Reddick soars to new heights with Astros
Josh Reddick ordered himself a gift during the Astros’ last road trip. When he returned for the opener of a seven-game homestand Friday, he found it wrapped and waiting for him on a chair in front of his locker — a black first baseman’s mitt.
He leaned back in his chair, placed the stiff hide over his left hand and jabbed into the webbing with his right. He smirked.
“Outfield’s so boring,” he said with a punch in his voice stronger than the one he gave his glove. “No one to talk to.”
In a pinch, Astros manager A.J. Hinch let the 30-year-old outfielder play first base in the top of the ninth inning more than two weeks ago. Before that, Reddick last fielded there in a summer collegiate league when he was 19.
Put me in, Coach
His eagerness to fill the emergency need and thrill at the opportunity epitomizes Reddick. Skilled. Tenacious. Fun.
Reddick plays the way fans imagine they would.
When Jeff Luhnow signed Reddick to a four-year, $52 million contract last offseason, the Astros’ general manager highlighted Reddick’s value in every aspect of the game. He said Reddick was one of only three outfielders (along with Mike Trout and Giancarlo Stanton) to have posted at least 2.4 wins above replacement each season since 2012.
At 17-9, the Astros have alleviated injuries and bolstered the top of lineups because of Reddick’s versatility. Reddick started the season slowly but has batted .298 (17-for-57) and scored all of his 11 runs in his last 17 games.
Reddick pushed his season average above .300 during the weekend series against Oakland, but it’s now at .278 after he went 0-for-5 in Monday night’s 6-2 win over the Texas Rangers.
“Obviously, he loved playing against his ex-team,” Hinch said. “That’s going to bring out a little emotion in him.”
In more than four seasons with the Athletics, Reddick became a beloved everyday player because of is indefatigable intensity. When the Astros visited the Oakland Coliseum for the first time this year, the entertainment crew played Reddick’s old walkup song — Wham!’s 1980s saxophone jam “Careless Whisper.” A section of home fans swayed for him.
Fans connect with Reddick’s love of pro wrestling by hollering “Woo!” — the iconic hoot of ring showman Ric “The Nature Boy” Flair. The call has spread throughout Minute Maid Park like a contagion. Incessant, largely unpredictable birdcalls come from all reaches of the ballpark. There are scattered chirps from the upper deck even when Reddick is in the dugout. When he is involved in a play, the roofed venue sounds like an echo chamber of howling wolves.
During Saturday’s 2-1 loss, Reddick scooped up a single in right field and unleashed a perfect throw home to gun down Chris Pinder. The crowd roared in unison over the inning-ending putout. The “woos” followed.
“He’s such a good player,” Hinch said. “Pretty underrated. He can do it all. He plays with a ton of energy. He’s great on the bench. And he’s fearless. That combination is a really good characteristic that fits on this club very easily.”
Reddick has batted in every spot of the order except third and cleanup. He has played all outfield positions. He filled in at center field and batted leadoff for four games when George Springer was hurt. A concussion sent Jake Marisnick, the usual backup, to the seven-day disabled list.
Starting his first game in center field since 2014 with the Athletics, Reddick robbed Cleveland second baseman Jason Kipnis of a home run. This inspired starter Dallas Keuchel to remind fans that Reddick wears a Spider-Man compression suit under his uniform.
“He’s Spider-Man for a reason,” Keuchel said of the leaping catch.
A day after his highlight-reel grab, Reddick missed a fly ball and ran into the wall. He muffed another play on a diving attempt, and the combination of his miscues helped the Indians defeat the Astros 7-6. Reddick said he should have caught both balls.
Without Springer and Marisnick, Reddick was serviceable.
“That’s not something he’s going to be asked to do a lot,” Hinch said. “I don’t like putting players in uncomfortable positions that they don’t play a lot, but I do like the player’s resolve.”
No fear of the wall
Springer returned Friday, and Reddick got challenged in right for the first time in five days. With the Astros up 7-4, the A’s had two runners on with two out when designated hitter Ryon Healy launched a curving fly ball to the warning track. There, Spider-Man sprang up and reeled in the fly backhanded before crashing into the wall.
“He found a wall again,” Hinch said after Reddick preserved the lead.
Despite his heroics, Reddick still stirs over the idea of life on the infield dirt.
In the ninth inning of a 10-6 victory over Oakland on April 15, shortstop Carlos Correa exited after getting hit on the hand by a pitch. Hinch had exhausted his bench and was forced to reconfigure the positions.
Reddick eagerly approached his manager in the dugout. He emerged to play first base wearing Marwin Gonzalez’s mitt.
Reddick estimated the final three outs took 10 minutes.
“It felt like 30 minutes,” Reddick said Friday while sitting in his chair. He was still wearing his new mitt and a smile.
Reddick initially told Hinch that he wanted to replace Correa at shortstop — a position he used to play in high school. He knew Hinch would not go for that, but he figured a half-kidding request would be worth it.
Hinch is not even open to Reddick’s playing more at first.
“Don’t count on that again,” Hinch said. “No disrespect to him.”
Hinch is more flexible with the lineup. Reddick appears affixed at No. 2 in the batting order, but Hinch raised the notion of moving him into the uncharted territory of No. 3 and cleanup.
“Just so he can have something to brag about,” Hinch said.
Then Hinch immediately doubled back: “I’m joking.”
He knew that if given the chance, Reddick would take it seriously.
Astros 6, Rangers 2