sign in sign up
<<
Home , Blake Trahan, Bryan Price, Clint Hurdle, Frank Wren, Freddie Benavides, George Kissell

Press Clippings October 1, 2018

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1919-The Reds combine to three triples in Game 1 of the against the White Sox, a team postseason record which still stands today MLB.COM

Reds' 5 questions heading into 2019 season By Mark Sheldon MLB.com @m_sheldon Sep. 30th, 2018

CINCINNATI -- The Reds thought that 2018 would be the season they would emerge from rebuilding and be to contending. Instead, they produced a record of 67-95, a slight step back from 94-loss campaigns they had in both 2016 and '17.

A 3-15 start to the season cost his job. Interim manager took over on April 19 and the team showed improvement. From May until August, Cincinnati was among the best performers in the . But the club faded in August and continued to slide down the stretch.

"We wanted to take more of a step forward than we did," Reds president of baseball operations said. "We certainly saw, for extended periods of time, the capabilities are there. That only goes so far. This is a six-month season, we need to put it together over the course of six months. We're going to take a hard look at how we get there, how do we get closer next year to where we need to get."

As the Reds head into the offseason, here are five questions they face for next year:

Who will be the manager?

Riggleman is scheduled to interview for the permanent manager's job on Monday after having the opportunity for five months to make his case as the interim skipper. He showed a closer attention to detail and made more aggressive moves in efforts to win games. He had a .500 record through his first 90 games, but after he finished with a 64-80 record, was it enough for him to earn the permanent job? Former Red Sox manager and winner -- now a Reds scout -- is also a top contender for the job. Coaches Pat Kelly, and Freddie Benavides have already interviewed. The external candidates are unknown, so far. Williams hopes to have the process wrapped by the end of October.

Can the Reds improve their starting pitching?

Williams said the Reds are in a position to spend significantly more money this winter on starting pitching -- with acquisitions being possible either via free agents or trades. Cincinnati's rotation ranked near the bottom of the NL in ERA and only and likely Anthony DeSclafani appear to be locked in for 2019.

Matt Harvey will be a free agent and will get consideration after he pitched well for Cincinnati after he was acquired from the Mets in May. But this is a chance for Williams and general manager Nick Krall to think even bigger. Despite a less-than-robust market this winter, it might be tough for the Reds to outbid bigger market clubs for headlining free agents Dallas Keuchel, or Clayton Kershaw should he opt out of his deal with the Dodgers. Many others will be available, including Gio Gonzalez, Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn and .

Will Billy Hamilton be moved?

The Reds explored trading center fielder Hamilton last winter only to hang on to him and watch him have another disappointing year at the plate. Hamilton, who batted ninth most of the season, still has major value as a premier defensive player, however. But how much is that worth to the Reds and other clubs? He is third-year arbitration eligible this winter and a year away from being a free agent. There will likely be trade speculation once again.

When will be ready?

If the Reds were to move on from Hamilton, one potential replacement could be Senzel. The No. 1 prospect in the organization and No. 4 overall, according to MLB Pipeline, Senzel is currently at instructional league learning left field, and his athletic ability would likely enable him to play center field. Senzel was drafted second overall in 2016 as a third baseman, played in and second base for Triple-A Louisville during the season. His 2018 progress was cut short by right index finger surgery and he also missed nearly a month in May because of a bout with vertigo. The club remains confident that Senzel can be in the big leagues next year, and his playing in the outfield could open more options.

Will Scooter Gennett get a multi-year contract?

Back in mid-July, Gennett revealed to MLB.com that preliminary overtures were made by the club to sign the to a multi-year contract. There has been no news or movement on a deal since, however. Gennett, who is arbitration-eligible for the third time this winter, has put together back-to-back big offensive seasons and became a first-time All-Star in 2018. The 28-year-old has also established himself as a team and clubhouse leader. After Gennett made $5.7 million this season, what would it take for he and the Reds to extend for beyond 2019? If there is no deal made, would the club try to move him and install Senzel at second base?

Add it all up and another intriguing offseason is underway for the Reds.

Reds drop final game of season to Bucs Romano pitched five innings, allowing 2 earned runs on 3 hits By Mark Sheldon MLB.com @m_sheldon Sep. 30th, 2018

CINCINNATI -- This was a season when Sal Romano really wanted to establish himself as a Major League starting . Romano instead wound up being moved to the bullpen last month, but was given a chance to finish 2018 by starting vs. the Pirates.

Romano made the most of his opportunity with five strong innings in his first start since Aug. 21. He was not part of the outcome -- a 6-5 Reds loss to Pittsburgh in 10 innings at Great American Ball Park -- that was decided on a Jackson Stephens wild pitch that scored Pablo Reyes in the top of the 10th.

