Thursday, February 10, 2000
Bowden keeps 'crown jewels'
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Hamilton County has a stadium plan. So does Reds General Manager Jim Bowden. Call it Reds 2003.
That's when the Reds move into their new park and three years ago Bowden started rebuilding the team to develop young, cheap players who would be ready to blossom in the new ballpark.
What made Thursday's Ken Griffey Jr. trade so monumen tal and Bowden's second straight Executive of the Year Award so close is Bowden added the engine for the New Big Red Machine while keeping the core intact.
To get Griffey, the Reds didn't have to give up:
• Scott Williamson, National League Rookie of the Year who struck out 107 hitters in 93.1 innings, could be prepared to move to the starting rotation instead of to Seattle. Williamson, mentioned in just about every possible Junior combination, could replace Brett Tomko as a starter.
• Jason LaRue, 25, who bolted into the Reds' plans as the catcher of the future in 36 games last season, surprised them with Gold Glove-like play. He's got time to improve on a .211 average in 90 at-bats.
• Travis Dawkins, who turns 21 in May, staked his claim as the heir to All-Star shortstop Barry Larkin when he hit .364 in 129 Double-A at-bats last season.
• Right-hander Rob Bell, 23, projected as a 15-game winner, bounced back from a strained elbow last season to walk just 17 hitters in 72 Double-A innings with a wicked curve ball.
Bowden said he gave Reds Chief Operating Officer John Allen a list of 11 players he wouldn't trade. He ended up giving one, minor-league second baseman Antonio Perez.
“We told our fans we were building for 2003,” Bowden said. “We didn't want to make a trade and say to them, "By the way, we changed our plan.' We gave up one guy that we felt would be an integral player on that club then in Perez.”
Williamson is clearly the immediate key, but LaRue and Dawkins aren't far behind. Bowden raves about defense up the middle with Griffey in center field, Barry Larkin at shortstop and Pokey Reese at second base and they think LaRue gives them defense behind the plate while Eddie Taubensee supplies offense.
Chief Bender, Reds senior adviser for player development, figures Dawkins is a year or two from the majors, but he's worth the wait. For Bender, Dawkins conjures images of Big Red Machine shortstop Davey Concepcion.
“Great hands, great range, great speed,” Bender said. “You can almost see a young Concepcion in that kind of ability, although Dawkins is a little better physical specimen at that early age.”
Join the discussion on our Reds forum
Griffey video clips at Majorleaguebaseball.com
Reds Stories
Reds page
