Dickerson works his way back in lineup

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By Hal McCoy, Staff Writer Updated 9:25 PM Sunday, June 28, 2009

After sitting for a spell, gathering his thoughts, Chris Dickerson is playing every day — either in left field or center field, either leadoff in place of Willy Taveras or ninth in interleague games when Taveras played.

Dickerson was 7-for-9 in spot duty or pinch-hitting before manager Dusty Baker put him back in the lineup. And he has kept on hitting.

“It’s weird because I asked myself, ‘How am I going to continue to go up there and getting one at bat every two or three days, how am I ever going to get confidence?’ It was a time for reflection, paying attention to the game, studying the game, having extra time to take more batting practice,” said Dickerson.

“And all the time it just felt like my swing was coming together, slowly every at-bat,” he added. “When I got back in I was aggressive early in the count, getting my pitch to hit, putting good swings on it. It was a slow and aggravating process at times and it is a delicate balance.

“You are a young player not playing every day, not some older veteran who can sit and then come into a game and say, ‘Hey, I know this guy, I remember hitting two bombs off him in ’98,” Dickerson added. “But I’m sitting next to (hitting coach) Brook Jacoby going over scouting reports, studying a hitter’s book, like I’m taking a class.

“Then I started playing and my confidence built and it became the psychological thing of taking it pitch by pitch,” he said. “Your previous at bats? You have to let it go. Forget it. Mostly I’ve learned to have a short memory.”

Reds close on DeRosa

The St. Louis Cardinals acquired infielder Mark DeRosa from the Cleveland Indians, an infielder the Reds could have used.

And it wasn’t because general manager Walt Jocketty didn’t try. An Indians official said the Reds came in second in the DeRosa Sweepstakes and that the Tribe liked pitcher Chris Perez, the player the Cardinals offered.

Gomes: Mr. Homer

Jonny Gomes homered Sunday and owns three of the last six Reds homers and four of the last 11.

Gomes was the designated hitter for all nine interleague road games, the first time in franchise history that one player was the DH for every game in one season since interleague play began 13 years ago.

“Yeah, and I got hits (or a walk) in every one of them,” said Gomes.

“Why’d you tell him that?” said Jay Bruce. “Now he’ll have to get a bigger hat.”

Is E.E. ready?

Might the Cincinnati Reds pull Edwin Encarnacion back from rehab with Class AAA Louisville for the upcoming six-game homestand with Arizona and St. Louis that begins Tuesday?

Manager Dusty Baker says, “Not likely,” but that’s what he said about Joey Votto coming off rehab in Dayton to play in Toronto, and Votto returned to the Reds in Toronto.

Encarnacion missed nearly two months with a cracked left wrist, but his rehab is going so well he may be calling Baker to say, “Hey, I’m ready.” It worked for Votto.

Encarnacion had two hits Saturday and two hits Sunday and his average is at .296 with a double, two homers and five RBIs for eight games.

Quote of the day

“Anybody want any Kentucky cole slaw?” — third base coach Mark Berry, offering chewing tobacco to whoever wanted it.

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