Paul O’Neill grew up in Columbus, Ohio, idolizing Pete Rose and the Big Red Machine, and he played alongside Rose when he began his big-league career.
O’Neill debuted in 1985 when Rose was working as a player-manager, and he was called up about a week before Rose broke Ty Cobb’s all-time hit record. O’Neill, a five-time World Series champion and a five-time All-Star, wrote he considers the night of Rose’s 4,192nd hit as one of his top 10 baseball experiences in his new memoir with Jack Curry, “Swing and a Hit.”
In the memoir, O’Neill shares his memories of playing under Rose as baseball investigated whether Rose bet on baseball. He was signing autographs at a card show in Lexington, Kentucky, when he learned Rose accepted a lifetime ban.
“In my view, he is a Hall-of-Fame player," O'Neill wrote. "I know someone permanently banned from baseball can’t be inducted into the Hall. But I think Pete deserves to be in the Hall for setting the all-time record of 4,256 hits while playing the game with unbridled passion and joy.
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“In the early months of my career, he was so superior to me and many major-league hitters. He was an elite hitter and a memorable player. And, for me, that’s how I think of him: Pete will always be a Hall of Famer.”
O’Neill, who helped the Reds to their World Series title in 1990, credited his father, Rose and Ted Kluszewski for shaping him as a hitter. Kluszewski was a minor-league hitting instructor and O’Neill called him the "perfect coach."
“Pete offered me a lot of wisdom, including passionately telling me that Ted Kluszewski was the best hitting coach the Reds ever had,” O’Neill wrote. “That’s a statement that should be painted on billboards in Cincinnati."
O’Neill details in the memoir his disagreements with manager Lou Piniella about his hitting style – Piniella thought he should’ve tried to hit for more power – and how their relationship worsened when he was playing for the Yankees and Piniella managed the Seattle Mariners.
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“While we were together with the Reds, I know that Lou believed I could accomplish a lot in the batter’s box, and that’s why he pushed me,” O’Neill wrote. “I am grateful for that. But did his ideas help me? No, they really didn’t.”
Slumping Tommy Pham looking for a breakout
Tommy Pham has performed around a league-average level this season, batting .242 with seven doubles, seven homers, 22 RBI and 33 runs in 50 games, but he hasn’t hit his way into a hot streak.
“Joey (Votto) is starting to swing the bat good. I need to do my job and get on base for him,” said Pham, who has posted a .343 on-base percentage entering Friday’s series opener in St. Louis. “I’m doing a terrible job at that right now. When a player of his magnitude starts to swing the bat good, I need to do everything I can to get on base.”
Pham started the season in a 1-for-26 slump and his numbers look much better after that point (.276 average, .369 on-base percentage), but the Reds will need more production from the top of their lineup with Tyler Stephenson sidelined for at least the next month.
The Reds entered Friday with a 17-22 record in Stephenson’s starts, and that includes three losses when Stephenson left the game early because of injuries, and a 3-15 record when Stephenson doesn’t start.
“I’m not performing; I’m just treading water,” Pham said. “What I mean by that is just playing average. There is no consistency with me being good right now. I have a good game and then have two off games, and then a good game. I don’t like that. It’s really bothering me.”
Pham is consistently making hard contact, rating in the 94th percentile for average exit velocity, but he planned to visit an eye doctor in St. Louis to see if that was holding him back. Pham has a rare eye condition, keratoconus, which affects his cornea and requires special contact lenses.
“I’m striking out more than usual, chasing more than usual,” Pham said. “I have to see some eye doctors. Good thing we’re going to St. Louis because I’m not really seeing the ball good. I mean, looking at the glass half-full, I consider where I’m at right now and I’m not even seeing the ball good, so there are only good things to come.”
Arbitration: Lucas Sims loses his case to Reds
Lucas Sims lost his salary arbitration case against the club Thursday, the Enquirer confirmed. He will make $1.2 million this season after he requested $1.6 million.
It was the first time the Reds went to an arbitration hearing with a player since Alex Wood in 2019. It was the first year Sims was eligible for salary arbitration after making $598,500 last season.
Sims is on the 15-day injured list because of a bulging disc in his back. He’s allowed five hits and seven runs in 6 2/3 innings (9.45 ERA) across six relief appearances with five strikeouts and six walks. This year’s statistics were not part of the arbitration process.
Reds injuries: Justin Wilson recovering from Tommy John surgery
Lefty reliever Justin Wilson returned to the clubhouse this week with a big brace around his left arm after he underwent Tommy John surgery on June 3. Dr. Timothy Kremchek performed the surgery.
Wilson went on the IL at the end of April with a left flexor mass strain in his forearm. What was his reaction when he learned he needed Tommy John surgery?
“I didn’t really think I needed it,” Wilson said. “But yeah, clearly, I did, especially after they went in there and looked at it hands on. It’s probably the best thing moving forward. I’ll have a brand new elbow, a really strong one too. Yeah, it sucks, but at the same time, I needed it fixed, so I can’t really do anything about it.”
Wilson will become a free agent after the season.
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