GOODYEAR, ARIZ. (AP) _ SCOUTS BEHIND HOME PLATE TRAINED THEIR
RADAR GUNS ON CUBAN DEFECTOR AROLDIS CHAPMAN AS THE LEFT-HANDER
PREPARED TO THROW. WHEN THE BALL SMACKED THE CATCHER'S MITT, THEY'D
GLANCE BACK AT THE GUN AND FIND AN EYE-POPPING NUMBER.
THE LEFT-HANDER HIT 100 MPH AT LEAST THREE TIMES DURING HIS
SPRING TRAINING DEBUT MONDAY, THROWING TWO SCORELESS INNINGS DURING
THE CINCINNATI REDS' 14-5 VICTORY OVER THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS.
THE MOST IMPRESSIVE THING WAS THAT HE DID IT WITHOUT EVEN
TRYING.
``I WASN'T TRYING TO THROW THAT HARD,'' CHAPMAN SAID THROUGH AN
INTERPRETER, COACH TONY FOSSAS. ``IT WAS GOOD TO FACE SOMEONE OTHER
THAN MY OWN TEAMMATES. I FELT BETTER THAN I DID IN THE LAST GAME. I
START SLOW AND AS THE GAME GOES ON, I THROW HARDER.''
CHAPMAN WAS CLOCKED AT 100 MPH WHILE PITCHING FOR CUBA DURING
THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC LAST SPRING. THE REDS SIGNED HIM TO A
SIX-YEAR, $30.25 MILLION DEAL IN JANUARY, AND ARE GIVING THE
22-YEAR-OLD A CHANCE TO MAKE THE BACK OF THE ROTATION. HE HIT ONE
OF HIS TEAMMATES IN THE THIGH DURING AN INTRASQUAD SCRIMMAGE LAST
WEEK, BUT WAS MUCH SHARPER THIS TIME AROUND.
PLAYERS FROM BOTH TEAMS STOPPED WHAT THEY WERE DOING TO WATCH
WHEN HE GOT READY TO THROW. HE GAVE UP A SINGLE BY BRAYAN PENA AND
WALKED BRIAN ANDERSON BEFORE SETTLING DOWN AND DOMINATING.
``IT SOUNDED LIKE HE WAS THROWING REAL HARD. I COULDN'T SEE
IT,'' ROYALS MANAGER TREY HILLMAN SAID, LAUGHING. ``HE GETS IT UP
THERE. I'M NOT SURE I'VE EVER SEEN A LONGER STRIDE. IT LOOKED LIKE
HE WAS GOING TO RUN OUT OF MOUND.''
REDS MANAGER DUSTY BAKER LIKED THE WAY CHAPMAN HAD BETTER
CONTROL THAN DURING THE INTRASQUAD SCRIMMAGE. CHAPMAN CAME FROM
CUBA WITH A HISTORY OF CONTROL PROBLEMS.
``IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HIM FINDING THE PLATE,'' BAKER SAID.
``HE WAS CLOSE TO THE PLATE TODAY EVEN WHEN HE WAS MISSING. MOST OF
THE TIME WHEN HE MISSED, IT WAS DOWN. THAT'S A VERY GOOD SIGN THAT
HE'S GETTING MORE AND MORE INTO THE RHYTHM OF THINGS.''
CINCINNATI'S DREW STUBBS HIT A TWO-RUN HOMER OFF KYLE
FARNSWORTH, WHO IS TRYING TO MAKE THE ROYALS' STARTING ROTATION.
FARNSWORTH HASN'T STARTED A GAME IN THE MAJORS SINCE 2000 WITH THE
CHICAGO CUBS. HE ALLOWED FIVE RUNS IN 1 2-3 INNINGS.
``I DEFINITELY LIKE THE RESULTS TO BE A LITTLE BETTER BUT AT THE
SAME TIME, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A FEEL FOR THINGS,'' FARNSWORTH
SAID.
JONNY GOMES ADDED A THREE-RUN HOMER FOR CINCINNATI.
KANSAS CITY'S BRIAN BANNISTER GAVE UP ONE HIT OVER TWO SCORELESS
INNINGS. BANNISTER LOST HIS LAST FIVE DECISIONS IN 2009 AND WAS
SHUT DOWN IN SEPTEMBER BECAUSE OF RIGHT SHOULDER FATIGUE.
``IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE PITCHED IN COMPETITION,''
BANNISTER SAID. ``THAT'S WHY I TRIED TO KEEP IT SIMPLE. I DIDN'T
WANT TO WALK ANYONE OR DO ANYTHING STUPID.''
NOTES: THE REDS AND BREWERS PLAYED A ``B'' GAME ON MONDAY
MORNING AFTER THEY WERE RAINED OUT ON SUNDAY. CINCINNATI'S HOMER
BAILEY STRUCK OUT THREE IN TWO SCORELESS INNINGS. ``HOMER LOOKED
OUTSTANDING,'' BAKER SAID. ``HE WAS CONTROLLING THAT OUTSIDE OF THE
PLATE, LOW AND AWAY. HE HAD GOOD TEMPO, GOOD RHYTHM. HE HAD GOOD
VELOCITY. HE THREW SOME GOOD BREAKING BALLS. HE SHOULD BE PLEASED
WITH IT.''