Cincinnati Reds

 
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Thu 18 March, 2010

13:17 Simple Example of the Effect of the Reds Defense - Red Reporter
Lando will have to repeat his little maneuver from the battle of Taanab if the Reds are going to keep their opponents off the scoreboard this year.

More photos » Mark Duncan - AP

Lando will have to repeat his little maneuver from the battle of Taanab if the Reds are going to keep their opponents off the scoreboard this year.

Browse more photos »

I was just looking through some data and noticed something cool. In 2009, Reds pitchers faced fewer batters with runners on base than they did in 2008. Why is that a big deal? Well, for one, the 2009 pitchers had more walks and hit by pitches (10.3% walk+HBP rate compared to 9.8% in 2008) and fewer strikeouts (17.1% strikeout rate to 19.3% in 2008), which means not only were they putting more men on base, but they were also allowing more balls to be put into play than in the previous year.

And yet they faced just 2785 batters with men on base, compared to 2989 in 2008.That's 200 plate fewer plate appearances with men on during the season, a number that is due almost entirely to improved defense behind pitchers. While 200 PA over a season might not be a huge amount, it's a big deal when you have pitchers that are prone to giving up the long ball.

The Reds do have a few of those types of pitchers to go along with a park that gives up a few of its own too. However, this  table below shows how a having a strong defense can even help on HR:

Home Runs Allowed Breakdown
Year Bases Empty Men On % with Men On
2008 121 80 40%
2009 124 64 34%

Some of the difference is not strictly because of better defense. Reds pitchers had the highest percentage of flyballs turn into HR in 2008, which is generally considered unlucky more than poor pitching. That number was much more normal in 2009, so that is part of the reason for the decline in home runs allowed. However, there is a connection between facing fewer batters with men on and allowing fewer multi-run home runs. Limiting issues early in the inning can help avoid bigger problems later in the inning.

What's the point of all of this? Well, I think some fans are still trying to understand the significance of defense beyond platitudes like "Defense wins championships" and complex ideas like saying the Reds defense saved 95 more runs in 2009 than 2008. Hopefully this can give you a concrete example of how improved team defense can change the success of the pitcher. It's not simply a matter of getting that specific hitter out, but making the situation easier when facing other hitters later in the inning. Call it the butterfly effect of baseball defense.


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13:17 Cactus League Game 14 Thread: Reds at Indians - Red Reporter

Next Game

Cincinnati Reds
@ Cleveland Indians

Thursday, March 18, 2010, 4:05 PM EDT
Goodyear Ballpark

Homer Bailey vs. Jeremy Sowers

Sunny. Game time temperature around 79.

 

Two former first round picks for the Reds face off today at Goodyear Ballpark. Homer Bailey (7th pick of the 2004 draft) goes up against Jeremy Sowers (20th pick of the 2001 draft) as the Reds and Indians face off for the second time in two days. Bailey has thrown 5 innings this spring, allowing 3 hits and a run while striking out 5 batters. He has yet to walk a hitter, which is very good news. Sowers will be making his first appearance of the spring.

The Reds will also send Sam Lecure, Francisco Cordero, Pedro Viola, Logan Ondrusek, and Philippe-Alexandre Valiquette to the mound. I can't find who else the Indians plan on using.

Lineups are after the jump. Today's game is televised on Fox Sports Ohio and Sportstime Ohio and MLB.tv. Thankfully they finally decided to televise a game on a day when there was nothing else to watch on TV. You can also catch the Indians radio team on Gameday Audio or you can follow along without sound on Gameday.

Lineup

Cincinnati RedsCleveland Indians
Chris Dickerson - CF Trevor Crowe - LF
Zach Cozart - SS Grady Sizemore - CF
Joey Votto - 1B Mark Grudzielanek - 3B
Scott Rolen - 3B Travis Hafner - DH
Jonny Gomes - LF Austin Kearns - RF
Wladimir Balentien - RF Luis Valbuena - 2B
Ramon Hernandez - C Wes Hodges - 1B
Chris Burke - 2B Carlos Rivero - SS
Chris Valaika - DH Damaso Espino - C

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12:56 Cuts…no real surprises - Redleg Nation

From MLB.com:

The Reds now have 48 players in Major League camp.

