Monday, April 26, 1999

REDS NOTEBOOK

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Harnisch survives despite "bad day"

The Astros' Mitch Meluskey slides as he is forced out at third base under Reds shortstop Barry Larkin. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Starter Pete Harnisch is now 2-2 despite allowing five earned runs, the most he has yielded in a game this season.

        “I just had a bad day,” said Harnisch, who lasted six innings and gave up seven hits while walking three and striking out six. “I was mechanically off; the ball doesn't feel right in your hand; They're not excuses. These things happen and you have to deal with it. I dealt with it as best I could and that wasn't really good enough.”

        After Houston scored four runs in the fifth inning to tie the score, 5-5, Harnisch rebounded in the sixth inning to strike out Craig Biggio and Derek Bell with a runner on second base. Harnisch said he survived by throwing “almost exclusively” sliders that inning.

Elway's completion
        Reds catcher Brian Johnson will always remember the words of wisdom from Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, who may announce his retirement as early as today.

        Johnson, who followed Elway as a Stanford University quarterback, met the future Hall of Famer at a football camp and sought advice from him. At the time, Johnson was preparing to graduate from Oakland's Skyline High School as a two-sport star.

        “He took a lot of time with me, and I've always been grateful for that,” Johnson said.“He's a great guy. It's nice when you get a guy who's classy and cares about how he's been perceived. He's done it the right way.”

        Knowing that he would be selected in the baseball amateur draft (Montreal took him in the 36th round in 1986) and with a football scholarship in hand, Johnson wanted some counseling from Elway, who briefly endured the same football-baseball tug-of-war. Johnson wanted to play both sports and Elway encouraged him to follow his heart.

        “He kind of reassured me that what I was thinking was right,” Johnson said. “Everybody wants to kind of pigeonhole you into being one or the other. There's nothing wrong with (playing) both.”

Belinda setback
        Encountering a setback in his recovery from biceps tendinitis, right-hander Stan Belinda was scratched from his rehabilitation outing Sunday at Indianapolis.

        “We'll put him in the wait-and-see category,” General Manager Jim Bowden said of Belinda, who went on the disabled list March 24. “We're going to step back and go slower with him. He's obviously too sore, so we're not going to rush him. We're just going to have to keep watching him until he feels well enough to continue the process.”

Etc.
        Reliever Mark Wohlers threw for 15 minutes in the bullpen and remains on course to pitch full-speed batting practice Tuesday in Philadelphia.

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