Sunday, September 26, 1999

REDS NOTEBOOK

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Reds are in reach of 2 million fans

BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Sean Casey knocks a fifth inning RBI single to score Mike Cameron. (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

        The combination of Mark McGwire and the pennant race has finally turned the Reds into a hot ticket.

        They drew 36,974 Friday and 38,936 Saturday to push their season attendance to 1,934,287. With the presale for today's and Monday's game, the Reds are within 10,000 or so of drawing 2 million for the first time since they drew 2.4 million in 1993.

        The folks in the Reds dugout have noticed.

        “It's great,” Reds manager Jack McKeon said. “The enthusiasm gets the players pumped up. It helps.”

        “Too bad there are only two games left,” Greg Vaughn said. “That 10th man provides a little extra.”

        Even though McGwire is in town in pursuit of home run No.60, the crowds Friday and Saturday were predominantly Reds rooters.

        “When (Mike Cameron) caught the ball (on McGwire's flyout), he got a standing ovation,” said relief pitcher Danny Graves. “That's what you want. That pumps us up.”

        Graves had been critical of the fans at Cinergy for rooting for Sammy Sosa to homer with the Reds in the pennant race.

        “If it's 10-1 or 8-3, fine,” he said. “You don't want them to give up one, but it doesn't hurt anything, it's OK.”

Cameron hit
        Mike Cameron went 2-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored Saturday. Cameron entered Saturday's game with only two hits in his last 22 at-bats.

        His struggles came when he returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with a strained hamstring. He was 8-for-58 (.151) before Saturday's two hits.

        “Maybe he's ready to come out of it,” McKeon said.

Boone swoon
        Aaron Boone entered Saturday's game hitting .167 (8-for-48) in his last 14 games.

        “I've struggled the last week or 10 days,” Boone said. “Now, it's time to get hot. Hopefully, today will be my day.”

        Boone led the team with 21 RBI in August.

        Friday night, Boone went 0-for-4 but he did contribute to the win. His sterling play on Willie McGee's line smash in the seventh inning kept the Cardinals from scoring the tying run.

        “It was nice to contribute something,” Boone said. “I was probably the happiest guy in the world after we won — with all the runners I left on base. It's a cliche, but it's true all that matters now is if we win.”

        Boone went 1-for-3 Saturday with a double and a run scored.

Little things
        The Reds and every other contending club are always talking about doing the little things to help the team win.

        Pokey Reese did one of those little things that get overlooked Saturday. In the third inning, Reese, who was playing toward the middle, went all the way to the foul line to catch Eduardo Perez's looper in shallow right field. Few other second baseman make that play.

        It was big because Fernando Tatis followed with a double. Had Perez reached, he would have scored to make it a 2-0 game.

        “Eduardo told me before the game not to take any hits away from him,” Reese said. “That one hung long enough.”

Coaches' status
       

        Reds General Manager Jim Bowden said the status of the coaching staff would be determined after manager McKeon is re-signed.

        “They all deserve to come back,” Bowden said. “They've all done a great job.”

Little sore
        Sean Casey was a little sore Saturday as a result of the tumble he took over the Reds dugout railing Friday.

        “I told him how to take care of that — ice whirlpool — but he won't listen,” Greg Vaughn joked.

        “You could die in there,” Casey said.

Up next
        Right-hander Juan Guzman (6-2, 2.78 ERA) will start against St. Louis right-hander Mark Thompson (1-2, 2.50) today at 1:15 p.m.

        Guzman has run in to a bit of tough luck lately. He's allowed only one earned run in each of his last two starts, but the Reds lost both games.

        Guzman has a 1.80 ERA in his four September starts. He has allowed only 18 hits in 25 innings.

        Thompson, a 28-year-old who spent part five seasons with Colorado, was with the Reds in spring training.

       

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