Prior to Thursday’s game against the Indians, the Reds optioned infielder Yonder Alonso and left-handed pitcher Bill Bray to Triple-A Louisville and optioned right-handed pitcher Jordan Smith and left-handed pitcher Philippe Valiquette to Double-A Carolina.

The club also assigned right-handed pitcher Jon Adkins and outfielder Josh [...]
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09:12 Juan Francisco Takes His Turn in Left Field for the Cincinnati Reds - Cincinnati Reds News

The Reds have Scott Rolen locked in at third base which is the normal position for power-hitting youngster Juan Francisco .


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07:30 MLB Network & MLB.COM to Provide Fantasy Programming - Red Hot Mama
New York & Secaucus – With 2010 fantasy baseball drafts underway, MLB Network today announced it will air the MLB.com Fantasy 411 Draft Preview on Sunday, March 21 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Hosted by MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger and Harold Reynolds along with MLB.com’s Cory Schwartz and Mike Siano, the two-hour show will provide detailed [...]
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02:25 Reds Team Report (Yahoo! Sports) - Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Cincinnati Reds News

Aroldis Chapman, the 21-year-old Cuban left-hander, has been better than expected at every turn this spring.

But the Reds vow to stick to the plan, and they'll consider him for their opening-day roster but won't commit to it.

"It's too early to determine," general manager Walt Jocketty said.

Pitching coach Bryan Price doesn't rule out Chapman making it, but he echoes Jocketty's reaction.

"It's not unrealistic to see (Chapman making the club)," Price said. "But in the same respect, there's a lot of spring to go. There's a lot of decisions to be made. I don't think that's a decision that's going to be made until we get a lot closer to end, and there's a lot more involved than performance.
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01:10 Carmona sharp, Indians beat Reds 8-2 - Cincinnati Reds News

Fausto Carmona had his second strong outing of spring training Wednesday night, allowing only a pair of hits over four innings of the Cleveland Indians' 8-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds .


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00:19 Cactus League Game 13 Thread: Indians at Reds - Red Reporter

Next Game

Cleveland Indians
@ Cincinnati Reds

Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 10:05 PM EDT
Goodyear Ballpark

Fausto Carmona vs Bronson Arroyo

Clear. Game time temperature around 78.

 

Bronson Arroyo makes his 3rd start of the spring tonight against Cleveland. He has yet to give up a run in 5 innings. He has struck out 2 batters with no walks and only 2 hits allowed. And yet, he's been overshadowed every time out there. That's a good thing. Hopefully he keeps it going tonight.

He'll be followed by Enerio Del Rosario, Jared Burton, Daniel Ray Herrera, and Micah Owings.

Indians put Fausto Carmona on the mound. He's pitched 3 innings of shutout baseball with a hit and a strikeout.

Lineups are after the jump. Indians have the broadcast today on Gameday Audio, or you can follow along on Gameday.

Lineup

Cleveland Indians
Cincinnati Reds
Jason Donald - SS
 Drew Stubbs - CF
Mark Grudzielanek - 2B
 Orlando Cabrera - SS
Shin-Soo Choo - RF
 Brandon Phillips - 2B
Travis Hafner - DH
 Juan Francisco - 3B
Jhonny Peralta - 3B
 Laynce Nix - LF
Matt LaPorta - 1B
 Jay Bruce -RF
Austin Kearns - CF
 Miguel Cairo - DH
Nicholas Weglarz - LF
 Todd Frazier - 1B
Mike Redmond - C
 Ryan Hanigan - C

