Jump to content

A second chance pays for (Brandon) Phillips


Guest oldschooler

Recommended Posts

Guest oldschooler
[quote][size=5][b]A second chance pays for Phillips [/b] [/size]
Friday, June 23, 2006
The last time Brandon Phillips wore an Indians uniform, he was standing in the locker room at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Fla., on March 29.

Earlier in the day, outfielder Grady Sizemore signed a six-year, $23.45 million contract. A few hours later, Phillips was designated for assignment. Sizemore, Phillips and pitcher Cliff Lee were acquired from Montreal for Bartolo Colon in 2002. Sizemore and Lee found a home, Phillips didn't.

When reporters mentioned Sizemore's contract to Phillips after he'd packed his bags, he said wistfully, "It should have been me."

On April 7, the Indians traded Phillips to Cincinnati for minor-league right-hander Jeff Stevens. No one knew what would become of the player who was supposed to be the key to the Colon deal.

Now they do.

Phillips returns to Cleveland today for a three-game interleague series as one of the season's biggest surprises. He's hitting .314 with seven homers, 43 RBI and 14 steals as Cincinnati's starting second baseman.

"I have no idea what happened in Cleveland," said Reds General Manager Wayne Krivsky. "I know he didn't fit on their team. They had Ronnie Belliard at second and Jhonny Peralta at short. It came down to a decision between Ramon Vazquez and Phillips."

Phillips, out of options, outhit Vazquez in spring training. The Indians kept Vazquez.

"It's not like we were real smart," Krivsky said. "We had him for a week and never played him. Then Jerry Narron decided to play him and he's been in there ever since.

"It happens with a lot of players. A team just runs out of time with them."

Krivsky, in his first year as Reds GM, saw Phillips just once in spring training. Reds scout Bill Harford saw him a lot more.

"Bill put the bug in my ear," Krivsky said. "Brandon was a little different than anyone else we had. He was young, athletic and he could play shortstop."

What the Reds didn't know is whether Phillips could hit. He hit .206 with six homers and 38 RBI in 135 games during four seasons with the Tribe.

"Late in spring training, Harford saw him turn around a 94 to 95 mph fastball from Roy Oswalt and hit it about 400 feet," Krivsky said. "That will make a scout's eyes light up. It told us he had bat speed."

The Reds have seen plenty of that bat speed since Phillips became a regular on April 16. In Wednesday's 6-5 victory over the Mets, Phillips hit a game-winning, two-run single in the ninth inning off closer Billy Wagner.

"Brandon hit a chest-high fastball," Krivsky said. "The stadium radar gun had it at 101 mph. It was one of our biggest hits of the season."

Phillips and the Indians never saw eye-to-eye after they gave him the second-base job in 2003 and sent him down at the All-Star break because he didn't hit. The Indians questioned his attitude and Phillips didn't think he was getting a fair shot.

"Jerry Narron called him in right after the trade," Krivsky said. "He said, 'Look, you've got a little bit of a reputation. We want you to clean that up and act professionally.'

"I like Brandon. He wears his emotions on his sleeve. He's always smiling and always trying to get better."

Finally:

The Indians have lost six of their past 11 games at Jacobs Field. . . . In the interleague series with the Reds, the Indians lead, 23-16. . . . The eight runs the Indians allowed in the third inning Wednesday against the Cubs were the most they'd allowed in an inning since Detroit scored 11 in the sixth on April 24, 2003. . . . Jason Johnson's first start for Boston is July 1 against Florida.[/quote]




[url="http://www.cleveland.com/sports/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1151051837314270.xml&coll=2"]http://www.cleveland.com/sports/plaindeale...4270.xml&coll=2[/url]
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest bengalrick
phillips impresses the fuck out of me... he seems to hit the ball solidily almost every time... he hits almost all linedrives... he is a GREAT fielder, fast as all hell, and solidifies our infield... him, lopez, and encarnacion can be our infielders for the next 5-10 years... anyone else see how we are putting together a young, great team?

our outfield is very strong... we will need to replace griffey in the future, but i am extremely confident w/ him out there... our infield (besides first) is set for a decade, and i really like hatteburg (great at bats every time) and aurillia... and freel can play any outfield or infield position... wow... we are a few relievers and maybe a starter away from being a strong freakin' team for a long time to come!!! exciting shit really...

and ross is very impressive at catcher too...
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest BengalBacker
Phillips 'blessed' by second chance
By Hal McCoy

Staff Writer

CLEVELAND | Brandon Phillips emerged from the clubhouse tunnel into the visitor's dugout in Jacobs Field on Friday afternoon, spotted 25 members of the Cleveland media, whirled on his heels and said, "I know they're not all for me."

