It didn’t matter that Kent Mercker had appeared in 677 big league games in his career, Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park the 40-year old felt like a rookie again.
“I had butterflies as much as I’ve ever had them,” Mercker said following the Reds’ 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second game of the 2008 season.
The left-hander’s last appearance as a big leaguer had been Aug. 11, 2006 at Philadelphia when he pitched a scoreless 10th inning in a 14-inning loss. Less than a week later, he had season-ending “Tommy John” surgery on his left elbow to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament and to reattach the flexor tendon. At the time, Mercker thought his career was over.
Although he kept himself in shape and thought fleetingly about returning to baseball, it still seemed far away.
After an impressive spring training (1-0, 2.57 ERA in seven appearances), Mercker made the team.
“He earned his way on this club, he didn’t want anyone to give it to him,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “He said if he wasn’t throwing the ball well, he’d go back home himself.”
That wasn’t necessary because Baker, who had managed Mercker previously in Chicago, saw Mercker throwing better than he had in years.
Mercker’s emergence made fellow veteran Mike Stanton expendable, leaving Mercker and Jeremy Affeldt as the only left-handers in the bullpen. Both made their 2008 debuts on Wednesday.
With the Reds trailing by two runs, Mercker came into the game in the eighth inning.
“Warming up, when they told me to get in, I got the butterflies,” Mercker said. “Warming up, I was taking those deep breaths, like I was 18 years old again. It’s a great feeling, it’s a feeling I can’t replace.”
Being on the field was a feeling Mercker missed in his time away from the game at home in Dublin, Ohio.
“I never took it for granted, but you do. It’s a cool job,” Mercker said. “You get used to it, you assume you’re going to make the team, this is what’s going to happen, you’re going to have good days and bad days. When you step away, you almost wish you could have those bad days, because at least you’re here. It’s hard to explain, but I feel lucky to be here.”
Wednesday he looked like he was as good as ever — he struck out the first two batters he faced (catcher Chris Snyder and third baseman Mark Reynolds) and then got shortstop Stephen Drew to fly out to right to end the inning.
“Don’t get used to it,” Mercker joked of his 1-2-3 performance.
He walked off the mound and into the Reds dugout to a standing ovation.
“It was fun. You know what? To be able to pitch up here, at this level, it’s unbelievable, period. Good or bad, it’s unbelievable,” Mercker said. “You know, I’ve done it my entire adult life, but to take a year-and-a-half off and come back out, I felt like a rookie again.”
Records: Reds 1-1, Diamondbacks 1-1 WP: Jeremy Affeldt (1-0) 1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 K LP: Brandon Lyon (0-1) 0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR HR: Cin: Corey Patterson (1), Brandon Phillips (1), Edwin Encarnacion (1). Ari: Stephen Drew (1). The stat: A crowd of 14,014 for the second game of the season. You had that many people complaining they couldn’t get Opening Day tickets and then they just don’t care about Game 2. 14,014. Really. For all the people who say they’re baseball fans in this town, 50 degree weather keeps you away. 14,014. The play:For the second game in the Reds’ two games this season, the game turned on an Edwin Encarnacion error. With the Reds up one and the bases loaded with one out in the fifth, Eric Byrnes hit a grounder to third and Encarnacion's throw went way wide, allowing the tying run to score and the runners to advance. After failing to get the bunt down twice with two on and no outs, third baseman Edwin Encarnacion send Diamondbacks closer Brandon Lyon's 2-2 pitch into the stands in left for a walk-off home run.
The lesson: Although there's a learning curve for Edwin Encarnacion, there is still a world of talent. Encarnacion was the Reds' best clutch hitter last season, and he came through in the end. Dusty said: "I turned to (bench coach) Chris (Speier) and said, 'Chris, I kinda hope he doesn't get it down here so he can hit a 3-run homer.'" Tomorrow: Reds vs. Diamondbacks, 12:35 p.m. Reds prospect Johnny Cueto makes his big league debut against Arizona left-hander Doug Davis (13-12, 4.25 ERA in 2007).
For the first time since he became a full-time big leaguer in 2004, Bronson Arroyo not only failed to reach double digit victories, he also lost more games than he won.
The thing is, it didn’t feel all that different to Arroyo while he was on the mound.
“I felt like physically I felt the same the last two years,” Arroyo said. “Wins and losses -- you’re never confident what you’re going to do over the course of a season. I feel pretty confident I’ll pitch 200 innings and keep us in most of the games I pitch.”
Those are two of the most important things for Arroyo, and even though he finished 9-15 in 2006, he achieved both of those goals. He threw 210.2 innings and led the team in quality starts with 22.
“You can have 20 quality starts and 200 innings, you kept your team in the game 2/3 of the time and that’s pretty good,” Arroyo said. “That’s all you can ask for. You look at wins and losses, because everyone else does. You try to get three wins a month and that doesn’t always happen.”
