Pineda surprisingly to get start against Cubs
By Hal McCoy
e-mail address: hal_mccoy@coxohio.com
Dayton Daily News
CHICAGO | Luis Pineda promises he won't be bored this afternoon. He'll be too busy dealing with Wrigley Field, the Bleacher Bums and Sammy Sosa.
Pineda, who only two days ago said he gets bored as a starting pitcher, "Because you don't get to pitch for four days between starts," pitches this afternoon as a starter for the Cincinnati Reds against the Chicago Cubs.
It is Pineda's major-league starting debut, something for which the Reds prepared him after his demotion to Class AAA Louisville this year. Pineda made three starts. He made 12 starts at Class AA Erie last year while in the Detroit system.
"He knows. . .he's nervous," said Jose Rijo, Pineda's confidant and protector a few minutes before Pineda walked into manager Bob Boone's office for the official word. Boone said he wanted to tell Pineda, "So I can see what color his face turns."
Why Pineda?
Joey Hamilton, scheduled today, attended a weekend a funeral in his wife's family, "And we have to assume he hasn't been able to do much baseball work, so we'll back him up to start Thursday," said Boone.
That means left-hander Bruce Chen is in the bullpen, replacing Gabe White, left at home to continue recuperation from a staph infection. Boone believes pitching coach Don Gullett can do more mechanical work with Chen's delivery with him pitching in the bullpen. . .at least until Sunday in St. Louis when Boone says Chen will start because he believes the Cardinals are less proficient against left-handers.
"It's a big surprise, and we'll see what happens," said Pineda. "That's what I really want to do, yeah, start. I get to use all my pitches. Out of the bullpen I could only use my fastball and curve pitching one inning, but now I can use my slider and change-up, too."
When he was sent back he was told to work on his change-up, his slider and to keep his fastball down.
"He was giving up home runs when he pitched for us out of the bullpen because he wasn't keeping his fastball down," said Gullett. "The velocity was there, but he didn't keep it out of the middle of the strike zone. He worked on his change-up and slider down there and I see no reason why he can't throw 90 to 100 pitches."
Rijo plans to talk extensively with Pineda.
"I'll talk to him about situations and scenarios," Rijo said. "I'll tell him to have patience and to pace himself and not try to get four outs with one pitch. He needs to concentrate on one hitter at a time and let the results do the talking. He has great stuff, but he needs to put his mind together and learn how to pitch."
.................................................................................................................................
Tuesday, June 25, 2002
Boone grants Pineda's wish, makes him starter vs. Cubs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reds notebook
By John Fay, jfay@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
CHICAGO ?? Welcome back to the majors, Luis, and here's the ball.
Luis Pineda, freshly promoted from Triple-A Louisville, will make his first major league start today when the Reds play the Chicago Cubs.
By starting Pineda, the Reds can use left-hander Bruce Chen in the bullpen while injured lefty Gabe White is out. It also allows the Reds to move Joey Hamilton's start from today to Thursday. Hamilton left the team last week to attend the funeral of his wife's grandfather.
??He was away from it for a few days,?? Reds manager Bob Boone said. ??This allows us to back him off.??
Pineda, a 27-year-old right-hander, made three starts at Louisville. He's all for the move.
??This is what I want to do,?? he said.
Pineda made 31 starts in 103 minor league appearances. He was 6-2 with a 3.05 ERA last year at Double-A Erie, where he was primarily a starter. Twelve of his 16 appearances were as a starter.
Pineda threw 80 pitches in his last outing at Louisville. He could go up to 90 today.
Pineda was 0-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 24 relief appearances before being sent to Louisville. He used his fastball and curveball as a reliever, but can also throw a change-up and slider.
Being in the bullpen will allow Chen to work on his mechanics.
??It's going to take some time,?? Boone said. ??We want it to come naturally to him, so he doesn't have to think about it.??
The plan is to start Chen in one of three games this weekend in St.Louis. The Cardinals have a heavily left-handed lineup.
??They don't hit left-handers as well,?? Boone said.
The Reds won't know until Thursday if White is able to pitch this weekend. That's when he gets the stitches out of his hand.
...............................................................................................................................
Pineda given chance to start
By Tony Jackson, Cincinnati Post staff reporter
CHICAGO--One day after he was recalled from Class AAA Louisville, Reds right-hander Luis Pineda got another surprise when he arrived at Wrigley Field for Monday night's game with the Chicago Cubs. Manager Bob Boone, who has been thinking about starting Pineda at some point in the next couple of weeks, had pinpointed a specific date for doing it.
That would be today.
