Fossas: Been there and done that

By Hal McCoy | Sunday, March 21, 2010, 01:27 PM

As one might expect, Tony Fossas is a strong supporter of Aroldis Chapman, even an avid fan.

As a fellow Cuban, Fossas knows what Chapman has gone through and what he is about to go through.

Fossas has served this spring as Chapman’s confidante and interpreter with the media, doing a stand-up job. But the umbilical cord is about to be severed. After Chapman pitches Monday, Fossas leaves big-league champ to begin working with the Class A Dayton Dragons, where he is the pitching coach.

“They have some tough decisions now that they’re trying to make,” said Fossas. “They didn’t expect Aroldis to have the command he has, the control he has shown.”

The early plan was that Chapman probably would start the season at Class AA Charlotte or Class AAA Louisville. But so far this spring, Chapman stands head and shoulders, both physically at 6-4 and in results, over the other candidates for the No. 5 spot in the Cincinnati Reds rotation.

“They though he would have control problems, but he hasn’t,” said Fossas. “Even the pitches that are not strikes are close. He doesn’t throw pitches way out of the zone, way high or way wide. And I’ve noticed, too, that the spring training strike zone is very tight.”

In seven innings, Chapman has given up one run and four hits while walking only two and striking out 10.

And fans get a chance to watch Chapman Monday. The game will be televised by FoxSports Ohio at 1:05 against the Colorado Rockies, with Thom Brennaman and Jeff Brantley behind the microphones.

EMILIO ANTHONY Fossas Morejo came to the U.S. from Guanijay, Cuba in 1969 and landed in Boston.

“We used to sneak into Fenway Park to watch games when I was 10,” he said. “We would wait for school buses to pull up, then we’d get in the pack of kids going through the gates and walk right in with them. Then later I pitched for the Red Sox.”

Fossas went to the University of South Florida in Tampa, “And I promised my dad I’d be the first in my family to graduate from university,” he said.

But the Minnesota Twins drafted him his junior year and offered him $4,000. He thought about signing, but his coach at USF, Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts, called him at three in the morning and said, “I hear you are going to sign with the Twins today for $4,000. Your agent gets 10 per cent and you’ll give some to your family and then what will you have left?”

Said Fossas, “Roberts told me to call the Twins and say, ‘I’ll sign for $15,000. If you can’t do that, don’t call me again.’” Fossas did just that, “And the Twins never called me again.”

But he graduated and the Texas Rangers drafted him, but it wasn’t until he was 31 years old that he made it to the majors.

“I didn’t think Roberts liked me,” said Fossas. “He kept telling me, ‘Just throw the ball down the middle, throw it over the plate.’ I didn’t understand that. I thought he wanted me to get killed.’”

It didn’t click with Fossas until 10 years later when Ferguson Jenkins, another Hall of Famer, became his pitching coach in the majors. “He was a disciple of Robin Roberts and he, too, wanted me to throw it down the middle. He said, ‘With your stuff, just try to throw it down the middle and it won’t ever go over the middle. It’ll move away from the middle.’ That made sense. Took me 10 years to understand.”

Fossas, a soft-throwing lefthander, spent most of his career as a guy who came in to face only one or two lefthanded batters - like Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. and Mo Vaughn.

THE REDS play split-squad games March 31, one in Scottsdale against the Oakland Athletics and one in Las Vegas against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Manager Dusty Baker, of course, has a plan. He’ll go to Las Vegas, “Because my family will join me there and my son (Darren) has never been to Vegas. There are some guys who want to go and some who don’t.

“I’ll use to as kind of a reward for those guys who are ahead in their work,” he said. “Guys who are a little behind or need extra work will play in the other game because they can get in the extra work they need at the complex.”

And after the ones in Vegas work on their field game, they work on their table games.

FORMER REDS pinch-hitter deluxe Lenny Harris underwent emergency quadruple bypass heart surgery yesterday after collaping on a pitching mound. He was pitching batting practice for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Good friend Barry Larkin talked to Harris today and said, “He’s doing much better. You know how strong and virile Lenny is? It was the first time I ever heard or saw him cry.”

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Wood, Leake (and how about St. Marys?)

By Hal McCoy | Saturday, March 20, 2010, 03:42 PM

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - The Scottsdale Stadium visitor’s clubhouse was populated Saturday by mostly Cincinnati Reds players destined to start the season at Louisville or Carolina and they sat mesmerized in front of a TV.

