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 > June > 22 > Entry
Bray’s homecoming pretty homely
CINCINNATI — Bill Bray is back and J.J. Hoover is gone — a sort of good news, bad news scenario that gladdens and saddens Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker at the same time.
He is ecstatic that Bray is back, giving him a much-need left handed arm in the bullpen, but wasn’t happy to lose the right handed Hoover.
And Bray was put to the test immediately, making his 2012 debut Friday night against the Minnesota Twins and it was a disaster that led to a 5-4 Cincinnati defeat, their fourth straight loss.
BRAY REPLACED STARTER Homer Bailey with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth, the Reds leading, 4-3. Bray’s assignment? Retire two lefthanders.
Instead, he walked Dennard Span on a full count to tie it, then gave up a sacrifice fly to Ben Revere for the go-ahead run — a run that turned out to be the last run of the game.
“That’s part of hiss job, that situation,” said manager Dusty Baker. “I’d hoped to get him in a less pressurized situation, but we didn’t want to use Sean Marshall that early (sixth inning), but they had those lefthanded hitters coming up.”
Chris Heisey and Scott Rolen homered early in the game to give the Reds the 4-3 lead, but after that the Reds left another runners strewn on the basepaths to populate Norway.
IN THE BOTTOM OF the sixth, the Reds filled the bases with one out, but Devic Mesoraco took a called third strike and pinch-hitter Todd Frazier flied to center.
IN THE BOTTOM OF the ninth, they put runners on first and third with one out against lefthander Glen Perkins, who had one save all season. But Zack Cozart took a called third strike and Chris Heisey went down swining.
Bailey pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up four runs and five hits with two walks — and he was not happy when Baker came to get him in the sixth to replace him with Bray.
“I still felt good,” said Bailey. “I gave up a broken-bat hit (Trevor Plouffe) and Ryan Doumit hits the double that bounces over the fence, so what can you do? On flip side, Doumit hit the crap out of the ball (home run in the fourth) No, I didn’t want to come out. It’s tough to come out in situations like that, but Dusty is the manager and he makes the call.”
THERE WAS A might scare in the fourth inning when Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco’s bat shattered and the barrel hit home plate umpire Jerry Layne flush on the left side of his face. He went down and stayed down.
Layne eventually got up and had no cuts or abrasions on his face and Reds team physician Dr. Tim Kremchek said it didn’t appear Layne had a concussion. He was taken to Methodist Hospital for observation. The game was finished with a three-man crew with Bob Davidson shifting behind the plate.
Bailey, at times, did not appear happy with Davidson’s strike zone, but said after the game, “In every game there is a few questionable calls, but I don’t think a change of umpires made any different,” said Bailey.
OF THE PRE-GAME DEMOTION of J.J. Hover, Baker said, “It was a very tough decision because J.J. did a really good job for us (1-0, 3.00 ERA in 17 appearances.”
The Reds acquired Hoover from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for third baseman Juan Francisco just before the season began and Hoover was quickly recalled from Class AAA Louisville to make his major-league debut in mid-April.
“He got ready a lot quicker than we anticipated — we figured he might be ready by mid-season,” said Baker. “But he was pressed into action because of bullpen injuries (Ryan Madsen, Nick Masset, Bill Bray) and he performed well.
“The demotion was not anything he did or didn’t do, it was just a matter of numbers,” Baker added. “We told, ‘You’ll be back,’ and hopefully he’ll be back to stay because he certainly has the stuff and the intestinal fortidude for the job. You don’t even know he is around half the time and that’s what you like to see out of rookies. That’s old school — be seen and not heard.”
BRAY SUFFERED a groin injury in spring training and tried to come back too soon. He altered his mechanics and other problems surfaced, causing a major setback.
“I tried to push through the groin injury and it just didn’t work,” said Bray. “I changed my mechanics to compensate and it just messed up everything. My back started hurting, my arm started hurting and it took a while to figure out what was wrong — just some minor adjustments in my mechanics.”
WHO HELPED AND what were the mechanical issues?
“It wasn’t me fixing it, it was (pitching coaches) Ton Fossas and Mack Jenkins in Arizona and Bryan Price up here,” said Bray. “We sat down and looked at video and compared things. It was where I was landing. I was four or five inches off in my step toward home plate, stepping four or five inches toward first base. That closed off my delivery.
“I was jerking the ball toward home plate, not throwing strikes,” he said. “Once we figured that out, things went back to normal.”
Bray appeared in 79 games last season and was 5-3 with a 2.98 ERA, second most appearances in the National League.
