SARASOTA, Fla. — Elmer Dessens doesn't look or act like the ace of the pitching staff. Dessens isn't imposing physically at 6 feet, 187 pounds, and he quietly blends in the clubhouse.

        But on this Reds pitching staff, Dessens is the one guy penciled into the starting rotation going into spring training.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Elmer Dessens. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        “I feel like I have a spot,” Dessens said. “No.1 or 5 — they decide. That doesn't matter.”

        Dessens, 30, will never be confused with Randy Johnson or Curt Schilling. But, for the Reds, he is an island of consistency in a sea of question marks when it comes to starting pitching.

        When workouts begin today, Dessens can concentrate on getting ready to pitch — not earning a roster spot.

        Dessens has been a constant in the rotation since the Reds traded Denny Neagle at the All-Star break in 2000. Dessens was moved into the rotation then. He has taken the ball every time it was his turn to start since, and he has a 21-19 record.

        That has meant substantially increasing his innings each year. Before 2000, he had never thrown more than 74 innings in the big leagues. He threw 147 1/3 in 2000 and 205 last year.

        The key, Reds manager Bob Boone says, to Dessens becoming a big winner is being able to handle the load of innings more easily.

        “He needs to build stamina,” Boone said. “He's worked hard on it in the offseason. With better stamina and more experience, he's going to get better. He's progressing perfectly.”

        Dessens was the first Reds pitcher to go over 200 innings since 1998 when he did it last year. The problem was Dessens wasn't nearly as effective after six innings as he was early in the game. “That's my goal this year,” Dessens said.Ù “I want to pitch more and more. I want to pitch 200 innings every year.”

        Dessens went 10-13 with a 4.48 ERA last year, but he was something of the hard-luck pitcher on the Reds. He was the victim of four blown saves, and the Reds averaged only 4.3 runs in his 34 starts.

        “If we would have stayed healthy and scored more runs,” Boone said, ""he could have very easily won 14 or 15 games instead of 10. He was dominant at times.”

        The Reds never expected Dessens to end up on top of the rotation when they signed him as a free agent Dec.13, 1999. The Reds had Pete Harnisch and Neagle then. Dessens was seen as a guy who might be able to earn the 10th or 11th spot on the pitching staff. Dessens spent 1999 pitching in Japan, most of it in the minor-league organization of the Yomiuri Giants. He went 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in eight relief appearances for Yomiuri.

        Dessens pitched six years in the Pittsburgh organization before going to Japan. He was successful in the minors (59-22, 2.72 ERA), but he struggled in three stints with the Pirates.

        The Reds decided to give him another chance in big leagues after scouting him in the Mexican League in the winter of '99. Several clubs were interested.

        “But the Reds' offer was the best,” Dessens said.

        He started 2000 at Triple-A Louisville. He was promoted after going 2-0 with 3.18 ERA in four starts there. Once up, he earned manager Jack McKeon's confidence as a versatile reliever.

        “They gave me an opportunity,” he said. “That was the key. They had confidence in me. They trusted in me.”

        Dessens spends the offseason in Hermosillo, Mexico. The last two years, he has been the one Red who need a translator for interviews. But Saturday, he did an interview in English.

        “I can understand everything,” he said. “But I have trouble pronouncing things. I'm working on it.”

        Dessens is big in Hermosillo, a three-hour drive south of the Arizona border. “They have two heroes (Arizona first baseman) Erubiel Durazo and me,” Dessens said.

        Spoken like an ace.

Record sellout for Cinergy's last Opening Day One sure thing on mound - Dessens Reds Q&A SULLIVAN: Reds baseball Precedent drives team on Williamson talks Reds notebook Baseball insider

Logan too short for NBA?
West directs Xavier to win over St. Joe's
Will West go early?
Bengals Q&A
NFL notebook
DAUGHERTY: A prayer for an everyday hero
Flashes whip Hawks
Kentucky can't handle Georgia again
Top-ranked Ky. Wesleyan defeats NKU 99-76
Hoyas dogged by 'Nova in OT
Mississippi slows tempo, beats Gators
Principled Iowa falls to Ohio St.
Sick Gooden leads Jayhawks
Sollmann, Irish have big dreams
Sun Devils knock off No.20 UCLA on road
Golden Oldie takes Dust Commander at Turfway
Hurricane LB killed in car accident
Lineup for Daytona 500
McGrady leads Magic over Rockets
Enquirer Page Two rankings
Coming up this week
New Taft coach has 80 reasons for optimism
Roundup: Ohio boys
Roundup: Ohio girls
Roundup: Kentucky boys
Roundup: Kentucky girls
Ohio boys basketball scores
Ohio girls basketball scores
Indiana boys basketball scores
Indiana girls basketball scores
Kentucky boys basketball
Kentucky girls basketball scores
Division II swimming
Lions poised for 3rd title
Kentucky wrestling
Ohio wrestling
Wrestling results

• Return to Reds front page...