Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy is in his 36th year of covering the Cincinnati Reds, the longest tenure for any active writer covering one team. Counting spring training and postseason games, McCoy has covered more than 7,000 major-league baseball games, written close to 18,000 baseball stories and eaten enough hot dogs to give Babe Ruth indigestion.Home > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > May > 02 > Entry
Just another silent night
Explorer Henry Hudson never did find the Northwest Passage.
He could have asked Tim Hudson Friday night. He could find anything - mostly a bunch of futile hitters standing in the batter’s box wearing Cincinnati Reds uniforms in Turner Field Friday night.
Hudson, an Atlanta Braves righthander, held the Reds to three rinky-dink singles, walked none and struck out 10 in a 2-0 victory witnessed by Reds owner Bob Castellini, who probably wishes he had stayed in the carrot and cumquat industry instead of investing in a moribund baseball team.
But he is a fan and he is a participatory owner and what he saw had to hurt.
The most hideous part of the entire night was the ninth inning. Down 2-0, three straight Reds hit harmless fly balls (Corey Patterson, Jeff Keppinger, Ken Griffey Jr.). With two outs, the Braves overshifted to the right on Griffey, daring him to bunt. Double daring him to bunt. Triple daring him to bunt.
He swung away and ended the game with a meek fly to right, just as Keppinger had done before him and Patterson before him.
Ah, Patterson.
He played center and batted leadoff and dropped a fly ball near the wall in the fourth inning that put Chipper Jones on second and put Edinson Volquez in trouble. He hung a change-up to Brian McCann and McCann made it look like Delta flight 2429 to Birmingham, a two-run homer - Volquez’s only mistake and the game’s only runs.
Too, too bad. Volquez painted another gem - six innings, four hits, two runs, one earned run, two walks, nine strikeouts and all it got him was his first loss. He is 4-1 with a 1.27 ERA.
Volquez carried one broad smile after the game and when manager Dusty Baker came up to him and said, “I’m sorry we didn’t score you any runs,” Volquez said, “Hey, my fault. I made a bad pitch.”
Said Baker, “You love that. This guy is good and this guy is going to be a great major-league pitcher.
There were fireworks after the game. It was good to hear some noise in the park.
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Comments
By bruce
May 4, 2008 2:49 AM | Link to this
Dusty needs to stop trying to make the signing of Corey Patterson look like a good idea. What happened to the day when the hot player plays? Also stop trying tio find playing time for Scott Hatterberg and let Votto Hit and drive in runs. If Hatterberg cannot adjust to being a bench player he needs to be dealt to a team that needs a first baseman that drives in 50 runs a year.By HuberTucky
May 3, 2008 4:03 PM | Link to this
This is the same timid team the Reds send out year after year after year. They forget who on the other teams kill them EACH time (Bergman, Ankeil, guys like that) and pitch the same crap to them everytime with the same results. The Reds are so intimidated when they come to a place like Atlanta (or name the town du jour) that they psyche themselves out, lose the first game, and then stand around with their fingers up their butts. Tiresome.By Kurt
May 3, 2008 1:27 PM | Link to this
Bring in a little league team, nobody will be able to tell a difference.By Sigh Yung
May 3, 2008 12:01 PM | Link to this
We need a spark plug—play Hopper EVERYDAY—and lead him off! Hal, next time you see Marty tell he and Dusty to call me—instead of doing the pre-game show— I know the answers!By Sigh Yung
May 3, 2008 11:51 AM | Link to this
Ah, the doomsayers! Seven games out means nothing, at this time of year! The team simply needs to start hitting! The pitching is 10 times better than last year—we merely need HITTING to go along with it! Changes in the starting lineup need to take place—it is time for those in charge to do SOMETHING—for the benefit of the loyal fans, to give them hope—as in sit down Griffey/Dunn—put the speed lineup in, and LEAVE them in EVERYDAY—bring up EVERYONE who should already be in the Majors! Play VOTTO everyday!Catch Backo nearly every day. Do not give up! HITTING is all we need. Trade wannabe’s.By Mike
May 3, 2008 10:42 AM | Link to this
