Cuban flamethrower is elevating Reds fever

Whenever there's a surprise team making a serious push for the postseason, it seems there's always a fresh-faced, rocket-fueled arm out of the bullpen stealing the whole darn spotlight. Neftali Feliz with the Rangers this season. David Price with the Rays in 2008. Joel Zumaya with the Tigers in 2006. Ricky Vaughn.

Now meet Aroldis Chapman, a left-hander who -- and I write this without a hint of exaggeration -- might just be the hardest thrower on the planet now or ever. So, while not to the extent the Stephen Strasburg Show had on D.C. earlier this season, Chapman's arrival with the Reds should soon have Great American Ball Park buzzing like never before in its eight-year, playoff-less existence. And it isn't just fans who're pumped up.

"105," Reds starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo told the Cincinnati Enquirer, referring to the speed of a pitch clocked Friday night during a Triple-A game in Louisville. "We've got the Usain Bolt of baseball."

Seriously. One. Zero. Five. That's an area code. That's a freeway. That's a radio station. That's not a fastball. At least, depending on the Internet research you believe, it's been done anywhere from a handful of times in MLB to never (Zumaya did hit 104.8 in the 2006 ALCS against the Athletics).

Chapman, 22, didn't that magic number Tuesday in Cincy, but, in making his major league debut, he did steadily top 100, with readings of 103, 100, 103, 100 (and 99 ... slacker) for his eight pitches in a perfect inning of relief in the 8-4 win over the Brewers.

He struck out his first opponent, Jonathan Lucroy, on three straight pitches, and then got Craig Counsell and Carlos Gomez to ground out weakly to end the eighth.

And the best news, at least for the Reds, who plan to use Chapman as the setup man to close Francisco Cordero down the stretch as they look to protect their eight-game lead in the National League Central: Seven of his eight pitches were strikes, including three of the four over 100 mph. Earlier this year, as he was starting in the minor leagues, bouts with wildness were all too frequent; a recent move to the bullpen seems to have helped.

"Man, when that radar gun hit 100, people went crazy," manager Dusty Baker told the Enquirer on a night when a crowd of a mere 19,218 must've sounded louder than that. "People got what they heard about and what they read about."

Chapman (6-foot-4, 185) has been hyped at least since spring training, when he K'd 15 in 10 2/3 innings. A little over a month earlier, the Reds had signed the Cuban defector -- he played for Cuba in the Olympics and World Baseball Classic -- to a six-year, $30.25 deal.

Rather than bring him up without any minor league experience, like they did with right-hander Mike Leake (who's now on the DL with shoulder fatigue), they opted to wait on Chapman, who was 9-6 with a 3.57 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 95 2/3 innings at Triple A.

Cubs candidates

Another serious apparently candidate has emerged for the Cubs managerial job: Fredi Gonzalez , who has a relationship with GM Jim Hendry that goes back decades, to when the Henry was coaching high school baseball against a team Gonzalez played on in the Miami area. They worked together, as well, in the Marlins organization in the early '90s.

Gonzalez, fired earlier this summer by the Marlins' sketchy owner, Jeffrey Loria -- the last manager he fired, Joe Girardi , won manager of the year that same year! -- appeals on a couple fronts: he has the major league experience that most GMs prefer, Hendry included, even though Triple A manager Ryne Sandberg has long been considered the favorite; and he had a quick, decision reaction to Hanley Ramirez 's loafing this season.

Gonzalez, 46, when contacted by the Chicago Sun-Times, wouldn't confirm interviewing for the gig. The Cubs already have talked to former Indians manager Eric Wedge , a near-lock to get another job this winter with all the openings, while Sandberg reportedly will get his interview after the Iowa Cubs season ends. Third-base coach Mike Quade , the interim manager, is officially a candidate, but it's doubtful he's a serious one.

Also on the Cubs' wish list is Girardi, in the final year of his contract with the Yankees. But that's gotta be considered a pipedream. Sorry, Cubs fans, but would you leave a perennial winner for a chance to win a World Series every 100 or so years?

Gonzalez, by the way, also should be a candidate to replace retiring Bobby Cox with the Braves. He spent four years on the major league staff there, as well as time managing in their minor league system, and likely would get a strong endorsement from Cox.

Long wait ahead for Gibson

From one managerial opening to another ...

There's no telling how long the Diamondbacks will wait in deciding interim manager Kirk Gibson 's future, but this much is near-certain: A final answer won't come quickly. Remember, the D-backs also have an interim manager, Jerry DiPoto , and probably want to resolve that situation first, since most GMs like to have a say in who's manager.

They also want to see what progress, if any, Gibson (23-31) makes the rest of the season.

This much appears certain: Plenty of his players are pulling for him, perhaps because he's a bit calmer than during his playing days, when, famously, eye black on the rim of his cap -- a popular prank -- once set him into a fit of rage that'd make the Incredible Hulk proud.

But now? Well, apparently he gets in on the act.

"I could go in there and say, 'Hey, I need your help getting so-and-so,'" Adam LaRoche told AOL FanHouse. "And he would go out of his way to make sure it went overboard."

Ummm, are we talking about the same Kirk Gibson here?

"No question, I'm very intense," Gibson, 53, told FanHouse, a no-duh comment, really, from a guy who never was afraid to mix it up as a player or as a coach -- even threatening to fight at least one player, and perhaps more than one, during his days coaching under Alan Trammell with the Tigers. "And the thing I really need to watch out for is to be over-intense, because it probably makes certain people uncomfortable."

