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
Aaron Harang started for the San Diego Padres against his former club, and I think he was nervous. Harang, who’d had a great spring so far, allowed 7 runs on 7 hits in 3 innings, including home runs to Ryan Hanigan and Chris Heisey. It was a rough outing for him. The Reds continued to score even after Harang left, as if to say, “It’s not just you. Everybody sucks today!” The final score was Reds 15, Padres 5.

Next Game
The Reds host the San Francisco Giants today. Bronson Arroyo will start and will be followed by Edinson Volquez, assuming Volquez makes it back with his work Visa. Game-time is 3:05pm EST.

Reds General Manager Words Versus Deeds
A couple guys formerly from RedReporter have started up their on blog called Base Cloggers with an emphasis on feature writing about the Reds. The most recent post examines Reds GMs starting with the guy from the 90s who assembled the last World Series team.

It takes quotes from the GMs describing their style and their goals and compares it with what they did and how they performed. For instance, Dan O’Brien is quoted as having talked about the slowness of improving the team.

“The analogy I use is it’s like turning an aircraft carrier around. You just don’t turn on a dime.”

He focused on drafting starting pitching, as he promised, picking up Homer Bailey, Travis Wood, and Sam LeCure. But he strayed from his strength and stated focus when he signed Cory Lidle and Eric Milton, which did not end well.

The article is an interesting read. Current GM Walt Jocketty definitely comes off looking good. Of course, it’s easy to look like the best when he’s the first one in a long string of GMs to have a winning team.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
This is the Reds second season in Goodyear. Last year, they went 12-16-3.

Last Game
The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Kansas City Royals 5-2 yesterday. Travis Wood started and allowed the only 2 runs, thanks to a home run. Sam LeCure, Dontrelle Willis, and Matt Maloney finished out the rest of the game without allowing anything else to cross the plate. The Reds’ scoring was provided largely thanks to a three-run homer from Drew Stubbs.

Next Game
The Reds will travel to face the San Diego Padres and a former teammate: Aaron Harang. The Reds had scheduled Edinson Volquez to start, but he hasn’t returned from dealing with his Visa issues yet. Instead, Chad Reineke will get the ball at 3:05pm EST.

Volquez, the Reds, and Tommy
The naming of Edinson Volquez to be the opening day starter caught the attention of Sports Illustrated. It takes a certain amount of guts to so quickly turn to a guy just off Tommy John surgery.

[A]s an organization the Reds are one of baseball’s best-equipped clubs in the treatment of pitchers with catastrophic elbow injuries. About a dozen pitchers in the Reds organization have had Tommy John surgery, including four in big-league camp: Volquez, Jose Arredondo, Bill Bray and Justin Lehr.

Thanks to Reds Dr. Kremcheck, who performs more than 100 of the procedures each year, the team has confidence in his knowledge about the recovery process. Of course, this is still a team with Dusty Baker at the helm, who is reviled by many for causing his fair share of arm injuries.

Reds fans can rest easy knowing that the franchise employs a more collaborative effort in determining usage, meaning that the club’s left-handed fireballer, Aroldis Chapman, is unlikely to be burned out by overuse.

That’s good to know. Give the article a read if you have the time. It gives a different insight into the Reds than I’ve seen anywhere else.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
The Reds and Cleveland Indians held a celebrity golf tournament earlier this spring that raised $19,550 for the H.O.P.E. team, a non-profit group associated with the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

Last Game
The Cincinnati Reds showed the Chicago Cubs who was boss yesterday, as the Reds beat the Cubs 10-0. Paul Janish and Edgar Renteria were both among the offensive heroes, with Renteria starting at second base. Johnny Cueto and Francisco Cordero showed sharp command that one hopes they don’t lose before the season begins. Me, I’m looking forward to the next time the Reds and Cubs meet, because the Red Hot Family will be there in person to see it.

Next Game
Today the Reds host the Milwaukee Brewers, with Homer Bailey going against Yovani Gallardo. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:05pm EST. This game will also be televised by Fox Sports Ohio.

Baker’s Shortstop Plan
In light of Edgar Renteria starting at second base today (while Paul Janish started at shortstop), beat reporter John Fay interviewed Reds manager Dusty Baker about how he plans to use Renteria.

Baker said it’s merely an emergency plan. It sounds like the bulk of Renteria’s time will come at shortstop.

“As long as Brandon (Phillips is) healthy, whoever plays behind Brandon is not going to play a lot,” Baker said. “But what if something happens to Brandon. Renteria is going to play some at shortstop, too. How much he plays depends on how (Paul) Janish plays.”

Renteria is not in the mix for time at third base.

That last bit has to set the Baker-sense a-tingling. Baker has been consistent in his position that Janish is the shortstop. I hope he’s willing to give Janish time to play through if he struggles much like he did for Jay Bruce and Drew Stubbs last year. The team will be better if Baker doesn’t fall back into his veteran-playing habits.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
The Reds have improved their record each of the past four years. They won 72 games in 2007, 74 in 2008, 78 in 2009, and 91 in 2010.