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Wed 17 March, 2010

22:38 Carmona sharp, Indians beat Reds 8-2 (AP) - Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Cincinnati Reds News
Fausto Carmona had his second strong outing of spring training Wednesday night, allowing only a pair of hits over four innings of the Cleveland Indians' 8-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. The right-hander was an All-Star in 2007 and got off to a good start the next season before a strained left hip knocked him out of sync.
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22:37 ROSTER REPORT - FOXSports.com News for Reds
After being quiet most of the offseason, the Reds made big noise late. They signed Cuban LHP Aroldis Chapman in late December, then added free agent SS Orlando Cabrera and traded for UT Aaron Miles on the same day. ARRIVALS: OF Josh Anderson (minor league free agent from Royals), INF Miguel Cairo (minor league free agent from Phillies), SS Orlando Cabrera (free agent from Twins), LHP Aroldis Chapman (free agent from Cuba), INF Aaron Miles (trade with A's). DEPARTURES: C Craig Tatum (claimed off waivers by Orioles), INF Danny Richar (free agent, signed minor league deal with Marlins), OF Willy Taveras (traded to A's), INF Adam Rosales (traded to A's). SPRING FOCUS: The Reds' roster is pretty much set, except for some bench players. The left field spot and fifth starter job will be decided in spring training. The bullpen, the strength of the club last year, returns intact. PROJECTED ROTATION: 1. RHP Aaron Harang 2. RHP Bronson Arroyo 3. RHP Johnny Cueto 4. RHP Homer Bailey 5. RHP Justin Lehr The first four are locks. Lehr will have to beat out young LHPs Matt Maloney and Travis Wood to win the job. There's also a chance that LHP Aroldis Chapman pitches his way into the picture. PROJECTED BULLPEN: RHP Francisco Cordero (closer) RHP Nick Masset LHP Arthur Rhodes RHP Jared Burton LHP Daniel Ray Herrera RHP Mike Lincoln RHP Micah Owings The bullpen was third in the National League with a 3.56 ERA last year. Owings will likely end up in the long-relief/pinch-hitter role. PROJECTED LINEUP: 1. CF Drew Stubbs 2. SS Orlando Cabrera 3. 1B Joey Votto 4. 2B Brandon Phillips 5. 3B Scott Rolen 6. RF Jay Bruce 7. C Ramon Hernandez 8. LF Chris Dickerson There probably will be some type of platoon in left field. Phillips is not a prototypical cleanup hitter, but it worked well late last season with Rolen hitting fifth and Phillips fourth. PROJECTED RESERVES: INF Aaron Miles C Ryan Hanigan OF Laynce Nix INF Paul Janish OF Wladimir Balentien The bench isn't particularly strong, but RHP Micah Owings -- a career .300 hitter with eight homers and 31 RBIs in 170 at-bats -- will be used as a pinch hitter, if he's on the roster. TOP ROOKIES: INF/OF Todd Frazier will get an extended look in spring training. Frazier, drafted as a shortstop, has played everywhere in the minors by catcher and center field. He'd likely be the first to get the call if a regular is injured. OF Chris Heisey does everything well. He'll be in the race for left field. But he struggled a bit at Class AAA (.278), so he'll likely be sent back for more seasoning. MEDICAL WATCH: --RHP Edison Volquez (Tommy John elbow surgery in August 2009) was placed on the 60-day disabled list Feb. 22. He is ahead of schedule, and he should return in the season's second half. --LHP Billy Bray (Tommy John elbow surgery in May 2009) was throwing off a mound in early March. --INF Aaron Miles (fractured right middle finger) returned to action in early March. --INF Chris Burke (fractured right ring finger) hoped to return to action in mid-March.


