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Let's talk a little Reds baseball!


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#1 Guest_Gumshoe_*

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Posted 07 March 2009 - 05:36 PM

I am a true glutton for punishment as my two favorite sports teams are the Browns and the Reds. The Cavs should be called the yellows I guess with those uni's they wear.

Okay, what about the Reds? I think they will improve on last year with all the young guys having a year under their belt and with the team not having to try and please Griffey and Dunn all year. I really like Joey Votto and he had a big game for Canada today against the US....ya I didn't know he was Canadian either. I liked the trade of Freel for Hernandez as he is a good hitting catcher who should have success in our park and he can't throw out any less runners than the guys we had last year. Phillips needs a big year, we need to settle on a SS and a LF. I can see Votto moving to left eventually and our high draft pick 1B Yonder Alonso? coming in soon.

Pitching should be improved overall. I doubt Volquez will have the same kind of year as last but hopefully Cueto will improve, Harang must bounce back and could this be the year that Homer Bailey finally gives us something. The bullpen will be fine and I can't wait. Hopefully the Reds will have more wins in the first week of the season than the Browns had all year.


#2 Bengal WhoDey

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Posted 08 March 2009 - 09:42 AM

This should be our best pitching staff in a very long time. If we can score some runs, we should be able to contend in this division, which still isn't all that strong. A lot of our offense depends on if we stay healthy. I don't expect Hairston to have another career year, and he is prone to injury. Hopefully, Phillips stops trying to hit homers, as he has the potential to be a great hitter if he stops trying to pull it out of the park. Votto should be excellent, as he showed a lot of maturity at the plate last year already. I am hoping for at least 80 wins this year, and I don't think that's being too optimistic.

#3 KahneFan

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Posted 08 March 2009 - 09:58 AM

The Reds starting pitching should be the strength of this team. I Think Harang rebounds from last years 17 loss season and get his 15+ wins. IF the Reds can manufacture some runs and get some two out run scoring hits they might be the surprise of the NL Central. I look for a big year out of Votto. He looked good at the plate for Team Canada going 4-5 with a bomb.
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#4 labatts69

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Posted 08 March 2009 - 03:31 PM

Reds look better on paper- better pitching, more speed, better defense. The main concern will be putting people acrossed the plate. Tavares getting on, hairston, votto, philips, bruce, encarnacion, hernandez, gonzalez, and our pitcher sounds pretty good. Alot of possibilities will come about, especially if gonzo struggles and hairston doesn't produce like last year. All in all, 5 quality starters with some of the candidates going to the pen making our middle relief better and bray and cordero there to close the door. I really think we could sneak in as a wildcard this year if we stay healthy.
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#5 old_scal

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Posted 08 March 2009 - 09:02 PM

their pitching will be their most valuable asset, volquez and cueto are both really good, but like someone else said i dont think volquez can reproduce his number from last year. and harrang cant really get any worse, and hes proven himself in the past. hopefully the reds will have a lot less drama and lots of good baseball.

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Posted 11 March 2009 - 10:05 AM

By Hal McCoy
Staff Writer Cincinnati Enquirer

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Yonder Alonso received a nice parting gift before he transferred his gear from the Cincinnati Reds major-league clubhouse to the minor-league clubhouse.

A fan gave him the baseball he hit Monday for his first spring training home run — and asked for nothing in return.

Alonso wasn't around when the fan handed over the ball and said, "If I had been there, I would have given him a bat or something."

Alonso, the Reds' No. 1 draft pick last June, was one of seven players cut from big-league camp Tuesday, March 10. Two other No. 1 picks, outfielder Drew Stubbs (2006) and catcher Devon Mesoraco (2007) were among those cut.

Also sent to minor-league camp for reassignment (Alonso was sent to Class AA Carolina) were catcher Humberto Cota, catcher Chris Denove, infielder Todd Frazier and infielder Chris Valaika.

"All good players, all good people," said manager Dusty Baker. "No problems. They worked hard. At-bats are going to get tight now, but all had a good look-see, especially for some being in their first big-league camps."

Votto is back

Joey Votto's Canada team was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic, but he probably won't be back in the lineup until Friday.