The St. Marys College-Villanova game was on the tube and, like most, they were shocked when SMC beat ‘Nova.

Not manager Dusty Baker.

“Yeah, California schools can’t play basketball, according to the world,” said Baker with a laugh. What Baker didn’t realize is that half the St. Marys roster comes from Australia, so tie me kangaroo down, sport.

OK, so who says the sun doesn’t set in the east? The sun is setting big-time on the Big East. As of this afternoon, six of the eight Big East schools in the NCAA suffered the same fate as ‘Nova. Thanks for coming, guys, and have a nice trip home.

BAKER SPENT most of his time before the game greeting old friends and familiar faces and when somebody said, “You know everybody,” he said, “I’ve been coming here for 30 years (as manager of the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs, both of whom train in Arizona). I know where I’m going, my family gets to come down every weekend and the short travel between camps is tremendous.”

ROOKIE PITCHERS Travis Wood and Mike Leake got a dose of life during hard times in the majors Saturday during the Reds’ 6-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants. Both gave up three runs in three innings. Wood gave up two first-inning home runs and Leake gave up seven hits.

And before people start asking how long it will be before Baker ruins those two young arms, check this out. Nearly every time this spring when Baker is asked a question about his pitchers, he says, “Check with Bryan Price (pitching coach).”

That’s the way it always is with Baker. He puts his pitchers in the hands of his pitching coach.

“Contrary to popular thinking, I let the pitching coach be the pitching coach,” said Baker. “Always. I have my own ideas about things. But that’s something that’s always been overlooked about me by almost everybody. I let the pitching coach be the pitching coach.”

BAKER’S TAKE on Jonny Gomes: “It’s on him as to what happens. The better he does, the better he plays, the more he’ll play. Last year I was spotting him where I thought he had the best chance to succeed and I thought we both did a good job at that (20 homers in 286 at-bats).

“He’s lost some weight this year and it seems as if he is running better,” Baker added. “He has worked hard on his defense to get better. Jonny knows this is an opportunity for him to put himself back on the map because he didn’t have a good year for about three years.

“He had one pretty good year and that doesn’t sell baseball people,” Baker added. “You have two pretty good years and then they say, ‘OK, he’s back.’ So this is an important year for Jonny to re-establish himself as a quality player.

“And he’s a great guy, a guy who gives you everything he has. In a battle, he has your back. He is the kind of guy I’d want in a foxhole with me and that means a lot to me.”

TODD FRAZIER watched Zack Cozart pull a can of soda out of a clubhouse refrigerator and Frazier said, “You’re drinking Mountain Dew? You want your teeth to rot out?”

BULLPEN COACH Porky Lopez lifted the lid on a simmering pot in the clubhouse and glanced at the contests.

“Looks like somebody vomited in here,” he said. Smelled like it, too. And how’s your dinner tonight? Baker did have some of his homemade gumbo in the clubhouse and it smelled delicious and his son, Darren said, “It’s great. My dad made it.”

OH, YEAH, some of the players the Reds sent to face the San Francisco Giants today in packed Scottsdale Stadium: Zack Cozart, Eric Eymann, Kris Negron, Danny Dorn, Denis Phipps, Luis Terrero, Jesus Delgado, Justin Freeman, Logan Ondrdusek and Lee Tabor.

I thought I’d come to the wrong ballpark. And no wonder the Reds had only four hits.

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Stubbs says, “Take that, scribes”

By Hal McCoy | Friday, March 19, 2010, 07:17 PM

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Can we call it the power of the press, or the new term, the power of the internet?

On Tuesday, Drew Stubbs was 2 for 20 (.100) and the worry flag was flying. One by one, each member of the Reds media on a trip to Tucson approached Stubbs.

First it was Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Than it was me. Then it was C. Trent Rosecrans of Cnati.com. In different ways, we asked, “Hey, pal. What’s wrong with your bat? Got lead in it? Is it warped?”

Stubbs patiently answered each query with a smile and patience.

Then he played the game that day and had two hits. Then he played the next game and had two hits. And on Friday night, in front of a near full house in Goodyear Ballpark (most of them Mariners fans) he had three hits.