SO IT HURT TO sit and watch, but with the way the team was playing, it was not a painful hurt.
“It’s not a good feeling not to be here, but it is awesome to watch your friends and teammates do well and be in first place,” he said. “The only thing you’d want to change is that you want to be be here helping.”
Of Bray’s activation, Baker said. “There were times when we wished we had more than one (lefthander) for situations instead of just a prime-time one. Bray said he is ready to roll and we’re glad to have him back and we’re slowly getting back to our original plans.”
DREW STUBBS IS in Dayton to rehab this weekend with the Dayton Dragons, with the grand plan to have him back in center field Monday.
“It depends on how he feels and hope there are no setbacks,” said Baker. “Let’s hope he stays healthy because he’s always healthy — this is the first time he’s been hurt. Even when he is dinged up he doesn’t say much about it. You knew when he said something was wrong, something was really wrong because he doesn’t complain about anything.”
JOEY VOTTO IS not pleased when he is a stereotyped as a hockey fan. Just because he was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, he is constantly asked, “Did you play hockey and who is your favorite hockey team and player.”
Votto is not interested in hockey, never played hockeyk can’t ice skate. He was more interested in the NBA playoffs than the NHL playoffs.
After the Miami Heat took care of the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday night, Votto was asked about LeBron James winning an NBA title and he said, “I can finally sleep in peace. Now who are they going to hammer for not winning a championship, Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic)?”
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Hey, Marty, you have a glow about you.” — Manager Dusty Baker, kidding broadcaster Marty Brennaman, who was married to his fiancée, Amanda, while the Reds were on their last trip.
QUOTE OF THE DAY II: “If you don’t like it don’t look at it.” — Joey Votto, talking to a teammate who ws poking fun at Wilson Valdez’s Mohawk hair-cut.
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By Cowboy is a phony
June 23, 2012 12:23 PM | Link to this
Steven, you are so right. Georg Grande has got to go away. He is so sweet i have to check my diabetes when I listen to him. Brantley is awful. Please Reds, get 4-5 announcers and go with it. The 12 man rotation sux.
By steven ross
June 23, 2012 11:10 AM | Link to this
I am not a Dusty fan and bash him on many occasions but Bray is not a rookie. He’s been there before. Besides, the threw a breaking ball on a 3-2 count to a batter who never swung the bat. That groan you heard was Brantley who said as much. Got to throw your fastball there. Brantly stinks too but he was 100% right. Yes, Dusty should PR for Rolen in the 9th. No-brainer except to Dusty. Please Reds office, stop using George Grande to call games. Almost gotten to the point where I can’t listen anymore and that’s not “Great”!
By Bengals
June 23, 2012 11:10 AM | Link to this
The Reds could win the world series and still the idiots here would whine about Dusty.
By FIRE BAKER
June 23, 2012 9:59 AM | Link to this
Joe Schmidlap of the local Little League would be an improvement; or better yet, let the blog manage this team,except for those defenders of Baker’s stupidity.
By Cowboy is a phony
June 23, 2012 9:38 AM | Link to this
This is nothing new with Dusty. He has done the same thing with other team as well as the Reds. Remember Corey Patterson? He will play the older guys no matter what. Until he goes, folks get used to it. He ruined the Cubs & their young pitchers etc. Don’t forget coming into this year he had won 2 games more than he had lost. Sorry and hate to go there but if he was white he would be gone.
By bobmc
June 23, 2012 9:34 AM | Link to this
Some almost facts; some opinions. The Reds hardly ever score without a HR. No back to back hits in their bats. Stubbs should stay on rehab. Now, the Pirates have a true, fast, excellent CFer. Bailey is and always will be a prima donna head case. Bob Davidson’s missed, very close call upset Homer and that was the beginning of the end. His temper has always been an issue. Dusty shouldn’t take all that lip. I’d rather throw Hoover or McClure into the rotation. They could go 5 innings. Leake is a keeper and trainable; Bailey is not. Rolen should have had a pinch ruuner; though the 34 yr old Willie Harris may had been Dusty’s choice. Bray, after 2 mos. on the DL, should NEVER have been put into that situation his first few games back. Dusty again plays big in the loss with his decisions of lack thereof.Win a few in a row and Dusty always goes to thinkering with the lineup and getting the bench “sharp” or someother stupid excuse.
By Colgar
June 23, 2012 9:32 AM | Link to this
The funny thing is I keep staring at the standings and the Reds are on top. Why are these amateur, armchair managers, so critical and clueless?
