Friday, March 17, 2000
Pitcher Bell sent to Triple-A
Fernandez, Portugal bid for No. 5 spot
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Rob Bell
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FORT MYERS, Fla. — The competition for the No. 5 spot in the Reds' starting rotation has reached its closing stages or is just beginning, depending on one's perspective.
The Reds optioned rookie Rob Bell, who had pitched impressively in two spring starts, to Triple-A Louisville. This os tensibly leaves right-handers Mark Portugal and Osvaldo Fernandez to contend for the rotation's lone vacancy.
“Realistically, I don't think it's anything more than those two,” Reds General Manager Jim Bowden said Thursday night before the Reds met the Minnesota Twins.
Well, not exactly. Bowden added that 6-foot-8 right-hander Bobby Munoz would be given chances to pitch multiple innings in the near future, which would increase his endurance for a possible starting role. After being sidelined most of the spring with a strained gluteus muscle, Munoz wowed the Cincinnati brass by displaying a lively fastball while pitching a perfect inning against Boston in his exhibition debut Wednesday.
Bowden suggested that Munoz, a non-roster invitee, could develop into a serviceable pitcher from relative obscurity, as Steve Parris and Ron Villone did last year with the Reds and as others did with rival teams.
“No one thought (Philadelphia's) Paul Byrd would win 15 games (last year) or (St. Louis' Kent) Bottenfield would win 18 games or Parris would win 11 games,” Bowden said. “(Munoz) threw 93-95 (mph) with a hammer (curveball) yesterday. If we can keep him healthy, who knows? I have an open mind.”
Broad thinking might be necessary. Though results are usually secondary in exhibition play, neither Portugal nor Fernandez has terrorized the Grapefruit League. Portugal's 2-0 record is marred by a 5.73 ERA and 19 hits allowed in 11 innings. Fernandez is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA and was hit hard by Philadelphia on Tuesday in his most recent outing.
By contrast, Bell had a 1.29 ERA, having allowed one earned run in seven innings while yielding just four hits.
But the Reds' braintrust agreed that Bell needed further minor-league seasoning. The 23-year-old right-hander has pitched just 72 innings above Single-A in his five-year professional career.
“With a year in Triple-A, he could be up here really quickly,” manager Jack McKeon said. As for summoning Bell this season, McKeon said, “That's a possibility, if you needed him.”
“Robbie has to go to Triple-A and pitch every fifth day,” Bowden said, adding that if Bell continues to improve, “Sometime down the road this year he's going to help us.”
Obtained from Atlanta in the five-
player trade on Nov. 10, 1998 that sent second baseman Bret Boone to Atlanta, Bell's primary drawback entering this year — besides inexperience — was his tendency to throw across his body. Bell eliminated this flaw, with help from pitching coach Don Gullett.
“If you would have told me before Robbie got to spring training that he would look that good as far as his delivery was concerned, I would have said, "No way,'” Bowden said. “It's a great tribute to the work that Don did.”
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