CINCINNATI — For 4 ½ months the fans anxiously and impatiently awaited the return of left fielder Ryan Ludwick, hoping it would infuse missing firepower in the Cincinnati Reds lineup. And Ludwick was as anxious and impatient as any of them, wishing all along that he had never gone head first into third base on Opening Day and wrecked his shoulder. But what was done was done and Ludwick did everything within his ability to get back as quickly as possible. The trainers told manager Dusty Baker that they’d never seen a player work so hard. “I worked my butt off, man,” he said. “I know people don’t realize how much time and hard work I put in in the physical therapy department. And I take a lot of pride in it. “Mentally I was one step ahead of most players because I’ve been through six surgeries,” he added. “So I knew what to expect, knew there would be aches and pains, knew there would be trials and tribulations. It was a step-by-step process. I’ve battled through it before. “At first it was a grind and things weren’t clicking and happening the way I wanted,” he added. “But for a guy who hasn’t been able to lift weights for my upper body — and I take a lot of time to lift because I like to stay strong and get a lot of power from my upper body — I feel like I’m doing all right. All right? All good. In his last 16 appearances, the 35-year-old left fielder is hitting .46 (18 for 52) with three doubles, two homers and seven RBI. “This is what I wanted to do,” he said. “I wanted to contribute. I didn’t want to take on the whole load and be Superstar Ryan, I just wanted to be one of nine to do what I can to help the team win and get to the postseason. “I’m not yet right on it, but I’d say for a guy who five months post-operation on my labrum I’m doing OK,” he said. “I’ve been told it takes most guys at least six months.” On Tuesday, Ludwick didn’t start but came off the bench as a pinch-hitter and drilled a single. His pinch-runner, Billy Hamilton, then scored the winning run in a 1-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. “That was the at-bat I’m most proud of this season so far,” he said. “It was a fastball on the black and I hit it right up the middle, not hit hard, but a fastball in on the black. There was a big hole. The shortstop played me to pull and the second baseman was playing be normal. “I knew we needed a run, no score, I was leading off the inning,” he said. “I just kept my hands inside and fought it off and worked it up the middle. When I get that going, well, I’m really close.” After a solid 2012 Comeback Season last year (.275, 26 homers, 80 RBI), Ludwick was a free agent and sloughed off better offers to re-up with the Reds this year. “That’s why I’m here, why I signed back,” he said. “I ultimately want to win in the post-season and I feel with have the roster to do that. We still have unfinished business.” While the Reds have all but padlocked a wild card spot, they still want to win the National League Central and have to climb over Ludwick’s old team, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Pittsburgh Pirates to accomplish that. Ludwick originally signed with the Cardinals and player there four years before he was traded to San Diego, where it appeared his career was dumper-bound. He resurrected it with the Reds. And he isn’t afraid to say that playing against the Cardinals is special to him, especially if they can beat them. “No doubt about it,” he said. “It’s tough facing them because a lot of those guys are very dear to me. A lot of the pitchers are really good friends of mine, so when I face them it’s tough. But we’re all competitors and they are trying to beat me and I’m trying to beat them. In the offseason we are all close friends. “I wasn’t part of their World Series teams, I missed them each by a year (a year before he was called up and the year he was traded to San Diego),” he said. “I want to get one of my own.”
