Team success weighs more than personal feats for Reds' Frazier

CINCINNATI — For his entire life, from the time he was the star player on the Toms River, NJ team that won the Little League World Series, Todd Frazier has been a winner with a capital 'W' and for emphasis one can capitalize the 'R' in winner, too.

So even though from a personal standpoint Frazier is having a memorable season, he wrinkles his nose when talk turns to the second-half disappearing act of his Cincinnati Reds (22-40, worst second-half record in baseball through Tuesday).

When spring training began pundits said that if Frazier, Devin Mesoraco and Billy Hamilton had contributive seasons, the Reds would run away and hide from the National League Central because of their established stars.

And it worked out. Frazier is hitting .277 with 28 home runs and 77 RBI (through Tuesday). Mesoraco is hitting .278 with 25 homers and 78 RBI. Hamilton is on a very short list for Rookie of the Year with his 56 steals.

But the Reds have not run away and hid. They are merely trying to hide these days, ensconced in fourth place.

'The Establishment,' Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips, were nowhere to be seen. Votto has played only 62 games due to a messy quadriceps, hitting six homers and driving in 23 runs. Bruce is hitting only .215 with 18 homers and 65 RBI, far below his three-year run of more than 30 home runs and more than 97 RBI. Phillipa is hitting .263 with seven homers and 49 RBI.

The Big Three became The Little Trio.

As he slipped into his game uniform Tuesday with only six games to play, Frazier said, "This is definitely not what we were expecting coming out of spring training," he said.

Certainly nobody expected the Reds to be 13½ games out of first place and the losers of 38 one-run games, losers in 16 shutouts and the victims of 13 walk-off wins.

"It's just crazy, man," said Frazier. "If we just win one-third of those 38 one-run losses we're probably in the playoffs."

Frazier uses the operative word for this season — injuries. And he says, "We have something to look forward to for next year. When we get all our guys healthy and if they stay healthy we'll have a really good team, the team we should have had this year.

"We had guys playing where they don't normally play and guys doing things they'd never been asked to do and that made it very tough for us, he said.

Frazier, though, realizes that at the All-Star break the team was only 1½ games out of first place and the injury litany was in full progression.

"It looked really good for us right there, looked as if we were making our move and ready to do something," said Frazier.

Then came the devastating seven-game losing streak to start the second half and the team was in full retreat.

"That took the steam right out of us right there," said Frazier. "A lot of those one-run losses started piling up. It comes down to finding a way. When you are that close game after game you just have to find a way."

Frazier, an All-Star this year, is proud of his personal accomplishments in only his third full year in the majors.

Not only has he continued to improve as an offensive force, his defense at third base is close to Gold Glove quality. And with the injury to Votto, Frazier has had to abandon third base in many games to play first base, especially when Johnny Cueto pitches and catcher/first baseman Brayan Pena switches from first base to catcher.

While statistics and personal accomplishments are important in baseball, Frazier says there is only one number that matters, "The number of W's the team puts up, the number of wins, accumulating as many as you possible can.

"And that's what we have to focus on for next year — do it as a team because that's how you get the W's, and all we want is a chance to go after those wins with a healthy team. This year has been just a frustrating period for all of us."