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 > 13 > Entry
With apologies to all
Do I owe Corey Patterson an apology? Do we all owe Corey Patterson an apology? For one day? Yes.
The guy was a one-man sewing machine Monday night, piecing together four hits, including a bunt single to start a four-run rally in the seventh that won the game.
Biggest thing, thugh, was that he didn’t get picked off base or make a funky baserunning blunder. For that he gets the Safe Auto Award.
And for those who prefer Ryan Freel over Patterson, while Freel hustles every step on a baseball field and isn’t afraid to dirty his uniform front and leave lacerations on his chest, his several baserunning blunders and misguided attempts at diving catches are what makes the coaching staff leery of him.
Of course, Freel isn’t the Lone Ranger with his baserunning adventures. He has plenty of Tontos.
And everybody in the world owes Jeff Keppinger an apology. Keppinger was trapped in his own body, a small body, one that scouts like to call too small to be a regular in the majors.
The Pirates drafted him and included him in a trade that also sent pitcher Kris Benson to the New York Mets. Benson was the centerpiece and Keppinger was what they call a throw-in.
He played 33 games for the 2004 Mets and hit .284. Not good enough. They traded him to Kansas City for Ruben Gotay in July, 2006. Go-who?
Kansas City needs baseball players like a street person needs quarters, but they didn’t see anything in Keppinger, either, and traded him to the Reds in January, 2007. The price? A pitcher named Russ Haltiwanger.
As trades go, this drew about as much attention as a white Chevy in a parking lot. This was no BMW or Mercedes. Not at the time. There was not even a story in the Dayton Daily News. It was one line in ‘Transactions’ with the thought, “If it only took Haltiwanger to get this guy, he can’t be much.”
Give credit to fired GM Wayne Krivsky for this one, but even he didn’t know what he was getting.
He thought he was getting a back-up infielder who can hit a little bit.
Then Alex Gonzalez (Anybody remember him?) turned into a bad signing. He was in-and-out of last year’s lineup due to injuries and a life-threatening illness to his son. Keppinger stepped in and hit .332 in 241 at-bats.
A fluke? Too short of a sampling?
Well, Gonzalez, due to a wounded knee, hasn’t played all year and Keppinger has played every game but one at an All-Star pace. Oh, he won’t be an All-Star, but he is a star. In addition to hitting like Pete Rose, he is fielding his position with proficiency.
That’s the other thing they (it is always ‘they.’ Just who are ‘they?’) said. He can’t play shortstop? Yes, he can.
He had seven straight hits in New York, he hit a tie-breaking two-run homer Monday against the Marlins in the 8-7 victory.
As far as I’m concerned, they can bury Alex Gonzalez at Wounded Knee. He’s a good player, a good shortstop, but he is no Jeff Keppinger. And what scout wou,d ever say that?
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Comments
By Bob
May 16, 2008 9:40 AM | Link to this
Griffey’s chase for 600 is a constant headline. First of all; who cares and secondly, if it’s a chase, something has to be happening. All he’s doing is dragging down the team with his permanent three hole spot. Look at the others in the majors in that spot in the lineup and you need no further explanation for the shape the team’s in. Last year I ran an average of the other 29 three hole players and the comparison was pathetic; just like this year.By HuberTucky
May 14, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this
Yeah, what is with this sudden attack on Weathers? Nothin’ wrong with David. He’s still a great set up guy and stepped in last year for a dreadful team was was mostly an awesome lights-out closer. I think that some Daytonians are just so genetically programmed to whine and b!tch that they get on this blog just to see their stupid petty comments in print. How shallow, right shallow Hal?By Me
May 14, 2008 12:06 AM | Link to this
David Weathers had 33 saves last year! How does that get him ridicule from a frickin’ blogger? Tonight: two strikeouts and a ground ball out to second—out of four hitters he faced! Bet you voted twice for Dumbya, too!By Florida Buckeye
May 13, 2008 6:41 PM | Link to this
Hal, I’m still leery of Patterson, and Encarnacion: Think about it…EE hits the occassional HR, and or makes a great play, and they forgive him, and think: “ahh, the potential…” and yet, here we are after how many seaons, and his negatives far outweigh his positive contributions…I’m afraid that we might be falling into the same pattern w/r to Patterson and the Reds.By Y-City Jim
May 13, 2008 6:33 PM | Link to this
Patterson’s career numbers speak for themselves. The guy has no business starting much less leading off. He can’t hit and he’s a horrible baserunner.By Trace
May 13, 2008 4:13 PM | Link to this
If Alex Gonzalez had not been injured this year Kepp would not have received any playing time what-so-ever. Our talent evaluation is sorely lacking here.By JImmy
May 13, 2008 3:42 PM | Link to this
Did anybody else here what song Corey walked to the plate to last night? STRONGER! By Kayne West!!! Funny,funny!By JImmy
May 13, 2008 3:42 PM | Link to this
Did anybody else here what song Corey walked to the plate to last night? STRONGER! By Kayne West!!! Funny,funny!By JImmy
May 13, 2008 3:42 PM | Link to this
Did anybody else here what song Corey walked to the plate to last night? STRONGER! By Kayne West!!! Funny,funny!By nllspc
