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Cincinnati Reds Dusty Baker Pulled Francisco Cordero: He Finally Gets Me

By Cliffius on August 8th, 2010

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

Dusty Baker finally gets me. No, I mean he really, really gets me.

How difficult it must be to go to the mound and tell your closer to hit the bricks. Regardless of how dire the situation, and believe me it was dire, it still must be a gut churner.

To tell your highest paid man on the current roster that his day is over has done one of two things. It has either brought the manager to an epiphany that says “I have seen this too many times,” or “Someone has got to clean up this mess he just made.”

Pulling your closer from the game is tantamount to raising the white flag and saying, “It’s over, we’ve had enough.”

With so much emphasis put on the closer today, it puts the manager in a tough situation.

If he pulls him, he is screaming to the world that his man just doesn’t have it today. If he stays with him and allows him to build on the mess he’s made, he will most likely lose the game.

I have been hyper-critical of Coco all season long, and now it looks as though Dusty has finally come around.

When a Bronson Arroyo, Mike Leake or Johnny Cueto give way to Coco with a three run lead and a performance worthy of their scrapbook, they deserve more than to see the bases filled with singles and walks, and a winning run coming to the plate.

Remember the game against Atlanta?

The Reds were ahead 9-3 when the Braves came to bat in the bottom of the ninth. Mike Lincoln gave up four singles, Nick Massett gave up a walk and another runner reached on an error.

Dusty brought in Arthur Rhodes who promptly struck out slugger Jason Heyward for the first out of the inning with the bases loaded.

Instead of Dusty leaving Rhodes in while he was hot, he motioned for the closer. On a 2-2 pitch he served up a grand salami to pinch-hitter Brooks Conrad, losing the game 10-9.

Far too many times this season, Cordero has blown saves, loaded the bases and still got a save, and continues to be called in every time the game is on the line.

Don Cable recently wrote a comment on one of my articles stating that he didn’t understand why teams had one man that they exclusively leaned on when they were between a rock and a hard place.  I agreed with him then and more so now.

Kudos to Massett who came through in spades yesterday with the bases loaded and only one out. A $1M man picking up a $12M man, go figure.

I know there have been times this season when Cordero pitched flawlessly. But too many times has his pitch count gone over 30 for one inning. He is constantly walking at least one and giving up a hit or two every time out of the pen.

Baker needs to give the ball over to Rhodes, Massett and rookie Jordan Smith more at the end of the game.

I have said it before and I will say it again. We simply will not win the division with Cordero remaining the exclusive closer.

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St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds: Comparisons By Position

By Cliffius on August 8th, 2010

The Reds and Cards are in one of the longest running one and two pennant races in history. Neither team can really put substantial distance between themselves and the other.

Both squads have strong talent and deep rosters.

Let’s take a look at the way the teams stack up against each other, position by position.

CATCHER

Yadier Molina is one of the best defensive catchers in the game. His average has dropped this season to .243 and his run production has dropped as well.

The Reds do not have a “true” starting catcher. They rotate (not platoon) Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hanigan, and with the production they get from the duo places them high on the list in both leagues.

Advantage: REDS

FIRST BASE

Albert Pujols is arguably the best player in the game today, and has been for a few years. He is a rare bird indeed, blending excellent power with a high average.

Prince Albert is currently batting .305 and is second in the NL in home runs and RBI. He is also second in the league in OBP.

His counterpart Joey Votto is only in his third full year in the majors. He has a legitimate chance at winning the Triple Crown this year, and is having an MVP-type season himself.

He leads the league with a .324 average and OBP at .423. He is currently tied for second with Pujols in home runs with 27 and is fifth in RBI.

Advantage: EVEN

SECOND BASE

Skip Schumaker ranks near the bottom in almost all offensive categories for second basemen. A natural outfielder, he was relegated to the middle infield position last season.

The Reds Brandon Phillips made the All-Star team for the first team this year and leads the league in runs scored and is second in total hits. Many people see him as the best defensive second baseman in the National League.

Advantage: REDS

THIRD BASE

Cardinal rookie David Freese was having an exceptional season until injuries forced him to the DL. He re-injured himself in a rehab game and it is unknown how long he will be out. Journeyman, Felipe Lopez is taking his place at the hot corner in the interim.