Arroyo, who seemed to be charmed at times in his first season as a Red in 2006, suffered bad luck in 2007. Of his 22 quality starts, he got a victory in seven of those games, a loss in another seven and eight no-decisions. Aaron Harang, who was second on the team with 20 quality starts, won 11 of those, had no losses when he had a quality start and nine no-decisions. In his 34 starts, the Reds scored135 runs for Arroyo and 180 for Harang in the same number of starts.
Arroyo’s strikeouts decreased in 2007 (156 to 184 in 2006), but his walk rate was relatively unchanged (64 in 2007, 63 in 2006).
Arroyo struggled mightily following his 129-pitch outing against the Padres in May. Following that game, he had an ERA of 2.64 (and a 2-4 record), but he then surrendered at least six runs in five of his next six starts and his ERA rose to 5.24.
After he was skipped in the rotation to get more rest, he allowed six or more earned runs in only one of his final 19 games, and only one of five earned runs in that stretch.
Much of that fatigue, Arroyo said, could be traced back to a sickness he had in spring training, that sapped some of his strength before the season was even underway.
“It took a lot out of me. Coming in 188 (pounds) rather than 198 is a big deal to me. I’ve been between 195-200 this spring, I haven’t gone anywhere,” Arroyo said.
Arroyo said he worked harder this season to keep his weight up and did extra shoulder exercises to hopefully improve his fastball.
He responded with a spectacular spring, going 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA and 12 strikeouts to just two walks. Today we’ll see if that trend continues, as Arroyo takes the mound against Dan Harren and the Diamondbacks in his first start of 2008.
Not only is Arroyo hoping his 2008 is better than 2007, he hopes that season is behind everyone, including his opposite number today.
“Hopefully (Dan) Haren won’t be the same as he was last year,” Arroyo said with a laugh.
Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo and his teammates didn’t know about the latest tribute to late Reds legend Joe Nuxhall until just before everyone else saw the team come out of the clubhouse all wearing Nuxhall’s name and No. 41 on the back of their jerseys.
“They dropped us on it last minute too. They wanted to make sure the cat didn’t get out of the bag,” Arroyo said. “It was before the game, they said we’re going to do a little something. We got clearance for everyone and for Aaron to wear it on the mound.”
While the rest of the team had clearance to wear the No. 41 jerseys for pregame introductions, Harang got permission to wear Nuxhall’s name and number for the entire game.
“They came to me and asked if I wanted to wear it. I didn’t think twice,” Harang said. “I’d gotten to know Nuxy since I got here in ‘03. That’s one of the better guys you’ll ever know. It’s definitely been a change, going to Reds Fest, spring and now here, you can definitely tell a difference.”
It was the first Opening Day since 1962 when he was a member of the Los Angeles Angels Nuxhall wasn’t at Opening Day in Cincinnati. Even though Nuxhall, who passed away on Nov. 15 at the age of 79, wasn’t there in body, he was certainly at the game in spirit.
Not only did the team come out dressed in Nuxhall jerseys, the team also put his No. 41 jersey in the bullpen in centerfield and announced the portion of Main Street in front of Great American Ball Park would be renamed Joe Nuxhall Way.
But the most striking tribute will be the memory of the entire Reds team lined up on the first base line each with Nuxhall’s name and number on the back.
“It was cool for us, I hope everyone else thought it was cool,” first baseman Scott Hatteberg said following Monday’s 4-2 loss to the Diamondbacks.
The idea, several said, came from Reds right fielder Ken Griffey, Jr., who had left the clubhouse by the time manager Dusty Baker and Harang had finished their press conference.
“I think Junior’s the one that had everything to do with that,” left fielder Adam Dunn said.
Griffey was especially close to Nuxhall, having grown up in Cincinnati and his father playing for the Reds in the 70s.
“You won’t hear his voice anymore, but you still hear it every day when you can hear him saying things to you,” Griffey said before the game.
Nuxhall was a constant in the Cincinnati clubhouse, and he was always welcome by the players.
“It’s special, I think it showed how much he meant to us and our organization. It shows he had a lot to do with our organization,” Dunn said. “The thing about him, he was the easiest person to talk to. He was always the same, whether you’re good or stinkin’. He always made sure he came up and tell you a story, pat you on the back and tell you a story. If he tells you something, it’s probably on past experience. It’s easier coming from them, who have actually done it.”
Said catcher Javier Valentin: “It was awesome. We wanted to remember Joe Nuxhall. Every day you’d come in here and he’d be with us.”
Nuxhall battled cancer for several years before succumbing to the disease after last season. His death was felt throughout the Cincinnati area, the baseball community and in the Reds clubhouse.
“He was more than just some guy or some player for the Reds. He was in the clubhouse all the time, he was one of those guys you respect and admire,” said first baseman Scott Hatteberg. “The things he went through and how he was still able to come in and be the same guy even though he was going through all that-- there’s a strength there that I envy and don’t think a lot of people posses. He’s a special guy and he deserved a special day.”