Trade Griffey to Seattle so he can retire where he started. The Reds won’t get anything in return but it will be a nice gesture for Junior. He is an aging player with declining skills. He is not helping the Reds. Trade Dunn before the deadline. He is not worth a big money, multi-year contract. He is not a productive middle of the order hitter. He does not hit with men on base. He has a slow, looping swing that won’t get better. He is a left handed Dave Kingman. Phillips should not be hitting cleanup but there is no good alternative. It appears to be affecting him. He is swinging too hard. Why Votto does not play everyday is a mystery. The Patterson signing is an embarassment to all concerned. This is a very bad Reds team. It could lose 90-100 games. Eventually the pitching which has been OK will break down. I would describe the current situation as a mess with no end in sight. The Reds could be the worst team in baseball.By Bob
May 3, 2008 10:12 AM | Link to this
For the last several years I hear once we get the big boys in the middle of the lineup going, we’ll be okay. Which big boy is that? Dunn or Griffey NEVER get a big HIT. Once in a blue moon one of them will get a hit with RISP that means something, but history shows it doesn’t happen often. It’s a shame too, because our tablesetter Patterson is on base so much with his hefty .200 average. When is someone going to hold Dusty accountable for this whole fiasco? Can’t fire Krivsky again; only leaves Dusty. All I’ve heard is pitching is the problem which is true, but when they get an outstanding outing, there is only a couple who ever get a big hit. Did you ever wonder what Jr. and Dunn’s salary would do for this team, plus rid us of the dead weight?By Y-City Jim
May 3, 2008 8:38 AM | Link to this
Are we seeing the effects of Dusty’s “be aggressive” approach? Do the Reds need to question whether Jacoby is the right guy for a hitting coach? Is the problem really the 3-4-5 hitters or the 1-2 hitters? What does bringing in Mario Soto say about Dick Pole?By Mike
May 3, 2008 8:27 AM | Link to this
The sun came up this morning..and the Reds stand 7 games back dead last in the Central!! But fear not..the optimism that these guys will hit echoes game after game from the powers that be..The Reds are like an old car..it needs a complete overhaul. But management has hesitated to get the eraser out and make necessary changes. Maybe they will..but 7 games out is a long way. Bottom line..another loss last night..Wonder what owner Castellini was thinking when his cast of millionaires were stumbling to Tim Hudson ? Especially the #3-4-5-hitters..!Wonder what Freel (.321 ) was thinking as he sat and watched Patterson (.205).. albiet he will start tonite? It has become an exercise in futility..and you have to just wonder..these guys just aren’t very good.Help is on the way tonight..Belisle (ERA…9.0 )By STOCC
May 3, 2008 6:56 AM | Link to this
Patterson has to sit. With the team 7 games back, dead last and not scoring, why NOT bring Bruce up!?! It couldn’t be any worse than what we are seeing now.By donb51
May 3, 2008 6:56 AM | Link to this
But, but, Hal, Griffey could have hit a homer, and then Phillips could have hit another home. After all, we did it a few games back, and if we did it once, then it figures in Baker’s strategy, does it not? At least Volquez accepted the defeat for the team - and Baker just loved that! Baker loves it when you “work hard and keep your mouth shut” 0r take the blame for losing a game. After all, it is a team game - is it not?By MAC
May 3, 2008 2:34 AM | Link to this
No hits…not even a loud out that I can remember. I doubt we had more than a handful of good at bats? Hudson was good, but it’s clear to me the Reds are a bunch of AAA hitters compared to the Braves. Our guys don’t seem to have an approach at all…just swing hard in case u hit it…no approach and even less discipline IMO.By Vin
May 3, 2008 12:01 AM | Link to this
New lineup… 1. Freel 2. Keppinger 3. Phillips (not a 4 hitter) 4. Votto 5. Encarnacion 6. Griffey 7. Bako 8. pitcher (works for Mil) 9. DunnBy Vin
May 3, 2008 12:00 AM | Link to this
New lineup… 1. Freel 2. Keppinger 3. Phillips (not a 4 hitter) 4. Votto 5. Encarnacion 6. Griffey 7. Bako 8. pitcher (works for Mil) 9. DunnBy Dan
May 2, 2008 11:54 PM | Link to this
Time to bring up Bruce. May as well call him up now- its not like he could do any worse than Patterson, Hairston or any other Red at the moment.By Michael Smith
May 2, 2008 11:53 PM | Link to this
Mr. McCoy, I would just like to thank you for your blog. I am a student at Notre Dame that just moved from Springboro, OH to Saint Louis, MO. I bought MLBtv and found that I can’t watch it at ND because this is not only Reds country, but Cubs, Tigers, and White Sox country. Thank you for your blog and letting me keep up with my Reds. I don’t want to waste you time so keep up the good work and I will speak for all the out of market viewers and say keep up the good work and go Reds!