Tuesday, March 02, 1999
REDS NOTEBOOK
Owens homers in intrasquad game
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
SARASOTA, Fla. — Glen Este High School's Jayhawk Owens blasted a two-run homer in the sixth inning, helping Dave Collins' team to a 4-4 tie with Donnie Scott's squad in an eight-inning intrasquad game Monday.
“I thought (Collins) used his bench better,” manager Jack McKeon jokingly said.
McKeon praised the overall “mental alertness” of the pitchers, who held runners on base well, and of the infielders, who correctly called pickoff plays. That resulted in four Reds being thrown out trying to steal, including two by catching prospect Jason LaRue.
Jason Bere (two innings, five hits, three runs, one earned) and Stan Belinda (one inning, five hits, one walk, two runs) were not sharp, but McKeon was not concerned.
“We don't expect these guys to throw their breaking stuff or be sharp,” he said. “We want to get them an inning in until they have to go out into the heat of the battle.”
Mike Cameron and Hal Morris had two hits apiece and Phil Hiatt added a two-run homer for the Collinses. Jason Hardtke, Mark Lewis, Jeff Branson and Rod McCall each had two hits for the Scotts. Brett Tomko and Rob Bell were the most impressive pitchers, firing two scoreless innings apiece for the Collinses.
Steve Avery, Pete Harnisch, Steve Parris, Scott Sullivan and Danny Graves will be among the pitchers working in today's intrasquad game. The Reds will conduct an ordinary workout Wednesday before opening Grapefruit League play Thursday against Minnesota. Harnisch is expected to start against Twins ace Brad Radke.
“Nobody made the team today and nobody's going to make the team tomorrow,” McKeon said.
NAEHRING APPREHENSIVE: Tim Naehring didn't hide his desire to keep playing.
Naehring, a LaSalle High School graduate and former Miami University star, reported for work Monday, though he's not sure what his duties entail. The third baseman signed a minor-league contract but is still recovering from an injured right elbow that has required three surgeries.
So Naehring, who hasn't played since June 1997, also will serve as one of General Manager Jim Bowden's special assistants while he rehabilitates.
“It's very hard to think that for 12 years, you've been coming down (to spring training) and playing, and all of a sudden now you're wondering if the security guy's going to let you through the parking lot,” said Naehring, 32.
Naehring, who hit .282 with the Boston Red Sox from 1990-97, plans to meet with minor-league coordinator Buddy Bell today to discuss how he'll help the Reds. The range of possibilities includes scouting, helping instruct minor-leaguers, learning the game's administrative side, community relations, offering financial counseling to younger players, or all of the above.
Naehring, who lives in Ivy Hills, is not officially retired, though he admitted that his attempts to throw and hit are “not working.” His longing to play may not have been eased by a well-meaning Red Sox fan who asked him to autograph a ball and pose for a picture.
“It's not easy seeing guys still doing it who you're used to walking and playing next to,” Naehring said after the Reds' intrasquad game. “But sometimes you have to take an opportunity when it's thrown in front of you.”
ETC.: The Jim Bowden Show, featuring the Reds' GM, will air on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning today on WLW-AM (700). The segment, co-hosted by Gary Bur bank, will air from 4:50 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Center fielder Cameron, utilityman Chris Stynes and second baseman Pokey Reese signed one-year contracts, leaving seven players unsigned: right-handers Tomko and Todd Williams, first baseman Sean Casey, third baseman Aaron Boone, catcher Brook Fordyce and outfielders Mike Frank and Dmitri Young. The Reds are expected to renew the contracts, at a figure of their choosing, of all players left unsigned today.
• Today also is the last day that the Reds have exclusive negotiating rights to outfielder Alejandro Quezada, who had a tryout last Thursday. A deal appears unlikely with Quezada, who wants a major-league contract.
• The Reds went big-time Monday. ESPN baseball guru Peter Gammons, a crew from CNN/SI and college basketball television analyst Dick Vitale, who has a home in the area, visited camp.
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