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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 > 2012 > January > 20 > Entry
Madson, too, is in the ‘produce’ business
Ryan Madson was in Great American Ball Park Friday, getting his shoulder, arm, knees, ankles and everything else checked out before the Cincinnati Reds permitted him to sign his name to a one-year $8.5 million contract with a mutual option.
After all his body parts checked out, Madson stopped into the office of CEO/owner Bob Castellini and Madson said with a laugh, “He told me he was in the produce business and that he was pretty good at it, too.”
Madson is in the closer business, but Castellini and the Reds are banking on him being in the produce business, too — as in, they expect him to produce big results.
Madson said the main reason he signed with the Reds is because he wants to be a closer, something he did for the first time on a full-time basis last year for the Philadelphia Phillies.
“There weren’t a lot of closing jobs out there, but I wanted to close and close for a team with a chance to make the playoffs,” said the 6-6, 200-pound right-hander who was Philadelphia’s ninth-round draft pick in 1998.
Madson pitched mostly in middle relief throughout his career — until 2010 when he had a few chances, although he didn’t do well in his few closing look-sees (five saves). Overall he was 6-2 with a 2.55 ERA.
With an injury last year to closer Brad Lidge, Madson slid comfortably into the role and had 32 saves for the Phillies, winners of the National League East.
“I learned the key to closing is taking the pressure off yourself and putting it on the hitters,” he said. “The first few times I tried to close in 2010 I tried too hard, tried to be perfect, tried to make every pitch perfect. I had some pretty good baseball people tell me that’s not the way to do it.
“Now I know when to throw strikes and when not to throw strikes,” he said. “You have to try not to force things because you can’t do it. You have to make pitches. If you make good pitches, what happens after that is out of your control. You can’t control the results.”
The best thing about Madson is that he nearly always had things under control, even in the tiny confines of Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.
CBP and Great American Ball Park have a lot in common — baseballs fly out of those places like mosquitoes fleeing bug spray.
Amazingly, in two years Madson has given up only six home runs, two in 2010 and four last year. And he doesn’t walk batters — 13 in 2010 and 16 last year while striking out 64 and 67.
“You just don’t think about it,” he said of the small surroundings. Just make your pitches. As I said, you can’t control the results.”
Madson sincerely believes the Reds are in a position to contend this year and liked what he saw when he ran his fingers down the bullpen names and ran across Sean Marshall, a set-up guy the Reds acquired via trade from the Cubs this winter.
“I don’t know him personally, but I’ve seen him pitch and he is a good set-up guy, a guy who can get us to the ninth inning,” Madson said. “I’ve pitched against a lot of guys on this team and now I’m happy to be with them with a chance to make the playoffs again.”
Madson nearly re-signed with the Phillies, but balked at a $44 million offer and the Phillies signed Jonathan Papelbon to be their closer, making Madson disposable and enabling the Reds to grab him.
Now all he has to do is, uh, produce.
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By RedFuture
January 22, 2012 9:41 AM | Link to this
Hal, I didn’t see a way to comment on your Jocketty of 1/21/12. So I’ll do it here! I see that you left yourself room to swing the hammer depending on how these acqusitions work out, the mark of a good journalist. Your grading system seems pretty ‘right on’. I believe there are several factors working here that when considered as a whole dictated making these moves. #1) The pre-trade Reds already had a shot of having the stars align well enough to get to postseason. So a few incremental 25-man roster improvements go to increase their chances. #2) MLB added a single game wild card game, which greatly intensified the need for a true number 1 SP and a truly elite closer to win that game. #3) No other SP in the league would have brought more Jeckyl/Hyde uncertainty about 2012 than Volquez. He may have a great year but the odds are even better that he will not, that alone could have derailed the Reds season. #4) Most of the traded talent would have been blocked ‘this’ year. #5) As Bentson said of Quayle vs Kennedy, “Alonso is no Votto”. Alonso will never run and defend like Votto though he might hit nearly as well. #6) Is there a new radio/tv deal imminent in the next year or 2? Seems to me this push is related to siezing opportunity to bump fan/market response to another level before it slips back! Perhaps it would be enough to sign Votto to a longer term.
By bruce
January 21, 2012 10:20 AM | Link to this
A lot of whiffs playing the outfield for the Reds. Better hope someone develops to drive in runs with RISP.
By Yippee
January 21, 2012 9:23 AM | Link to this
Cordero actually had a pretty good season last year if you look at all the numbers. You never know, he might sign with the Reds again. The market for closers is very thin this offseason.
By Randy
January 21, 2012 6:46 AM | Link to this
Good riddance to one of the most over-paid closers ever Francisco Cordero! Didn’t care for that signing since day 1!