A: Not true. He threw a pitch 101.7 miles per hour before the surgery. And The Six Million Dollar Man is a piker and a pauper compared to Ohtani and his $700 million contract. To me, he is more like The Hulk and I expect him to start turning green any time soon, probably from $100 bills rubbing off on him.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Q: Will MLB ever adopt the two bases at first base, one inside the foul line and one outside the foul line? — RICK, Carlisle.
A: There has been no ground swell for it, no discussion. The inside bag is for the first baseman and the outside one is for the runner. It prevents runners from stepping on the foot or ankle of the first baseman. It doesn’t happen often, but does happen. If it prevents a couple of sprained or spiked or broken ankles, it’s worth it. But it makes too much sense for MLB to be progressive and adopt it.
Q: Which was the biggest blunder by the Reds, the signing of Mike Moustakas or the signing of Jeimer Candelario? — GREG, Liberty Twp.
A: That’s like asking which tastes worse, castor oil or pickle juice. Both were awful signings and are co-leaders in my clubhouse. They both were signed for a lot of money and produced zero return. The Reds need to stay away from giving mid-level players big contracts and stick with developing their own players, which they have done fairly well recently.
Q: Nick Martinez twice recently pitched out of the bullpen between starts on his bullpen throw days, so why don’t MLB teams do this regularly? — DAN, Kettering.
A: I have long wondered this myself when during a game I see a starting pitcher throw in the bullpen a couple of days before his next start. To me he is wasting pitches he could throw for an inning or two in a game. Hey, maybe the Reds are on to something and can be innovators. MLB teams are great copiers of anything another team does successfully.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Q: Now that every team plays every team in the other league, 76 interleague games, do you believe it skewers division races? — TIM, Centerville.
A: No, just the opposite. When they only played 52 interleague games, every team didn’t play the same teams in the other league. So some schedules were weaker than others. That definitely played havoc with division standings. Now they play everybody the same number of games to put every team on a level playing field. But I still despise interleague play. When the World Series arrives, the two contestants have already played each other six times. No mystery.
Q: Reds broadcaster Jeff Brantley says he has a book analyzing every umpire’s tendencies, so why doesn’t he share that with the Reds before a game? — MELANIE, Troy.
A: In addition to great stuff Brantley had on his pitches, that’s one of the many reasons The Cowboy was such a great relief pitcher. He is a deep details guy. And that’s what makes him my favorite TV and radio analyst. I’m not sure he doesn’t share that information and I’m certain he would if the pitchers asked. He shares it with us on the air.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Q: Cleveland outfielder Steven Kwan’s glove looks like a bushel basket, so is there still a size limitation on an outfielder’s glove? — STOCC, Miamisburg.
A: Remember when the original Cincinnati Red Stockings played barehanded? Remember when gloves barely cover a player’s hand and resembled a garden mitten? Now gloves resemble a jai-alai player’s cesta (huge glove). Yes, there is a size limitation. The glove can be no longer than 13 inches. Some appear much longer and perhaps instead of checking a pitcher’s hands between innings the umpires should pull out a tape measure and check random outfielders gloves.
Q Has any player ever hit a perfect cycle in which each hit was in order — single double, triple, home run? — STEVE, Waynesville.
A: That’s called a Natural Cycle, extremely rare. But it has happened 14 times, the last time by Gary Matthews Jr. in 2006 for the Texas Rangers. His more famous father never did it. But the coolest Natural Cycle was hit in old Cleveland Stadium by Leon Culberson of the 1943 Boston Red Sox. He singled. He doubled. He tripled. He needed the home run. He hit a line drive to left field and Pat Seery dove for the ball. It ticked off his glove and rolled to the fence. By time time Seery retrieved it, Culberson had a home run and his cycle. It was the only cycle ever that included an inside the park home run.
Q: What was the line you used when the Reds traded Dave Parker to Oakland for pitchers Jose Rijo and Tim Birtsas? — JOHN, Fairfield.
A: It was a line that pretty much turned out to be true. I wrote, “The Reds received two good arms in the trade, but unfortunately they both belong to Rijo.” Rijo was one of the Reds best all-time pitchers, won two games in the 1990 World Series and provides me with his own brand, “Jose Rijo Cigars.”
About the Author