"He called and left a message," said Baker, "but I'm probably going to give him a couple of days off. With the travel and his family stuff I'm sure he's exhausted."

The Reds host the Astros at Sarasota today, but are off Thursday.

Edwin returns

After missing two games with a sore hand, Edwin Encarnacion was back in Tuesday's lineup.

"I took batting practice (Monday) and had no pain," he said. "I did it checking my swing, then made it worse trying to swing inside the ball.

"I did the same thing last spring, but it will be OK," he added. "I'm taking ice and whirlpool to get it strong."

The little guy

Quietly, with no notice, soft-tossing Daniel Ray Herrera, the jockey-sized left-hander, is getting everybody out.

In three appearances, he has retired nine of ten batters over three innings, giving up one hit while walking none and striking out four.

He's the guy who walked into the clubhouse last year after a call-up in June from Class AAA Louisville and Ken Griffey Jr. said, "Hey, didn't I just see you riding in the Preakness?"










#7 KahneFan

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Posted 11 March 2009 - 02:21 PM

Thanks for the update,gumshoe. I loved that "lil" comment that Griffey made to Herrera last season but the kid can pitch. Will he make the team??
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#8 Warlock

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Posted 14 March 2009 - 05:42 PM

well im not sure where we will find the power to replace griffey and dunn but anyways GO REDS!!!!!!!

#9 labatts69

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Posted 14 March 2009 - 10:43 PM

QUOTE (Warlock @ Mar 14 2009, 05:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
well im not sure where we will find the power to replace griffey and dunn but anyways GO REDS!!!!!!!


Well, Dunn I am not sure about but Votto was already better than Griffey last year with his stats. I love Griffey but he just didn't pan out as a Red. We gain alot defensively now with them gone also as our corners were pretty slow.
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#10 Warlock

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Posted 23 March 2009 - 11:15 AM

i have seats to the 1st two games of the season!!!!

#11 Guest_Gumshoe_*

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Posted 25 March 2009 - 10:33 AM

Here is the latest news from Reds Camp via the Cincinnati Enquirer with 9 days left in camp


SARASOTA, Fla. – After very quiet camp, news came in a flurry on Monday.

Nick Masset was no longer in the race for the fifth starter. Alex Gonzalez got hurt. And Daryle Ward was cut.

The Masset thing was inevitable. He hasn’t pitched well, and Micah Owings and Homer Bailey have.

The Gonzalez thing – even though it was not related to the knee – is something the Reds are going to have to live with all year.

Ward getting cut was the news that caught me a bit off guard. He was having a decent spring. I’m not sure where that leaves the club as far as a left-handed bat off the bench.

The cuts – five others went in addition to Ward – left the Reds with 36 players in camp. I’ve got 21 locks on the final 25-man roster:

– Position players (9): Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Gonzalez, Edwin Encarnacion, Jay Bruce, Willy Taveras, Chris Dickerson, Jonny Gomes and Jerry Hairston Jr.

– Catchers (2): Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hanigan.

– Starting pitchers (5): Aaron Harang, Edinson Volquez, Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto and Micah Owings.

– Relievers (5): Francisco Cordero, David Weathers, Mike Lincoln, Arthur Rhodes and Jared Burton.

That leaves two spots in the bullpen and two spots on the bench. Two of those spots will likely go to Jeff Keppinger and Bill Bray if the Reds don’t make a deal. So let’s take a look at remaining questions:

Keppinger or Adam Rosales? Keppinger hasn’t had a good spring – .140 batting average, .159 on on-base, no extra-base hits. Rosales has been better – .242, .333 on-base, with a double, triple and homer. They are similar players in that both can play anywhere in the infield and the outfield in a pinch. Rosales has more power and speed. But Keppinger is out of options.

How much can they count the on Gonzo? I think if you guaranteed Reds manager Dusty Baker 120 games from Gonzalez right now, he’d take it. Hairston, the back-up plan at shortstop, has his own injury history. That may compel the Reds to keep Keppinger as an option at short.

