JAY BRUCE
AND THOM BRENNAMAN WERE BOTH CAUGHT VENTILATING ON MONDAY
4.14.10 BY:MEH BIRD BRUCE AND TOILET THOM
JAY BRUCE AND THOM
BRENNAMAN WERE BOTH CAUGHT VENTILATING ON MONDAY
After ending a 0-17 hitless streak with a double during the second inning of
Monday's win against the Marlins, Jay "The Deal" Bruce motioned two signals
to his teammates. It seemed to be a response to not just his teammates
banter, but also the critical remarks that have been made about the Reds'
right fielder recently on the internet, in the papers, and on sports talk
radio.
Jay Bruce's success this season has been considered a vital department for
his team. Hitting the ball hard so far during the young season, only to find
fielders when he has made contact, Reds fans have shown a range of
frustration and empathy towards Bruce. His gestures may have subtly been
directed toward the disgruntled. He has since apologized:
"It's not a laughing matter, obviously. It's one of the more stupid things I
had ever done. It was an honest mistake. I wasn't mad at anyone. It was a
kidding around thing but nonetheless, it was a mistake. It shouldn't happen.
I have to be more professional than that. I want to apologize to the fans,
my team, ownership, everyone who supports me. I forgot where I was for a
second."
Thom Brennaman was also caught expressing himself during Monday's game. In
the midst of a commercial break, before Mike Lincoln entered the game for
the Reds, Brennaman's voice somehow
leaked through an active microphone.
Brennaman was heard saying,
"This game's about to go into the s#@tter."
The restless attitudes demonstrated by Bruce and Brennaman may not be
acceptable, but they are conceivable as much as their dispositions are
identifiable.
The Reds beat the Florida Marlins during extra innings on Monday and
Tuesday. Winning five of their last six games, the Reds have won them all
with their final at-bats. Without a single Reds starter being accredited
with a win this season, the team has slipped into second place (5-3) behind
the St. Louis Cardinals (5-2) in the NL Cantral.
Homer Bailey will make his second start of the season against Chris Volstad
and the Florida Marlins at 7:10pm on Wednesday.
Whack Reds Radio will be recording 14 Questions: Episode Four on Wednesday
with a special guest. The video below is a hint of what might go down.
MIKE
"GODZILLA" LEAKE AND AROLDIS CHAPMAN BOTH MADE THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEBUTS ON
SUNDAY
4.12.10 BY:MEH CUBS INCAPABLE OF TAKING
LEAKE
MIKE "GODZILLA" LEAKE AND
AROLDIS CHAPMAN BOTH MADE THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEBUTS ON SUNDAY
Mike "Godzilla" Leake and Aroldis "The Defector" Chapman made their
professional debuts on Sunday. Leake faced
Tom Gorzelanny and the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ballpark while Chapman
started against the Mud Hens at Fifth Third Field in Toledo. Both young
pitchers made their debuts in winning games; one showing poise and the other
showing power.
Leake's line was not handsome, but he pitched well enough to keep
the Reds in the game and endured, then conquered, several hasty situations.
It all started in the first inning when Leake loaded the bases by walking
Ryan Theriot, allowing a hit to Kosuke Fukudome, then walking Derrek Lee.
With no outs and the bases full of Cubs in just his first inning of major
league work, Leake showed us all the composure and tranquility everyone had
been verbalizing. Leake retired Aramis Ramirez on a pop-out, struck out
Marlon Byrd, then jammed a disgruntled Alfonso Soriano who flew out as Leake
escaped the inning with no damage.
"The
first inning? A bad situation to put myself in," Leake said. "I found a way
to get out of it pretty quick. I was like, 'What am I doing here? I gotta
take a breath and realize I have to make pitches,' and get myself out of it
slowly but surely."
After a smooth second, Leake began the third inning rigidly. He once again
collected himself after allowing back-to-back singles to retire Derrek Lee,
Ramirez, and Fontenot without allowing the Cubs to get on the board.
Leake allowed his only run in the fifth inning after a leadoff walk to Ryan
Theriot, a sacrifice bunt, then a single off the bat of Derrek Lee. At the
end of the day Mike "Godzilla" Leake allowed just one run on four hits. He
struck out five while walking an unheard of seven batters during his 6.23
innings of work. Leake received a no-decision for the day, but his team
walked away with their third win of the season and many high hopes for the
emerging future.
