Chip R
03-22-2006, 08:25 PM
Here is the Reds Hot Stove League show report for 3/22/06. Andy Furman was the host tonight and since the Reds were playing tonight, the show was short and the report will be short too cause I want to watch the game.
Andy interviewed Billy Hatcher to begin the show. Andy asked Billy when the Reds contacted him about being a coach here. Billy said he was contacted by Narron a couple of days before ST opened because John Moses quit. Andy asked him why the Reds were interested in him. Billy said Jerry respects the things he does and he's been coaching in TB for several years and they run the bases pretty well so he's there to help the Reds run the bases better. Andy asked him about what a 1st base coach's duties are. Billy said he makes sure the guys are into the game. He tells them how many outs there are, what to do when a ball is hit to a certain place, etc. Then Andy asked Billy about what was it like to play for Lou Piniella. Billy said Lou is the type of manager who had the players' back all the time. He said anyone who plays for Lou has to give his all and he's going to do everything he can to make you give your all. He said if you give your all for him, he's easy to play for. Andy asked Billy if Lou would manage again. Billy said there was no doubt in his mind he will manage again. Andy asked him if he was Lou's hook here. Billy said he's Jerry's man now. He said Lou was offered a consulting role here but he wanted to take a year off.
After commercial Andy asked Billy his assessment of the Reds. Billy said that they will have a pretty good team. He said if the defense and pitching gets taken care of they will be pretty good. (And if my aunt had a pair she would be my uncle). Andy asked him to compare a Lou ST to a Jerry ST. (OK, I'm not exactly Narron's biggest fan but I think it is stupid to keep comparing Narron to Lou. It is like the yahoos who call in and ask Steve about Joe doing more games.) Billy said Jerry is more hands on. Andy asked Billy what the surprises were this spring. Billy said he likes Wise and Denorfia in the OF. He likes Burns and Robbins. Andy asked Billy what Wises chances of making the team were. Billy said you really cannot tell at this point since you don't know the makeup of the club yet. Andy asked Billy about the 2B competition. Billy said 3 (Aurilia, Womack and Freel) have played very, very well but when you put someone at 2B now you want balance on your team so it depends on who you have starting in the OF and the other positions. Do you want to have a R-L-R-L or do you want to stack lefties against a righty and vice versa. He said Jerry has a lot of options and it depends on what he wants to do. Andy asked him about Womack. Billy said he still thinks Tony can play but he doesn't know if he can play every day so it is good to have a guy like Aurilia and Freel from the right side to spell Womack from the left side. Andy asked Billy about losing Casey. Billy said Casey took a lot of heat while he was here but he could hit and drive in runs and play 1st well and he was a very good person. He said his presence in the clubhouse will be tough to replace. Andy asked him about Arroyo. Billy said that trade shows that the Reds will do whatever they can to win. He said talking about winning is one thing but actually going out and doing something to accomplish that shows the players that they are serious.
After commercial Hal McCoy joined Andy. Tell you the truth it wasn't much of an interview. Andy asked Hal about being a HOF writer and Hal said it really hasn't sunk in yet. Andy asked Hal about changes in the game since he's been covering the Reds. Hal mentioned smaller ballparks, watered down pitching, more home runs. Andy asked him about players on steroids. Hal praised Jr. for doing it the right way and said the records of the guys who juiced mean nothing to him. Andy asked Hal about the Reds pitching and asked him if it was the pitching that was the problem or the coaching of the pitching because the ERA dropped after Vern Ruhle replaced Don Gullett as pitching coach. Hal said that getting a #1 and #2 pitcher in here is a priority since all they have are a bunch of 3s and 4s. You don't have anyone that the other teams fear and you are basically sending the same guys out there every day. Andy asked Hal how important this start tonight was for Milton. Hal said it was very important since he hasn't been healthy and this will be his 2nd time out there so he's running out of time and the Reds need him in the rotation.
Thus endeth the Reds Hot Stove League show report for 3/22/06. So let it be written. So let it be done.
Andy interviewed Billy Hatcher to begin the show. Andy asked Billy when the Reds contacted him about being a coach here. Billy said he was contacted by Narron a couple of days before ST opened because John Moses quit. Andy asked him why the Reds were interested in him. Billy said Jerry respects the things he does and he's been coaching in TB for several years and they run the bases pretty well so he's there to help the Reds run the bases better. Andy asked him about what a 1st base coach's duties are. Billy said he makes sure the guys are into the game. He tells them how many outs there are, what to do when a ball is hit to a certain place, etc. Then Andy asked Billy about what was it like to play for Lou Piniella. Billy said Lou is the type of manager who had the players' back all the time. He said anyone who plays for Lou has to give his all and he's going to do everything he can to make you give your all. He said if you give your all for him, he's easy to play for. Andy asked Billy if Lou would manage again. Billy said there was no doubt in his mind he will manage again. Andy asked him if he was Lou's hook here. Billy said he's Jerry's man now. He said Lou was offered a consulting role here but he wanted to take a year off.
After commercial Andy asked Billy his assessment of the Reds. Billy said that they will have a pretty good team. He said if the defense and pitching gets taken care of they will be pretty good. (And if my aunt had a pair she would be my uncle). Andy asked him to compare a Lou ST to a Jerry ST. (OK, I'm not exactly Narron's biggest fan but I think it is stupid to keep comparing Narron to Lou. It is like the yahoos who call in and ask Steve about Joe doing more games.) Billy said Jerry is more hands on. Andy asked Billy what the surprises were this spring. Billy said he likes Wise and Denorfia in the OF. He likes Burns and Robbins. Andy asked Billy what Wises chances of making the team were. Billy said you really cannot tell at this point since you don't know the makeup of the club yet. Andy asked Billy about the 2B competition. Billy said 3 (Aurilia, Womack and Freel) have played very, very well but when you put someone at 2B now you want balance on your team so it depends on who you have starting in the OF and the other positions. Do you want to have a R-L-R-L or do you want to stack lefties against a righty and vice versa. He said Jerry has a lot of options and it depends on what he wants to do. Andy asked him about Womack. Billy said he still thinks Tony can play but he doesn't know if he can play every day so it is good to have a guy like Aurilia and Freel from the right side to spell Womack from the left side. Andy asked Billy about losing Casey. Billy said Casey took a lot of heat while he was here but he could hit and drive in runs and play 1st well and he was a very good person. He said his presence in the clubhouse will be tough to replace. Andy asked him about Arroyo. Billy said that trade shows that the Reds will do whatever they can to win. He said talking about winning is one thing but actually going out and doing something to accomplish that shows the players that they are serious.
After commercial Hal McCoy joined Andy. Tell you the truth it wasn't much of an interview. Andy asked Hal about being a HOF writer and Hal said it really hasn't sunk in yet. Andy asked Hal about changes in the game since he's been covering the Reds. Hal mentioned smaller ballparks, watered down pitching, more home runs. Andy asked him about players on steroids. Hal praised Jr. for doing it the right way and said the records of the guys who juiced mean nothing to him. Andy asked Hal about the Reds pitching and asked him if it was the pitching that was the problem or the coaching of the pitching because the ERA dropped after Vern Ruhle replaced Don Gullett as pitching coach. Hal said that getting a #1 and #2 pitcher in here is a priority since all they have are a bunch of 3s and 4s. You don't have anyone that the other teams fear and you are basically sending the same guys out there every day. Andy asked Hal how important this start tonight was for Milton. Hal said it was very important since he hasn't been healthy and this will be his 2nd time out there so he's running out of time and the Reds need him in the rotation.
Thus endeth the Reds Hot Stove League show report for 3/22/06. So let it be written. So let it be done.