Tuesday, March 21, 2000REDS NOTEBOOK
Fans filling up Ed Smith Stadium
BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati EnquirerSARASOTA, Fla. — The Reds are quickly becoming a box office smash at spring training. Monday night's game with Texas drew 7,526, their third straight sellout at Ed Smith Stadium.
It was their fifth home sellout overall and their the second largest crowd they've drawn at Ed Smith.
They are averaging 5,606 at Ed Smith Stadium, up from 4,034 last year — an increase of 28 percent.
“We really didn't know what to expect,” Chief operating officer John Allen said. “With the night games, we thought we'd do well. We've done well with some of the day games as well.”
Allen would not speculate whether the Reds would see a similar increase at home regular-season games. An increase of 25 percent over last year's total of 2,061,222 would give the Reds a total of 2,576,527 — second only to the franchise record of 2,629,708 in 1976.
“I don't know if there's a correlation there,” Allen said. “Spring training is a different animal. You have 15 dates. The regular season you have 81 dates. You have the weather factor in the regular season and other things that come into play.”
Allen will not reveal sales figures for regular-season games. All he will say is Opening Day is the only game that is sold out.
YOUNG UPDATE: Dmitri Young was out of the lineup again Monday with a mild strain of the right hamstring.
“It's still sore,” Young said.
Young will get treatment today, the team's only off day of the spring. He could return as soon as Wednesday.
“The off day should help,” Reds manager Jack McKeon said. “He's played quite a bit.”
Young had played in 13 games, as many as any Reds regular, before the injury.
He is hitting .318 with two home runs and seven RBI this spring.
SULLIVAN'S BACK: Scott Sullivan pitched two innings in a minor-league game Monday. Sullivan, who has been experiencing back spasms, threw 22 pitches.
“It was encouraging,” he said. “I felt better in the second inning than I did in the first.”
MORE REHAB: Reliever Scott Williamson, who missed the last three days with a mildly strained muscle in his leg, pitched three innings in a minor-league game ... Right-hander Bobby Munoz, who is nursing a sore right hamstring, threw four innings in a minor-league game.
RESTING JUNIOR: Ken Griffey Jr. will not make the trip to Fort Myers for Wednesday's game with the Boston Red Sox. Griffey was hitting .444 (4-for-9 with two home runs) in his last three games, entering Monday's game.
NO REST FOR PARRIS: Steve Parris will pitch in a minor-league game today because McKeon wants to keep the rotation in order.
“That's OK,” Parris said. “It's not like I have anything to do.”
Parris won't chance anything because he's facing minor-leaguers.
“I'll just be concentrating on throwing strikes,” he said. “Sometimes it's tough because those guys swing at more pitches than major-leaguers.”
Parris has struggled. His ERA is 8.49 over 11ö innings and three starts.”
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