Ross ready for Opening Day?
David Ross, still dealing with a sore back, says he's not worried about being ready for Opening Day -- not because he's sure he will be, but because he can't control it.
"The last thing I want to do is rush it," he said. "I want to be out there. I haven't had this problem before. Right now, I can't run. If I tried to spring, my back would lock up on me."
Ross has hit soft toss and run on the treadmill the last few days. He hopes to take batting practice today.
Dusty Baker is dealing with the possibility that Ross won't be ready. Opening Day is two weeks from tomorrow.
“It’s going to be a little tough,” Baker said. “You’ve got throwing, squatting. I hope so. You’ve got to get at-bats for timing. You also have to get timing as a catcher. I would like to get him in there and catch some of the guys he hasn’t caught before."
That's a long list in this camp -- Edinson Volquez, Josh Fogg, Johnny Cueto and Francisco Cordero.
143 Comments:
The Reds' pitchers need Ross to get healthy. He tends to get the best out of a pitcher.
I know I won't be hitting the panic button! Ross is an avg catcher at best! As far as a hitter? Below avg! Any of the other catchers in camp can do the same job Ross can,,,maybe better!
Ask the pitchers which catcher they perfer throwing to and feel more confortable with? I'm sure that is a better combo then some Red alarmist on this blog with his opinions and no major league experience.
ross certainly got the best out of our pitchers last year.. too funny
And what pitchers did we have last year? You are right about it being too funny...LOL
He does have 38 hr and 91 rbi in his 558 at-bats with the Reds. At least he's well above average in one department. But I think this back problem is very worrisome. I know I wouldn't prescribe catching duty to a back patient.
I've been surprised about Paul Bako's hitting in camp but once again the baseball cube gives us caution - he hit .407 and .357 his last two springs and then hit .209 and .205 respectively in the regular seasons. I don't understand that or why catchers don't hit better in general with the amount of pitches they see (maybe that is the reason itself, relating to angles and distance from mound?).
And that is why we made the Hamilton deal to improve our pitching.
Matt, please forgive me for my bad memory, what was is batting avg last year?
We all know what Ross did at the plate year before last. What did Ross do at the plate last year? How may RBI's last year?
for Hamilton we got a pitcher with a 3-11 record and 7 era in the majors the last three years..
I know ..now that he is with the reds Volquez will all of a sudden become another Tom Seaver
The purpose of the catcher is NOT for his hitting,he is totally there to help the pitching get better. The people in Cincinnati are too spoiled with images of Johnny Bench.Bench was a exception to the rule,he could do both. You probably won't see another Bench type for a hundred years,so get over it. Catchers are are there for their " D " and ability to throw out runners,which in turn makes the pitcher better.
John...what are the odds of getting Hatteberg back in some catchers gear?
We don't know how Volquez will be. I doubt he will become the next Tom Seaver,but I do know one thing. Hamilton IS NOT a Mickey Mantle type player as you once described him....now that is too funny.
And TX got a player with a severe drug abuse history who has never been able to make it through a entire season without going on the DL. Time will tell if the Hamilton-Volquez trade was good or bad for the Reds.
If I remember correctly, Hatteberg's shoulder is screwed up, which is why he had to make the move to 1B in the first place.
Defense at catcher is good to have, but it really boils down to the pitching you have. Cleveland has a helluva offensive threat at catcher (Victor Martinez), yet his defense is below average, similar to Javy. However the Tribe seems to be doing fine with him behind the plate because their pitching itself is pretty darn good.
Jack, your rant about Hamilton/Volquez is getting old. Give the kid a chance, he got shellacked his first time up in the big leagues, so his numbers are skewed.
redleg city..in fact you dont know how either Volquez or Hamilton will do
showtime..the"kid" has been up to the majors three times in three years ..get your fact straight
what i find interesting is that when it comes to players like Volquez, bailey, Griffey, Gonzalez, etc.. bloggers on here always make excuses for these favorite players of theirs..whether it be health, age, family issues, injuries, etc..
