Last Game
The Cincinnati Reds lost 10-8 to the Oakland A’s. It was an ugly performance for starter Mike Leake, but the offense continues to score tons of runs. Yesterday’s biggest contributor was one Joey Votto, who went 3-5 with a homer and 4 RBI.

Next Game
The Reds travel to face the San Diego Padres this afternoon. Homer Bailey will start against Tim Stauffer. The first pitch is scheduled at 4:05pm EDT and can be heard on 700 WLW.

Hernandez and His Sore Elbow
Reds catcher Ramon Hernandez was scratched from yesterday’s lineup due to a sore elbow.

Like Johnny Cueto before him, Hernandez will be examined by team physician Dr. Kremchek.

“There’s nothing structural wrong,” Dusty Baker said. “He’s just having trouble extending.”

If this lingers, it could just be Corky Miller’s entry onto the roster for 2011. And you know how much better the Reds are with his mustache.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
The Reds Hall of Fame and Museum’s feature exhibit during the 2011 season will be entitled “Johnny Bench: A Celebration of Baseball’s Greatest Catcher.”

Last Game
The Cincinnati Reds had their game against the Seattle Mariners rained out yesterday. Bronson Arroyo had been scheduled to start, but was a late scratch due to continuing to suffer from the fifth annual flu-like symptoms.

Next Game
Today the Reds hope for better, more climate-appropriate, weather when they send Mike Leake to mound against Gio Gonzalez and the Oakland A’s. Game-time is 4:05pm EDT, and the game will be broadcast on 700 WLW.

Pitching Depth Being Tested
All throughout last season, the Reds displayed a lot of depth in their starting rotation. When one man went down, another one just as capable stepped in to take his spot. This depth is being tested as spring training winds down and the regular season begins.

Bronson Arroyo is battling the flu and has missed a start. He will likely be healthy in time for his start in the second game of the season, but Johnny Cueto will not. Cueto left a second start in a row early this weekend due to forearm pain. This is often the precursor of Tommy John surgery, and Reds fans are understandably worried. Yesterday, he was examined in Cincinnati.

“Everything is structurally fine,” Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. “The only thing they found is mild inflammation in his shoulder. The recommendation of Dr. Kremchek is to shut him down until it subsides, then get him back on a throwing program.”

The plan is for Cueto to stop throwing for seven to 10 days, which means he’s likely to start the season on the disabled list. This also means that the battle for rotation spots among Homer Bailey, Travis Wood, and Mike Leake is over. All three will be starting with the team, reducing the starting depth to Sam LeCure and Matt Maloney.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
Despite initial reports, Reds relief pitcher Jose Arredondo is out of options.

Last Game
Edinson Volquez started against the Milwaukee Brewers Sunday and was wild, allowing 5 runs on 2 1/3 innings. The relief corps, including Dontrelle Willis and Aroldis Chapman, allowed plenty of runs, too, but the pitching staff was bailed out by the offense. Both Todd Frazier and Chris Heisey homered, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 9-8 victory.

Next Game
Bronson Arroyo heads to the mound for the Reds against Michael Pineda and the Seattle Mariners at 4:05pm EDT. This game, like all remaining Spring Training ones, will be broadcast on 700 WLW.

Fayman Gives Shortstop Prospect Hamilton Nickname
Cincinnati Reds beat reporter John Fay had a neat little blurb about up and coming Reds shortstop Billy Hamilton.

“We were playing on this field the other day. The left fielder just lost a ball,” [Bill] Doran said. “Billy took off. We were all like, ‘what’s he doing?’ He caught the ball over his shoulder, about 10 feet from warning track.”

In the title of the post, Fay dubs Hamilton, “Billy the Kid.” I only hope that Mr. the Kid deals with the oddity of shortstop with the greatest of ease, just like he dealt with the oddity of time travel.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
The Reds start the 2011 season against the Brewers. This will be just the second Opening Day match-up between the two. The last one was in 2000, which ended in a 3-3 tie after 5 1/3 innings.

Last Game
Mike Leake had his best outing of Spring Training, allowing no runs over 4 innings, and Todd Frazier gave the team the lead with a solo shot in the 4th inning. That single run was almost enough to win, but the Reds added on in the 5th, 7th, and 8th innings. The final score was 5-1.

Next Game
The Chicago Cubs come to town today. Carlos Zambrano will go to the mound against Sam LeCure at 4:05pm EDT.

Blame the Green on the Reds
Every year, most baseball teams wear special green hats on March 17 for St. Patrick’s Day. Also every year, people complain about the sacrilege of teams adding in green where there was no green before. Apparently, the Cincinnati Reds are to blame for all of this.

[Reds General Manager Dick] Wagner had the team’s equipment manager, Bernie Stowe, order a roster’s worth of green uniforms, with specific instructions of where and when to deliver them, under a veil of airtight secrecy.

This was done back in 1977, before there was any real celebration of St. Patrick’s day in Major League Baseball. The green uniforms created quite a stir.

When, lined up single file with Anderson in the lead, the Reds — er, Greens — marched out of the clubhouse and onto the field.

“It was a total surprise,” recalled Hal McCoy, the Hall of Fame-recognized baseball writer who, in retirement from the Dayton Daily News, still covers the Reds through his blog on the newspaper’s Web site. “And it created quite a shock.”

Hordes from both the Cincinnati and Tampa media were on hand, having been alerted that they wouldn’t want to miss something special, without having a clue of the mysterious goings-on. And when the secret was revealed, reporters and photographers had a field day, starting a news-flash brushfire that continued raging the next day, with national network television coverage.

Bob Hertzel, the Cincinnati Enquirer’s cheeky baseball writer, got in the spirit in his coverage of the Reds’ 9-2 victory over the Yankees by Irish-izing all the players’ names in his game story. Pete O’Rose, Johnny O’Bench, George O’Foster and Joe O’Morgan were all Cincinnati Reds for a day.

This sounds like another first “feather” we can stick into the Reds’ cap, along with first night game and first to sell beer at games.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
Chris Heisey and Kris Negron lead the team this Spring with 7 runs batted in.

Last Game
The Cincinnati Reds lost to the Colorado Rockies, 3-2. Daniel Ray Herrera was the goat for the Reds, giving up the lead with one out in the 9th. It was a mixed blessing. The Reds did lose and wasted a comeback attempt where Chris Heisey knocked in the tying run in the top of the 9th, but it also allowed us to see the entire game without having to leave early to catch our flight home. You can hear our thoughts on the game and the Rockies new park here.

Next Game
After an off-day, the Reds have a rare Spring Training night game when the Kansas City Royals come to Goodyear. Bronson Arroyo will toss the first pitch at 10:05pm EDT.

The First Cuts of 2011
On Monday, the Reds reduced their roster for the first time this spring. There were no surprises.

Catcher Yasmani Grandal, the team’s No. 1 pick (12th overall) in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, was among the players on the 40-man roster sent out, along with right-hander Daryl Thompson and left-hander Philippe Valiquette.

Nine players in total were cut. The other six were Donnie Joseph, Jeremy Horst, Matt Klinker, Justin Lehr, Danny Dorn, and Chris Denove.

The Reds now have 45 players in the big league camp.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
Starting Saturday, March 19, every Reds Spring Training game will be broadcast on 700 WLW.