Cincinnati Reds catcher Jason LaRue leaned over the dugout railing, smiling at a young fan. The boy wanted his autograph and threw him a baseball card to sign – of Scott Hatteberg.
“Don’t worry about it,” said LaRue, calming the kid. “It happens all the time.”
Perhaps not for much longer. The Reds, losers of 89 games last season, a slumping franchise that spent the past decade turning off fans, are baseball’s most surprising team.
They set a record for wins in April with 17. They beat the Astros’ Roy Oswalt for the first time. The Reds, who once took second billing behind an untrained St. Bernard, have regained their status as one of the league’s top dogs.
What gives?
“I think if you asked the guys in this clubhouse they would tell you it’s a surprise,” veteran utilityman Rich Aurilia said. “We pretty much have the same team as a year ago – well, pretty much the same team.”
That pause is a nod to Bronson Arroyo. Named after actor Charles Bronson, Arroyo has assumed a starring role. He won his first five starts, hit two home runs and caused countless teenage girls to screech over his Goldilocks mane.
“People want to say he’s having success because he’s switching leagues. I don’t believe that,” second baseman Brandon Phillips said. “Everybody has access to videotape, you know. He’s just good.”
Arroyo symbolizes a team that is fun-loving and carefree. He is pitching with freedom, unshackled from the stress that came with being a member of the Red Sox.
“In Boston if you lose to Tampa Bay in June, people are ripping you all day,” Arroyo said. “I have been able to relax more here. That’s really helped me.”
It’s no coincidence the Reds’ revival is tied to the arrival of new ownership and general manager Wayne Krivsky. Krivsky learned the art of constructing a balanced roster on a malnourished payroll from Minnesota’s Terry Ryan, a quiet genius. It was Krivsky who acquired Phillips – Pokey Reese with less glove and more bat – catcher David Ross, Arroyo’s personal caddie, and Arroyo. He shipped out Wily Mo Peña for Arroyo, utilizing depth to fill a screaming need: a frontline starter.
“I don’t view myself as an ace yet, but it’s good to know my teammates are starting to think of me that way,” Arroyo said. “Playing with Pedro (Martinez) and Curt (Schilling), I know how the team felt with them on the mound.”
The Reds are defined by offense, with outfielder Quinton McCracken comparing the club to the Rockies teams he grew up on in the mid-1990s. They can crush with anyone, and can cause havoc on the bases with wild man Ryan Freel and Phillips.
If there is a sinkhole on this road to recovery, it’s the bullpen. The Reds are leaning heavily on Rick White, Todd Coffey, Kent Mercker and closer David Weathers, all of whom you could argue are miscast.
“All I know is there is no question we have confidence. Nobody thought this team would do anything,” Arroyo said. “And after being in the AL East, I think we can compete with any of the teams in this league.”
Catching up with Rockies
The Rockies’ evolution from developing players to winning games is reflected in their lineup and will influence how they address roster needs. Hot-hitting Jamey Carroll continues to get at-bats at second base and Eli Marrero figures to receive some playing time at catcher with first baseman Todd Helton back as the Rockies look for more offensive power behind the plate.
Yorvit Torrealba could fill that void, but he’s still not close to returning to the big leagues. He will begin a rehab assignment in extended spring training, working his way back as he attempts to rediscover his arm slot and use his legs more in his throwing motion.
“It’s been frustrating for everybody involved, none more than Yorvit,” general manager Dan O’Dowd said Saturday.
The Rockies are closely monitoring their fifth-starter spot, tenuously held by Josh Fogg. O’Dowd will watch Sun-Woo Kim pitch Monday in Colorado Springs and discuss with manager Clint Hurdle where to proceed after the outing.
Fogg has minor-league options, so it’s no guarantee that he would be shifted to the bullpen, a team strength, if Kim takes his slot. As O’Dowd said, “I am not a big believer in having a reliever lose his job because somebody hasn’t pitched well in the rotation.”
Calls around the league suggest that the Rockies aren’t seeking a trade for a starter yet, but opposing executives believe Colorado has depth to deal from in Triple-A with Jeff Baker, Ryan Shealy and Jorge Piedra.
WBC fallout
From WBC to MIA. That is the growing, if not disturbing trend in baseball in the wake of the successful World Baseball Classic. While players have not used it as an excuse – no one would have blamed Byung-Hyun Kim and Sun-Woo Kim if they had – it has helped sour the seasons of some big names.
The most notable? Ichiro Suzuki and Esteban Loaiza. Ichiro relished his role as Japan’s headliner, leading his country to the WBC crown. The intensity and passion of those games appear to have had a draining effect. He already has had 10 hitless nights this season.
Of more concern is Loaiza. He was brilliant for Mexico. That $21 million pitcher has existed only in the A’s imagination. He’s 0-3 with an 8.35 ERA, and his velocity had dropped from 90 to 82 mph before he landed on the disabled list with a strained shoulder muscle in his nonthrowing arm.
Clemens mulls decision
It’s easy to blame owner Drayton McLane for not more aggressively brokering the Roger Clemens negotiations last winter. He could have offered arbitration and waited for Clemens to make a decision on when or if he wanted to pitch.
In the Astros’ defense, this is a slippery slope, basically allowing an athlete – even if he’s one of the greatest ever – to hold them hostage. Clemens, for those who haven’t been paying attention, has trouble making up his mind. He already has retired once. Smart money says Clemens will return to Houston, where he continues to keep his arm in shape by throwing batting practice to his son’s high school team.
Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5447 or trenck@denverpost.com.
