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06-14-2006, 08:08 AM
Tongue lashing shapes up Olmedo
By Hal McCoy
Staff Writer
CINCINNATI | It's a more serious-minded Ray Olmedo wearing a major-league uniform these days after Cincinnati Reds manager Jerry Narron took him to the verbal woodshed last year.
In Narron's opinion, Olmedo was too frivolous-minded, didn't take wearing a major-league uniform with proper respect and seriousness.
"One of the last things I told him last year at the end of June was that if you are not all business, you can't play here," said Narron. "I'm not a joking guy. I take it serious and I expect everybody here to take it serious. I think he understood what I was talking about."
In 54 games last season during an up-and-down year spent traveling between Louisville and Cincinnati, Olmedo batted 77 times and hit .221.
On Tuesday, Olmedo was in Cincinnati's starting lineup to give Felipe Lopez a day off after he struck out four times Monday and had a few mental and physical bumps in the road over the weekend.
"Just watching Lopez, he needs a day off," said Narron.
The more mature Olmedo, 24, is ready to display his seriousness and, yes, he remembers the day Narron laid it down on him.
"Yeah, I remember that and that's a good thing for me," said Olmedo. "A couple of years ago I treated everything like fun and games. Now I have it in my mind that this is serious baseball. That's what I'm doing. Now I do what the manager and coaches say and I stay ready and I think it's for the best."
Olmedo is back with the Reds for the second time this season, this time replacing Edwin Encarnacion when he went on the disabled list. He entered Tuesday's game hitting .333 (4-12) with two RBIs.
Of bikes and Ben
The discussion was motorcycles, after Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's accident.
Ken Griffey Jr. owns one, "But I haven't ridden it in four years," and his son, Trey, 11, said, "Yeah, and he ain't lying."
Adam Dunn has a monster-sized custom bike, "But the only thing my mom asks is that I wear a helmet, don't ride at night and always ride with somebody. She might be the most anti-motorcycle person in the world."
And does Dunn heed mom's advice?
"Every time," he said.
Belisle in Dayton
Relief pitcher Matt Belisle is scheduled to pitch in Dayton Thursday for the Dragons against Southwest Michigan on a rehab assignment, probably two innings.
He was eligible to come off the disabled list with a lower back disk problem, but will do at least two rehab assignments.
"We forgot to look at the schedule and I was going to Dayton (today)," said Belisle. "They're off. An extra day of rest isn't going to hurt."
Belisle threw a bullpen session Monday, thoroughly impressing interim pitching coach Tom Hume, and Belisle said: "I felt great. I just felt really great."
Before going on the disabled list, Belisle couldn't sit due to back pain and he was noticed standing at all times in the bullpen.
"I can sit now," he said. "But I try not to sit as much as I can. Anybody who has had a bad disk knows sitting is the most painful. It's a far cry, so much better, but once we get it heated up in the game (Thursday), we'll be able to tell more."
Bye-bye Dean
Dean Taylor, assistant general manager and former General Manager Dan O'Brien's right-hand man, has accepted a similar position with the Kansas City Royals under new GM Dayton Moore. Taylor and Moore worked together under GM John Schuerholz in
Atlanta.
"We have a lot of work to do in Kansas City," said Taylor. "I hope we can improve by June 27 when I come back with the Royals to play the Reds, but that's asking a lot. We just signed pitcher Brandon Duckworth, so let's hope it's improvement by increments."
Taking Taylor's place as assistant general manager is Bob Miller and Dick Williams has been promoted to director of baseball business operations.
Phillips trade completed
To complete the trade with the Cleveland Indians that brought Brandon Phillips to them, the Reds sent right-handed pitcher Jeff Stevens to the Tribe from Class A Dayton, where he was 2-4, with a 4.43 ERA in six starts and eight relief appearances.
