Monday, May 23, 2011
Monday, July 27, 2009
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Monday, June 09, 2008
Sweet 600 - Griffey Passes Milestone
Ken Griffey Jr. joined one of baseball's most elite clubs Monday night, swatting career home run No. 600 in the first inning. Griffey's career, though sidetracked by injuries, has been breathtaking. Tim Kurkjian
• Junior sixth to hit 600 home runs | Watch No. 600
Analysis: Tim Kurkjian | John Kruk | HR leaders | Milestone Meter
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Jay "Babe" Bruce - HR #1, a walk-off job
Cincinnati Reds' Jay Bruce hits a home run off Atlanta Braves reliever Manny Acosta in the 10th inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 31, 2008, in Cincinnati. Cincinnati won 8-7. It was the first major league home run for Bruce. Atlanta's Brian McCann catches at right. Through five games, Bruce is batting .579 (11-19, 3 2B, 1 HR, 8 R, 4 RBI, 2 SB, 5 BB, .895 SLG, .680 OBP, 1.575 OPS in his first five games in MLB. He reached base six straight AB's to start his MLB career.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Castellini part of Reds' problem
Because, after all, what sense does it make to make a change 21 games into the season? If Castellini ultimately intended to install Jocketty, if he intended to dump Krivsky at the first sign of failure, then he should've made this move last fall. By waiting, Castellini became part of the problem.
According to sources, one of Castellini's major internal complaints about Krivsky's work was his spring signing of Josh Fogg, who subsequently pitched poorly for the Reds before being dropped from the rotation. But Fogg was signed out of desperation, with Krivsky seemingly reacting to Castellini's win-now dictum. If Castellini had simply made the change he wanted to make last fall, Jocketty could have made the deliberate, big-picture decisions that the Reds needed at that stage in their development. Or Castellini could have decided to wait until the end of this season to evaluate Krivsky, who has been on the job a mere 26 months.
But instead, Castellini straddled the decision-making process, and the Reds are worse off for it.
At worst, Krivsky's grade in operating the Reds would be a solid B. He swapped for Brandon Phillips just before the second baseman blossomed. And while Krivsky would modestly say he did not see stardom coming in Phillips, a rival GM says this: "The bottom line is, he went out and got the guy for nothing, and he deserves credit for that."
Krivsky essentially got Josh Hamilton for nothing, picking up the center fielder for relative pennies in the Rule 5 draft. And at a time when you cannot get good young pitching through trades, Krivsky pried Edinson Volquez away from the Rangers for Hamilton. "In this market," said an assistant GM, "that's a steal to get a pitcher who can make an impact."
He got Jeff Keppinger for nothing. He made a great trade in his first month on the job, swapping Wily Mo Pena for Bronson Arroyo, who gave the Reds a couple of good years. The Reds probably overpaid for Francisco Cordero and have probably hung on to both of their lumbering corner outfielders, Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn, when they might have been better off moving one or the other. But it is unclear if those decisions were, in fact, made by Krivsky, or above him.
Within the industry, the Reds' swap of Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez for relievers Bill Bray and Gary Majewski is widely regarded as a terrible deal, because evaluators feel Krivsky didn't get equal value for position players and very much overrated the prospective impact of middle relievers. But Kearns and Lopez really haven't made much more of an impact for Washington than Bray and Majewski have for the Reds; we are not going to look back in the same vein as Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio or Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez for Adam Eaton.
The Alex Gonzalez signing was a gamble, and appears to be a bust. The Mike Stanton signing turned out to be a $7 million mistake, and signing Corey Patterson to a $3 million deal for 2008 was odd, given Patterson's track record. But the only team that has a perfect record in the free-agent market recently has been the Florida Marlins, who choose to play the nickel slots. Every team has made free-agent gaffes, and you can credit Krivsky for this: As Jocketty considers changes moving forward, he won't be saddled with any Zito or Soriano or Giambi contract albatrosses. Almost all of Krivsky's signings have been two- and three-year deals.
The Reds have pieces they can build on: Aaron Harang, Johnny Cueto, Volquez, first baseman Joey Votto, and star prospect Jay Bruce, who should be called up in the next month or so. Jocketty is in an excellent position to make this team better. And while Castellini might not think so, Krivsky deserves a lot of credit for that.
Firing a GM is not like firing a manager, writes Paul Daugherty, who notes that the draft is not far away. Jocketty says it's not too late to win this year, and he's looking to establish a winning atmosphere. It wouldn't be surprising if one of the first things he does is to gauge the trade value of Dunn; rival evaluators say that the Reds need more athleticism in their outfield, and Dunn might bring back some return in a deal. The losing must stop, says Castellini.
