Saturday, September 07, 2002
Reds Notebook: Graves balks at starting
By John Fay jfay@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MILWAUKEE - Danny Graves could become a starter as soon as Tuesday. Maybe. Reds manager Bob Boone is pretty set on the idea, but Graves is reluctant to make the switch from closer to starter during the season.
“I think you have to be convinced on something like this,” Graves said. “I'm not 100 percent convinced. I lay in bed thinking about it. It's made it hard to sleep.”
Graves is more than willing to make the move next season. He's confident that after an offseason of building up innings, he can be a good starter.
“I think I can be similar to (Boston's) Derek Lowe,” Graves said. “I'm not saying I'm going to go (18-7), but we have similar stuff.”
But right now, Graves says he isn't ready. There's some history there. In 1997, the Cleveland Indians tried to make Graves a starter at Triple-A Buffalo, and he ended up with shoulder problems.
“That's in the back of my mind,” Graves said. “I'm 100 percent convinced (starting) hurt my shoulder. You might be on a pitch count and only throw 60 pitches and not feel it, but you don't recover.”
Graves wouldn't rule out making the start, but he wants to talk about it with Boone and Reds pitching coach Don Gullett.
It will take some convincing.
“Right now, I don't feel like I can do it physically,” Graves said.
AND THE CLOSER? If Graves starts, who closes? Right-handers Scott Williamson, Joey Hamilton and John Riedling will be considered.
“It would give me a chance to audition closers,” Boone said.
Put your money on Williamson, who has allowed only 14 hits while striking out 32 in 28 innings since the All-Star break. His ERA in that span is 1.27.
AARON OUT: Third baseman Aaron Boone was out of the starting lineup Friday for only the sixth time in the Reds' 140 games. Boone is the only Red to have in each of the first 139 games.
That's quite a thing, considering he played in 103 games last year and 84 in 2000. The 139 games, in fact, equal his career high, set in 1999.
“I've had freak things happen to me,” Boone said, referring to last year, when he broke bones in his hand three different times after being hit by a pitch. “I take a lot of pride in taking care of myself in the offseason and during the season. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come.”
ETHERTON THROWS: Seth Etherton, the right-hander who has been rehabilitating his shoulder for the last two seasons, threw 60 pitches in a simulated game Friday.
“He threw good,” Bob Boone said. “He surprised me. He wasn't very good on the sideline the other day. (But Friday), he had a nice breaking ball, good command. He threw 86, 87 (mph).”
The plan is to have Etherton throw simulated sessions every fifth day. He'll go to the Instructional League after the season and make a few starts.
Etherton, a former No.1 pick who went 5-1 with the Anaheim Angels in 2000, hopes to contend for the Reds' rotation next spring.
“That's what I'm striving for,” he said.
UP NEXT: The Reds play the Brewers today in the second game of their three-game series. Reds left-hander Shawn Estes (5-11, 4.56) faces Brewers right-hander Nick Neugebauer (1-4, 4.81) in a 7:05 p.m. game.
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Reds Notebook: Graves balks at starting
