Jim Maloney to Aroldis Chapman

The buzz this year is about pitchers who throw 100 miles an hour.

Aroldis Chapman was clocked by one scout at 102. As the 22-year old Cuban tries to earn his major league debut this season, Jim Maloney arrived as one of the Reds guest instructors along with Jack Billingham.

When Maloney made his debut on July 27, 1960, he had just turned 20.

It was the same year that Fidel Castro completed the revolution in Cuba revolution.

Chapman had to sneak away while he was with the Cuban National Baseball Team. His social life is nill and the Reds are trying to make the $10 "bonus baby" Maloney can relate to that if not the alienation that comes from leaving his native culture.

Dusty Baker thinks like a father. He has been through the mill and has empathy for the young player's predicament. He has a feel for what all of the young players go through. It is just that Chapman is under the microscope now. It is a day when the media hype is more intense.

Baseball is the easy part. Command of his pitches is not his biggest problem. Setting up hitters is not his biggest problem. "It depends on who's catching," Baker said. "If you have good stuff the second time around isn't as important. How to pitch them goes to the catcher. Where to pitch them goes to the catcher. How you get it there is up to you."

Chapman is scheduled to pitch three innings against the Milwaukee Brewers at 1:00 pm local time.



The social aspect of Chapman's development has been discussed.

"He doesn't talk much but he's generally happy," Baker said. "I'd imagine he's probably a little bit loney sometimes. The guys try to make him feel as comfortable as possible. You know guys cooking. Alonso's mothers cooking. (Yonder Alonso is also Cuban). Porky (Juan Lopez) cooking, the other day he wanted some rice and beans and Lopez cooked it for him. That's how you get over being lonely. Eat what you like and eat a lot of it, then go to sleep."

The Reds aren't worried about social support at the major league level. They have assigned the Dayton Dragons pitching coach, who is Cuban born, Tony Fossas, to be his mentor and interpreter.

The Reds want to wean him away from that soon. They have discussed his support system if he does not go with the club to Cincinnati.

"We discussed what Latin players he's going to be around to be a good support system. Hopefully, whoever they are, they're your best citizen guys. Tony has a job to do too. We decided while Chapman's here and has a chance to make the club we feel it is important that Tony's here. At some point in time, Tony has to go back to his club. We think at least through the off day (March 23). It will give Chapman time to be without Tony and for Tony to learn his club."