Monday, June 8, 1998

BY SCOTT MacGREGOR
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Indians David Bell slides safely into hom as Reds' pitcher Scott Klingenbeck backs up catcher Eddie Taubensee. (Saed Hindash photo) | ZOOM |

For his first National League start, Delhi Township's Scott Klingenbeck cut his pass list to about 45. He just wishes he could have cut the fifth inning down by one hitter in Sunday's 6-1 loss to the Indians. Klingenbeck, 27, called up by the Reds from Indianapolis to make his 14th major-league start, was an out away from pitching five shutout innings.

But with two out and no one on, No. 8 hitter Pat Borders hit a changeup through the middle of the infield. Then Cleveland starter Dave Burba ripped a hanging slider for a homer that gave Cleveland a 2-0 lead.

"I guess it just ran into his barrel," Klingenbeck said.

Klingenbeck and Burba are Ohio State products. The two never crossed paths in Columbus, and Klingenbeck didn't know "he (Burba) swung the bat like that. . . . They don't let (pitchers) swing at Ohio State."

Morgan tribute

"Congratulations, Joe Morgan."

That was Dave Burba's little message when he reared his elbow back and did the "Joe Morgan flap" -- a flutter of the arm like a chicken shaking its wing -- before the first swing of his first at-bat Sunday. Burba, who grew up in Springfield, Ohio, was a big fan of Little Joe and the Big Red Machine as a kid and wanted to honor Morgan, whose jersey was retired Saturday.

Tribe fan

Burba's family reared him as a Reds fan, but his father has high praise for the Cleveland organization -- and for the intra-state, interleague rivalry.

"He couldn't have gotten traded to a better team," Gerald Burba said. "Cleveland is top-notch. I was really surprised the first time we walked in that ballpark. The fans, the stadium, the whole thing is a class act."

Batting lessons

Gerald Burba allegedly taught his son to hit, which is how Dave crushed that monster home run Sunday to give the Indians a 2-0 lead. "Did he say that?" Gerald asked. "Nah. Because he's got such long arms, I just told him, "Choke up on the bat and come into it."' Indians second baseman David Bell, a Cincinnati native who doubled and singled Sunday, said the dugout was going nuts after Burba's homer. "That's something every pitcher dreams of," Bell said.

Honorees

Marty Brennaman and Joe Nuxhall were honored before Sunday's game for their 25 years of broadcasting Reds games on WLW-AM. After a short ceremony on the field, each addressed the crowd.

"All we can say is, to you the fans, thank you, thank you, thank you," Brennaman said.

Each then threw out a ceremonial first pitch. Nuxhall, the old left-hander, still had some zip on his fastball as he hopped one in the dirt just in front of home plate.

Big yard

Reds first-round draft pick Austin Kearns took batting practice at Cinergy Field before Sunday's game.

"It was exciting. I've never gotten to hit on a big-league field," said Kearns, a high school player from Lexington, Ky. "In high school, there's just a fence in the outfield, not four or five rows of seats."

But the size of the field -- 404 feet to straightaway center -- wasn't a big deal. "Our center-field fence at our high school field is 450 feet," he said.

Up next

The Reds' continue their crazy coast-to-coast, frequent-flier trip with a three-game set in San Diego. Cincinnati right-hander Scott Winchester (3-3, 4.46 ERA) opposes Padres right-hander Joey Hamilton (3-7, 5.49) in the opener Monday at a 10:05 p.m.

Winchester hasn't pitched terribly in his last two starts but hasn't been good, either. His last outing was Tuesday in San Francisco, when he allowed four runs in five-plus innings.