Q: Would Johnny Bench have made a good manager? \u2014 GEORGE, Morton Grove, Ill.<\/p>\n
A: Absolutely and he had the opportunity but preferred not to do it. He was always in charge on the field and a leader off the field. It would have transferred easily to the manager\u2019s office. Many catchers gravitate to managers. <\/p>\n
Former catchers who managed the Cincinnati Reds included Birdie Tebbetts, Russ Nixon, John McNamara, Bob Boone, Dave Miley, Jerry Narron and Jack McKeon.<\/p>\n
Q: How many home runs did Babe Ruth hit in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings off a tiring starting pitcher back when they stayed in games and pitched every fourth day? \u2014 GREG, Beavercreek.<\/p>\n
A: That\u2019s a great question but the answer isn\u2019t that the Bambino picked on tiring pitchers. Of his 714 homers, most came in the first inning with 133. Second most was the third inning with 95. In the seventh, eighth and ninth he hit 232. That\u2019s just 32%. With Mr. Ruth, the inning didn\u2019t much matter.<\/p>\n
Q: Why do position players go on a 10-day injured list but pitchers go on a 15-day injured list? \u2014 ALAN, Centerville.<\/p>\n
A: Only pitchers can go on the 15-day list and it was made a rule to prevent chicanery. Teams, particularly the Los Angeles Dodgers, were putting uninjured pitchers on the 10-day list so they could bring up another pitcher to take his place and then put him on the 10-day list and bring up another. Then they would re-instate the first pitcher and, in effect, have a seven-man rotation. The 15-day list stops that. Isn\u2019t it amazing how teams always find a way to bend the rules?<\/p>\n
![\"Milwaukee](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/OIA7D3FGUDMOVBYSKHCXAKVINA.jpg\")
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Credit: AP<\/p>\n
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Credit: AP<\/p>\n
Q: Do the Reds have a mental block when they face the Milwaukee Brewers? \u2013 RYAN\/ELVIS, Vandalia.<\/p>\n
A: Strange things are always prevalent in baseball and one of them is Cincinnati\u2019s awful record against the Brewers. They do have a team psychologist, but maybe they need a team psychiatrist. So here is my unpaid advice: When the Reds play the Brewers, just imagine they are wearing Cleveland Guardians uniforms.<\/p>\n
Q: Now that the path has been cleared for Pete Rose\u2019s entry into the Hall of Fame, which of the steroid era players are likely to be inducted? \u2014 TOM, Oakwood.<\/p>\n
A: None, I hope. That\u2019s comparing bananas to grapes. Rose did nothing to determine the outcome of games. The steroid users did. What Barry Bonds did, Hank Aaron did without. What Roger Clemens did, Nolan Ryan did without. What is sad about it is that Bonds and Clemens would have made the Hall of Fame without steroid enhancement. But maybe both will get executive pardons.<\/p>\n
Q: When an MLB player gets down to Triple-A, does a corresponding Triple-A player get sent down to Double-A? \u2014 AL, Phoenix, Ariz.<\/p>\n
A: Usually, when an MLB player is sent down, a Triple-A player is called up to take his place, so there is room on the Triple-A roster. It is rare, but there are instances where an underperforming Triple-A player takes a step down a peg. Or a Triple-A player can be placed in the injured list. And sometimes, a Triple-A underperformer just gets released. There are many manipulations available to the parent organization.<\/p>\n