BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Reds Grumble About Replacement Player

Players for the Cincinnati Reds, outraged over rumblings that management was planning to bring up a replacement player, held a players-only team meeting Sunday morning to discuss their feelings.

The Reds’ management is considering bringing up starter Rick Reed, a former major leaguer, from their triple-A Indianapolis team. Reed, who has spent parts of the last seven seasons in the major leagues, is 7-3 with a 2.75 earned-run average. He would replace rookie C.J. Nitkowski (1-2, 5.27 ERA) in the rotation.

“Yeah, but he’s a replacement player with a 7-3 record and 2.75 ERA,” said angry reliever Jeff Brantley. “They do something like that, they better call a team meeting first.”

Red General Manager Jim Bowden and Manager Davey Johnson discussed the situation in a private meeting later in the morning, but Bowden said no decision has been made.

“We’d all prefer making a trade, and that’s something we’re trying to do,” Bowden said. “We’d like to develop players; when that begins to hurt us in a pennant race, you may have to do something different.

“Rick Reed is a possibility. Being a replacement player isn’t an issue. If he can help and be better than what we have here, he’ll be here.”

Said Red second baseman Bret Boone: “If he comes up here, I’m not going to talk to him. And I’m not going to invite him to dinner. If he’s my teammate, I’ll root for him, but I don’t have to like him.”