Joe Morgan threw out the first pitch for the franchise that allowed him to play in his first postseason game.
"It was here against the Pittsburgh Pirates," Morgan said before Game 3 of the NLDS.
The Reds dropped Game 2 by making four errors, allowing six runs in a 7-4 loss on Friday. With the Reds youthful roster and this being the first playoff experience for all but a handful of Reds, nerves were blamed by many fans and observers.
"You always have jitters," Morgan said. "I had jitters for every game I played. A lot of people said those errors the other night were caused by jitters. But it was the two best players on the infield that made those mistakes, two gold glovers. I don't think that was the case. I'm not trying to say there's not jitters with anybody that takes the field in the postseason. I don't think it had that much effect. You might have a little more jitters in the playoffs because the stakes are higher. I still think that once the ball is put in play, everything settles down."
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Paul Janish Will Start
Paul Janish will start for the Reds in Game 3 of the NLDS.
The status of Orlando Cabrera was still unknown three hours before game time.
"He hasn't seen the doctor yet," Dusty Baker said.
Janish has taken the reigns before when Cabrera went down but this is the playoffs.
"Honestly, it's really not that much different. Obviously, the circumstances are more significant, but as far as the actual playing, what's going on on the field, it's not a whole lot different. He's banged up and can't go, so I'm ready to go," Janish said.
The mood in the clubhouse hasn't changed much from normal.
The status of Orlando Cabrera was still unknown three hours before game time.
"He hasn't seen the doctor yet," Dusty Baker said.
Janish has taken the reigns before when Cabrera went down but this is the playoffs.
"Honestly, it's really not that much different. Obviously, the circumstances are more significant, but as far as the actual playing, what's going on on the field, it's not a whole lot different. He's banged up and can't go, so I'm ready to go," Janish said.
The mood in the clubhouse hasn't changed much from normal.
"The mood seems to be pretty light in the clubhouse. Obviously we're on the wrong end of a 2 0 deficit against a pretty good team in Philly. But everybody is going about their business as usual and staying it in stride. We know we have to show up tonight and battle and hard tonight," Janish said.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Charlie Manuel Speaks
The Philadelphia Phillies manager is one of my favorite visiting managers. His manner of speaking is colorful with the country twang of early Andy Griffith Show.
A reporter asked Manuel about the Reds task of trying to win three straight games, having to beat, Cole Hamels, Roy Haladay and Roy Oswalt in succession.
A reporter asked Manuel about the Reds task of trying to win three straight games, having to beat, Cole Hamels, Roy Haladay and Roy Oswalt in succession.
"I think sometimes when you play, and when you look and say, "There is no way that can happen," the more I think about it and the longer I've been in the game and how we talk about the day to day thing and how we're going to play on that day, it can happen. It ain't goin' to happen, but it can happen (laughter)," Manuel said.
And how about this exchange about Carlos Ruiz, who is nursing a sore knee.
"He's doing good. I just talked to our trainer a minute ago, and he's doing very good. He's not as sore as we thought he was. Actually, he's pretty good."
It is not grammatically correct but it is entertaining.
In spite of his tongue in cheek comment about Roy Haladay's no-hitter in game one, "I think it was good managin," Manuel is a good manager, who players love to play for.
In April 2007, Manuel and the Phillies came into Cincinnati with a high payroll and a 4-10 record. Their closer, Tom Gordon, came into a 1-0 game in the ninth inning. With two outs and the bases empty, Gordon gave up a game tying home run to Scott Hatteburg. Cincinnati beat Gordon in the 10th to put sink the Phillies to a 4-11 record.
The fans that commented on the Philadelphia Inquirer website wanted Manuel fired.
He held a meeting on Saturday morning. The Phillies won five games in a row and eventually won the first of their four straight and counting Eastern Division titles.
For the record the Colorado Rockies swept them in the 2007 NLDS.
Manuel doesn't sympathize with the Reds but sees the development happening the way it did with his team.
"I look at their team, and not only are they a good team, but they're going it get better. And I have a lot of respect for them and believe me, we don't take 'em lightly at all."
Cueto Holds Reds Fate
Johnny Cueto is 24 years old. The fate of the 141-year old Cincinnati franchise is riding on his powerful right arm.
"Well, Johnny Cueto has been excellent at home here. And if not, it's kinda "Johnny Whole Staff" tomorrow and the next day," Dusty Baker said. "We can't afford to get behind. We need to get ahead. I have confidence in Johnny Cueto. If not, he would not be starting. He's a young man that's hungry. He's a young man that's been through a lot in his short lifetime, so we got a lot of confidence in Johnny Cueto."
Cueto through interpreter Thomas Vera said, "I am going to through my game."
"Pitching in the playoffs is the same just more noise and more people in the stands. It's the same game. My arm feels strong. I just have to concentrate and keep the ball down."
Cueto last pitched the day after the Reds clinched the division on September 29, 10 days ago.
This season against Philadelphia, he is 1-0 with a win on June 28. He pitched eight innings and allowed one run on six hits. He also pitched six innings in Philadelphia allowing one earned run in seven innings on four hits.