In those three games he had four extra base hits - two doubles, a triple and a home run, with the home run part of tonight’s 6-2 win over the Mariners.

He singled his first two times. On his third trip, he bashed one off the right-center wall and flashed his biggest asset, raw speed. He circled the bases while Ichiro chased the ball, an inside the park home run.

Suddenly, the 25-year-old first-round draft pick in 2006 is hitting .276 and has refreshed his chances of being the Opening Day center fielder.

THE REDS trailed, 1-0, going into the fifth. Chris Heisey hit a two-run homer and Stubbs struck with his inside-the-parker. In the next inning. Brandon Phillips singled and Scott Rolen homered. Laynce Nix also homered.

Before all that happened, Aaron Harang pitched five strong innings, giving up one run and six hits while walking none and striking out six.

For the most part Chris Dickerson, who mostly shared left field last year with Jonny Gomes, has played center field this year and jumped way ahead of Stubbs, hitting .385. Baker talked in riddles when asked if Dickerson is more in competition with Stubbs for center field than with Gomes in left field.

“Well, I try to play them all together — Stubbs, Gomes and Jay Bruce - so they can get a cohesive outfield going, just like our infield,” he said. “It has worked out where Dickerson has played some left, some center and some right while Stubbs has played mostly center when he played. And one day I played Dickerson in left and Stubbs in center.

“Like I told Dickerson after his comments, ‘Let’s just play.’ At this point Stubbs has come on better but so far Dickerson has outplayed him,” Baker added.

That, though, was before Stubbs’ three hits Friday night.

“We still have a couple weeks to go and unless you are a 22-year-old like Jay Bruce or a guy in the Top Ten like Joey Votto, there is always competition,” Baker said. “The thing about this game is that until people know what you can do you are always going to have to prove yourself. And after you get to that point you have to prove you still have it. It never ends.”

So what can we deduce from all this? Not much - other than there are still two weeks to go.

OUTFIELDER CHRIS Dickerson proudly displayed his NCAA bracket after Thursday’s first-round games. He was a perfect 8-for-8 in the East, including calling the upsets of Cornell over Temple, Wake Forest over Texas, Missouri over Clemson and Washington over Marquette.

DUSTY BAKER on playing outfield in Arizona: “This place will make you look like you never played outfield in your life. How many you seen lost in the sun already, four or five? Looked like Jim Edmonds the other day never caught a pop-up in his life.”

BAKER ON judging pitchers in the dry air: “Breaking balls don’t break the same down here. So sometimes it is harder to judge pitchers overall. There is no resistance in the air. It is hard to judge sinkerballers because every ball hit on the ground has a chance to go through.

“And how do you judge a fly ball pitcher? Every ball hit in the air damn near goes to the warning track,” Baker added. “Somebody hit a home run off us and I was talking to one of their coaches and he said, ‘That ball had underspin,’ and I said, ‘Bull, that ball had windspin.’”

Because of the thin, dry air here, Baker marvels at what No. 1 draft pick Mike Leake did at Arizona State in Tempe - 40-6 with a 2.91 ERA (16-1, 1.71 his last year).

“This is unlike anything anywhere else,” he said. “How about the success Leake had pitching here, especially their first 15 to 20 games are at home because they play teams coming here out of the north or east.”

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Random thoughts on a cold, rainy day

By Hal McCoy | Friday, March 19, 2010, 11:56 AM

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - There is a night game tonight that starts at 7:05 against Seattle (10:05 eastern) so I thought, “Great, I’ll get some sun and pool time today before going to the park.”

It was 86 yesterday. When I awoke, it was raining and cold enough that I needed a jacket for my half-mile walk to Starbuck’s. Now I’m sitting in my room pouting. So here I sit in my Speedos with no place to go.

BY THE WAY, Ken Griffey Jr. won’t be making the short trip from Peoria for the game tonight. He doesn’t travel well. In fact, he always said with a laugh when the team was in Sarasota, “If there is a bridge to cross, I don’t make road trips.” Of course, you can’t go 200 yards in the Sarasota area without crossing a bridge.

SAW AARON BOONE in camp yesterday in his new role with ESPN. He’ll be working on Baseball Tonight and he’ll be on the Monday Night Baseball broadcasts. With his knowledge and his good looks, he’ll be a natural.