Scott Rolen has won seven Gold Glove Awards and is enjoying his best season since 2006 when he was still with St. Louis. He is hitting .299 with 18 HR and 62 RBI.

Advantage: REDS

SHORTSTOP

Brendan Ryan has played the majority of the season at shortstop for the Cards. He is batting .223 with two HR and 21 RBI.

Reds shortstop Orlando Cabrera came to the Reds just prior to Spring Training and has been a welcome addition. He is the missing link which makes the Reds the best infield in the National League.

He is batting .260 with three HR and 37 RBI, and has been a decent hitter in the clutch.

Advantage: REDS

LEFT FIELD

Matt Holiday has been on fire lately. Since July 18, he has hit 15 HR and driven in 40 while batting ,318.with an OBP of .393.

Prior to the All-Star break Gomes was batting near .300 and was in the top five in RBI in the NL. He has since slid downward to the .275 range with 66 RBI.

Advantage: CARDINALS

CENTER FIELD

Rookie Colby Rasmus is batting .276 with 18 HR and 47 RBI.
Reds rookie Drew Stubbs is batting only .226 with 13 HR but leads Rasmus in RBI with 49.

Advantage: CARDINALS

RIGHT FIELD

John Jay has taken over the reigns in right field after Ryan Ludwick was traded in July. In only 123 AB Jay is batting .366

Reds under-achiever Jay Bruce is batting .254 with 10 HR and 41 RBI.

Advantage: REDS (slightly)

STARTING PITCHERS

Adam Wainwright, Cris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, newly acquired Jake Westbrook, and Jeff Suppan is certainly one of the most formidable rotations in the Major League. The Cards ERA for their starters leads the league at 3.32. They are 45-32 and have held the opposition to a BA of .260. Wainwright has the lone shutout for the Cards this year.

The Reds have had many different starters this season. Their current rotation of Johnny Cueto, Bronson Arroyo, Mike Leake, Travis Wood, and Edinson Volquez could almost be called Bronson and the Babies.

The starters stats for the Reds are as follows: 41-28 with an ERA of 4.07 with an opposing BA of only .256. Homer Bailey and Cueto have the only two shutouts for the Reds this year, ironically back-to-back.

Advantage: CARDINALS (slightly)

BULLPEN

The Cardinal bullpen has not been their strong suit this season. Kyle McClellan, Blake Hawksworth, Mike MacDougal, Dennis Reyes, and Trever Miller are all front men for closer Ryan Franklin.

Their bullpen is only credited with 23 saves in 31 opportunites with an ERA of 3.71 with an OBA of .252

The Reds bullpen has been toyed with all season with men being sent back and forth to Triple-A Louisville. It is currently stocked by Sir Arthur Rhodes, Nick Massett, Logan Ondrusek, Bill Bray, and Jordan Smith with Francisco Cordero in charge of heart attacks and strokes.

They are credited with 31 saves in 42 chances and have posted an ERA of 3.99 while holding the opposition to a .251 BA.

Advantage: EVEN

BENCH

The Reds have a stronger bench by far. Chris Heisey, Layne Nix, Miguel Cairo, Paul Janish, Juan Francisco, and either Hernandez or Hanigan make choices alot easier for Manager Dusty Baker.

The Cards bench is lead by Randy Winn, Jason LaRue, Aaron Miles, and Aaron Craig.

Advantage: REDS

You may draw your own conclusions, but any way you dissect it, the teams matchup very well. It should be a nail-biting finish to a wonderful season.

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Travis Wood Flirts with Pefection; Reds Drop 3rd Straight

By Cliffius on July 11th, 2010

Saturday night, Travis Wood nearly became the first pitcher in MLB history to pitch a perfect game within his first three appearances in the major league.

On April 30, 1922 Charlie Robertson of the Chicago White Sox, in just his 5th MLB appearance, threw a perfect game against the Detroit Tigers, at the age of 26.

Wood, 23,  pitched flawlessly, needing no spectacular efforts from his defense, as he handcuffed the Phillies through 8 innings. Carlos Ruiz ruined the perfect game and the no-hitter with a double in the gap in left-center.

