Myers Is Welcome Addition to Reds

CINCINNATI —  When Randy Myers was traded for the Reds’ John Franco, Mets executives noted that one of their intentions was to improve team chemistry. They thought Myers was more interested in weight lifting than the good of the team. That view seems especially ironic after what Myers has become here in less than two weeks of the season: a popular player in the clubhouse who is giving the bullpen -- if not the entire club -- a new identity.

The Reds are amused, and some of them encouraged, by Myers’ macho act, which includes camouflage gear, plastic grenades and Soldier of Fortune magazine. He has given nicknames to Norm Charlton (“The Genius”), Rob Dibble (“The Officer”), himself (“Mr. Mellow”) and the entire bullpen (“The Nasty Boys,” which he said he arrived at after watching Tim Layana throw a nasty knuckle-curve) and has instituted a strikeout competition between the starters and relievers (his side leads, 37-21).

More important, the Reds are impressed by his tenacity and his pitching, which produced one win and three saves in Cincinnati’s 7-0 start.

“John Franco is a great pitcher,” Charlton said. “But if there were bases loaded and John was behind 3-0 on a hitter with a one-run lead, he’d be ice cold out there. Randy has a totally different personality. You can see fire coming out of his head.

“Randy brings out the best -- or the worst, whatever you want to call it -- in Rob and me. All three of us are adrenaline pitchers. We go on a full tank all the time.”

Myers, who complained in New York that Davey Johnson didn’t use him enough, is elated to be here because Lou Piniella has promised to use him “short and often.” He also seems to enjoy being on a team where it is more important to have fun than to be cool. You’ve probably noticed that the Mets have eliminated their eccentric types (Wally Backman, Lenny Dykstra, Roger McDowell, Myers) and put together more of a vanilla-flavored team.

“If they want to make me the scapegoat, fine, let them go ahead and do it,” Myers said. “I don’t care. I’m not a goody two-shoes. If that’s what they wanted, that’s not me. I’m just not that kind of guy.”

The first “Nasty Boys” banner of the season was hung at Riverfront Stadium Tuesday. It included the uniform numbers of Myers, Dibble and Charlton. Myers was upset that it did not include those of Layana and Tim Birtsas, who also have membership in the club.

For all of their shenanigans, these guys provide serious relief. If it is not the best bullpen, it certainly is the hardest-throwing one. Myers, Dibble and Charlton have fanned 30 of the 77 batters they have faced this year.

After the Padres swept the Giants in San Francisco last weekend, catcher Mark Parent was feeling pretty good. “What we did this weekend was send a message to the Giants: ‘You guys aren’t even going to be competing with us this year,”’ Parent told reporters. “And pretty soon, we’ll be sending the same message to the Reds.”

So what happened Tuesday? Cincinnati beat San Diego, 2-1, in a game in which Parent struck out with the tying and winning runs on base in the ninth inning. The lesson: It’s fine to be confident, but career .184 hitters like Parent have no business running their mouths off like that.

The Reds also beat the Padres Wednesday, 11-7.

The Padres and Reds have the makings of a good rivalry. Not only are they the premier teams in the division, but their managers don’t appear to like each other.

Piniella, who played for Padres Manager Jack McKeon in 1973 in Kansas City, wrote in his 1986 autobiography that McKeon is “a champion second-guesser. I didn’t like his manner, his tone of voice, his sarcasm, and the feeling was mutual. He didn’t like me very much. I just couldn’t play for the man.”

Two years later, McKeon wrote in his book that Piniella was “the most selfish player I’ve ever seen. In my first spring training, I lectured them every morning on baseball. A couple of veterans thought it was a waste, but mainly it was Lou Piniella. He’s the one who undermined me.”

Both tried to douse those fires Tuesday. Piniella said he likes and respects McKeon, who said, “We don’t have any problems. I’d like to think we can see past whatever happened 17, 18 years ago.”

Joe Carter is having a terrible start with the Padres. Though he expected to see more fastballs in the National League, Carter is getting a regular dose of breaking pitches, and will until he proves he can hit them. It’s bad enough that he is not hitting (5-for-32, .156, no homers), but Carter also is giving credence to the notion that he is a poor clutch hitter. He has batted with 27 runners on this year and driven in three of them -- one with a bases-loaded walk.

On Tuesday, with the bases loaded and his team down 2-0, he made the mistake of not knowing how many outs there were. Carter thought there was one out so he jumped at a high, first-pitch fastball. “I said, ‘Just drive it. Sacrifice fly,”’ Carter said.

But in fact his fly ball resulted in the third out of the inning. Carter came up with a weak explanation for his mistake. He blamed it on his transition to the National League. He said he is not accustomed to the whereabouts of National League scoreboards.

Friday the 13th turned out to be a scary night for McDowell, who wears No. 13 for the Phillies. In one-third of an inning, he gave up three hits, walked two batters and permitted six earned runs. And the four players who wear No. 13 who batted that night -- Lance Parrish, Alvaro Espinoza, Glenn Wilson and Jose Lind -- were a combined 3-for-15.

The Red Sox, who have Marty Barrett and Lee Smith to trade, had better find some starting pitching fast.

The Athletics’ Scott Sanderson may turn out to be a fine replacement for Storm Davis, who won 19 games for them last year with the generous support of 5.61 runs per game. In Sanderson’s first start, Oakland scored 15 runs for him. The Royals provided Davis with one run in his first start, a 3-1 loss.

The umpires didn’t have enough time to prepare for the season because of the lockout and their strike. Their work, particularly on balls and strikes, has been noticeably off.

The right side of the Mets’ infield is a danger zone. Gregg Jefferies, while a better hitter, hasn’t improved his fielding or his ability to cope with mistakes. And Mike Marshall is the most awkward first baseman in the league.

Frank Viola, who has regained the pop on his fastball, is going to have a huge year.

Don Mattingly appears to have licked his April hitting troubles, which means he probably will win the batting title.

John Smoltz is a mystery. He was 11-6 at the break last year and is 1-7 since.