Chelsea Janes explains why the Nationals have a French Press coffee maker in the dugout. Thank Chris Heisey:
“I think the first couple nights that I took it out for the game on the bench, we won,” Heisey said. “I know I was giving Dusty a cup, and then one day I forgot. He was like, ‘Dude! Where was my coffee today!?’ It was kind of like, ‘Man, we need the French press!’ I feel like instead of taking energy drinks, they just drink coffee before the game.”
The Reds finally scored a run after going 17 scoreless innings to start the season, and it was a big one:
Chris Heisey did a lot of standing around before he got his chance to snap Cincinnati’s historic slump.
Heisey’s pinch-hit single in the bottom of the ninth inning ended the Reds’ longest scoreless streak to open a season and sent Cincinnati to a 1-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night following a long rain delay.The Reds set a modern franchise record by failing to score in the first 17 innings of the season. Their previous worst was 13 scoreless innings in 1909 and 1934.
Michael Wacha and Tony Cingrani both pitched excellent games, Cingrani striking out nine in seven innings, Wacha collecting seven Ks in 6 2/3 innings.
For Heisey, that was his seventh pinch-hit home run in 96 at bats. Heisey is the rare pinch hitter who can actually hit.
Chris Heisey, playing for the injured Ryan Ludwick, continues to be a super sub for the Cincinnati Reds. He hit well while Joey Votto nursed his injury in 2012, and Chris delivered a two-run homer today to put the Reds up 5-3 over the Angels in the fifth inning. The score remains there in the seventh.
Ryan Ludwick needs shoulder surgery:
Reds outfielder Ryan Ludwick tore cartilage in his right shoulder while sliding into third base during the season opener and will need surgery, leaving the defending NL Central champions without one of their main run producers for an uncertain period.
The team didn’t project how long Ludwick would be out.
I’m not sure Ludwick will be that tough to replace. Over the last two seasons, he’s posted a .328 OBP and a .441 slugging percentage, good but not great. Over the same period, Chris Heisey came in with a .311 OBP and a .437 slugging percentage. Yes, it’s a down grade, but not a terrible down grade. Heisey will at least match Ludwick in power.
Chris Heisey experience a career night, hitting three home runs as the Reds pounded the Yankees 10-2. This was Heisey’s 162nd career game, giving him about one season’s worth of stats. He came into tonight’s game with 13 career home runs, hardly a power hitter, and no multiple home run games. He hit one leading off the game, then two two-run shots in the fifth and eighth. His five RBI also beat his single game high of four. Heisey started the day with a .418 slugging percentage and ends it with a .492 mark.
Update: Cab Calloway celebrates the feat:
Chris Heisey plays the outfield for the Cincinnati Reds. Heisey was a true rookie in 2010, getting his first taste of major league service with 226 plate appearances in 97 games. His slash line of .254/.324/.433 was good but not overly impressive. Chris did a very good job of getting on base in the minors until he hit AAA. I suspect he was a bit old for the previous levels, and the quality of pitching caught up to him. Most of Heisey’s value came from his fielding in 2010.
Heisey played 2010 as a 25 year old, meaning he’s an old rookie. The good thing about that is he should be ready to contribute to the team now, as he’s at his athletic peak. The bad news is that he may not be that good, otherwise he would have been called up at a younger age. I’d lean toward his offense getting better in 2011. His minor league numbers indicate his walk, strikeout and stolen base numbers should improve with major league experience. If he can get his OBP up to .340 and his stolen base percentage up to 75%, he’ll be valuable, maybe even a top of the order hitter. I’ll be interested to see what he can do with 500 at bats.
Here’s a rumor that the Cubs are ready to trade Carlos Marmol to the Reds. Marmol is having an incredible year striking out batters, so I can see where the Cubs think he’s a prime piece to trade. At least Chris Heisey would go to the Cubs. He’s an old rookie at 25, but is putting up great numbers so far. His minor league numbers were not the impressive. This looks like a good move for the Reds as they shore up their bullpen for the stretch run.