Tuesday, March 07, 2000
Long men on the hot seat
Three relievers fighting for last spot in bullpen
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
BRADENTON, Fla. — Along with the No.5 starter, the most hotly contested role in the Reds camp is for the long reliever spot.
“It's pretty wide-open right now,” pitching coach Don Gullett said.
Less than a week into the Grapefruit League, three leading candidates have emerged:
• Heath Murray, who started Monday and pitched two shutout innings.
• Adrian Burnside, whose distinction as a Rule 5 draftee gives him an edge.
• Scott Winchester, who is apparently recovered from major shoulder surgery.
All are former starters, giving them the versatility to make a spot start or go several innings in a relief appearance.
A quick look at each:
• Murray improved upon his performance in last Friday's split-squad game against Minnesota, when he allowed three earned runs in two innings and took the defeat in a 5-3 decision.
This time, the left-hander allowed just one hit and recorded five of his six outs on ground balls.
“That's how I gauge how I'm doing,” Murray said. “I'm not going to overpower anybody ... Today I was a little bit more relaxed. I didn't try to be too perfect. I tried to let the ball work for me with movement and everything.”
Claimed off waivers from San Diego last Oct.6, Murray has improved his most effective pitch, a “cut” fastball, with a sinker that Gullett has helped him refine.
Murray also could emerge as a contender for the fifth starting spot. Because his minor-league options have expired, the Reds might have trouble sneaking him through waivers to send him to Triple-A.
As a lifelong Reds fan who grew up in Troy, he doesn't care what role he fills.
“If I had my choice to play anywhere, this is where it would be,” he said.
• Winchester has pitched twice, throwing a hitless inning each time while striking out three. He doesn't throw overwhelmingly hard but compensates with a sinking fastball.
The right-hander was last seen in Cincinnati in 1998, when he recorded a 3-6 mark with a 5.81 ERA in 16 starts. His season ended prematurely when he underwent surgery on Aug.18 to repair a rotator-cuff tear.
Winchester may have reached the point where the team worries less about his health and more about his performance.
“The strength of his shoulder looks fantastic,” team physician Dr. Tim Kremchek said.
• Burnside hasn't pitched in an exhibition game yet. He almost certainly will soon, because he'll force a hard decision from the Reds.
Having taken the left-hander from the Los Angeles organization last December, the Reds must keep him on the Opening Day roster, offer him back to the Dodgers for $25,000 or make some sort of arrangement with them (usually a low-level trade) to retain him and send him to the minors.
The native of Alice Springs, Australia, wowed observers while throwing batting practice during early workouts. He then allowed three homers while yielding six runs in one inning of an intrasquad game.
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