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22:37 NOTES, QUOTES - FOXSports.com News for Reds
--INF Aaron Miles returned to action after missing a week with a fracture of the tip of his right middle finger. "It feels good," he said. "I'm ready to go. I'm jealous of these guys." Miles is competing for utility role. He's coming off a year in which he hit .185, so he was anxious to get back. "Especially coming off a year like I had," Miles said. "I want to show I can be the guy I've been in the past." --Former Reds star Barry Larkin was in camp for a 10-day stay as a guest instructor. Larkin had been mostly estranged from the club since retiring. Larkin spent his first three years of retirement working for the Nationals. "They asked me to come back," Larkin said of the Reds. "It's great. I've often thought about it. It's time, and it's good. "I'll do whatever they want me to. I know that they have young shortstops in the organization. I think that's one of the reasons they brought me back as well as Sean Casey. I think the last time this organization won is when we were playing. You can have the different pieces, but I think there's an aura they're trying to create. I commend them for having all the guys back." --INF Chris Burke is progressing well from a fractured right ring finger he suffered during the first days of camp. Burke resumed hitting. He thought he'd be able to play in games by the third week of March. "That's my hope," he said. --RHP Mike Lincoln is trying to make the conversion from reliever to starter. His second outing of the spring went much better than the first. Lincoln worked two perfect innings against the Angels his second time out. He gave up four runs on seven hits in his first outing against Cleveland. The difference was Lincoln was able to keep the ball down. "I was really trying to do that the last game," Lincoln said. "But it didn't work. My timing might have been off the last game. It was so much easier to throw the ball down today." --RHP Aaron Harang's first Cactus League outing wasn't good: 1 1/3 innings, four hits, three runs on a day he was scheduled to pitch three innings. But Harang wasn't concerned because he's remaking his mechanics this spring. "Overall, I'm happy with it," he said. "But it has to do with arm slot. I need some fine-tuning. It was the way I pitched so long. Then to change it is not going to work overnight. I still got some stuff to work on, but that's what spring is for. The ball felt like it was coming out free and easy. It's still a long spring. The biggest thing is building up the pitch count." --LHP Alexander Smit, RHP Jose Arredondo, Cs Chris Denove and Brandon Yarbrough and OF Danny Dorn, all non-roster invitees, were re-assigned to the Reds' minor league camp. BY THE NUMBERS: 94, 96, 100 -- The radar-gun clocking on consecutive pitches LHP Aroldis Chapman threw to Kansas City's Chris Getz in Chapman's first outing the spring. Getz took the last pitch for strike three. QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'll take 100 with command." -- Manager Dusty Baker, after LHP Aroldis Chapman was clocked at 100 mph on several pitches in his first outing of the spring.


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22:37 INSIDE PITCH - FOXSports.com News for Reds
Aroldis Chapman, the 21-year-old Cuban left-hander, has been better than expected at every turn this spring. But the Reds vow to stick to the plan, and they'll consider him for their opening-day roster but won't commit to it. "It's too early to determine," general manager Walt Jocketty said. Pitching coach Bryan Price doesn't rule out Chapman making it, but he echoes Jocketty's reaction. "It's not unrealistic to see (Chapman making the club)," Price said. "But in the same respect, there's a lot of spring to go. There's a lot of decisions to be made. I don't think that's a decision that's going to be made until we get a lot closer to end, and there's a lot more involved than performance. But, right now, I hope he forces our hand. "We want to make sure we do the right thing for him in the grand scheme, the big picture." Chapman's fastball hit 100 mph in his spring debut. The lefty struck out three in two scoreless innings against the Royals. But Chapman's gas wasn't what impressed his mentor and interpreter Tony Fossas the most. "The most important thing is I saw him nice and relaxed, standing nice and tall," Fossas said. "He was finishing up his pitches. His slider was very good again." Chapman's early success doesn't surprise Fossas. "First of all, he's very bright," Fossas said. "He already brought solid mechanics. He's a workaholic. With the knowledge we have here, he's only going to get better. With the video room -- that he's never seen before -- he's going to use that to his advantage."


