen

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CINCINNATI — Brandon Claussen picked the wrong time and team to experience another off night.
The embattled Reds lefthander turned in an abysmal performance against the Chicago White Sox last night in Great American Ball Park and in the process might have lost his spot in the starting rotation.
For the record, the defending World Series champions trounced Cincinnati 12-4 in the first interleague meeting between the teams since the 2001 season. But the damage the White Sox did to Claussen in two-plus innings had the look of a harp seal sitting down to dinner with a polar bear. It wasn’t pretty, and a lot of the gore could be blamed on Claussen (3-8) because he didn’t locate his pitches. That inability is driving Reds manager Jerry Narron to distraction.
"I would like to see Brandon be aggressive," Narron said. "I’d like to see him make some quality pitches. I’d like to see him get some guys out early in the count. For whatever reason right now, he’s not doing that for us. If you give up nine runs, that’s not your best stuff and it’s not using your best stuff."
The trouble started immediately. Claussen walked two batters in the first inning to set up a grand slam by Joe Crede. At least Rich Aurilia gave him a chance to pitch his way back into the game by answering with a three-run homer off Freddy Garcia in the bottom of the first.
Claussen simply couldn’t turn it around. In the second, he continued to pitch behind in the count. And when he did find the strike zone, Chicago hitters answered with ringing line drives. Scott Podsednik singled in one run and Paul Konerko knocked in another with a double to push the lead to 6-3.
"I try and keep a positive attitude," Claussen said. "This game is a game of defeats sometimes. I’m just trying to do my best not to let it get the best of me. I don’t know what to say. After Richie hit that home run, everything inside of me wanted to pitch good.
"I just don’t want people thinking it’s not because I’m not trying. And it’s not because I don’t prepare. I work hard. I want to be successful. It just didn’t work out the way I wanted it to."
The misery continued into the third for Claussen when Crede singled off his glove. Chris Widger followed with a bunt hit. The light-hitting Juan Uribe then ended Claussen’s evening with an RBI double.
"I wasn’t missing by much," Claussen said. "But I wasn’t being aggressive. A team like that, any team in the big leagues, you cannot get behind in the count."
Joe Mays replaced Claussen. As it happens, Mays also is in line to replace Claussen in the rotation. He had pitched three perfect innings of relief since the Reds purchased his contract from triple-A Louisville on June 6.
He wasn’t perfect this time, allowing one earned run and seven hits in four busy innings. But he saved the rest of the bullpen. Garcia (8-5) stuffed the Cincinnati offense after the first inning. He didn’t give up another run until Austin Kearns homered in the seventh.
Narron talked around a question about Claussen’s status in the rotation but did mention Mays pitched enough innings to stretch out his arm for a start. Claussen knows how precarious his situation is.
"That’s something I can’t worry about," he said. "I’ll respect whatever decision is made. I haven’t done my job lately."
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/17/06

REDS NOTEBOOK

Castro says he’s excited to be back in Cincinnati

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>DAVID KOHL ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Tadahito Iguchi of the White Sox gets tangled up with Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips (4) after getting a hit and advancing on an error by Ken Griffey Jr. in the first inning. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CINCINNATI — Decorum prevented Juan Castro from telling everyone in Minnesota exactly what he felt Thursday when the Twins traded him to the Reds.
"When they told me I was coming back to Cincinnati, I just wanted to jump right there but I couldn’t," said Castro, who played for the Reds from 2000 to 2004. "It’s nice to be back over here. I’m really happy."
Cincinnati acquired him for minor-league outfielder Brandon Roberts and immediately upgraded the infield defense. The team optioned Ray Olmedo to triple-A Louisville yesterday to make room for Castro and will use him as shortstop, second base and third base.
"We’ll spot-start him, double-switch with him (and he’ll) come in late in the games as a defensive replacement," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "Hopefully, it will be a great addition for everybody."
Castro began the season as the starting shortstop for Minnesota but lost the job earlier this week to prospect Jason Bartlett.
"They told me the situation that I wasn’t going to be playing every day," Castro said. "I was going to be sharing playing time with another three guys at third. That’s when I decided to call my agent (Oscar Suarez). He started making some calls. Two days later, I’m here."
In the winter of ’04 while he was still an assistant general manager in Minnesota, Cincinnati GM Wayne Krivsky helped sign Castro to a two-year deal with an option for ‘07.
"I really appreciate that he brought me back to Cincinnati," Castro said. "I feel like I never left."
Weathers back