With two earned runs and three hits allowed with one walk and one with 59 pitches overall, Romano mostly cruised through his first four innings as he retired 11 of 13 batters. Through three innings, he had only 28 pitches.

"It's just one of those things where I wanted to attack the strike zone," Romano said. "I knew guys were going to be aggressive today. I figured they wouldn't have many . I just wanted to get early contact. Guys made the plays behind me."

The Reds rotation for 2019 appears wide open for multiple spots. Romano has by no means given up on the idea that he can still be a successful starter.

"It was definitely a good taste in my mouth going into the offseason knowing that I am able to start still," he said. "I still feel like in my heart that I can start in this league. Obviously pitching in the bullpen the last month, if I can do both that's something maybe I can do next year to help both ways."

For most of the game, Romano stuck with the combination of fastballs and sliders.

"I wanted to stay with just what I had been doing out of the bullpen. It was pretty successful," he said.

The Reds had a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning when Pittsburgh used a leadoff walk in the fifth by Colin Moran to rally. After Jose Osuna's , Kevin Kramer's sacrifice fly scored Moran. Romano bounced a 0-2 curveball to Jung Ho Kang for a wild pitch that scored a second .

"I got a little sloppy the fifth inning. Obviously leadoff walks will kill you," said Romano, who finished with a 5.31 ERA in 39 games, including 25 starts. "Other than that, it was definitely a good way to end the year for me, for sure."

Cincinnati's season concluded with a 67-95 record and fifth-place finish in the -- the fourth straight season of at least 94 losses and placement at the bottom of the division. It did not end in pretty fashion.

In the top of the 10th inning, with several regulars out of the game, Reyes reached on a one-out double to right-center field but advanced to third base on center fielder Gabriel Guerrero's error. After a two-out intentional walk to Josh Bell, Stephens bounced a ball in the dirt to Elias Diaz that got past Tim Federowicz and allowed Reyes to come home.

"You want to win each game, but we really appreciate the fans' response today," Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. "We got out playing with some energy, we were doing some good things. Really liked the way our fans acknowledged our players who came off. The rest of the game, it was a battle then. They got back into it and both clubs were getting after it the best they could."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Hamilton generates a run: Billy Hamilton created Cincinnati's first run in the first inning after a one-out hit that got by second baseman Kramer. Hamilton hustled for a double, stole third base and scored when catcher Diaz's throw went into left field. He knew Riggleman would lift him from the game after two at-bats.

"It was definitely fun, especially when you know you only have a certain amount of at-bats before the game," Hamilton said. "You get the double on your first one, you're like, 'OK, now I can relax a little bit,' then just go with the game. It kind of felt like Spring Training, you know you're going to get this many at-bats then you're coming out. We were like, 'We've got two at-bats, we have to do something with it.'"

SOUND SMART Jose Peraza finished the season 0-for-4 and remained at 182 hits, which fell shy of 's 185 -- the -season club record for most by a shortstop. Peraza still was the first shortstop to lead Cincinnati in hits for a season since Felipe Lopez had 169 hits in 2005.

HE SAID IT "He's a player's manager. He's always going to take care of us. It was a special moment for me to say goodbye to the fans and give the jersey to the kids. They need it more than I do. My season is over with. It's just great to be a part of that. It gave me chills when I gave it to them walking off the field. It was great." -- Hamilton, on Riggleman removing him and from the game before the top of the fourth inning

Riggleman to interview for skipper job Monday Interim manager believes Cincinnati is 'part of the family' By Mark Sheldon MLB.com @m_sheldon Sep. 30th, 2018

CINCINNATI -- Jim Riggleman didn't know whether Sunday's Game 162 of the season would be his last one as Reds interim manager. What Riggleman did know was that he will interview for the permanent job on Monday and make his best case.

The Reds moved Riggleman from bench to interim manager on April 19 to replace Bryan Price following the club's 3-15 record to start 2018.

"I think I came into this feeling like it's been an honor to be asked to do this job," Riggleman said. "I came into it with some negative feelings because Bryan Price, my good friend, was walking out the door as I was walking in. ... There was a sadness there with the circumstances. But your passion moves on to the next phase and that's OK, you're managing these ballgames and that's what I love to do.

"So, if I get to continue to do it, that's the best-case scenario. If I don't, I will just stay with my initial feelings, which is, I will respect the decision the Reds come up with."

Besides Riggleman, scouts and former Red Sox manager John Farrell are internal candidates along with coaches Billy Hatcher, Pat Kelly and Freddie Benavides. The external candidates have not been revealed. President of baseball operations Dick Williams expected the process to be completed by the end of October.

While making it clear he wants the job, Riggleman also hoped he could remain with the organization should he not get it.

