The Cincinnati Reds play their first exhibition game of the 2013 Spring Training season today at 3:05pm when they face the Cleveland Indians. The starter? Tony Cingrani.

Cingrani, the 23-year-old left-hander, was the Reds’ best pitcher in the minors last year. He went 10-4 with a 1.73 ERA at Single-A Bakersfield and Double-A Pensacola.

Because of the World Baseball Classic, Spring Training is one week longer this year. That means more games, and instead of having the projected starters pitch from the very beginning–and potentially be tired come the start of the season–the Reds are planning on waiting a while. For example, expected opening day starter Johnny Cueto won’t make an appearance until the 6th game.

“What we’d like to do as much as possible is not to have these guys have an increase in their workload because of the extra week,” pitching coach Bryan Price said. “Typically most of our starting pitchers are starting a little bit later in spring training.

I have mixed feelings about the World Baseball Classic. I like the idea of getting more countries involved in playing baseball. It’s especially important now that baseball is no longer in the Olympics. However, the timing feels a little off. Still, I can’t be too upset if it means baseball starts a little earlier this year.

It took a while, but Joey Votto has finally decided to be on the roster for Canada’s World Baseball Classic team.

That does not mean he will definitely play.

“As far as playing, I’m going to have to wait until the day before to decide,” Votto said.

Good. He better stay healthy and uninjured, otherwise there will be serious repercussions for America’s hat.

As for the other player considering playing in the World Baseball Classic, Johnny Cueto, he will not be joining the Dominican team. The Reds exercised their right to prevent him from playing since he finished the season on the disabled list.

Last week, Scott Rolen announced that he would not be returning to the Cincinnati Reds for the start of the 2013 season.

“Right now I’m simply not ready to make a commitment. I would like to leave my options open, without closing any doors. I am looking forward to all of the challenges, both personally and professionally, I will face in the future.”

The statement is the definition of non-committal. Rolen was unable to commit to another full season and also unable to commit to never playing professional baseball again. Aging in baseball is not an easy thing for the player, and no one demonstrates that more than Rolen.

After multiple shoulder injuries and surgeries, he arrived in Cincinnati a shell of his former self. But he managed a great season in 2010 and pushed the Reds to their first winning record in a decade and their first playoff appearance in 15 years. Unfortunately, he was never able to recapture that and performed poorly in both 2011 and 2012. The decision has to be hard.

Cincinnati Enquirer reporter John Fay had a nice article about Rolen, reflecting on his legacy. Fay in his career has covered Hall of Famer Barry Larkin and future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr. He compares them to Rolen in the injury related trials they faced towards the ends of their careers and then reflects on Rolen’s legacy.

Rolen will be missed. He was a great leader and a great teammate. But, in a way, his work with the Reds was done. His legacy is in his lessons he taught.

“I got everything I needed from him playing beside him,” Joey Votto said. “I learned a tremendous amount. You can always learn, but the two or three years I had with him were not wasted. I tell you what: He changed my path as a player. He was a shining example of the kind of player I want to be. Simply because of how quiet he was and how respected he was throughout baseball.”

Votto definitely carries that air of quiet confidence that Rolen had. There’s no doubt that Rolen taught Votto and other Reds players a lot and will be missed. Although Rolen has expressed no interest in coaching, I do hope he has the opportunity to teach and lead. And heck, if he can manage to be the Rolen of old for a month, it sure would be nice to see him back in action one more time.

In today’s first live batting practice session, Joey Votto hit a home run off Carlos Contreras.

Now that might not seem all that special. It’s only batting practice and it’s only Spring Training, but this is a guy coming off a bad knee injury last season. It was an injury that kept him from hitting a home run since June. And he hit a home run today.

Votto took Contreras’ first pitch.

“Too low,” he said.

The next one was a strike. Votto crushed it, sending over the fence in center.

“Tweet that, John,” Jay Bruce said. “He’s back.”

Consider it done, Jay.