A: Many, many of my all-time favorite players have been traded or left via free agency — Pete Rose, Ken Griffey Jr., Eric Davis, Don Gullett, Dave Collins, Ray Knight, Yonder Alonso, Paul O’Neill, just to name a few. I got to know them personally and, of course, I rooted for them, even when they played against the Reds, as long as they didn’t beat them.
Q: Would Johnny Bench have made a good manager? — GEORGE, Morton Grove, Ill.
A: Absolutely and he had the opportunity but preferred not to do it. He was always in charge on the field and a leader off the field. It would have transferred easily to the manager’s office. Many catchers gravitate to managers.
Former catchers who managed the Cincinnati Reds included Birdie Tebbetts, Russ Nixon, John McNamara, Bob Boone, Dave Miley, Jerry Narron and Jack McKeon.
Q: How many home runs did Babe Ruth hit in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings off a tiring starting pitcher back when they stayed in games and pitched every fourth day? — GREG, Beavercreek.
A: That’s a great question but the answer isn’t that the Bambino picked on tiring pitchers. Of his 714 homers, most came in the first inning with 133. Second most was the third inning with 95. In the seventh, eighth and ninth he hit 232. That’s just 32%. With Mr. Ruth, the inning didn’t much matter.
Q: Why do position players go on a 10-day injured list but pitchers go on a 15-day injured list? — ALAN, Centerville.
A: Only pitchers can go on the 15-day list and it was made a rule to prevent chicanery. Teams, particularly the Los Angeles Dodgers, were putting uninjured pitchers on the 10-day list so they could bring up another pitcher to take his place and then put him on the 10-day list and bring up another. Then they would re-instate the first pitcher and, in effect, have a seven-man rotation. The 15-day list stops that. Isn’t it amazing how teams always find a way to bend the rules?
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Q: Do the Reds have a mental block when they face the Milwaukee Brewers? – RYAN/ELVIS, Vandalia.
A: Strange things are always prevalent in baseball and one of them is Cincinnati’s awful record against the Brewers. They do have a team psychologist, but maybe they need a team psychiatrist. So here is my unpaid advice: When the Reds play the Brewers, just imagine they are wearing Cleveland Guardians uniforms.
Q: Now that the path has been cleared for Pete Rose’s entry into the Hall of Fame, which of the steroid era players are likely to be inducted? — TOM, Oakwood.
A: None, I hope. That’s comparing bananas to grapes. Rose did nothing to determine the outcome of games. The steroid users did. What Barry Bonds did, Hank Aaron did without. What Roger Clemens did, Nolan Ryan did without. What is sad about it is that Bonds and Clemens would have made the Hall of Fame without steroid enhancement. But maybe both will get executive pardons.
Q: When an MLB player gets down to Triple-A, does a corresponding Triple-A player get sent down to Double-A? — AL, Phoenix, Ariz.
A: Usually, when an MLB player is sent down, a Triple-A player is called up to take his place, so there is room on the Triple-A roster. It is rare, but there are instances where an underperforming Triple-A player takes a step down a peg. Or a Triple-A player can be placed in the injured list. And sometimes, a Triple-A underperformer just gets released. There are many manipulations available to the parent organization.
Q: Who on the current Reds can hit the Toyota sign and has hit ever been hit? — WALT, Beavecreek.
A: The promotion has been in play for 18 years — if a Reds player hits the sign, a registered fan gets a Toyota Tundra truck.
It has never been hit. But in 2018 Jesse Winker came within a few inches of hitting the sign and the Northern Kentucky dealership decided to give the fan the truck. Nobody has come close since. If anybody does it, most likely it would be Elly De La Cruz, batting left handed. Christian Encarnacion-Strand has the power, but he bats right-handed and the sign is in right center.
Q: If you were starting a new team and you were allowed to select any player from another team, who would you select? KEVIN/Centerville.
A: My new team would be the New Orleans Napalms and my selection is a no-brainer: Shohei Ohtani. That way I get two players in one and one of the best at both — pitching and playing outfield. The only problem with having a franchise in New Orleans is keeping the players off Bourbon Street.
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