Yet when it comes to Hamiliton..a young man that has overcome hell as we know it, came to the majors after not being in baseball for 3 years and received more write in all star votes than anyone in baseball last year..you same bloggers dismiss him as a burnt out drug addict
Your empathy and compassion for players is biased
jeff.. hes played one season in the majors
regarding injury :see ken griffeys record over the course of the past 8 years
Hey redleg city, thanks for educating me on what a catcher is supposed do! I didn't see anything on this post mentioning Johnny Bench. But any starting player at ANY position in MLB, with the exception of the pitchers, a .203 BA is pathetic!! 39 RBI's in 311 AB's is pathetic!! I don't care what position they play!! Since you brought up defense, what % of runners did YOUR man Ross throw out last year? Like I said previously: An avg CATCHER at best!!
our catchers are terrible..the reds know this and this is why they drafted a catcher in the first round
mental.. these bloggers are so used to losing they have lost their prespective..LOLO at defending a catcher hitting.200
of course 90% of these bloggers glean all their info from blogs, sportswriters, and Tv,,,they never go to games ..what do u expect
For once I agree with Jack on the Hamilton and drugs issue and it is true we don't know how Hamilton or Volquez will do this year,but we had to improve our pitching and that was the deal we could get without giving up the farm.
To celbrate my agreement with Jack I'm going to fix myself an extra bowl of oatmeal
Ross had a .203 batting average at the conclusion of last season.
oatmeal will keep your cholesterol levels down..smart move
JackBlueAsh...I agree wholeheartedly!!Without doing too much digging, do remember that catcher's name the Red's drafted? I only remember he was from Puxatawney, PA. A highschooler.
Hey Menttalmidget....
What do you want to do trade Bruce for a catcher? Get real....
Hey Jack! Your such a hamilton fan why don't you go root for the rangers? they'll give you plenty to complain about. Hamilton looks like he will be a very good player,he has all the tools but what about having to have his own special coach to follow him everywhere which just happens to be the brother of the coach that was just fired. Not to mention reports of some of the other players being rubbed the wrong way by it. Sometimes there's more to the story than what you see on the surface. We have Bruce,hamilton was a luxury we could afford to part with with bruce in the wings. Are you a reds fan or not?
that brings us to the 12 million we are paying griffey..it cripples this franchise
get rid of gramps..in a loving way.. and you have 12 million freed up to do other things
and this will be done next year hopefully
Jack,
Didn't say he hadn't been. Was just arguing he didn't do so well when he came up. Anyway, I'm willing to actually wait to see how this turns out before writing it off as a failure.
Unfortunately our catching situation is what it is until we can get an upgrade. I say you live with Javy's shortcomings until Ross is healthy and can demonstrate he can return to his 2006 form.
40 I am rooting for Hamilton and the rangers
The other players on the Reds loved Josh Hamilton..quit brandishing gossip you know nothing about..if so tell us who the players were
It appears Bruce may not even make the major league club
we had to get rid of good players because of the inability to jettison Griffeys salary
ross is a good defensive catcher I would be happy if he hit .250
mentalmidget. Ross did have the production you are talking about. Lets put it in perspective, since he did hit #8 slot
Hatteberg 310 47 361
Ross 203 39 311
Keppinger 332 32 341
I would be complaining more about our 1st base run production last year. Notice that BA is nice, but runs scored and prevented win in this league.
Ross is better defensively than Hatte or Kepp, and creates runs at the same rate, even though it was an off year. That is ok for a catcher, but we would all like our team to better. better is better
Kepp better kick it up a notch as Castro has double the runs and rbi's this spring in half the ab's.
