Wednesday, May 12, 1999
Cameron breaks out of slump
Leadoff hitter does it all
BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The secret to Mike Cameron's success Tuesday night was really no secret at all.
“I just put the ball in play,” he said.
Cameron went 3-for-5, stole two bases and scored the first run in the Reds' 9-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Cameron hit the ball hard the two times he did make an out. So he put the ball in play each of his five times up. That's significant, because Cameron's recent slide has been fueled by strikeouts.
Cameron was in a 4-for-36 slump entering Tuesday's game and had struck out 18 times over that nine-game span.
“I didn't really do anything differently (Tuesday),” he said. “I just saw pitches I could handle and put them in play.”
Cameron's slump dropped his average from .311 to .245. And the talk-radio shows were filled with callers saying Cameron was no leadoff hitter.
But it's early. Batting averages bounce up and down pretty quickly in May. To wit: Camer on's was back to .261 after the three hits Tuesday.
Reds manager Jack McKeon said that beyond just batting average, Cameron is contributing.
“He's been involved in some key situations,” McKeon said. “You don't worry about batting average when you're winning.”
Tuesday's game turned into a blowout. But Cameron did a lot to get the Reds off to a good start. He singled in his first at-bat and promptly stole second. That gave three hitters a chance to drive him in. The third, Sean Casey, did, giving the Reds a 1-0 lead. Barry Larkin followed Casey's hit with a home run, and the Reds were on their way.
“The stolen base is big,” Cameron said. “That puts me in position to score. It helps the team. That's what I'm trying to do.”
Cameron's two steals gave him 12 for the year. (He was tied for third in the National League coming in.) He has scored a run in 21 of his last 25 games.
McKeon gives him passing grades so far and expects him to get better.
“He's still learning,” McKeon said. “He's going to have his ups and downs. But he's one of those young guys who's going to put it all together someday.
“He'll be fine.”
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