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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 > June > 14 > Entry
Bench: Catch Every Ball
There’s a great little book just out by Johnny Bench: Catch Every Ball.
It is a motivational book, only 119 pages and although it is a hardcover it is about the size of a paperback.
What makes it so good, other than inspirational chatter by Bench, is that it is filled with anecdotes from Bench’s Hall of Fame career.
I read it Saturday night in one sitting - mostly to get my mind off home runs flying off the bats of Kevin Youkalis and Coco Crisp (beaten by a cereal???) in the 10th inning Saturday afternoon that lifted the Boston Red Sox over the Cincinnati Reds, 6-4.
Tremendous game to watch, though. Reminded me of Game 6 of the 1975 World Series when Carlton Fisk hit the 12th inning home run to beat the Reds in Fenway Park, a game during which Pete Rose, standing in the batter’s box, turned to catcher Fisk and said, “Isn’t this a great game?”
Anyway, Bench. Love the guy. We’ve become pretty good friends, even better than when I covered him. When he sees me, he gets a kick out of calling me, “Hall of Flamer.”
What I liked about Bench was that if I wrote something he didn’t like, he let me know about it, then forgot about it. No grudges held.
In his last season, with his knees nearly shot from squatting, Bench tried to play third base. During spring training, ball after ball went through his legs and I wrote sarcastically, “Bench playing third base is a perfect imitation of a croquet wicket.”
He didn’t much like that.
Then there was 1977, the year after two straight World Series titles. Things weren’t going well. A lot of the players, Bench included, spent a lot of time on the road lounging around the hotel pools, working on their tans.
I wrote that and said, “The Reds seem to be more interested in getting suntans than winning games.” Somebody clipped the column and hung it on the clubhouse wall. As I walked in, Bench was reading it and said, loudly, “Hey, Hal. What do suntans have to do with winning baseball games?”
As my face reddened, a high, squeaky voice from across the room said, “If the shoe fits, wear it.” It was George Foster. Thanks, George.
When Bench got married the first time, more than a thousand people attended and he invited celebrities, including the President of the U.S. It was a big deal - TV cameras, newspaper stories.
Later, when it came out that Bench was getting a divorce, I wrote a story about it and Bench said the next day, “Hal, why is my divorce big news?”
I said, “Didn’t you invite the President to your wedding?”
“Yes,” he said.
“Then your divorce is big news, too,” I said. He laughed at that one - much later.
Read the book. None of the above stories are in it, but you’ll love it.
Anyway, Saturday’s loss was a stunner, especially after Edwin Encarnacion hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and two strikes to tie it.
Some of you have issues with Dusty Baker batting Jay Bruce first and Paul Janish second. I tend to agree that Janish shouldn’t be batting second (he is 1 for 22 at this moment), but I can’t take issue with the leadoff hitter.
Baker has no choice. He doesn’t have a leadoff hitter. Jerry Hairston Jr. is hurt, Ryan Freel is hurt. Jeff Keppinger is hurt. Who on the roster is a leadoff hitter? You tell me. Tell me who you think should bat first and who should bat second. If you have a legitimate solution, I’ll pass it on to Dusty.
Baker has at least one legitimate reason for batting Janish second - in addition to putting a righthanded bat between the lefty leadoff hitter (Bruce) and the No. 3 hitter (lefty Ken Griffey Jr.).
“I feel that if I bat Janish second he’ll see some good pitches to hit with Griffey batting behind him,” said Baker.
However, my solution might be this: Take Brandon Phillips out of the four-hole. Put him second. Then move Adam Dunn into the four-hole. If Dusty is worried that much about Griffey and Dunn, both lefthanders, batting back-to-back, move Encarnacion into the four-hole.
How about (for now?) Bruce, Phillips, Griffey, Encarnacion, Dunn, Votto, Janish, Bako/Ross?
Just a suggestion.