Five days after walking off the mound with tendinitis in his right shoulder, reliever David Weathers returned to the bullpen last night for the game against the Chicago White Sox.
"I hated leaving the bullpen dry like that for three days," Weathers said. "But we’ve got to get it together down there. That means all of us. Me and (Kent) Mercker and (Chris) Hammond, we’ve got to pick it up and do what we were brought in to do. That’s to get outs and get the ball to the big redhead (closer Todd Coffey)."
Short hops

Reliever Matt Belisle (back) pitched two scoreless innings Thursday on a medical rehabilitation assignment for Class A Dayton. He reported no problems, but probably will work one of two games on a rehab assignment. … The concert performed Thursday night by Bronson Arroyo and Raquel Aurilia, the wife of Rich Aurilia, raised more tha $35,000 for the Reds Community Fund.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/18/06

WHITE SOX 8 REDS 6

Error in ninth gives White Sox victory

Phillips’ wild throw on double-play ball sends Reds to loss

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>AL BEHRMAN </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Brandon Phillips steals second before Juan Uribe of the White Sox can apply the tag. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CINCINNATI — The lesson, as lessons often do, cut Brandon Phillips to the bone.
The Reds second baseman had a split-second, basesloaded decision to make in the ninth inning last night in Great American Ball Park in a tie game against the Chicago White Sox.
With one out, Joe Crede hit a bouncer to shortstop Felipe Lopez that could have been a rally-ending double play. Lopez shoveled the ball to Phillips for the force, but A.J. Pierzynski waited until the last moment to slide. Phillips leaped and his relay throw to first baseman Javy Lopez sailed into the Cincinnati dugout. The late error helped the White Sox break away to an 8-6 win in front of 39,451 fans.
"A.J. did a good job," Phillips said. "I just learned my lesson. He slid at the very last moment. I saw nothing but his body and his face. Lesson learned. I’ll remember that next time for anybody who tries to break up a double play like that. If I had not jumped, he would have broke my legs."
The miscue, added to a bullpen meltdown, allowed the White Sox to rise from a 5-3 deficit through six innings and send the Reds to their seventh loss in nine games on the current homestand. Phillips hated to be in the middle of the latest defeat.
"Plus, I don’t make errors," he said. "That right there really got to me. That won’t happen again. (Next time) I’m going to throw it right to first base. Whoever is in the way, I’m going to throw it right to first base. If he’s in the way, he’s got to get his butt down."
The way the game started, the White Sox and veteran pitcher Jose Contreras appeared to be inviting the Reds to see how the other half lives. Cincinnati, however, liked the view enough to hang around longer than the reigning World Series champion would have preferred.
Cincinnati came close to pinning the first loss on Contreras since Aug. 15, 2005. That was something of a victory because Contreras played "I’ve got your nose" with the Cincinnati lineup for six innings.
He struck out a career-high 13 and appeared overpowering at times. He fanned the side in the third inning and looked in total control when the White Sox scratched home a run in the fourth against Cincinnati starter Eric Milton.
But Lopez homered to open the fourth and the Reds scored two more runs to take a 3-1 lead. Chicago tied the score with two runs in the sixth, but Cincinnati rallied against Contreras again in its half of the sixth.
Phillips singled and stole second. Scott Hatteberg drew a one-out walk and both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch. Austin Kearns then delivered a two-run single. The 5-3 lead melted as relievers David Weathers and Chris Hammond each gave up a run in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively.
The White Sox broke the tie against Todd Coffey (3-1) in the ninth. He also learned a lesson.
"They hustle," Coffey said. "They try to turn the single into the double. That’s what I learned from them. They’re going after it. At least I didn’t beat myself. I went after them and they hit the ball. I’ll do the same thing today. We’ve got a good team, too. We’ve just got to get it going again."
The Reds loaded the bases in the ninth with one out against Chicago closer Bobby Jenks. Lopez drove in one run with a groundout to second baseman Pablo Ozuna. But Jenks recovered to strike out Ken Griffey Jr. to end the game and post the save.
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Dispatch

