Homecomings of one sort or another in Cincinnati
Dunn Returns to Cincy
Adam Dunn returned to Cincinnati for the first time as a member of the Washington Nationals Thursday night.
Before the game he met with reporters and told everyone he was not bitter that he was traded away from the Reds. The Nats slugger had plenty of hellos for former teammates and coaches as well as for Reds media and ballpark security. He was definitely a popular person here in Cincinnati.
Propped up outside the clubhouse on the way to the dugout was a plaque that Adam earned as a member of the Reds. It was the Heart and Hustle Award, the same honor Nats third baseman Ryan Zimmerman received a couple of weeks ago for his grit and determination on the baseball field.
After the game he told me it was weird to come to the away clubhouse and take batting practice as a visitor, but once the game started everything was back to normal.
Stammen Back Home
Nats rookie Craig Stammen returned to his home state a day after one of his better pitching performances of the year against the Braves.
He acknowledged that he made some good strides in his last outing, and pitching coach Steve McCatty told me Craig really trusted his stuff and was able to finish better, which made a big difference.
Like, Adam, Craig was also a popular guy at the Great American Ballpark. The Versailles High School standout had a lot of family and friends in the crowd, including his high school baseball coach.
Craig told me on Nats Xtra that he enjoyed coming to Reds games as a youngster and he had so many fond memories of sitting in the stands as a fan. The Ohio native even collected baseball cards as a kid.
Dibble's Old Stomping Grounds
Former Reds skipper Lou Piniella told me recently he enjoyed his time managing Rob Dibble when Rob was a member of the Nasty Boys bullpen in Cincinnati. The two helped the Reds win a World Series here back in 1990.
Piniella said he loved the fact that Rob would pitch and throw strikes. Lou said too that he considered Rob a friend and he appreciated his passion for the game.
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Categories (click for archive)Debbi Taylor | MASNblogs |
Debbie,
Any truth to the SI.com report that there was a claim put in on Kearns, but then the Nationals placed him on the DL to make him ineligible?
Willie,
I have not heard that and I doubt it's accurate. Kearns has a legitimate hand issue and needed to go on the dl. He recently underwent a procudeure to clean out some tissue in his hand. This apparently is an injury that goes back a few years.
Debbie,
My mom and I think you are fantastic! We love your interviews and your composure and your professionalism when interacting with the players. Keep on doing what you are doing.
A question too: when you do interview players, do you have a set of questions planned in your mind? A script? Or do you just wing it?