Sunday, May 26, 2002
Reds Q&A with John Fay
There's no joy in first place for some fans
By John Fay, jfay@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
When I open my Reds e-mail, I can't help thinking of the John Prine classic “Dear Abby.” The chorus in the song goes: “You are what you are, and you ain't what you ain't. So stop wishing for bad luck and knocking on wood. Signed, Dear Abby.”
Seems to me the more the Reds win, the more fans worry. Fans should relax and enjoy it. Instead, they are worried about Wilton Guerrero or Brandon Larson or Carlos Almanzar or Trevor Miller. Read on:
Question from John in Greensboro, N.C.: With the dilemma the Reds are in with the 40-man roster, why would it not make more sense to release Wilton Guerrero and bring up Brandon Larson, or anyone else who can play a couple of infield positions? Guerrero has proven he cannot consistently hit the ball out of the infield. Larson carries a much better bat than Guerrero and could fill in with (Gookie) Dawkins when needed for late-inning replacement duty. I guess I am lost in wondering whatBob Boone and Jim Bowden are thinking by keeping Guerrero around to slap balls around to the infielders, and why are there so many late inning replacements? It seems Boone wants to use his whole roster by the seventh inning.
A: Guerrero has an $850,000 contract. The Reds don't like to eat those kinds of contracts. The wizards who run the team don't think Larson can play second or short. Guerrero hit .338 last year and he's versatile. But you're right: He doesn't have much pop in his bat. Guerrero, Juan Castro ($400,000) and Kelly Stinnett ($1 million) were signed when management thought the budget strings were looser.
Q, from Jeff in Norwood: Why wasn't Trevor Miller added to the 40-man roster, instead of Carlos Almanzar, to bolster the bullpen? His performance at Louisville has been virtually identical, although his strikeout rate is a little higher than Almanzar's. More important, he is left-handed, and Bob Boone talks of “coveting” a second left-hander in the pen.
A: The Reds brass checked out Miller when they checked out Almanzar. My guess is Almanzar's fastball, which gets up to 95 mph, was the determining factor. You get points for the fact you noticed that “coveting” is Boone's new favorite word.
Q, from Marc: I was looking for your insight on Danny Graves. Looks like the last couple games he has corrected the flaw in his pitching ... What are your thoughts? Also, think there is any chance they make him into a starting pitcher again, or is it safe to say he's set as their closer?
A: He's going to be the closer through the end of this season, barring a trade. I think either he or Scott Williamson could end up in the rotation next year. And, yes, he's back. When his sinker is working — as it is now — he's very tough to hit.
Q, from Jason in Dayton, Ohio: Is it just me, or has there been an increase in taking pitches for strikes this year? I know it happens a lot anyway, but it seems that this year every Red is taking too many strikes and not swinging. Watching Aaron Boone in his last at-bat against the Cards, he took the first pitch for a strike, second for a ball, took the third for a strike, and then swung and missed for an out. The strikes that he looked at were right down the middle. Why bother bringing a bat into the box if you're not going to use it?
A: There's a fine line between being selective and being aggressive. I haven't noticed any trend as far as taking strikes.
Q, from Robert in Muncie, Ind.: At what point do people within the organization begin looking at a possible change at third base? If the current situation continues, what are some of the alternatives? Because I took the time to e-mail this question, Aaron Boone will go 4-for-4 tonight. I hope so.
A: The Reds are definitely going to ride out the slump, but you would think not indefinitely. The alternatives are Larson and Donny Leon, both of whom are at Triple-A Louisville. But neither is on the 40-man roster, so bringing them up is slightly problematic.
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Reds Q&A with John Fay