Relief pitcher Arthur Rhodes walked up to greet Boone and Boone said, “Man, 50 years old and still dominating.” Said Rhodes, “Twenty-nine, my man, 29.” Actually, he is 40 - and still dominating. He has been unhittable this spring.

When someone standing near Boone asked Rhodes, “How’s it going this spring,” Rhodes gave him that glare that only Rhodes can muster and said, “Didn’t you see me yesterday?” If you went to the concession stand for an adult beverage, you missed it. Rhodes went 1-2-3 without breathing hard.

CHRIS DICKERSON picked Murray State over Vanderbilt on his bracket. He showed it to me. Back in the ’60s, when I covered University of Dayton basketball at old UD Fieldhouse, I witnessed one of the wildest collegiate basketball fights I ever saw. It involved UD and Murray State. The combatants ended up in the stands under the basket and some of the Flyer Faithful got in a few pokes.

I thought about duking it out with one of their writers, but he was a big guy with a Marine haircut and young enough that he probably had just got out of the service. No thanks.

I WROTE YESTERDAY about my two-mile walk from my hotel to the ballpark, a rather pleasant excursion, except my feet now hate me. A nice gentleman who lives in this area saw it on this blog and sent me an e-mail offering me a ride the next time I need one. People in these parts are so nice. The ushers and security folks at Goodyear Ballpark are extremely pleasant, but I still miss the good people who were ushers at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota.

As the players dressed in the clubhouse yesterday morning, there was a tape playing on one of the five 70-inch flat screen HD TVs - HBO’s East Bound and Down. It was a short-lived weekly show about a washed up baseball player named Kenny Powers. It is extremely risque and blue-tinged. The Reds players were howling in delight as they watched.

ABOUT THE only thing Aroldis Chapman seems to struggle with is his change-up. And every morning, sitting not 10 feet away from Chapman, is Reds special instructor Mario Soto, who owned one of the all-time best change-ups.

I asked Soto, “What kind of change-up does Chapman throw?”

“I don’t know,” said Soto.

“Aren’t you helping him with his change-up?” I asked.

“No,” said Soto. “Nobody has asked me. If they do, I’ll be glad to help. I’m here. They know it. But I’m not messing with that kid until they ask me.”

THANKS FOR the great response to my request for Ask Hal questions. You filled it up. Unfortunately, I received several good ones today (Friday) that won’t make the paper because I write Ask Hal on Thursday nights. But I’ll save ‘em for next week and keep ‘em coming.

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All Aroldis, all the time (that’s good)

By Hal McCoy | Thursday, March 18, 2010, 01:27 PM

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - It’s all Aroldis all the time. And isn’t that good thing? When is the last time the Cincinnati Reds generated this much interest in spring training?

How about back to the time of the Big Red Machine?

Whenever Aroldis Chapman pitches, a few national columnists and reporters pop in to watch the kid with the longest legs this side of a giraffe.

And the more he pitches the more he impresses. People wonder if he’ll be the No. 5 starter? Well, from what I’ve seen, why not No. 1?

What I’d do, based on what I’ve witnessed, is start him in Game 2 of the season. Opening day is a sellout already. If they started Chapman in Game 2, they’d have another sellout and CEO Bob Castellini would be thrilled that he is getting a big bang for his big bucks ($30.25 million).

In his last episode, Chapman gave up a leadoff home run to Milwaukee’s Rickie Weeks, then got a fly ball, then bowed his back and struck out five of the next six hitters. And most of them were Brewers regulars who had absolutely zero chance to put bat upon ball.

SOMEBODY ASKED manager Dusty Baker what his reaction was when he heard that the Reds had signed the lefthanded Cuban defector.

“My reaction was that I was pleasantly surprised but I didn’t know what I was supposed to be surprised about,” said Baker. “That was my reaction. I hadn’t seen him pitch. I’d heard about him, but you hear about a lot of people.”

And now, after he has seen him pitch?

“Pleased now? Oh, yeah,” he said. “It couldn’t do anything but increase. It is increasing even more because the more you get to see him the more you know. I hear he gets stronger as the game goes on. So you try to find that out. We still have a lot to find out - what his maximum work load is, his capacity.

“And do you rescue him when he is in trouble?” Baker added. “After he walks two or three, do you go get him or is he a guy like (Houston legend) J.R. Richard who could walk the bases loaded then strike ‘em all out?”

