CHICAGO -- Imagine standing out in 43-degree weather for 30 minutes. Imagine waiting for some action on the field as three batters walk and another is hit by a pitch. Now imagine it’s the first inning when all this goes on.
It’s what the Cincinnati Reds dealt with behind their starter, Alfredo Simon, as he threw 49 pitches in the opening inning against the Chicago Cubs in the latter team’s eventual 9-2 win Wednesday night. Forty-nine pitches and he didn’t even last long enough to record three outs.