Mike Leake also became the first Reds pitcher to record two hits during his
debut since Benny Frey did it in 1929. During his three years at Arizona
State University, Leake batted .299 with 20 RBI in 97 at-bats. The Reds beat
the Cubs 3-1.
"You have to get your first one out of the way to get your
second one," Leake said. "So we'll just move on from here."
Although Aroldis "The Defector" Chapman's professional debut may not have
been as significant as Leake's, it was an exemplary one for the left-handed
Cuban. With the Louisville Bats third baseman Chris Valaika curiously
watching the radar gun while his teammate was on the mound, Chapman
consistently hit the upper nineties with his fastball. Chapman concluded his
first inning of work with a 101mph fastball, which was foul tipped into the
catcher's mitt, striking out a feeble Mud Hen.
With such deviant speed (Chapman was reportedly clocked at 102mph by one
radar gun), the bird brained Mud Hens may have made Chapman's inconsistent
outing appear more exceptional. Mud Hen's manager Larry Parish criticized
Chapman's control:
"Against us he walked one. (Pitching against) big-leaguers, today he walks
eight. Big leaguers wouldn't have swung at balls over their heads or at
balls a foot outside. He would throw a breaking ball when guys were cheating
to catch up to a fastball, and they would swing at balls that weren't close
to the plate."
Chapman did not qualify for a win in his
first professional baseball game, but in his 4.2 innings of work he
struck out nine and allowed only one earned run on five hits (Four of which
were infield singles). Chapman threw 85 pitches (55 strikes) helping the
Bats beat the Mud Hens 2-1.
"I really felt good today, there were some things that didn't go the way I
wanted, but that's how games go," Chapman said. "There were little things
that happened, but they will be better next time."
The considerable and promising starts by Leake and Chapman continue to
promote optimism in Cincinnati. Both pitchers were acquired by the Reds
since last June. Along with youngsters Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto, Edinson
Volquez, veteran Aaron Harang, and Bronson Arroyo, the Reds could promptly
have one the best starting rotations in the majors.
"What was gunpowder? Trivial. What was electricity? Meaningless. The atomic
bomb is the Second Coming in wrath."
-Winston Churchill
The Reds will start their first road trip of the season on Monday. Johnny
Cueto will face Ricky Nolasco and the Florida Marlins (4-2) at 7:10pm.
MIKE
LEAKE WILL MAKE HIS MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT ON SUNDAY
4.11.10 BY:MEH HERE COMES "GODZILLA"
MIKE LEAKE WILL MAKE HIS MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT ON SUNDAY
Mike "Godzilla" Leake will be making history on Sunday afternoon. The
22-year-old right hander will become only the 21st player to skip the minor
leagues since the MLB draft began in 1965. Since Leake will not be added to
the Reds 25-man roster until Sunday, he has spent his short time in
Cincinnati watching games from the clubhouse. The last Reds players to skip
the minors were shortstop Bobby Hendrich, pitcher Jay Hook, and catcher Don
Pavletich. All three made their major league debuts in 1957. The most recent
Major Leaguer to accomplish the feat was Xavier Nady, who did it in 2000
with the Padres. Walt Jocketty said this about "Godzilla":
"We're
very confident in his ability to pitch at a high level. He demonstrated that
this spring. We drafted him with the idea he was going to be a guy that
would get to the big leagues quick. We didn't figure it would be this
quick."
Mike Leake will face Tom Gorzelanny and the Cubs at 1:10pm on Sunday.
Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman will make his American Debut on Sunday.
Playing for the Louisville Bats, Chapman will face the Toledo Mud Hens at
2:00 pm. The game will be
available to watch online at MLB.com.
The Reds lost to the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Saturday. Reds' starter Aaron
Harang went seven innings allowing three earned runs on four hits. All three
of Harang's runs were the result of homers. Brandon Phillips hit a two run
shot in the third inning. The game was tied until the eighth inning when
Arthur Rhodes allowed a solo-homerun to Cubs' pinch hitter Jeff Baker.
