Pujols: 'We were glad when Graves came in'

[CincyRedsFan30]

Cards' Pujols: 'We were glad when Graves came in'

By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI | The revelation that the New York Mets told pitcher Danny Graves he was tipping his curveball when he pitched for the Cincinnati Reds was a pre-game topic Friday.

"If so, that explains a lot," said catcher Jason LaRue. "Just before he left here Danny came to me and said, 'Jason, I have to be tipping my pitches. Do you see anything?'"

LaRue said he figures something was amiss, "Because batters were spitting on nasty pitches they should have been swinging at and jumping all over pitches they should not have been jumping on ... as if they knew what was coming."

Remember the 9-3 lead in the ninth inning that Graves turned into a 10-9 loss, giving up a three-run home run to Jim Edmonds and a two-run home run to John Mabry?

Said LaRue, "The next day Albert Pujols came up to me and said, 'We were glad when Graves came in because then we knew we'd get you-all. That explains a lot. I couldn't figure out what he meant."

And the fact the Mets told Graves he has been tipping his pitches for a long time clicked in LaRue's brain, too. He remembers the night of May 18 in Shea Stadium.

Graves came in to pitch the eighth inning and gave up home runs to Mike Cameron and Chris Woodward, a triple to Jose Reyes — four runs, four hits.

The Mets still have officially announced the signing of Graves to a deal in which the Reds will pay nearly $5 million of his salary this year, with the Mets paying him $5 million next year or giving him a $500,000 buyout.

But Mets scout Al Goldis was in Great American Ball Park Friday and said, "He is going to be with us. We've checked his shoulder and elbow thoroughly and he is healthy. We think he needs to get in better shape to increase his arm speed and he'll regain that five or six miles an hour he lost on his fastball."

Cuban pitcher signed

While the Reds held the big-splash press conference to announce the signing of 18-year-old No. 1 draft pick Jay Bruce, a quieter signing may involve a player who could reach the majors quicker.

The club this week signed Cuban defector and left-handed pitcher Arian Cruz. He was signed in Nicaragua recently by Johnny Almaraz, the team's director of international scouting.

Cruz, 27, established residence in Costa Rica before the Reds signed him. When visa connections are made, Cruz and his 92 miles an hour fastball will report to Class AA Chattanooga.

Machado down . . . again

Infielder Anderson Machado's rehab assignment with Class AAA Louisville lasted almost five innings. Then he was gone.

Machado left the game against Charlotte in the fifth inning with pain in his left knee, the one surgically repaired Jan. 28 to repair torn meniscus and a torn medial collateral ligament.

It was Machado's first game on rehab after remaining for extended spring training when the club broke camp. He'll be in Cincinnati today to have his knee checked by team medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek.

Like the '62 Mets?

Fans of Marvelous Marv Throneberry, Choo Choo Coleman, Frank Thomas, Casey Stengel and all those original New York Mets painfully watch that 1962 team lose a record 120 games.

Reds fans may choke on their Crispy Critters over this one — the Mets pitching staff was better than the current Reds, if earned run average is the determining factor.

The '62 Mets had a 5.04 ERA and the league average was 3.96, so the Mets' ERA was 1.08 higher than the league average. The Reds, as of Friday, had a 5.56 ERA and the league average was 4.30, so the Reds' ERA is 1.26 higher than the league average.

For Sweet Lou

Jacob Cruz smiled when asked if he had ever hit home runs in consecutive at-bats in his career, as he did in pinch-hitting assignments Wednesday and Thursday against Tampa Bay.

"Lou Piniella has to hate me," Cruz said.

Why?

"Well, I did it one other time ... also against Lou's team. It was when I was with Cleveland and Lou managed in Seattle. I was playing regularly for Cleveland — those were the good ol' days — and I hit one my last time up in one game then my first time up the next game."

Hancock signs in

Josh Hancock hopes his second rehab start, Sunday in Louisville, goes better than his first.

"The players there got on me pretty good," he said. "I hope this one turns out better. I breezed for three innings, then gave up back-to-back home runs to start the fourth and then it was hit, hit, hit, hit, hit."

Hancock said the right groin injury that has kept him inactive since spring training is holding up and, "On Thursday I threw a bullpen for (Louisville pitching coach) Mack Jenkins and I felt better than at any time since spring training."

[CincyRedsFan30]

This whole situation is just ludicrous.

