Let me first start off my saying that I’m sorry I haven’t been able to post an blogs for awhile. I went down to Florida for a week, caught two reds games, and have been busy busy ever since. Anyways…

Well Jacque, you’re not the only one who is lost. Every Reds fan is lost as to why in the world you haven’t been cut yet. As if a .141 BA and a below .250 OBP wasn’t bad enough last year, you are hitting a wopping .105 in Spring Training with a .171 OBP. HOW HAVENT YOU BEEN CUT YET?!? Not only havent you been cut yet, you have got the 4th most AB’s on the team! Go ahead and cut him Dusty so Gomes and Taveras can get more AB’s. What do you think the chances of Jacque making the opening day roster? With Dusty at the healm, i’d say 292939%.

Since my last post, cuts have been made but no one significant or surprising. More recently the two players you have actually probably heard of (HAHA) that got cut were Daryle Ward and Juan Francisco. They both got optioned down to AAA, Juan being for the purpose of getting some AAA time and Daryle to get some extra practice. My guess is that Daryle Ward, once he has found his swing, will get called up to be that Left handed pitch hitter of the bench. But hey… if Micah Owings can hit, which he can, do we need him??

We all know the comments that Spring Training mean nothing and blah blah blah but take a look at the battle for the #5 spot. Both Owings, 1.23 ERA 14 IP 16 SO, and Homer, 2.25 ERA 14IP and 12 SO, have pitched great. Owings has looked like he has fully recovered from his surgery and Homer really looks as though he has found his control. My opinion, give Owings the starting job and put Homer in the bull pen.. but we’ll see that happens!

Imagine that picture with the players wearing nationals uniforms instead of yankees uniforms and number 11 being number 32.

Then go ahead and say this over and over..

Swing and a miss.

                  Swing and a miss.

          Swing and a miss.

Anyone watching the WBC is going to see alot of that from team USA’s left fielder, Adam Dunn. I saw that Adam Dunn was asked to be in the WBC after an injury to Brad Hawpe, and have been asking myself WHY ever since. My first reaction is WHO IN THE WORLD IS BRAD HAWPE?! I looked up his stats, and although they aren’t bad (.283 avg in 08 with 25 yacks and 85 RBI’s), are they worth an invite to the WBC?? There is no other player better than Hawpe that we could invite?? Not only was Hawpe a huge mystery but when he got injured, they replaced him with the imfamous Adam Dunn. I can’t express how much I laughed out loud when I heard he made the WBC. Expect Dunn to swing and miss, swing and miss, and swing and miss some more. Can’t wait for the world to see what an atheltic, well polished left fielder looks like.

Team USA is DOOMED!

Other RT news, how about Bailey and Owings?? They have looked pretty good in their starts, especially Bailey. Has he figured it out and turned it around?? I wouldn’t be so sure of anything yet.

There was some question on reds message boards about Hernandez missing a throw over to 3rd base. However, on the radio Brantley said the pitch was in the dirt and Edwin missed the tag.

Check out the reds box score:  http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jsp?gid=2009_02_25_cinmlb_tbamlb_1

1. Like the previous blog I posted, who is going to be our left fielder? Almost too many options to list!

2. Walt throughout the whole offseason was stressing the fact that the reds need a right handed run producer. Well Walt, we didn’t exactly acquire one. So, who is going to step up? Gomes? Hairston?

3. Do we have a dependable and serviceable catcher? Hanigan has alot to prove and Hernandez didn’t prove ANYTHING last season.

4. Volquez and Cueto. Can Volquez pitch like he did the beginning of the year and can Cueto pitch more innings and avoid the “sophomore slump”?

5. Will Harang pitch in his 08 form or his dismal 09 form? That will make or break out pitching rotation this year.

6. Who will step up to be the 5th starter? Josh Fogg was PATHETIC last year and so was pretty much everyone else they put into that spot.

7. Micah Owings. Owings has been kind of overlooked this offseason and could surprise. He is definitely a serviceable 5th starter when healthy and the guy can flat out rake. I can see him as definitely being a fan favorite.

8. Can Crusty Dusty not play favorites and prevent Jacque Jones from being a Corey Patterson clone?

9. Is Alex Gonzalez healthy? The guy hasn’t played in forever and is 31.

10. Homer Bailey. This is the season for decision time for Homer and the Reads. If Homer doesn’t show any promise, he is gone. However, if he does he could contend for the #5 spot.

11. Arthur Rhodes. A good, low risk signing in the offseason but can he fill the shoes of Affeldt. Many people overlooked the great job Affeldt did for us against lefties last year. If Rhodes puts up the same performance he did in 09 against lefties he could be an all-star.

Cordero first allowed a run on a groundout to Brain Giles.  Kevin Kouzmanoff then hit a two run double that scored the final two runs of the game off Cordero.  Cordero is now 4-3 on the season after taking the loss on Monday night.  Homer Bailey was going for his first win of the season but instead went home with a no decision.  Bailey tossed 6 1/3 innings while giving up eight hits and three runs. He allowed one home run in the 7th inning but really settled down between the 2nd-6th innings.

Ken Griffey Jr. led the Reds with a two run home run and two runs batted in.  Edwin Encarnacion was right behind Griffey with a solo home run and one rbi.  Jay Bruce had a rbi double as well to help out.  It should have been enough but it wasn’t with the Cordero blown save.

Reds Blog

Norris Hopper, activated from the DL before the game, pinch-hit for Patterson and played a couple of innings in center.  Hopper had a single and a base on balls, but was stranded in scoring position both times.  To make room for Hopper on the roster, Homer Bailey was optioned back to Louisville.

Bluzer runs RedlegStats.com, the home of Absolute Average, a better alternative to OPS.

Bluzer runs RedlegStats.com, the home of Absolute Average, an improvement over OPS. 

Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey was roughed up for eight hits and five runs in only 3 2/3 innings.  Bailey is now 0-2 on the season with a 6.30 era.  Bailey gave up two home runs in the third inning which pretty much forced him to leave the game.  He walked three batters and just didn’t have good control of the ball.

Relief pitcher Mike Lincoln tossed 2 1/3 inning of scoreless baseball before he turned things over to David Weathers who allowed one run.  Jeremy Affeldt pitched the final two innings of the game and also gave up one run.

The two runs that the Reds did get came in the fourth inning when Joey Votto went deep for a two run home run.  Adam Dunn scored on the home run by Votto.  The Reds offense only had five hits on the game while striking out five times and leaving 16 runners on base.

The same two teams will battle it out again on Wednesday night and it will be Johnny Cueto on the mound for the Reds and Braden Looper on the mound for the Cardinals.  Reds Blog

Before the game, Danny Herrera was optioned to Louisville to make room on the roster for Bailey.

Bluzer runs RedlegStats.com, the home of Absolute Average, an alternative to OPS.