May 13, 2008 2:45 PM | Link to this
Read it on John Fay’s (Cincinnati Enquirer) blog, so I assume it’s credible. LOL, just wow with all the name calling.By Gerry
May 13, 2008 2:42 PM | Link to this
The biggest curse Corey has to face is that he’s perceived to be the “teachers pet.” And no one ever likes the teachers pet. By the way, what ever happened to Jerry Hairston Jr.? I keep hearing how fundamentally sound he is yet I rarely see him.By Kyle
May 13, 2008 1:42 PM | Link to this
Well, I’m quick to fry Dusty so I’ll give it to him on one thing. He seems to have only sipped the Stormy Weathers is a great reliever kool-aid, unlike the announcers for the Reds. What a beautifully short leash he gave Weathers last night. Weathers is not the 8th inning answer. The Reds have other options. They need to rid themselves of Stormy and solidify the 8th.By OakwoodTucky
May 13, 2008 1:13 PM | Link to this
Well nllspc, Mister Know-It-All, how do you know Texas wouldn’t have taken Dunn or a combination of Dunn & Griffey for Hamilton? Were YOU there and in on the discussions? Obviously your @ss weighs a ton from your “moot point” comment to END the discussion. If you open your eyes, you’ll see I said “Imagine if…” and people like you love to be buzz killers, dontcha? Ya jagoff. I bet you voted for Dumbya…TWICE!By Don L
May 13, 2008 12:29 PM | Link to this
My thoughts on Corey. At the beginning of the season he had a different swing than he does now and I wonder if its all the help he’s been getting from the manager and the so called hitting coach. At first he would drive the ball and had solid type hits. One of the Reds broadcasters even said, the ball seems to jump off of his bat. Now, as was pointed out, he hits these flares that occasionaly land between the outfielders and the infielders for base hits. His swing is not level either and his bat has little chance of contact as it passes through the strike zone. What does this all mean? Well, maybe if Dusty has personally been instructing Corey we may now have the answer as to why Corey plays so much. You think?By nllspc
May 13, 2008 12:28 PM | Link to this
The Rangers wouldn’t take Griffey, Dunn, or Encarnacion for Volquez, so that discussion is moot.By Pete
May 13, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this
Actually, we owe a debt of gratitude to the Cubs & O’s for giving up on Patterson so we can all enjoy his inept style of play. Oh yes, it’s that style of play that his admiring manager, Dusty, saw to bring him in as that final, fitting piece of the puzzle that is outlined w/ the likes of Junior, Dunce, Belisle, Arroyo, et al. That’ll also bring us equally admiring fans to GABP in droves to express our appreciation for this future HOFer to & this cast of clowns which is leading this team to its EIGHTH STRAIGHT LOSING SEASON!!!By Indy
May 13, 2008 11:31 AM | Link to this
Baseball is funny. I think we forget the season is a 182-game marathon, not a 10-game sprint. I’d guess it takes a month or two to fully judge a player’s potential. Imagine if Joey Votto’s whole season was determined by his first couple weeks. In Patterson’s case, it’s opposite of Votto. He came out of the gate on fire. At that point I was about ready to take back what I’d said about him. Now I’m thinking Patterson’s good games are the anomaly. Give us a month of consistent (not spectacular) hitting and we’ll talk. In the meantime I think most Reds fans will continue to pine for the inevitable call up of Jay Bruce.By OakwoodTucky
May 13, 2008 11:30 AM | Link to this
Anybody looking at how Josh Hamilton is doing this year? BA 306, 8HRs, 43 RBI, 359 OBP, 563 SLG. Heck, Kepp leads the Reds w/ 20 RBI! Look at Griff and Dunn #s: 250/209 BA, 4/6 HRs, 18/18 RBI, 338/352 OBP, 379/400 SLG. Still a great trade? Imagine if they had traded Griff & Dunn for EV and kept Hamilton = Winning team with a hot young stud to lead them. Oh well, one can dream, eh?By jack
May 13, 2008 11:20 AM | Link to this
Patterson is good for about one game each month. Anybody know Bruce’s numbers? Since he is not up, I am assuming he is hitting really bad, probably could not use his bat in the lineup at all…….It would be a shame if he were hitting something like .350 with 29 RBI’s and wasting away in Louisvile.By Steve
May 13, 2008 11:13 AM | Link to this
As you say, for one day only. And let’s not get carried away. Two of Patterson’s hits were of the check swing-bloop variety, one was a drag bunt. He still didn’t hit the ball with any authority. And as good of a day as Patterson had (finally) Jay Bruce’s day was even better. Bring him up and play him!By HuberTucky
May 13, 2008 10:58 AM | Link to this
No way do you owe Corey Patterson an apology. It’s the other way around. He owes the Reds and their fans an apology for being an impostor. So do many other men on this team. This is the thing with following the Reds, they get your hopes up with a good game, a good performance, a good 2 for 3 series, then they bumble and gag and go back to their old ways. They’ve tease us for years and years and many of us are on to them and are simply tired and fed up. Count me in that crowd.By Ron
May 13, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this
A decent game by Patterson only proves the “blind squirrel finding a nut” theory is true. I wonder what would have happened if Hopper had not been placed on the DL. Hopper is a leadoff hitter who gets on base and would have been the perfect player to hold down CF until Jay Bruce arrives and/or Griffey and Dunn are let go.