A It shows you have no sense. When I left camp this week the Reds were 14-9-1, one of the best records in spring training. Records, of course, mean nothing in spring training, but there is no indication (except in your imagination) that things are going bad. Arrogance? From whom? I’m with those guys almost every day, and while some of them may not be able to spell arrogance, none display it. And they’ve had losing seasons in nine of the last 10 years, which has zero to do with 2011.
Q Do you have any “winning” Charlie Sheen stories that you have not mentioned? — Kyle, Dayton
A Yeah, Two And A Half Men won’t be the same without him. I remember he once was shagging fly balls in the outfield, wearing a Reds uniform with ‘99’ and his name on the back (the number he wore as Wild Thing in the movie Major League). It was during early afternoon extra hitting. Manager Lou Piniella walked into the park and saw him and asked somebody, “Who’s that?” Told that it was movie star Charlie Sheen, Piniella said, “I don’t care what he is, get him off the field. He is embarrassing us.”
Q Is covering a doubleheader any harder on a writer, and what is the procedure? — Michael, Arlington, Va.
A Yeah, my posterior becomes numb. But since I no longer write game stories and doubleheaders are as rare as beer at a church picnic, it isn’t a problem. It was difficult trying to cram two games into one story without confusing the reader, something I was adept at doing. The Cincinnati Enquirer used to run a separate story on each game, but I know of no other newspaper that did that. I just had to hit the highlights of each game in one story, writing it after both games were completed — about eight hours after the first game began.
Q In a poll of Reds writers and broadcasters, who would be chosen as the most popular player? — Brett, Cincinnati
A Each person polled might come up with a different answer, depending on the criteria. I can’t speak for the rest because I haven’t taken any polls, but I have several for different reasons — Scott Rolen, Brandon Phillips, Paul Janish, Jonny Gomes and Corky Miller make my Top Five — in any order you want to place them.
Q With Corky Miller’s yo-yo career between the minors and majors, how much actual time has he spent in the big leagues and what do you think his total baseball earnings have been? — Deck, Beavercreek
A Check out the story on these pages today about Corky Miller, The People’s Choice. Over his 13 years in professional baseball, he has the equivalent of four years in a major-league uniform. His big-league salary has totaled approximately $1.5 million, probably the biggest bargain among players in the game today. That’s about a half-mil short of the average one-year salary for players today ($2 million).
Q What did Woodie Fryman have against playing for the Cincinnati Reds when he came from just across the river in northern Kentucky? — Shawn, Rochester, N.Y.
A That was curious, but true. Fryman pitched in Montreal, a French-speaking cosmopolitan metropolis. Fryman was a farm boy and one would think he would love pitching in Cincinnati and staying home on the farm. But he was upset that he was part of the trade that sent Tony Perez to Montreal. The feeling I got was that he and manager Sparky Anderson did not hit it off, especially when he was put in the bullpen. Some people believe he thought The Big Red Machine was arrogant and he hated them when he pitched for the Expos. He quit on the Reds in mid-season and asked to be traded, which he was — exiled to the Chicago Cubs in 1978.
Q With the first bar/restaurant, The Holy Grail, opening this year on the “The Banks,” next to Great American Ball Park, do you think this will boost attendance? — Jeremy, Loveland
A While it is great that something finally is opening on The Banks, one bar/restaurant isn’t going to draw droves of fans to the park. People go to watch baseball and The Holy Grail won’t draw enough fans to pay one rookie’s salary. Let’s hope the development continues around the park so that fans who do show up have something to do before and after games other than get ensnared in traffic.
Q I’m in Las Vegas, so do I put some of my fast-shrinking bankroll on the Reds to win it all? They are favored to win the NL Central but are not paying big odds to win it all. — Bill, Centerville
A Don’t bet on baseball, even if it’s legal in Vegas. Too many things — bad and good — can happen to a team over 162 games to affect standings. Go to a blackjack table and hope for as many double-down wins and split wins as you can get. And hope you break even.
Q What is the highest number you have ever seen on a player in spring training and have you ever seen a three-digit number in spring training other than the markers on the outfield walls? — Bill, Villa Hills, Ky.
A I have seen ‘99’ many, many times on low-level minor-leaguers who are called up to play in spring exhibition games. Manny Ramirez wore ‘99’ for the Dodgers last year and he was a regular, although he is back to ‘24’ this year with Tampa Bay. I have never seen ‘100’ or higher, but I thought I might when Jim Bowden was GM of the Reds and invited everybody, including guys off slo-pitch softball teams, to come to camp.
Q Would you package Yonder Alonso, Drew Stubbs (with Dave Sappelt doing so well), Todd Frazier and Chris Heisey for a starting left fielder or a starting pitcher? — Brad, Dayton
A That’s quite a package and GMs all over baseball would like to find that package under their Christmas tree. All that for one pitcher or one outfielder? No, I certainly wouldn’t. Every guy you named is a potential top-level player. The Reds have enough starting pitchers and they have Jonny Gomes for left field and enough other left field candidates, so they don’t have to give away half the franchise.
Q If the Reds keep Dontrelle Willis and Jeremy Hermida (who are not on the 40-man roster), two players would have to come off the 40-man roster. Who do you think would be the odd men out? — Eric, Hebron, Ky.
A Willis will make it, Hermida probably won’t because the extra outfielders will be Freddie Lewis and Chris Heisey. That means one player has to come off the roster and there are a few candidates that come to mind — Daniel Ray Herrera, Jose Arredondo, Carlos Fisher, Daryl Thompson. Constructing a 40-man roster to protect players is one of the toughest things a GM has to do and Walt Jocketty is a chess master at doing it.
Q Why is the difference between roster and non-roster on a 40-man so important, and how are involved players affected? — RG, Kettering
A That’s a tough one to explain in a small space — there are so many ins and outs. If the player has fewer than six years of major league service, the team has control over that player until he reaches six years when he is on the 40-man. All teams take advantage of the 40-man to keep their young players around cheaply. Players benefit from being added to a 40-man roster because not only does a player have to be put on the 40-man roster to make the majors, but being added makes it easier for players to eventually achieve free agency. Thus both players and teams benefit from the 40-man roster system. There is much more, but my eyes are spinning and I’m sure yours are, too.
Q What players have you seen who have been the biggest surprise who were supposed to have no chance to make the team but performed so well they couldn’t be denied? — Alan, Sugarcreek Twp.
A None. Any of them can be denied and Dave Sappelt probably will be denied, even though he is hitting over .500 this spring. There is simply no room on the Reds for him right now. But if he goes to Class AAA Louisville and continues to terrorize pitchers and the Reds have a need for an outfielder, they know where to go.
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