I hate the Cubs
your boy Affeldt that was going to be the pitching messiah of this team reagan better turn it up a bit
LOve Jack
Redleg, I don't know who's threads you're reading, but they ARE NOT mine! First you mention Johnny Bench which NO ONE but you brought up!!! NOW YOU ask me if thought the Red's should trade Bruce? WOW!! My 8:37 thread said any of the other catchers could do the same job Ross can!!! I'll just stand by that. But please, don't insult what little intelligence I may have!!
...I should have known someone would bring up Ross batting in the 8 hole...I 'm sure there are many other 8 hole hitters hitting better than .203 across the league!!!
mental..reagan was telling us earlier that Juan Castro should be the starting SS in Gonzos absence..what do u expect
Griffey's pursuit of 600 will add enough ticket sales to pay his salary this year.
All I've saying is that Red fans are spoiled in the catching department and they use Bench as an indicator of how a catcher should be and that is not the rule.Bench was a freak of nature and we shouldn't thing ALL catcher should be like that. Look around and see all the ugly catchers out there and see if you can improve our catchering spot.
I’ve read a lot of the Hamilton/ Volquez trade on this blog and other Red’s blogs. Most people (I’m speaking about fans) don’t think the Reds got enough for Hamilton. I disagree. There’s no question Josh Hamilton is an unusually talented player. That being said, he is still a largely unproven MLB commodity with a history of drug problems. That certainly minimizes his trade value. I believe Krivsky made the best deal he could under the circumstances. Volquez is young and has outstanding stuff and guys like that don’t grow on trees. Let’s see how this plays out before drawing conclusions about this trade.
jim his "pursuit" did nothing to help attendance last year..did it?
when he gets to 598 u will see crowds pick up for a week or two
fans at the ballpark are tired of paying their hard earned money on players only concerned with individual statistics..they want a winner..
the fans at the park last year were excited over Hamilton, Phillips and other teams like San Fran coming in.. Griffey has not been an attendance driving force in 5 years
tony volques was also 3-11 his last three years in the majors with a 7 era..all rangers publications where amazed that the Reds gave up such a ballplayer for so little in return
his "stuff" you refer to has not done him service so far has it?
Jack, that is a problem!! All of these years of losing and people are okay with mediocrity....Someone will say I'm just stuck on the days of the Big Red Machine!!!
and this year they'll be excited to see cueto and volquez pitch. we will contend.we will finish no worse than 3rd and we now have an owner who will go get the missing piece if need be in the middle of the season instead of unloading salary as in years past.
many people that do pay money and actually support this team are getting tired of leaving the darn ballpark almost every 7th inning with their heads held low ..Fans want a winner
I think these bloggers are passionate fans and I respect that..but if they were spending their money on the team they too would be getting pretty pissed off with all the crap we have been given the past 7 years
I'm sure glad your bringing all this up again, Jack. I didn't get enough of it yesterday.
Griffey's salary will go to the escalating contracts of Harang and Arroyo next year.
'ticket sales to watch Griffey's pursuit of 600 will pay for his salary this season' ?????
WOW! you got be kidding me!
If he gets within a couple or HRs, it will put more fans in the stands for a few games. Not really a great windfall. Now, winning and being in contention for a change will put enough fans in the stands to pay for Jay Bruce in right field for a long time.
we are building a team thru the minors. it takes time to right all the wrongs of the past. we now have by some reports the 3rd best farm system. i think it would be clear to see the improvements the reds are making in the last few years under krivsky.
John Fay,
Is there any chance you could have two blogs?
One for the blogger who has posted 16 times in two hours and said absolutely nothing except rehashed BS... and the other for Reds fans?
This is past ridiculous, this has gone straight to maniacal.
We out of town fans really do come here for Reds baseball news, insight, and fan fellowship.
Not for a lesson on how illicit drug use really does affect the brain.
