A: Because he always bats right-handed against left-handed pitchers and left-handed against right-handed pitchers, if he didn’t hit a home run from one side or the other he would still hold the record because he is a switch-hitter. It is absurd to believe that would happen. Of his 58 homers, he has hit 36 batting left-handed and 22 batting right-handed... because, of course, he faces more right-handed pitchers than left-handers. Raleigh passed Mickey Mantle’s 54 homers in 1961, 35 left-handed and 19 right-handed.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Q: How can two challenges per game for each team with next year’s ABS in place have an impact? — JOHN Troy.
A: Just more technology force-fed into baseball by commissioner Rob Manfred, an ABS machine that to me means A Bad System. Usually there are about 300 pitches a game and studies have shown that MLB umpires miss an average of 14 balls and strikes calls a game. So a team gets two challenges? Of course, if they win the challenge, they keep it. A team could use challenges 10 times if they don’t lose both challenges. I foresee teams not using their challenges until very late when games are on the line. That’s the only impact I see.
Q: Does Reds TV broadcaster John Sadek get paid by the word because the guy rarely shuts up? — DON, Dayton.
A: There is no doubt he is loud, excitable and verbose. Is that a bad thing? He is profoundly pro-Reds, which he is paid to be. He seems to be one of those people that fans love or despise. He is fed tons of information and does a lot of his own homework and loves to share every morsel. And there isn’t a nicer guy you’ll ever meet. Personally, I find him refreshing. If you don’t like him, ear plugs are cheap.
Q: Have you read Phillip King’s book, ‘The Curious Case of the Cleveland Indians?’ — DAVE, Dayton.
A: It is one of the 300 baseball books residing on my home office shelves. Yes, I read it. And being from Akron and a Cleveland Indians (not Guardians) fan all my life, I sympathize with his lament that in our childhood the Tribe nearly always finished second to the Damn Yankees. But 1954 (when I was 14) was special with 111 wins, then it was ruined by the World Series and the four-game sweep defeat to the New York Willie Mayses.
Q: Will the Reds consider giving Andrew Abbott a contract comparable to Hunter Greene’s because Abbott pitches an entire season and Greene doesn’t? — JACK, Bellbrook.
A: I’m not one to tell anybody how to spend their money, but I found it strange that the Reds signed Greene to a multi-year contract so early in his career when they didn’t have to do it. But it is a six-year $53 million deal. At today’s rate for starting pitchers, that’s a bargain, if he stay healthy. A big if. Abbott most likely will wait for his free agency to arrive and he will be paid much more than close to $9 million a year.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Q: Has Spencer Steer become the odd man out on Reds manager Tito Francona’s team next year? — DENNIS, Centerville.
A: That remains to be seen, but it could be. I find it curious they are teaching Sal Stewart how to play first base. My guess is he starts there next season. But then not only is the question of what to do with Steer, Mr. Clutch, but what do they do with Christian Encarnacion-Strand? I know third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes catches everything in the same area code, but can the Reds afford his balsam wood bat? Third base could be Stewart’s and first base could be CES’s. Spring training should be a hoot in 2026.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Q: Do Reds hitters know what situational hitting is? — TIM, Stuttgart, Germany.
A: Do any MLB teams know what situational hitting is? Oh, they all know, but analytics tells them that bunting and hit-and-run and giving up outs by moving runners over is not good. It is all about baseball’s Three True Outcomes — home runs, walks or strikeouts. And every team knows all about that, the boring down of the game.
Q: Why is the west coast so difficult for the Reds and do other teams struggle that much? — JON, Washington, Mo.
A: If I could answer that and feed it to the Reds, I probably could retire to Tahiti. My wild guess is the extensive travel, long hours on a cramped airplane and the bed-time starting times all conspire to make even the Sacramento A’s look like the ’27 Yankees. And I’d venture to say most east coast teams suffer the same malady.
Q: Baseball has made many changes to help the hitter, but only six players are hitting above .300, so what’s the problem? — TIM, Xenia.
A: Outlawing the shift, bigger bases, the pitcher can only throw over to first base three times, pitchers have a time limit to deliver — all designed to help the hitter. Hasn’t worked. The analytics folks believe batting average is not important. It’s all about on-base and slugging percentages. Plus pitchers are throwing harder with maximum effort because they know they won’t pitch more than five or six innings. Then an even harder-throwing relief pitcher come in throwing maximum effort for an inning. The poor hitter doesn’t have a chance.
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