Thursday, August 01, 2002
Reds Notebook: Chen's confidence up
Bruce Chen, who has a 1.96 ERA in 16 relief appearances with the Reds, is the only left-hander to make a start for the team this season. It wasn't pretty (four innings, six hits and five earned runs in the Reds' 10-3 loss to Oakland), but he is going to be in demand to work his way back into the starting rotation next season.
Chen knows that but isn't thinking about it.
“This is the first year I've done more relieving than starting,” Chen said. “But that doesn't concern me. I'm pleased that I've gotten my (pitching) mechanics fixed, and my confidence level is going up. I feel like I'm throwing the ball real well.”
He credits his revival with the Reds to the tutelage of pitching coach Don Gullett.
“He's got me in sync,” Chen said. “He removed the unnecessary movement from my motion that was causing me problems. Now I'm more on top of the ball. I was moving my head away from the target, too. I'm feeling more compact. It hasn't added any velocity, but I'm more consistent. I was throwing 87 to 91 mph, but now I'm more like 89-91.”
Chen, who is of Panamanian-Chinese ancestry (he was born in Panama City), is in search of a good Latin restaurant in Greater Cincinnati. Right-hander Jose Rijo brought a lot of food into the Reds' clubhouse over the weekend in New York, but Sean Casey, who didn't make the trip, was on him about it.
“Didn't you ever hear of a doggie bag?” Casey asked.
SETH'S BACK: Seth Etherton, the Red-turned-Yankee-turned-Red, was back in the home clubhouse Wednesday. He is rehabbing his right shoulder.
Etherton described his odyssey.
“I was (with the Reds' Triple-A farm club Louisville) in Pawtucket, R.I., when the Yankees claimed me on waivers, and I went to (the Yankees' Double-A farm club in) Norwich, Conn.,” Etherton said. “About all I had for 12 days (in the Yankees' minors) was my suitcase. The Yankee physician looked me over, gave me an MRI, and he said everything was intact. But (pitching), I did have some tendinitis - normal wear and tear on the arm - and I guess they just figured I wasn't 100 percent to pitch for them right now. They didn't want to risk it. So they sent me back.”
Etherton will be in Cincinnati for another 10-12 days, strengthening his arm.
“I assume I'll then go back down with Louisville on a rehab assignment,” he said. “I plan on being back here in September, if things go well.”
So how did it feel to be a Yankee?
“It was a different feeling,” Etherton said. “The Double-A team I was pitching for really didn't have any idea what kind of surgery I had, or what kind of rehab I needed to do. So, I'm happy to be back.”
DAYTON DEBUT: Top draft pick Chris Gruler made his Single-A debut Monday night, pitching five innings for Dayton. Gruler allowed three runs - two earned - on four hits. The right-hander also walked one and struck out four.
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Reds Notebook: Chen's confidence up
