Monday, April 10, 2000
Reds notebook
Bichette expects warm welcome
BY John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Dante Bichette goes back to a place where he spent seven years and established himself as one of the top hitters in baseball when the Reds go to Denver today to play the Colorado Rockies.
“It will be a little bit emotional,” he said.
Bichette expects a warm reception.
“I've got a lot of fans' mail since the trade; everything was positive,” he said. “I don't know how the trade was covered in the media because I wasn't there when it happened. But I think they appreciated what I did there. I played there for seven years. I never went on the disabled list. I don't think I'll play anywhere else seven years. Unless I do here. That would take me to 43 (years old). I don't think I'll go that long. Maybe ...”
Bichette averaged 29 home runs and 118 RBI in his seven years with the Rockies while hitting .318.
There's been a lot written about how bad the chemistry in the Rockies clubhouse was. Bichette didn't see that.
“There wasn't bad chemistry,” he said. “Guys didn't hate each other. There just wasn't a lot of chemistry. I think that happens when you lose. The guys I'm closest to in baseball are the guys I played with when we won in '95 and '96.”
SMOKEY POKEY: Pokey Reese went 2-for-4 with two walks Sunday. Reese is hitting .448 and has been on base 18 times in 31 plate appearances.
BAD STARTS: Sunday was the fourth time in six games that the Reds trailed before they batted.
MORE BICHETTE: Bichette was moved from sixth to fifth in the batting order Sunday. He went 0-for-3 but drew three walks.
Reds manager Jack McKeon had dropped Bichette from fourth to six on Saturday.
Bichette went 2-for-3 and tied the game with a homer Saturday.
“We got him going,” McKeon said. “If he gets a few more hits today, we'll move him up a again.”
Bichette's ideal spot in the order? The No.3 hole. That's reserved for Ken Griffey Jr.
“That's where you get the most protection and most chance for RBI,” he said. “But in my dreams I see myself batting second and playing second base, but I sort of outgrew that.”
Bichette is 6-foot-2, 235 pounds and has somewhat less range than Reese.
“Pokey's unbelievable,” Bichette said. “He's almost caught line drives in right that I could have caught.”
SANTIAGO HURT: Catcher Benito Santiago dislocated the middle finger on his left hand sliding into third base Sunday. Santiago left the game, but medical director Tim Kremchek was able to put the finger back in place.
Santiago could play as soon as today.
BELL'S SPOT: Rob Bell is technically the Reds fifth starter. But, for now, he'll follow No.1 starter Pete Harnisch in the rotation.
Bell, a 23-year-old right-hander, will start Friday in the series opener against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Bell made his major-league debut Saturday. He went seven innings, allowing three hits and one earned run. He struck out nine, which was the most by a Red in a debut since at least 1975.
Bell is in the rotation until further notice. Even though with three off days coming up, the Reds could get by with four starters.
“One of the other guys might get bumped,” McKeon said. “Pete may need an extra day of rest. (Denny) Neagle may need another day of rest. Somebody always comes up with an ache or a pain.”
LEWIS STARTS: Mark Lewis started his first game of the year. He spelled Aaron Boone at third base.
Lewis, who led the Reds in hitting in spring training, said he's tried to keep sharp in batting practice.
“You try to take the right kind of batting practice,” he said, “working on going up the middle. But you have to play to stay sharp.”
Lewis went 0-for-3.
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