Dusty Baker learned from Krivsky himself that he had been fired, writes Hal McCoy.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Friday, April 04, 2008
Cueto simply sensational
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
By one measure, in fact, Cueto’s debut was the best in team history. He became the first Reds pitcher since 1900 to strike out 10 in his first outing.
Cueto retired the first 15 batters he faced, gave up a solo home run – which broke up his perfect game – and then retired six more.
Cueto, a 22-year-old Dominican right-hander, threw 92 pitches, 68 for strikes. He did not go to a three-ball count all day.
Reader John Perin sent this to me: With regards to Johnny Cueto's first-time appearance, here is some information on two other Reds' pitchers and their major-league debuts:
Gary Nolan - April 15, 1967. Went 7.1 innings, gave up six hits, three runs, struck out eight and walked two against Houston at Crosley Field. The Reds won 7-3. In that game, Nolan struck out the side in the first inning, walking only Joe Morgan around the three strikeouts.
Wayne Simpson - April 9, 1970 - Went nine innings, gave up two hits, no runs and no walks and struck out two against Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium. The Reds won 3-0.
The Reds were not surprised by Johnny Cueto's one-hit, one-run, 10-strikeout, seven-inning debut. But they were giddy. Some examples:
Bronson Arroyo: "I never saw Pedro (Martinez) throw in his younger years in person. But he reminds me somewhat of him -- smaller guy, Dominican, throws the ball on a really low plane, 94 to 96, not an unbelievably big curveball -- Pedro's is bigger -- but a pitch to get them off the fastball and then good change. It was an unbelievable debut. A young guy, great circumstances -- not much of crowd, more of spring training feel -- any way you cut it it's a nerve-racking day. To do what he did, especially command-wise. When someone's throwing that hard, you'd expect them to be up in the zone a lot. He was just painting at the knee all day. Pretty nasty. The only debut I saw that came close to that was (Jonathan) Papelbon. He's turned out to be pretty damn good."
Francisco Cordero: "Unbelievable. Everything was downhill. Everything was a strike. He attacked the hitters. He made the pitches he wanted to make. Even the home run pitch wasn't bad. The guy just put a good swing on it. It was just amazing. I just wanted to get my job done so he got the win. When you pitch like that, you deserve a win, especially in your big debut."
Adam Dunn: "He's fun to play behind. He gets the ball and throws. He doesn't take a lot of time between pitches. He throws strikes. He's one of those special guys. You can tell it on the mound. He's total different on the mound than he is in the clubhouse. I don't know how describe it."
Paul Bako: "He's tough. He's going to be tough for quite a long time. It was nice to see him come out and be himself, not try to do too much. He obviously wasn't rattled. It really doesn't surprise me. It was very nice to see. Just the way he handles himself, the confidence he has and the ability he has, it doesn't surprise me. He's nice and cool and collected. He knows he's good. He doesn't exude cockiness but he's got confidence about him that just every time out we're going to have a chance to win."
Mike Lincoln: "That was a special outing. But we saw that in spring. He's got that kind of stuff to be able to pitch like that every start. You can see it in him. He's a competitor and he has the stuff to carry him to another level."
Dusty Baker: "What can I say about Johnny Cueto? Great debut. He threw strikes. The linescore says it: Seven innings, one run, one hit, 10 strikeouts. That is some debut right there."
Cueto went seven innings, allowing the one hit. He struck out 10 and walked none. According to Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first Reds pitcher since 1900 to have 10 strikeouts in the his major league debut. That's as far back as official stats go.
He hit 95, 96 mph on his fastball. His slider was 87, 88, 90. 92. He mixed in an occasional 84, 85 mph changeup. He did not go to a three-ball count. He threw 92 pitches, 68 for strikes.
According to Elias, Cueto is the first pitcher to throw at least five perfect innings in his major league debut since Seattle’s Ken Cloude threw 5 1/3 perfect innings on May 9, 1997, against the White Sox.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Reds Honor Nuxhall
Members of Cincinnati Reds line up wearing jerseys bearing the name and number of former player and long time Reds radio broadcaster Joe Nuxhall before the start of their game with Arizona Diamondbacks in their opening day MLB National League baseball game at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, March 31, 2008. Nuxhall passed away during the off season.
Opening Day 2008
Flip through spring training
Interactive: Nine innings with the Reds
'The Kid'
Young once himself
A minute with Mr. Redlegs
First pitch
Joe Nuxhall Book
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Baseball Analysts 2008 NL Central Preview
...Marc: It's a battle between Cincinnati and Milwaukee for the second best starting rotation in the division. Milwaukee has more experience and a little better depth, but Cincinnati has a higher upside with Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez. Last season Milwaukee's pitchers allowed 4.79 runs per game (R/G) and Cincinnati's allowed 5.27 R/G in a tough park to pitch in. My feeling is that Gallardo and Parra are closer to taking their games to the next step than Bailey and Volquez.