"I've been in the organization now seven years and I'm extremely familiar with our player development system and our current Major League roster and coaches," Riggleman said. "I guess my point of putting it that way is I love to manage. When you're somewhere for seven years, you feel also that you're a part of that family. This will certainly be my priority. If I wasn't managing here, I'm not that person who says, 'I'm done.' I still would be open to anything."

The Reds were 45-45 through Riggleman's first 90 games on the job but began sliding in August. However, he showed a strong attention to detail, made aggressive decisions in attempts to win games and tried to squeeze as much as he could from a struggling rotation.

"The first few months I was on the job, things were going OK, not great. But going in a direction where we were starting to get over the hump and turn the corner a little bit," Riggleman said. "I think there was a lot of encouragement that has been deflated somewhat with the way we performed basically since somewhere in August. And that falls on the manager. When the team doesn't win games, that falls on the manager. That's just the nature of it."

Riggleman managed the Padres, Cubs, Mariners and Nationals before the Reds. He resigned from Washington amid a contract dispute during the 2011 season and joined the Reds organization in '12. First he managed at Double-A Pensacola and spent the 2013-14 seasons managing at Triple-A Louisville, and then became the big league third-base coach in '15.

Now 65, Riggleman believes he has evolved as a manager and embraces the analytic side of the game.

"It's a continuing learning process," he said. "And I like it. I'm as old-school caveman as much as anybody in the game, you know? But the greatest teacher in baseball by most people's account, I was able to work under George Kissell [with the Cardinals] and George at 82 years old, the phrase would come out of his mouth quite often, 'I learned something today.' would do something in camp or he'd hear somebody say something and he'd say, 'I learned something today.' Which was an exclamation point to me on the fact that he was still learning. The analytics that I've been able to talk with [assistant general manager] Sam Grossman, Nick [Krall, the GM] and Dick and how we manage the ballgame, we factor that in to how we run the ballgame now. That's been a progression for me."

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER

Cincinnati Reds honor a few players before ending season with loss to Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 6:22 p.m. ET Sept. 30, 2018 | Updated 7:37 p.m. ET Sept. 30, 2018

Before Sunday's season finale, Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman told Joey Votto and Billy Hamilton that they were going to each receive two at-bats.

They just didn't know how he was going to orchestrate their exit.

In the top of the fourth inning of an eventual 6-5 loss in 10 innings to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Votto and Hamilton warmed up at their respective positions before they saw their replacements jogging onto the field.

Votto walked over to young fans sitting on the first-base side of the crowd and offered his jersey and hat. Hamilton, running from center field, did the same thing when he neared the dugout.

Before the start of the fifth inning, it was Eugenio Suárez’s turn for a salute to the fans. He hugged pitcher Sal Romano and his replacement Blake Trahan on his way off the field, then raised his cap to the Great American Ball Park crowd of 25,091. Suárez later tossed his cap to a fan behind the dugout.

Their season didn’t go the way they hoped, finishing in last place for the fourth consecutive season, but it gave the Great American Ball Park crowd an opportunity to show their appreciation for a few of the franchise’s prominent faces.

"It was a special moment for me to say goodbye to the fans and give the jersey to the kids," said Hamilton, who thanked Riggleman for the send-off. "They need it more than I do. My season is over with. It’s just great to be a part of that. It gave me chills when I gave it to them walking off the field. It was great."

The Reds ended the year with a 67-95 record, one more loss than they recorded in 2017 and 2016. They nearly became the first team in Major League history to finish with an identical record in three consecutive seasons.

Their final loss had similarities to many of their losses before it. In the top of the 10th inning, Pirates Pablo Reyes hit a double past a diving Brandon Dixon in right field and advanced to third when center fielder Gabriel Guerrero bobbled the ball. Two batters later, Reyes scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch.

The Reds dropped their record to 10-29 in one-run games, the worst mark in baseball.

"You want to win each game, but we really appreciate the fans’ response today," Riggleman said. "A lot of people there. We got out playing with some energy, we were doing some good things. Really liked the way our fans acknowledged our players who came off. The rest of the game, it was a battle."

Hamilton, batting second for the first time this year, scored the game’s first run solely through his speed in the bottom of the first inning. He hit a groundball double into right field, one of the few players fast enough to even consider stretching that hit into a double.

During a 3-1 pitch to Joey Votto, Hamilton stole third base on ball four, then scored when Pirates catcher Eliaz Díaz’s throw bounced into the outfield.

"It kind of felt like Spring Training, you know you’re going to get this many at-bats then you’re coming out," Hamilton said. "We were like, ‘We’ve got two at-bats, we have to do something with it.'"

Tim Federowicz, the team’s third catcher in September, crushed a two-run to left field in the bottom of the second inning. Dilson Herrera added a solo home run to open the bottom of the sixth inning.

