WASHINGTON - Ten years ago, Tim Redding was a starting pitcher for the Auburn Doubledays, helping lead the team to a share of the New York-Penn League title.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Rochester native Tim Redding, a starting pitcher for the Washington Nationals, delivers a pitch in the second inning of the team's June 25 game against the Los Angeles Angels at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Redding pitched for the Doubledays in 1998.
Rochester native Tim Redding, a starting pitcher for the Washington Nationals, delivers a pitch in the second inning of the team's June 25 game against the Los Angeles Angels at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Redding pitched for the Doubledays in 1998.
The Houston Astros' 20th-round draft pick from Rochester could fire the fastball with the best of them and that's saying something when you look at two of his teammates.
Redding shared the mound with Johan Santana and Roy Oswalt. While Santana and Oswalt have gone on to all-star caliber careers, Redding has had a tougher road, pitching in the Astros, Padres, Yankees and White Sox organizations before signing as a free agent with the Washington Nationals in late 2006.
Now, in 2008, Redding is enjoying what could be called his finest major league season.
Redding, who is scheduled to start tonight in Cincinnati, is 6-3 with a 4.21 ERA. More importantly, the Nationals are 14-4 in his 18 starts.
“All I can do is keep trying to have a quality start, keep us in the game and we win at the end,” he said.
The Nationals came close to that in Redding's last start against the Florida Marlins on Monday. It was his eighth straight no-decision as the Marlins rallied to tie it in the ninth and won in 10 innings, 6-5.
It was the first game Redding started that the Nationals lost since May 9, also against the Marlins. Redding allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings and left with a 4-3 lead. One of the batters he allowed to reach in the sixth later scored the tying run.
In his previous start against the Los Angeles Angels at Nationals Park last Wednesday, Redding allowed two runs on seven hits and departed with a 4-2 lead after six innings. At one point, Redding retired nine straight over his final three innings.
After Redding left, the Angels rallied to tie before the Nationals won in the bottom of the ninth.
“It's what my job is, try to give my team a chance to win the game,” he said after the game in a celebratory Nationals clubhouse. “I'm doing my job, giving the team quality outings. I love the fact these guys have confidence when I'm on the mound and can relax and let things happen.”
Redding doesn't care about the no-decisions or that he hasn't won a game since May 19.
“The object of the game is to try and get as many team wins as possible,” he said the day before the start against the Angels. “It doesn't say Washington Nationals/Tim Redding/Shawn Hill/Jason Bergmann/John Lannan. It says Washington Nationals. First and foremost, is the team winning.”
The Nationals are thrilled with Redding's performance, which means more because of what he went through to get to Washington.
After four seasons with Houston, going 21-28, Redding was traded in 2005 to San Diego where he went 0-5. He was traded to the Yankees, where on July 15, he started against the Red Sox, allowing six runs. He was released the next day.
Redding wasn't healthy and had shoulder surgery in the offseason.
“I had never been hurt before, never had surgery on anything, not even a broken bone, now all of a sudden, my livelihood is in jeopardy,” he said. “It really made me realize what do I want to do now? I knew I still wanted to play baseball professionally. I kept a positive attitude.”
Redding signed a minor league deal with the White Sox and played in Class AAA for the entire 2006 season, showing he was on the way back, going 12-10.
Redding credited his pitching coach Steve McCatty, a former big leaguer with the A's, for helping save his career.
“Start fresh,” Redding said McCatty told him. “Everybody's already counted you out just like they did before I ever got drafted; come back and prove everybody wrong again.”
In the offseason, he signed with the Nationals and started 2007 in Class AAA. He returned to the majors in July (going 3-6 the rest of the season) and became one of the team's top starters.
That's what Nationals manager Manny Acta, who managed Redding in 2000 in the Houston Astros' minor league system, expects out of the righthander.
“Ever since he's come over here, he's been our most consistent starter,” Acta said. “He's been the rock of our starting rotation since the second half of last year.”
Redding's first start of the 2008 season was as good as it gets, holding the Phillies to a single hit over seven innings. Later in April, he established a career high with 10 strikeouts against the Marlins.
“Early on the year, I was fire in the bottle, so to speak, I was throwing the ball well,” he said. “Hit a little spell there in the middle, a little shoulder fatigue, didn't feel as crisp, stuff wasn't as sharp as it was in the beginning of the year but the last couple starts, it's felt like it's coming back a little bit.”
Redding said his slider has been his out pitch and he has more confidence in his change-up.
He also credits Nationals pitching coach Randy St. Claire (another New York native, of Glens Falls) for his current success.
Redding knows the Nationals are rebuilding and are going with young players.
“I know we're trying to build for the future, and we're getting turnover, it's fun to see some of these young guys come up and progress,” he said. “If I can give something back to these young guys pitching, that's what was done for me when I came up.”
Redding, now 30, is a decade removed from his first pro season with the Doubledays. Redding had a good run in Auburn with Oswalt and Santana.
“We had a real good squad that year,” he said. “Some of the guys I've gotten to play and where they've been in their careers, so far, it's just amazing to think that it all started in Auburn. It was special.”
