Hal - what's wrong and what's right

[Matt700wlw]

What's working, what needs work with the Reds
By Hal McCoy

Staff Writer

Friday, March 20, 2009

SARASOTA, Fla. — What's right and what's wrong with the Cincinnati Reds as they enter the last two weeks of exhibition baseball — other than the fact they are vacating this paradise to join Lawrence of Arabia in the Arizona desert.


• Right: Micah Owings and Homer Bailey are pitching more like they are battling for the No. 1 spot than the No. 5 spot and, frankly, as of now both deserve to be in the rotation.

• Wrong: Aaron Harang (1-2, 7.24 ERA) still looks more like the 17-game loser he was last year than the 16-game winner he was the previous two years and Bronson Arroyo seems more comfortable on his boat, The Nasty Hook, than throwing hooks on the pitching mound — 0-2, 15 innings, 10 runs, 12 hits, five home runs, seven walks.

• Right: Chris Dickerson looks as if he is the left field answer (what was the question?) with his .375 average, his speed, his defense and his Save the Planet Web site.

• Wrong: Willy Taveras, the ignition switch leadoff hitter, needs a new flint to flame up a .222 batting average and a .300 on-base average that just won't do for an offense based on manufacturing runs.

• Right: The best find of the winter was outfielder Jonny Gomes, who has made the team ("Tell them a little bird told you," said the source, but the source really is a big bird). He deserves it — leading the team in home runs, RBIs and positive vibes.

• Wrong: Manager Dusty Baker will show that he plays no favorites when Jacque Jones, who played for Baker in Chicago, doesn't make the team — not with a batting average of .100 halfway through the spring.

• Right: Joey Votto is doing what he did at the end of last season, hitting for average and for power and driving in runs and singing the Canadian national anthem on key.

• Wrong: Edwin Encarnacion, who they probably should have traded (if they could) over the winter hasn't changed — .211 the first half of spring training with 12 strikeouts in his first 19 at-bats and a team-leading three errors. And Jay Bruce is scruffing along at .212 with 11 strikeouts in 33 at-bats.

• Right: Ryan Hanigan, supposedly the back-up catcher, is playing most of the time and is hitting .435 and handling the pitchers like a lion tamer.

• Wrong: Ramon Hernandez, the regular catcher, remains with the Venezuela team in the World Baseball Classic, missing out on catching Reds pitchers who are new to him and missing out fitting himself into the team's lineup.

• Right: Bullpenners Mike Lincoln (2.70 ERA in six appearances and jockey-sized lefty Daniel Ray Herrera (0.00 in five appearances) are air-tight and Herrera could replace Bill Bray as a left-hander.

• Wrong: Closer Francisco Cordero couldn't close a perfectly working automatic sliding door. Right now — six games, six innings, 12 runs, 17 hits, two walks, an 18.00 ERA and a whopping number of furrows on pitching coach Dick Pole's forehead.

[edabbs44]

• Wrong: Aaron Harang (1-2, 7.24 ERA) still looks more like the 17-game loser he was last year than the 16-game winner he was the previous two years and Bronson Arroyo seems more comfortable on his boat, The Nasty Hook, than throwing hooks on the pitching mound — 0-2, 15 innings, 10 runs, 12 hits, five home runs, seven walks.

• Wrong: Closer Francisco Cordero couldn't close a perfectly working automatic sliding door. Right now — six games, six innings, 12 runs, 17 hits, two walks, an 18.00 ERA and a whopping number of furrows on pitching coach Dick Pole's forehead.

That's a lot of coin right there.

[OnBaseMachine]

That's a lot of coin right there.

That's a lot of proven talent right there.

It's spring training. I don't care about their stats.

[Highlifeman21]

That's a lot of proven talent right there.

It's spring training. I don't care about their stats.

While they may certainly be proven talent, the only thing they are proving this Spring is they know how to get their heads beat in.

[OnBaseMachine]

While they may certainly be proven talent, the only thing they are proving this Spring is they know how to get their heads beat in.

Because they're not worried about their spring training stats. Both Arroyo and Harang have admitted they are just working on some things and aren't concerned about stats.

[OnBaseMachine]

Here's a list of some big name pitchers and how they are faring this spring:

Cliff Lee - 6.2 IP, 19 H, 2 BB/5 K, 18.90 ERA

Scott Kazmir - 10 IP, 16 H, 1 BB/6 K, 5.40 ERA

Matt Garza - 10.2 IP, 12 H, 3 BB/7 K, 5.90 ERA

Matt Cain - 16.1 IP, 21 H, 7 BB/15 K, 7.16 ERA

CC Sabathia - 7.2 IP, 9 H, 2 BB/9 K, 7.04 ERA

And that's just a few. I could've named plenty more. Most guys who have jobs locked down are just focused on getting their work in and getting prepared for the regular season.

[blumj]

Anyone remember which players had really good springs last year and who had really bad ones?

[Matt700wlw]

Anyone remember which players had really good springs last year and who had really bad ones?

Bailey's sucked

[johngalt]

Anyone remember which players had really good springs last year and who had really bad ones?

I remember Votto had an absolutely abysmal spring last year. Didn't seem to hold him back any.

[johngalt]

A sample of some 2008 spring pitching stats:

Jeremy Affeldt - 10.69 ERA in 8 games, 16 IP
Bronson Arroyo - 1.89 ERA in 4 games, 19 IP
Homer Bailey - 5.21 ERA in 6 games, 19 IP
Jared Burton - 8.22 ERA in 8 games, 7 2/3 IP
Todd Coffey - 0.96 ERA in 9 games, 9 1/3 IP
Francisco Cordero - 5.00 ERA in 8 games, 9 IP
Johnny Cueto - 5.09 ERA in 6 games, 17 2/3 IP
Josh Fogg - 3.38 ERA in 5 games, 16 IP
Aaron Harang - 2.86 ERA in 5 games, 22 IP
Edinson Volquez - 2.70 ERA in 6 games, 20 IP
David Weathers - 3.00 ERA in 8 games, 9 IP

[Ravenlord]

Anyone remember which players had really good springs last year and who had really bad ones?

last year no, but i do remember Jimmy Anderson, Emil Brown, and Rob Stratford's spring training for the Reds.

[Tornon]

Aaron Harang has told us before, he doesn't care about results in spring training. He's more focused on zoning in the locations of various pitches. He may have a hitter at the plate that loves fastballs up & in, but Harang needs to get that pitch down for the regular season so he throws it anyway & gives up a tater. I don't remember last year, but I know Harang had a terrible spring two years ago and was fine when April rolled around. He'll be fine

[reds44]

His wrongs were Harang, Arroyo, Taveras, Edwin, Bruce, Hernandez, Cordero, and Jacque Jones.

With the exception of Jones, I think I'll take my chances with that group of players.

[redsmetz]

His wrongs were Harang, Arroyo, Taveras, Edwin, Bruce, Hernandez, Cordero, and Jacque Jones.

With the exception of Jones, I think I'll take my chances with that group of players.

The puzzling thing was that he somehow dragged Dusty into it. Clearly Jones is wrong, but the team cutting him loose should be in the right column.

[jojo]

Wrong-writing a whole column basically using a few weeks worth of spring training stats as the premise.