Reds right-hander Sal Romano, making his first start Aug. 21, allowed two runs on three hits in five innings. He pounded the strike zone, throwing 42 of his 54 pitches for strikes.

"It was definitely a good taste in my mouth going into the offseason knowing that I am able to start still," Romano said. "I still feel like in my heart that I can start in this league. Obviously pitching in the bullpen the last month, if I can do both that’s something maybe I can do next year to help both ways."

In the top of the sixth inning against Reds reliever Matt Wisler, Pirates center fielder Starling Marte and first baseman Josh Bell hit back-to-back homers. Pirates shortstop Kevin Newman hit a game-tying RBI single in the seventh inning, scoring Jose Osuna.

The Reds, hitless in the last four innings, didn't have many highlights at the end of their season. But as they turn their focus toward next year, Hamilton was grateful for the chance to salute those in attendance.

"Especially the ones in centerfield, most of them I can really see their faces because they are out there a lot," Hamilton said. "For me to just give them a salute, that was one of the biggest moments of the whole thing. It was fun. I’m glad it happened like that."

Jim Riggleman will interview for Cincinnati Reds managerial job Monday Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 3:38 p.m. ET Sept. 30, 2018

When Jim Riggleman joined the Reds organization in 2012 as a Double-A manager, he admits he didn’t think he would receive another chance to manage in the big leagues.

After more than five months in an interim managerial role, Riggleman hopes he will continue doing it next year.

Riggleman will interview for the permanent managerial job Monday. The Reds are interviewing five internal candidates: Riggleman, third-base coach Billy Hatcher, bench coach Pat Kelly, first-base coach Freddie Benavides and special advisor John Farrell. Candidates from outside of the organization are expected to interview through the first few weeks of October.

“I’ve been in the organization now seven years and I’m extremely familiar with our player development system and our current Major League roster and coaches,” Riggleman said. “I guess my point of putting it that way is I love to manage. When you’re somewhere for seven years, you feel also that you’re a part of that family.”

The Reds entered Sunday’s season finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 64-79 record under Riggleman, who moved from bench coach to interim manager on April 19 when the Reds fired Bryan Price.

Riggleman, possibly preparing for his final game as Reds manager Sunday, reflected on his first season as a big-league manager since he was with the from 2009-11.

“There was a sadness there with the circumstances,” said Riggleman, referring to his friendship with Price. “But your passion moves on to the next phase and that’s OK, you’re managing these ballgames and that’s what I love to do. If I get to continue to do it, that’s the best-case scenario. If I don’t, I will just stay with my initial feelings which is I will respect the decision the Reds come up with.”

Riggleman, who tried to create more urgency at the Major League level, watched the Reds post winning records in June and July, then sunk deeper into last place in the National League Central throughout August and September.

“The first few months I was on the job, things were going OK, not great,” Riggleman said, “but going in a direction where we were starting to get over the hump and turn the corner a little bit. I think there was a lot of encouragement that has been deflated somewhat with the way we performed basically since somewhere in August. And that falls on the manager. When the team doesn’t win games, that falls on the manager. That’s just the nature of it.”

Would Riggleman look elsewhere if he's not named the manager?

"This will certainly be my priority," Riggleman said. "If I wasn’t managing here, I’m not that person who says I’m done. I still would be open to anything."

UNDER 2.00: Reds reliever Jared Hughes is attempting to become the fourth Reds reliever to finish a season with at least 70 appearances and an ERA below 2.00 since earned runs became a statistic in 1912.

Hughes entered Sunday’s season finale with a 1.96 ERA in 71 appearances. He set a career-high for innings pitched and tied his career-best for ERA.

Looking back on his season, Hughes doesn’t place much weight in his ERA.

“Because I am a ground ball pitcher, for me, getting ahead in the count, forcing groundballs, a lot of times my results will only be as good as the defense,” Hughes said. “You can look back on this year, I’ve given up multiple line drives to third off Yasiel Puig’s bat with bases loaded. Billy (Hamilton’s) robbed multiple home runs for me. At the end of the year, I look back on it and if I had success, it’s usually because there was some really good defense.”

Would he consider it the best season of his career?

“I feel like when the team wins, that takes over everything,” he said. “My best years have been when I’m on winning teams. I think that overall, it doesn’t feel like my best year because we aren’t in the playoff hunt, we’re not going to play in October.”

NEW RECORD: The Reds set a franchise record for fewest complete games in a season. Homer Bailey pitched the lone complete game in a 2-1 loss to the on July 31.

The previous low was two complete games in a season, which was done seven times in team history.

