Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2012 > May > 27 > Entry
NIne homers leave GABP and Reds win
CINCINNATI — The balls they used Sunday in Great American Ball Park must have had dimples in them and the word ‘Titleist’ stamped on them.
The baseballs were traveling as if they were teed up and teed off by Tiger Woods.
A record nine home runs were blasted on the hot, humid day. And get this — Cincinnati Reds starter Mat Latos gave up five home runs. He gave up five hits that landed in five different area codes. All five hits were solo home runs.
He pitched 7 1/3 innings and never once pitched out of the stretch. He gave up five home runs and was the winning pitcher in a 7-5 Reds’ victory over the Colorado Rockies.
THE FIVE HOME runs tied a club record for most given up in one game by one pitcher.
All that was missing this day were beer kegs, aluminum bats and players with big guts hanging over their belts during this softball-like smash-o-rama.
The Reds only hit four home runs off 49-year-old Jamie Moyer, but won the game to conclude a 6-1 homestand.
For the record, Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips and Todd Frazier did the Home Run Trot for the Reds. For Colorado it was Carlos Gonzalez twice, Troy Tulowitzki, Michael Cuddyer and pinch-hitter Dexter Fowler.
THE NINE HOME runs traveled 3,493 feet, or nearly seven-tenth of a mile, the longest by Colorado’s Michael Cuddyer, a 448-footer that nearly broke a window in the black party building in straightaway center.
Even so, there was pitching drama. The Rockies put two on with one out in the eighth, trailing, 7-5.
In came Aroldis Chapman to face Colorado’s two best hitters — Gonzalez and Tulowitzki. He struck out Gonazles and battled Tulowitzki for eight pitches (five foul balls) before getting him on a meek fly to center.
During the seven-game homestand there were 29 home runs launched in Great American Small Park, 17 by the Reds, 12 by the other guys.
“That’s too many home run on their side but I’ll take all of ours,” said Manager Dusty Baker. “If you don’t make quality pitches here and the ball gets up in the air, that’s what happens. If you don’t make quality pitches, it doesn’t matter if you are playing in a shoebox. If you don’t make quality pitches, it doesn’t matter if you’re playing in Yellowstone.”
THE MOST UNBELIEVABLE home run was banged by Todd Frazier, a home run described by Colorado manager Jim Tracy as, “A interesting swing right there.”
Frazier swung and lost control of the bat. As the ball whistled out of the park the bat helicoptered out of his hands. Frazier believes he hit the ball one-handed.
“It slipped out of my hand as I swung,” he said. “I came up to the clubhouse after the inning and looked at it on video. It looked like my bottom hand was off the bat and then I hit it. It was a pretty interesting way to hit a home run. It was pretty cool. I felt it slipping right away and I thought, ‘I might as well swing as hard as I can.’
“I watched the bat at first, then I saw the ball and thought, ‘Oh, man, ah shoot, a pop-up.’ Then I took a couple more steps and said, ‘Oh, I’ll take it.’”
Of his five-homer day, Latos said when he heard he didn’t walk anybody or put any other runner on base, “I didn’t walk anybody? That makes me feel a little better. It’s a bummer to see the ball leave the yard five times. I was in attack mode and giving up five home runs shows at least I was throwing strikes.”
During this homestand they had to push relief pitchers out of the bullpen, kicking and screaming and grabbing for the gate while the pitchers yelled, “Don’t make me go out there, please don’t make me.”
MANAGER DUSTY BAKER was sniffling, sneezing and shooting nasal spray up his nostrils when the media entered his office Sunday morning.
“Allergies, man,” he said. “Terrible allergies. People used to ask me, ‘What are you crying about?’ Allergies. All my life. It can be 100 degrees and my nose is running.”
It’s the ragweed that gets him and ragweed is rampant right now, earlier than usual and Baker said, “I figured. Because ragweed is the worst one for me and I don’t usually get these allergies this early.”
AND SPEAKING OF allergies, what Chris Heisey did in the first inning Saturday, a three-run home run, was a quick cure. But what Heisey did in the fifth inning clogged up the old sinuses again.
The Reds were leading by three runs with runner on first and third with one out when Heisey came to the plate. He bunted. What? He bunted.
In the press box there were gasps. “What is he thinking? What is he doing?”
In the dugout, Baker was thinking the same thing. Heisey bunted to the pitcher and the runner on first, Brandon Phillips, took second. But a stunned Joey Votto remained anchored at third.
“I TALKED TO Heisey about that,” said Baker. “That’s the time we wanted to blow the game out. I understand what he’s trying to do, but that’s a situation where you want to drive in runs.
“And you have to know who is behind you — we had a pinch-hitter for the pitcher,” said Baker. “I said, ‘Dude, a three-run lead in this ball park in the fifth inning against the Rockies ain’t nothing. Time to go for the big inning.’
“I told him about it and he said, ‘Yeah, I know, skip,’ but that’s better than trying nothing,” said Baker. “But that wasn’t the time to try that particular thing.”
Baker laughed when somebody said they wondered if he signaled for the bunt and said, “C’mon, man. That’s really overmanaging when you try some crap like that. That is a guy trying to make himself look smart or something.”
THIRD BASEMAN SCOTT Rolen is taking ground balls, but isn’t swinging a bat and will stay back to do rehab work when the Reds play in Pittsburgh and Houston on the road.