So far in three appearances over seven innings, Chapman has walked only two while striking out 10, giving up one run for a 1.29 ERA.

“Hey, we still have a lot to learn about him,” Baker said. What nobody has to learn is that he throws consistently at 98 miles an hour and raises the stakes to 100 miles an hour every now and then.

BAKER EXCUSED the media from his office this morning and set about doing an unpleasant task: telling about a dozen players to move their stuff to the minor-league camp.

“Not a pleasant day,” he said. “No matter how long you do it, it is not pleasant and there is no easy way to do it, even though some know they probably will go.

“It’s the toughest day of the spring because I recall when I was there in the same situation,” he said. “Especially the way everybody has busted their tails this spring. A great camp. We have some fine young men of high character.

“My first cut? Oh, yeah. It wasn’t a surprise. It was expected,” said Baker. “The tough one is when you get to the last cut and don’t make it. I remember when they told me to ship my car north because I made the team at 8 o’clock. At 4 o’clock my car was gone and I was back off the team. They changed their minds.”

The early cuts this morning: Optioned to Louisville IF Yonder Alonso and LHP Bill Bray; optioned to Carolina RHP Jordan Smith and LHP Philippe Valiquette; assigned to Louisville RHP Jon Adkins and OF Josh Anderson. There are 48 players left in Major League camp.

DUE TO A communications mix-up, my ride didn’t show up at the hotel this morning, so I hoofed the two miles to the complex. Took just about an hour, but my wife isn’t going to like what I did to the new Puma shoes she bought for me.

While I need the exercise, my feet are plenty angry at me right now.

Saw some interesting stuff here in Goodyear - mostly a whole bunch of empty storefronts and a whole bunch of empty condominiums. And for at least half the trip there were no sidewalks down Estrella Parkway and I was walking on the desert sand or on a bike path.

Darn, I didn’t know my backpack was that heavy.

OK, WHERE are those questions for Ask Hal. Still time for you to make Sunday’s paper. Send ‘em to halmccoy@hotmail.com.

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Who do you want covering your back?

By Hal McCoy | Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 01:08 PM

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - During a lull in the action at Tucson Tuesday (There is always a lull in the action at spring training games), somebody wondered: “If there is a fight involving the Cincinnati Reds, who is the guy you want on your side?”

The winner? Jonny Gomes, hand down (or hands up, formed in fist).

What we couldn’t determine is who would be No. 2.

When Gomes was presented the question, he said, “You don’t need to go beyond No. 1. Maybe I’m No. 2, too.”

Then the options were weighed. Scott Rolen was mentioned and Gomes said, “Yeah, I’m sure he can take a punch. Somebody mentioned that Arthur Rhodes would stare ‘em down. Laynce Nix was mentioned and Gomes said, “I’d let him watch my back.”

With a gleam in his eye, Gomes said, “How about D-Ray? He’d bite some ankles.” The reference was to Short Stuff - 5-foot-6 left handed pitcher Daniel Ray Herrera.

After saying, “I’m a lover, not a fighter,” Gomes said, “I probably led the minors and maybe the majors in getting hit most by pitches without charging the mound. I got hit three times in one minor-league game and all I did was drop my stuff and trot to first base. All the fights I’ve been in comes from covering my teammates’ backs, helping my gteammates.”

The original discussion also involved all-time Reds and my nomination won - Kevin Mitchell, who once punched out his manager, Davey Johnson. And Mitchell once allegedly cut off the head of his girl friend’s cat.

Gomes and Mitchell are close friends and Gomes said, “Oh, yeah. I go with Mitch. And before you get to him, you’d have to go through that posse he always had with him, his entourage - not that he needed it.”

MANAGER DUSTY BAKER was chewing on his breakfast this morning as he talked to the media and said, “I apologize for eating in front of you guys while I talk. The clubhouse kitchen closes at 9:45 and I can’t be seen walking out of there with food at 9:50 - especially when it’s my rule.”

TWO BLASTS from the past showed up in camp Wednesday, pitchers Jack Billingham and Jim Maloney. Maloney was one of the original bonus babies. When a team signed a player to a large bonus, he had to stay with the major-league team for an entire season. Maloney was worth every penny, nickel, dime, quarter and dollar.

