Reds Notes: Ramirez excited about his start

[CincyRedsFan30]

Ramirez gets call to start

By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

PHILADELPHIA | Anybody who saw Brandon Claussen limp around on his tender left ankle like Amos McCoy on The Real McCoys or Chester on Gunsmoke knew there was no way he would make his scheduled start Sunday.

He won't.

The start will be made by 22-year-old Elizardo Ramirez, his major-league starting debut. And he is doing it against the Philadelphia Phillies, the team that traded him last August 9 as late payment for pitcher Cory Lidle.

Ramirez made seven bullpen appearances for the Phillies last season and was 0-0 with a 4.80 earned run average.

His minor-league numbers are on the north side of incredible — 45-20 with a 2.75 ERA in 91 appearances. Only 13 were starts, but six were at Class AAA Louisville this year, where he was 2-1 with a 3.32 ERA.

Pitching coach Don Gullett worked with him on a throw-day Friday and said, "I liked what I saw of him spring training. My read on him when he pitched for us Wednesday (in relief) was that he was nervous, feeling for the strike zone and not as aggressive as you'd like. I talked to him about both things.

"We worked on his change-up and curve (Friday) and he seems to be a cooperative and coachable young man," Gullett added.

And one who speaks hardly any English.

Jacob Cruz served as his interpreter Friday and when asked if he was nervous Wednesday he said, "No." Told his pitching coach thought he was, he again said, "No," as both he and Cruz chomped on Philadelphia pizza.

About starting against his former team, he said, "I'm very positive, I'm very confident and I feel good. I'm ready to win.

"It is ironic (Cruz said he said ironic) that my first big-league start is against my old team, but I'm OK with it," he said.

Last year, Ramirez went from Class A to the majors, making only one stop along the way — 5-1 with a 2.44 ERA at Class A Clearwater, 2-5 with a 6.69 ERA at Class AA Reading, then skipped Class AAA Wilkes-Barre and was promoted directly to the Phillies.

The movin' man

Ryan Freel was in the lineup for the first game of the series Thursday and wasn't in the lineup Friday, but he'll start tonight and Sunday ... at different positions, of course.

With Philadelphia left-hander Randy Wolf pitching tonight, manager Dave Miley plans to rest Sean Casey, meaning left fielder Adam Dunn moves to first base and Freel plays left field.

On Sunday, Miley plans to rest third baseman Joe Randa and Freel will be at third base.

Freel is the only major-leaguer who has started games at five different positions this season (all three outfields positions, second base, third base).

Bases loaded dilemma

For those who wonder, and there are many, the Reds are hitting .182 with the bases loaded (6-33). They have two homers, one double, two walks and three sacrifice flies. They've driven in only 16 of 114 runners the 38 times they've had the bases loaded.

Rich Aurilia is 0 for 7 and Adam Dunn is 0 for 5. Both Ken Griffey Jr. and Felipe Lopez are 2 for 3.

Lined up taters

Ken Griffey Jr. once hit home runs in eight straight games for Seattle, tying a major-league record, so he was quizzed before Friday's game about Philadelphia's Bobby Abreu, who had homered in five straight games.

"We're on the same pace, he's just four ahead of me," said Griffey, who homered Thursday night. Asked about how it was when he did it in eight straight games in 1993, Griffey faked a frown and said, "Twelve years ago? 1993? Damn."

Farm Report

Outfielders in the Reds farm system are en fuego. Three are on hitting streaks of 10 or more games.

Louisville center fielder Kevin Kelly is on a 12-game streak after a game-winning single in the bottom of the 10th in a 2-1 victory over Norfolk (Marlins).

Chattanooga outfielder Norris Hopper has a 15-game hitting streak and left fielder Alex Fernandez has a 10-game streak. Fernandez had three hits in Chattanooga's 10-2 win over Carolina (Marlins).

Pitcher Chris Gruler, the Reds 21-year-old first-round draft pick (third overall) in 2002, underwent rotator cuff surgery Friday in Cincinnati from Dr. Tim Kremchek and is expected to miss eight months.

[bipster]

Good News, Freel is supposed to start the next 2 games.

Bad News, I suspected that we were bad w/ the bases loaded....I just didn't expect that we were that bad

[missionhockey21]

Gruler to miss 8 months? This kid's career is so over. I really hope he just quits and goes to school, he'll have the money to with his huge signing bonus he got.

Cruz isn't the greatest of players, but he does seem to be a great clubhouse guy. A positive source of energy and most of the players seem to respect him. I think he would be a better coach of somesorts than he is a player. Just my two cents. He seems to understand the game and it's players.

[redsrbetter]

Yeah sucks for Gruler. I honestly was looking forward to seeing what he could do this year. You never know tough, some players come back stronger after rotator cuff problems. But this kid has had so many problems it is getting tough to believe he even has a chance.

I would much rather see Freel over DJ in those games, but I guess both Casey and Randa could use the rest.

[volzok]

Well good to see Freel getting some PT. I hope Ramirez can be a somewhat of a stop gap. I would like to see someone have a quality start other than Harang.