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22:17 Spring Training Capsules (AP) - Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Cincinnati Reds News
Jayson Werth hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning to break open a tie game, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Yankees 6-2 on Wednesday. Werth, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard all finished 2 for 3 and combined for three runs and four RBIs. Right-hander Joe Blanton lowered his spring ERA to 4.09 by holding the Yankees to two earned runs in five innings.
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22:00 Lincoln eliminated from rotation mix - Cincinnati.com - Reds
From the it-comes-as-no-surprise department: The Reds have decided to move Mike Lincoln back to the bullpen.
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22:00 Chapman wows 'em again - Cincinnati.com - Reds
There is no question Aroldis Chapman can pitch in the majors and soon. The Cuban phenom's third outing and first start of the spring was as impressive as the first two.
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22:00 Brewers 5, Reds 2 - Cincinnati.com - Reds
The Reds had only six hits, but Aroldis Chapman started and allowed one run over three innings.
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20:53 Chapman strike out 5 but Brewers beat Reds 5-2 - Cincinnati Reds News

Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman struck out five during his latest impressive showing Wednesday, but a Cincinnati Reds split squad couldn't manage much against Doug Davis in a 5-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.


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19:08 Chapmania! - Redleg Nation

Good grief. Is there anything Aroldis Chapman can’t do?

The young Cuban phenom made his first start for the Reds today in Goodyear, against the Brewers. The result: Three innings, one hit, one run, one walk, five strikeouts. Are you kidding me? Nothing fazes this kid.

Here’s what the Brewers’ Doug Davis said: “He’s going to be [...]
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16:33 2010 Reds Opening Day Festivities Announced - Cincinnati Reds News

The Cincinnati Reds have announced what fans can expect during the 2010 Opening Day festivities, and it includes a Hall of Famer.


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16:18 Chapman strike out 5 but Brewers beat Reds 5-2 (AP) - Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Cincinnati Reds News
Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman struck out five during his latest impressive showing Wednesday, but a Cincinnati Reds split squad couldn't manage much against Doug Davis in a 5-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. The 22-year-old Chapman, making his case for a spot in the Reds' rotation, allowed only one hit in three innings, a solo homer by Rickie Weeks.
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15:42 Bench is Opening Day Grand Marshal - Cincinnati.com - Reds
The Reds 2010 Opening Day festivities on April 5 include Grand Marshal Johnny Bench, the ceremonial first pitch from George Grande and the National Anthem sung by tight end Ben Utecht.
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15:41 Exhibition baseball - FOXSports.com News for Reds
Exhibition baseball Tuesday?s Games CUBS 4, Texas 1 WHITE SOX 6, Colorado 1 Baltimore 3, Minnesota 1 Washington (ss) 4, St. Louis 2 Philadelphia 6, Detroit 1 Houston (ss) 3, Boston (ss) 0 Atlanta 6, Florida (ss) 3


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14:18 Red Reposter - Is Dickerson playing his way to the first string? - Red Reporter
The secret's been out on Juan Francisco's power. Hopefully that's not the case with his plate discipline. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

More photos » Paul Connors - AP

The secret's been out on Juan Francisco's power. Hopefully that's not the case with his plate discipline. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

Browse more photos »

 

