Trades likely as last-place Cincinnati confronts reality
By Hal McCoy
Staff Writer
Friday, June 29, 2007
> What do you think the Reds should do?
PHILADELPHIA — It isn't a surrender proclamation because nothing yet has happened, but it might be that the Cincinnati Reds are ready to swallow some reality: 16 games out of first place entering Thursday's action, five teams to pass in the National League Central, 84 games to accomplish it.
Scouts and club officials with other teams say that Reds General Manager Wayne Krivsky has made calls saying the Reds are looking to start dumping salary, ready to trade for top-shelf prospects as they peer toward the future.
Krivsky's policy is not to chat with the media about trade prospects, but he can clearly read the handwriting on the clubhouse wall, and it doesn't say anything about winning the division.
The guess is that there might be six players on the 25-man roster not included in trade talks: Aaron Harang, Homer Bailey, Josh Hamilton, Alex Gonzalez, Brandon Phillips and maybe Edwin Encarnacion.
Manager Jerry Narron isn't ready to do any towel tossing or white-flag waving, but he, too, is a realist, a frustrated realist.
"I was very honest with (owner) Bob Castellini about what I thought about the team when we first met, and I've appreciated his support," Narron said.
"What has frustrated me is that we're so close to being a competitive team," he added. "To lose so many close games at the end, it just takes its toll. It's a shame. It all comes back to pitching."
It's the bullpen — other than closer David Weathers — that is 9-16 with a 4.84 ERA, 13th in the league. It is the staggering inconsistency of starter Kyle Lohse (3-10, 5.02) and the less-than-glittery year by starter Bronson Arroyo (2-9, 5.14).
Of the starters, only Harang (8-2, 3.80) can be counted upon, and the starters are 21-32 (13-30 without Harang) with a 4.81 ERA, 12th in the league.
Yes, it probably is time to break up the Reds, probably with a sledgehammer.
On the hoof
Never, ever lose a bet to Ken Griffey Jr. The outfielder pays off, but in strange ways — like the time manager Lou Piniella won a bet with him during spring training when both were in Seattle.
"It was batting practice, and I had three swings left," Griffey said. "Lou bet me a steak that I couldn't hit a home run to each field on those three swings. I hit one to right and I hit one to center, but I missed the one to left. So I paid up."
Oh, did he. Piniella got his steak on the hoof. Griffey had a live cow put in Piniella's office while he was gone, "And when he walked in, there was the cow and some other stuff the cow had left after lifting its tail, plus he had slobbered everywhere. Lou got sick."
Then there was the time Griffey filled Piniella's office with lambs, but that's another story.
Working overtime
Of closer Weathers' 15 saves in 17 opportunities, eight have required him to get more than three outs, most in the majors. The closest is Seattle's J.J. Putz, who has six multi-inning saves out his 22.
Narron checked a red book in which he keeps what days he used relief pitchers and noted, "We used him four straight days (June 7-10), had an off day and used him the next day back. I wish we could use him every day."
Mr. All-Star
Balloting is over for the All-Star Game, and Griffey is about to be voted into the game for the 13th time, breaking a tie for third with Ozzie Smith. Cal Ripken Jr. was elected 17 times and Rod Carew 15.
While Griffey is appreciative, he takes it with a shrug and says he would rather spend the time with his family in the Bahamas.
"I just like to have fun," he said. "This game doesn't last forever, and my daddy (Ken Griffey Sr.) instilled one thing in me — have fun every game. Every game is closer to your last one, so don't worry about tomorrow or yesterday. I just want to play as hard as I can every day and never look back."
Quote of the day
Josh Hamilton on what he thought about Ryan Howard's 505-foot homer Wednesday that cleared Hamilton's head in center field by about 100 feet: "You go up to bat and try to do the same thing. I can't wait to get hold of one. I haven't yet."
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What do you think the Reds should do?