PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT!!!

[CincyBobcat]

Baseball season has finally begun, folks, with yesterday the official start of Spring Training. Pitchers and catchers reported to the new complex in Goodyear, AZ, to begin getting ready for the upcoming baseball season. It's a big spring training for my beloved Redlegs, with a few key quesitons. Who's the 5th starter? Will it be the Cuban sensation Chapman, or will one of the other guys win the battle? And which Harang-atang will show up, the crappy one of the past 2 years, or the dominant one of the years prior? Who wins LF, Dickerson? If so, can he stay healthy? Or will one of the rising stars shine, such as Heisey, Frazier, or Francisco? And most importantly, can the team stay healthy and contend for an NL Central title? Man, I love baseball season!

[Deadcat]

Bobcat, I just started reading up on the Reds. If Bailey keeps going what he started last season I like what we have. I'm not so worried about our fifth starter. Owens could fill that roll and pinch hit just fine. We need better production, however, from our aces, Harang and Aroyo. And hopefully Volquez comes back healthy at the all-star break and we are still in it.

You have to figure we will be better up the middle with Cabrera at short and Stubbs in Center. Our defense was horrid last year. The word is we have tons of talent in AAA too but no spots for them. As much as we like our talent we should trade some of these guys to fill some needs. No sense in keeping Alonzo if he'll never unseat Votto.

As far as your left field question, you might see Frazier or even Alonzo tried their if they can make the switch. Frazier is an infielder, however, so he may stay down until Scott Rolen is done. I do know the Reds are trying to find ways to get these bats on the field. Hell, if Adam Dunn is good enough of a fielder for left, why the hell can't these guys play there. They can't be any worse.

[ollie]

I'm jacked up for Baseball season too. Warm weather and golf must be right around the corner.

The Reds do have some interesting decisions to make over the next season or two. Gobs of young talent and
only so many places to put them. I've heard they are trying Alonzo at 3rd, could be good, but I think this is a
band-aid as it is only going to creat a log-jam of talent at 3rd base.

Pitching and "D" will be the key to success. Never enough pitching and we always seem to end up with a couple of
guys that like to kick it around the diamond. I just hope the offense can keep up. The pitching was good enough
last year to get us probably 8 - 10 more wins than we got. Bruce has to get back to form, and IMO, you have to get
Phillips out of the 4 hole. He swings too much for the fence.
Hoping Votto is recovering from depression, he is probably a top 20 hitter in baseball and look how young he is !

Play Ball !

[Ryan the Bengal Fan]

Dusty already said BP will bat 4th. Not my biggest concern but I agree with you Ollie. I see Alonso being traded at some point unless he ends up catching or left field. He has spent some time catching and taking fly balls. He's not going to move Rolen out of third for now. It's nice to have so much young talent to be able to have some pieces to the trading puzzle if need be. Should be interesting.

[TheBurn]

All reports I've read say that Chapman is "the real deal"...

Gotta dig that!

[Deadcat]

I'm jacked up for Baseball season too. Warm weather and golf must be right around the corner.

The Reds do have some interesting decisions to make over the next season or two. Gobs of young talent and
only so many places to put them. I've heard they are trying Alonzo at 3rd, could be good, but I think this is a
band-aid as it is only going to creat a log-jam of talent at 3rd base.

Pitching and "D" will be the key to success. Never enough pitching and we always seem to end up with a couple of
guys that like to kick it around the diamond. I just hope the offense can keep up. The pitching was good enough
last year to get us probably 8 - 10 more wins than we got. Bruce has to get back to form, and IMO, you have to get
Phillips out of the 4 hole. He swings too much for the fence.
Hoping Votto is recovering from depression, he is probably a top 20 hitter in baseball and look how young he is !

Play Ball !

Why do you try Alonzo at 3rd? Todd Frazier our other young stud plays infield. He should inherit third.

Phillips needs to bat 2nd. That's where he put up his best stats. He can also still more bases there. For some reason Dusty doesn't send him when he's in the 4 spot. Don't know why. He hasn't lost speed. Bruce needs to earn that 3 or 4 spot to get our lineup straight.

[ollie]

I'm jacked up for Baseball season too. Warm weather and golf must be right around the corner.

The Reds do have some interesting decisions to make over the next season or two. Gobs of young talent and
only so many places to put them. I've heard they are trying Alonzo at 3rd, could be good, but I think this is a
band-aid as it is only going to creat a log-jam of talent at 3rd base.

