A It’s the difference between “wow” and “yawn,” something you obviously know nothing about because most of your questions are yawners. It was worth it to see Bruce’s reaction when he hit the home run, the fans’ excitement, the players’ excitement on the field. It is really what the game is all about — winning something on your own, not backing in because the other team fails.
Q Through all your years covering baseball, what team and player did you most enjoy covering? — Jamie, Kettering
A All of ’em and all the players. Covering any baseball game, team or player is my pleasure. Put a gun to my head — and it doesn’t have to be loaded — and I’d say the 1975 Reds team, especially the World Series. Player? Has to be Pete Rose, for a whole, whole, whole bunch of reasons and many of them not pertaining to baseball.
Q What was your favorite moment from the championship celebration Tuesday night? — Jacki, Dayton
A When Homer Bailey couldn’t find me. He asked me Tuesday, “Why didn’t you cover the clinch game?” When I said I was there, he said, “I was looking for you with a champagne shampoo, but couldn’t find you.” When I asked what I did to deserve that, he said, “You’ve been around forever and I thought you should be part of the celebration.” How nice — but I think he just wanted revenge for some of my harsh words early in his career.
Q Who will have the brighter career, Jay Bruce or Joey Votto? — Neil, East Granby, Conn.
A That’s like asking who will be better, Derek Jeter or A-Rod. From this vantage point, barring major injuries, both are can’t-miss. What people forget is that Jay Bruce is only 23. When I was 23 I was a year out of college and hoping I’d make enough money to buy two White Castle burgers instead of one.
Q What would be your pitching order for the playoffs, especially if Homer Bailey and Edinson Volquez continue their recent dominance? — Mike, Houston
A The first two are easy because they are facing Philadelphia, a dominantly left-handed hitting team. Bronson Arroyo starts Game 1 and Travis Wood starts Game 2 because he is left-handed and nearly pitched a perfect game against the Phillies. Personally, because of make-up, experience and recent success, I’d go with Volquez in Game 3. Pitching, though, isn’t something I ever mastered. I never could throw a curveball and my fastball was masked as a change-up.
Q Bobby Thomson’s game-winning home run in 1951 is referred to as, “The shot heard ’round the world.” I thought that was when the British redcoats fired on colonists and started the Revolutionary War. Which is correct? — Mike, Enon
A Whatever you want it to be. It always refers to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand to start World War I. Let’s call Thomson’s shot the baseball shot heard ’round the world. It certainly ended Dodger pitcher Ralph Branca’s world that day.
Q When did all this, ‘You must have a new ball in place at all times’ start? When did pitchers start wanting clean baseballs instead of scuffed ones, and when did Bud Selig want new balls served up for the steroids junkies? — Gary, Bjerkvik, Norway
A It’s no problem in Norway, right? Just use snowballs. They’re always white. Hey, I began covering baseball in 1973 and back then they used baseballs like gumballs falling out of a machine. Major league baseballs are made in Costa Rica and maybe they’re helping that country’s economy by using so many baseballs.
Q Wouldn’t you agree that the current team under Bob Castellini and Walt Jocketty is more stable that the ones that failed after the 1995 championship team? — Andrew, Muncie, Ind.
A Not even close. After ’95, it was all downhill because owner Marge Schott destroyed the farm system and general manager Jim Bowden made some incredibly bad decisions. With the current rebuilt farm system and the ownership/leadership in place, baseball fans across America are going to regain respect for the Reds instead of laughing and saying, “Did you use to play baseball in Cincinnati?”
Q Given Jay Bruce’s title-clinching home runs, give us your memorable home runs — Johnny Bench against the Pirates in 1972 or Tony Perez’s against the Red Sox in 1975? — Michael, Dayton
A Wrong and wrong. Bench and Perez, two of my all-time favorites as players and friends, were memorable. Neither, though, came close to the home run Boston’s Carlton Fisk hit in the 12th inning of the sixth game of the 1975 World Series to beat the Reds. Everybody remembers that home run. What many don’t remember is that the Reds came back to win Game 7 and the World Series, but Fisk’s home run became the logo for the ’75 Series.
Q The Reds have a nine-game World Series winning streak — the last game in 1975, then four straight in both 1976 and 1990. What’s the record for most World Series wins in a row? — Brad, Dayton
A You made me sneeze rummaging through dusty archives, but the New York Yankees once won 13 games in a row — winning four straight in 1927, 1928 and 1932, and winning one in 1936. Did it surprise anybody that it was the Damn Yankees?
Q I heard something about the Philadelphia Phillies have the best record so they had their choice of days and who they play. Explain. — Paul, Fairborn
A You heard something right. The Phillies do have the best record in the National League, but they don’t get to pick who they play. They did get their choice of whether they wanted to start the playoffs on Wednesday or Thursday and chose Wednesday. Normally, because they have the best record, they would play the wildcard team. But they can’t play a team in their own division, so if Atlanta is the wildcard team the Phillies would play the other division team with the worst record. Clear? If you understand all that, my grandson has a trigonometry problem he needs solved.
Q Do playoff teams have to keep the same roster throughout the playoffs or can they change the roster after each series? — Alan, Sugarcreek Twp.
A Tinkering and juggling and shifting is allowed. A team can change its roster after each series as it progresses through the playoffs. Because he is left-handed, Travis Wood is a good bet to face the Phillies, who are loaded with left-handed hitters. If the Reds beat the Phillies and face either Atlanta or San Francisco, Wood could be dropped and Homer Bailey added. That’s theoretical. The Reds are still mulling their options for the first round.
Q What has been your favorite moment as a writer this season? — Jack, Dayton
A Always the moment Rita Butcher brings her homemade pies to the press box. On the field? Has to be Jay Bruce’s division-clinching home run. That’s a rare feat and was fun to see and write about. Maybe the defining moment has yet to come — a walk-off home run by Joey Votto to beat Tampa Bay in the World Series?
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