Lefty reliever question? Bray has great stuff and a pretty good track record. But he’s battled injuries since the Reds got him. Left-handers Daniel Ray Herrera and Pedro Viola are polar opposites as far as stuff. Viola’s changeup is harder than Herrera’s fastball.

But they’ve been outstanding this spring. Viola has worked four no-hit innings and struck out six. Herrera has faced 17 batters and retired 16 of them. The Detroit Tigers are looking for left-handed reliever. Might the Reds move Bray and live with Herrera or Viola as the second left-hander out of the bullpen?

What to do with Homer? Bailey has pitched well enough to make the team – 2.45 ERA in 14 2/3 innings. But I can’t see the Reds making him the fifth starter over Owings.

Owings has pitched well. He has more of track record. And his bat is off the charts for a pitcher. As far as batting practice power, he’s tops on the Reds – pitcher or position players – and he has a .319 average over 116 at-bats.

The Baker and general manager Walt Jocketty are both open to idea of Bailey coming out of the bullpen. Masset is out of options. But to keep him over the Bailey after spring he’s had (6.59 ERA, 20 hits in 13 2/3 innings) is tough to do.

Left-handed bench bat? I had Ward penciled in for this spot. The remaining candidates are Laynce Nix and Jacque Jones. Nix is having an OK spring – .229/.325/.484. He’s a very good outfielder. But he hasn’t thrived in a bench role. Jones hasn't hit a lick – .105/.171/.132 – this spring and he’s coming of a year in which he hit .140-something.

We’re down to nine days before the Reds break camp, so the answers to these and other questions should be coming soon.





#12 KahneFan

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Posted 31 March 2009 - 08:01 PM

The Reds traded Keppinger today to the Astros for that famous PTBNL. I not so sure about this deal.
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#13 Duh Huh Dull Sucks

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Posted 31 March 2009 - 08:07 PM

There was a trade coming with one of the infield utility players, no doubt. Hate to see Kepp go because he can hit so well. However, last year after his knee injury, he struggled mightily and it has crossed over into spring training. Considering they basically got him for nothing when they did, it was a good pickup for them. The player-to-be-named best be a pretty good prospect because Keppinger has such a huge upside with his offense. Now, if only that defense could catch up.

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Posted 02 April 2009 - 04:00 PM

Reds currently considering signing the recently cut Gary Sheffield to play LF. What do you think? We just got rid of one temperMENTAL outfielder which at least half the fans liked in Griffey. Why would we consider bringing a malcontent clubhouse divider who is washed up to play LF? Power potential! I hope not, lets play with what we have, give Dickerson a chance, Gary Sheffield? talk about rollling the dice! He could hit a lot of homers in the launching pad known as Great American Field, given the right incentive!


Reds have limited interest in Sheffield
By JOE KAY, AP Sports Writer


SARASOTA, Fla. (AP)—The Cincinnati Reds wrapped up training camp with an overture to Gary Sheffield and a lingering question about the last opening in their starting rotation.

Manager Dusty Baker said Thursday that he’s interested in adding Sheffield— a friend for many years—to the roster. The trouble is that he can’t offer regular playing time to the 40-year-old free agent, who is hoping for a full-time job and a multiyear deal.

Baker got permission from general manager Walt Jocketty to call Sheffield and see if he would consider the Reds, who don’t have a starting job open. Sheffield, who was released by the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, could start in left field when the Reds are facing a left-handed pitcher, fill in at first base on occasion and pinch-hit.

“I don’t even know if we’re in the running or not,” Baker said. “He wants playing time.”

How much could Baker give him?

“I don’t know,” he said, adding, “I wasn’t going to lie to him.”

Sheffield also has been contacted by the Philadelphia Phillies. Though Philadelphia’s outfield is set, Sheffield could sign on for a reserve role with the defending World Series champions. The Reds are coming off eight straight losing seasons.

Agent Rufus Williams said several clubs had contacted him about Sheffield, who cleared waivers on Thursday afternoon. He didn’t have a self-imposed deadline for accepting an offer.

“It’s important that Gary be on the field,” Williams said. “It’s important that he play. It’s his intent to play beyond this season.”