THE ATHLETIC

Fruits of labor: José Peraza’s 2018 improvement a testament to hard work By C. Trent Rosecrans 5h ago

CINCINNATI – At 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, José Peraza was where he was every day this year with 40 minutes to go before first pitch – in the batting cage with Reds assistant hitting coach Tony Jaramillo watching slider and slider after slider.

“Same thing,” Peraza said following Sunday’s 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Pirates in the final game of the season.

The loss left the Reds at 67-95, one game worse than each of the last two seasons and the franchise’s fifth consecutive losing season after playoff berths in three of the previous four years.

Peraza was a positive in a season that was overall negative, finishing the year hitting .288/.326/.416 with a team-high 182 hits and 1,329 innings in the field – nearly 100 more than anyone else on the team’s roster (Billy Hamilton was second with 1,238.1 innings in the field).

Peraza proved he was worthy of being in an infield with three All-Stars – that he belonged with countryman Eugenio Suárez, Scooter Gennett and Joey Votto. All four Reds infielders finished with batting averages of .283 or better.

“José’s put in the work on a daily basis. He’s been committed to becoming a Major League shortstop,” Votto said before one of the final games of the 2018 season. “It looks like he’s really chipping away at achieving that rare goal of being an everyday player and everyday middle-of-the-infield player in the Major Leagues, so kudos to him. He’s done it all through work and perseverance and focusing on the things that make a player successful.”

The Reds believed in Peraza coming into the 2018 season; maybe even more than he believed in himself. There was no competition for him in spring even though he was coming off a disappointing 2017 season that saw him lose the second-base job to Gennett.

Peraza was seen as the shortstop of the future after he was a key part of the three-way deal following the 2015 season between the Reds, Dodgers and White Sox that sent Todd Frazier to Chicago. He showed that promise when he came up for an injured Zack Cozart at the end of 2016, but stumbled the next year.

Infielder coordinator Freddie Benavides sat Peraza down with Suárez and Votto before an exhibition game in Texas prior to this season’s .

The two older players shared their experiences struggling as young players, especially in the field. They are two of Benavides’ prized pupils. Benavides worked with Votto as a minor leaguer on his fielding and after winning the 2011 Gold Glove at first base, Votto sent Benavides the trophy. The coach also worked tirelessly with Suárez after his transition from shortstop in 2016. He saw the same promise in Peraza.

“We just told him how important he is for us because, at that time, nobody believed in him. He didn’t have a really good spring training, he made some errors,” Suárez said. “We told him, you have to believe in yourself and what you’re going to do this season. If you want to play every day at shortstop, you have to work and you have to do your job, believe in yourself and do your job every day. It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible. You’ve got to work and he did it.”

If there’s anything Peraza can do, it’s work.

He was 11 when he started working on his mother’s farm in his native Venezuela. His parents, who split when he was younger, both lived on farms. His father raised cattle and his mother grew fruits and vegetables.

He was old enough to help tend to the farm, so he did. That’s what he had to do to help his family. He picked watermelons, yucca, corn, squash – everything that was needed.

“My mom told me, ‘you have to work,'” Peraza said. “This was the only way I could help provide. I was going to school and working and playing baseball.”

Reds translator Julio Morillo also grew up in Barinas, Venezuela. Morillo is two years older than Peraza, but they’ve been friends since Peraza was 5. Morillo was on the older teams, so he watched as Peraza went from the small kid who was never the best player on the field to the kid at 14, 15, who was suddenly the best player there. Morillo signed with the Reds at 17 and Peraza with the Braves when he was 16.

The two have become like family, reuniting in Cincinnati. Morillo didn’t make it to the big leagues as a player, but got there in his own way. His friend made it, Morillo said, in no small part because of the way he worked.

“(Farm) work was first and after work, everything else,” Morillo said of the young Peraza. “It’s something that he learned since he was a kid: If you want something, you have to work for it. It’s been like that since I’ve known him. When he was a kid, he wasn’t the best, but he always wanted to be the best.”

Peraza’s carried that through to the Reds. In fact, Benavides said at times he has to stop Peraza, who is always willing to take one more grounder, to work until first pitch, like the Labrador that will retrieve tennis balls until it collapses.

Peraza thrives on work, so he’ll do whatever he can.

“You have to slow him down. Even right now, he’s by himself and I have to say ‘two left’ because he’ll keep going and going and going,” Benavides said. “I know he’s young and he still has that energy and he’s still working his tail off. You know it’s a long season, we have to pace ourselves.”

Most metrics have Peraza graded out somewhere around an average defender at shortstop. There are still doubters about him defensively even after his 2018 season, and following Cozart hasn’t helped the perception of his defense.

There’s also the history. Although signed as a shortstop, the Braves switched him to second base as he got closer to the big leagues. That, however, was more about who the Braves already had at shortstop. At the time, Andrelton Simmons, the game’s best defensive shortstop (and it’s not close), was entrenched in Atlanta.

