TeamBoone
08-04-2006, 11:23 AM
Friday, August 4, 2006
Reds notebook
On the basepaths, Freel thrilling, disappointing
BY JOHN FAY AND KEVIN KELLY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
Reds manager Jerry Narron goes by the statistic that if a base stealer isn't successful 72 percent of the time, it's not worth running.
The Reds' biggest threat to steal bases has a success rate of 65.7 percent.
Ryan Freel went into Thursday's game with 23 steals. He had been caught stealing seven times, picked off three times by pitchers and once by a catcher.
Freel had an especially rough night Wednesday - he was caught stealing in the first and picked off in the fifth.
It was the third time he's been picked off in the last 12 games.
"That's not too good," Narron said. "It's definitely been discussed."
Brad Penny picked off Freel Wednesday with a quick move.
"I was peeking in to try to read his move like I always do," Freel said. "As soon as looked in, I didn't have peripheral vision where I could see. In that split second, he got me. It was a bone-head play."
Freel walks, or runs, a fine line.
"I think he knows when he steals a base, he gets everyone pumped," Narron said. "I think he knows when he gets picked off or caught stealing it works the other way."
Freel understands. Wednesday night his caught stealing and pickoff came with Adam Dunn at the plate. Dunn is almost as likely to hit a home run as he is a single.
"You got to be more aware of the situation," Freel said. "He's swinging (the bat well). Mark that down as bad base-running."
LINEUP SHAKEUP: Scott Hatte- berg batted second for only the third time all year Thursday night.
Dunn, who had been hitting second against right-handers, hit fourth, followed by Rich Aurilia and Edwin Encarnacion.
"We're trying to mix it up and get us jumped started," Narron said. "Last night, we got four hits. I think all of us have been intrigued about the idea of Hattie hitting second."
Since scoring eight runs in the final game of the Houston series on July 27, the Reds are averaging 3.4 runs per game.
EDDIE AGAIN: Narron started Aurilia at second base. That got Aurilia, Encarnacion and Hatte- berg all in the lineup.
"We're just giving Brandon (Phillips) a day off," Narron said. "He's played a lot. This way we've got a chance to play Edwin possibly three straight days. It has absolutely zero to do with anything Brandon's done."
STAY FRESH: When asked after Wednesday's game about the Reds' home record this season (27-27 entering Thursday), Narron hinted that maybe players were spending too much time on the field before games.
"Most days there is somebody out there for groundballs or fly balls," Narron said. "The catchers are out there. Everybody is usually going out for early work of some kind."
The usual mid-afternoon extra batting practice session was canceled Thursday. There could be other changes to the Reds' pre-game routine.
"I don't know if Chris (Chambliss, hitting coach) is going to cut back from 15 minutes during group to maybe less than that," Narron said. "I don't know. We'll see."
CALL IT BAD: The third strike call against Hatteberg in the seventh inning of Wednesday's game was a big topic of conversation before Thursday's game.
"If Hattie says something, it's probably not the right call," Narron said. "He has great strike-zone knowledge."
Hatteberg was surprised by the Strike 2 call.
"It was high," he said. "The next one was higher and he called it a strike, too."
Hatteberg said enough to get ejected.
The home plate umpire was Doug Eddings Wednesday.
Tuesday, Eddings missed a call at first base on a double play - Hatteberg got his foot back on the bag in time for the out - and Eddings didn't see it.
"That would have been a big play," Hatteberg said. "They're making calls that change the game."
FARM REPORT: Rafael Gonzalez, the right-hander who was AWOL from camp this spring, threw five innings of one-hit ball in Single-A Dayton's 8-2 win Wednesday over Beloit.
Gonzalez, 20, was the club's fourth-round pick in 2004. He had struggled in his first three starts for Dayton.
The Dragons have won five in a row.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060804/SPT04/608040442/1071
Reds notebook
On the basepaths, Freel thrilling, disappointing
BY JOHN FAY AND KEVIN KELLY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
Reds manager Jerry Narron goes by the statistic that if a base stealer isn't successful 72 percent of the time, it's not worth running.
The Reds' biggest threat to steal bases has a success rate of 65.7 percent.
Ryan Freel went into Thursday's game with 23 steals. He had been caught stealing seven times, picked off three times by pitchers and once by a catcher.
Freel had an especially rough night Wednesday - he was caught stealing in the first and picked off in the fifth.
It was the third time he's been picked off in the last 12 games.
"That's not too good," Narron said. "It's definitely been discussed."
Brad Penny picked off Freel Wednesday with a quick move.
"I was peeking in to try to read his move like I always do," Freel said. "As soon as looked in, I didn't have peripheral vision where I could see. In that split second, he got me. It was a bone-head play."
Freel walks, or runs, a fine line.
"I think he knows when he steals a base, he gets everyone pumped," Narron said. "I think he knows when he gets picked off or caught stealing it works the other way."
Freel understands. Wednesday night his caught stealing and pickoff came with Adam Dunn at the plate. Dunn is almost as likely to hit a home run as he is a single.
"You got to be more aware of the situation," Freel said. "He's swinging (the bat well). Mark that down as bad base-running."
LINEUP SHAKEUP: Scott Hatte- berg batted second for only the third time all year Thursday night.
Dunn, who had been hitting second against right-handers, hit fourth, followed by Rich Aurilia and Edwin Encarnacion.
"We're trying to mix it up and get us jumped started," Narron said. "Last night, we got four hits. I think all of us have been intrigued about the idea of Hattie hitting second."
Since scoring eight runs in the final game of the Houston series on July 27, the Reds are averaging 3.4 runs per game.
EDDIE AGAIN: Narron started Aurilia at second base. That got Aurilia, Encarnacion and Hatte- berg all in the lineup.
"We're just giving Brandon (Phillips) a day off," Narron said. "He's played a lot. This way we've got a chance to play Edwin possibly three straight days. It has absolutely zero to do with anything Brandon's done."
STAY FRESH: When asked after Wednesday's game about the Reds' home record this season (27-27 entering Thursday), Narron hinted that maybe players were spending too much time on the field before games.
"Most days there is somebody out there for groundballs or fly balls," Narron said. "The catchers are out there. Everybody is usually going out for early work of some kind."
The usual mid-afternoon extra batting practice session was canceled Thursday. There could be other changes to the Reds' pre-game routine.
"I don't know if Chris (Chambliss, hitting coach) is going to cut back from 15 minutes during group to maybe less than that," Narron said. "I don't know. We'll see."
CALL IT BAD: The third strike call against Hatteberg in the seventh inning of Wednesday's game was a big topic of conversation before Thursday's game.
"If Hattie says something, it's probably not the right call," Narron said. "He has great strike-zone knowledge."
Hatteberg was surprised by the Strike 2 call.
"It was high," he said. "The next one was higher and he called it a strike, too."
Hatteberg said enough to get ejected.
The home plate umpire was Doug Eddings Wednesday.
Tuesday, Eddings missed a call at first base on a double play - Hatteberg got his foot back on the bag in time for the out - and Eddings didn't see it.
"That would have been a big play," Hatteberg said. "They're making calls that change the game."
FARM REPORT: Rafael Gonzalez, the right-hander who was AWOL from camp this spring, threw five innings of one-hit ball in Single-A Dayton's 8-2 win Wednesday over Beloit.
Gonzalez, 20, was the club's fourth-round pick in 2004. He had struggled in his first three starts for Dayton.
The Dragons have won five in a row.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060804/SPT04/608040442/1071