CINCINNATI -- They call him Johnny Beisbol in the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse, but more correctly they should call him Johnny Lanzador de Beisbol Magnifca.
Translation: Johnny Magnificent Baseball Pitcher.
When Johnny Cueto -- his given name -- steps on the pitching rubber Sunday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the season's finale, he will be trying to do something no right-handed pitcher has done for the Reds in 49 years.
Nearly a half century ago, in 1965, Jim Maloney and Sammy Ellis both won 20 games and they were the last right handers to win 20 games for the Reds.
1965? Lyndon Baines Johnson was president, the Beatles appeared on a TV show call Shindig, the New York Jets signed a quarterback named Joe Namath, gasoline was 30 cents a gallon and bread was 20 cents a loaf.
And the last time any Reds pitcher won 20 games was 1988 when left hander Danny Jackson went 23-8 with a 2.73 earned run average.
Jackson, though, did not win the Cy Young Award. In fact, no Cincinnati Reds pitcher has even won the Cy Young. Jackson lost in 1988 to Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Orel Hershiser. Their records were identical, 23-8, but Hershiser set a record with 58 consecutive scoreless innings.
Cueto finds himself in the same sidebar this year. Despite a fabulous year, another Dodgers pitcher is doing a smidge better. Clayton Kershaw is 20-3 in only 26 starts with a 1.80 ERA and six complete games.
They've pretty much etched Kershaw's name on the Cy Young trophy and are polishing it to a high gloss.
That, though, doesn't put any tarnish on what the 28-year-old Cueto has done, pitching half his games in hitter-friendly Great American Small Park.
With Jheri-curls dangling and twisting his back toward the hitter before delivering his pitch -- a mimic of Luis Tiant -- he is 19-9 with a 2.29 ERA with four complete games and two shutouts.
Cueto may not win the Cy Young, but winning 20 is at the top of his bucket list and with a little help from his feeble-hitting team this year he might have 23 or 24 wins going into Sunday's game.
CINCINNATI REDS
And you can start on Opening Day when he lost, 1-0, to the St. Louis Cardinals and Adam Wainwright.
Maybe it is poetic justice that Cueto gets to face the Pirates Sunday and a Central Division title might be on the line for them.
Cueto started the National League Wild Card game against the Pirates last year and gave up four runs and eight hits, including two home runs in only 3 1/3 innings, in a catastrophic loss.
In addition, Pirates fans believe they rattled Cueto by chanting his name, "Cue-to, Cue-to, Cue-to," throughout his brief appearance and roared when Cueto dropped the ball on the mound before one delivery.
So, does he savor this opportunity?
"I don't think that way and I don't do that," said Cueto through translator Tomas Vera. "All I have to do is do my job. They have a really good team and they can hit so you don't worry about them you worry about what kind of job I can do. I'll make my adjustments during the game."
But it is no state secret that Cueto wants that 20th win dearly, whether it comes against the Pittsburgh Pirates or the Timbuktu Tigers.
He broke into a broad smile when he said, "Winning my 20th would feel really good, nice to do it. I hope to do it. I've never had a 20-win season and I hope to feel the same way I felt today and I'll be ready to win my 20th."
In his previous start, Cueto held the Milwaukee Brewers to one run and four hits over eight innings during a 3-1 victory.
Cueto started slowly, giving up a single to Carlos Gomez to open the game. Then he picked him off first base. But he walked Scooter Gennett and with two outs Aramis Ramirez singled to center.
Gennett, a swifty on the basepaths, tried to score from second. Center fielder Billy Hamilton made a strong up-the-line throw and catcher Devin Mesoraco made a dazzling sweep tag to end the inning.
Then Todd Frazier homered and Mesoraco homered in the bottom of the first and that's all Cueto needed.
"He was awesome and that's our ace out there, no doubt about it," said Mesoraco. "Every time he is out there we feel like we can win no matter who he is up against, no matter what the circumstances, he's our guy."
Of a two-run early-game lead, Mesorao said, "A two-run lead with Johnny feels like five or six. He is such a competitor, such a great pitcher."
After guiding Cueto through the first and making the inning-ending tag, Mesoraco said, "The first inning is when you have to get him, like most of the top starters. If you don't get them in the first, it is going to be a long day. He is the real deal, just a great pitcher."
He is Johnny Lanzador de Beisbol Magnica.