That was the only mistake he made all evening. Manager Dusty Baker lifted him after the 9th with the game still scoreless.

His counterpart knows a little about perfection himself. Roy Halladay was pitching for the Phillies and had the Reds in check through nine with only 5 hits and 1 walk.

The game went into overtime for the third night in a row. The Phillies had won both previous nights with a walk-off HR. Last night, Jimmy Rollins singled in the game winner in the bottom of the 11th.

From about the third inning, Wood was as lonely as an astronaut circling the dark side of the moon solo. The players, as is tradition, left the young left-hander alone with his thoughts throughout the remainder of the game.

Wood settled with 9 innings of 1 hit baseball, with 8 strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 2.18. He threw 109 pitchers, 74 of them for strikes.

The Philadelphia fans who have earned a reputation of being the roughest on players in the game, gave Wood a standing ovation as he came off the field at the end of the 9th inning.

The Reds did not lose any ground in the NL Central due to the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Houston Astros.

The Reds will try to avoid a 4-game sweep as they send another rookie, Matt Maloney to the mound against Cole Hamels in a battle of southpaws.

The All-Star break will keep both teams idle until Thursday.

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2010 MLB All Star Rosters: Atlanta’s Jason Heyward Is Worst Pick On NL Team

By Cliffius on July 7th, 2010

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

What in the name of Babe Ruth is Jason Heyward doing on the National League All-Star squad? Were the voters drunk when they voted or what?

Did he make the starting team because of his stellar performance? Don’t make me laugh, eh.

Let’s look at his numbers for a minute. Currently, he is ranked 74th in the NL in batting with a .251 mark. That’s impressive, yes?

He is 42nd in the league with 11 HR and 31st in RBI with 45.

He ranks dead last in starting right-fielders in the league in AVG, is in a three-way tie for fifth place in HR, and ranks fifth in RBI. We are talking right-fielders only folks, not all outfielders.
What about those numbers has an All-Star ring to it?

He started out the gate with a full head of steam, hitting a HR and driving in four in his pro debut.

He has been as inconsistent as can be imagined, fluttering between .176 and .300, but has been in a nose-dive since June 10, dropping from .272 daily to his current .251.

His reputation certainly preceded him, as everyone thought he was “all that.” The fans seemed to rush to the MLB sites to cast their vote for the “J-Hay Kid.”

This particular case clearly gives credence to having the voting on

ly for a

couple of weeks, maybe in late June. The first few weeks of a season are not nearly enough to allow someone to make a valid decision on the “best of the rest.”

It must be disappointing to a player who has worked his ass off (enter Jonny Gomes) and is finally one of the leaders in the three basic statistics for the outfield.

Heyward has no business whatsoever being associated with the game. He is currently on the DL and I believe should be still on the shelf for the ASG. All that notwithstanding, the man has not earned a place on the squad. It will show in his resume that he made the All-Star team in his rookie year.

Many people, myself included, are crying about the legalized thuggery perpetrated on Joey Votto by voters and Charlie Manuel alike. Even as much as Votto belongs there, I believe that Heyward does not belong there perhaps more.

The entire procedure for selecting an All-Star team needs to be reworked. Fans, by and large, aren’t knowledgeable enough to make educated choices, as the curious case of Jason Heyward illustrates in living color

.

If the fans should be able to vote, no more weight should be given to it than say, 25-30 percent.

The game was originally intended to showcase the best players in both leagues, not rookies who have “great prospect” written all over them, or players who usually have good seasons (hi Joe Mauer and Ryan Braun).

Players are pulling out of the game and the HR Derby at an alarming rate. It is getting to be the Midsummer Disgrace instead of Classic.

Bud (Judge Landis wannabe) Selig messed it up a few years ago by allowing the winning league to host the World Series opening game.

So far the only thing that has been done that makes sense is having Arthur Rhodes selected to the National League team.

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Cincinnati Reds Observations: Thanks To Oakland A’s for Oiling New Red Machine

By Cliffius on June 26th, 2010

Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

If the New Red Machine needed servicing, vis-à-vis an oil change, they got it at the right time.

Fresh (or shall I say stale) from a sweep at the hands of the lowly Seattle Mariners, the Reds borrowed the broom from the M’s and took it to Oakland with them.

