Q For the longest time the farm system was stuck in an endless famine and now that happy days are here again what’s growing down on the farm? — Vance, New Jersey
A A bumper crop. The Reds could lose a player at every position and have a good, solid player ready for the big-league level. Devin Mesoraco. Yonder Alonso, Chris Valaika, Zack Cozart, Todd Frazier, Dave Sappelt and enough pitching to make the Pittsburgh Pirates happy.
Q Is there still a sign in major-league clubhouses warning players against betting on baseball? — Cash, Springboro
A You bet (oops, bad choice of words). It is a large chart specifying several rules involving behavior, not just betting. I’ve never seen a player actually stop and read them, but MLB has a meeting with every team every spring and those rules are discussed in depth and at length. Sleeping through the meeting is against the rules.
Q It is no secret the Reds will be shopping for a No. 1 starter by the trade deadline, so have any names surfaced at this early point? — Brandon, Charleston, S.C.
A If it is no secret, I’m not tuned in very well. There has not even been a hint that the Reds are, or will be, looking for a No. 1 starter — or a 2, 3, 4 or 5. The pitching cupboard is anti-Mother Hubbard, very full. They don’t need pitching. Right now they don’t need anything. The new version of The Red Machine won’t be in any repair shop because nothing needs fixing.
Q I was interested in Dusty Baker mentioning that Pete Rose was a Gold Glove defender, and since he played five different positions I’m wondering at which one he was the best? — Jeff, Tulsa, Okla.
A Actually, Rose won only two Gold Gloves and they were early in his career as an outfielder (1969-70). Amazingly, he won only one Silver Slugger Award (best hitter at his position) and that was in 1981 as a first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Rose signed as a catcher, but never played there. He played left field, right field, third base, second base and first base. I never saw him as an outfielder, where his arm was a bit suspect, and always thought he was best at first base. His position should be listed as ‘hitter.’
Q As a traditionalist I hate the way players wear pants hooked over their spikes and I think socks should show and would like to see stirrups make a comeback. — Vin, New York City
A Yeah, and you probably want to see short pants return to basketball. I once showed my grandson, Eric, a picture of me in my high school baseball uniform (socks and stirrups prominently showing) and he laughed out loud. Then I showed him a photo of me in my high school basketball uniform, wearing short-shorts, and he is still laughing. Styles change in all clothing. Some people still might prefer Nehru jackets, platform shoes and airplane-propeller collars. In baseball, though, the style today is the pajama-bottom pants.
Q Is Sean Casey paid by the word? — Bill, Villa Hills, Ky.
A Fortunately, no. If so, not even Bill Gates could afford him. If you ask Sean for a drink of water, he gives you Niagara Falls. And that’s part of The Mayor’s charm. He leaves no thought unexpressed, but the good thing is that what Casey has to say is worth hearing.
Q Don’t players go on the disabled list more quickly than 50 years ago, and why is that, because players seem to be more conditioned? — Bob, Springboro
A Yes, they do. In the early 1970s, when I started, I barely heard of the disabled list. It was before free agency and players didn’t take their pay checks home in Brinks trucks. Many had off-season jobs to supplement income. If a player got hurt in those days he feared that if he didn’t play he might lose his job, so he was more likely to hide injuries or play hurt. And teams are more likely to protect players these days because of the heavy investment they have in them. We never had the DL in Little League, Pony League, American Legion, high school or college. I may have missed a game or two, but I don’t recall it. Maybe I didn’t play hard enough to get hurt.
Q If Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas (and Dick Simpson) was the worst trade the Reds ever made, is Josh Hamilton for Edinson Volquez the second worst? — Mark, Bloomington, Ind.
A Personally, I think Tony Perez for Woodie Fryman and Dale Murray was the worst and Paul O’Neill for Roberto Kelly might be second. The Robby Fiasco was before my time. As for the Hamilton-Volquez deal, you can’t judge a trade until careers are completed. Just because Hamilton was the AL MVP last year for Texas doesn’t mean he would have had that kind of year playing for the Reds. He wasn’t particularly happy in Cincinnati and there were some clubhouse issues in which players resented his preferential treatment (the baby-sitter).
Q The standings are kind of eye-popping in the NL Central with only the Reds and maybe the Cubs where they ought to be. Do you think the Pirates might move up and are the Astros as bad as they appear to be? — Charlie, Dayton
A You are working with a miniscule sampling. One week. Are the Red Sox a last-place team? Are the Orioles a first-place team? Are the Indians even a .500 team? Check the standings at the All-Star break. The Pirates won’t move up and one scout who watched the Astros play the Reds told me, “That’s one of the worst baseball teams I’ve ever seen.” That, of course, was based on three games.
Q Can you give us an example where the manager and the general manager didn’t get along on a successful team? — Michael, Arlington
A That’s rare. A GM and a manager must be not only on the same page but in the same sentence for success on the field. As close as I can come is the 1999 Reds with GM Jim Bowden and manager Jack McKeon. McKeon tried to avoid Bowden as much as possible and Trader Jack even asked me once to stay a long period of time in his office as we both smoked cigars, “Because Bowden doesn’t like cigar smoke so he won’t come in here.”
Q Do you think part of Edinson Volquez’s problems was his visa issues this spring and that put him a few weeks behind? — Michael, Houston
A What problems? Volquez is 1-0 in his two starts and the Reds won both of his starts. He had issues both games in the first inning, then settled in. He didn’t miss that much time over the visa problems and it was probably more a mental nuisance than a physical thing.
Q When a player comes to the big leagues, do the Reds help him get an apartment, get a baby-sitter, help him learn English, or is it up to the player to make time and settle in on his own? — Bill, Maineville
A Players are given a housing allowance toward a hotel room. If they want an apartment or condo they have to make up the difference. Finding baby-sitters usually falls into the lap of the wife and I do know the Dayton Dragons have a person who works with Latin players on English. That is a problem. Jose Rijo said when he first came to the States the first word he learned was chicken and he ordered it for every meal, even breakfast, but he didn’t know the words eggs, pancakes or waffles.