Sunday, August 16, 1998

BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Dmitri Young helped the Reds win Friday's game with his defense and his patience at the plate. That is a testament to how far Young has come in his first season with the Reds.

In April and May, he was a defensive disaster and a free swinger. Young drew a walk to lead off the ninth inning Friday that led to the winning run.

"That was the key to the game," Reds manager Jack McKeon said. Young, who leads the Reds in batting average (.303) and doubles (40), made a pair of nice catches in left field, coming in to catch a sinking line drive and going against the wall to take away extra bases.

"He's made a lot of improvement," McKeon said. "I think he can be a very adequate outfielder."

"I'm getting comfortable out there," Young said. "I'm reading the ball off the bat better and playing the lights better. The lights here are kind of low."

Young has been in left field pretty much on a regular basis since June 22. That was when Sean Casey was recalled from Indianapolis. Young has one error in his past 32 games after making seven in his first 77.

"It helps to be in one spot rather than jumping around," Young said.

Bullish words

Young began in the minors as a third baseman. St. Louis farm director Mike Jorgensen once told Young he was "a bull in a china cabinet" at third.

Young was particularly peeved when the same quote ended up in Baseball America.

He was moved to first base, but that took a while to master as well. "When I first started at first base, I was awful," he said. He was moved back to the outfield last year after the Cardinals traded for Mark McGwire.

McKeon compares Young to John Kruk, who McKeon had in San Diego. "Kruk was going to hit. You just had to find a spot for him," McKeon said. "We moved him from first base to the outfield, and he made himself into a decent outfielder."

Idle Bere

The plan was to use Jason Bere out of the bullpen for a week or two to get him ready to move into the starting rotation. But Bere, the right-hander the Reds picked up off of waivers from the Chicago White Sox, has only made one appearance since being activated on Tuesday.

"I wish we had him a week earlier when we were taking all those beatings from Atlanta," McKeon said. "We would have gotten him plenty of work."

McKeon said the Reds may have to pitch Bere in a simulated game if they can't get him a game soon.

Konerko update

Paul Konerko had 16 RBI in his first 14 games after being sent to Triple-A Indianapolis.

"He's going to hit down there," McKeon said. "He's not going to put up the numbers like he did in Albuquerque where every fly ball is a home run. But he'll hit."

Konerko was sent to Indy after struggling with the Reds. McKeon is confident Konerko will hit when he returns.

"That's not what I'm worried about," he said. "I'm worried about where I'm going to play him."

Young is entrenched in left field, Casey is set at first base, and Aaron Boone is playing well at third.

The throw II

Montreal right fielder Vladimir Guerrero's throw to nail Pat Watkins at third base in the eighth inning of Friday's game was still a topic of conversation Saturday.

"I couldn't see him (because he was in the right corner)," McKeon said. "All the sudden I just saw something coming out of the sky . . . to make a throw like that and be on the money."

Said Young: "It looked like a rocket."

Revolving door

The Reds have used 45 players this season, six shy of the team record set in 1993. They've used 23 pitchers, including Lenny Harris: two short of the record set last season.

Up next

Right-hander Brett Tomko (10-8, 4.61 ERA) faces right-hander Carl Pavano (4-5, 4.38) today at 1:15 p.m. in the final game of the series and the homestand.

Tomko is coming off two bad outings. He lost to Pittsburgh 10-8 Tuesday, allowing four runs in five innings. Before that, he was roughed up for nine runs in 5 1/3 innings in a 13-9 loss to Atlanta.