Thanks John, I know running these blogs shouldn't be this hard, but when baseball is actually discussed here, it's a really decent place to come.
no way reds pick up griffey option next year.it's just a bad buisness move.
hopefully attendance will be up if the reds start improving and this will increase revenue significantly
the 12 million that we have been paying griffey has hurt us and diminished our ability to buy good players stanley
john you should have a blog for fans that actually live in the city and attend games
we went out and got cordero and we're still paying griffey!!!!
Finishing 3rd this season is NOT acceptable. Nothing short of making the playoffs or at the very least being in contention the last week of the season is acceptable (and by being in contention I don't mean 4 or 5 games out).
Anything less, will at least be the final nail in Mr Krivsky's tenure.
On a different tune: Hamilton will be a great player. I am not damning Krivsky for this one yet, but Volquez had better turn out to something very special.
40 we still need 2 starting pitchers and a couple of more middle relivers.
ken griffey is almost 40 years old dude ..leave him be
i agree, Jack. But if that money was already spent, where would the money for harang and arroyo come from? Their contracts average 9 or 10 million a year. There not getting anywhere near that now, so 2009 and 2010, they will make up for it with big salaries.
Just one more comment for awhile:
This one to John Fay: Its time to start banning some bloggers. I think you know it. I know, that I know it.
ST CSA
stan..ken griffey will not be on this team next year..count on that
jack your being unrealistic. how many teams have 5 great starters.with harang,cueto,volquez,arroyo not to mention roenicke and maloney in the wings we are light years ahead of were we were 3 yrs ago.
its seem EE gets a pass here. we need a big year from him to get over the hump this year.
Jack: This is your final warning. No posts about others not going to games. No posts taking personal shots at anyone. I think a lot of your posts about baseball are ludicrous, but I'll allow any opinion as long as it's about baseball. I've told you numerous times not take shots at other bloggers. Once more and I'll go back to moderating and you won't get any posts up.
Hey Volquez is starting today. Gonna have a good start & lock up the 5 spot hopefully.. & last year in his year with his most MLB playing time he had a 4.5 era.
For those of you who haven't dealt with jackinblueash or his alternate ID's... there is no debate or rational way to speak/deal with him.
If you want to discuss Cincinnati Reds baseball and the realistic outlook that our team has, I suggest you go to Redlegnation, Mr. Redlegs myspace site (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=72885990), or wait until John Fay has time to take out the trash that has accumulated in here.
Until then, this place is nothing more than a place for certain posters to show their collective asses.
What a waste of John Fays, our, and any real reds fans time.
Said this on a couple other theads,
Reds can DECLINE Griffeys option and resign him later in the off season for LESS money.
40..we have aaron harang..after that everything is speculation
cueto has never pitched a game in the majors
volquez is 3-11 the past 3 years
Arroyo whom I love to watch pitch is inconsistent
Fogg is a .500 pitcher
kevin put your man love for 40 year old ken griffey away,,why would this club sign him for even a dollar if they really wanted to win
I am sure you can get Mike tyson to fight for a couple of hundred bucks ..so who cares
john fay tell me one post that has been ludicrous
Wow, Jack managed to insert "Griffey sucks" and "Hamilton = Mantle" into a topic about the David Ross back injury.
Now, when he figures out a way to get his mantra into the next thread about Ed Smith's bathroom problems, I'll give him a silent standing ovation.
I hate to say it, but I agree with Jack about ONE thing....Juniors gone after this year (July if Reds aren't in contention.)
However, I would like to see him back as a fourth outfielder and left-handed bat off the bench. Say 2 years for 3 or 4 million per year. But , I think he wants to go to Seattle and finish there.
jdeezman, I couldn't agree more!! I thought this post was about David Ross.
stan do u really think griffey would sit on the bench and play for 2 million
Jeff Keppinger being better than Cal Ripken.
No Jack I don't. I just said that's the situation I would like to see him in on this team.
The ONLY way this would happen is if the Reds make the playoffs and Seattle don't. I think he still would like a ring.
