Cincinnati Reds manager Lou Piniella sounds somewhat like the Cubs` Don Zimmer when he blames poor hitting for keeping the defending world champions near the .500 mark this season.
More Top Picks Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly
And Piniella sounds even more like Zimmer when he says ”water seeks its true level,” so his batters are certain to lift their averages from current marks such as: Billy Hatcher .164, Mariano Duncan .196, Paul O`Neill .177, Chris Sabo .213 and Barry Larkin .258.
After the Reds` 6-5 loss on Friday dropped their season record to 13-14, their team batting average stood at .221, lowest in the league. Without Hal Morris, ripping at a .395 pace, the team is batting .205.
”We`re playing all right, but we scored five runs in three games in Pittsburgh,” said Piniella.
”Outside of three or four games, our starting pitching has been excellent,” added the Reds manager. ”Our bullpen is in good shape. (Rob)
Dibble is almost unhittable. Randy Myers, Ted Power, Don Carman, Scott Scudder give us a good `pen.”
Statistics back Piniella. Reds pitchers allowed three earned runs or fewer in 16 of the last 21 games before the series here. Dibble heads the bullpen corps with an ERA of 1.88 and a strikeout ratio of almost two per inning-26 in 14 1/3 innings.
”Dibble reminds me of Goose Gossage,” said Piniella, remembering an old teammate, the former Yankee fastballer, ”except maybe Dibble is a little more intimidating.
”Put it this way: They`re very close. Dibble has good control, and he`s just coming into his own.”
Only Morris, among Piniella`s regular hitters, has raced into the season with a hot bat. He carried a .370 average into town and hiked it to .395 by going 3 for 3, including a home run, in the series opener.
”Morris hits the ball well,” said Piniella. ”He hits it in play, spreads out the defense, does a good job with the bat.”
As for his batters whose averages are lingering well below their career averages, Piniella said, ”I think they level out, like water seeking its own level. We should pick up our offensive production and put more runs on the board. Then we`ll win on a more consistent basis than we have.”
– Mr. Smith meets the press: Cub closer Dave Smith is an even-tempered sort whose demeanor hardly varies whether he saves a game or blows it. And he`s willing to talk about it with reporters no matter what happens. That has become increasingly rare in an era of pampered players.
”Some guys don`t talk to the press after they`ve had a bad game, but I don`t take that approach,” Smith said. ”When I gave up the home run to Len Dykstra (in the 1986 playoffs), all the reporters and cameras crowded in front of my locker, but nobody said anything. I said, `Let`s go. I`m not going to bite you.`
”I`d rather tell you what I`m thinking than have you guess,” Smith added.
As he probably has learned in 12 big-league seasons, facing the fire in the clubhouse can ease the blow in the next morning`s paper.
– Pete`s feat a treat: The Cubs, who were beaten by Pete Harnisch in the Astrodome the other night, might agree with Astros skipper Art Howe that Harnisch, despite his 1-1 record, should have been voted National League pitcher of the month for April. In that month, his ERA was 1.07 and opponents batted .140 against him, both league-leading marks.
Harnisch`s ERA rose to 1.33 and his won-lost record improved to 2-1 when he beat the Cubs. In three previous starts, he allowed only one run but had a 0-1 record because the Astros totaled one run in the three games.
”I thought Pete was the pitcher of the month,” Howe said. ”But he doesn`t have the wins. I thought the award was for pitching, not just for wins.”
Quick note: Last year with Baltimore in the American League, Harnisch was 11-11 with a 4.34 ERA. He went to Houston in the Glenn Davis deal, a trade that also provided the Astros with two other regulars: center-fielder Steve Finley and reliever Curt Schilling.
– Smart spots: Disabled pitcher Danny Jackson will appear on national television later this month in a series of public service ads to promote education. Jackson will join Seattle`s Alvin Davis, California`s Mark Langston and Jim Abbott and Oakland`s Dave Stewart in the spots, a joint effort of the players association, Major League Baseball and the national teachers` union.
– Around the league: It`s anticipation time in St. Petersburg, where the Times runs an inch-high red number on the front of the sports section to note the number of days until the National League announces its expansion plans. E-Day is the June 12 league meeting in Los Angeles. . . . Pittsburgh`s superb starting pitching is a big reason the Pirates lead the East, but the bullpen has been a concern. The Pirates have decided to give the closer`s job back to Bill Landrum, who fell out of favor at the end of last season.
The Dodgers` Ramon Martinez strikes fear in the hearts of NL hitters. But to which hitters does he return the favor? ”Kevin Mitchell has to be the strongest guy in the National League,” Martinez said after the Giants slugger nailed him for two homers last week. ”Glenn Braggs is strong, and so is Andre Dawson; they all scare me. But Mitchell, you can see his face. He`s like Mike Tyson out there with the gold tooth.” . . . Atlanta`s Nick Esasky, who two years ago hit 30 homers and drove in 108 runs, has suffered another setback in his battle to overcome vertigo, this one related to his vision.
More Top Picks Drum Set
Jose DeLeon has to be wondering if it`s something he said. His Cardinal teammates last year scored 3.13 runs behind him per start, the second-lowest average in the league. DeLeon lost 19 games. This year he has a 2.00 ERA but is only 1-2 because the Cards have been shut out in two of his starts. . . . Jim Fregosi used nine lineups in his first nine games as the Phillies`
manager and indicated he`ll shuffle the deck all summer. ”I really believe you get more production from guys playing 140 games,” he said.
. . . Cardinals reliever Lee Smith threw a perfect game in April. Well, sort of. He retired 27 men in a row until Atlanta`s Mike Heath singled against him April 30.