A: Was it a home run? Yes. Did Greene throw the pitch? Yes. So even if he bounced the pitch and it was hit over the wall, it is a home run and it goes on his record as a home run allowed. So Sadek was accurate is saying Greene allowed a home run. It’s called semantics.
Q: Reds pitcher Tejay Antone is trying to come back after three Tommy John surgeries, so has any pitcher ever done it? — ALAN, Sugarcreek Twp.
A: Antone would be the second and what a heart-warming story that would be. Relief pitcher Johnny Venters pitched from 2010 to 2012 with Atlanta. He made the All-Star team in 2011 (6-2, 1.84) and appeared in 86 games. Probably too many. He underwent three Tommy Johns and didn’t make it back until 2018. He appeared in only 24 games in 2018 and 2019 with Tampa Bay, back with Atlanta and finished with Washington. Let’s hope Antone has a better return as the second pitcher to come back from Tommy John surgery.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Q: Is there any chance Kyle Schwarber could be wearing a Cincinnati Reds uniform next year? — JODY, Beavercreek.
A: Only if he poses in a Reds uniform for a gag photograph. He grew up in Middletown as a Reds fan and has said he’d love to play for Cincinnati, but he also said he prefers to re-sign with the Phillies. And the Reds could only afford him if they could give him the Carew Tower, the Brent Spence Bridge and the Montgomery Inn.
Q: Has any MLB team gone an entire season without being swept in a series? — GREG, Beavercreek.
A: It is not as rare as one might think. And it’s probably why the Cincinnati Reds are not making a big deal out of not being swept yet this season. The Atlanta Braves have done it three times this century (2002, 2004, 2022). The latest to accomplish it was the 2023 Baltimore Orioles. Then they were swept by the Texas Rangers in the ALDS. Still, it would be a nifty accomplishment for the Reds, if it leads to postseason play.
Q: Who picks the starting pitchers, the manager or the pitching coach? — GARY, Lebanon.
A: Most fans seem to believe they could do a better job. Every team has a starting rotation of five pitchers and they pitch in order every fifth day. If one is injured or one is doing poorly, the manager and pitching coach sit down and figure out what pitcher moves into the rotation and where. But in nearly all cases, it’s the manager who makes the final call, as he does for every player and every position... right or wrong.
Q: I notice often that when the visiting team does something good, fans in Great American Ball Park cheer, so are they malcontents reveling in the misfortunes of the Reds? — JOHN, Troy.
A: Fans are fans, mostly front-runners. Do good, they cheer. Do bad, they boo. It is the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately mentality. And not every fan in Great American Ball Park is a Reds fan. The Cubs, Yankees and Cardinals always have fans and they express their pleasure or displeasure based on what their teams do.
Q: Why is the third base position called the hot corner? — JIMMY, Kettering.
A: If they would permit it, you could stand at third base during batting practice and in about a minute and a half you’d know why. The hardest-hit balls in a game usually are those pulled by a right-handed batter toward third base. And the third baseman is the closest fielder to the batter. It’s baseball’s hot spot. It is also why when a player can’t field a hard-hit ball, the announcer says it was too hot to handle.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Q: If they implement the robot ABS to call balls and strikes, will catchers stop trying to frame pitches? — JAY, Tipp City.
A: I’ve always wondered why catchers do that, but they all do on every outside pitch, inside pitch, low pitch or high pitch. They quickly move their catcher’s mitt to the center of the strike zone as if the umpire can’t see. If I umpired, that would tick me off and I’d call it a ball just to spite the catcher. Then I’d get fired. With ABS, “framing” will be even more non-sensical and hopefully catchers will cease and desist. And do you know who “invented” framing? According to former umpire Joe West, it was Johnny Bench.
Q: Were there any redeeming qualities to the cookie-cutter Riverfront Stadium? — GEORGE, Morton Grove, Ill.
A: Put it this way, I gave it a standing ovation when I witnessed its implosion in 2002. I was that thrilled to see the ol’ lady go. Selfishly speaking, the press box was a mess. They installed the windows too high and had to put in some boards to lift our chairs so we could see through those windows. They sometimes found dead rats under the boards. And they neglected to install windows that would open. So we heard no crowd noise. When it was hot outside, the air conditioning inside was too cold. When it was cold outside, the heat in the press box was too hot. The elevators constantly broke down and the media dining room was terrible. And everybody hated the AstroTurf. Other than that, a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to play baseball there.
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