REDS
PITCHER BRONSON ARROYO WILL NOT MISS HIS NEXT START
4.10.10 BY:MEH "DRUGS ARE GOOD." REDS PITCHER
BRONSON ARROYO WILL NOT MISS HIS NEXT START
It is no secret that
Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo takes a daily hand full of supplements and pills
to help stabilize his athletic performance. Arroyo has pitched 200+ innings
every season for the Reds since 2006 and after Thursday's win against the
Cardinals Arroyo is now 53-50 with a 3.97 ERA with the club.
There is no question that androstenedione and amphetamines accomodated
Arroyo's success. On several occasions Arroyo has expressed his use of
supplements that are not on MLB's approved list and has never demonstrated
remorse for his actions. Arroyo has never been on the disabled list, never
missed a start, and never failed a drug test. "I
have a lot of guys in here who think I’m out of (my) mind because I’m taking
a lot of things not on the (MLB-approved) list," Arroyo says. "I take 10 to
12 different things a day, and on the days I pitch, there’s four more
things. There’s a caffeine drink I take from a company that (former
teammate)Curt
Schillingintroduced
me to in ‘05. I take some Korean ginseng and a few other proteins out there
that are not certified. But I haven’t failed any tests, so I figured I’m
good."
Four hours after taking anti-inflammatories to help lingering pain from
a line drive he took to the calf on Thursday, Arroyo started to feel much
better.
"Drugs are good. I walked out of here yesterday and could
barely walk," Arroyo said. "And about four hours later, the anti-inflammatories
hit hard. I was feeling pretty good. It's 80 percent already. I
couldn't believe it. I thought I was going to be hobbling in here today.
I’ll be fine for Tuesday.”
Whether or not you agree with Arroyo's drug diet, it has undoubtedly
patronized his accomplishments as a Cincinnati Red. Enjoying his awful music
is discretional. Considering his leg kick intimidating is nonobligatory.
Admitting that Bronson Arroyo's demeanor is critical to his team's fruition
is imperative.
"People
can think what they want of me," Arroyo says. "I don’t give a f@#K."
Drew Stubbs hit his
first career grand slam helping the Reds defeat the Chicago Cubs 5-4 on
Friday. Homer Bailey
started for the Reds going five innings, allowing three runs on seven
hits, and striking out five while walking two. Bailey also hit two batters.
Aaron Harang will face Carlos Zambrano Saturday at 1:10pm. Last
season, Zambrano allowed only six hits to current Reds players (Bruce 2,
Dickerson 1, Hernandez 1, Votto 2).
BRONSON
ARROYO PITCHED EIGHT SOLID INNINGS WHILE JONNY GOMES PROVIDED THE CLOSURE
4.9.10 BY:MEH FIRST WIN A WALK-OFF,
GOMES STYLE
BRONSON ARROYO PITCHED
EIGHT SOLID INNINGS WHILE JONNY GOMES PROVIDED THE CLOSURE
(Bott.Photo:
CNATI)
The Reds avoided a
three game sweep, and a 0-3 start to the season, by defeating the Cardinals
2-1 on Thursday. After five straight fastballs were thrown to Jonny Gomes in
the bottom of the ninth inning by Jason Motte, Gomes wasn't about to allow
another go by. With a 2-2 count and the score knotted at one,
Gomes crushed the next fastball from Motte 392 feet into left field at
Great American Ballpark. Gomes was 1-8 at the plate this season before his
game winning homerun. Gomes commented on the momentum he helped create:
"How many times have we failed in that situation? That makes
it so much more fun. It's more fun for us. There's so much more to it,
whether it's the first series of the year or last series of the year, that's
a (divisional) game and we've got to win as many of those as possible. We've
got the Cubs coming in and it's good to get on the board that's it, whether
it's a quality start or a hit, anything. Just getting that zero off the
board, regardless of the category, it's always big in the beginning of the
year. Here we are, we've got some good momentum with the Cubs coming in.
Once we leave these doors, we clean the slate and come back tomorrow."
Before Gomes stole the show in the ninth inning, Bronson Arroyo had a
distinguished outing. Arroyo went eight innings allowing only one run on
four hits while striking out six. Arroyo struck out Albert Pujols in the
fourth inning recording 1,000 for his career. During the fifth inning Arroyo
singled, driving in Ryan Hanigan, providing the Reds with their only run
until Gomes' homer in the ninth. Taking a Colby Rasmus line drive to his
right calf during the game, Arroyo expressed lingering pain after the game:
"Not
real good. I’ve been hit a lot harder but not in this spot. It’s killing me.
