Guest OctoberBlood Report post Posted April 15, 2004 Ok, he's been here for about 2 weeks, and already he's become the favorite in the Reds clubhouse. Todd Jones is hilarious. A friend of mine in Boston has said even if he didn't have a good year last year with the Sox, all the fans still loved him and his ways. Good stuff. Reds relax on rainy day Reliever reveals 'naked' truth before postponement By Hal McCoy Dayton Daily News PHILADELPHIA | There are a million stories in The Naked Clubhouse, with Todd Jones behind most of them . . . The sound of a baseball thwacking into gloves echoed from the hallway leading to the showers in the Citizens Bank Park visitors clubhouse Wednesday afternoon. Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sean Casey peered around a corner, spotted what was going on, then said, "Get my camera. I have to take a shot of this." The naked truth: It was relief pitchers Jones and Brian Reith. Playing catch in a shower hall was strange enough, but Jones and Reith were as naked as the day they were born, except for baseball gloves. "Just getting our work in," said Jones, clearly the team's bullpen stand-up and sit-down comedian. Getting their work in was necessary because Wednesday's Cincinnati-Philadelphia game was postponed at 5:15 after it was clear an all-day rain was not going to clear out. The game will be made up June 14 in Philadelphia at the end of a Reds interleague trip to Oakland and Cleveland. With the weather's approval, the Reds and Phillies will finish the series today at 1:05 p.m. with the same pitchers who were scheduled to start Wednesday — Jose Acevedo for the Reds and Vicente Padilla for the Phillies. Jones, a veteran who has had success in the bullpen as a closer and a set-up guy, is the type of personality a young team needs, a guy who makes everybody laugh. For example, on Wednesday as some of the players practiced for Atlantic City by playing cards in the clubhouse while it rained, Adam Dunn made a remark about Jones being rich. "How about I retire right now, become your agent and take 3 percent and I'll make more money than I ever made as a pitcher," Jones said. Then noticing Dunn's hair, he said, "Is your hair about to pray? It's standing up." Pitching coach Don Gullett called for a pitchers meeting and Jones said to 21-year-old Ryan Wagner, "Sinker, dirty slider is what they want you to throw to everybody, so stay here. The meeting is for everybody else." Meetings never take the place of winning, and the first-place Reds would rather have played Wednesday while everything they touch turns to platinum. For seven games, manager Dave Miley has had the same lineup and batting order, except when shortstop Barry Larkin is absent. "I like to leave guys in spots where they can get comfortable," Miley said. "Sean Casey and Adam Dunn are swinging as good against left-handers as they are against right-handers, so why change?" Casey says that's why he feels so comfortable he could bat in a La-Z-Boy recliner and drive one up the gap. He is hitting .385, leads the team with eight RBIs and never checks the lineup card, even though it is hanging on a clubhouse wall six hours before game time. Casey knows he will be batting fifth, just as Austin Kearns knows he'll be batting fourth, just as Dunn knows he'll be batting sixth, while Wily Mo Pena, Javier Valentin and Ray Olmedo know they won't be batting. "I love it, just love that the lineup and batting order never changes, that he sets it and goes with it," Casey said. "I know I'm hitting fifth. It makes it so much more comfortable coming to the park. Last year you'd never know if you would be hitting second or seventh or fifth." Casey said it permeates the team and he believes stability translates into ability. "It is so much better to get off to a good start, rather than scuffle," he said. "You never want to be looking up, trying to climb out of a tunnel or a black hole. As far as me hitting, it is even bigger to see Griff (Ken Griffey Jr.) and Dunn hitting. That's huge for us." And with that, Casey plopped down into a plush, black chair in front of his locker and said, "Best chairs in the league . . . but we won't get too comfortable, believe me." TODAY'S GAME • Who: Reds (Acevedo 1-0) at Phillies (Padilla 0-1) • When: 1:05 p.m. • TV: None • Radio: WLW-AM (700), WONE-AM (980) Contact Hal McCoy by e-mail at [email protected] Thought I'd post it here. Pretty funny and more proof that Bob Boone was utter hell. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lightning Flik 0 Report post Posted April 15, 2004 That's quite funny stuff. I just really don't think I'd like to see two men playing catch naked though... Sorry, just no... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anglesault Report post Posted April 15, 2004 I'm not sure I understand. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anglesault Report post Posted April 15, 2004 Okay, I've been through this three times and I haven't found the part of the article where they were fined. Something is very wrong. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest OctoberBlood Report post Posted April 15, 2004 Okay, I've been through this three times and I haven't found the part of the article where they were fined. Something is very wrong. For being naked in the shower? Yes, oh so wrong. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anglesault Report post Posted April 15, 2004 Ah. It wasn't clear to me if it was in the shower or not. I dont know what a "shower hall" is. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Styles 0 Report post Posted April 16, 2004 And this is the same Todd Jones who was released by the Rockies after making anti-homosexual comments? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sfaJack 0 Report post Posted April 16, 2004 When was the last time Todd Jones got anybody out? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