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Comments
By Tom
June 19, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this
I just watched the Reds get beat again (6/19-4:00PM) and they are now 1 and 8 against the mighty Dodgers who were seven under coming in (by the way these games were in Cincy not the dreaded west coast). Castellini has to be wondering about spending more money on this pathetic team. No hits in scoring position in fact very seldom move runners up, a manager who is worthless manager, and about to go on a 9 game road trip to American League cities. Corey “the out” Patterson as DH. Oh my-out of it by July 1st. Give me Pete M. back he was close to 500.By sjb
June 16, 2008 4:54 PM | Link to this
“John”: Phillips hitting leadoff is no better than anything else they’ve tried. He has horrible plate discipline, as evidenced by his paltry .314 OBP. What a fine mess this lineup is. Sheesh. The only thing that seems reasonable is to make sure Keppinger comes back only when that knee is ready, as he must be the guy to hit leadoff for this badly-constructed starting eight. And that notion itself is all the evidence you need if you are one who doesn’t believe that Junior and Dunn are sabotaging this lineup. Dusty says that Kep is a custom-made #2 hitter, and for once, he’s right. Junior is nowhere close to an MLB-caliber 3-hole hitter. Hitting Bruce leadoff is a complete waste — he screams “middle-of-the-lineup”. And Dunn is such a paradox, there’s no clear-cut spot for him in the order — he can draw walks but he can’t run the basepaths; he can hit it a mile, but he doesn’t understand when to be selective and when he needs to drill the first hittable pitch he sees when there are men on; he can’t hit for average, and he can’t move runners; all in all, he’s just not a top-half-of-the-order hitter. It’s just a mess.By Coach
June 16, 2008 10:54 AM | Link to this
Let me see—just who was it—WEEKS AGO—who said put Affeldt in the rotation?? Copy cats!By PitchingCoach
June 15, 2008 3:39 PM | Link to this
Where is Leo Mazonni when we need him? C’mon Bob and Walt, get Leo to teach these guys how to pitch. Look at Pole’s results — dreadful! Come on! Just do it!By FedUp
June 15, 2008 3:10 PM | Link to this
Here it is, 3PM and I am so disgusted by this indifferent play from this horror-story-of-a-Reds “team” that I’m grabbing the book by Bill Giles that Hal suggested “Pouring Six Beers At A Time.” I turned oft the TV and am going outside to READ about baseball since it’s so painful to watch this team of Reds losers. And Homer? Package him & Griffey and send ‘em packing as a has-been and a never was.By rlg
June 15, 2008 3:10 PM | Link to this
I would not trade Bailey. Somethng has changed in his mechanics, which is why his fastball has lost 5 or 6 mph..at 88 mph, throw the ball down the middle of the plate (note the 3 home runs today against Boston), he is going to get creamed, especially with no other offspeed pitches to set up his fastball or vise-versa. If his fastball is 95 mph, and moving, not so easy to catch up with that. He needs to go back down and get straigtened out mechanically and add a curve and slide or curve and change up that he can throw confidently at any time before bringing him back up. I would not trade him though as we’d probably have any Phil Dumatrait on our hands who the Reds traded too quickly. I would look at bringing either Maloney or Thompson up from AAA. Of course, it doesn’t help that their offenses struggles continue…where two of of every three games, they score very little and get pounded. Wow, how we miss Keppinger in this line up and Hairston.By David B
June 15, 2008 2:56 PM | Link to this
So I am watching the game right now and noticing that Bailey is not doing good, he got pulled, and Affelt is pitching a pretty good 2-3 innings so far. Here is an idea. Send Homer either back down to Louisville or trade him; put Affelt in the 5 spot in the rotation; and bring Herrera back up from AAA and keep him here. Just a thought.By John
June 15, 2008 2:48 PM | Link to this
Hal - long time reader, first time poster. Love your stuff. How about Phillips leading off? Yes, he has some power and can steal. A Rickey Henderson type of lead off hitter (but certainly not as good as Rickey - I know that). Bat Bruce 2nd, Votto 3rd, Dunn 4th, EE 5th, Griffey 6th, Cather 7th, SS 8th - until Hairston or Keppinger come back. I’m a Griffey fan, but he’s no longer a 3 hitter. Or with Phillips leading off and on base, he can steal second and Griffey can bat 2. Then, with Phillips on 2nd, Griffey’s weak ground ball to the second baseman will advance Phillips to third. How often has Griffey grounded out to 2nd this year? Again, thanks for all of your insight to the game.By Bearcats
June 15, 2008 12:52 PM | Link to this
I think that Dunn would be a good second batter. His on base percentage is very good and he would be on base many times for Phillips batting third and Griffey fourth. EE could bat fifth and Votto sixth.By Beard
June 15, 2008 12:40 PM | Link to this