It got me in the belly of the calf. It’s got my foot locked up. It’s like a
charley horse cramp. As sore as it now, Day 2 and 3 are the hardest on the
body. I’m interested to see how it feels. I’ll do a lot of work to try to
get out it."
Bronson Arroyo has never missed a start in the majors, minors, high school,
or even in little league. If his calf continues to bother him, it could
open the door for Travis Wood or Aroldis Chapman. Jonny Gomes
articulated his respect for Arroyo:
"A
solo home run doesn’t win that game without Bronson Arroyo pitching the way
he did. We can talk about his stuff all day and we can talk about his
toughness. Taking that ball off the calf and staying in there. Those guys
ran together a bunch of hits and a bunch of offense the first two games.
Bronson sitting back and being the pro he is pitched a great game."
The Reds begin their second series of the season on Friday at Great American
Ballpark. Homer Bailey will face Carlos Silva and the Chicago Cubs at
7:10pm. The Cubs are 1-2 so far this season.
JOHNNY CUETO FACES ADAM WAINWRIGHT IN GAME TWO OF THE SEASON
4.7.10 BY:MEH GAME TWO: C'MON CUETO JOHNNY CUETO FACES
ADAM WAINWRIGHT IN GAME TWO OF THE SEASON
(Photo: Getty Images)
After a low-blow loss
to the St. Louis Cardinals on Opening Day, the Reds look to even their
record during game two of the season. The lineup for Wednesday looks like
the one most Reds fans expected on Opening Day (Stubbs
8, Cabrera 6, Votto 3, Phillips 4, Rolen 5, Bruce 9, Gomes 7, Hernandez 2
and Cueto
1).
The replacement of Laynce Nix and Chris Dickerson from Monday's roster is
strange. It appeared that Dusty Baker wanted Gomes and Stubbs (2-2 off the
bench on Monday) to sit with the Reds facing a right hander, but after poor
performances by Nix and Dickerson on Opening Day, he switched the lineup
back to the predicted one with a right hander on the mound once again. This
seems to contradict Baker's use of Nix and Dickerson on Opening Day. He
obviously did not sit Gomes and Stubbs just because RHP Chris Carpenter was
on the mound, there must be more complex reasoning.
Johnny Cueto was 2-0 with a 1.76 ERA against St. Louis last season. Skip
Schumaker has had triumph against Cueto batting .455 against the right
hander. If Cueto can hit the outside corners while facing Schumaker, Pujols,
and Holliday, with Gomes and Stubbs arrogantly proving they can bash
righties, the Reds could easily walk away with a victory on Wednesday.
*Update
- Cueto threw the ball effectively (6IP, 2ER, 5H) on Wednesday, but the
Reds' offense and bullpen couldn't get it done. Orlando Cabrera drove in all
three of the Reds' runs going 2-4. After Cabrera tied the game at two with
his first homerun as Red in the sixth, the bullpen entered the game and
quickly allowed four runs in the seventh. The Reds lost by a final score of
6-3.
The Reds play game three against the Cardinals Thursday at 12:35pm. Bronson
Arroyo will face Brad Penny.
4.6.10 BY:MEH SEASON UNDER SIEGE
CONCERNS ARE EXTENSIVE
AFTER ONLY ONE GAME (Photo:
Michael E. Keating)
After only one game
behind them, Reds fans are already feeling high and dry. It seems that all
of these years of losing have caused some sort of dismay inside of their
heads. Names like Chapman, Leake, and Votto has been temporarily set
aside. The excitement that has been circulating the city of Cincinnati
recently has been hushed by one game, one player, and one pitch.
Albert Pujols is not a Reds killer; he is just a killer. Pujols' average
against the Reds is a staggering .365 after Monday's game, but don't let
that fool you. His 42 homeruns against the Reds only chronicle 8.76% of
his career 368, so don't feel special. He has a lifetime .334 average and
during his best two seasons ('03 and '08), he hit .359 and .357 against
the entire league. Pujols has faced Aaron Harang 57 times during his
career, more than any other Reds pitcher. Harang has held Pujols to a .316
average over those 57 at bats while Pujols has hit under .316 for the
season only once in his career (.314 in '02). Monday's homerun by Pujols
was only the fourth Harang has allowed while facing him.
