Sunday, March 31, 2002
Reds Q&A with John Fay
Spring mark worries fan
By John Fay, jfay@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Reds' horrible spring training record, Ruben Mateo and Austin Kearns were among e-mailers' concerns this week. Read on:
Question from Scott in Fremont, Ohio: Is it possible that the Reds will close Cinergy Field with one of the worst seasons in their storied history? If this spring is any indication, we will have 100-plus losses and about 1.5 runs scored per game. What a way to close a stadium's history.
Answer: It's possible. The Reds lost 96 games last year. But don't let the spring record bring you down. The 2001 team that lost 96 games had a better spring record than the 1999 team that won 96 games.
Q, from Alan in Great Mills, Md.: What happened with the Reds putting Jackson Melian on waivers? It surprises me they would give up on him after only a year in the minors. Seems like Brandon Larson got more of a look than Melian. Is that because the Reds are so short at third?
A: The Reds got in roster trouble and Melian had to go. He really hasn't hit in the minors, so it's tough to keep him on the 40-man roster. Larson went on waivers at the winter meetings after the Dmitri Young trade. No one claimed him, so the Reds were able to re-sign him. He's not on the 40-man.
Q, from Randy in Dallas: With the Rangers, Ruben Mateo was considered the next great star. In fact, the reason the Rangers let Juan Gonzalez go two years ago was because they believed Mateo would step in and become an immediate impact player batting behind Alex Rodriguez, Pudge Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro. He ended up getting hurt and not bouncing back the way they expected and then developed an attitude, thus the trade for Rob Bell. Could you give us an update on Mateo and basically what has happened now that he is heading back to the minors?
A: One Dallas writer said this about Mateo: “It's like he quit trying when he got to the majors.” It may be lingering effects of the injury. The Reds need Mateo to go to Triple-A and put up monster numbers to show he's the player everyone thought he was.
Q, from Don in Claremont, N.C.: What happened to Ed Yarnall? He was supposed to be the most major-league ready pitcher received in (the Denny Neagle) trade. Is he sick? Hurt? Cost too much?
A: None of the above. The Reds sold his contract to a Japanese team last year.
Q, from Jim in Independence: What's up with no Cincinnati-Cleveland series this year? It seems that four years have been spent establishing a great intrastate rivalry and now it's down the drain. Not to mention three virtually guaranteed sellouts in both cities. What else sold out here in Cincinnati besides Opening Day? Is this a result of late charges on one of Bud Selig's under-the-table loans from a financial rival of either city? Where is the common sense when the schedule was made up? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the New York and Chicago teams are playing each other this year.
A: The Reds tried to get the Indians on the schedule, but Major League Baseball couldn't work it out. The National League has 16 teams, the American League 14. So there aren't enough games to go around. The Reds will continue to push to play the Indians each year.
Q, from Bill in Oxford: We're hearing that Austin Kearns is having lingering problems with this thumb that troubled him last year (this has been stated on numerous occasions by general manager Jim Bowden). If the thumb was a problem and the Reds knew it, why was he playing in the Arizona Fall League, rather than rehabbing the thumb for the season?
A: The thumb is something Kearns is going to have to live with. If you remember, he did take a lot of time off last year. It's not something that requires rehab.
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Reds Q&A with John Fay