“From our perspective, we saw him continuing to play shortstop until he got to the big leagues and he moved to second base or he came to the big leagues and he was traded,” said Frank Wren, a former Braves executive now with the Red Sox. “We thought he could play at shortstop.”

The Braves traded him to the Dodgers, who had a young Corey Seager at shortstop, so they moved Peraza to second and the outfield.

The Reds, though, had one ardent believer in Peraza in Bruce Manno, the former Braves farm director who is now a scout for the Reds. Manno believed in Peraza’s ability, but also knew the player. He knew of all things, Peraza was a worker.

That, maybe above all else, is why the Reds kept their belief in Peraza. They knew the player and what he’d do on the field.

And that’s why Peraza went home to Venezuela this past offseason to play winter ball. He played in just nine games and had 40 plate appearances. But he went with a purpose, and it wasn’t for the eight hits he collected in those nine games with Magallanes. It was to see more pitches, not just in games, but in practices. Specifically, it was the slider.

“In Venezuela, they throw a lot of sliders, a lot of changeups,” Peraza said. “It’s good for me.”

It’s the same reason he watches them before every game – to see more and more, to be able to recognize them when they come during the season.

Votto watched earlier this season as a slider Peraza hit hooked at the last second. Votto took note and he said something to Peraza the next day in the batting cage about his approach against sliders. Peraza made a change in his approach and it’s worked, he said. “You had to be there and listen to the conversation to really understand,” Votto said of the specifics, before noting he wanted no credit for the help because Peraza did the work.

“I think he understands himself better and what he’s capable of. Plus, he’s worked hard, especially on the pitch that was kind of his nemesis, the slider down and away, off the plate and away,” Reds hitting coach Don Long said. “He’s worked hard on that every day, to hit the ones that are strikes and lay off the ones that are not.”

Laying off pitches isn’t something Peraza’s done much of in his career. Even this year he walked just 29 times. While his batting average was .288, his on-base percentage was .326. That’s because he doesn’t walk. A big reason for that is his preternatural ability to put the bat on the ball. Peraza – still just 24 and the youngest position player on the Reds’ roster at the end of the season – has shown he can be that everyday shortstop and a top-of-the-order hitter.

“I think he’s changed his perception of himself of what he can be. He’s not just a singles hitter who can swing at everything and put the ball in play, he can be more disciplined and attack the ball better in certain parts of the strike zone,” Long said. “He can force the pitcher back into the strike zone to swing the bat.”

Peraza probably will never turn into a Votto-type hitter who can lead the league in walks, but he could lead the league in hits. His 182 hits this season were the fourth-most in the league (Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon has 180 with an extra game on Monday).

Peraza came into the season with the goal of hitting .280 with 10 home runs, numbers he bested this year.

“I feel really happy, but I want to come in next year and I want to hit .300 because I really think I can hit .300 in this league,” Peraza said. “I want to prove that. This game, it’s better if you set goals. That’s going to be one of my goals next year and I’m going to work as hard as I can work.”

That’s what he’s always done, whether it’s picking watermelons or hitting sliders.

“I like to work. I think it helps me,” he said. “When I was young, I always liked working.”

Jim Riggleman reflects on Reds season as he tries to shed interim label By C. Trent Rosecrans Sep 30, 2018

CINCINNATI – Jim Riggleman will go from wrapping up his final game as Reds interim manager on Sunday to trying to make the job permanent on Monday.

Riggleman told reporters before Sunday’s game he will interview for the Reds manager position on Monday. Reds President of Baseball Operations Dick Williams said earlier in the week the team had interviewed three current members of the coaching staff – bench coach Pat Kelly, first base coach Freddie Benavides and third base coach Billy Hatcher. He said Riggleman and former Red Sox manager John Farrell, now a scout with the Reds, would also get interviews. Barry Larkin is not a candidate, Williams said, and the team would also interview several candidates from outside the organization.

Riggleman has previously served as an interim manager in San Diego, Seattle and Washington. He received the full-time job in San Diego and Washington. He also managed the Cubs from 1995 to 1999. He left the Nationals during the 2011 season when the team would not discuss his contract situation. The Giants then hired him as a scout before he joined the Reds as the manager of the Double-A in 2012. He managed Triple-A Louisville in 2013 and 2014 before joining the big-league staff for 2015. He was the third-base coach in 2015 and bench coach from 2016 to April 19 of this year when Bryan Price was fired after a 3-15 start.

The Reds were 64-79 under Riggleman entering Sunday.

Here is that discussion between Riggleman and a group of reporters, including The Athletic:

How do you feel going into this knowing this could be your last game as the manager?

