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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 > 2008 > July > 12 > Entry
Fogg-Keppinger 1-2 = 7-1
Something to ponder:
Since Jerry Hairston Jr. came off the disabled list, when he leads off and Jeff Keppinger bats second, the Cincinnati Reds are 6-0. Before that, they were 1-1.
So for the season, with those two batting 1-2, the Reds are 7-1.
“That’s a pretty good winning percentage right there,” said Hairston. Yeah, like about .875, which will win a pennant every year until the Apocolypse.
Nevertheless, on Saturday it was Keppinger’s turn to be the DS (designated sitter). Hairston was at shortstop and Edwin Encarnacion at third.
“Keppinger will be back in there tomorrow, said manager Dusty Baker. “C.C. (Sabathia) is a monster against lefthanders. Hey, he is a monster against righthanders, too, but he is really a monster against lefthanders, so I’ll stack my lineup with righthanders tomorrow.
As far as righthanders go, it won’t be a very high stack.
Keppinger is hitting right now - 13-61 (.213) since he came off the DL, but is what is important is the W-L work sheet?
WHEN PLAYERS arrived in the clubhouse Saturday there was a sheet of paper hanging on every locker. On it was a family photo of Jeremy Affeldt and his family from a magazine and there was a quote from Affeldt highlighted:
“Throwing a fastball over 100 miles an hour over and over and over puts a real strain on my arm.”
A hundred miles an hour?
“That was when I threw 98,” Affeldt said in self-defense.
Said catcher Javier Valentin, “Yeah, 98 in the dirt, then 98 over somebody’s head, then 98 three feet outside. What good does that do?”
MUCH WAS MADE of the error charged to Milwaukee’s Mike Cameron Friday when he obviously lost Hairstron’s ball in the lights and the game-tying run scored.
Everybody but the official scorer thought it should have been a hit, which is usually what is called when a ball is lost in the lights and the player doesn’t touch it.
Said Cameron, “I’d like to take the official scorer out on the field and hit him a bunch of fly balls in those lights and see how many balls he catches. I had two choices - duck away at the last minute or keep my head up and get hit in the face.”
Baker thought Hairston should get a hit.
“I knew right away what happened,” said Baker. “He lost it in the lights. Don’t they usually score that a hit?”
Ken Griffey Jr. appeared to lose two balls in the light - one he caught and they other whizzed over his head for a run-scoring double by Casey Hart.
“This park has more little nuances for a center field to consider and battle than any park I’ve played in,” said Cameron, one of the players the Reds sent to Seattle for Griffey.
Milwaukee manager Ned Yost was talking about his Brewers, but he could have been talking about the Reds, too, when he said, “The All-Star break is like a milestone. You go strong uphill from there or you go strong downhill from there.”
Baker rolled out something he said earlier about the approaching break:
“This game tonight is big, really big. We have to play hard through tomorrow. As I said before, this is like a basketball game - we need to hit a three-pointer, steal the inbounds pass and hit another three-point and run to the lockerroom at halftime (the All-Star break), then come back smokin’ and catch (the New York Mets) when they’re easing back into things.”
Let’s hope nobody gets called for an offensive foul.
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By Mike
July 12, 2008 8:10 PM | Link to this
It’s gametime..oh I’m sorry..It’s recess again..and the Reds get to play some baseball on the playground..the teacher Mr.Baker says..Now kids..here is the line up for today..now class..tomorrow we will play again at recess..and we all will have fun..Jeffrey Keppinger, it’s your turn to sit so we can be fair to all the kids..but don’t worry..you can play tomorrow..Is that OK?
By Mike
July 12, 2008 8:09 PM | Link to this
It’s gametime..oh I’m sorry..It’s recess again..and the Reds get to play some baseball on the playground..the teacher Mr.Baker says..Now kids..here is the line up for today..now class..tomorrow we will play again at recess..and we all will have fun..Jeffrey Keppinger, it’s your turn to sit so we can be fair to all the kids..but don’t worry..you can play tomorrow..Is that OK?
By Y-City Jim
July 12, 2008 6:59 PM | Link to this
If Dusty is going to stack the line-up with RH bats tomorrow he might want to find some first. Ross will definitely play since he has 2 career HRs and a 1.587 OPS against Sabathia. Hate to say it but Corey Patterson was 2 for 3 off him last year.
By AP-FLORIDA
July 12, 2008 6:26 PM | Link to this
Gosh matt-you know everything!!!!!
By Matt
July 12, 2008 6:21 PM | Link to this
My guess is that Dusty will give Ross the start at catcher tomorrow. Votto probably sits, as well as either Dunn or Griffey, but not both. It really isn’t too complicated.
By Y-City Jim
July 12, 2008 6:16 PM | Link to this
Good question, Wizard. I’d also like a clear definition of how he plans to stack tomorrow’s line-up with RH bats. Is he planning on playing Valentin at 1B and A. Phillips in the outfield? Maybe Arroyo is going to playing some outfield as well.
By Matt
July 12, 2008 6:15 PM | Link to this
Oh, so now I see your bashing Dusty now, huh Wizard? I looked at the lineup for tonight’s game, and I see nothing wrong with it. Except for Junior batting third of course.
By wizard
July 12, 2008 6:08 PM | Link to this
If this game is really BIG—and we REALLY want to WIN—why in hells name is he changing the damn lineup?
By Dan H
July 12, 2008 6:07 PM | Link to this
I also agree that Hairston’s hit to CF should have been scored a hit. Losing a ball in the lights or sun is not a fun thing for a fielder. These official scorers do need to go out and play the game it would help with their decisions.
By AP-FLORIDA
July 12, 2008 5:44 PM | Link to this
No comment!