- John says Walt Jocketty is starting to put his stamp on this ballclub.
- Dan thinks they are vastly improved and could "make some noise" in the Central.
- Hart thinks the Reds made the decision last year that they weren't going to compete with the club that they had so they traded Griffey and Dunn.
- Plesac says that you can "fall into that trap" of wanting a home run hitting team when you play at the Great American Ballpark.
Hazel reports that the Reds need Aaron Harang to have a bounce back season if they want to contend. She chatted with Aaron:
- Harang says he needs to throw strikes and eat up innings.
- He wants to go deep into games and get a chance to win.
- The Spring Training box scores don't mean anything. Aaron was trying to build up his pitch count.
- Harang lost 25 pounds this off season. He did not lose the weight because of last season, but he felt it was time for a change.
- Aaron started working out earlier this off season.
- Harang likes getting into a groove with one regular catcher.
2008 Reds Team Ranks in MLB:
- ERA- 23rd
- Bullpen ERA 8th
- Average- 7th
- Runs- 23rd
2009 Possible Rotation:
- Edinson Volquez
- Aaron Harang
- Bronson Arroyo
- Johnny Cueto
- Micah Owings/Homer Bailey
More on the pitching:
- Dan thinks Aaron Harang is the key to the rotation. When he is throwing the ball well, he strikes out a lot of guys early.
- Plesac would like to see Harang and Arroyo lead the rotation for the young guys.
- John says the real key to the rotation is the young pitchers Cueto and Volquez.
- Hart thinks the Reds are going to be happy that they held on to Bailey.
- John thinks Volquez does top of the rotation stuff.
- Plesac likes the experience in the bullpen.
- Dan wonders if the rotation can eat up enough innings early in the season to keep the bullpen guys fresh.
- Cordero, the closer, has really good stuff according to John. The Reds will feel pretty good if they get the ball to him.
- John still thinks the bullpen is a strength of this club.
Brandon Phillips talks with Hazel:
- Phillips thinks defense comes before hitting.
- He likes getting gold gloves and being the pitchers best friend.
- Brandon thinks the Reds can get the job done with the young guys. They are going to try something new this year.
- Phillips is not a home run hitter, he is just going to go out there and hit the ball the way he knows how.
- He says Alex Gonzalez (not the former Cub) is a great defensive short stop.
More on the Reds Hitters:
- John Hart says Phillips has range, arm strength and can turn a double play.
- Brandon is a great both sides of the ball player according to Hart.
- Dan thinks Alex Gonzalez can bring a lot to this team.
- He has good defense and pop in his bat.
- Joey Votto loves Chicago Cubs pitching. Dan didn't really have to point that out to us Cub fans. Plesac really likes this guy (trader!).
- Hart thinks Votto is going to have to calm down and get more mature as a hitter.
- Ramon Hernandez is a nice defensive player and Hart says they got him for his glove.
- Plesac says that the pitcher/catcher relationship is much more important than many people think. He gives Hernandez credit for this.
Greg and Dan were joined by Bronson Arroyo:
- Plesac's first question was about hitting instead of pitching. Bronson says he's lucky to have hit 1 home run in each of the last few years.
- Arroyo is not excited about moving to Arizona. He is an east coast guy and prefers Florida.
- He says he's the only guy on the team not excited about moving to Arizona.
- Bronson says that there is a much different vibe in Cincinnati than Boston.
- Arroyo kind of likes the Reds being underdogs in the Central.
- He prides himself on starting lots of games and not being on the DL.
- Arroyo is fine with pitching on 3 days rest sometimes.
- He expects big things from Aaron Harang this year.
Hazel talked with Jay Bruce:
- Bruce came in to camp acting like he was trying to make the team. He says nothing is handed to you in baseball.
- Jay says baseball is a big game of cat and mouse. His goal this year is to make adjustments to the hitters.
- He thinks the 3-run homer era is "kind of going".
- Very few guys hit 45 home runs now a days.
- He thinks that the Reds are going to be a fun team to watch.
More on the outfield:
- Bruce fits what John likes in a baseball player.
- Hart thinks Jay has the 5 tools.
- Bruce is still young and coming.
- Hart thinks the Reds will build the club around a guy like Jay Bruce.
- Dan says adding Willy Talveras was key.
- Greg points out that Talveras needs to improve his OBP so he can steal those bases.
- Chris Dickerson has been the best athlete in the Reds system for awhile according to Hart.
- Dickerson has some pop, likes to play, and plays hard.
- John likes Jerry Hairston Jr. as a super utility guy that can fill in anywhere.
Former Cubs manager Dusty Baker talked with Hazel about his Reds team:
- Baker likes having a young team because he can teach them how to play winning baseball.
- He says he can stress fundamentals much more when you have young guys.
- Dusty wants to add more speed and balance in 2009.
- He enjoyed having Griffey and Dunn, but the Reds had to change something.
- Pitching is number one, then speed and defense.
- Dusty likes everything he has seen with his ball club.
Reds Home Grown Talent:
- Joey Votto, 1B
- Jay Bruce, RF
- Chris Dickerson, LF
- Johnny Cueto, SP
- Homer Bailey, SP
More on the the Reds guys at the top:
- Walt Jocketty and Dusty are a great combo according to Hart.
- Dan defended Dusty and even says he was unfairly criticized when he managed the Cubs.
Top Prospects:
- Yonder Alonso, 1B
- Todd Frazier, SS
- Drew Stubbs, OF
- Kyle Lotzker, P
- Josh Roenicke, P
- Daryl Thompson, P
More on the Prospects:
- Dan says that some reinforcements are on the way for the Reds.
- John says Yonder Alonso was a great pick last year for Cincinnati.
All Time Team:
Starting Lineup:
- Pete Rose, 3B
- Barry Larkin, SS
- Joe Morgan, 2B
- Frank Robinson, RF
- George Foster, LF
- Tony Perez, 1B
- Johnny Bench, C
- Ken Griffey (Sr.), CF
- Don Gullett, P
Manager- Sparky Anderson
Pitchers and Bench:
- Ron Dibble, CL
- John Franco, CL
- Jose Rijo, SP
- Vada Pison, OF
- Ken Griffey Jr., OF
- Adam Dunn, OF
- Ernie Lombardi, C
- Dave Concepcion, SS
Reds Predictions:
- John- 3rd
- Dan- 3rd, behind the Cubs and Astros! Dan thinks the Cardials and Brewers will finish 4th and 5th! Interesting!
Coming up later this weekend: The Pirates.
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