Observations: Reds Showing Signs Of Demanding Accountability

By Hal McCoy

UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave and thanks to all who wished me well after I fell and bruised my ribs for the second straight year while on vacation. One of my BFF’s, Ray Snedegar, told Nadine, “No more vacations for Hal.”

—ACCOUNTABILITY TIME: While the Cincinnati Reds continue to shoot counterfeit high-denomination bills in the dugout after home runs, the front office doesn’t much toss around the real stuff to sign big ticket free agents.

But there might be a sign that the team is not averse to demanding accountability and it probably can be traced to new manager Tito Francona.

At $16 million, Jeimer Candelario is the second-highest paid player on the roster. But Francona sat down with him recently to tell him he won’t be in the starting lineup in the immediate future due to his abysmal slash line of .113/.198/.213. And he is a poster boy for strikeouts.

And after Alexis Diaz, the former All-Star closer, gave up three straight home runs to the St. Louis Cardinals, he was bullet-trained back to Class AAA Louisville. In six innings this season he has given up eight earned runs (12.00 ERA), four home runs and five walks.

A couple of other candidates should be looking over their shoulders and taking their bats off those shoulders. Spencer Steer’s slash line is .189/.267/.316 and Matt McLain is at .161/.263/.310.

Steer and McLain are coming off injuries, but this far into the season those crutches should be taken away. It’s time to stop talking about the injuries and star producing.

—SHOHEI VERSUS MIAMI?: When the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins hooked up this week, the Dodgers carried a giant hook and the Marlins carried a straightened out paper clip.

It was a match-up of two teams with the widest margin of payroll in MLB history — LA’s $331.8 million to Miami’s $68.7 million, a gap of $263.7 million.

Since Shohei Ohtani makes $70 million this year, shouldn’t he be made to take on the Marlins by himself? He would probably win.

In the first game of the series, LA jumped to a 5-0 lead, but the Marlins scored five in the sixth to tie it, including a pinch-hit grand slam by Dane Myers.

The game spun into extra innings and, of course, the Dodgers won in 10 inning, 7-6.

Then it was no shock to anybody’s sensibilities when the Dodgers completed a three-game sweep, 15-2 an d 12-7. Baseball disparity, ya gotta hate it.

—CENTURY TALK: There is only one current MLB franchise that has never lost 100 games and if you gave me 10 guesses I wouldn’t have got it right.

It is the Angels — whether they went by the Los Angeles Angels, the Anaheim Angels, the California Angels or the Los Angeles Angels at Anaheim. They’ve never lost 100 games.

Every other franchise has, most more than once. The Cincinnati Reds have done it only twice — 101 in 1982 and 100 in 2022.

In the early 1960s, from 1961 thrugh 1964, the old Washington Senators lost 100 or more four striaght seasons —100, 101, 106 and 100. For the mathematically-challenged, that’s 407 defeats in four years.

—SPEED IS NOT ENOUGH: Remember Herb Washinton, a world-class sprinter? In one of his many hair-brained ideas, Oakland A’s owner Charlie Finley hired him to be the team’s pinch-runner and nothing more.

His TOPPS baseball card is the only one ever issued that listed a position as pinch runner. Over the 1974-75 seasons Washington played in 105 games without a single at bat. It was all as a pinch runner.

And while Washington could outrun a brisk wind, he proved that speed is not the only requirement to steal bases. He stole 31 but was caught 17 times.

—SENSATIONAL STARTS: Will Clark walked to home plate for his major league debut with two runners on base and Nolan Ryan glaring at him from the mound.

On Ryan’s first pitch, the first major-league fastball Clark saw, Clark ripped a three-run home run.

That one is famous, or infamous from Ryan’s point of view. But did you know that 20 different pitchers have homered in their first major league at-bat?

Can’t happen now because of the despicable designated hitter rule.

One was Springfield’s Dustin Hermanson. Famous knuckleballing Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm did it, the only one he hit during his 21-year career. John ‘The Count ‘Montefusco did it, as did Adam Wainwright.

—A PAINFUL RECORD: There are many ways to etch your name into a baseball record book and one might be a bit painful.

Cameron Moyer of Tiffin (OH) Calvert High School is now in the National High School record book, tying a record that left a mark. . .on his body.

He was hit by a pitch in five straight at bats by New Riegel High School pitchers. Amazingly, five different pitchers used Moyer as a human clay pigeon.

Even more amazing, Moyer calmly took first base all five times, never rubbing the bruise and never charging the mound. Or do they do that in high school games?

Houston’s Craig Biggio owns the career record for plunkings with 285. Jonathan India owns the Reds’ single season record with 23.

Most times hit by a pitch in a game is three, held by many, including former Reds outfielder Austin Kearns when he played for the Cleveland Indians.

Willard Schmidt of the 1959 Cincinnat Reds was hit twice in the same inning. Frank Chance, the first baseman in the famous Chicago Cubs double play combination of Tinkers to Evers to Chance, was hit five times in a doubleheader.

And that’s today’s hit parade.

—‘K’ ME IF YOU CAN: Statistics from the old-time great hitters fascinate me and amaze me. And I’m not easily fascinated or amazed because, as they say, when you’re 84, you have seen it all (at least you think you have.)

***In seven different seasons, Joe DiMaggio hit 25 or more home runs and in each year had more home runs than strikeouts. He never struck out more than 40 times in any season.

Wonder how he would have done against Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson?

***Stan Musial made 12,721 plate appearances and struck out 696 times. That’s once every 18 at bats.

Wonder how he would have done against Roger Clemens or Pedro Martinez?

—A BIG OL’ MYTH: You know how broadcasters refer to a close play at first base as a bang-bang play? Well, as one umpire said, “The biggest myth in baseball is that a tie goes to the runner, that he is safe. There is nothing in the rulebook that says that. The runner is either safe or out. . .period.”

OK, if a play goes to replay/review, it is guaranteed that if it appears to be a tie, they’ll rule the guy safe. We’ve all seen it. . .or think we’ve seen it.

—GRIN AND BERRA IT: Reggie Jackson was standing next to Yogi Berra during an old-timer’s day at Yankee Stadium.

There was a few moments of silence while they ran names and photos of former Yankees who had died that year on the massive scoreboard.

Berra leaned over to Jackson and said, “Hey, hey. Boy, I hope I never see my name up there.”

—ANOTHER UECKER-ISM: From catcher/broadcaster/comedian Bob Uecker: “My first big league manager told me I should use a lighter bat. Not to get around on fastballs, but so it wouldn’t be so heavy when I carried it back to the dugout.”

—PLAYLIST NUMBER 167: As singer/songwriter Colbie Caillot put it: “A great song should lift your heart, warm the soul and make you feel good.”

—I’m Into Something Good (Herman’s Hermits), It’s Only Make Believe (Conway Twitty), Nothing Compares 2 U (Sinead O’Connor), I Got My Mind Set On You (George Harrison), Shining Star (The Manhattans), Look Away (Chicago).

—I Get Around (Beach Boys), I Don’t Know (Jimmy Buffet), Rock Me, Mama (Bob Dylan), The Name Of the Game (Abba), All Right Now (Free), Beautiful Sunday (Daniel Boone), Joy (Apollo 100), So Nice To Be With You (The Gallery), Brandy You’re A Fine Girl (Looking Glass).