Stevens, 22, was the Reds' No. 6 draft pick last year out of Loyola Marymount (Calif.) University.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/reds/daily/0614redsnotes.html
By Hal McCoy
Staff Writer
CINCINNATI | It's a more serious-minded Ray Olmedo wearing a major-league uniform these days after Cincinnati Reds manager Jerry Narron took him to the verbal woodshed last year.
In Narron's opinion, Olmedo was too frivolous-minded, didn't take wearing a major-league uniform with proper respect and seriousness.
"One of the last things I told him last year at the end of June was that if you are not all business, you can't play here," said Narron. "I'm not a joking guy. I take it serious and I expect everybody here to take it serious. I think he understood what I was talking about."
In 54 games last season during an up-and-down year spent traveling between Louisville and Cincinnati, Olmedo batted 77 times and hit .221.
On Tuesday, Olmedo was in Cincinnati's starting lineup to give Felipe Lopez a day off after he struck out four times Monday and had a few mental and physical bumps in the road over the weekend.
"Just watching Lopez, he needs a day off," said Narron.
The more mature Olmedo, 24, is ready to display his seriousness and, yes, he remembers the day Narron laid it down on him.
"Yeah, I remember that and that's a good thing for me," said Olmedo. "A couple of years ago I treated everything like fun and games. Now I have it in my mind that this is serious baseball. That's what I'm doing. Now I do what the manager and coaches say and I stay ready and I think it's for the best."
Olmedo is back with the Reds for the second time this season, this time replacing Edwin Encarnacion when he went on the disabled list. He entered Tuesday's game hitting .333 (4-12) with two RBIs.
Of bikes and Ben
The discussion was motorcycles, after Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's accident.
Ken Griffey Jr. owns one, "But I haven't ridden it in four years," and his son, Trey, 11, said, "Yeah, and he ain't lying."
Adam Dunn has a monster-sized custom bike, "But the only thing my mom asks is that I wear a helmet, don't ride at night and always ride with somebody. She might be the most anti-motorcycle person in the world."
And does Dunn heed mom's advice?
"Every time," he said.
Belisle in Dayton
Relief pitcher Matt Belisle is scheduled to pitch in Dayton Thursday for the Dragons against Southwest Michigan on a rehab assignment, probably two innings.
He was eligible to come off the disabled list with a lower back disk problem, but will do at least two rehab assignments.
"We forgot to look at the schedule and I was going to Dayton (today)," said Belisle. "They're off. An extra day of rest isn't going to hurt."
Belisle threw a bullpen session Monday, thoroughly impressing interim pitching coach Tom Hume, and Belisle said: "I felt great. I just felt really great."
Before going on the disabled list, Belisle couldn't sit due to back pain and he was noticed standing at all times in the bullpen.
"I can sit now," he said. "But I try not to sit as much as I can. Anybody who has had a bad disk knows sitting is the most painful. It's a far cry, so much better, but once we get it heated up in the game (Thursday), we'll be able to tell more."
Bye-bye Dean
Dean Taylor, assistant general manager and former General Manager Dan O'Brien's right-hand man, has accepted a similar position with the Kansas City Royals under new GM Dayton Moore. Taylor and Moore worked together under GM John Schuerholz in
Atlanta.
"We have a lot of work to do in Kansas City," said Taylor. "I hope we can improve by June 27 when I come back with the Royals to play the Reds, but that's asking a lot. We just signed pitcher Brandon Duckworth, so let's hope it's improvement by increments."
Taking Taylor's place as assistant general manager is Bob Miller and Dick Williams has been promoted to director of baseball business operations.
Phillips trade completed
To complete the trade with the Cleveland Indians that brought Brandon Phillips to them, the Reds sent right-handed pitcher Jeff Stevens to the Tribe from Class A Dayton, where he was 2-4, with a 4.43 ERA in six starts and eight relief appearances.
Stevens, 22, was the Reds' No. 6 draft pick last year out of Loyola Marymount (Calif.) University.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/reds/daily/0614redsnotes.html