Reds Notes: Freel almost pitched against Dodgers

[CincyRedsFan30]

Griffey has all-star work ethic

By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI | Those critical of Ken Griffey Jr.'s work habits need to sneak into Great American Ball Park nearly every day about four hours before game time.

First, they'll hear the "thwack" of black bat meeting white baseball. Then they'll see a guy in a red shirt with cutoff sleeves and black baggy basketball shorts in the batter's box.

That would be Griffey, taking his daily dose of extensive extra hitting.

"I just enjoy taking batting practice," he said. "I should be at about 4 million swings by now. Everybody thinks I don't work and, well, they don't live my life. People automatically assume I don't do anything. And that's partly my fault."

Why? When Griffey was 18 and already in the majors with Seattle, he was shy and didn't speak out.

"By my second year I hated people," he said. "I wasn't prepared to be a high-profile person. By 21 I was rebellious. But guys like Alvin Davis, Harold Reynolds, Jeffrey Leonard, Dave Valle and Darnell Coles, all teammates, were like big brothers to me and showed me the way."

When he was 18 and 19, not old enough to go places his teammates went, Griffey was a baseball player and a baseball player only, "And it was all I was. The rest of it was a shock to me."

And there is the part where fans think Griffey doesn't care because when he fails he doesn't throw bats or helmets. He calmly returns to the dugout and sits.

"If I throw bats or helmets, that is going to be shown (on television)," he said. "It is going to be talked about if I mess up. And it is going to be shown over and over and over. If I mess up, they won't let me live it down."

So he walks the straight-and-narrow and he hits and hits and hits.

"I like to hit and it gave me a chance to get really loose," he said.

Pena DLed ... finally

For several days, writers asked manager Dave Miley and the front office about the possibility of placing outfielder Wily Mo Pena on the disabled list.

Each time, the question was rebuffed and the answer was, "He is taking treatment every day and he is getting better."

That was the exact answer Miley gave to the question Monday at 3:30 p.m.

At 5:30, Pena was on the disabled list ... and so was pitcher Ben Weber. Recalled from Class AAA Louisville to take their places were infielder William Bergolla and pitcher Todd Coffey, back for the second time.

In Pena's case, the club wasted 15 days when he was on the roster and could not run due to a mildly strained left quadriceps muscle. In those 15 days, Pena played one game and struck out three times and grounded into a double play. He pinch-hit three times, striking out twice and homering once.

Weber, 0-0 with an 8.03 ERA in 10 appearances, is suffering from a bulging disk in his neck.

Bergolla, a rookie, was hitting .298 at Louisville. Coffey made three relief appearances with the Reds earlier this season and was 0-0 with an 11.25 ERA, giving up five hits, a walk and two homers in four innings.

Now pitching ... Freel?

Ryan Freel didn't realize how close he came to making his major-league pitching debut Friday when the Los Angeles Dodgers scored 10 runs in the first inning.

Thisclose.

Manager Dave Miley said Freel is the emergency catcher, the No. 3 guy behind Jason LaRue and Javier Valentin, even though Freel never has caught.

Miley was asked if the Reds had fallen behind 16-0 or 17-0 by mid-game and he needed to save his bullpen by pitching a position player, would Freel be the guy.

"He'd be the guy," Miley said.

Told that, Freel smiled and said, "That would be a bad situation for the team, a negative thing. But if it had to happen, it would be neat.

"I pitched in Little League and I was good ... but we all did and we all were," he said. "But it worked out better because some guys in our bullpen came into that game and did well, which might give them confidence for their next appearances."

[Slyder]

You got to really start looking at the Reds training staff, cause there is a mounting list of names of players who try to play through stuff just to end up going on the DL anyways. Griffey's multiple leg injuries, Kearns hand last year, Pena right now, and add Weber. A bulging disk is something that could affect so much stuff from his feet all the way up to his head and it was missed? I wonder how long its been like that.

[Cincy]

Freel probably couldn't be any worse than Danny Boy.

[redsrbetter]

Good call Slyder. But I wonder if this is just an excuse to get Weber out of the pen for a while and also to excuse his poor pitching. I doubt it though, since it has to be legitimate. So you are right, why didn't they catch this sooner?