JackBlueAsh / JackinBlueAsh
You expect us to beleive one is fake Jack and is someone else when you have said this EXACT SAME thing 100 times under both ID's:
"cueto has never pitched a game in the majors"
"volquez is 3-11 the past 3 years"
You have to stop, your just no good at it.. "dude".
And I'll put my "man love" for Griffey away when you put yours for Keppinger and Hamilton away.
John i said given the chance to play as many years as Cal Ripken that jeff keppinger would have the potential to be a Cal Ripken..
the argument was one of AGs fielding brilliance
I suggested that Keppinger, like Cal Ripken does not have to be brilliant in the field. He is already better hitter
John we have films of Cal Ripken..hes no AG in the field
Ripken was and will be known for his longevity
stan i dont want to see him on the field..He clogs up the outfield, he no longer hustles and he consumes salary.. with respect stan
Fair enough....we made our points...lets move on.
stan u seen American gangster yet..great movie ?
I like Kep also. (not as much as some) If he gets off to a good start and the Reds are winning, maybe Gonzo gets traded?
What you think, John?
I'd be happy to see the blog moderated again, even if it means delayed posts and fewer contributors. I'm interested in talking Reds baseball, not watching trolls take shots at each other.
On the topic at hand, I don't think either Ross or Valentin is significantly better than the other. Neither might hit better than Ross, but he's still not a good hitter. Ross might field his position better than Valentin, but he's still not a good defensive catcher. It would be nice to upgrade the position, but that's still less important than addressing the questions in CF, the rotation and bullpen.
I completely disagree. Without the streak, Ripkin is still a Hall of Famer.
But, as I said, you make any argument you want about baseball. I'll even tolerate the same arguments over and over again.
But I've had it with the shots at other posters, the references to other people not going to games and the like. Posting personal stuff about other poster is beyond bad taste. So there you have it: Step over the line again and you're done.
john,
you've spent some time around Bailey. How will he react to not making the team again this year? I would think after all the hype surounding him this would reduce his value around the league as far as trades go.
american gangster was overrated. 3:10 to yuma was better.
What's American Gangster got to do with anything?
Just curious
I wonder if Jack would trade Keppinger for ... oh lets say a pitcher that had 1+ major league service time with a combined 8 - 18 record and a 5.60 ERA over 186.2 innings. The kid doesnt have an outstanding fastball - low 90s - and has given up 85 walks while striking out 121, but scouts think he is getting it sorted and putting it together.
i hear ya john fay lets hope your rules apply to all bloggers
I disagree..you put cal ripkin (without name recognition of course) on this team or even some other major league teams in 2008, Alex Gonzzalez would blow him away defensively
Athletes get better , bigger, stronger and faster as the years progress
Whew...I've been posting under the lineup string, looks like this string has been the active one though. :)
I'm excited to see how Volquez does today, hopefully this is among the last nails in the coffin for the Jeremy Awful experiment and sets up our rotation for the season:
1 - Harang
2 - Arroyo
3 - Cueto
4 - Fogg (hopefully replaced mid-season by Bailey, when he's ready)
5 - E. Volquez
So long Belisle, so long...
Sorry John, and to the other posters as well, I will not respond to Jack or his comments again for any reason.
let's deal with this the same way we deal with attention-hoggin 5 year olds and just ignore everything jack says.
It'll be difficult not to respond, I know, but it'll be for the best.
Resist.
And just so I have something baseball-relevant to say, how is Corey Patterson performing? I haven't been keeping up- is he a lock for the Opening Day roster?
I think Bailey will OK with getting sent down if he continues to struggle. His next start isn't going to be against the Red Sox or Yankees. If he pitches well, he'll be disappointed.
But remember Bailey is youner than Cueto. There's nothing wrong with some time in the minors for 21 year old.
And sorry if that was perceived as an attack, it was merely a call for peace.
