Better Off Red : Boone’s Fiery Personality Just Fits Right in With Cincinnati

Cincinnati Red second baseman Bret Boone hit a pop up Saturday, then sprinted to first base.

When the ball was caught, Boone peeled off, whacked himself on the head, then tossed his helmet a good 20 feet as he stomped into the dugout.

Boone hasn’t changed. Perceptions have been altered.

In Seattle, Boone was cocky. In Cincinnati, he’s confident. It’s a little lesson in semantics, but a minor point around the Reds’ locker room.

“When Bret got here I had to act like there was competition for the job,” Red Manager Davey Johnson said. “But Bret’s attitude was, ‘Put me out there and leave me alone, then check the numbers. They’ll be big.’ ”

And getting bigger.

Boone, who played at El Dorado High and USC, had two hits Saturday, nudging his batting average to .300. He also has a career-high 14 home runs and 48 runs batted in. His home run Saturday against the Dodgers was his sixth in 13 games.

It has been a successful season, which follows a year in which he hit .320 with 12 home runs and 68 RBIs.

“I’ve kind of established myself as a major league player,” Boone said.

Nothing, not even this season’s wobbly start, has changed that opinion.

Boone labored at the plate through May, then went to work. Since June 25, he has hit .373 with 10 home runs and 24 RBIs.

“In a way, last season spoiled me,” Boone said. “I never went through a stretch where I struggled. I expected to go out and get two hits every night. It doesn’t work like that.”

But if Boone experienced any doubts this season, it never showed.

“It had to be the equipment or the ball,” Johnson said. “Or something was different with the earth. But Bret never thought it was him. He knew it was only a matter of time.”

So did the Reds when they acquired Boone from Seattle in November, 1993.

Boone had been the Mariners’ second baseman the second half of 1993 and hit .251 with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs. He seemed to be in the Mariners’ big picture, but some thought he had trouble with the director. He and Manager Lou Piniella were said to be at odds.

The two had clashed in spring training in 1992. Boone was yanked from a spring game for what Piniella believed was disobedience. Boone had either missed or ignored a bunt sign.

“I laugh every time I read that Lou and I didn’t get along,” Boone said. “We got off to a shaky start that first spring training, but I left on good terms.”

Whether he did wasn’t important to Johnson.

“Bret’s confident and cocky,” Johnson said. “He’s sure of his abilities. I like that. I was called ‘cocky’ too.”

Boone had found his manager.

“Davey is real easy to play for,” Boone said. “Lou is sometimes tough on young players. That’s just his style. Davey gives you free rein. He just expects you to be here on time and play hard. I always bust my butt.”

Boone hit two home runs against the Chicago Cubs on July 16 to start a streak that hasn’t ended.

Many of his home runs have come in key situations. His 10th-inning home run July 23 beat the Cubs. His home run against the Dodgers Friday tied the score, 2-2, in a game the Reds won, 3-2.

“I’m going to have tough times like everyone else,” Boone said. “The key is consistency. You have to fight through the tough times. The game can humble you.”

Even if you’re Bret Boone.