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Yes, Junior is a first name to remember
By Hal McCoy
Dayton Daily News
You've got the questions, Hal McCoy has the answers. To submit questions on baseball, e-mail hmccoy@DaytonDailyNews.com
QUESTION — Some of the great athletes are recognized by their first names, such as Wilt, Shaq, Babe. Are you putting the Reds center fielder in this same class when he is referenced as Junior. Please, give me a break? — Dave, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek
ANSWER — Believe it or not, when it comes to Ask Hal, 'Dave' is the most recognized name. I'm not saying that in a good way, because most want you relegated to the comic page. And I ask you, when you see the name Junior you know immediately who it is, right? — and this doesn't apply to NASCAR fans.
Q — I sure hope the Reds don't make any stupid moves before the trade deadline. They have made enough of them already for this year. — Richard, Dayton
A — What trades? They haven't made any this year. They've kept the Louisville/Chattanooga roster in turmoil, but no deals. Let's see what happens in the next week before we get out the Stupid Meter.
Q — What are the odds of Adam Dunn being traded and do you think it would be a good move? — Michael, Dayton
A — When I was in Las Vegas over the All-Star break, they had odds on everything, but that and my wallet say I shouldn't have wagered on most of them. The Reds are close-vested on what they'll do. GM Dan O'Brien continues to say they aren't interested in trading young players. To an old geezer like me that's everybody on the team, but Dunn is especially young. His upside is tremendous. He'll hit 35 to 40 homers every year and he gets on base. I'd love to see him swing more with runners on base instead of taking walks, but he'll learn. Personally, keep the big guy.
Q — Based on your longevity and the proliferation of new parks, haven't you covered more baseball games in different stadiums than any other baseball writer? — Dave, Dayton
A — Hadn't thought about it, but you're probably correct. Let's list 'em: Crosley Field, Riverfront Stadium, Great American Ball Park, Bank One Ballpark, Fulton County Stadium, Turner Field, Wrigley Field, Mile High Stadium, Coors Field, Astrodome, Minute Maid Park, Dolphins/Joe Robbie Stadium, Dodger Stadium, Milwaukee County Stadium, Miller Park, Shea Stadium, Veterans Stadium, Citizens Bank Park, Three Rivers Stadium, PNC Park, Jack Murphy Stadium, Petco Park, Candlestick Park, SBC Park, Busch Stadium I, Busch Stadium II, Baltimore Memorial Stadium, Camden Yards, Fenway Park, Comiskey Park, U.S. Cellular Field, Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Jacobs Field, Tiger Stadium, Comerica Park, Kauffman Stadium, Angel Stadium, Metrodome, Yankee Stadium, Oakland/McAfee Coliseum, Tropicana Field, Arlington/Ameriquest Field, SkyDome, Olympic Stadium, Parc Jarry. How many is that? Can't count that high. I've missed Safeco in Seattle and I'll add another when the Reds play in Washington's RFK Stadium. Oh, the bad hot dogs.
Q — Wouldn't the 1975 Cincinnati Reds be in last place with this pitching staff? — Matt, Cincinnati
A — Not with Houston (97 losses) and Atlanta (94 losses) in the division at that time. Yes, the '75 Reds finished third in the league in earned run average, but much like this year's team they had to batter teams to death. Jack Billingham of the '75 staff had a poem about the team scoring runs: "Seven is heaven, eight we skate, nine is divine and 10 we win."
Q — That was classy stuff from Ken Griffey Jr. on Teddy Ballgame. Why are people so hard on him? — Jason, Fairfield
A — You are referring to Griffey's comments after he tied Ted Williams and Willie McCovey on the career home run list with 521. He said his name shouldn't be linked with a career .340 hitter who twice served his country in war. Classy, indeed, and vintage Griffey. He doesn't like to talk about himself and never boasts. If fans got to know him personally, they'd love the guy as a human being, regardless of what he did or didn't do on the field. Fans are frustrated because he couldn't perform to his abilities due to injuries. Fair? Of course not. Judge him by this year on the field, if you want, but I judge him by the way he conducted himself through his trials and tribulations. First class, top-notch, the best.
Q — During your long career, what player would you have liked to room with and what player would you not have liked to room with? — Ken, Orlando, Fla.
A — The first one is easy. Jennie Finch. But please don't tell Nadine. And I wouldn't have liked to room with Joe Morgan because we haven't spoken since 1979 and I wouldn't get a word in anyway.
Q — A player I follow in the independent Frontier League went 74 at-bats without a single walk or being hit by a pitch. He was hitting .292 with an on-base average of .295. How can this be? Doug, Chillicothe
A — The statistician for the Paints flunked math is my guess. I called the Paints and a nice young lady said, "We were just talking about that." The player is Noah Peery and it was surmised that he reached first after striking out on a wild pitch. By the way, he drew a walk on July 15 and is now hitting .275 with a .280 on-base average.
Q — Based on the standings, the Reds will have a top-five draft pick next June. Does this feel like the 1990s Bengals? — Bill, Cincinnati
A — Oh, my. The 'B' word. It didn't work for the Bengals in the '90s, did it? But these days the Bengals are drawing more attention than the Reds, and rightly so. Have you ordered your playoff tickets yet — and I mean the Bengals, not the Reds? I'm thinking about asking Chick Ludwig to change beats with me so I can see a hometown team in the playoffs again in my lifetime.
Q — How do people explain Eric Milton's ERA being two points higher on the road than at home? — Jay, Beavercreek
A — How can they? Explaining anything about Milton this year is not possible. On some days (very few so far) he looks like a big-league pitcher and on other days he looks like the guy who threw batting practice to Bobby Abreu at the All-Star game.
Q — Do you think GM Dan O'Brien would trade Eric Milton? Wouldn't it be admitting he made a big mistake, like keeping Anderson Machado on the roster? — Parsin, Dayton
A — Machado is gone, finally. Took awhile, though, didn't it? There is interest out there in Milton, who might be a much better pitcher in a bigger park, like Yellowstone. To me, it wouldn't be admitting a mistake. It's called cutting your losses. And in this case, it would mean adding about $17 million to the payroll over the next two seasons.
Q — What is your opinion of John Allen, the man in charge of baseball operations of the Reds? Wouldn't the team be better suited with a baseball man making decisions? — Ted, Dayton
A — Allen is a business guy and readily admits he knows little about baseball. While he is in charge of the business operations (the money), he hires baseball people to run the baseball side. And he does that only with the approval of ownership. If you want to point fingers, start at the top and work your way down and you won't miss too many folks.
Q — When the Reds hire a new manager for 2006, why don't they try to get St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan, who always gets the most out of his pitchers? — Ray, San Bernardino, Calif.
A — First, I like what I've seen from interim manager Jerry Narron — and I know I said the same thing about Dave Miley. I still like Miley and he was dealt a short stack. Narron is dealing with the same problem and doing it well. Duncan? Most pitching coaches, for some reason, make terrible managers. They are naturally biased toward pitchers. And Duncan is a life-long companion of St. Louis manager Tony La Russa and is happy where he is. While we're plugging books, La Russa's 3 Nights in August is a must-read.
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