.you are correct about playing in the minors..nothing wrong with that..But when you keep sending someone back down it messes with his confidence..you do more damage
I apologize for the fans going to the ballpark thing..each to his own..aside from that I have not threatened or cussed at anyone.. we have had a heated debate
I dont think this team will do much better than .500, I dont think starting pitching has been improved that dramatically..we still have issues in the bullpen, we have a catcher that hits .200 etc
If that offends some of you..sorry
PLAYER AVG G AB R H
Patterson .438 5 16 2 7 TB 2B 3B HR RBI
8 1 0 0 2
Freel .324
Bruce .286
Hopper .281
Looks like hell start.
John, Hopefully Bailey at leaves ST with a good list of things he needs to work on. Obviously, throwing Strike One should be at the top of this list, correct?
Belisle has got to be feeling the heat at this point too, I would hope. I'm of the opinion the very worst thing you can do is evaluate based a few starts in Spring Training, but when you can't find the plate, whew...
John Fay:
Might I make another suggestion regarding the Jack situation?
Please restrict Jack from making any reference to Griffey and/or Hamilton UNLESS you start an actual topic about Griffey and Hamilton.
EVERY single topic thread gets hiJACEed by this and for Reds fans that would actually like to talk about something else, it just isn't worth it.
Or perhaps you could just pin a couple of open topic threads to the top, one about Griffey's salary effect on the Reds and the other on the lopsided Josh Hamilton trade?
The stats I used before happen to belong to one ... Greg Maddux. The point? Who cares Volquez is 3 - 11 with a 7.20 ERA. It is over an extremely small sample size of 80 innings. No one knows what he will do long term .... personally, I'm willing to wait and see. Btw -- if you are intent on using a small sample of past performance to extrapolate future statistical value, Kepp is doomed to be a .278 hitter with an OBP of .320 and fielding percentage of .983 ...... extremely Cooperstownesque
smitides this is a blog and debate
What's the over/under on Jack's last post. I'm saying he doesn't make it through the week.
John we have to go but do you notice the five or six goofy names on this blog currently..they are all the same individual having fun with ya
Hey John...
doesn't jack's last post qualify as violation of of his agreement to stay on the blog. MF'er is not a very nice word.
Well there he goes.....thankfully.
And this Volquez kid has a dirty changeup.
John -- Please see Jack's 12:12 comment. There is absolutely no reason for this. None! Please make that the last straw and permanently remove him now. You're going to lose a lot of good Reds fans on this blog if you don't get rid of him.
And this is a perfect example of why the 1st amendment is not absolute. And I'll say it again, that Volquez kid is dirty. 2k first inning.
Please John, Tell us Jack is done.
Volquez mowing them down!!! Bye bye Affeldt to the pen, bye bye Belisle for good...
Grizz... any more updates on how Volquez is looking?
I think this kid has pitched his way on the team.
John,
Can you please put up a link on the 16 year old Cuban Phenom 3b we signed? I have searched all over the web for any info.
Thanks
EV so far..2 inn. 4 k's 0 walks and runs...keep our fingers crossed these last couple appearances aren't a fluke.
Well 5 k's through 9 batters, or 2 and 2/3 innings. Guys in the rotation. Gotta be.
Thru 3, 1 hit, no BB, 5 k's, 10 batters faced. That's pretty good against one of the best offenses in baseball.
John.....
Could you please comment on if Bailey is too stubborn about him changing a few things about his mechanics and that is what is hurting him ? The coaches and the manager are trying to help him and he is fighting them...
Very exciting,
For the first time in a long time we have 5 guys that should be starting pitchers. I dont know how theyll do over the course of the season, but as of right now, I think we all know the 5 who have the inside track.
Ive heard repeatedly on XM MLB home plate, from many coaches, and beat writers, that Volquez and Cueto are for real, and that if this team as a whole pitches well, look out for the Reds.
I really hope the casual fans in Cincy will get wind of this and buy some tickets, I know Ill be watching.