I think LaRue misunderstood Pujols' line:

"Said LaRue, "The next day Albert Pujols came up to me and said, 'We were glad when Graves came in because then we knew we'd get you-all. That explains a lot. I couldn't figure out what he meant."

No Jason, he meant that Danny was an awful pitcher and that he knew they'd win once he came into the game.

I might believe this part:

"But Mets scout Al Goldis was in Great American Ball Park Friday and said, "He is going to be with us. We've checked his shoulder and elbow thoroughly and he is healthy. We think he needs to get in better shape to increase his arm speed and he'll regain that five or six miles an hour he lost on his fastball."

If that's true and helps, then O'Brien, Gully and Miley all need to be fired even more quickly than ever.

[Jr's Boy]

Graves sucks,Bob boone ruined him.

[Sea Ray]

This whole situation is just ludicrous.



I might believe this part:

"But Mets scout Al Goldis was in Great American Ball Park Friday and said, "He is going to be with us. We've checked his shoulder and elbow thoroughly and he is healthy. We think he needs to get in better shape to increase his arm speed and he'll regain that five or six miles an hour he lost on his fastball."

If that's true and helps, then O'Brien, Gully and Miley all need to be fired even more quickly than ever.

I disagree. The way I see it, if that is true (and I think it is) then the coaches are vindicated and the onus falls on Danny Graves for allowing himself to get so out of shape.

Sounds like the Mets are more concerned with his loss of velocity than his tipping pitches.

Sure the Cards were glad when he came into the game. He's hugely hittable!

[volzok]

I agree about Graves. It doesnt matter if he was tipping his pitches or not. All of the big flies he gave up was mostly right down the heart of the plate. Even if they know the curve is coming it certainly helps that he hangs it. The Cuban signing is interesting. Too bad about Machado, that seals the deal for Aurilia the rest of the year. It will be interesting to see what Hancock does. I wonder what management has planned for him?

[CincyRedsFan30]

I disagree. The way I see it, if that is true (and I think it is) then the coaches are vindicated and the onus falls on Danny Graves for allowing himself to get so out of shape.

Sounds like the Mets are more concerned with his loss of velocity than his tipping pitches.

Sure the Cards were glad when he came into the game. He's hugely hittable!

But why didn't they pick up on the fact that he was out of shape and that he may have lost the miles on his pitches because of htat fact? If they knew that for a while, why didn't they dump him earlier than they did?

[Sea Ray]

Too bad about Machado, that seals the deal for Aurilia the rest of the year. It will be interesting to see what Hancock does. I wonder what management has planned for him?

What's the problem with Machado that he'll be out the rest of the year? My understanding is that this will only delay his rehab a couple of days? Where did you hear this will put him out for the year?

[volzok]

When I read the article I just figured that it wasnt good. But today they said that he wouldnt be out long. Just read too much into it.

[Wally Mo Pena]

i'm with CRF on this one, the graves situation has to be blamed on the reds staff. The mets stroll in an and get him on a treadmill for a couple of weeks and show him how to stop tipping his pitches, and they might have a real solid reliever, THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR. Before we dumped him and choked down that salary, you think gullet might have suggested any of those things.

Sure is would be nice if graves had a better work ethic and was getting himself in great shape allthe time, but some people need motivation, and isn't that part of what coaches are for? If we have a bunch of lazy selfish players, it seems like the ship might not be running tightly enough, and that's the coaching staff's fault.

[Sea Ray]

i'm with CRF on this one, the graves situation has to be blamed on the reds staff. The mets stroll in an and get him on a treadmill for a couple of weeks and show him how to stop tipping his pitches, and they might have a real solid reliever, THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR. Before we dumped him and choked down that salary, you think gullet might have suggested any of those things.

Sure is would be nice if graves had a better work ethic and was getting himself in great shape allthe time, but some people need motivation, and isn't that part of what coaches are for? If we have a bunch of lazy selfish players, it seems like the ship might not be running tightly enough, and that's the coaching staff's fault.

If that's the way it happens then I agree with you but the script hasn't been written yet. If he bombs in NY like he did here and they can't get rid of him soon enough then O'Brien will be vindicated. Let's watch and see who's right.

[Jr's Boy]

I say good riddance to Graves.We need a reliever than can throw smoke and put fear into hitters.Graves had no fastball,nor from what Pujols said did he intimidate hitters at all.