Pitching and "D" will be the key to success. Never enough pitching and we always seem to end up with a couple of
guys that like to kick it around the diamond. I just hope the offense can keep up. The pitching was good enough
last year to get us probably 8 - 10 more wins than we got. Bruce has to get back to form, and IMO, you have to get
Phillips out of the 4 hole. He swings too much for the fence.
Hoping Votto is recovering from depression, he is probably a top 20 hitter in baseball and look how young he is !

Play Ball !

Why do you try Alonzo at 3rd? Todd Frazier our other young stud plays infield. He should inherit third.

Phillips needs to bat 2nd. That's where he put up his best stats. He can also still more bases there. For some reason Dusty doesn't send him when he's in the 4 spot. Don't know why. He hasn't lost speed. Bruce needs to earn that 3 or 4 spot to get our lineup straight.

DC, I'm right there with you 100% Phillips is best in the 2-hole. Of course it helps if you have a guy getting on in front of him that can steal bases but he is not a clean-up hitter and putting him there makes him try to hard. Dusty loves the guy, and I'm ok with that...but stop letting it get in the way of a sound baseball decision. Votto 3rd , Rolen 4th, Gomes or Bruce 5th sounds ok to me.

as for Frazier at 3rd...no kidding. That's where the guy is destined to play IMO. Now maybe the Reds are moving
Alonzo around, getting him time and making him more attractive for a trade. Who knows.

[CincyBobcat]

I don't really understand why Frazier was moved from SS to begin with. There has been nobody since Larkin to really man the position well, and he could have possibly taken over last year if they didn't jerk him around. I don't care if he's 6-3, he's got a similar size to Ripken, and he had no issues at SS. Cozart is a few years away, Frazier could be our every SS, then move him later if needed.

[Benzoo]

I think there's a guy named Valika that is probably going to get a chance at SS. but he's still a year away. Frazier is ready, but they really don't know what he can do at the big league level. That's why they went out and got Cabrera. We all know Janish isn't the answer.

[WhoDeyAnarchist]

I'll be really interested in Chapman as the season develops. Due to his winter tryout tour, the guy is already in midseason form. The batters, however, are not. I'll be interested how he does once the batters are on a level playing field. And, more importantly, how he does once the season starts winding down and the arm is tired.

I'm also interested in Homer. I thought that Dusty worked him pretty needlessly towards the end of last season, and I hope he doesn't feel the effects this season.

And, I'm interested in Bruce. It seems that nobody is paying attention to him this spring, and that's a good thing. The kid was just way too young and inexperienced to be looked at as the savior last year.

From an objective standpoint, I see them as a .500 team. The infield is solid as long as it stays healthy. The outfield, not so much. The bullpen is strong, once again, but they will be taxed early on since the rotation is going to be shaky until you know what you have in Volquez and Chapman.

[ollie]

I'll be really interested in Chapman as the season develops. Due to his winter tryout tour, the guy is already in midseason form. The batters, however, are not. I'll be interested how he does once the batters are on a level playing field. And, more importantly, how he does once the season starts winding down and the arm is tired.

I'm also interested in Homer. I thought that Dusty worked him pretty needlessly towards the end of last season, and I hope he doesn't feel the effects this season.

And, I'm interested in Bruce. It seems that nobody is paying attention to him this spring, and that's a good thing. The kid was just way too young and inexperienced to be looked at as the savior last year.

From an objective standpoint, I see them as a .500 team. The infield is solid as long as it stays healthy. The outfield, not so much. The bullpen is strong, once again, but they will be taxed early on since the rotation is going to be shaky until you know what you have in Volquez and Chapman.

I'd say all these are good points and keys to our success.
Homer is under the radar also, no longer being treated as a savior....has to make him feel more relaxed.
Who has the MLB channel? Jay Bruce was all over that channel last off season. Giving hitting instructions, etc. I'd say he spent a little too much time watching some of
those clips and forgot what got him to the bigs. He should bounce back and be very productive. Low batting avg., but with solid defense and his arm....I'll take what he brings
all day and twice on Sunday.
I'm excited to watch Chapman pitch against real MLB rosters, and not spring training invitees. I watched a video the other day, SOB throws hard but few were for strikes.
If he gains control...could be fun to watch.