March 22, 2013

Reds chicken out and make Chapman the closer

Aroldis Chapman signed without saying a word.

Aroldis Chapman signing on Opening Night 2012.

The news we were expecting came today, and it’s what I’d feared, the Cincinnati Reds are not the forward-thinking organization that statistics-aware fans wish they were. Instead of seeing if they’re $30 million investment could become a great starter–what they initially scouted him for–the Reds bowed to the whims of manager Dusty Baker and made Aroldis Chapman the closer.

“We made a decision on our rotation. It’s Cueto, Latos, Bronson, Homer Bailey and Leake,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

I’m not that upset about this. Chapman is very good as the closer. And now there’ll be Jonathan Broxton to help when Chapman cannot pitch a second or third day in a row. I’m just a little disappointed. I really wanted to see what Chapman could do as a starter. I mean, the list of tall, flame-throwing left-handed starters isn’t long, kind of starting and ending with Randy Johnson. And Chapman could’ve added his name, but the Reds were apparently too scared to upset their manager and their player to find out.

But this isn’t bad news. At least, not for this season. The Reds already had an awesome rotation in Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos, Homer Bailey, Bronson Arroyo, and Mike Leake. And the bullpen is a very stacked place. The 2013 season is looking very bright.

Still, it sure would’ve been nice for the team to find out what they had in Aroldis Chapman.

March 22, 2013

Sunday’s Reds game to be televised

Bronson Arroyo walked through last year's Opening Night red carpet and explained his carpal tunnel prevented him from signing.

Bronson Arroyo walked through and explained his carpal tunnel prevented him from signing.

I just got this press release in the inbox. It gave me such a moment of joy to think that I might be able to catch some of Sunday’s game on t.v. that I wanted to pass the information on.

Secaucus, N.J., March 22, 2013 – The Cincinnati Reds at Texas Rangers Spring Training game Sunday, March 24 at 4:00 PM ET will be available live on MLB Network in the Cincinnati television market. Bronson Arroyo is scheduled to pitch against Alexi Ogando of the Rangers.

MLB Network is available in Cincinnati on Cincinnati Bell, DirecTV, DISH Network, FAVE and Time Warner Cable, among other providers. Local channel listings are available here and MLB Network’s complete Spring Training game schedule is available here.

With the way the weather is acting, this might be our last chance to see a game where the guys aren’t all shivering until sometime in June.

March 22, 2013

In brief: Cueto, Prior, Leake, and Chapman

Last Game
It appears that the Reds’ offense has woken up for the season. I say that just because the Reds have scored 46 runs in their last six games. The 9 they added to that total last night against the A’s, though, still weren’t enough due to the giving up of 10 runs. The pitchers may still be a little groggy yet.

Johnny Cueto had a rough time of it. He gave up 5 runs (earned) on 5 hits and 2 walks in just 1.2 innings of work. Nick Christiani gave up the next 2 runs in the following 1.1 innings. By this point, Logan Ondrusek’s 1 run allowed in 1.0 innings must have looked pretty good. Wilkin De La Rosa was the unlucky one to get credit for the final 2 runs, including the game winner in the bottom of the ninth.

Despite all the runs, no one really stands out offensively, thanks to the fact that 25 different guys took the field for the Reds in yesterday’s game. Zack Cozart did go 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Joey Votto went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. His .394 spring training batting average is gaudy.

Aroldis Chapman about to throw. Fast

Aroldis Chapman about to throw. Fast

Next Game
Today the Reds visit the Dodgers at 4:05 p.m. Mike Leake is starting and Aroldis Chapman is also scheduled to take the mound later in the game.

Everyone will be scrutinizing the nature of Chapman’s contribution to try to get a hint at which of these two guys is going to get that fifth rotation spot.

Prior offenses
I bet crappy headlines like that got used all the time while Prior was pitching for Chicago.

Mark Prior pitched an inning for the Reds yesterday. He was the only one of the seven pitcher who didn’t allow so much as a hit.

Prior is the Benjamin Button of baseball players, breaking into the majors in his first season after being drafted at age 21. He pitched 167 innings his first year and 211 his second year with the Cubs, where our own Dusty Baker was managing at the time. 2006 was the last year for both of them in Chicago, and Prior has been in the minors ever since.

Baker took a lot of flak for the breaking of Prior, but it was in the larger context of Cubs dysfunction. The Reds have a whole group of experts deciding how many innings guys should pitch these days. It takes a village, guys.

Anyway, it sounds like they might be bringing Prior up at some point this season. I hope it works out really well for him. I have to admire a guy who’s still willing to go pay his dues in the minors for all those years.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
Nick Cafardo at the Boston Globe ranked Dusty Baker as the 12th best manager in the game going into this season.

I’d link to it, but it’s behind a paywall and I’m not shelling out $.99 for 4 weeks of access to Boston-area news. You can read about it how I did, though, via the gently dissenting opinion at Firebrand of the American League.

March 21, 2013

Aaron Harang honors Joe Nuxhall

Aaron Harang Wearing Joe Nuxhall's Name and Number in TributeI saw this story about Aaron Harang today making the rounds on various Reds blogs and thought I’d share.

Harang, as you may remember, was the one shining spot in the pitching rotation of the Cincinnati Reds during the first decade of the new millenium. Sadly, his best years were wasted on terrible, terrible Reds teams, and by the time competent people were in charge, Harang was on the down-side of his career.

He resurrected it in San Diego, though, and is now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he’s decided to change his uniform number from 44 to 41. In case that number sounds familiar, it’s one that legen–wait-for-it–dary Reds pitcher and broadcaster Joe Nuxhall wore.

Nuxhall moved to the broadcast booth in 1967 and called Reds games for 38 years, including Harang’s first two seasons in Cincinnati, in 2003-2004. The two struck up a friendship that lasted until Nuxhall’s death in 2007. Harang has donated to Nuxhall’s charity foundation, the Miracle Fields in and around Cincinnati, and still keeps in touch with his son to this day.

“He was just a special guy in general,” Harang said. “Everybody who came in contact with him thought the world of him.”

When Harang came to the Reds, he wore the number 39, which was Nuxhall’s first number. Harang changed to 41, another of Nuxhall’s numbers, when he was with the Padres, but it wasn’t available in L.A. Until last year when the wearer of it was traded. And now it’s Harang’s, assuming he can secure that fifth spot in the Dodger’s rotation.

March 20, 2013

In brief: Votto on mental preparation

bailey_out_20120923Last Game
The Reds’ offense put on a show during their 6-10 win over the White Sox yesterday. Homer Bailey was shaky to start, allowing 5 runs (4 earned) on 9 hits and a walk in 4.1 innings. Of course, three of those runs came from a first inning home run by Adam Dunn, and Bailey’s hardly the first guy to be the victim of one of those.

On the other side, Jay Bruce hit his fourth home run of spring training and his second in the last 2 games. Chris Heisey also tacked on a three-run homer in the fourth inning. Brandon Phillips is back in action and went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a couple runs scored.

Next Game
The Reds have the day off. It’s the last off-day until the season starts.

Votto: more than just a pretty face
Joey Votto sat down with Buster Olney to record this video for ESPN the Magazine. I like that Votto has put his own thought in to at-bats and how he ought to approach them. It’s necessary to accept outside feedback, but a guy has to think for himself, too.

(HT Cincinnati Enquirer blog)

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
The World Baseball Classic is over for another four years. The Dominican Republic was victorious over Puerto Rico, winning 0-3 last night in San Francisco. Yankees second baseman, Robinson Cano, was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.