Friday, June 5, 1998

BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Scott Klingenbeck

General Manager Jim Bowden just made the Reds' big weekend bigger. The club called up pitcher Scott Klingenbeck Thursday from Triple-A Indianapolis and will give the Oak Hills High graduate the ball Sunday against Cleveland's Dave Burba.

That turns the final game of the Interstate 71 series into an all-Ohio State pitching matchup between Delhi's Klingenbeck and Springfield's Burba before a packed Cinergy Field.

"I hope it's not that big of a crowd. I've got to get a lot of tickets," Klingenbeck said. "It's great. The Ohio Cup. The Indians are a great team. But any weekend you get called up to the big leagues is a big weekend. All three days are big for us. I want to give the team a quality start, get us through the fifth and sixth (innings)."

Klingenbeck will be like many of the people watching him. He played Knothole and grew up listening to Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall on the radio. He thinks his only trip on the Cinergy turf was when his Delhi Eagles were feted for winning a championship.

Klingenbeck, 27, went 6-2 at Indy and threw an economical 78-pitch shutout over eight innings Monday. The right-hander went 4-1 with a 2.12 earned run average in May, but was shocked when the Reds instead called up Eddie Priest two weeks ago.

"That's all behind me. Let bygones be bygones," Klingenbeck said. "The front office, managers, coaches have to do what they feel is right. I'm just happy to be getting the ball and getting the chance."

It's the first time Klingenbeck has gotten the call to the big leagues since 1996, when he appeared in 10 games with the Twins and had a 1-1 record with a 7.85 ERA.

Sunday will be his 14th big-league start and 36th appearance. He won his first big-league game at age 22 for the Orioles, beating Detroit in an emergency start June 2, 1994, giving up six hits and four runs in seven innings.

After trading for Klingenbeck last year, the Reds released him at the end of the season, and then re-signed him to Indy after the Rangers released him March 13. The promotion came three days after Klingenbeck had the right to shop his services if the Reds didn't call him up. The Boston Red Sox were reportedly prepared to make a deal.

"He's here because he deserves to be here," Bowden said. "He knows how to pitch. He has the potential to be a fifth or sixth starter, but he's never had an opportunity."

Bowden disputed suggestions Klingenbeck hasn't received a look from the Reds until now because he's not a power pitcher who lights up the radar gun. He said he went on recommendations from adviser Bob Boone, Indy manager Dave Miley and his pitching coach, Grant Jackson, that Klingenbeck has better command of his fastball.

"We've never been radar-gun oriented. We look at command," Bowden said. "If you look at our top pitchers over the past few years, they haven't been gun guys . . . the key is getting outs."

Brian Goldberg, Klingenbeck's agent, said other teams had expressed interest while his client was available, "but this worked out because this is where he wants to be."