With the Reds playing in the same division as Pujols, and maintaining a
losing record during his whole career, there is no surprise to why he has
slightly better career numbers against our bad teams in the past decade.
We can't denounce what Albert Pujols has done to Cincinnati pitching in
the past on players who are with the team now. Pujols has been terrorizing
teams since 2001 and has shown no signs of termination. We can only hope
that our current squad can contain him a little better than the former
ones.
The Reds were defeated by the Cardinals on Monday by a final score of
11-6.
The Reds play the Cardinals again on Wednesday at 7:10pm.
Whack Reds attended Opening Day and took a few photos. There's a few
stadium shots, a guy who had his Danny Graves jersey turned into a Bruce,
a fan keeping score, empty seats, CJB digesting the score, and a 4256 kid.
Our seats weren't good enough to do any better.
4.5.10 BY:CJB OPENING DAY 2010 It's finally
here! Take the dogs out, bid them a happy day of lying around on your
furniture, and get yourself down to Great American Ballpark. What's that,
you said you have to work? No no no, you don't HAVE to go. School? Pffft.
Today, ladies and gentlefish, is opening day 2010. At this moment, there is
already a whole mess of people downtown walking absolutely nowhere. A parade
throws candy and baseballs at crowds of cheering, hung-over fans who are
almost as excited as we are. But before you turn the Radio/TV on, check out
our little re-cap on the World Series wins in Cincinnati's wonderfully rich
baseball history. The cities seeing red, but no one is angry. On the
contrary, this is one day when this city comes together and shows our love
of the greatest game in America.
FORMER REDS
GM PREDICTS A WINNING SEASON FOR THE FRANCHISE HE DETERIORATED
4.4.10 BY:MEH LET'S DO IT FOR LEATHERPANTS! FORMER REDS GM
PREDICTS A WINNING SEASON FOR THE FRANCHISE HE DETERIORATED
There's nothing like a former GM evaluating and raving about his former
employers. Honoring Marty Brennaman by not mentioning his name, "Leatherpants"
was the GM for the Cincinnati Reds from 1992-2003. He was the youngest GM in
the history of major league baseball. That might explain why he only led the
Reds to one playoff appearance during his stint in Cincinnati (1995, the
only time any of this teams went to the playoffs in his 16 year career as a
GM). His most famous acquisition was that of Ken Griffey Jr. from the
Seattle Mariners in February 2000. After being fired by the Reds in 2003
following comments comparing the MLB players union to al Queda, he became
the GM for the expansion Washington Nationals. After an FBI investigation
surrounding skimmed signing bonuses from Latin American players, he resigned
as the Nats Gm in March 2009. He is known for signing players with checkered
pasts, his habitual roster moves, and his obsession with athletic
outfielders. I love the way he talks about the Reds' depleted past as if he
was never involved.
"In the 2000's it's been a different story with four different general
managers and a decade of losing."
Who does he think actualized and established the spoiled attitude that the
Reds became accustomed to during those years? One of those general managers
was YOU "Leatherpants", and you were the one responsible for the collapse of
a franchise that has just been recently emancipated by one Bob Castellini.
He then continues to sanction Walt Jocketty and Mr. Castellini for their
acquisitions, patience, leadership, and ability to build an organization
around pitching and defense; goals he never came close to achieving. It
almost sounds like a cry for help. Shame on you.
He concludes by predicting the Reds to finish above five-hundred and
touching his nose attempting to animate a baseball sign. He just loves our
players commenting that Jay Bruce "reminds me of a lot of Larry Walker",
Brandon Phillips "has the best range in the league at that position", and
Edinson Volquez as "the best pitcher of them all" while butchering his name.
I just threw up in mouth a little bit.
May the Reds make noise in the NL Central this season not just for the
haters, the paying customers, or the Reds players past and present; but
instead a slap in the face to men like "Leatherpants" who have left a
lingering stench behind them. We are no longer approaching a new era of
Cincinnati Reds baseball.......it is here.