They swept the A’s, salvaging a split of the six-game road trip.

Being only a half-game behind the division leading St. Louis Cardinals, the Reds welcomed the hapless Cleveland Indians to Great American Ball Park. With the Cards losing to Kansas City and the Reds dominant performance against the Tribe in game one, the Reds find themselves atop the NL Central once again.

It is a much better view looking down at the Redbirds and not up.

Aaron Harang pitched a quality game as he gave up only three runs and eight hits in seven innings. The blemish on the performance was the uncharacteristic five walks he issued.

Brandon Phillips, who switched places with Orlando Cabrera in the order, was 2-for-5 with a run scored. Cabrera had identical numbers. Scott Rolen smashed a two-run jack in the second inning to give the Reds a 2-0 lead which they never relinquished.

Logan Ondrusek and Micah Owings pitched near flawless relief to close the show. It was so refreshing to have a big lead in the ninth and not see it squandered.

Side Notes

What the hell do we need with “Lil Sarge?” Seriously, did Dusty’s friendship with the real Sarge have anything to do with that? The man is clearly shot, and will be brought up and will take time from Jonny Gomes, Laynce Nix, Drew Stubbs, and Chris Heisey.

Gary Matthews, Jr. only had one really decent year, and the Mets threw him on the scrap heap a week ago. When did we become junkmen or BFI investigators (trashmen)? It really bothers me that Jocketty gave him even a minor league contract. He will turn out to be the resurrection of Corey Patterson and Willy Taveras all in one.

Jay Bruce has had three multi-hit games in a row. During that time he is batting .800 with three RBI.

Heisey is only batting .250 with one HR and two RBI when he plays and is batting .400 with three HR and three RBI in only 10 PH appearances.

Gomes had cooled just a bit before the final game with Oakland. Since then he is batting .364, with two RBI. He is currently in fourth place in the NL with 51 RBI.

The month of June has not been friendly to Coco Cordero. In 10 appearances he has 10 IP, given up six ER, one HR, five BB and has an Earnie of 5.40. He has four saves and blown two saves, but not to worry, the offense bailed him out both times allowing him to back-up to a win in both cases.

It will be nice to have Edinson Volquez back in the rotation in a couple weeks. Sam LeCure will probably be shipped to Louisville when he arrives. The bullpen has improved but stills needs improvement.

All-Star Voting

Joey Votto is currently in fifth place. I can’t believe he is trailing both Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder.

Phillips, Cabrera, and Rolen are all fifth at their respective positions. That is tough to swallow.

Gomes, though leading left fielders in most offensive categories, is currently 14th in voting for all outfielders.

I would like to see the voting go to the players, managers, and coaches. They see who the best players are and if the voters were not allowed to vote for their own players, a better All-Star team would be fielded.

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Stephen Strasburg: The Washington Nationals Next Bob Gibson or Mark Fidrych?

By Cliffius on June 24th, 2010

Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Is Stephen Strasburg a good pitcher? Absolutely.

Isn’t his ERA Bob Gibson-ish? So far, so good.

Is he a great pitcher? It is too early to say.

Four starts, three of them quality starts, is not enough sampling to put a Cy Young crown on his head, and begin preparation for his Cooperstown enshrinement.

He has looked fantastic in his less-than-handful of starts, and I applaud him. In 50 years of watching this game, I have seen some would-be-greats come and go.

When Jay Bruce was called up to the Cincinnati Reds at the end of May in 2008, “Brucemania” took over the Queen City and most of baseball.

In his first 12 games he was batting .457, with an OBP of .554, with three HR, 11 RBI, and 14 runs. Immediate comparisons of Mickey Mantle ensued, and since he cooled off during his rookie campaign, the only thing left that resembles Mantle is his strikeout proclivity.

Before you start screaming at me, I am not wishing failure or anything negative for Strasburg. I am only suggesting that we let the kid breathe while he is getting his sea legs.

The Reds have a pitcher doing time on the farm. Maybe you have heard of him—Aroldis Chapman. A flame-throwing southpaw who throws so hard you can hear it. Everybody associated with the Reds thought he would be an early or mid-season call up.