I think I came into this feeling like it’s been an honor to be asked to do this job. I came into it with some negative feelings because Bryan Price, my good friend, was walking out the door as I was walking in. I don’t want to belabor the point but Bryan became a really good manager. You don’t do this on the first day and you’ve got it all figured out. Over time, I think Bryan really figured it out. There was a sadness there with the circumstances. But your passion moves on to the next phase and that’s OK. You’re managing these ballgames and that’s what I love to do. So if I get to continue to do it, that’s the best-case scenario. If I don’t, I will just stay with my initial feeling, which is I will respect the decision the Reds come up with.

Unlike the other candidates, you’ve done this for the last five months…

Definitely, it would be different. I think our internal candidates would have some of the same feelings and familiarity with what our needs might be and what took place during the year. Externally, the candidates will, I’m sure, be gathering information and looking at it from the outside, in, and be more answering questions. I think our internal candidates and myself – I would assume – would spend some time giving some suggestions as well as answering questions.

Do you see signs of encouragement looking toward next year and beyond?

I think it just depends. The first few months I was on the job, things were going OK, not great. But going in a direction where we were starting to get over the hump and turn the corner a little bit. I think there was a lot of encouragement that has been deflated somewhat with the way we performed basically since somewhere in August. And that falls on the manager. When the team doesn’t win games, that falls on the manager. That’s just the nature of it. We can point to individual situations – this happened or that happened, this area of the team performed poorly, and that area picked it up – that falls on the manager. You have to find a way to minimize those down times. As the manager, you have to try and find a way to keep the losing streaks to a real minimum. Here as of late, we’ve had a hard time doing that.

The assumption would be you want this job, but, do you want this job?

Absolutely, yes. I’ve been in the organization now seven years and I’m extremely familiar with our player development system and our current Major League roster and coaches. I guess my point of putting it that way is I love to manage. When you’re somewhere for seven years, you feel also that you’re a part of that family. This will certainly be my priority. If I wasn’t managing here, I’m not that person who says I’m done. I still would be open to anything.

You proved that before going to Double-A to manage for the Reds…

When I left Washington, I went to the minor leagues. I didn’t really even give it any thought. It was just, of course, I’ll do that. That opportunity came up to do that so I did it. I did not think in terms of managing in the big leagues again – I certainly wanted to, but I didn’t go manage there thinking, ‘OK, this will get me back to the big leagues.’ I think there’s something to be said for… I use the examples of some really good players that I admire that went to the minor leagues and it worked – Ryne Sandberg and Delino DeShields. You can go on and on. There’s a lot of guys who passed up that opportunity, but I think there’s something to be said about paying your dues and I don’t know what kind of manager Delino DeShields is or Ryne Sandberg. Somebody else was making judgments on their managing skills. I appreciate that they were mastering their trade down there, paying their dues.

Considering this team started 3-15, how do you rate this season?

The 3-15, I was responsible for that just like Bryan Price was. I was standing next to Bryan. I saw him making decisions that I totally agreed with. He didn’t mismanage any games. We just came out of the blocks, if you remember, we weren’t hitting at all. (Eugenio) Suárez got hurt immediately. I think (Scott) Schebler was down at that time too. Then we kind of starting getting it together, getting healthy, and we were very competitive for about two months – I think we had as good of a record as anybody in the league just about – and the same things that happened to Bryan kind of took place. We lost (Jesse) Winker, that hurt. Schebler and Joey (Votto). Those injuries are kind of par for the course. Every team goes through that.

(Kris) Bryant was missing in Chicago. (Justin) Turner missed… we played the Dodgers and they didn’t have (Corey) Seager or Turner. That’s part of the job, that’s part of the grind and the depth and all the things that go into it. That’s all part of it. You have to understand you’re going to have injuries, so that cannot be a reason why you’re not winning. You have to find a way to win anyway and not fall so far behind that you can’t catch up. The Dodgers struggled, but they didn’t fall so far behind that they couldn’t make it up. It did show up in our record.

For those who may look at the win-loss record and say there wasn’t any progress, for you, what progress was made this season?

It’s a continuing learning process. One of the progressions for myself is learning more and adapting to the analytics that are in the game, and I like it. I’m as old-school, caveman as much as anybody in the game, you know? But the greatest teacher in baseball by most people’s account, I was able to work under George Kissell and George at 82 years old, the phrase would come out of his mouth quite often, ‘I learned something today.’ Tony La Russa would do something in camp or he’d hear somebody say something and he’d say, ‘I learned something today.’ Which was an exclamation point to me on the fact that he was still learning. The analytics that I’ve been able to talk with Sam Grossman, Nick (Krall) and Dick (Williams) and how we manage the ballgame, we factor that into how we run the ballgame now. That’s been a progression for me.