RUSSELL WIGHT FROM THE WIGHT
PAGES ANSWERS 14 QUESTIONS
4.4.10
WRR EP03: 14 QUESTIONS: THE WIGHT PAGES RUSSELL WIGHT FROM THE WIGHT
PAGES ANSWERS 14 QUESTIONS Just in time for Opening Day 2010,
Russell Wight from
The Wight Pages talks with Mike from Whack Reds. In episode three of WRR,
we ask Russell about Dancing with the Stars, Opening Day, and Brandon
Phillips batting fourth in the lineup. Russell gives us insight on the 2010
season and impeccably promotes Mike Leake. Who knows, we might even mention
the Hit King.
The Reds played their final
game of the spring against the Cleveland Indians on Saturday. Between both
teams there was a total of 20 runs, 27 hits, and one error. Homer Bailey
started for the Reds pitching six innings allowing six runs on six hits. Joey Votto went 2-3, while Ryan Hanigan drove in three runs with a
double in the seventh inning. The game ended after nine innings resulting in
a tie.
2010 OPENING DAY LINEUPS!!! Reds:
Dickerson CF
Cabrera SS
Votto 1B
Phillips 2B
Rolen 3B
Bruce RF
Nix LF
Hernandez C
Harang P
Cardinals: Schumaker 2B
Ryan SS
Pujols 1B
Holliday LF
Rasmus CF
Ludwick RF
Freese 3B
Molina C
Carpenter P
THE REDS
MADE THEIR FINAL CUTS OF THE SPRING ON FRIDAY
4.3.10 BY:MEH "GODZILLA" WINS
ROTATION SPOT
THE REDS MADE THEIR FINAL
CUTS OF THE SPRING ON FRIDAY
Mike
"Godzilla" Leake was named
the Reds' fifth starter on Friday. Despite having no previous professional
experience, Leake outdistanced Travis Wood to make the team. Leake will be
placed on a short list of players who have gone
directly to the majors after being drafted since it began in 1965. Leake
had this to say about the decision:
"Realistically,
I didn’t think I had a chance, but inside I thought I did. I guess
realistically I did. I’m just thankful they had faith in me. I’ve always
gone out with confidence. I don’t really show it with cockiness. I just
didn’t feel like I that much pressure on me. I felt like if I did what I’d
been doing. . . I did what I could."
Mike Leake will seemingly make his major league debut on Sunday, April 11
against the Chicago Cubs. Here's a breakdown of all the moves made by the
Reds on Friday and your 2010 Reds Opening Day Roster.
Optioned to AAA: Jared Burton, Travis Wood, Aroldis Chapman, Matt Maloney,
and Drew Sutton.
Re-assigned to AAA: Wilkin Castillo, Justin Lehr, and Chris Burke.
Released: Kip Wells
Aaron Miles and Wladimir Balentien have both been told they did not make the
team. The Reds will try and trade them before Sunday, when they will be
designated for assignment, scouring for another team.
2010 REDS OPENING DAY ROSTER:
Pitchers: Bronson Arroyo, Homer Bailey, Francisco Cordero, Johnny Cueto,
Aaron Harang, Daniel Ray Herrera, Mike Lincoln, Nick Masset, Logan Ondrusek,
Micah Owings, and Arthur Rhodes.
Catchers: Ryan Hanigan and Ramon Hernandez.
Infielders: Orlando Cabrera, Miguel Cairo, Juan Francisco, Paul Janish,
Brandon Phillips, Scott Rolen, and Joey Votto.
Outfielders: Jay Bruce, Chris Dickerson, Jonny Gomes, Laynce Nix, and Drew
Stubbs.
Mike Leake will not be added to the 25-man roster until he is needed to
start. The Reds will have to make room for him and will need to make one
more cut, to accommodate Leake, early in the season. Juan Francisco will
most likely get the demotion.
DELAYING THE INEVITABLE; FINAL CUTS EXPECTED TODAY FROM REDS
4.2.10 BY:MEH GIVE US A NUMBER FIVE!
DELAYING THE INEVITABLE; FINAL CUTS EXPECTED FRIDAY FROM THE REDS
Whack Reds couldn't be any more feverish counting down the days until
Opening Day 2010. The anticipation is driving us insane as we timidly await
the final cuts of the spring. The battle between Travis Wood and Mike Leake
(Aroldis Chapman has been sidelined) for the fifth spot in the rotation has
stayed perpetual so far. Chris Dickerson and Drew Stubbs have both impressed
at the plate crusading for the center field job. Options seem to be the
deciding factor for a Players like Wladimir Balentien and Aaron Miles, but
their spring performances may induce their liberation. Whatever the Reds
decide to do with the roster will likely be announced after Friday's game.