"I'm excited, and really surprised," said Pineda, who will be making his first major league start when he takes the mound against the Cubs this afternoon. "We'll see what I can do. I want to be a starter."
The abrupt decision comes in response to two factors.
First, right-hander Joey Hamilton, who was scheduled to go today, rejoined the team Monday after a three-day absence to attend the funeral of his wife's grandfather in Georgia. It is assumed Hamilton had little opportunity while there to throw. Thus, Hamilton is being pushed back to Thursday, was available out of the bullpen Monday night and will be today.
Second, it allows Boone to push lefty Bruce Chen, who would have started Thursday, back to either Saturday or Sunday so he can pitch against a St. Louis lineup that is loaded with left-handed hitters. In the meantime, Chen will have more time to continue to work on the mechanical adjustments pitching coach Don Gullett made with him shortly after the Reds acquired Chen from the Montreal Expos on June 14.
"The biggest thing probably for (Chen) is that curveball," Boone said. "That's going to be the toughest one for him to get a feel for the way we've got him throwing it. I think for him to learn what we're trying to give him will just take some time. He just needs to get to a point where he doesn't have to think about what he's trying to do with every pitch."
Pineda has made 34 starts in the minors, including all three of his appearances at Louisville after the Reds sent him out a few weeks ago. But until now, all of his major-league appearances have come out of the bullpen. Pineda threw around 75 pitches in his last start for the Bats, meaning he probably could give the Reds around 90 this time.
"It won't be a strict pitch count, but if he's around 80, we'll watch him," Boone said
...........................................................................................................................
from sportsnetwork preview:
".....In 24 appearances this season, Pineda has allowed a total of 11 runs -- 10 earned -- on 19 hits in over 27 innings. He was acquired from the Tigers in the offseason, along with Encarnacion, in the deal that sent Dmitri Young to Detroit. The righthander has started 34 games in the minors, including three after he was sent down a few weeks ago, and will be watched closely today.
"It won't be a strict pitch count, but if he's around 80, we'll watch him," Reds skipper Bob Boone told The Cincinnati Post.
The 27-year-old Pineda has appeared in two games against the Cubs this year, permitting one run on a pair of hits in two frames. On April 3, he drilled a pair of batters in Cincinnati's 10-3 loss to Chicago and was ejected from the contest....."
By Hal McCoy
e-mail address: hal_mccoy@coxohio.com
Dayton Daily News
CHICAGO | Luis Pineda promises he won't be bored this afternoon. He'll be too busy dealing with Wrigley Field, the Bleacher Bums and Sammy Sosa.
Pineda, who only two days ago said he gets bored as a starting pitcher, "Because you don't get to pitch for four days between starts," pitches this afternoon as a starter for the Cincinnati Reds against the Chicago Cubs.
It is Pineda's major-league starting debut, something for which the Reds prepared him after his demotion to Class AAA Louisville this year. Pineda made three starts. He made 12 starts at Class AA Erie last year while in the Detroit system.
"He knows. . .he's nervous," said Jose Rijo, Pineda's confidant and protector a few minutes before Pineda walked into manager Bob Boone's office for the official word. Boone said he wanted to tell Pineda, "So I can see what color his face turns."
Why Pineda?
Joey Hamilton, scheduled today, attended a weekend a funeral in his wife's family, "And we have to assume he hasn't been able to do much baseball work, so we'll back him up to start Thursday," said Boone.
That means left-hander Bruce Chen is in the bullpen, replacing Gabe White, left at home to continue recuperation from a staph infection. Boone believes pitching coach Don Gullett can do more mechanical work with Chen's delivery with him pitching in the bullpen. . .at least until Sunday in St. Louis when Boone says Chen will start because he believes the Cardinals are less proficient against left-handers.
"It's a big surprise, and we'll see what happens," said Pineda. "That's what I really want to do, yeah, start. I get to use all my pitches. Out of the bullpen I could only use my fastball and curve pitching one inning, but now I can use my slider and change-up, too."
When he was sent back he was told to work on his change-up, his slider and to keep his fastball down.
"He was giving up home runs when he pitched for us out of the bullpen because he wasn't keeping his fastball down," said Gullett. "The velocity was there, but he didn't keep it out of the middle of the strike zone. He worked on his change-up and slider down there and I see no reason why he can't throw 90 to 100 pitches."
Rijo plans to talk extensively with Pineda.
"I'll talk to him about situations and scenarios," Rijo said. "I'll tell him to have patience and to pace himself and not try to get four outs with one pitch. He needs to concentrate on one hitter at a time and let the results do the talking. He has great stuff, but he needs to put his mind together and learn how to pitch."