  • Fay - Is Dickerson passing Stubbs? 
    Earlier this month Dickerson mouthed off to the press about not getting the chance to compete for the CF job.  But Fay writes that his ST performance since then has spoken much louder.  Dusty Baker's pleased with how Dickerson has reacted to the controversy:  "That’s how you do it:  You play your way into it. You don’t talk your way into it."  Mark Sheldon adds that Stubbs needs to get going soon.  Dusty says that that he's not worried but "[Stubbs] needs to get going here pretty soon....  I'd like to see him make some more contact because he's struck out a lot, and try a couple of bunts."  RL Nation sums up my thoughts - basing the decision on a couple dozen exhibition games is silly.
  • Stubbs responded yesterday with a double and a triple.  Trent notes that in going 2 for 3, Stubbs, who describes himself as a slow starter, raised his average from .100 to .174.  If he keeps that up, he'll almost be hitting .400 in three days!  "I told you give me time," Stubbs said with a laugh.  Stubbs, Jay Bruce, and other bats led the Reds to a 13-7 win over Arizona.  Johnny Cueto pitched out of jams, inducing a couple of DPs in allowing two runs (earned, but caused by Drew Stubbs losing a double in the sun) in 3 2/3.  Phillipe Valiquette hit two batters in giving up three runs in an inning.  I'm guessing he's one of the Reds that will be cut this week.  
  • Today the Reds have a split squad, and Stubbs and Dickerson will lead off and play center in the two games.  Some Cuban prospect will be starting his first game in the afternoon against Milwaukee.  The other squad will play Cleveland in the evening.  All proceeds from the evening game will go to the local YMCA.
  • SI Vault 5.25.87 - These Are Red Letter Days
    Speaking of CF, I was fooling around in the SI Vault and found this 1987 Ralph Wiley article on Eric Davis.  Davis was coming off a great '86 season but really burst on the national scene in '87, starting in the All-Star game and winning a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.  Pete Rose gushes about Davis throughout the article. "It's like having an atomic bomb sitting next to you in the dugout," Rose says at one point, presumably in a positive way.  Davis, a quiet and proud player, didn't necessarily seek the limelight but wanted to make an impression: "I don't want to be famous.  I want to be secure. I don't want the world. I just want a piece of it. I want people to remember Eric Davis."  Mission accomplished.
  • Sheldon - Cabrera brings vocal leadership to Reds 
    Scott Rolen is typically portrayed as the quiet leader-by-example type, but Orlando Cabrera is apparently a different type of leader.  Sayeth Dusty: "He's a leader that doesn't mind leading.... He's vocal. He believes he's a winner and he believes he can help us win. He believes where he goes, winning follows."  Cabrera's certainly vocal.  After starting off sluggishly for the A's last year, he said of his performance:  "I suck. For real."

