Ask Hal: Can Dr. Tim Kremchek be the Reds MVP?

By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

You've got the questions, Hal McCoy has the answers. For more "Ask Hal," log on to DaytonDailyNews.com/reds. Send questions about baseball to hmccoy@DaytonDailyNews.com

QUESTION — As I scan the statistics, I don't see a single player worthy of being named the Cincinnati Reds Most Valuable Player. How about Dr. Tim Kremchek? — Dave, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek.

ANSWER — Finally, Dave, something intelligent. And who did the surgery on Ken Griffey Jr., a radical procedure to reattach his hamstring to the bone? Kremchek. And that's why Griffey is healthy and having a Griffey-like season that will win him Comeback Player of the Year and MVP of the Reds. I guess Jim from Dayton, who asked if you had fallen off your bike without a helmet at the new Kettering skateboard center, was wrong ... this week.


Q — Do they serve crow sandwiches at the ball park? I was dead wrong on Ken Griffey Jr. — Doug, Dayton.

A — They serve 'em daily in the media dining room. Only $7. I think Granny Clampett is the chef. When Griffey had zero homers in April, I wrote that I'd eat the sports page if he didn't hit 30 homers. I'm not going to have to do that, but I'll gladly send it to you. Mustard or ketchup?


Q — What is your take on Austin Kearns since he hasn't lit it up since coming back from Louisville? Is he at least hitting the ball hard and playing good defense? Rob, St. Louis.

A — He does lead the league in bat slippage, some landing in the stands. He has been wobbly at the plate, but if you compare his defense, which is outstanding, to that of Wily Mo Pena's, well, Kearns is first, a tackling dummy is second and Pena is third.


Q — What has gone wrong here? Is this our annual late-season collapse? — Tyler, West Carrollton.

A — The collapse was long, long ago — right after the Reds opened the season with three straight wins over the New York Mets and the club considered selling playoff tickets. Then they ran into Houston and Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt and four straight losses. The playoff ticket windows slammed shut and are gathering cobwebs as we speak.


Q — Any update on the status and hopeful improvement of the Achilles tendon injury to Rob Stratton? — Don, Tipp City.

A — Ah, Rob Stratton, the living, breathing, walking one-man tattoo parlor. Not only was he covered with tattoos, he could tattoo the ball and hit some breath-taking space shuttle shots in spring training. He should have made the team but he is an outfielder on Team Outfield. And he was ripping the cover in Class AAA Louisville in April when his Achilles popped, knocking him out for the season. It is a matter of it the Reds offer him another chance next spring. They should. It's only fair. But he costs them a lot of money in lost baseballs.


Q — I saw where former Reds manager Davey Johnson was named manager of the World Cup baseball team and I wonder what it is about him that so many of his players and coaches become managers (Ron Gardenhire, Lee Mazzilli, Sam Perlozzo, Ray Knight, Wally Backman, Clint Hurdle, Al Pedrique, Howard Johnson)? — Frank, Dumfies, Va.

A — Johnson is known as a players manager, a guy who gets along with players and gets the most out of them — discounting Kevin Mitchell who punched Johnson when Mitchell was his left fielder for the Reds. Johnson challenged Mitch for being late returning to Cincinnati after the All-Star break. He is the last manager to take the Reds to the playoffs (1995), but was fired after that season because owner Marge Schott didn't like it because he was living with his wife before they were married. By the way, they still are married.


Q — Edwin Encarnacion will never be a quality major-league player. I know he has only been up a few weeks, but he looks overmatched in the field and at the plate, another top prospect turned Brandon Larson? — Dru, Dayton.

A — That's a harsh assessment after only 90 at-bats. Larson finished in Cincinnati with a .118 career average and more injuries than hits. Edwin is hitting .233, but has three homers. Remember, he is only 22. If he doesn't develop into a solid major-league player in three years, I'll eat ... uh, let's not go there any more. One of these day I'll be eating an ink-stained sandwich.


Q — As much as I like Sean Casey, I question whether the club should pick up his $9 million option for 2006, not so much for his lack of power at a power position, but for his anemic RBI totals — Rick, Cleves.

A — There is no option for 2006. He is signed for 2006 at $8.5 million, no option involved. Unless they trade him, he is back. And that's not good, that's great. Hey, the guy had 24 homers and 99 RBIs last year. This year he is playing with a sore shoulder and while not hitting for power he is hitting over .300, as he always does. Show me where it says a first baseman has to be a power hitter? Ever hear of Keith Hernandez or Don Mattingly or some guy named Pete Rose? And I'm so sick of hearing that a guy making $6 million should hit for power. OK, I'll get off my soap box, but I'm going to wash out your mouth with soap.


Q — Aside from consuming certain beverages, what do people do to forget about ugly losses like Tuesday's 10-8 mess to the Giants? — Scott, Kettering.

A — You can do like we do in the pressbox and watch Texas Hold 'Em tournaments on the TV monitors, drink a cup of coffee an inning for the caffeine buzz to stay awake and tell each other, "Hey, I can strike out with the bases loaded and do it for a hell of a lot less than $2 mill a year. And let's see one of those bozos come up here and write a lead on deadline."


Q — Let's put him in uniform, he plays such a good game in the booth. Marty Brennaman is so critical. He knows it all. — Pauline, Dayton.

A — For sure he has seen it all and done it all in 32 years. The first time I met Marty, right after he was hired, I said to him, "I hear you are a homer." He straightened me out in right-now fashion and then for 32 years he proved it. He calls a spade a spade, an error an error and that's the way it should be. Fans are stupid. If the team is bad, you call it bad. If a player makes a bad play, you say he made a bad play. Classic Brennaman was last week when Wily Mo Pena shied from a fly ball and Marty said, "He approached that ball like it was a spitting cobra." That's why he is in the Hall of Fame.


Q — How hard did the team try to trade Rich Aurilia? He has a decent bat and probably could play seven positions. — Bill, West Point, N.Y.

A — They tried hard and still may do it. I can't believe no team wanted a solid veteran who has hit .321 since the All-Star break and proved he can play shortstop, third base and second base with aplomb. On a contending team, he still can be a star. Don't you like him more without the beard, though?