CHICAGO — When it comes to a starting pitcher in a tight game, Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell has no problem evoking images of one of his predecessors, Sparky Anderson, with a “Captain Hook” willingness to try somebody else.
But when it comes to slumping rookie Elly De La Cruz’s shaky two weeks as the Reds’ leadoff hitter, Bell evokes images that look more like General Custer, if not Corporal Punishment.
Maybe that’s a bit harsh.
But the fast and powerful switch-hitting rookie who took the baseball world by storm in June has mostly had the impact of a summer breeze since moving from cleanup to leadoff on July 17.