Tuesday, February 26, 2002
Reds notebook
Arms to be handled with care; Etherton, Williamson are recovering quickly
By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer
SARASOTA, Fla. — Scott Williamson and Seth Etherton are moving along better than expected in rehab from surgery.
But Reds manager Bob Boone will resist putting them in the mix with the rest of the pitchers for spring training games.
“I suspect, in the not too distant future, we'll get them in a game,” Boone said. “We are on a finite schedule, and the pitchers in rehab have a tendency to want to match their schedule to that schedule. It doesn't work that way. We keep them on their schedule.”
Williamson still has a major step to take — throwing breaking balls.
The third pitcher coming off surgery, John Riedling, remains behind Williamson and Etherton. That's expected. Riedling's surgery was in August. He didn't start throwing off the mound until spring training began.
NO REACTION:
Pete Harnisch chose to stay out of the Dmitri Young and Pokey Reese vs. Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Larkin fray.
“My reaction, is I have no reaction,” Harnisch told a Denver Post writer. “I'm not on that team anymore.”
NO BARRIER:
Ranier Olmedo, the shortstop prospect from Venezuela, doesn't speak English very well. But he understands pitching.
Paul Dingman, a hard-throwing right-hander, was pitching batting practice to a group that included Olmedo when Gookie Dawkins tried to get Olmedo to go first in the order.
“No, no,” Olmedo said. “Same rotation.”
ARMS SURPLUS:
With 37 pitchers in camp, the Reds have an abundance of good arms. Boone said the Reds are working 14 of them as if they will make the club.
The likely 14: Elmer Dessens, Danny Graves, Gabe White, Scott Sullivan, Lance Davis, Jose Acevedo, Chris Reitsma, Luke Hudson, Jose Silva, Brian Bohanon, Jimmy Haynes, Joey Hamilton, Hector Mercado and Jim Brower.
“You know some young guy is going to surprise us,” Boone said. “They always do. I've got one in my mind, but I'm not going to say.”
One possibility: Pedro Feliciano. The 25-year-old left-hander was 5-4 with a 1.94 ERA and 17 saves at Double A last year. He struck out 55 and walked only 11 in 60 1/3 innings. The Reds signed him as a six-year, minor-league free agent.
NO STARS:
Boone was true to his word about keeping the big boys out of games early. The lineups for today's intrasquad game:
Visiting team: Dawkins, SS; Brady Clark, RF; Robin Jennings, 1B; Brandon Larson, 3B; Corky Miller, C; Jackson Melian, LF; Jermaine Allensworth, CF; Chris Sexton, 2B.
Home team: Olmedo, SS; Raul Gonzalez, CF; Ben Broussard, 1B; Wily Mo Pena, RF; Kevin Witt, 3B; Dane Sardinha, C; Anthony Sanders, LF; Mike Caruso, 2B.
TAKE THAT:
Boone took a shot at Marty Brennaman (or was it Joe Nuxhall?) at Monday's annual Reds Rally in downtown Sarasota. Reds general manager Jim Bowden was acting as the emcee. Bowden was pretty animated in introducing the players and mixed in some gags.
When he called Boone up to the stage, Boone said: "Great, we've got a GM who wants to be an announcer, and an announcer who wants to be a GM.”
Barry Larkin, who hasn't been happy with negative commentary on the radio, showed his approval at Boone's dig.
NO CELL ZONE:
The once-relaxed rule on cell phones in the clubhouse is back in force. “No cell phones! $100 fine! To be taken out of meal money. No ?s asked.”
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