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BASEBALL INSIDER
Reds, White Sox get mound of complaints
By Hal McCoy
Dayton Daily News
CINCINNATI | When Great American Ball Park opened, there was much growling, howling and bawling about the hideous pitching mound.
Cincinnati Reds pitchers hated it. Visiting pitchers abhorred it. Groundskeeper Doug Gallant checked it, and all was within specifications.
But he tore it down and rebuilt it a couple of times and tried modifications.
The outcries have subsided, but there still is no love affair with the hill on GABP.
Asked at a function last winter about the GABP mound, New York Mets pitcher Tom Glavine said, "I hate it. It's the worst in baseball."
Reds pitchers concur, but they've quit complaining, because it doesn't change.
They are, though, complaining about the mound at U.S. Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox, home of Jon Garland (8-0) and Mark Buehrle (7-1).
Both the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers asked for the height of the mound to be checked. It was found to be regulation.
"It was checked two times in three days," said White Sox General Manager Ken Williams. "People are looking for a reason our pitching is better in our park."
The White sox have a 3.17 ERA at home and 3.41 on the road. Their home ERA last year was 5.09, highest in the American League.
Speaking of Buehrle, he has made 37 straight starts of working into the seventh inning. So far this season, Reds starters have reached the eighth inning only nine times in 41 games.
Free passes forbidden
When Cincinnati Reds GM Dan O'Brien pushes his pitch-to-contact theory, he has one eye tilted toward Minnesota.
Three Twins starters are first, second and fourth in fewest walks per nine innings — Brad Radke (0.29), Carlos Silva (0.42) and Johan Santana (1.03).
The Twins are eight games over .500 with the No. 4 ERA in the majors.
Home, sweet home
Remember last year when the San Diego Padres were crying about the unfairness toward hitters in their new Petco Park? They must have been borrowing crocodile tears from the San Diego Zoo.
They are on a 9-0 streak at Petco and are 16-4 there this season, best in the majors and there isn't a peep out of Phil Nevin or Ryan Klesko, the biggest complainers.
"We had some tough times here last year," said manager Bruce Bochy. "It's a different team in this park now. The ballpark is not in their heads anymore. And it was."
Dusting off Dusty
If Cincinnati manager Dave Miley is feeling any heat, he has company in Chicago in the personage of Cubs manager Dusty Baker.
Baker, like Miley, is taking blows to the solar plexus on squawk radio and in chat rooms.
"The way people are talking, who knows, I may not be here for much longer ... that's all I'm hearing," Baker said.
Cubs President Andy MacPhail says it is so much hogwash and balderdash.
"It's a tough gig here. We told him that when he got here," MacPhail said. "Managing the Cubs is not an easy task. It's different. You have to carry the history of not winning a World Series since 1908.
"But he has my complete confidence," he added. "Keeping the team together under adverse circumstances, as Dusty did last year, is a testament to the job he has done."
Does that sound like the much-dreaded vote of confidence?
Old can be good
Despite having five rookies on the roster, the Houston Astros are the fourth-oldest team in the majors, averaging 31.4 years.
The oldest are the New York Yankees (34.3), San Francisco Giants (32.5) and Boston Red Sox (32.2).
Yankees? Red Sox? Sounds like age before beauty in baseball.
Don't say no
Milwaukee pitcher Wes Obermueller learned a valuable lesson — trust the guy behind the mask if he isn't carrying a gun.
Obermueller had a perfect game going, retiring the first 20 Washington Nationals. Then he got stubborn. For the first and only time in the game, he shook off a signal from the man behind the mask, his catcher, veteran Damian Miller.
Miller wanted a fastball in on Jamey Carroll. Obermueller wanted to throw a fastball away.
He threw the fastball away and Carroll slapped it for a single, ending the perfect game.
"I won't ever second-guess my catcher again," he said. "That's what happens."
Just remember, Wes, catchers know best.
Trouble in Hotlanta
The Atlanta Braves are under Trouble Alert.
Closer Dan Kolb lost his role. Chipper Jones is hurt. Starting pitchers John Thomson and Mike Hampton are hurt.
Kolb is 1-4 with a 6.48 ERA and three blown saves, all for starter John Smoltz, last year's closer. He has walked the first batter he faced six times in 13 appearances.
"Some pitchers make it a lot more difficult than it should be," said Atlanta pitching coach Leo Mazzone. "You can't walk the leadoff man in a one-run game, or any save situation. It comes back to get you."
Sound familiar, Reds fans?
Something(s) borrowed
When 29-year-old infielder Joe Dillon was called up for his major-league debut with the Florida Marlins, he was at home in Amarillo, Texas on an off-day. His baseball equipment was in the clubhouse in Albuquerque, N.M.
That night, when he went into his first major-league game, he was equipped with Paul Lo Duca's spikes, Matt Treanor's batting gloves, Alex Gonzalez's glove and Jeff Conine's bat.
They all came in handy. Dillon singled in his first at-bat.
The Yanks are coming
This is how the New York Yankees do it.
The Seattle Mariners thought they had Japanese pitcher Chien-Ming Wang signed. They made an offer, and his parents were wearing Seattle hats and shirt. Scout Ted Heid was in the house.
One of Wang's coaches asked for an extra day before it became official. Unfortunately for the Mariners, Heid, thinking the deal was done, said OK.
That's when the Yankees swooped in and offered $2.4 million, 50 percent more than Seattle offered. Wang signed with the Yankees.
As you might expect, Wang is 2-0 for the Yankees against the Mariners this year.
Here's a tip
In the baseball world, closers are certifiably crazy, and none is crazier than Todd Jones, who spent time with the Reds last year.
Because of an injury, he is closing for the Florida Marlins and showed his, uh, goofiness when he sang Happy Birthday to his wife, Michelle, back in Pell City, Ala., during a pregame telecast.
He didn't have a cake or even a cupcake with a candle, so he improvised and lit a Q-Tip.
Fortunately, he didn't forget and stick the lit Q-Tip in his ear.
The Curse of Lima
Speaking of goofball pitchers, Kansas City's Jose Lima believes he might be The Curse of Kansas City.
The Royals gave him an 8-2 lead last week in the second inning and he blew it, lost the game.
Said Lima, "In my whole career, and I can say this proudly, never when I get a lead do I lose it. This was like somebody has me tied up. If I'm the bad luck on this ballclub, get me out of here."
Maybe he should call Pedro Serrano and borrow Jobu.
Ringing up three
Philadelphia third baseman David Bell, son of Cincinnati-native, former major-leaguer, former manager Buddy Bell, made three errors in a game last week ... and didn't the Philly boobirds have a chirping good time with that.
Said Bell, "You don't want to do that every night. You don't want to do that ever again."
Reggie's power surge
Where are they now and don't you wish they were back?
Former Cincinnati outfielder Reggie Sanders hit 10 homers in his first 105 at-bats for the Cardinals. He had 22 in 446 at-bats last season.
And a sobering fact for Reds fans: St. Louis is 10 days ahead of last year's pace when they won 105 games.
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Originally Posted by Steak