Reds Have No Choice and A Slim Chance
Dusty Baker took a fatalistic approach to his team's 0-2 predicament in the National League Division Series.
"We have no choice," Baker said. "It is a tough spot, but it's not impossible. All things are possible through faith and perseverance. I've been in this situation, down 2-1, down three with three to go. In 1980, Arroyo I think was in Boston when they were down 3-0 in a best of seven, and they came back and won four."
"We have no choice," Baker said. "It is a tough spot, but it's not impossible. All things are possible through faith and perseverance. I've been in this situation, down 2-1, down three with three to go. In 1980, Arroyo I think was in Boston when they were down 3-0 in a best of seven, and they came back and won four."
"Like I said yesterday, the hardest thing is to win one. And you win one, and you got yourself some action. And we've got our backs up against the wall, but this club performs well with our backs up against the wall. That's the kind of club we have. I wish we didn't always have our backs against the wall, but, you know, we've been there before, not necessarily in elimination, but we're just trying to get one."
Cabrera's Status In Question
Orlando Cabrera called the trainer this morning according to Dusty Baker.
"He said that he was better," Baker said. "It has been bothering him for awhile now. It's going to be tough for him to play."
Cabrera missed 27 games with a strained left oblique from August 3 to September 3. He aggravated it Friday night in Philadelphia and had to leave the Reds 7-4 loss in the fifth inning.
"We haven't made a decision," Baker said. "We are going to wait until the last minute."
The Reds sent rookie Chris Valaika to Arizona to work out for just this type of contingency. He is flying in from Goodyear. The Reds would lose Cabrera for the next round if they choose to replace him.
"We have to worry about getting to the next round," Baker said. "It will be tough for us to play short."
"He said that he was better," Baker said. "It has been bothering him for awhile now. It's going to be tough for him to play."
Cabrera missed 27 games with a strained left oblique from August 3 to September 3. He aggravated it Friday night in Philadelphia and had to leave the Reds 7-4 loss in the fifth inning.
"We haven't made a decision," Baker said. "We are going to wait until the last minute."
The Reds sent rookie Chris Valaika to Arizona to work out for just this type of contingency. He is flying in from Goodyear. The Reds would lose Cabrera for the next round if they choose to replace him.
"We have to worry about getting to the next round," Baker said. "It will be tough for us to play short."
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Aroldis Chapman Gets to Face His Childhood Hero
Aroldis Chapman has never met Jose Contreras, the 39-year old reliever for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Contreras was the Cuban National Team's best pitcher when Chapman was a boy. He watched him on TV,
"When I was a kid and watching baseball, I saw Jose. I liked the way he threw. I liked the way he pitched," Chapman said through an interpreter on media day in Philadelphia. I was impressed with the number of pitches he had and the quality of the pitches he had. He was the best in Cuba."
Contreras was a starter when he first appeared in the Major Leagues after defecting from Cuba in 2003 with the New York Yankees. He was the ace of the Chicago White Sox World Championship team in 2005 with a 15-7 record. He won a world series game against the Houston Astros.
This will be his fourth trip to the playoffs. He was with the Yankees in 2003, White Sox in 2005 and the Colorado Rockies last season.
This season with the Phillies, Contreras has appeared in 67 games all in relief with a 6-4 record and 3.34 ERA. He contributed four saves.
Chapman became the most watched player in baseball this spring after he signed with the Reds in January. He needed to work on some things and become acclimated to life in the United States. The Reds sent him to Louisville as a starting pitcher but with the huge success of the Reds starting rotation this season, the Reds felt he could be valuable pitching from the bullpen.
"My teammates in Louisville helped me out with a lot of things," Chapman said. "The same thing when I came to the Reds. I received a lot of help from my teammates. I feel very lucky that I got to be part of the celebration."
Contreras was the Cuban National Team's best pitcher when Chapman was a boy. He watched him on TV,
"When I was a kid and watching baseball, I saw Jose. I liked the way he threw. I liked the way he pitched," Chapman said through an interpreter on media day in Philadelphia. I was impressed with the number of pitches he had and the quality of the pitches he had. He was the best in Cuba."
Contreras was a starter when he first appeared in the Major Leagues after defecting from Cuba in 2003 with the New York Yankees. He was the ace of the Chicago White Sox World Championship team in 2005 with a 15-7 record. He won a world series game against the Houston Astros.
This will be his fourth trip to the playoffs. He was with the Yankees in 2003, White Sox in 2005 and the Colorado Rockies last season.
This season with the Phillies, Contreras has appeared in 67 games all in relief with a 6-4 record and 3.34 ERA. He contributed four saves.
Chapman became the most watched player in baseball this spring after he signed with the Reds in January. He needed to work on some things and become acclimated to life in the United States. The Reds sent him to Louisville as a starting pitcher but with the huge success of the Reds starting rotation this season, the Reds felt he could be valuable pitching from the bullpen.
"My teammates in Louisville helped me out with a lot of things," Chapman said. "The same thing when I came to the Reds. I received a lot of help from my teammates. I feel very lucky that I got to be part of the celebration."
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