6/18/06

REDS NOTEBOOK
Claussen put on disabled list
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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CINCINNATI — Pitcher Brandon Claussen turned to Dr. Timothy Kremchek yesterday to see if the team medical director could find a physical reason for his ineffectiveness. After the examination, Kremchek diagnosed tendinitis in Claussen’s left rotator cuff and the Reds placed him on the 15-day disabled list.
Claussen complained of a sore shoulder after his 12-4 drubbing Friday night at the hands of the Chicago White Sox. He gave up nine runs in two-plus innings while losing his fourth consecutive decision. Before Kremchek saw him, he admitted that the problem wasn’t new.
"Yeah, there’s been discomfort and pain," Claussen said. "It started out as what I thought was normal soreness. I changed my arm slot a little bit and ended up feeling fatigue in my elbow."
Since he had Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ligament in the elbow in 2002, he tried to return to his normal delivery two starts ago. That didn’t help with the pain or the results. A 10-game winner in ’05, Claussen has slumped to 3-8 with a 6.19 ERA in 14 starts.
"I just want to make sure that when I do come back that I’m able to repeat my delivery," Claussen said.
Veteran Joe Mays will move into the rotation Wednesday against the New York Mets. Mays was a 17-game winner for the Minnesota Twins in 2001. He has not had a comparable season since. He underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2004 and missed the season. Kansas City signed him as a free agent in January. The Royals released him May 16 after six starts with an 0-4 record and 10.27 ERA. The Reds signed him to a minor-league contract May 19 and purchased his contract June 6.
Stretched out

Mays relieved Claussen and pitched four innings Friday night. He allowed two runs, one earned, and seven hits. He credited Louisville pitching coach Ted Power with helping him rediscover a few miles per hour on his fastball.
"The arm is feeling better," Mays said. "I think the whole thing over in Kansas City was my mechanics. My mechanics were terrible. I think I created some bad habits coming off the surgery. Ted Power helped me out tremendously. He saw some things and put them in terms that helped click for me."
Medical rehab , etc .

The Reds sent reliever Matt Belisle (back) on a rehab assignment to Class A Dayton last night. He is scheduled to travel to double-A Chattanooga this week and will pitch Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the Lookouts.
Short hops

The Reds recalled reliever Mike Burns from triple-A Louisville to take Claussen’s roster spot. … Top pitching prospect Homer Bailey faced three batters in the Florida State League All-Star Game last night and struck out the side on 12 pitches.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/19/06

WHITE SOX 8 REDS 1

Reds play dead in losing another to White Sox

Monday, June 19, 2006

Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CINCINNATI — The Reds returned to Great American Ball Park after an in-season hunting trip through Chicago, Houston and St. Louis with a seven-game winning streak strapped to the hood of the family car. They were tied with the Cardinals for first place in the National League Central and felt pretty darn good about themselves.
Ten games later, the feeling is gone. First place, meanwhile, was last seen hightailing it over the Kentucky hills.
The reeling Reds capped a miserable homestand yesterday by losing 8-1 to the Chicago White Sox in front of 31,569 fans.
Chicago swept the three-game interleague series. Cincinnati lost 8 of the 10 games in its home stadium.
The losing formula contained a familiar fizzle. The offense couldn’t handle an unfamiliar pitcher. The defense committed a blunder at a critical moment. The bullpen allowed a ton of late runs.
The combination proved too much to overcome and left a somber bunch of Cincinnati players packing for a trip to New York, where the NL Eastleading Mets await.
"Good teams find ways to do it," first baseman Scott Hatteberg said.
"When it’s not working, then somehow they battle at the plate and somehow get on base. You’ve just got to find a way, find a way out. We’re not finding it."
The White Sox certainly showed how it should be done. Pitcher Jon Garland (6-3) held the Reds to two hits in the first eight innings.
Chicago hitters battled Aaron Harang (7-5) pitch to pitch until finally breaking a scoreless tie with a run in the sixth.
"They’re better from what I remember," said Hatteberg, who played in the American League for Oakland in 2005. "They’ve always been a great slugging team, but sometimes you could pitch to them.
"They’re very disciplined now. You saw them bunting today. They do the little things. They’re a quality team."
The Reds put little pressure on Garland, who entered the game with a 6.01 ERA. He retired 13 in a row before giving up back-to-back singles to Brandon Phillips and Ken Griffey Jr. to open the ninth.
"We need to swing the bats a little better and get something going early in the ballgame," manager Jerry Narron said. "That would make everything a little easier, and on this homestand we just didn’t do that."
Narron wondered aloud whether his players think too much about hitting home runs in Great American. They hit 20 homers during the homestand, but the power didn’t translate into wins.
"We have to go out and grind out some at-bats," Narron said. "It seems like when we are scoring runs we’re seeing a lot of pitches and we’re using the entire field. At times at home, I don’t see that."
The White Sox scratched two more runs off Harang in the seventh inning. He helped the rally by trying to turn a sacrifice bunt by Garland into a force of Rob Mackowiak at second base. Felipe Lopez came off the base, Mackowiak was safe, and it set up an RBI single by Tadahito Iguchi and a sacrifice fly by Jim Thome.
The Reds bullpen then put the game out of reach. Esteban Yan coughed up a two-run home run to Garland in the eighth — the first homer by a White Sox pitcher since Steve Kealey hit one Sept. 6, 1971, before the designated hitter. Mike Burns put an imperfect end to the day by serving up a threerun homer to Jermaine Dye in the ninth.
[email protected]

