Former ace wants to make his pitch
Nominee Browning wants to teach 'Reds way'

By John Erardi
Enquirer staff writer

If Tom Browning is one of two modern-day players elected to the Reds Hall of Fame next season - the ballot was released earlier this week, and he's a top candidate on it - he would like nothing better than to teach young Cincinnati pitchers what got him there.

"I wasn't a flame-thrower, but I could change speeds and I had command," Browning said. "It's the way I was taught, and it's what I had to work with. We had a real good minor-league pitching coach in Harry Dorish, and I had good coaches all the way up the chain - guys like Marc Bombard, Jimmy Lett and Jimmy Hoff."

Browning doesn't know why the Reds recently have been unable to develop their own starting pitching - and the team hasn't asked him.

But Browning said he's been hearing on the banquet and autograph circuit that the Reds' incoming ownership group might be about to change that, and he can only hope he'll get a chance to put his experience to good use.

"There used to be a Reds way of doing things, and it's what made us successful," Browning said. "Having those guys around from the Big Red Machine - Tony (Perez), Pete (Rose), Davey (Concepcion), Griff (Ken Griffey Sr.) - served to reinforce it. There aren't guys around like that now (in the clubhouse and at spring training) to pass it along to the next generation."

Granted, there is no substitute for drafting good talent. But when it comes to pitching, development seems to be equally important. It's hard to believe the scouts haven't given the Reds' development people any pitching talent with which to work.

Dorish taught Browning the screwball, which Browning used as his changeup. Could Browning have been as successful a pitcher without it?
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