Friday, July 23, 1999
REDS NOTEBOOK
McGwire homer lights up Cinergy
BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
![[mcgwire]](http://reds.enquirer.com/img/photos/1999/07/072399mcgwire_100x236.jpg)
Mark McGwire rounds the bases.
(Tony Jones photo)
| ZOOM |
|
When St.Louis Cardinals star Mark McGwire finally homered in Cinergy Field on Thursday, the guy manning the fireworks was so confused by all the applause for Big Mac, he accidentally set off a brief pyrotechnic display, something that isn't done for visiting players.
McGwire hit an opposite-field solo shot off Danny Graves in the ninth inning of the Cards' 6-5 victory over the Reds. The homer, McGwire's 33rd of the year, means he has hit a home run in every major-league stadium in which he has played a regular-season game.
On a day when the ball was flying out of Cinergy — six homers were hit — there was no margin for error against McGwire.
“The pitch was down,” Graves said. “But McGwire is so strong, he doesn't have to crush it.”
McGwire hesitated around first to make sure right fielder Michael Tucker did not catch the ball.
“I had a few taken away from me this year,” McGwire said. “He made a good attempt.”
Cinergy was the only major-league stadium in which McGwire had played a regular-season game and not homered.
“I don't know why the media makes such a big deal out of it,” McGwire said. “I've only played a few games here.”
Thursday was his ninth visit. Before the home run, McGwire was 4-for-27 with 11 walks at Cinergy. All four of his hits had been singles.
Thursday's home run drew the Cardinals to within one. Fernando Tatis followed it with a two-run shot, which ultimately gave the Cardinals the win.
Young is right
Reds manager Jack McKeon hasn't declared it, but it appears Dmitri Young is the left-handed-hitting half of the right-field platoon for the Reds.
Young made his third straight start in right and fourth in the last five games.
Young has responded: He was 1-for-4 with a home run Thursday. He is 8-for-21 (.381) with two home runs and five RBI in his last six starts. His season average, which was .173 on May 21, is up to .247.
The difference?
“I'm playing,” he said. “If I get at-bats, I'm going to hit.”
Young has let his hair, which he bleached blond in spring training, return to its natural color. He isn't buying any Samson analogy.
“I'm not superstitious,” he said.
Young understood why he wasn't in the lineup.
“We won 11, 12 in a row with Michael Tucker in the lineup,” he said. “Now, I'm in the lineup, and we're winning.”
Young kept from getting frustrated.
“I didn't,” he said. “The major leagues are not one team. I figured somebody else would want me.”
Won't fade away
Every time you think Pokey Reese is going into an extended slump at the plate, he bounces back. Reese started the homestand last Thursday with a double, then went 13 at-bats without a hit.
He followed the dry spell by going 6-for-17 over his next four games. That included the game-winning home run Wednesday night. He was 0-for-4 with a walk Thursday. But McKeon is confident Reese will hit over the long haul.
“Denis Menke and I were talking about the difference between him and (Jason) LaRue,” McKeon said. “A guy like LaRue goes 10 or 12 at-bats without a hit, and he starts pressing. They don't want to get one hit, they want to get three.”
Reese is less likely to press now that his place in the lineup is secure.
Eddie out
Reds catcher Eddie Taubensee left in the second inning with a strained right wrist. LaRue replaced him in the lineup, leaving the Reds without a backup catcher on a day when the turf temperature was 150 degrees at the game's start.
“It's a day-to-day thing,” Taubensee said. “I did it swinging at a pitch. I was in too much pain to swing the bat.”
Attendance update
The Reds drew 35,648 Thursday, their second straight 33,000-plus crowd against the Cardinals and McGwire.
The big crowds pushed the Reds' season total to 1,237,779 for 51 dates. That's an average of 24,270, up 1,399 a game over the same number of dates last year.
That puts the Reds on pace to draw 1.96 million, which would be the Reds' best total since 1993.
Minor trade
The Reds traded minor-league pitcher Todd Williams to Seattle for minor-league outfielder Kerry Robinson. Robinson, 25, was hitting .322 with 30 stolen bases for Triple-A Tacoma.
Williams was 1-3 with a 5.10 ERA and 24 saves for Triple-A Indianapolis.
Reds Stories
Bengals: Smith deal unlikely by camp
Bengals want to extend Dillon's contract
Hall of Fame induction done in Grande style
Dawgs finally have their day
Nerves highlight 1st day of Metro
Dream Team trashes Puerto Rico
LOCAL SPORTS DIGEST
Reds page
![[mcgwire]](http://reds.enquirer.com/img/photos/1999/07/072399mcgwire_212x500.jpg)