Cincinnati Reds

Baseball dorks finally have made it to the Hall of Fame. Yes, they had to create their own: the Baseball Historian Hall of Fame, with an award named after Henry Chadwick.

The Hall was created by the good folks over at the Society of Baseball Research or SABR.  For those not in the know, SABR stats are the basis of sabermetrics. Without sabermetrics Billy Beane would only be recognized by a handful of people.

Without Billy Beane, Michael Lewis would, in 2003, have never written the best seller Moneyball . 

Contrary to what many people believe, Joey Votto is going to remain the Cincinnati Reds first baseman for a long time.

Some think that once Yonder Alonso is ready for the big leagues, he will play first and send Joey Votto to left field.

That is, of course, if you believe GM Walt Jocketty . Alonso has been working out at third base and the corner outfield spots in spring training.

Point: Yes, Mark Prior and Kerry Wood...enough said.

Counterpoint: Dusty Baker killed their careers?

P: Yes, it is well known that Baker cares little about pitch counts.

CP: What about Carlos Zambrano?

P: He has not been free of symptoms either.

CP: Abuse happens but your criticism of Dusty Baker doesn't sound very scientific.

Spring training is barely a week old and players are already complaining. Not in a "waah I want to play" sort of way, but more of a "can i get a little respect up in here" way.

Chris Dickerson told reporters yesterday that he doesn't understand why Drew Stubbs should automatically be penciled into the starting center field position.

"It's kind of angry and it's frustration and I know it's going to come out that way, I know," Dickerson said.

Another summer of the youth movement is upon us in Cincinnati. The Reds' roster is full of players that can be one of two things: deceptively appealing or the next big fantasy dynamo. It is tough to know what to expect from young players with potential, but taking the right chance could punch your ticket to the fantasy baseball winner's circle.  Here is what to expect from some of the Reds' youngsters.

Jay Bruce (OF)

Any attempt at creating a list of "the best" anything is very difficult. The good part is that no matter who you pick (most of the time), some will like it and some will think it sucks. That, my friend, is the nature of the beast.

The Cincinnati Reds, feeling they needed a right-handed power bat, decided to bring back a slugger who had a pretty good year for them in 2009.

According to ESPN.com, the Reds have brought back right-handed-hitting outfielder Jonny Gomes on a one-year contract worth $800,000.

The contract also includes a $1.75 million club option for 2011.

The Reds have a pretty interesting outfield situation heading into 2010. They are set in right and center with two phenomenal young players in Jay Bruce and Drew Stubbs.

How long do we consider Johnny Cueto a sleeper starting pitcher option?  How long do we rave about his ability, only to see him stumble? 

How long do we hold out hope that this season will be the year that he finally puts it all together?

Last season was an improvement to his rookie campaign, yet it still wasn’t much to get excited about:

11 Wins
171.1 Innings
4.41 ERA
1.36 WHIP
132 Strikeouts (6.93 K/9)
61 Walks (3.20 BB/9)
.296 BABIP

The time has finally come for pitchers and catchers to report. That means baseball is here once again and that lull between football and baseball is almost over. I’m not sure how I made it through, tobe honest.

I thought the Caribbean Series would help, but other than seeing a few at-bats from Juan Francisco, it wasn’t that interesting to me. Actually, the defense was so painful to watch at times, that it really wasn’t that entertaining at all. 

Aroldis Chapman: the savior, the next best thing, or the next Randy Johnson. All things might be true, but it has to start somewhere.

The Reds' prized new acquisition threw a bullpen session for about two hours on Thursday, and to people who witnessed it, said that he threw well and felt well after.

Chapman, who was just recently signed a six year contract worth over $30 million, has been speculated to be one of the best new pitchers in the game, and the Reds are hoping they hit a jackpot.