RMJ 40 March 26

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26 ● Kissimmee, vs Cincinnati

The Reds have a shortstop named Pokey Reese. He is young and fast, and he possesses a rifle arm. It also appears that he can hit a little bit.

Too bad for Pokey; Barry Larkin will be playing short in Cincinnati this year. Pokey will ride the bench or play minor-league ball.

I could make a spot for him in Houston right now. Unfortunately, the Reds are in our division and will not allow us to improve our ballclub at their expense.

It has been said that you cannot win a pennant with a rookie shortstop; I’d like to try. Unless Pat Listach gets a lot better in a hurry, it will be hard for us to win a pennant with a veteran shortstop.

 

Larkin and the Reds, with an assist from Pokey, beat us 6-3 today. I rested a lot of my veterans after the night game yesterday. Tomorrow we will settle in to regular-season lineups and activities.

With only four practice-games left, I feel just about ready to take on the regular season, and I think the players are ready too. When we get out of Florida, everyone will feel energized. Just escaping the heat will be refreshing. Today it had to be nearly 90 degrees, and it was humid. It felt like the Fourth of July.

Another reason the team will be lifted is that the burden of cutdown will be lifted. This time of year is tough for the veterans too. They all have their favorites, and they get pretty emotional when a friend is sent back to the minors or released.

It is stressful for management as well. One of our favorites will be cut tomorrow. How can you not pull for Donne Wall? He is a dedicated pro and a good guy — no nonsense. His ability has been undervalued throughout his career. He will suffer another indignity in the morning.

This one may be worse, because he worked so hard all winter to get ready and he has been reassured by me that he didn’t have to worry. Honestly, I didn’t think his job was in jeopardy until I realized that Gerry was not prepared to lose Lima, Garcia, or Springer.

Vern wanted to let Springer go; I was willing to forsake Lima. I think we both would have been happy with Chris Holt in the bullpen.

As it turned out, all of the other coaches, and Gerry and Matt, favored Holt as a starter — either in Houston or New Orleans. Vern and I also favor Holt, so Donne is the odd man out.

We tried to call him at home tonight, hoping to meet with him and let him know before he shows up with his bags packed in the morning. He wasn’t at home.

This is not going to be easy.

On the positive side, Donne will not quit. He will be back. I can almost guarantee it. Some guys just have a knack for winning, and he is one of them. That said, I also believe that he will meet his match in the big leagues.

His lifetime record to date is 12-9. I don’t know how long he will last when he comes back, but I would be willing to bet that he ends up with a losing record. Not necessarily a bad record, just undistinguished. That’s why I favor Holt.

Chris will probably have a more-difficult time at first. But I believe that if he starts getting experience in April, he will be tough enough to pitch critical games for us in September. That may be a stretch, as he has worked more than 250 innings in the last 12 months, and he would figure to pitch another 200 if he stays in the rotation all year long. The guy is a horse, but he may not be able to carry that load — especially if our fielding doesn’t improve.

It is one thing to labor for a team that doesn’t score. Losing close, low-scoring games is difficult, but at least there is the comfort of having done your job. When a team is deficient in the field, the pitcher is punished with runs allowed and losses. This could break a veteran down. It could crush a rookie.

I am trying to stay optimistic about our glovework. Sure, we have been shaky this spring, but so have our opponents. As we get a break from the heat, the sun, and the wind, we may settle into a better fielding groove. That could have a settling effect on what appears to be an average pitching staff.

One thing seems clear to me: we are going to need a fast start from our hitters if we plan to get through April with a decent record.

           

Another note of interest involves the trade of Cliff Floyd from the Expos to the Marlins for Dustin Hermanson and Joe Orsulak.

Last winter, I asked Gerry to check in on Floyd. He is a player with enormous potential, and he is still young. His ascent to stardom was cut short two years ago by a serious leg injury. In the meantime, he has lost some of his batting skill and has seen several other young players go by him. One of them, Vladimir Benitez, seems headed for the stardom that was once predicted for Cliff.

Thinking that there may be some remote possibility that he would become odd-man-out this spring, I suggested a phone call. Gerry didn’t think there was any way the Expos would trade him. Well, now they have.

And what did they get? A pitching prospect with a great arm but with terrible control, and a journeyman outfielder.

If Floyd resurrects his career, the Marlins — already talent-rich — will hit the jackpot, for Floyd is big, strong, and swift. He has a great arm and raw hitting power. Apparently the Expos feel he will never make it back, but from my standpoint, the Marlins have risked little in the deal.

Funny how these deals get done. Marlins GM Dave Dombrowski had the same job with the Expos when Floyd was coming up through the system. I guess he hasn’t given up on Cliff’s talent yet.

As a broadcaster, I saw this type of thing all the time: a guy was originally drafted by a team, but he did not sign. Maybe he went to college. It could be ten years later, but that team still likes that guy, and they end up trading for him or signing him as a major-league free agent.

Murray Cook was a scout with the Pirates, and he signed Tim Burke out of the University of Nebraska. When Cook got the GM job with the Yankees, he traded for Burke. When he moved on to the Expos, he traded for Burke again. The pair was almost inseparable, and they were both rewarded when Burke became one of the top closers in the league for a few years.

 

I could keep typing, but I have a big job in the morning. I better get some sleep. I hope I can.