FORMER OAKLAND star Tony Phillips lives in the Phoenix area and has spent all spring working with the Reds as a guest instructor. He walked by an old acquaintance in the clubhouse this morning and the man said, “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be in green.”

Said Phillips, dressed head-to-toe in red, quickly said, “Hey, lots of tradition in this red, The Big Red Machine. I’m proud to wear this red.”

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A quick trip to Tucson, Arizona

By Hal McCoy | Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 02:52 PM

TUCSON, Ariz. - At the risk of sounding like Dan Fogelberg singing about Tucson, Ariz., I offer the following after a quick glimpse of this jewel in the desert:

As part of my never-ending search for adventure and knowledge, I made the 2 1/2-hour ride today from Goodyear to Tucson, a drive across I-10. And what did I see? Sand, cacti and a few small mountains.

I’ve never been to Tucson, so it was an adventure. Actually, I loved the drive across the desert and even snapped a few photos out the car window.

Also saw an In-n’-Out burger right near Tucson Electric Park, which is big for the return trip home. And the view outside the press box is spectacular behind the left field fence. There is the Santa Catalina Mountains, topped by snow-capped Mount Lemmon, supposedly the southern-most ski resort in the U.S.

Man, here I am, sitting in the middle of a desert looking up at a mountain with a 17-inch snow base. Does it get any better than that?

Well, maybe the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, but not by much.

THE REDS play the Arizona Diamondbacks here today with some notable events scheduled: Todd Frazier as DH and Juan Francisco in the outfield.

For Frazier, it is the fourth “position” this spring - 2B, 3B, 1B and DH.

“For us, DH is just to get players at-bats,” said manager Dusty Baker. But he admits, for now, that Frazier is A Man Without a Position.

“We still don’t know about him yet. We’re trying to come up with a position. Or does he play everywhere,” said Baker. “What position is he best suited for. He has a very interesting history (of playing everywhere), but we’d like to come up with a position. You’ve seen some life from his bat.”

So far this spring, Frazier is .250 and says, “I’ll play wherever they want, as long as I get some at-bats.”

SOME NOTABLE NUMBERS: Brandon Phillips started 0 for 14 before he got two hits and is hitting .118. Scott Rolen is hitting .176. Joey Votto is hitting .200. Drew Stubbs is hitting .100.

Chris Dickerson is hitting .429, Jay Bruce is hitting .350, Orlando Cabrera is hitting .313, Jonny Gomes is hitting .333, Paul Janish is hitting .333.

“You don’t go by the numbers with guys with proven records. If you did you would be worrying about Brandon Phillips, Scott Rolen and Joey Votto,” said manager Dusty Baker. “But they have proven track records.”

AN IDEA that makes sense from Baker: “Why not play more night games during spring training? (They Reds have two this spring). I’ll play all the main guys Friday in a night game against Seattle,” said Baker. “They need to get their night vision. We play all these games in the glaring sun, then the season starts and we play five games a week at night.”

Baker talked about how most regular season games are at night, meaning players sleep in late the next day. “We’re on the swing shift in baseball,” he said. “We’re 3 to 11 people. Of course, my wife says I have no trouble getting up at 4 a.m. to go hunting and fishing. She’s right. I’m awake before the alarm goes off.”

PITCHER CARLOS Fisher left a game against the Dodgers in Glendale last week with some soreness and the right handed relief pitcher is still sore and unable to pitch. His soreness is in the upper arm muscle.

GREAT RESPONSE last week to my request for Ask Hal questions. Great job. Now let’s do it again. If yours didn’t make it, keep trying. There has to be something you want to know about concerning baseball, the Reds, baseball writing. Send ‘em to me at halmccoy@hotmal.com.

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Jordan Smith learns a closer’s lesson

By Hal McCoy | Monday, March 15, 2010, 12:21 PM

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Jordan Smith was confident and nearly defiant the morning after - which is a good thing after what he endured Sunday afternoon as the sun settled over the desert.

It almost felt as if the sun was settling on his just-starting career as he faced the Chicago White Sox in the ninth inning with a four-run lead.

And he quickly retired the first two batters. Then, in his own words, “The wheels fell off the carriage.”

He walked Jordan Dank, “And they started to smell blood.”

Smell it? The White Sox swam in it like a school of sharks, ripping four straight hits to tie the game, 5-5.