Chapman is now 5-5 with a 4.12 ERA with AAA affiliate Louisville. He pitched in relief of Edinson Volquez yesterday, and now has the brass looking at him as a possible bullpen resident.

I have heard the buzz about the possibility of Strasburg being selected to the All-Star team. That is ludicrous. The man has a season (career) total of 25.1 innings of MLB work thus far, hardly a resume suitable to stand alongside Albert Pujols and Hanley Ramirez.

Strasburg has looked as impressive as anybody who has been handpicked to play with the big boys. In those 25 innings he has a record of 2-1 with a beautiful ERA of 1.78, 41 Ks, and only five walks. He has been touched for only two long balls, and his WHIP is a microscopic 0.947.

In 1976 the Detroit Tigers brought up a rookie by the name of Mark “The Bird” Fidrych (may he rest in peace). He looked like he was going straight to Cooperstown, no question.

In his first 14 games he was 10-2, with an ERA of 1.60 and a WHIP of 0.999 in 112 innings. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in the American League, and finish second in CY voting with a 19-9 record and a 2.34 ERA.

So what happened to The Bird and “Birdmania?” Injuries. Knee problems were the first indicators of what was to be, followed eventually by a torn rotator cuff. He finished his career in 1980 with only 29 big league wins and a 3.10 ERA.

Gone was the glory, gone was his corner in Cooperstown, he never won seven games in a season following his rookie year. He was killed by his own dump truck in 2009 at the young age of 54.

So, let us give room and breathing space to young Strasburg. He needs to be a kid, and experience the feelings of the game and not be hounded by the press after every outing.

Fame and glory are fleeting things at best. In the Holy Bible we are given a snapshot of the shortness of life by James, “What do you know about tomorrow? How can you be so sure about your life? It is nothing more than mist that appears for only a little while before it disappears.” (James 4:14 Contemporary English Version).

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Is Yonder Alonso Ready for the Cincinnati Reds, or a Year Away?

By Cliffius on March 19th, 2010

D062429096.jpgPhoto by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

I know the few weeks in spring training is insufficient time to make a detailed performance rating, but if not now, when?

Yonder Alonso is not striking fear in the Reds opponents, or his competitors at his prospective position(s).

Through games of Thursday night, Alonso is batting .125/.125/.188. That is well below any Mendoza line that has ever been drawn. He has scored one run with no RBI at all. His strikeouts are again a point of concern (as well as it is with other Reds youngsters). He has whiffed on 5 of 16 AB.

Joey Votto has first base locked up because of his two excellent years with the Reds. Any talk of putting Alonso at another position is growing dimmer by the game.

There is such a fusion of power and speed in left field that Jonny Gomes would be holding the high cards at the moment. He belted his team high third homer last night, a two-run shot that coupled with a single raised his cactus league average to .333/.333/.741.

Another mention made earlier by the Reds was to try Alonso at third base. Scott Rolen is going to be in the opening day lineup, barring an injury, which with him is always a heartbeat away.

Juan Fransisco would look like the heir-apparent when (not if) Rolen has to climb up on the shelf. He is currently batting .286/.318/.619, with 2 HR 4 RBI and 4 R.

Experiments are being done with Francisco in left field, but again, the number of applicants there makes you wonder why we would want to train Francisco while with the mother ship. After all, that is what our farm squads are for, yes?

Right field would be considered Jay Bruce‘s territory, so Alonso wouldn’t be a true candidate their either.

It looks to me like Alonso should be sent down to Louisville to continue his seasoning, with maybe a trip back up if Votto goes down, or just to take another look at him later.

He may be pressing too hard to win the favor of management, but for whatever reason, he is a far cry at this juncture, from what his supporters expected.  Too much praise on one individual who
has not even competed at the AAA level yet.

Again, a couple handfuls of games is a rough way to gauge someone, but that is all we have in the spring.

He enjoyed an outstanding college career with the Miami Hurricanes, but his minor league work has been good but not spectacular by any means.

Cliff Eastham is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report.

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Cincinnati Reds Cactus League Report: Good, Bad and Ugly

By Cliffius on March 16th, 2010

Cactus League Report

The Reds beat up the Diamondbacks today, 13-7, while collecting 14 hits. Drew Stubbs, Jay Bruce, and Miguel Cairo had two hits each, while Bruce and Paul Janish each contributed his second homer of the spring.

