This part of the lead-up to Spring Training is excruciating. All I want is for the players to be gathering on baseball fields in a warmer locale, but instead what I get are “news” articles about the Cincinnati Reds packing a truck.

Oh, hey, the St. Louis Cardinals packed a truck, too! At least both of last season’s division leaders are on the same page.

I don’t know why I want the 2011 season–or at least its exhibition–to get started so soon. Perhaps it’s the 2 inches of ice on the ground with 3 inches of snow on top of it. I can’t imagine why I might be a bit stir-crazy with that and the freezing temperatures of this very cold winter for the last month and a half.

Soon, though. Soon, a game will happen, and I can envision myself basking in the sun as Aroldis Chapman’s fastball pounds the catcher’s mitt. Nothing to do but wait.

Of course, everybody remembers the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. One of the many activities he engaged in was attending a game at Wrigley Field to see the Chicago Cubs play the Atlanta Braves, where he had the good fortune of catching a foul ball. But who’s foul ball was it? Thanks to this interesting article linked to from a Tweet by Joel Luckhaupt, now I know.

The movie used an actual game and included play-by-play from Harry Caray, which allowed the writer of the article to sift through the game logs at Baseball Reference and discover the exact game that was used.

The movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” was released on June 11, 1986. The ballgame then must have been filmed either real early in the 1986 season or sometime during 1985. Looking at game logs from those seasons, we see that there was no game in 1986 in which Lee Smith (#46) faced the Braves at Wrigley Field. There were four such games in ’85, though Smith left the Braves hitless in one of those. Of the remaining three games, it isn’t hard to find the game we’re looking for.

Go to the article to find the exciting conclusion. And then stick around to see how tight it makes the timeline of the rest of Beuller’s day. The baseball game was an 11-inning affair, which wouldn’t leave much time for the musical numbers in the parade and all the other stops.

Ah, the geeky wonders of Baseball Reference.

Football is done. Bring on the baseball. Pitchers and catchers report in 10 days.

I missed this press release from a few days ago, but it looks like the Cincinnati Reds are planning on some kind of entertainment extravaganza on Sunday, April 3, shortly after the 2011 season starts. Details are sparse. Who knows if we’ll get to see Joey Votto performing Shakespeare or not.

Join the entire 2011 Cincinnati Reds roster, along with coaches and broadcasters for REDS UN-CUT: Live at the Aronoff Center delivered by DHL, a casual evening of fun and entertainment at the Aronoff Center for the Arts in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, April 3, 2011.

The program will feature player interviews, game show elements and other surprises in a theater-style show. Plus, you might even become part of the show!

Doors will open at 6 p.m. for a red carpet arrival that is open to the public, with the show beginning at 7 p.m.

A pre-show reception will feature complimentary light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.

All ages of Reds fans are welcome to this new and unique event.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.reds.com/uncut. Plus, every ticket to this show comes with a ticket to the Opening Night game against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 2.

John Erardi, with help from Joel Luckhaupt and others, wrote a nice article highlighting how important Drew Stubbs could be for the Cincinnati Reds this season.

At 26, Stubbs will be starting his second full year in the majors. This after a first full season that was…uneven, yet promising. The way Stubbs finished the season so strong was certainly a major factor in the Reds outdistancing the St. Louis Cardinals. What 2011 will show is whether that excellent showing at the end of the year was a fluke or a fulfilling of potential.

The last two months were a coming out party for Stubbs and Bruce. From August 1st on, Stubbs hit .308, got on base at a near .400 clip, hit 9 home runs and stole 12 bases in 197 plate appearances. Bruce was even better (.338/.418/.699, with 15 HR in 153 plate appearances).

What overshadows Stubbs growth as a player, though, is his lack of bunting prowess. I’ve often found this criticism to be a bit dubious. Yes, Stubbs is speedy, but he clearly has power, and you can’t bunt for a double or a home run.

Stubbs has also been criticized for his high number of strikeouts, much like Adam Dunn before him. Erardi takes on that criticism head-on.

Not everybody in Reds Country has absorbed this cardinal rule of baseball offense:

What kills an offense is not strikeouts, it’s almost any kind of out.

Stubbs struck out a team-high 168 times last year; Bruce, 136, Joey Votto, 125, and Jonny Gomes 123. Brandon Phillips struck out only 83.

But here’s why “making contact” can be so deceptive:

Despite having twice as many strikeouts as Phillips, Stubbs did a better job of “getting on base plus slugging” than Phillips did. And even though Phillips had a batting average that was 20 points higher than Stubbs, Stubbs had a better OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) because he walked nine more times and hit four more home runs (in 100 fewer plate appearances). Stubbs also grounded into 8 fewer double plays.

The point: Pay attention to how many outs a guy makes, regardless of how he makes them. Strikeouts aren’t all that big of a deal, especially when a guy does so many other things well.

Hopefully, this article will begin an education of both Reds fans and management. It would also be nice, as the article concludes, to focus on all the things a player does well instead of focusing on the things he doesn’t.