* Top 1: If there's one thing that didn't improve in the off-season, it was probably defense. Edwin Encarnacion had a better defensive spring after improving during the season last year, but his error in the first inning, coupled with Aaron Harang's wild pitch, allowed a run. Nobody hit the ball hard off Harang, who struck out a batter and a couple of grounders (including the RBI single by Connor Jackson) and a popup. Nolegs 1, Redlegs 0
* Bottom 1: You know who else is good? Brandon Webb. Webb and Harren, pretty good. Nolegs 1, Redlegs 0
* Top 2: Aaron Harnag, unflappable. Two Ks and a groundout. Nolegs 1, Redlegs 0
* Bottom 2: EE breaks up the perfect game with a walk. Um. Yeah, that's about it. Webb still no-hitting' the Redlegs through two (never too early to jinx, you know?). Nolegs 1, Redlegs 0
* Top 3: Young absolutely crushed that one to the upper deck in right. And, well, Byrnes was hit well too. Some boos for Harang. As someone noted, a first-pitch strike. And the guy who threw it back, not only got it back quickly, but also showed off quite an arm in doing so. A rough inning for Mr. Harang, who also walked two. He's up to 66 pitches through three innings. That's not a good number. Especially after a rain delay. Nolegs 3, Redlegs 0
* Top 4: A 1-2-3 inning for Harang, and with 11 pitches, as well. Nolegs 3, Redlegs 0
* SARASOTA UPDATE: Edinson Volquez and Matt Belisle pitched in extended spring training games on Monday. Volquez went 7 2/3 innings, allowed 2 hits and struck out 13 on 93 pitches. Belisle went 6 innings, gave up 4 hits, 1 earned run, walked 2 on 63 pitches.
* Bottom 4: Junior clogged the bases with a walk, but Phillips hit a rocket of a what looked to be a single into center, instead, it snuck under Chris Young's glove for a triple and an RBI. Dunn responded by doing what he needed to do to get the run home, a slow grounder to the right side. Not enough for a hit, but enough for an RBI. I must say, I do like the scoreboard graphics this year. They're using the 2008 Topps baseball cards as a template for the player pictures ont eh scoreboard. Very nice. They also have some questions they'd asked each player. The person Scott Hatteberg would most like to meet? Ernest Hemmingway. Maybe that's why all the scribes like Hatte. He's a reader. Also, I'll stand by my statement I made last year that Brandon Phillips deserved the Gold Glove last year, but the play Hudson made on Hatteberg shows why he wins year after year at second base. And just as I wrote the thing about the Topps cards, Javy's up and no Topps card or interview questions. Perhaps these things cycle. Nolegs 3, Redlegs 2
* Top 5: 86 total pitches for Harang now. He quickly went through the top of the Diamondbacks order. Nolegs 3, Redlegs 2
* Bottom 5: Harang not only has a high pitch total, but also had to leg out an infield single in that inning (just the third hit against Webb today), get back on a line drive by Corey Patterson and then went to second on Kepp's double play. Nolegs 3, Redlegs 2
* Top 6: 99 total pitches for Harang, has retired 10 in a row. Even without his spot coming up, I'd suspect his night is done. Too early to be stretching him (especially with the rain delay), no matter what he's telling Dick Pole. Looks like someone is getting ready in the pen. Will let you know ASAP. Nolegs 3, Redlegs 2
* Top 7: Yep, Harang's done. Burton in for the Redlegs. Harang's line: 6 IP, 3H, 3R, 2ER, 6Ks, 1 WP, 2 HR, 99 pitches. Not too bad. Too bad Webb's been just a little bit better. Also, looks like Webb's night is done after 6. Jeff Salazar on-deck for the Diamondbacks. One bad pitch for Burton, and like the two bad pitches by Harang, it was hammered. Salazar crushed one to right for a homer. Nolegs 4, Redlegs 2
* Bottom 7: Chad Qualls in for the Diamondbacks. He hit Hopp, but that's about it. Nolegs 4, Redlegs 2
* Top 8: David Weathers in for the 8th. And Stormy went 1-2-3. Very nice little outing. Nolegs 4, Redlegs 2
* Bottom 8: Tony Pena in for the Diamondbacks. 1-2-3. Brandon Phillips wasn't happy about the called third strike against him to end the inning. Nolegs 4, Redlegs 2
* Top 9: Well, they're paying him enough, might as well use him in the non-save situation (especially with a day off tomorrow). Cordero in for his Reds debut. A hit, but then two fly outs and a K. That's what he's here for. Nolegs 4, Redlegs 2
* Bottom 9: Dun, Encarnacion, Hatteberg against Brandon Lyon. 1-2-3. FINAL -- Nolegs 4, Redlegs 2