Sometimes you don't have to see an MLB track record to understand that you have something good. Sure you need to curb your enthusiasm when a pitcher puts up great spring numbers but in your heart of hearts you know the guy only has average stuff. Its another matter all together when the guy has dominant stuff. This staff is going to match up favorably with any in baseball this year.
Jack is done. Sorry, that got up. The press box wireless was out.
John,
Assuming that JC & EV make the rotation and begin to struggle sometime after the season begins, do you think the brass will figure a way to get Soto on the staff?
mike stapp,
Here you go for Juan Duran:
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/international-affairs/2008/265719.html
John Fayman . . . just got email from Nabisco p.r. Congratulations! You're getting a season's supply of Animal Crackers! :)
Mr. R
John,
Has Volquez looked as good as in person as he has on the radio today? I almost wrecked when he got Rollins on the change up. Even Thom/Marty were floored.
John,
I've been a regular to Cincinnati.com and the Reds articles for over 4 years now. Been reading the blog for 2-ish and really enjoy the followership you have here. Seems you are having a lot of trouble with spam (as all blogs do) and out of line posters. Best way to eliminate that is to create a more social aspect to your blog. Allowing users to "rate" comments and/or commenters can help quickly filter out the "fake" posters. I have a buddy working at Ning.com and they allow you to create your own social network, wonder if there is anyway to integrate a Reds Reader Social Utility with the blogging comments?!
I personally think the Reds should ride out Ross this year and decide if anyone in the farm system is going to be ready soon. If not, make it a high priority to acquire one in the offseason, with all the money we'll save with not having Griff!
redfuture
Listening to Marty and Thom talk about how Soto is a mentor for Cueto and Volquez, I was just thinking it might be nice if Soto were on the staff somewhere.
redfuture, great observation... I was hoping that they try to get Soto on the staff to begin with. I wonder if he's open to that, or if he just wants to stay in the DR?
Either way, I feel that his serving as JC & EV's mentor means nothing but good things.
Why get down on Jack ?? The Reds sucked for many yrs.,we got worse with CLULESS as GM !!What I saw in FLA. was still a joke...our pitching staff still stinks! Hope I'm wrong but the Josh H. trade looks like another blunder !! WAKE UP CINCY FIRE KRIVSKY
John, thanks for the input on Ross.
I hope he makes it back because I think our young staff need the best defensive catcher behind the plate.
What is the MLB/scout outlook at Ross' ability to call a game?
Mr/ R, any input there?
I realize that you and I are nothing but gas filled winbags, but from one windbag to another, I appreciate your input.
John,
Thanks for stopping Jack. I know I am not the only person who had enough of his nonsense. He made coming here very annoying and digging through his repeated crap was time consuming. I am sorry that one person has to ruin this blog for everyone, but having moderation is much better than being attacked for having a different opinion. I look forward to being able to talk about the Reds in a civilized manner and I appreciate all your hard work.
As for baseball talk, Jolbert Cabrera seems to be having a nice spring, what are the chances he goes north and sees some time at SS or in the utility role?
Volquez got into trouble to start this inning on a BP error and then a walk, but then he got a popped up bunt, a ground out, and then a ground out. That impresses me more than anything else I heard today. Got into trouble, started getting ground balls.
You wanna know what's funny about Jack's arguments?
He CONSISTENTLY complained about Ross batting .200 last season...but name me a catch besides a select few (Pudge, McCann, R. Hernandez) who actually bat above .250? There's a reason why a lot of catchers bat 8th in the batting order. They're not in the game for their hitting!!
I'm glad he's gone...if I seriously heard one more argument about Ross's average, Griffey's salary, and Volquez's record across 3 partially small seasons, I would've flipped!
Any new updates on how Voltron is throwing the ball today?
Deez, that's gas-filled windbags. Compound adjective. True professionals know the difference. :)
Here's what Volquez and his "stuff"
did today against a good Phillies lineup.