Dispatch

6/19/06

REDS NOTEBOOK
Reds shake up their bullpen, discard White
Monday, June 19, 2006
Jim Massie
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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CINCINNATI — Looking to drop sand bags from the sinking hot-air bullpen balloon, the Reds jettisoned veteran Rick White following the game yesterday by designating him for assignment. Manager Jerry Narron delivered the news.
"It’s always difficult no matter who it is," he said. "I know Rick White has always wanted to pitch here. Just in the role he’s in and the numbers he had, we’ve got to do everything we can to try to get better and get some guys in here who can pitch in winning situations."
A Springfield, Ohio, native, White pitched in 26 games and had a 6.26 ERA. The Reds plan to purchase the contract of right-hander Jason Standridge from triple-A Louisville today to fill the roster spot. Standridge posted a 2-2 record with a 2.62 ERA for the Bats.
Muscle pull

Infielder Rich Aurilia was forced to leave Saturday night’s game in the sixth inning after suffering a strained right biceps while diving back to second base on a pick-off play.
"I don’t know why they were trying to pick me off second base," Aurilia joked. "I wasn’t going anywhere. I don’t know if I landed weird or whatever. It’s something I’ve done a million times in my career and nothing ever happened. Hopefully, it will only be a couple of days or so."
Wishing on a star

It isn’t a secret that many people inside and outside the Reds organization can’t wait to see pitcher Homer Bailey, 19, in a Cincinnati uniform. Bailey added to his growing legend Saturday night by striking out the three hitters he faced in the Florida State League All-Star Game on 12 pitches.
General manager Wayne Krivsky, however, is in no hurry to rush the club’s top choice from the 2004 draft. Bailey’s next stop after Sarasota probably will be double-A Chattanooga.
"I kid with Wayne that every time (Bailey) pitches that they white out his results so I can’t see them," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "His day will come. He’s got room for improvement. Instead of 12 pitches, he could’ve done it in nine."
Sad news

Brian Wilson, the Reds scouting supervisor in Texas, died Saturday of a heart attack at his home in Albany. Wilson, 33, was drafted by the Reds in the 33 rd round of the 1994 draft. He played three seasons before joining the scouting staff in ’96. He signed the organization’s two most recent No. 1 draft choices, outfielders Jay Bruce and Drew Stubbs. Wilson is survived by his wife, Prairie, and three daughters: Carson, 11, Conor, 10, and Curry, 8.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Last 7 days:

Dunn: .200 6 rbis, but how many were solo homeruns. He has 5 hits.
Lopez: .182 2 rbis 4 hits
Griffey: .162, no rbis and a whopping 4 hits
Kearns: .150, 3 hits, but 4 rbis.

There is one guy out of our 13 guys that have pitched that didnt give up a run in the last 7 days and that was Elizardo Rameriz.


The season is going down the tubes real fast, and it doesnt look like they are doing anything to stop it.

Couple things I would like to see:

1.) Griffey not strike out everytime up to bat.
2.) Dunn not strike out everytime up to bat.
3.) If a starter gets to the 6th inning with the lead, I would like to see the bullpen keep it that way.
4.) I would like to see Coffey get a chance to save a game.
5.) I would like for ever pitcher not to have to give up a run every time they step on the mound.
6.) And most of all I would just like to see them win a game.

I guess they say you are not as good as you are when you are winning all these games in a row and you are not as bad as you think you are when you are losing all these games in a row. Hopefully they can find there groove and get back to playing good baseball.

Bad thing is they go to NY, and that is going to be a tough sereis.