A: The Yankees never are more than a step away from the spotlight, mostly because New York is the media capital of the world. And if you don’t believe it, tune in to nationallytelevised game and you’ll discover that the Yankees are ESPN’s ‘home team.’ Unfortunately, the Yankees always have been and always will be baseball’s attention-grabbers.
Q: Where would Mario Soto rank if he played on good Reds’ teams that gave him runs? — TIM, Xenia.
A: Right at the very top because he was one of the best and most feared pitchers of his time. How many pitchers can you name that was 14-13 with a 2.79 earned run average for a team that lost 101 games as Soto did in 1982? How many pitchers can you name that finished second in the Cy Young voting with a 17-13 record and a 2.70 ERA for a last-place team that lost 88 games. Mario Soto did in 1983. His fastball/changeup combination was nearly unhittable and he always pitched with a full tank of anger because he knew if the Reds scored one run they’d say, “There’s your run, now protect it.”
Q: Which lower payroll team will excel this year? GREG, Beavercreek.
A: That’s an easy one because every year it is the Tampa Bay Rays, who have a knack for getting the most out of little. They started this season with a $73 million payroll, while the New York Yankees are at $275 million and the Toronto Blue Jays are at $235 million. Adding to Tampa Bay’s challenge this year is that Hurricane Milton tore the roof off Tropicana Field and the team will play home games at 11,206-seat George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. And the way the Rays don’t draw, that’s more than enough seats. Yet, it won’t stun me if the Rays make the playoffs as a wild card team.
Q: When you picked your all-time Reds team, why did you have Vada Pinson in center field over Ken Griffey Jr. and Eric Davis? — KEVIN, Springboro.
A: There were some tough calls at a lot of positions, like Barry Larkin over Dave Concepcion at shortstop and ignoring Sean Casey at first base. Griffey and Davis were great, great players and two of my favorite people. Griffey’s best days were with Seattle and Davis was hampered by career-long injuries. Without the injuries, he would have made it to the Hall of Fame, which is where Vada Pinson belongs.
Q: Will MLB adopt a salary cap in 2027 because the huge gap in payrolls can’t continue indefinitely? GEORGE, Morton Grove, IL.
A: MLB can’t adopt much of anything without approval of the players’ union. Owners have tried, tried and tried to inject the salary cap in basic agreement negotiations and it is a deal-breaker for the players. They shoot it down every time. For sure, when the agreement expires after the 2026 season, the owners will try again. And they will fail.
Q: With Alexis Diaz injured who will be the best candidate to close for the Reds? — JAMES, Campbellsville, KY.
A: If I’m manager Terry Francona, and I’m certainly not, my closer would be left-hander Taylor Rogers, whom the Reds acquired via trade from San Francisco. He has closer experience — 30 saves for the 2019 Minnesota Twins and 22 saves for San Diego and Milwaukee in 2022. He was a set-up pitcher for the Giants because they had All-Star closer Ryan Walker. And he is Taylor-made for the Reds.
Q: What’s the best and worst throws from the outfield you have seen? — JOE, Englewood.
A: I’ve seen great and I’ve seen awful. The best is easy because of the game and the situation. It was in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. The Boston Red Sox had the bases loaded and no outs. A fly ball was hit down the left field line. The foul line was very close to the wall. Reds left fielder George Foster went nearly to the wall and caught the ball. Denny Doyle tagged up at third and broke for home. Foster’s throwing arm brushed the wall, but he pegged a perfect throw to Johnny Bench and he tagged out Doyle. The Red Sox didn’t score. Foster also homered in that game, but his throw and his homer were overshadowed by Carlton Fisk’s game-ending home run in the 12th inning. Bad throws? So many. One flew over my head. I was sitting in the left field bleachers at Al Lopez Field in Tampa during a spring training game. Center fielder Eddie Milner chased down a base hit and tried to throw out a runner a third. His throw went over the third baseman’s head, over the third base coach’s head, over my head, over the bleachers and was last seen headed for suburban Lutz.
Q: What are your thoughts on the Reds giving so much love to catcher Jose Trevino? — BRIAN, Wheelersburg.
A: It wasn’t so much love as it was money — a three-year deal worth $15 million. Sounds like a lot of money, but not these days. It is actually a bargain for a top-shelf back-up catcher who won a Platinum Glove (Higher than a Gold Glove) and was an All-Star just a couple of seasons ago. His throwing arm and his handling of pitchers are exceptional. Those are the things the Reds love. With Tyler Stephenson on the injured list, Trevino is the starting catcher. And no, he is not related to former Reds catcher Alex Trevino.
Q: Why is all the conversation from the front office involve president of baseball operations Nick Krall and not general manager Brian Meador? — STEVEN, Piqua.
A: Great question and I’ve wondered that myself since both men’s titles changed last year. Must be semantics. Krall was GM and his title changed but he apparently still is the last word on trades and signings. That’s usually handled by the GM, who is now Meador. But we never hear from him so it is obvious Krall still makes the call.
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