By Jim M.
June 23, 2012 9:30 AM | Link to this
Well I guess by Dusty’s quotes he forgot Jose Arredondo gets leftys out!!.. HE should have been brought in if he didnt want to go to Marshall or Bray being just back. they had a dayy off. he was the right choice in the 6th!!ALSO bottom of 6th bases loaded, why didnt he let Hanigan bat for our .190 hitting rookie catcher with one out??? AND Why didnt Dusty pinch run speedy Harris for Rolen in the ninth? saving his worst .100 hitting left handed hitter for extras?? Dusty didnt manage that game well at all. I also dont get if everybody including the announcers know Bailey wont hold runners on well, why dont the coaches drill this in his head?? why Dusty cant call a pitch out??? 2-1 with Revere on 1st, I knew he was going to steal. the pitch was fouled off, but a pitch out gets Bailey possibly out of the inning..(later in the game). Now Frazier looks lost at the plate trying to hard to prove himself all over again with Rolen back.. The team was gelling till they left New York and went to Cleveland. Now after being swept and a day off, they didnt show that fire and looked not in the game.
By Gladden not sadden
June 23, 2012 9:03 AM | Link to this
And yet another one slips away. Other team’s best friend.
By WillyBill
June 23, 2012 8:33 AM | Link to this
whatever happened to “set lineup” a team wins 6 in a row and then Dusty sends the players that helped them win six in a row to the bench or to the minors. When is front office going to realize Rolen is finished and I didn’t know George Grande hit and pitched
By JScruisen
June 23, 2012 8:25 AM | Link to this
Another sign Dusty is absolutely clueless when it comes to managing. Anyone that knows anything about baseball would tell you in the ninth, with the tying run on second, and that runner being a slow footed soon to be 38 year old, you put in a speedy pinch runner. That way if they’res a base hit, like there was last night, the runner scores, and doesn’t stop at third, get stranded, and lose the game. Common sense baseball 101, but we all know Dusty has failed that class numerous times before!
By Ron
June 23, 2012 8:13 AM | Link to this
What Dusty has done has taken the momentum right out of the team. Yes, SR got 3 hits including a homerun but the big picture is that the Reds are 0-4 since his return. Lets see, TF has started 1 game at third, 2 in left, dh’d and been benched the first game against the Twins. When DS comes back he will get his job back because we all know that you can’t loose your spot because you get hurt, which means left field will be shared by now 3 players. What Dusty is doing is managing himself right out of a job.
By Michael in Singapore
June 23, 2012 8:10 AM | Link to this
Once again the Reds cannot plate a runner on third with one out. They have got to do that and another fundamental (hitting to the right side of the field with a runner on second) a whole lot better than they have. These one run games are killing the Reds.
By GG
June 23, 2012 7:15 AM | Link to this
Another game broadcast by George Grande and another loss. Stop letting him announce!
By Cowboy is a phony
June 23, 2012 6:46 AM | Link to this
What is the Red’s record since Rolen returned? Not good. Dusty just will not leave this team alone. He has screwed up every team he has managed and this team was winning in spite of him. I can not wait for him to go away.
By Not a Prophet
June 23, 2012 6:21 AM | Link to this
Hal, should be a great week for the Reds since they have to gain 6 games on the Pirates and 4 games on the Cards to be “up 7 to 8” games by the end of the month, right?
By Randyman1956
June 23, 2012 3:14 AM | Link to this
We can’t keep blowing these games that we should be winning or else it will come back to bite us. Bloggers keep feeling like Dusty gets picked on too much. How can you keep silent about a person (won’t use manager) with years of experience who habitually makes bonehead decisions? Baker demotes players after they get in a groove and continues to screw with the morale of the team. The man is front office PR material not a manager. Bloggers argue that Baker has won many games. Well, being around several years will do that. Baker likes to quote old school. Old school would have fired him by now. I’ve listened to bloggers on here and have thought maybe I’m being too critical of Baker. Naw, a few games later,Baker always validates my opinion.
By BoulderDave
June 23, 2012 1:48 AM | Link to this
Once again, the Twins are the type of team the Reds must beat. More of the same. And yes, you’re absolutely right, Tom, as is everyone else who questions the managers knuckle headed inexplicable moves.
By Tom
June 22, 2012 11:59 PM | Link to this
It sure is interesting how many players for the Reds do “very good jobs”only to be benched, or sent packing, immediately afterward.This practice is about to happen again; and it will be to the detriment of the team and this season.