AS MANAGER Dusty Baker said, “It is all part of the learning process. That’s the life of a relief pitcher and you have to immediately forget yesterday. That’s the biggest part of being a reliever.”

It’s all new to Smith. He was a catcher in college at Southern Nevada in Las Vegas, “And they turned me into a pitcher my sophomore year, somewhat of a closer. Then the Reds drafted me and turned me into a starting pitcher,” he said.

The 6-4, 220-pound righthander, the best basxeball player ever to come out of American Fork, Utah, was a sixth round pick in 2006 and has been a starter for four years in the minors - 74 appearances, 74 starts, including26 for the 2007 Dayton Dragons when he was 10-6 with a 3.84 ERA.

Now the Reds believe he has closer stuff, “One of the heaviest sinkers in camp,” said manager Dusty Baker. “You like that in a closer because he doesn’t give up many home runs and gets a lot of ground balls to get out of trouble, a lot of double plays.”

SO THERE WAS Smith Sunday, standing on the mound giving up hit after hit and run after run as the White Sox played baseball Merry-Go-Round.

“Jordan Smith has the stuff for a closer,” said Baker. “And what happened to him is when you find out what the kid is made of. We’ll get him back out there quickly, probably Tuesday in Tucson.

“You learn a lot more from the bad outings than the good ones,” Baker continued. “Remember last spring when we let Homer Bailey take a beating? But it’s tough to watch, like watching a kid get beat up.”

Smith seemed non-plussed Monday morning, but for sure his pillow took a pounding last night.

“I love coming out of the ‘pen, I feed off that,” he said with a defiant look. “Closers and late-inning guys walk a tight rope. If you can’t handle the pain, you can’t play the game.”

NOW THERE is a kid who instead of resembling a deer in the headlights is an elephant standing in front of a bicycle.

“You just have to get back out there and kick somebody’s butt,” he said. “You can’t worry about getting your butt kicked. You get back in the ring and say, ‘Let’s go.’

“Being a closer, you are going to blow saves,” he added. “The good ones blow, well, not very many, but you are going to blow some. And that’s my job. Don’t blow saves.”

With that he pounded his glove and marched toward the field, looking for somebody’s butt to kick.

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Harang gets an ‘A’ in a ‘B’ game

By Hal McCoy | Sunday, March 14, 2010, 02:26 PM

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - It is evident it is a ‘B’ game when opposing players wear uniforms with the numbers in the 80’s and 90’s and their names are not on it.

That didn’t matter at all to Cincinnati Reds pitcher Aaron Harang Sunday morning at Field No. 1 at the spring training complex.

Harang faced a Cleveland Indians ‘B’ lineup sprinkled with unfamiliar names, other than Travis Hafner, who batted in each of the three innings to get at-bats. Harang walked him and retired him twice.

Harang pitched 4 1/3 innings, 62 innings worth, giving up no runs, two hits, two walks and he struck out two. Then he pronounced himself satisfied with his morning work.

Harang pitched four innings and after the third out pitching coach Bryan Price yelled for everybody to stay on the field so Harang could face a couple more hitters. He gave up his second hit then retired a batter on a deep fly to center.

“In ‘B’ games it’s nice because it is a controlled atmosphere and it lets you get your full work in and your full amount of innings in,” said Harang. About Hafner batting every inning, Harang said, “It’s good to see some familiar guys, some big-league guys getting extra at-bats.

“I felt like I was getting ahead early,” he said. “We were tinkering with some things and sometimes I felt as if I was rushing things, but I was able to get back under control, gain my composure and get right back on track. I worked on throwing some change-ups early in the count. It’s something you work on to take into the season.

“I felt good,” he added. “I’m still working on a few changes that we’ve made and there is still work to be done there.”

WHEN HARANG left the game the Reds ‘B Boys’ led, 3-0, with Juan Francisco hitting a two-run home run - his third homer in two days.

ONCE EVERY four full moons, Paul Janish hits a home run. It was daylight Saturday, so a moon check wasn’t possible when Janish cleared the left field fence for a home run in Mesa against the Chicago Cubs.

“I’m competing in camp with Juan Francisco as the young power prospects,” Janish said with a laugh.

While Janish hit a wall-scraper Saturday, Francisco launched two space shuttles for home runs.

