Monday, July 15, 2002
Dunn asked to widen strike zone
By John Erardi jerardi@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HOUSTON — When you're in first place, as the Reds were for so long, you can be ranked 30th in baseball with runners in scoring position and hardly anybody notices. But fall out of first and everybody does.
For example, the Reds had lost three straight games to the Houston Astros going into Sunday's game, so the post-mortem was naturally going to focus on why. And here's as big a reason as any: Reds batters were 2-for-22 with runners in scoring position.
Reds manager Bob Boone blamed the bats for Saturday's 2-1 loss, when his team was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
The Reds' batting average with runners in scoring position, going into Sunday's game, was .223 (176-for-791), the worst in baseball. Not surprisingly, the Reds won Sunday when they went 6-for-15 in that situation.
At .260 (21-for-80), slugger Adam Dunn has actually been one of the Reds' better clutch hitters. But he's been playing in a fishbowl lately, with Juan Encarnacion traded, Austin Kearns struggling (2-for-his-last-15) and Ken Griffey Jr.not returning until next week.
In the first three games of the Houston series, Dunn was called out on strikes each day with the game on the line. Because he has such a good eye, Dunn's approach is to take pitches until he gets a strike he can handle. It appears he doesn't widen his strike zone with two strikes.
Reds hitting coach Jim Lefevbre wants Dunn to widen it just a bit.
“He's very selective, to the point, maybe, that he's a little bit too selective,” Lefevbre said. “But I'm not going to try to make him become overly aggressive, where it takes away from what he has learned at a very young age. It's a very fine line.... He's starting to realize that if the umpires are going to call that pitch (a strike that is a half-inch or an inch off the plate), he is better off swinging at it. You're better off trying to put the ball in play than to come back with the bat in your hands.”
Lefevbre said Dunn has a higher percentage of called strikeouts than most hitters, although great-eye hitters are typically like that. And it's not like the umpires are ringing up Dunn just because he's a young player. He already has a reputation for his eye, and umpires respect that, Lefevbre said.
“The thinking process we want (as the hitter approaches the pitch) is that every pitch is a strike — until it's a ball,” Lefevbre said. “We want the mind ready to hit.... At 6-foot-6, Adam has tremendous reach. So, if it's barely off the plate, and it's in the hands of the umpire, you're saying, "I don't care, I can hit that pitch.'Take a whack.”
Lefevbre noted that the All-Star hub-bub and travel have likely had something to do with Dunn getting a little off kilter. Dunn had been given the day off Saturday to help him get relaxed.
Reds second baseman Todd Walker makes a good point about RISP numbers. Moreso than with batting averages, RISPs fluctuate considerably from year to year because so many fewer at-bats are involved.
For example, Reds first baseman Sean Casey has been one of baseball's best clutch hitters over his career, but he was only hitting .211 (16-for-76) this season with runners in scoring position going into Sunday's game.
“You might get 600 at-bats during the course of a year, but what do you get with runners in scoring position — 100 maybe?” Walker asked. “Anything can happen in (only) a hundred at-bats.... There's more of an element of luck involved with runners in scoring position than with (regular) batting average from year to year.”
TOE-TO-TOE: Pitchers live with the daily reality that their pitching arm and hand are their meal ticket, so they take extra care to avoid using them as much as possible away from the ballpark. Reds right-hander Scott Sullivan even goes so far as to always walk his dog with the leash in his left hand.
Most pitchers, however, don't pay as much attention to their toes, but Reds left-hander Gabe White is going to change that. After breaking the little toe on his right foot when he stubbed it on a bedpost while getting ready to go out to lunch Friday — an injury that put him on the 15-day disabled list — White has a plan.
“I'm going to start wearing boots to bed,” he said.
White is going to be difficult to replace. His 18 “holds” lead the NL. . He had stranded 22 of his last 23 inherited runners, including three bases-loaded situations.
“Those are tough shoes to fill,” said Reds closer Danny Graves, noting, however, that the bullpen is otherwise healthy and productive, and that there are a number of options.
The likely candidates for White's role, given their stuff, are middle men Scott Williamson and John Riedling, and left-hander Bruce Chen.
Reds Stories
DAUGHERTY: Grand Slam awaits Tiger
Nicklaus's lament: Can't anybody challenge Tiger?
Met doubles team scores upset
Met Tennis Schedule & Results
Enquirer High School Baseball All-Stars
• Return to Reds front page...
Dunn asked to widen strike zone