Ten years later
The stats of former Auburn Doubleday pitchers Tim Redding, Roy Oswalt and Johan Santana in 1998 and 2008. Redding pitches for the Nationals, Oswalt with the Astros and Santana withthe Mets
1998 W-L ERA K
Redding 7-3 4.52 98
Oswalt 4-5 2.18 67
Santana 7-5 4.36 88
2008 * W-L ERA K
Redding 6-3 4.21 65
Oswalt 7-8 4.60 94
Santana 7-7 3.01 103
* Through Monday's games
Redding shared the mound with Johan Santana and Roy Oswalt. While Santana and Oswalt have gone on to all-star caliber careers, Redding has had a tougher road, pitching in the Astros, Padres, Yankees and White Sox organizations before signing as a free agent with the Washington Nationals in late 2006.
Now, in 2008, Redding is enjoying what could be called his finest major league season.
Redding, who is scheduled to start tonight in Cincinnati, is 6-3 with a 4.21 ERA. More importantly, the Nationals are 14-4 in his 18 starts.
“All I can do is keep trying to have a quality start, keep us in the game and we win at the end,” he said.
The Nationals came close to that in Redding's last start against the Florida Marlins on Monday. It was his eighth straight no-decision as the Marlins rallied to tie it in the ninth and won in 10 innings, 6-5.
It was the first game Redding started that the Nationals lost since May 9, also against the Marlins. Redding allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings and left with a 4-3 lead. One of the batters he allowed to reach in the sixth later scored the tying run.
In his previous start against the Los Angeles Angels at Nationals Park last Wednesday, Redding allowed two runs on seven hits and departed with a 4-2 lead after six innings. At one point, Redding retired nine straight over his final three innings.
After Redding left, the Angels rallied to tie before the Nationals won in the bottom of the ninth.
“It's what my job is, try to give my team a chance to win the game,” he said after the game in a celebratory Nationals clubhouse. “I'm doing my job, giving the team quality outings. I love the fact these guys have confidence when I'm on the mound and can relax and let things happen.”
Redding doesn't care about the no-decisions or that he hasn't won a game since May 19.
“The object of the game is to try and get as many team wins as possible,” he said the day before the start against the Angels. “It doesn't say Washington Nationals/Tim Redding/Shawn Hill/Jason Bergmann/John Lannan. It says Washington Nationals. First and foremost, is the team winning.”
The Nationals are thrilled with Redding's performance, which means more because of what he went through to get to Washington.
After four seasons with Houston, going 21-28, Redding was traded in 2005 to San Diego where he went 0-5. He was traded to the Yankees, where on July 15, he started against the Red Sox, allowing six runs. He was released the next day.
Redding wasn't healthy and had shoulder surgery in the offseason.
“I had never been hurt before, never had surgery on anything, not even a broken bone, now all of a sudden, my livelihood is in jeopardy,” he said. “It really made me realize what do I want to do now? I knew I still wanted to play baseball professionally. I kept a positive attitude.”
Redding signed a minor league deal with the White Sox and played in Class AAA for the entire 2006 season, showing he was on the way back, going 12-10.
Redding credited his pitching coach Steve McCatty, a former big leaguer with the A's, for helping save his career.
“Start fresh,” Redding said McCatty told him. “Everybody's already counted you out just like they did before I ever got drafted; come back and prove everybody wrong again.”
In the offseason, he signed with the Nationals and started 2007 in Class AAA. He returned to the majors in July (going 3-6 the rest of the season) and became one of the team's top starters.
That's what Nationals manager Manny Acta, who managed Redding in 2000 in the Houston Astros' minor league system, expects out of the righthander.
“Ever since he's come over here, he's been our most consistent starter,” Acta said. “He's been the rock of our starting rotation since the second half of last year.”
Redding's first start of the 2008 season was as good as it gets, holding the Phillies to a single hit over seven innings. Later in April, he established a career high with 10 strikeouts against the Marlins.
“Early on the year, I was fire in the bottle, so to speak, I was throwing the ball well,” he said. “Hit a little spell there in the middle, a little shoulder fatigue, didn't feel as crisp, stuff wasn't as sharp as it was in the beginning of the year but the last couple starts, it's felt like it's coming back a little bit.”
Redding said his slider has been his out pitch and he has more confidence in his change-up.
He also credits Nationals pitching coach Randy St. Claire (another New York native, of Glens Falls) for his current success.
Redding knows the Nationals are rebuilding and are going with young players.
“I know we're trying to build for the future, and we're getting turnover, it's fun to see some of these young guys come up and progress,” he said. “If I can give something back to these young guys pitching, that's what was done for me when I came up.”
Redding, now 30, is a decade removed from his first pro season with the Doubledays. Redding had a good run in Auburn with Oswalt and Santana.
“We had a real good squad that year,” he said. “Some of the guys I've gotten to play and where they've been in their careers, so far, it's just amazing to think that it all started in Auburn. It was special.”
Ten years later
The stats of former Auburn Doubleday pitchers Tim Redding, Roy Oswalt and Johan Santana in 1998 and 2008. Redding pitches for the Nationals, Oswalt with the Astros and Santana withthe Mets
1998 W-L ERA K
Redding 7-3 4.52 98
Oswalt 4-5 2.18 67
Santana 7-5 4.36 88
2008 * W-L ERA K
Redding 6-3 4.21 65
Oswalt 7-8 4.60 94
Santana 7-7 3.01 103
* Through Monday's games
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