Sheffield was Detroit’s designated hitter before the Tigers released him on Tuesday. Shoulder injuries and other problems limited him to 114 games and a .225 average last season. He batted .178 in spring training.

Sheffield has 499 career homers, one shy of becoming the 25th player to reach a milestone. The Tigers will have to pay the difference between whatever Sheffield signs for with another team and the $14 million he was owed on his contract with Detroit.

Baker’s long-standing friendship with Sheffield—they met years ago through mutual friends from California—is the biggest thing in Cincinnati’s favor.

“I’m sure he has some offers,” Baker said.

While they wait for Sheffield to make up his mind, the Reds have to come to a decision on right-hander Homer Bailey, a former first-round draft pick who pitched like one this spring.

Right-hander Micah Owings made himself the front-runner for the fifth starter’s spot by impressing early. The 22-year-old Bailey extended the competition by showing that he has started to develop into the pitcher that the Reds envisioned. Bailey struck out eight in six innings of a 7-2 loss to the Astros on Wednesday.

A day later, the Reds were still noncommittal on whether it will be Owings or Bailey filling out the rotation.

“We’ve got to confer before we make any call,” Baker said, referring to the front office.

Edited by Gumshoe, 02 April 2009 - 04:03 PM.


#15 ADog

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Posted 02 April 2009 - 08:20 PM

Sorry for jumping in this thread...but have not seen Gummy around for awhile...just wanted to say to Gumshoe...nice field your Birds have......looks sweet...

#16 slice slice baby

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Posted 02 April 2009 - 09:35 PM

QUOTE (ADog @ Apr 2 2009, 09:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
but have not seen Gummy around for awhile...

I was having the 'same feeling', then he shows up! That happens all the time with me & posters here!
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#17 dhsdawg06

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Posted 02 April 2009 - 09:47 PM

This Tiger fan will not beat it LOL. I follow the Reds almost as close while I'm at school, and still quite a bit at home.

I'm hoping the youth can lead to a run at .500 this year. The rotation looks as strong as anyone in the Central when they're healthy, hopefully they can score enough runs to be a dangerous team.

As long as they stay away from Sheffield they'll be fine. That guy is a cancer and will ruin any clubhouse he comes into.

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Posted 02 April 2009 - 10:03 PM

Gee Whiz, its nice to be missed. Ive been out on the recruiting trail looking for ball players for our new field! Joking, no seriously. We are very proud of the new baseball field and could not have dreamed of anything better. Now we must sell a lot of mulch so we can afford a concession stand and toilets. Like the Reds we have a young team and will win/lose on pitching and defense. which is what good baseball is really made of.

I may not have been posting much lately but I still take the time to read at least every other day or so....Congrats to Slice and everyone for the record recently posted. Looking forward to dominating this site in fantasy baseball.

#19 slice slice baby

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Posted 02 April 2009 - 10:16 PM

QUOTE (Gumshoe @ Apr 2 2009, 11:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Joking, no seriously.

Like we doubted your seriousness!!?!! rolleyes.gif

pokey.gif (you know I'm kidding!)

QUOTE (Gumshoe @ Apr 2 2009, 11:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I may not have been posting much lately but I still take the time to read at least every other day or so....Congrats to Slice and everyone for the record recently posted. Looking forward to dominating this site in fantasy baseball.

Thank you, from all of us at the RC .......It's nice to see our numbers up, yet again this year, all due to you guys! smile.gif Thanks to all of you! hifive2.gif thumbup1.gif .....
But, on the other note..... I do find it very curious that the only fantasy league you participate in, is the one I don't?????? whistling.gif whistling.gif fish2.gif

ninja.gif

Edited by slice slice baby, 02 April 2009 - 11:01 PM.

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Posted 05 April 2009 - 04:11 PM

Reds option Homer Bailey to AAA to start the season, making Micah Owings the 5th starter. All this could change depending on Bronson Arroyo's carpel tunnel syndrome from playing too much guitar! We should have sent him packing when we had the chance!

Remember when he thought he was too good to play for Cincinnati?

Weather is scary for tommorrows opener! Cant Wait! Go Reds!







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