A It wasn’t on my Bucket List because I know he’ll make it and I’ll be there. He received more than 50 percent of the votes his first year and everybody who has done that eventually makes it. As for Question of the Week, I don’t make that choice so you’ll have to try to bribe somebody else.
Q Have you ever looked back on a vote that you cast for the national awards and wish you had it back to change to somebody else? — Alan, Sugarcreek Twp.
A Oh, yes. In 1982 I was the only voter not to give Philadelphia’s Steve Carlton a first-place Cy Young vote when he was 23-11. I voted for LA’s Jerry Reuss, who was 18-11 and beat the Reds four times that year. Later, when Reuss pitched for the Reds, I told him that I was the only guy to vote him No. 1 in the ’82 balloting and he said, “Oh, so you were the idiot.”
Q Thanks for the great baseball clinic Building Bridges and you put on last Saturday at Fifth Third Field. I had most of my 8-and-under team there and they absolutely loved it. — Brad, Englewood
A Thank Dennis Sullivan and Building Bridges for that fantastic event. I merely lent my name — proudly and humbly. But I was there and it was worth it to see the smiles on those kids’ faces as they received instruction from UD coach Tony Vittorio and Sinclair coach Steve Dintaman and their players. Sometimes we all forget what baseball really is all about.
Q Assuming nothing would have gone wrong, what would Cliff Lee’s impact been on the Reds had they been able to work a deal with Seattle? — Jacob, Dayton
A What impact did he have on the Texas Rangers? Because of Lee (and Josh Hamilton), the Rangers advanced to the ALCS for the first time in their history. The Reds were in the hunt for Lee when the Rangers got him, but the Mariners wanted too much. But he may not have made much difference for the Reds this year. He would have faced Roy Halladay in Game 1 of the NLDS and even Lee can’t win when his team gets no hits.
Q After listening to the ALCS announcers, I am convinced 90 percent of the pitches thrown are cutters. What is a cutter? — Bill, Villa Hills, Ky.
A Darned if I know. In fact, when I threw out a first pitch before a game in Tampa Bay, Billy Hatcher (then a coach with the Rays) caught it and accused me of throwing a cutter. Barry Larkin made the same accusation when I threw the first pitch before a Reds game. I’m told a ‘cutter’ is a cut fastball that is similar to a slider with less break. The pitcher holds the baseball across four seams, creating more spin, and the ball moves inward or outward just a few inches less than a slider. I just held the ball and threw it.
Q If it’s true about Brandon Phillips sounding off against Josh Hamilton when he played for the Reds, wouldn’t they have been better off trading Phillips to Texas for Edinson Volquez instead of Hamilton? — Rick, Beavercreek
A We all know how outspoken Brandon Phillips is. Just ask the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s called free speech and I’ve yet to see a baseball player on the field with a muzzle. And Phillips was the only Reds hitter to show up in the playoffs. The Rangers didn’t want Phillips, they wanted Hamilton. That’s how trades are made — mutual agreement. You can’t trade a player because you want to trade him. The other team has to want him as part of the deal.
Q While watching a video of the 1975 Cincinnati Reds, they used a golf cart with a giant baseball cap on top to bring pitches into games from the bullpen. Didn’t that seem silly and when did teams stop using the cart? — Ben, Dayton
A It all started with some teams bringing the pitcher into games in a convertible and it evolved to the golf carts. Silly? Yeah, it was. I often wondered when teams might start using nine golf carts to take the players from the dugout to their positions. They got away from it when some pitchers began refusing the ride so they could trot to the mound accompanied by theme music. With Coco Cordero this year, the Reds should have played Demi Lovato’s ‘Here We Go Again.’
Q What is your best guess for the five starters for the Reds in 2011? — Steve, Brookville
A Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, C.C. Sabathia, Tim Linceum, Adam Wainwright. Hey, can’t we dream? For the Reds, that’s a tough call because it depends on what they do in the offseason and who does what during spring training. My guess, and it’s just a guess: Bronson Arroyo, Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, Travis Wood, Homer Bailey. That leaves Mike Leake and Aroldis Chapman for the bullpen, unless they include Leake in a trade. And that’s why they haven’t hired me as pitching coach, or even bullpen catcher.
Q Who among the major-leaguers you have known are the smartest and most interesting people away from the ballpark, and this is the kind of question a professor would ask? — Steve, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
A That’s a tough one, covering thousands of major-leaguers. My most unforgettable character would be pitcher Kent Mercker, who worked The New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle in about an hour. And he was the quickest with the quip. Examples: “You know you’re getting old when your breasts jiggle when you run in from the bullpen.” And when asked what he planned to do when he retired, he said, “Turn vodka into urine.”
Q Is either Chris Valaika or Todd Frazier strong enough defensively to back up Paul Janish at shortstop? — James, Montgomery, Ala.
A How about Zack Cozart? Double-Z might be the Reds’ shortstop of the future and could easily back up Janish next year if the Reds decided Janish is ready for No. 1 duty. Frazier is an interesting study. He signed as a shortstop, but has played everywhere but short the last couple of years — second base, third base, left field. He nearly made the club last year as a utility player but didn’t hit during spring training.
Q What is the value of the Arizona Fall League? — Mitch, Jackson, Miss.
A Each major-league team is permitted to send five players to the AFL and most teams use it for top prospects who need work on specific things. The Reds have catcher Devin Mesoraco playing for the Peoria Saguanos, mostly to work on his catching skills. Through five games he was hitting .278. And the AFL is great for scouts. They get to sit in the sun, watch baseball games and tell lies to each other.
Q As a weekly follow of Ask Hal, as well as The Real McCoy blog, what can you tell us about your intentions for next year? — Kyle, Dayton
A The DDN is picking up my option for next year — both for Ask Hal and The Real McCoy, so I won’t try free agency yet. But I sure wish sports journalism had arbitration. This is the next to last Ask Hal for this year and I want to thank everybody for the continued great support. It is a labor of love and you all make it that way.
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