The Good

Bruce is continuing to show what he is really made of. He hit his second homer of the spring off Edwin Jackson in the third inning. He is currently batting .391 while striking out only four times in 23 AB.

Stubbs finally broke out of his shell with a 2-for-3 performance against Arizona with 2 RBI. The one game brought his average up 74 points to .174. He’s hardly burning up the league, but at least he is showing signs of life.

Drew Sutton raised his average to .385 with a 1-for-2 outing while playing third base today.

Janish continued playing well, raising his average to .364 by hitting his second homer of the spring. He looks like he is making Orlando Cabrera work to keep his job. Janish only has hit two homers in his 90 games with the Reds during the regular season.

The Bad

Scott Rolen is having a terrible spring, batting only .176, and he’s without a hit since March 8 against Kansas City.

The Ugly

Brandon Phillips continues to struggle at the plate. He wore a size three collar today, making him 2-for-20 during the spring.

When is Yonder Alonso going to show some promise? Through Tuesday’s game, he is batting an anemic .071 with five strikeouts in 14 AB. He has shown no power and no run production at all.

Other news

Juan Francisco didn’t get to make any plays in left field. The wind was blowing badly, and he nearly fell while chasing a foul ball into the fence. The way Rolen is playing, the Reds may need him at third base.

Aroldis Chapman is scheduled to make his first start of the spring on Wednesday against Milwaukee.

Cliff Eastham is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report

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Caesar Cliffius’ Boxing Wish List

By Cliffius on March 16th, 2010

Boxing Wish List

Boxing has been dubbed “The Sweet Science”. Ever wonder what is so sweet about it?

I don’t particularly think it is sweet, but it is one of my favorite sports. I hate it that big money has taken it over and is driving it on a dangerous road.

I always wondered why the scoring was so secretive, know what I mean? It is the only real sport where you can’t look up and see what the score is, or even who is ahead.

I think it was experimented with but left to die in the desert dust.

With that as a background I want to give you my wish list for boxing.

Number 5 – I wish they would post the judges scores at the end of each round.


Number 4 - I wish they didn’t have to have a PR tour with every mega fight. It gets old and tired, you become worn out with them before the fight even gets near.

Number 3 – I wish to see unification of all the different organizations. It is not cool to have four or five Welterweight champions. What’s up with that?

Number 2 – I wish to call and end to the light and super weight classes. There is currently 17 weight classes. Featherweight today, Junior Lightweight this afternoon. Totally ridiculous. Wouldn’t a Junior Middleweight be the same as a Super Welterweight? Just sayin’. In 1924 there was nine weight classes.

Number 1 – I wish I knew how Max Kellerman got as far as he has in boxing broadcasting.

Chew on those for a while and more food for thought will follow later.

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Juan Francisco Takes His Turn in Left Field for the Cincinnati Reds

By Cliffius on March 15th, 2010

D062429150.jpg

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

The Reds have Scott Rolen locked in at third base which is the normal position for power-hitting youngster Juan Francisco.

Francisco gets a crack at joining the overcrowded group battling for left field on Tuesday. He has played third base and left field in his four year minor league career.

The man can hit home runs that is for certain. He hit two homers on Saturday against the Cubs and is batting .267 after wearing a size three collar today against the Oakland A’s.

The 22-year old joins Joey Votto and Jay Bruce as a power hitter from the left side of the plate.

On a possible switch to left field, Francisco said, “I feel really comfortable with it,”  with teammate Yonder Alonso translating the Spanish. “Thank God that in the Dominican, I was able to play it a lot. I’m excited to play over there.”

There is already a logjam of young talent in the outfield with Drew Stubbs and Chris Dickerson battling for the center-field spot, and Jonny Gomes, Dickerson, Todd Frazier, Daniel Dorn and Chris Heisey and Layne Nix in left.

Francisco averaged 25 HR each full year in the minors. He could be a left-handed Edwin Encarnacion as far as that goes. Double E was good for 20-25 HR each year, though his glove was erratic.

His one issue — strikeouts. There were only 24 walks last season compared to 115 strikeouts in the Minors.

Cliff Eastham is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report