Does manager Dusty Baker miss Rolen, even with his .174 batting average? Of course he does. How much?
“The guys playing third (Todd Frazier, Miguel Cairo) are doing a good job, but Scott Rolen is Scott Rolen. You don’t really appreciate his consistency because of his dullness and lack of flair until he is not in there. He just makes all the plays. All of them.
“He is trying to get the strength and range of motion he had in spring training,” said Baker. “He had it big-time, but slowly but surely things got shorter and shorter with him without us noticing.”
KEN GRIFFEY JR. was a surprise visitor in the pre-game clubhouse Sunday and he was as big as bungalow. Not fat. Just big. He looked in better shape than the day he retired from baseball.
His son, Trey was with him, and Trey is taller than his father, “So I have to stay big to keep him in line,” said Junior.
Trey is headed for the University of Arizona, where he has a full ride to play wide receiver.
“That happens to all of us — getting big when we quit playing,” said Baker. “But how about his kid? How big is he? Man? He’s tall.”
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By jim t
May 29, 2012 8:12 AM | Link to this
Games started by subs record. 6-2 Valdez 4-2 Cairo 3-3 Harris
By Cleat
May 28, 2012 4:05 PM | Link to this
Even the Pirate outfielders can make the catches in the gaps better than Stubbs. Simon looks like a soon-to-be starter for the Reds rotation. Heisey quit swinging at balls in the dirt. Discipline my man.
By Cleat
May 28, 2012 3:37 PM | Link to this
Nice lineup today Rusty-Dusty. Nice leadoff hitter. Can’t wait until your favorite lead off hitter is doing it full time—striking out! Nice diving no-catch by he who was chosen to be your CFer. When CD and Heisey dive they usually make the catch, instead of looking inept.Sure would like to have a framed picture of Stubbs dive—so I could laugh each time I see it. Nice pick Walt and Dust bag. Nice no-bunt with runners on 1st and 2nd, Baker-man. Clever to not have your best bunter Arroyo bunt, instead replace him with Constanzo-whom you let hit away to no avail; and then we got to watch your cleverness’s leadoff hitter strike out…AGAIN!!!!!
By search engine optimization consultant
May 28, 2012 1:50 PM | Link to this
آپ کا دن اچھا ہے ، میرے دوست نے!
By poptopp
May 28, 2012 1:43 PM | Link to this
Something fell out of Devon Mesoraco’s helmet as he doffed it after his recent Grand Slam. Was it a) his Bankroll or b) his batters crib sheet or c) his restaurant list?
By Martha
May 28, 2012 12:22 PM | Link to this
Hal, please tell Dusty about the Neti Pot. Maybe the concierge at the hotel can scare one up for him. I’ve suffered from allergies so much I hate to see anyone else suffer unnecessarily.
By steven ross
May 28, 2012 11:14 AM | Link to this
Tom, you’re a funny guy. Yeah, Heisey probably should have been in the lineup but it’s simply Dusty being Dusty. I’m convinced he would have rested Lou Gehrig so we can get Wally Pipp going! Finally, in Dusty’s lineups, Rickey Henderson would have been his Cleanup hitter. It’s just the way Dusty rolls. We’re winning so smile and go with it.
By Richard
May 28, 2012 7:10 AM | Link to this
What is unreal,this is not the first time he had done this. The last time he allowed this to happen, the runner not only stole second ,but stole third too. I have said this before,and managers don’t do anything about it. Batters hit a what they believe will be a home run and stand there a watch it. Frazier said that is what he did on his home run. Then if it hits the top of the wall,instead of a double, it ends up a long single. I don’t expect it will ever change though. The one thing I have noticed the Reds players doing more this year is running hard to first on ground balls and ending up being safe a lot of times at first.
By Mike in KY
May 27, 2012 9:02 PM | Link to this
@Tom: You have no idea why Heisey was on the bench today. You make asinine assumptions because of your irrational hatred of the Reds’ manager. For all we know, Heisey was told on Friday that Ludwick would get the start on Sunday. But it’s OK. I’m sure your fantasy baseball team is doing really well.
By Tom
May 27, 2012 7:52 PM | Link to this
Good homestand, Heisey got benched today because of the bunt attempt yesterday. Baker needs to get a life. All these former Dayton Dragons are producing. Dont ness with the machine if it isnt broken. Also batting Hanigan in the 8 hole when he is so consistant with RISP is stupid. Bat him 5,6,or 7 might try him 1 or 4 also. Use Ryans bat where it will produce some numbers on the scoreboard. Playing Cairo is also a waste he needs to go down and get some at bats. His three games with the Dragons didnt prove anything. He is rusty.
By jim t
May 27, 2012 7:22 PM | Link to this
Bob don’t no about a heart attack but I think Dusty almost swallowed his toothpick. There was quite a long conversation on the mound when he went to pull him. Arrendondo didn’t look happy as hewalked off the mound. Thats twice In a short time period he has let a base runner walk to second on him.
By bobmc
May 27, 2012 5:14 PM | Link to this
Fundamentals are so lacking in the MLs today, but the most blatant lack I’ve ever seen was when Arredondo showed no clue how to trap a man off base. A LL coach would have a stroke if that had happened to one of his 7 yr olds.