As far as the team progressing, I think we just have more information. We see what can work and we see some things that are not going to work.

So, what works?

Well, again, I think offensively we’ve got a pretty good core there, we’ve got three All-Stars in the infield. I certainly think that can work. I think the addition of (catcher Curt) Casali with Tucker (Barnhart), I think that’s got a good chance of being a plus for the ball club. Winker. I hate to keep bringing him up because he’s not with us at the moment, but Winker really impressed me when he was in here the first half. You know, for the most part, offensively I think we’re in pretty good shape. We’ve got a nice young prospect coming in (Nick) Senzel and (Taylor) Trammell and a couple of others down there. The next question is what doesn’t work and I think it’s obvious that we’ve got to make some adjustments with our pitching and maybe it’s the way we attack hitters. It might not be personnel, but the method we approach to get hitters out.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Stephens’ wild pitch in 10th sends Pirates over Reds 6-5 By JOE KAY Today

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jordy Mercer and put arms around each other as they walked off the field after Pittsburgh’s season-ending victory, enjoying perhaps their final moment together on a Pirates team they helped resurrect.

Pablo Reyes scored on Jackson Stephens’ wild pitch in the top of the 10th inning Sunday, rallying the Pirates to a 6-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds that sent both teams into the offseason with notable changes ahead.

Mercer and Harrison helped turned the Pirates into winners, but it’s unlikely the shortstop and second baseman will be in the middle of Pittsburgh’s infield next season. Mercer is a free agent and Harrison’s contract includes a pricey $10.5 million club option for next year.

“Surreal,” Mercer said of their final moments on the field together. “We’ve kind of ridden the wave. It’s been me and him the whole time.”

Starling Marte and Josh Bell homered for the Pirates, who finished 82-79 — their most wins since they last made the playoffs in 2015. They head into next season with a solid rotation and bullpen, their best hopes for getting back into contention in the NL Central.

Marte’s homer was his 20th, making him the third player in team history with at least 20 homers and 30 steals in the same season.

Pirates ✔ @Pirates This is how you forge a comeback...

BACK-TO-BACK JACKS!  #LetsGoBucs

7:05 PM - Sep 30, 2018

Reyes doubled in the 10th off Stephens (2-3), advanced on an error and scored on the wild pitch. (1-2) pitched the ninth, and Felipe Vazquez got his 37th in 42 chances.

Clint Hurdle got his 1,200th career win as a major league manager. , and are the other active managers with that many. was on that list as well, but he stepped down as Angels manager Sunday. Hurdle joked that he was the “outlier” in the group.

“It’s humbling, and you leave it there and you move on,” Hurdle said. “The four names — Scioscia, Bochy, Francona and Showalter. Again, it would be one of those captions: What’s wrong with this picture?”

The Reds finished 67-95, their fourth straight season with at least 90 losses — the second-worst stretch in franchise history. Their first item in the offseason is choosing a next manager.

Bryan Price was fired after a 3-15 start, and the Reds went 64-80 under interim manager Jim Riggleman. He’ll be interviewed Monday, and the Reds plan to pick a manager by the end of October. Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin has told the team he isn’t interested at this time.

“If I continue to do it, it’s best-case scenario,” Riggleman said. “If I don’t, I’ll respect whatever decision the Reds come up with. I’ve been in the organization now seven years. I’m extremely familiar with the player development system, our current major league roster and our coaches. I love to manage.”

The Reds were one of a record eight major league teams to finish with at least 95 losses this year. There were seven in 2002.

OHIO RIVER DOMINATION

The Pirates won eight of their last nine games against the Reds and took the season series 14-5.

LAST HURRAH

Riggleman gave several regulars a curtain call . First baseman Joey Votto and center fielder Billy Hamilton took their positions to start the fourth inning and were subbed out, removing their jerseys and handing them to fans on the way to the dugout. Third baseman Eugenio Suarez got a curtain call in the fifth and tossed his cap to a fan.

FOX Sports Ohio ✔ @FOXSportsOH Billy Hamilton and Joey Votto make their way off the field for the final time in 2018 #RedsCountry

5:46 PM - Sep 30, 2018

DWINDLING CROWDS AT GABP

The Reds drew 1,629,356 at Great American Ball Park, their smallest home attendance since 1984 when they were at Riverfront Stadium. Attendance has slid significantly each of the last three seasons as the team languished in rebuilding mode.

“Oh, it’s definitely noticeable,” catcher said. “It’s pretty hard to not notice it when you can hear the light towers buzzing. It just means we have to play better. If you play better, more people will come.”

UP NEXT

The Ohio River rivals will reunite at Great American to open next season, playing at 4:10 p.m. on Thursday, March 28. .