Wednesday, September 01, 1999REDS NOTEBOOK
Reds hope for fresh start from Tomko
BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati EnquirerBrett Tomko may be gone from the starting rotation, but don't expect him to be gone from the Reds.
“He will be back,” Reds General Manager Jim Bowden said. “You don't win 12 or 13 games and then not be able to do it again. He has great stuff. He'll rebound. We anticipate him winning 12-to-15 games next year.”
Tomko said essentially the same thing.
“I know I can come back,” he said. “Jim Bowden knows that too, or he would have traded me. Some things have gone on this year that you guys don't know about. I'm looking forward to getting after it in the offseason and coming back and winning 15-to-20 games.”
That's what the Reds thought he would do this year after he went 24-19 with a 4.06 ERA over the last two years.
But Tomko is 4-7 with a 5.19 ERA this year. In his last five starts before he was sent to the bullpen, he was 0-2 with 7.90 ERA. With Steve Parris (7-1, 3.45 ERA) coming off the disabled list today, Tomko was the pitcher to go to the bullpen.
Bowden expects Tomko to return to the rotation next year.
“He's had a bad year,” Bowden said. “He's got the all the stuff you need to be successful and he's only 27 years old (actually, 26).”
Tomko's relationship with manager Jack McKeon and pitching coach Don Gullett has been strained, but Bowden doesn't think that will hold Tomko back in the future.
Tomko said he understands the move McKeon made.
“We're in a pennant race,” Tomko said. “They think Steve gives us the best chance to win. I'll do whatever they ask me to.”
Tomko pitched in relief Tuesday, allowing no runs in two innings.
Hammonds in Mike Cameron was out of the lineup again Tuesday with a strained left hamstring. Cameron is expected to be out again today. With the off day Thursday, he should be ready to play in Philadelphia on Friday.
But there's no guarantee he'll go right back in the lineup. That's because Jeffrey Hammonds has played so well.Hammonds entered Tuesday's game hitting .346 in his last seven starts. He has three home runs and six RBI in those seven games.
Jeffrey's come through with some big hits and key defensive plays,” McKeon said. “If he keeps going like he is until Cameron come back, it's going to be tough to put (Cameron) back in there. But that's what you want: competition.”
Hammonds is the least used of the Reds' five outfielders, but he hasn't complained.
“You look at what you can do to help the team win,” Hammonds said, “not what you can do to be in the lineup the next day.”
Call-ups
The Reds will activate Parris from the 15-day disabled list today. They will also call up outfielders Mark Sweeney and Kerry Robinson from Triple-A Indianapolis and shortstop Travis Dawkins from Double-A Chattanooga.Dawkins, 20, will be the youngest Reds player since Rosario Rodriguez made his debut Sept.1, 1989, at 20 years, 55 days. Dawkins will be the youngest Reds position player since Harry Woods made his debut at 18 in 1903.
Hal's back
Hal Morris was in the Reds' clubhouse Tuesday, wearing a cast on his right (glove) hand.Morris suffered a fracture in his wrist, breaking his fall after he tripped coming out of the batter's box in Montreal on Thursday.
Young at-bat
Dmitri Young was out of the starting lineup Tuesday night. Young has one-hit in his last 15 at-bats and three in his last 26.His average is down to .295 after being as high as .310.
“I wouldn't call it struggling,” he said. “If I go all the way back down to .220, that's struggling. I'm just not finding hits. You go through funks in the course of a season.
“I'm not going to get a hit every day. If I did, that would be a record.”
Up next
The Reds wrap up the three-game series with the Braves tonight with a 7:35p.m. game (the start was pushed back for TV).LHP Ron Villone (7-4, 3.83 ERA) faces LHP Terry Mulholland (7-7, 4.70).
Villone is coming off one of his better starts. He beat Montreal 4-1 Friday, when he allowed three hits and one run in seven innings.
The Reds are 10-6 in Villone's starts.
Villone has only one career appearance against the Braves. He pitched 1ô innings of relief June 18, 1996, for San Diego.
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