How Cincinnati Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson making \ (2024)

MILWAUKEE – At some point Monday night in Pittsburgh, if the Cincinnati Reds hitters put enough pressure on the Pirates’ rookie starter, they might find out how much of a trendsetter their pitching coach has become around the game.

That’s because the rumor going around Great American Ball Park is that the Pirates pitching coach, Oscar Marin, has walkout music that plays every time he makes a visit to the mound at PNC Park – which would make him the second pitching coach in the majors with that distinction.

“Is that right?” said the pioneer himself, Derek Johnson of the Reds’ staff.

“Maybe it becomes a thing,” Johnson mused. “Everyone will have one.”

Johnson became the first known pitching coach in the game last year to have his own song play over the p.a. system as he trudged from the dugout to have words with a pitcher in distress.

“I didn’t know he had music until yesterday,” starter Frankie Montas said during a recent homestand.

“Wait, he has his own walkup music?” a nearby teammate chimed in.

It’s possible those guys had other things on their minds when Johnson was headed their way and didn’t notice that the same song – Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion” – played at GABP every time he approached.

It’s also possible his presence inspired anything but sweet emotions, given the reasons for the interruptions — lending a certain irony to the whole concept.

But they also seem to like it.

“I think it’s awesome,” Montas said. “He should have walkout music. I love it. It’s kind of cool.”

For those wondering, it wasn’t Johnson’s idea. He noticed last season that whoever was running the sound system tended to play the same music when he went to the mound and said something to somebody in the clubhouse.

“They used to play this weird song, and I just thought it was dumb,” said Johnson of what was essentially background noise to fill the pause in the game. “And I told them to stop playing it. I actually never asked for a walk-up or anything.

“I just said why don’t you play some Aerosmith or something,” said Johnson, who grew up in small town called Arrowsmith, Illinois.

Word got back to the booth, and the rest is baseball history.

“Every time it comes on I chuckle,” said reliever Brent Suter, who had Johnson as his pitching coach – sans music – for three seasons in Milwaukee. “It is a good song.”

“It’s a great song,” Johnson said. “It’s better than it used to be.”

And could there be any connection to those “sweet” tones and the high production of Johnson’s top-three pitching staff in the National League?

“I don’t think so,” he said. “But you never know.”

Yo ho ho and 100 mph of rookie heat

Did somebody say Pirates rookie starter?

That’s not just any Pirates rookie starting against the Reds on Monday night. It’s hyper-heralded Paul Skenes making his seventh career start and taking a 2.43 ERA into the teams’ first meeting of the season.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Reds outfielder Will Benson. “He’s quote-unquote one of the more electric arms in the league right now. Like to see how I match up.”

Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft out of LSU, has a triple-digit fastball, an exceptional slider and 46 strikeouts with just four walks through 33 1/3 innings. He might even be more famous for his better known girlfriend, Livvy Dunne, the LSU gymnast and social media star.

“Obviously, there’s a ton of hype surrounding him,” Reds outfielder Stuart Fairchild said. “He throws a lot of fastballs, and we’re a good fastball hitting team. So we’ll see what we can do against him.”

Hyped? Skenes got a standing ovation from the rival St. Louis crowd when he exited the mound in his last start with one out in the seventh inning of a five-hit, scoreless outing.

“That’s an interesting move. You just applauded a guy that shoved against your team,” Spencer Steer said. “That’s kind of weird.”

Benson: “That’s what happens when you have clout in the league.”

The Reds this season have beaten staff aces Zack Wheeler of the Phillies, Freddy Peralta of the Brewers, Logan Webb of the Giants, Justin Steele of the Cubs and Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Dodgers.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Steer said. “It’s going to be a challenge.”

The Big Number: 763

That’s the consecutive number of plate appearances, through Saturday, that Reds center fielder TJ Friedl has gone without hitting into a double play — the longest streak in franchise history since at least those numbers began being tracked in 1933.

The last time Friedl grounded into a double play was Aug. 29 of his rookie season, against the Cardinals, in 2022.

He did not get a standing ovation from Cardinals fans.

Et Tu, St. Paul?

Outfield prospect Blake Dunn’s first stretch in the big leagues will be remembered for the big exhale when he escaped injury from being hit in the head by a 101-mph fastball from Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase.

“Luckily, I was able to turn my head away from it so it didn’t catch any eye or cheekbone,” Dunn (no relation to Livvy) said.

The pitch cracked Dunn’s helmet, which got knocked several feet away as he sunk to one knee before getting up to head to first without further incident or symptoms.

“It’s a pretty solid helmet to keep me out there,” he said, likely referring to the red plastic protection and not his clean-shaven noggin’.

“Scary,” manager David Bell said.

Dunn’s first 10 days in the big leagues ended Friday, when he was sent back to Triple-A Louisville.

Where he was promptly hit by a pitch again in his first trip to the plate for Louisville by St. Paul Saints starter David Festa.

This one avoided at least avoided his head. But damn.

He Said It

“Who is that with that rocket!? Oh, Lord! He got a rocket in his pocket!”

*Snoop Dogg, the Brewers celebrity guest play-by-play man Saturday, on Elly De La Cruz’s throw across his body, on the move, to get speedy Brice Turang at first to end the second inning.

Martha Stewart’s BFF stole the show Saturday with his appearance, including throwing out the ceremonial first pitch, hanging with the home team, signing autographs and mugging for selfies.

She Said It

"Good morning Kevin. What's up?"

*Brewers employee to Kevin, the Brewers' elevator operator, as she climbed aboard on the ground level before Sunday's Reds game in Milwaukee.

(Yes, that's the token dad-joke contribution to the Father's Day edition of the PBW column).

Dogg Lovers

The Snoop Dogg appearance Saturday in Milwaukee seemed well appreciated on the Reds side of the ballpark even if it was a Brewers-centric visit.

Players said they heard about his broadcast cameo, and De La Cruz in particular said he's a fan – especially after hearing the call on his defensive play.

"Yeah, I like him," De La Cruz said. "That was cool."

The only thing missing was the chance to meet him, Reds players said.

Maybe they can invite him to the next Bark in the Park event at GABP.

Did You Know

The Reds, Nationals, Brewers and Rays each have stolen more bases this year than they have hit home runs — the Nationals nearly lapping their HR total (56) with their steals total (101) through Saturday.

Since the Royals and Dodgers both finished 2014 with more steals than homers, only one team has done that over a full season.

Not surprisingly, it happened in 2023, the first year of the new rules incentivizing action on the bases, when the Guardians did it.