.................................................................................................................................
Tuesday, June 25, 2002
Boone grants Pineda's wish, makes him starter vs. Cubs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reds notebook
By John Fay, jfay@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
CHICAGO ?? Welcome back to the majors, Luis, and here's the ball.
Luis Pineda, freshly promoted from Triple-A Louisville, will make his first major league start today when the Reds play the Chicago Cubs.
By starting Pineda, the Reds can use left-hander Bruce Chen in the bullpen while injured lefty Gabe White is out. It also allows the Reds to move Joey Hamilton's start from today to Thursday. Hamilton left the team last week to attend the funeral of his wife's grandfather.
??He was away from it for a few days,?? Reds manager Bob Boone said. ??This allows us to back him off.??
Pineda, a 27-year-old right-hander, made three starts at Louisville. He's all for the move.
??This is what I want to do,?? he said.
Pineda made 31 starts in 103 minor league appearances. He was 6-2 with a 3.05 ERA last year at Double-A Erie, where he was primarily a starter. Twelve of his 16 appearances were as a starter.
Pineda threw 80 pitches in his last outing at Louisville. He could go up to 90 today.
Pineda was 0-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 24 relief appearances before being sent to Louisville. He used his fastball and curveball as a reliever, but can also throw a change-up and slider.
Being in the bullpen will allow Chen to work on his mechanics.
??It's going to take some time,?? Boone said. ??We want it to come naturally to him, so he doesn't have to think about it.??
The plan is to start Chen in one of three games this weekend in St.Louis. The Cardinals have a heavily left-handed lineup.
??They don't hit left-handers as well,?? Boone said.
The Reds won't know until Thursday if White is able to pitch this weekend. That's when he gets the stitches out of his hand.
...............................................................................................................................
Pineda given chance to start
By Tony Jackson, Cincinnati Post staff reporter
CHICAGO--One day after he was recalled from Class AAA Louisville, Reds right-hander Luis Pineda got another surprise when he arrived at Wrigley Field for Monday night's game with the Chicago Cubs. Manager Bob Boone, who has been thinking about starting Pineda at some point in the next couple of weeks, had pinpointed a specific date for doing it.
That would be today.
"I'm excited, and really surprised," said Pineda, who will be making his first major league start when he takes the mound against the Cubs this afternoon. "We'll see what I can do. I want to be a starter."
The abrupt decision comes in response to two factors.
First, right-hander Joey Hamilton, who was scheduled to go today, rejoined the team Monday after a three-day absence to attend the funeral of his wife's grandfather in Georgia. It is assumed Hamilton had little opportunity while there to throw. Thus, Hamilton is being pushed back to Thursday, was available out of the bullpen Monday night and will be today.
Second, it allows Boone to push lefty Bruce Chen, who would have started Thursday, back to either Saturday or Sunday so he can pitch against a St. Louis lineup that is loaded with left-handed hitters. In the meantime, Chen will have more time to continue to work on the mechanical adjustments pitching coach Don Gullett made with him shortly after the Reds acquired Chen from the Montreal Expos on June 14.
"The biggest thing probably for (Chen) is that curveball," Boone said. "That's going to be the toughest one for him to get a feel for the way we've got him throwing it. I think for him to learn what we're trying to give him will just take some time. He just needs to get to a point where he doesn't have to think about what he's trying to do with every pitch."
Pineda has made 34 starts in the minors, including all three of his appearances at Louisville after the Reds sent him out a few weeks ago. But until now, all of his major-league appearances have come out of the bullpen. Pineda threw around 75 pitches in his last start for the Bats, meaning he probably could give the Reds around 90 this time.
"It won't be a strict pitch count, but if he's around 80, we'll watch him," Boone said
...........................................................................................................................
from sportsnetwork preview:
".....In 24 appearances this season, Pineda has allowed a total of 11 runs -- 10 earned -- on 19 hits in over 27 innings. He was acquired from the Tigers in the offseason, along with Encarnacion, in the deal that sent Dmitri Young to Detroit. The righthander has started 34 games in the minors, including three after he was sent down a few weeks ago, and will be watched closely today.
"It won't be a strict pitch count, but if he's around 80, we'll watch him," Reds skipper Bob Boone told The Cincinnati Post.
The 27-year-old Pineda has appeared in two games against the Cubs this year, permitting one run on a pair of hits in two frames. On April 3, he drilled a pair of batters in Cincinnati's 10-3 loss to Chicago and was ejected from the contest....."
