Thursday, September 09, 1999
REDS NOTEBOOK
Casey not pleased with seat on bench
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
CHICAGO — Manager Jack McKeon found nothing unusual about resting Sean Casey, the Reds' leading hitter, for the second game in a row Wednesday. Casey didn't regard it as unusual, either. He was irritated.
McKeon explained that with left-hander Andrew Lorraine starting for Chicago, he wanted to provide another break for Casey, who was 0-for-11 with four strikeouts in his previous three games.
“We did it before and he came out like a house afire,” McKeon said. Before Casey's current skid, he had collected multiple hits in eight of nine games, batting .528 (19-for-36) after missing consecutive starts Aug. 25-26 for the first time all year.
Casey didn't appreciate experiencing this a second time.
“At this time of the year, I'd like to be in the lineup,” said Casey, whose .337 average ranked fourth in the National League entering Wednesday. “But Jack has his reasons.”
After seeing the lineup card, Casey stalked out of the Reds' clubhouse and approached McKeon, who was on the field.
“He said, "I just wanted to let you know I'm OK,'” McKeon said. “I said, "I know you're OK.”
Casey, a left-handed batter, is hitting a respectable .289 (41-for-142) against lefties. But McKeon pointed out that even some of the best left-handed hitters sit down against lefties.
“Look at (Colorado's) Larry Walker. He gets a breather every time you look around,” McKeon said.
McKeon added that resting Casey enabled him to have outfielders Mike Cameron and Jeffrey Hammonds in the lineup.
Poking at Pokey
Reds second baseman Pokey Reese endured a painful day.
Chicago's Jeff Reed, the former Red, nearly hyperextended Reese's left arm in the second inning. Running from first base, Reed pushed Reese's arm as he reached for a wide throw from Steve Parris, who had fielded Jose Nieves' comebacker.
Four innings later, Reese went down as if shot when Cubs reliever Bobby Ayala — yes, another ex-Red — hit him in the left kidney with a 2-0 fastball.
“I saw it, but I couldn't get out of the way. It was too late,” Reese said.
Reese rejected the notion, which was jokingly suggested, that pitchers were throwing at him intentionally.
“I'm not going to look at it that way,” Reese said. “If you're in sports, it's all in the game.”
McKeon said that Reese has been playing with a sore back. It hasn't affected his defense, which has remained Gold Glove quality.
“Pokey has been outstanding,” McKeon said.
Tomko turnaround
McKeon, who was critical of Brett Tomko earlier this season, likes what he has seen recently from the right-hander, on and off the mound. Recently demoted to the bullpen, Tomko allowed one run in six innings to earn the victory in the nightcap of Tuesday's doubleheader.
“The last two weeks, I see him changing,” McKeon said. “He's out there running with (Juan) Guzman, and Guzman's running him to death.”
McKeon said he wasn't sure how he'd use Tomko for the rest of the season, though he indicated that spot starts were a possibility.
Short stops
The Reds improved to 5-2 on this road trip, clinching another winning one. Their 45-24 road record remains the best in the majors.
• Reds shortstop Barry Larkin went 0-for-5 to drop his average below .300 (.297) for the first time since June 19, when he was at .298. Larkin is batting .197 (12-for-61) in his last 15 games as his career-high homerless streak has grown to 71 games.
Up next
Pete Harnisch, who earned the first victory on this road trip, will attempt to finish the journey in the same fashion today.
Harnisch (14-8) won his 100th career game in his last outing, a six-inning stint in last Saturday's 22-3, nine-homer shellacking at Philadelphia. He'll oppose right-hander Kyle Farnsworth (3-8), one of the many Cubs rookies.
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