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Strikeout streak earns Bruce a chat with Dusty
Thursday, August 28, 2008
HOUSTON — It wasn't as if Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker was taking Jay Bruce to the woodshed, it was more a father-son, been-there-done-that chat.
Baker wanted Bruce to know the world isn't collapsing around his ears just because he struck out seven straight times.
"I appreciate Dusty doing that," Bruce said Wednesday, Aug. 27. "That's what he is there for and it is good that he is there for us. He's been through it. He knows things."
And Baker knows things the 21-year-old Bruce needs to know.
"I'm learning," he said. "The way I've been hitting lately is not acceptable by my standards because I expect a lot out of myself. No matter how old I am or how long I've been here, I have a certain standard to perform. Lately I haven't been doing it. And, yes, it's embarrassing.
"But that's the beauty of baseball," he added. "Every day you start over. Make the best of it and learn from it. This is probably one of a million slumps I'll go through and dealing with adversity is all part of it. That's the positive side of it for me. Everybody struggles."
It was suggested that maybe playing in Houston, his home, in front of family and friends, was too much pressure, but the first four strikeouts came Sunday in Denver and the next three came Tuesday in Houston.
Baker said he likes players to leave scads of tickets and play in front of friends and relatives on the road and added, "Players know people want to see them play and usually they bear down and do better. All those people probably never saw Jay struggle as a kid."
Said Bruce, "I know I have to be aggressive, but be aggressive in the strike zone. These pitchers know they don't have to throw me a strike, so they won't. Why should they? I wouldn't either if I didn't have to.
"This is all a learning process and I need to shorten that process as quickly as I can," he added. "I haven't struck out seven straight times in my life, ever. In your whole life you are always experiencing first times and hopefully that's the last time I experience that.
"I was going up there more trying not to strike out than get a hit," he said. "That's a bad approach. That's like playing not to lose rather than playing to win. That's over."
Who's pitching Saturday?
Johnny Cueto can't pitch Saturday (sore elbow) nor can Homer Bailey (sore knee). And Baker's top candidate, Louisville's Adam Pettyjohn, can't, either. He pitched Wednesday.
"He struck out 10, didn't walk anybody and gave up only three runs and seven hits," said Baker. But he lost 3-2 to Columbus.
"We don't know yet who'll pitch Saturday," said Baker. "I'll meet with (GM) Walt Jocketty when we get back (tonight)."
Playing the contenders
As noted often recently, 19 of the Reds' final 29 games will be against teams contending for division titles or the wild card.
Baker prefers it that way and hopes his team does, too.
"That makes for not throwing in the towel, for us playing as if it us contending," he said. "It is better to play contending teams than teams out of it. You still have to play. It's your job.
"I don't care if you're playing a game in your backyard, you play the game right and you play to win," he said. "Hey, the backyard is where it all started, right?"
Quote of the day
Pitching coach Dick Pole: "Hot in Houston? I walked a couple of blocks to a Mexican restaurant and when I got there I looked as if I just stepped out of the shower. Soaked to the skin. The kicker? The restaurant was closed."