They were all for Phillips, the player hitting .314 with seven homers, 43 RBIs and 14 straight stolen bases, the man the Cleveland Indians traded to the Cincinnati Reds on April 7 for what amounts to a box of baseballs and an old medical satchel.

Earlier, manager Jerry Narron was asked if he feared Phillips might overextend himself this weekend trying to show the Indians they made a grave mistake.

"I'm not," said Narron. "I wouldn't think he has to prove anything to them. He's not with them anymore. I'm sure he'd like to have a big day against them."

Phillips spoke with political correctness about his time in Cleveland and his differences with manager Eric Wedge.

"I'm happy to be back in Cleveland, but it's kind of sad that I'm not still on the other team," he said. "But I'm happy to be on the other side, seeing myself playing, getting a second chance. I'm very blessed to have had this trade happen."

Of his chance to prove the Tribe wrong, Phillips said, "I'll play baseball the way I've been playing. Go out. Have fun. I can go 0-for-5, and as long as we win, I'll be all right. I just want to make it to the playoffs and make it to the World Series with this team. If you try too hard to beat the team you once were on, you're going to mess up."

Phillips wasn't a popular guy around the Cleveland clubhouse for myriad reasons, cockiness leading the list.

"I was a rookie doing rookie things," he said. "I learned from my mistakes and it made me stronger, made me learn what I need to be."

He didn't endear himself his first year with the Cleveland veterans when he wrote, "The Franchise" on one of his shoes in spring training.

Skipping Mays

It is Joe Mays' turn to pitch Tuesday when the Reds open a three-game homestand against Kansas City. But Mays won't make that start.

With an off day Monday, Narron is moving everybody else up — Eric Milton on Tuesday, Aaron Harang on Wednesday and Bronson Arroyo on Thursday.

Why? That gives Arroyo one extra start before the All-Star break — a July 9 start in Atlanta.

The White-Out report

As a reader who saw Homer Bailey's Class AA debut for Chattanooga on Thursday pointed out, "Manager Jerry Narron is going to get a white-out report on what Bailey did."

Bailey pitched six shutout innings and walked nobody during a 7-0 victory over the Carolina Mudcats. The most impressive thing, though, was that he threw 98 pitches in those six innings and the 98th pitch was 98 miles an hour.

"The guy I had there said it was only 97," said Narron, who quickly added, "I'm kidding. I didn't have anybody there. And I don't have to see any reports, I saw him this spring."

Failure to gain

If the Reds planned to take advantage of the St. Louis Cardinals with Albert Pujols on the disabled list, they failed, even though the Cardinals were not very good without him.

In their first 15 games without Pujols, who returned Thursday, the Cardinals were 8-7 and actually gained a game on the Reds, from three ahead to four ahead.

The Cardinals did fine offensively without him, averaging 5.6 runs, but the pitchers gave up 6.5 runs per game and opponents hit .320.

Run on the rookie?

Expect the Reds to severely test Cleveland pitcher Jeremy Sowers on the basepaths Sunday when he makes his major-league debut.

His professional record in 42 starts is 23-5 with a 2.00 earned run average. At Class AAA Buffalo this season he was 9-1 with a 2.47 ERA and opponents batted .224.

Why did the Tribe take so long to call him up? He had trouble holding runners on base.

"Sowers had to work at controlling the running game," said Buffalo manager Torey Lovullo. "As soon as we ironed that out and gave him a couple of weapons to control it, he was on his way."

The Reds are second in the National League with 62 stolen bases in 73 tries.

Short hops

• Springfield's Rick White, designated for assignment by the Reds on Monday, was claimed on waivers Friday by the Philadelphia Phillies.

• Disabled pitcher Matt Belisle makes his fifth rehab appearance Saturday at Class AAA Louisville after two appearances at Class A Dayton and two at Class AA Chattanooga.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...