IP:5.0
H:3
R:0
ER:0
BB:1
SO:6
Not too shabby!
Jacks back already (anti-media 1:09)
5 inn. 6 k's 1 walk 0 runs
No.4 starter
Coutlangus finally did a job, getting LHers Utley and Howard. I hope he string some more games like that together.
John, appreciate your efforts regarding the blog. Being a Reds fan from afar, I feel like the money I spend every year on ExtraInnings, MLB.com, Reds "stuff", and buying tickets once a year when the Reds are in my area, and even flying to Cincy occasionally for a weekend of baseball qualifies me to be a valid supporter of the Reds. I suffer from afar when the Reds suffer, but I still watch and still have hope every spring. I appreciate your blog as it supplies me with my daily Reds info I can't get in the papers here, but as far as the posts, I get tired of the nonsense back and forth.
What does anyone think about starting Cueto as No. 5 starter.
Because of his young age and small body type. Get him less innings that way. Think long term here...not short term.
Just a thought.
Like a fair number of others here, I think the Reds, and Krivsky, failed miserably at adressing the catching situation last winter. They pretty much ignored it. They wanna gamble that Ross will bounce back from a dismal year, but missing spring training and the opportunity to work on the numerous holes in his swing is not a good thing. He looked pretty awful most of last year. Probably should have been at Triple A, and would have been if the Reds weren't so bad and weak at catcher.
I don't think the "good defensive cacher" tag is enough to make up for bad hitting. Never has been, never will, particularly on this team. Teams have to hit to win. Defense and pitching alone do not win championships. That mantra is off kilter in my book. The hole he creates in the batting lineup is deeply problematical. Most championship teams have a catcher who at the very least hits adaquately with some pop in the clutch. Ross looked OK in '06, but lost last year. Which is the real David Ross?
I'd like to see a trade or a last minute pick up for a guy who can hit a little and catch a little. Why Krivsky signed Ross so quickly to the 2 year deal, I'll never understand. That contract has hamstringed the moves he can make now at catcher. Again we can only hope Ross bounces back. He's not off to a good start so far. I don't feel comfortable seeing the Reds put their my eggs in that basket. I think 2006 was the fluke year.
Volquez went 5 innings, gave up three hits, walked one, and struck out 6.
All free agents in 2009:
(catchers)
Rod Barajas TOR
Henry Blanco * CHC
Johnny Estrada MIL
Toby Hall * CWS
Kenji Johjima SEA
Adam Melhuse TEX
Mike Redmond * MIN
Ivan Rodriguez DET
David Ross * CIN
Javier Valentin CIN
Jason Varitek BOS
Vance Wilson DET
Gregg Zaun * TOR
I also started out the off-season wanting to see the catching position adressed. However after checking on potential catchers that could be acquired found out how weak the position is throughout baseball. I couldn't find any that would help the hitting while not taking the defense to unacceptable levels.
If I remember right (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm not) there isn't anymore AAA for Ross -- well not unless he clears waivers and agrees. I think he is out of options.
Yeah, I think the problem is that there are very few good cathcers available anymore in all of baseball. Ross is a good catcher but had a bad year offensively other than his power. Let's hoep he improves. If not, mybe Hanigan can help. He has a good OBP and I hear decent defensive skills. Not much chance to be much more though.
Kevin in Ft. Myrs, agree with your point about Griff signing for a lower salary next year. Also, people are forgetting he still had a fine season last year. His superstar days are over but he is still a good player. His story in Cincy is more sad than anything with all the injuries. I can't believe how many people blame him for his own bad fortune. Don't they think that he would have done everything he could to have been in the lineup every day, leading the Reds to a pennant?
Man, let's hope Cueto and Volquez live up to their potential!
remember that Devin Mesoraco is a "5 tool Catcher"
I think we are hoping that we catch fire with that pick
Is that the kid from Puxatawney Pa?
Thanks Gweedoh!
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