Tuesday, March 28, 2000

Reds feel good about pitchers

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McKeon says they're better than last year

BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Any doubts about the quality of the Reds' pitching staff should be considered with a dash of perspective.

Rangers' baserunner David Segui slides safely into third as Aaron Boone waits for the throw. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Last year's season-opening starting rotation included Jason Bere and Steve Avery. Denny Neagle was strengthening his shoulder. Gabe White was one of the co-closers, and Scott Williamson was just another face in the bullpen.

        The Reds will begin the season with healthy arms — not suspect ones, as Bere's and Avery's proved to be. Neagle has been technically erratic but physically sound. Danny Graves has emerged as a proven closer, backed by National League Rookie of the Year Williamson, for a bullpen in which roles are clearly defined.

        “I know this: We're leaving camp with a stronger pitching staff than we started last season with,” Reds manager Jack McKeon said Monday.

        McKeon spoke hours before No. 4 starter Ron Villone yielded nine runs and 11 hits in five innings as the Reds (16-13) lost 9-8 to the Texas Rangers.

        This underscored that McKeon's assertion must become fact for the Reds to succeed in what will likely be a competitive NL Central Division.

        St. Louis bolstered its rotation by adding Andy Benes, Pat Hentgen and Darryl Kile and felt so confident that it traded 18-game winner Kent Bottenfield for center fielder Jim Edmonds.

        Houston dealt Cy Young Award winner Mike Hampton to the Mets but still has Jose Lima and Shane Reynolds, who combined to win 37 games last season.

        Kris Benson, Francisco Cordova, Todd Ritchie and Jason Schmidt give Pittsburgh the division's deepest rotation and possibly its best.

        “Everybody thinks because you add (Ken Griffey) Junior, you're an automatic shoo-in,” McKeon said. “But that doesn't make it happen. We realize he's a tremendous asset to our club. But as with everything else, you've got to have pitching to win. If our pitching stays healthy, we'll be all right.

        “It's nice to add guys like Griffey and (Dante) Bichette to your club because that gives you a little more offense. But as we've seen so many times, great offensive clubs — Seattle, Colorado, Cleveland — that were a little bit weak in the pitching department didn't go far.”

        Pete Harnisch, the Reds' likely Opening Day starter and acknowledged staff leader, said the starting rotation was the key to the Reds' season.

        “A lot of teams can say that,” Harnisch said. “But everything else is in place on this team. It's really solid. I think it's on the starters to do more than last year. Not a whole lot, but more.”

        Few observers seem to remember that Reds pitchers excelled last year, posting a 3.98 ERA that ranked fourth in the league. They also stood fourth entering Monday's exhibition games with a 4.36 ERA.

        The Reds believe they can fare even better this year for several reasons:

        • Health, which obviously isn't certain. But if Neagle and Harnisch stay able, they'll be ahead of last year. Neagle missed half the season with weakened muscles in his shoulder, and Harnisch pitched the final four months with shoulder pain.

        • Assuming they stay effective, Steve Parris and Villone will help anchor the rotation all year instead of joining the team with part of the season elapsed, as they did last season. “You're certainly a little more confident in guys like Villone and Parris than you were Avery and Bere,” McKeon said.

        • The bullpen is more sharply defined. “Last year there were questions about us,” said Graves, who had 27 saves. “We were all young, and (Williamson) was new.”

        • Though the Reds understand the danger of leaning too heavily on their offense, it should give the pitchers some margin for error.

        “We're all going in with a lot of confidence. I don't think we have any doubts,” Graves said. “You're going to give up your runs. If you give up four or five runs, normally you'd think, that's a bad game. But the way this offense is going to score, you're still going to win a lot of games that way.”

       

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