Wednesday, March 03, 1999

Take two: Three Reds reunited

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Morris, Lewis Branson were on '95 champs

BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Hal Morris (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

        SARASOTA, Fla. — You could call it a “system,” as they do in professional football. You could call it a mafia, as they do in organized crime.

        Or you could call it a nice fit, which is what the Reds have with Hal Morris, Jeff Branson and Mark Lewis.

        The Reds brought those players back to the organization to provide infield depth. It helped that all have played at a fairly accomplished level. Morris is a lifetime .306 hitter, Branson has lasted seven years in the major leagues despite perpetually having to fight for a job and Lewis has a .266 career average.

        Retaining or regaining familiar players is more common in the NFL, where a team's offensive or defensive philosophy may cause a player to thrive with one club yet struggle with another. Player movement is suspiciously regarded in football, where teams are more likely to re-sign their own free agents.

        But the Reds, and other teams, occasionally employ the same logic. The Atlanta Braves needed outfield depth, so they grabbed Otis Nixon even though he's 40 years old. The San Francisco Giants re-signed left-hander Trevor Wilson to compete for the starting rotation, despite his arm problems. Willie Blair's 5-16 record with Arizona and the New York Mets last year didn't faze the Detroit Tigers, who remembered his 16-8 mark in 1997.

        Cincinnati knew what it was getting by signing Morris, Branson and Lewis to one-year contracts. Morris hit .307 as the Reds' starting first baseman from 1990-97. Branson has spent all but 1¹/₂ years of his 10-year professional career in the Reds organization. Lewis, a Hamilton native, hit .339 for Cincinnati's 1995 NL Central champions while platooning at third base with Branson.

        “I wouldn't call it a trend, but what I would say is that when you bring someone back, you have a really good feel of the player's character, desire, work ethic and intangibles,” Reds General Manager Jim Bowden said Tuesday. “You only bring back the players who you think have those intangibles you can win with, along with talent. And those three guys are very talented players. We're fortunate to have them.”

        It's no coincidence that all three players were on that '95 club, Cincinnati's last to finish above .500.

        “They're quality players who obviously make us much better,” Bowden said. “We've won with all those guys.”

        Since evaluating talent is a high-risk undertaking to begin with, teams try to minimize surprises in that area. Welcoming back a former player accom plishes this.

        “They have an idea of what we can or can't do without even having to put us out there,” said Branson, who spent the last 1¹/₂seasons with Cleveland. “They don't have to ask everybody else, "Does he play hard?'”

        Said Morris, a Kansas City Royal last year, “They've seen you hit before, they know what you look like when you're swinging well and they hopefully can help you get back to that point. They recognize the nu ances of your swing.”

        The players share this comfort zone.

        “You don't ever have to go through a feeling-out period where you're getting to know everyone and you're kind of on edge,” Morris said.

        And believe it or not, sentiment can be a factor in retrieving players.

        “They're family,” Bowden said. “It's like having a son go off to college. When they come back and sign with you, they're coming home.”

       

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Pete Rose bleeds Dodger blue for his son Take two: Three Reds reunited Reds sign Quezada after all Notebook: Avery gets outs, but jury still out Ted Turner is no better than Marge Tim Sullivan column Next Reds owner mostly needs deep pockets Paul Daugherty column

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