By Kevin Kelly
Enquirer staff writer

No matter how fast Ryan Freel runs, his reputation always beats him to the bag.

"When you're known as a base stealer, and you get on base, everybody in the park knows you're running," the Reds utility man said Wednesday. "It's a matter of when. I think that itself is a threat."

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Photos of Wednesday's game

With 27 stolen bases this season, including six in his past 10 starts, Freel leads the Reds in the category and also ranks among the National League's leaders.

Only Scott Podsednik (47), Dave Roberts (33), Bobby Abreu (31) and Juan Pierre (30) had swiped more bases in the NL entering Wednesday.

"He's done a good job for us," Reds manager Dave Miley said. "He's a guy that, when he gets on, can disrupt a pitcher more than anybody we've got."

The process of stealing a base is more involved than simply waiting for a pitcher to deliver the ball to home plate.

Freel, who has stolen 255 total bases since his professional career began in 1995, studies pitchers' tendencies and looks for flaws in their deliveries.

"It's something that you get more comfortable with as the years go on," Freel said. "You pick up moves and look at different situations and how a pitcher throws to hitters. You learn as you play more."

Aside from Freel, who has been caught eight times and is on pace to steal 35 bases this season, only second baseman D'Angelo Jimenez has stolen at least 10 bases for the Reds this season.

"Leaving spring training, (Freel) was a guy we felt was probably going to lead our club in stolen bases," Miley said.

Freel's projection would fall short of his professional best - 37 for Triple-A Durham in 2002 - but it would be of some historic significance. Freel has made 99 starts at five different positions (third base, second base, all three outfield positions) and played in 111 games overall.

The last Reds utility player to steal more than 30 bases in a season was Bip Roberts, who swiped 44 in 1992. Roberts played in 147 games - 79 as an outfielder, 78 as an infielder - that season.

"A high percentage of the time he's on his own unless he gets the hold sign," Miley said of Freel. "He's done a good job picking his spots."