Saturday, May 12, 2001
Reds Notebook
Deion works overtime
By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Deion Sanders showed up at Cinergy Field on Thursday's off day to get in a little extra work. He ran into coach Tim Foli. Foli ended up throwing Sanders batting practice and hitting him balls in the outfield.
“It was a blessing he was here,” Sanders said. “We got a lot of work in. Hitting. Fielding. We had a lot of fun.”
Sanders is adjusting to his part-time role.
“It's tough,” he said. “I knew down in the bushes that I was playing every day no matter what. They could blow up the stadium, and I'd still get my at-bats.
“It's easier to take an 0-for-4 when you're playing every day. Now I go 0-for-4 and I think: "I've got 27 at-bats. If I go 3-for-3 I'm back at .300.' You start calculating.”
Sanders is 3-for-24 (.125) since his 3-for-3 debut.
“This is a hard game,” manager Bob Boone said, “especially when you don't play every day. You get in the habit of wanting to jump at the ball, rather than waiting for it to come to you.”
NEW LINEUP: Pokey Reese was scheduled to hit leadoff Friday night for the second time this year. But don't look for it to be a trend.
With Young out, Barry Larkin was dropped to the third spot. Reese is 6-for-7 off Shane Reynolds, the scheduled starter for the Houston Astros on Friday night.
WINCHESTER UPDATE: Scott Winchester made his second rehab appearance Thursday at Triple-A Louisville. He allowed four runs (two earned) and three hits in one inning of work.
Winchester went on the disabled list April 15 with a pulled left oblique muscle. He pitched a perfect inning in his first rehab assignment.
“Coming back, I've always found the second outing is the toughest,” he said.
The plan is for Winchester to pitch at Louisville today.
“Hopefully I can go two innings,” he said. “I feel like I'm getting really close to where I can help the team out.”
He might be close to being ready, but that doesn't mean he'll be called up immediately.
STAT CORNER: The Reds' opponents have had at least 10 hits in 10 straight games.
UP NEXT: Friday's scheduled starter, right-hander Rob Bell (0-1, 4.91), will start the first game of today's doubleheader against Houston RHP Reynolds (2-2, 8.27) at 5:05p.m.
In the second game, right-hander Osvaldo Fernandez (4-2, 6.55 ERA) faces fellow right-hander Scott Elarton (4-3, 6.35).
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Deion works overtime