We are sick and tired of speculation and previsions. At this point we don't
even care who makes the team (not really); we are just ready for some
baseball!
Corky Miller and Carlos Fisher were both cut on Thursday. Cuts were supposed
to be finalized, but were delayed just to mess with our heads. Take a look
these two sequential headlines from the Reds home page. Are they trying to
drive us mad? Is this Bob Castellini's idea of an April Fool's prank? Does
OMGreds have something to do with all of this......
Here is a breakdown of players who are still on the cusp.
(Statistics through
4.1.10)
Travis Wood: 1-1, 3.50ERA, 15H, 7ER, 2HR, 12BB, and 17K in 18 innings.
Mike Leake: 1-0, 3.00ERA, 16H, 6ER, 1HR, 4BB, and 10K in 18 innings.
Laynce Nix: .273AVG, 10RBI, 4HR, and 12H in 44AB.
Wladimir Balentien: .327AVG, 4RBI, 2HR, and 16H in 49AB.
Drew Stubbs: .315AVG, 11RBI, 5HR, and 17H in 54AB.
Chris Dickerson: .300AVG, 8RBI, 2HR, and 15H in 50AB.
Aaron Miles: .152AVG, 2RBI, 0HR, and 5H in 33AB.
Paul Janish: .361AVG, 8RBI, 2HR, and 13H in 36AB.
Juan Francisco: .311AVG, 6RBI, 2HR, and 14H in 45AB
Travis Wood has emerged as the recent favorite for the fifth spot by most
people, but Mike Leake has modestly posted remotely better numbers this
spring. Wood is more likely to get the nod because of his experience and
seniority. The fifth spotter will not be needed to pitch until April 11,
which may give the Reds an extra week to decide, furthering our
preoccupation.
If the Reds decide to keep both Nix and Balentien, room will need to be made
on the 40-man roster. Aaron Miles will most likely take the fall if they
keep both outfielders. If they posses Balentien, Nix will determine his own
fate. He was a invitee to Reds' camp this year. On the other hand, Balentien
is out of options. If he doesn't make the team, expect the Reds to attempt a
trade because of the unlikelihood of him clearing waivers.
The centerfield job is still anonymous. Both Drew Stubbs and Chris Dickerson
have played favorable baseball this spring. Dickerson is more likely to get
the Opening Day start facing RHP Chris Carpenter, but both players should
make the team engaging in significant roles.
Paul Janish seems to once again secured a spot with the Reds. Janish has
shown advancement at the plate this spring, he has an undeniable ability as
an infielder, and shows his versatility as a pitcher when the Reds are
getting their butts whipped.
Whatever cuts the Reds make Friday will be thirstily accepted. Give us a
number five, secure your weaknesses, and give us some damn baseball!
The Reds beat the A's on Wednesday 8-3 while acquiring fifteen hits. Mike
Leake went six innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits while striking
out two. Scott Rolen and Drew Stubbs combined for 6RBI.
Johnny Cueto struggled against the Rangers during his final spring start for
the Reds on Thursday. He pitched four innings and allowed five earned runs
on ten hits. Danny Dorn won the game for the Reds with a controversial
walk-off homerun in the ninth inning. The Reds snuck by the Rangers 7-6.
The Reds play the Cleveland Indians on Friday at 10:05pm ET. Bronson Arroyo
will make his crowning spring start. Expect to see Jared Burton, Mike
Lincoln, and Arthur Rhodes also getting their work in.
IN EPISODE TWO OF WHACK REDS RADIO WE INTERVIEW CLINT, FROM
DIAMONDHOGGERS.COM
4.1.10 WRR EP02: 14 QUESTIONS: DIAMOND
HOGGERS IN
EPISODE TWO OF WHACK REDS RADIO WE INTERVIEW CLINT, FROM DIAMONDHOGGERS.COM
In Episode two of Whack Reds Radio, we track down Clint from
DiamondHoggers.com and ask him 14 questions. He administers answers to
questions concerning Zizzy Mane, Jay Bruce, George Grande, Aroldis Chapman,
Adam Dunn, and (of course) Pete Rose. We did our homework.