I want to know why the F Mike Lincoln was in the game in the 10th instead of one of the three better arms out of the bullpen that remained (Cordero, Burton, Bray). Anyone have a reason behind that little gem from Dusty. A total freeking joke. Now not only does the offense look offensive but Dusty can’t even make a simple little standard decision that managers make all the time — namely use your closer in the top of the 10th in an extra inning game. Ok so he pitched 3 straight days and you wanted to rest him (b/c you’ll no doubt need him today with Homer going vs Beckett — year right), then why no Burton or Bray. Just plain disgusting. I feel sorry for Hal having to cover this every day. It must be difficult to find anything nice to write about.By Bob
June 15, 2008 12:24 PM | Link to this
For 8 years I have heard how great a team mate “Jr.” is. He could take Corey Patterson’s lead and realize he is not a 3-hitter. “Jr.” has been around MLB since he was in diapers. He, of all people, must know he is only hurting the team in the 3-spot. Is there no one in the organization with enough intelligence to move beyond Griffey. His skills are eroding daily before our very eyes. I would hold more stock in my relationships with my team mates and in the success of my team.By John
June 15, 2008 12:22 PM | Link to this
Mac puts the catching situation in much needed perspective. They have three catchers for no real reason. If you look around at the first-place teams, they don’t seem to have a problem keeping two catchers, even if one can’t hit. If you can call a good game and hit about .230, then okay. They have three guys who are doing that, and Valentin never plays because people have complained about his defense enough to make everyone else believe it is somehow worse than Ross’ or Bako’s. Ross makes too much money ($2.35m) to cut, and Valentin makes about (1.35 to sit on the bench and bat a few times a week). Bako ($750k) shouldn’t have been signed. Yet another Baker boy clogging the roster.By rob
June 15, 2008 11:41 AM | Link to this
Hopefully Hopper and maybe Keppinger will be back for the next road trip. Hopper can play the outfield while Dunn and Griffey DH. Bat Hopper leadoff and Keppinger second and the team won’t rely on the long ball as much. When those two were batting at the top of the order last year runs weren’t a problem.By HuberTucky
June 15, 2008 10:36 AM | Link to this
Sorry, can’t hold it any longer. Saturday’s game with Boston was SOOO winnable for the Reds. What the hell was Dusty thinking (again)? Weathers and Lincoln? Was this game important to him or not? If so, where is Burton and Corderro? Weathers simply isn’t the same pitcher he was last year. And speaking of not the same as last year, Griffey. Strike out, pop up, strike out, inning-ending double play w/bases loaded. Dustsy said “a fly-ball hitter with 600 home runs…” yeah, right…that’s who Griffey USED to be, that is NOT who he is any longer. When do you grasp reality that the guy is over-the-hill? Another painfully managed game and very hard to watch, again. Managed like a loser last place team manager, not a $3 million man.By Y-City Jim
June 15, 2008 8:51 AM | Link to this
If you want a RH bat in the two hole then move Encarnacion down there.By ShockMonkey
June 15, 2008 8:39 AM | Link to this
How about (for now?) Bruce, Phillips, Griffey, Encarnacion, Dunn, Votto, Janish, Bako/Ross? Makes too much sense so it’ll never happen but isn’t it also painfully obvious, Dusty should move Griffey DOWN the order because he’s not doing the team or himself much good batting in the 3-hole. Worst numbers in the NL. Like, duh! Reds gave yesterday game away but Griffey swinging on a 3-0 pitch in the bottom of 8th then hitting into a DP was the last straw.By MAC
June 15, 2008 2:45 AM | Link to this
Hal, U said it yourself; the Reds don’t have a true lead-off hitter. So once again, I suggest Dunner for the job; if there’s one thing he is good at, it’s taking pitches and drawing an unusual number of walks and getting on base; that sounds like a good lead-off hitter to me! I follow Dunn w/ Bruce, Phillips, Griffey, EE, Votto, Catcher and then Janish. SPEAKING OF THE CATCHER, here’s another game where our best Def catcher, Bako by all accounts, made key errors which cost us the game. To make matters worse, his poor hitting doesn’t come close to making up for the lapse in Def. On the other hand, Valentine comes off the bench and immediately provides Off. to extend a late inning rally. Against non running teams like Boston, I can’t understand why Valentine doesn’t get more playing time? I guess it’s like trying to figure out the love Baker has for CP; I’m confused!By rusty
June 15, 2008 1:07 AM | Link to this
phillips bruce griffey ee dunn votto janish bako / rossBy Don L
June 15, 2008 12:44 AM | Link to this
It does not matter who or in what order you bat these guys. The don’t get enough runs to win and when they do they come up short on the relief pitching again and again. Watched the Cards-Phils game today and there was one of our old starters and reliefers beating the Phillies. Very disappointing.By chuck
June 15, 2008 12:43 AM | Link to this
One of my best memories, Pete and Johnny taking batting practices before a game in 76. No one else on the field or in the stands. Both men standing around home plate talking, I waved from the upper deck to both players, Johnny returned my wave and both started hitting balls up into the upper deck red seats. It was like they were having a contest to see who could get a ball to me first. The closest to me hitting the left field foul pole just a few feet from my out stretched hand before falling down into the lower decks. It meant a lot to this punk snotty nosed kid.