...Sully: Cincinatti's an interesting team with a stud hitter in Adam Dunn and one of the very best starting pitchers in the game in Aaron Harang. They also boast a number of enticing youngsters. Let's start on the run prevention side. Marc, you have touched on them already but let's talk about the Reds a bit more.
Marc: Every time I get really excited about the Reds' potential, I remember one thing: Dusty Baker. He's not a bad manager but I can't stress enough how wrong he is for this team.
There isn't a starting pitcher in the central that I like more than Harang. He is a workhorse who knows how to get batters out and survives being a flyball pitcher in Cincinnati. Interestingly, half of the flyballs put into the air against Harang are hit to centerfield – the deepest part of the park. For me, Bronson Arroyo is an OK second fiddle. Ideally, he's a No. 3 starter but he's better than his 2007 record of 9-15 indicates.
The additions of Josh Fogg and Jeremy Affeldt are not going to help Cincinnati trim the 5.27 runs allowed per game, especially if they're in the rotation. Fogg's ERA+ has never surpassed 97. I also think Cincinnati is going to rue the day they gave Josh Hamilton away for Volquez… he's just so darn inconsistent. He's turning 25 this year and hasn't proven anything. Cueto… I don't know what to expect from him this year. He's looked good in the spring and could be ready sooner than I – or anyone, really – anticipated.
Early I said I wasn't a fan of the Cordero signing, but he is the best closer in the division – at least until Marmol establishes himself. David Weathers has been good but he's 38 now and shouldn't be relied on as a set-up guy. But the other guys behind him are going to give up a lot of runs.
Al: It's hard to prevent runs when your ballpark is a launching pad. Harang tries really hard, and was one of the best pitchers in the NL last year. But the Reds staff allowed the second-most HR in the NL in 2007. That's not likely to change under the "aggressive" management style of Dusty Baker.
Cincinnati defense could be good -- or it could be injured much of the year, which it was in the second half of 2007.
Sully: This is an offense, where, if each player played his very best for one season together, it would be remarkable. There is nobody bad per se at any position but injuries loom large and questions surround players like Jeff Keppinger, Brandon Phillips and Edwin Encarnacion. These guys might be very good. They might not be.
Al: Prediction: Adam Dunn, who has never walked fewer than 100 times in a season (in a full year) in his career, will draw 80 or fewer in 2008, as Dusty Baker's managing style has him up there being hackalicious. I'll also be interested in seeing what Corey Patterson, who was either helped or hurt by Baker with the Cubs (depending on what story you're believing this week), does as the starting CF in Cincinnati.
The Reds finished 7th in the NL in runs scored in 2007. They will rank lower in 2008. They ranked 6th in the NL in walks in 2007. They will rank lower in 2008.
Marc: I like Cincinnati's offence, but I'd like it better if they'd trust starting jobs to Joey Votto and Jay Bruce… and I don't think that is going to happen in April. Phillips is good… but his numbers are probably going to slip from last year's. Encarnacion should be better this year, which will pick up the slack. If you take out April and June, he had a very nice season and more consistency will come with age and experience.
An outfield of Ken Griffey, Dunn and Bruce (ed note: Bruce has since been sent down) will generate a lot of runs, and I like Corey Patterson as the fourth outfielder – but not the starter in center. Yeah, Dunn scrapes .250 but he has hit at least 40 homers the last four seasons and he has walked at least 100 times five out of the last six seasons. He has also averaged 100 runs scored and 100 runs driven in over the last four years. Griffey is a nice complimentary player in the outfield, but he is definitely no longer a star, even if he remains healthy. He has posted OPS+ of 99 and 119 the last two years. Patterson has only posted an OPS+ over 100 once in his career and that was in 2003.
...Sully: Predictions, guys?
Marc: I'll go out on a limb and be a little controversial and say: Chicago | Milwaukee | Cincinnati | Pittsburgh | Houston | St. Louis
Al:
Cubs
Brewers
Reds
Pirates
Astros
Cardinals
Sully: I like the same order as you guys but I will flip Milwaukee and Chicago. Weeks goes nuts this season. Thanks, Al, for contributing. It was fun.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Faith brings Texas Rangers' Hamilton back from brink
Faith. It comes up often in the story of 26-year-old Joshua Holt Hamilton. It's virtually impossible to tell his story without it. Faith, the Texas Rangers' future center fielder testifies, is what put him back in baseball.
