CINCINNATI – There’s got to be a stubborn streak in every pro athlete. It’s part of the attitude and mental makeup that helps them reach the top level of their game. That stubbornness has to be overcome to one degree or another at some point, however.
Travis Wood appears to have met that point.
The former Reds left-hander will face his old team Saturday afternoon at Great American Ball Park in a matchup of pitchers who have seemingly harnessed their stubborn sides to the benefit of themselves and their teams.
The Reds will send Homer Bailey (2-3, 3.09 ERA) to the mound against the Wood (4-2, 2.24) and the Chicago Cubs. Once they were two of the promising arms in the Cincinnati farm system. Now they are fulfilling those promises for different teams. Bailey just
turned 27 years old, while Wood is only 26. In today’s day-and-age of impatience, they are two examples of the value of patience.
The light bulb of pitching enlightenment and consistency seemingly hit the ‘On’ switch for Bailey in the middle of last season and he’s continued his development. For Wood, it’s been a similar transformation. Last season he went 6-13 with a 4.27 ERA for the
Cubs, including surrendering 25 home runs in 156 innings.
“You’re talking about a guy that studies the game plan and doesn’t vary from the game plan, so that is a big difference,” said Cubs manager Dale Sveum. “He sits down with (assistant coach Mike) Borzello and Borzello says don’t ever throw this pitch. Where
before he might throw the pitch just because we know how Travis is, he’s very competitive. Before he’d say ‘I can pull this changeup off to this guy’ and that’s the last pitch you ever want to throw to him.
“You get tired of getting beat up, too. There’s a time where something’s got to give and you’ve got to change.”
Wood had an impressive debut season with the Reds when he came up in 2010. He went 5-4 with a 3.51 ERA in 17 starts after getting the call to come up from Triple-A Louisville. His command was his calling card. He walked just 26 batters in 102 2/3 innings and allowed just nine home runs while helping the Reds to the NL Central title.
That control waned in 2011, as did his overall numbers.
The Reds traded Wood along with Ronald Torreyes and Dave Sappelt for reliever Sean Marshall on Dec. 23, 2011.
“Travis can pitch. We like Travis. We liked Travis when he was here but you have to give up something to get something. At the time we had quite a few starting pitchers who were ready and we needed Marshall,” said Reds manager Dusty Baker. “He’s like a little bulldog type. You wouldn’t know he’s 5-10 and whatever it is. He hits a lot better, runs a lot better, he’s a good athlete. He comes at you. The guy he works out with is Cliff Lee. That’s a pretty good guy to emulate... He’s a Cliff Lee type in the making and that’s not a bad guy to try to be like.”
Bailey was the Reds’ first-round draft pick in 2004, while Wood was taken in the second round a year later. Bailey said he’s noticed the turn-around Wood has had this season. It includes nine straight quality starts, something no Cubs pitcher has accomplished since Mordecai Brown had 11 straight quality outings in 1908.
Wood is 0-1 with a 4.42 ERA in three career starts against the Reds but he allowed just two runs on four hits with five strikeouts on April 22 in receiving a no-decision in Cincinnati’s 5-4 win.
“He’s a great guy and everybody here enjoyed him. You see the numbers he’s putting up and he’s thrown really well against us this year. I’m glad he’s having a good season,” Bailey said. “You don’t ever want to see anyone ever do bad. The fact that he played
here with us for so long, it’s good to see him doing well.”