    Also, I had no idea that Orlando was Jolbert's brother.
  • CNATI - Francisco to get a shot in LF
    Trent reported that in yesterday's game the Reds started Juan Francisco in LF.  END's hot start has made him impossible to ignore, though Dusty is well aware of Francisco's weakness:  "I want to get him in there, we've still got to work on him because he's extremely aggressive," Baker said. "We've got to work on his pitch selection a little bit. They're starting to go out of the zone on him and he'll start to get a reputation and that's what they'll do. I'm very confident he'll make the adjustment."  That message didn't seem to resonate yesterday, when END saw only three pitches in three PAs.  Per Sheldon, Juan is "really comfortable" in the OF from growing up in the DR.  Wherever he plays, hopefully Francisco will continue his power rampage. I was at Saturday's game in Mesa against the Cubs, and Juan's second HR went over center field in no time at all. It was one of those really cool moments where you could hear the crowd gasp.
  • Fisher hurting
    Fay reports that RHP Carlos Fisher is out with a sore right elbow.  No MRI scheduled yet.  The Reds will rest Fisher a few days, but if that doesn't work, it's the ol' pokin' stick. 
  • Steve at Seeing Reds is taking in all the action down in Goodyear
    and posting his observations. He also has a load of fantastic pics, so go check it out.
  • MLBTradeRumors.com - Execs Name Best, Worst Moves Of The Offseason 
    The Reds signing of Aroldis Chapman checks in as one of the best free agent signings of the winter, according to an MLBTR survey of "several MLB executives." The survey might have more meaning if we knew what counted as an exec and how many were surveyed, but it's still great to hear that the industry considers the Chapman deal a big positive. The other good FA signings: Felipe Lopez, Adrian Beltre, Adam LaRoche, Chone Figgins, and Hideki Matsui.
  • Quick! What's the celsius-fahrenheit conversion?
    Ask Johnny Bench!  OMG Reds, via Deadspin, links this somewhat odd interview aboot everything from today's young catchers to the BRM versus the '09 Yankees.  Johnny might want to start worrying about passing his next driving test.
  • The Times Daily (Florence, AL) - End of the line for David Weathers?
    David Weathers wouldn't mind joining a contending team if the situation is right, even if that's not until June or July.  But if this is it, he has no regrets.  "There's nothing I can do to ever be at the level of competition that I was in when I was wearing a major league uniform," he said. "I was at the top of my profession, and there's not a whole lot of softball leagues that can fill that void. The big league lifestyle? I'm not going to miss it." (HT to BBTF).
  • BtB - HOF Careers Stopped by Injury 
    Jeff Zimmerman shows us a WAR graph for several players who have had their careers impaired by injuries. Our own Scott Rolen is one of the better showers. Even with injuries, he has a legit argument for the Hall of Fame. A 6 WAR season this year would certainly help matters. :)    (Thanks, JinAZ)
  • FanGraphs - FANS say Reds have 15% chance at the playoffs
    Which sounds about right. The projected standings are based on the FANS player projections. St. Louis is the easy division favorite, with a 63% chance of taking the Central. The big surprises to me are the Dodgers, who have only an 18% chance at the West (considerably lower than Colorado or Arizona), and the Phillies, who "trail" the Braves 56% to 23% for winning the East.
  • Baseball Musings - The draft and race
    The aftershocks of Torri Hunter's comments continue. Here, David Pinto links to a Pittsburgh paper's article about the draft and black (i.e., african-american) participation in baseball.  Both agree that the draft has decreased black participation in baseball, but Pinto disagrees that a worldwide draft is the solution.  I'm not sure he's right.  A worldwide draft decreases the teams' incentives to run international academies.  That should leave more resources to develop domestic talent.  In any event, to me class is more important than race in all of this.  For several years baseball has become a more suburban, affluent sport.  It's going to be very difficult to stop that tide.  As different groups gravitate towards that demographic, you'll see more baseball participation from them.   
  • Baseball Prospectus | Squawking Baseball - At Bat 2010
    This review, which looks only at the iPhone version of the new At Bat 2010 app, concludes that "most of what you'll find are only slight upgrades to the previous edition."  We've had this conversation recently, but what do people think about At Bat on the iPhone versus the Droid or other non-iPhones?  And how solid is the audio feed on both?

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14:18 Cactus League Game 12 Thread: Brewers at Reds - Red Reporter

Next Game

Milwaukee Brewers
@ Cincinnati Reds

Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 4:05 PM EDT
Goodyear Ballpark

Doug Davis vs Aroldis Chapman

Sunny. Game time temperature around 82.

 

I'm not sure there's much to care about in this game - one of two for the Reds today. Kip Wells and Justin Lehr will see some innings in this one, so there's that. And I suppose you can get excited about Zach Cozart playing shortstop and hitting second, but as far as I can tell, that's it.

Unless you consider Aroldis Chapman making his first start ever with the Reds to be news! ZOMG!!!! Can you believe it?! He's gonna throw pitches and everything!

Seriously though, I hope Chapman keeps mowing them down. It's kind of fun being the envy of other teams for something. It makes me smile!

Besides Chapman, Wells, and Lehr, Nick Masset and Arthur Rhodes should each get some work today too.

Doug Davis takes the mound for the Brewers. He'll be joined by Scott Schoeneweis, Carlos Villanueva, and Kameron Loe.

Lineups are after the jump. Brewer's have the broadcast today on Gameday Audio, or you can follow along on Gameday.

Lineup

Milwaukee Brewers
Cincinnati Reds
Rickie Weeks - 2B
 Chris Dickerson - CF
Carlos Gomez - CF
 Zach Cozart - SS
Ryan Braun - LF
 Joey Votto - 1B
Corey Hart - RF
 Scott Rolen - 3B
Steffan Wilson - 1B
 Jonny Gomes - LF
Craig Counsell - 3B Wladimir Balentien -RF
Alcides Escobar - SS Ramon Hernandez - C
George Kottaras - C
 Chris Burke - DH
Doug Davis - P
 Wilkin Castillo - 2B

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