“That guy has power from foul pole to foul pole,” Janish said, talking about the 22-year-old Francisco, a rookie third baseman. “And any pitch that isn’t in the dirt he can knock out of the park. With him, the adage is true - any moving bat is a dangerous bat.”

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Sweet Lou’s margarita advice

By Hal McCoy | Saturday, March 13, 2010, 03:42 PM

MESA, Ariz. - Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella never changes - and that’s a good thing.

The former Reds manager was at HoHoKam Park Sunday for a game against the Cincinnati Reds while half of his team was in Las Vegas for a split-squad game in Las Vegas. Asked why he wasn’t in Vegas, Piniella said, “Because I know I’m keeping about $2,000 or $3,000 in my pocket.”

Piniella recommended a Mexican restaurant in Scottsdale - couldn’t remember the name other than, “It is about a block north of Camelback Road on Scottsdale Road,” and that it has wonderful margaritas. I tell my players about drinking margaritas down here, “Drink one, sip the second one and refuse the third one.”

On a serious note, Piniella asked how new Reds pitching coach Brian Price is doing and said, “I had him as a coach. A great guy, very articulate, very smart - a University of California graduate. He’ll do a great job for the Reds.”

Price was pleased to hear Piniella’s words and said, “I worked with him in Seattle from 2000 to 2002 and it was a pleasure. Lou and I were tight, very close. I heard a lot about how rough he was on his pitching coaches, but I didn’t see that. I loved his intensity in the dugout. He is a quality manager and a quality man.”

SCOTT ROLEN was supposed to play today, but was left back in Goodyear to rest. His replacement, Juan Francisco, homered in the second inning and homered again in the fourth. Rolen isn’t hurt.

“Scott has been playing a lot, plus we have tough schedule this week,” said manager Dusty Baker. “We have a ‘B’ game tomorrow in addition to an ‘A’ game and everybody is going to play, we have a trip to Tucson (two-hour bus ride) Tuesday and a split-squad day-night doubleheader Wednesday. And then we have Investors’ Week.”

Francisco’s two homers were torched and Baker said, “Francisco came out of it in a big way. That’s a strong young man and when he hits ‘em he really hits ‘em.”

CEO Bob Castellini brings all the minority owners to famp for fun and games, “A lot of playing and entertaining at the same time,” said Baker.

BAKER’S take on the calendar down here: “I never know what day it is. All the days are just alike. You play every day and everything is the same.”

BARRY LARKIN is in camp for the next 10 days as a guest instructor and was proud to put on his old Cincinnati uniform No. 11.

“I had an opportunity to play for the Washington Nationals in 2005 and when I saw Larkin and ‘11’ on the back of their uniform I told them, ‘I can’t put this uniform on.’ I couldn’t do it.”

“They had the uniform hanging in a locker and I went up there to Vierra, Fla. and sat in my locker and looked at it and said, ‘Hmmm, something is just not right about this.’

Larkin played shortstop 19 seasons for the Reds and was the last player to wear the captain’s wishbone-C on his chest.

Larkin’s 17-year-old son, Shane, is a highly-recruited basketball plaer, 6-0 point guard. “And what makes me really proud is that he is being recruited by Harvard, Cal-Berkley and Stanford,” said Larkin.

THE REDS first experience of the spring against the Chicago Cubs, a fellow NL Central occupant, was not pleasant.

After leading 3-0 and 4-1, the Reds were ripped, 11-4. Micah Owings gave up a three-run home run and Jon Adkins gave up five runs and seven hits in one-plus innings.

ON THE POSITIVE side, Homer Bailey held the Cubs to one run and three hits in his three innings in front of 11,825. His first two starts this spring were in an intrasquad game and in a ‘B’ game attended by zero fans.

“I’m under the radar,” Bailey said with a smile. “Chapman is going through a lot (as Bailey did) and throwing really well. That’s good to see. I don’t know what the plans are for that fifth spot in the rotation and it’s none of my business.

“But, if not this year, definitely he is going to help this team out very soon,” said Bailey, who helped this team out in the second half of last season with a 6-1 record and 1.70 earned run average over his last nine start.

“Homer threw the ball excellently - good velocity, good location,” said manager Dusty Baker. “He was throwing as well as I’ve seen him. After that, it got rough for us.”

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