Infante still eligible

Several readers were kind enough to remind me after last week's column that Braves infielder Omar Infante can, indeed, win the NL batting championship without actually reaching the minimum number of plate appearances (502, or 3.1 per scheduled game).

There's, in fact, a rule on the books that states if a player falls short by year's end, hitless at-bats can be added until becoming eligible. If, by that point, the player still leads the league, he is awarded the crown. In other words, if Infante were to fall, say, 10 plate appearances shy, an 0-for-10 would be added for the purpose of deciding the race.

And, of course, it's quite possible Infante still would be your leader after all that's done -- Triple Crown bids be damned -- considering that through Tuesday's games, the former Tiger had opened up a 14-point lead.

The stipulation, by the way, has been on the books since 1967 and has come into effect only twice before, for Tony Gwynn in 1996 and Bill Madlock in 1981. Gywnn missed more than a month with an Achilles injury; Madlock, a four-time batting champ, never went on the DL that season and has been accused by some baseball experts of sitting down the stretch, often against tough starting pitchers, to protect his leads.

Around the horn

This was the first time in baseball history that we've seen a no-hitter in April, May, June and July in the same year. The bid to make add August to the list came up short, though there were two scares: The Rangers, in a combined effort (thanks to a high pitch count from starter Rich Harden , who was just off the DL), were two outs away Aug. 23, and Hiroki Kuroda of the Dodgers was five outs away Monday.

... Both of those, of course, ended up being one-hitters, giving us 24 games this season in which a team has allowed one hit or no hits. That's the second-most since at least 1920, behind only 1988, when there were 26. Interestingly, there was just one no-hitter that year -- Tom Browning 's perfect game -- compared to five this year.

... Strasburg, the Nationals ailing phenom, who's having reconstructive surgery on his elbow Friday, has to be quite encouraged by what he's seeing from Braves right-hander Tim Hudson -- he is 15-5 with a 2.24 ERA and a legitimate NL Cy Young contender in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery.

... The Royals must be thrilled about what they're seeing from third-base prospect Mike Moustakas , who, in a Triple A game Monday, had three homers, a double and -- get this -- 11 RBIs! The No. 2 overall pick in 2007, Moustakas, 22, is hitting .326 this year, with 120 RBIs in 112 games split between Double and Triple A. No call-up yet, though.

... If Little League can have expanded replay, so can MLB. Nuff said.

The waiting game

The Braves and Tigers promoted catchers J.C. Boscan and Max St. Pierre , respectively, on Wednesday, and when they make their debuts, it'll be the end of 14 years of waiting for each. Consider that only active player, Braves Triple-A first baseman John Lindsey , has gone longer in the minor leagues without getting a shot at The Show. Here are the longest active streaks of patience, including the brother of Tigers outfielder Ryan Raburn :

Diamond digits

3 --Consecutive starts of 10-plus strikeouts by Edwin Jackson, tying a White Sox record.

3-0, 1.47 -- Jackson's record, ERA since be acquired from the Diamondbacks.

5 -- AL East teams with a winning record last month, a first for any division of five or more teams since the NL Central in June 1996, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

80-62 -- Record of the AL East in August, with the last-place Orioles (17-11) the best.

2.63 -- Cliff Lee's ERA in his first six starts with the Rangers.

8.28 -- Lee's ERA in his last five starts with the Rangers.

8 -- Consecutive seasons in which Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano has hit a home run.

The waiting game

The Braves and Tigers promoted catchers J.C. Boscan and Max St. Pierre, respectively, on Wednesday, and when they make their debuts, it'll be the end of 14 years of waiting for each. Consider that only one active player, Braves Triple-A first baseman John Lindsey, has gone longer in the minor leagues without getting a shot at The Show. Here are the longest active streaks of patience, including the brother of Tigers outfielder Ryan Raburn:

* Called up Wednesday

** Not including games pitching

Source: ESPN, Detroit News research

In good company

In going 0-for-4 in Tuesday's 9-3 victory over the Athletics, Yankees designated hitter (and former Tiger) Marcus Thames' streak of five starts with a home run -- tied for fourth-best in franchise history -- came to an end.

Note: Four others had a five-start streak

Source: Baseball-Reference.com, Detroit News research

He said it

"It's the same as any reaction I've had to all these guys. I think it's fraud."

-- Kenny Williams , White Sox general manager, talking in May 2009 about Manny Ramirez, who had just been suspended for testing positive for a banned substance.

He said it II

"Who am I to make such judgments against a guy in that fashion?"

-- Kenny Williams, the same White Sox general manager, talking Monday about Manny Ramirez, the controversial slugger who had just joined Chicago for the stretch run.

Tony's top five

1. N.Y. Yankees (2): Derek Jeter (five errors) leads all SS with .989 fielding percentage.

2. Tampa Bay (1): Rays will have followed 10 losing seasons with three winning seasons.

3. Cincinnati (5): Has winning record in each of first five months for first time since '79.

4. Atlanta (3): Braves became first team to win on walk-off homer that was reviewed.

5. Minnesota (6): Three men in Twins bullpen have combined for 131 saves in 2009-10.

Tony's bottom five

26. Arizona (28): Stephen Drew is hot, with 17 hits, four homers in last eight games.

27. Cleveland (24): Closer Chris Perez has 0.00 ERA, 11 strikeouts in last eight outings.

28. Seattle (26): Ichiro Suzuki has 30 games to get 31 hits for a 10th straight 200-hit year.

29. Baltimore (29): Nick Markakis recorded fourth straight season of 40-plus doubles.

30. Pittsburgh (30): Ouch. Pirates already have five pitchers with 10 or more losses.

Note: Last week's rankings in parentheses.

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