Unless you gave up on the Reds after their 4-8 start, you are well aware that this team has hit a stride.
Not only have we seen the usual heroes like Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce, we're also starting to also see a bit of a youth movement.
Devin Mesoraco has found a little pop in his bat and young guys in the pen like JJ Hoover are joining in on the fun, but the one name who stands out over all these young men is third baseman Todd Frazier.
Frazier, who has earned the nickname "The Toddfather," is on a roll and fits in very well with this Reds team. With the injuries to Scott Rolen and Miguel Cairo, Frazier has gotten his opportunity and has run with it for miles.
The issue at hand is when or if Rolen returns to Cincinnati, how does Reds manager Dusty Baker use these two? Better question: will he continue to be Dusty and favor his veterans?
What I was referring to is it's no secret Baker loves his veterans on the field. Sometimes it works out—example: Ryan Hanigan getting more starts than Devin Mesoraco—and then we see some tough ones, like the Ryan Ludwick and Chris Heisey scenario.
According to baseballreference.com, Rolen has had 101 plate appearances where he is 16-for-92 (.174 AVG) with two home runs, 11 RBI, seven BB and a .238 on-base percentage.
Frazier, on the other hand, coming into Tuesday's game had 81 plate appearances where he is 20-for-76 (.263) with five home runs, 11 RBI, five BB and a .297 on-base percentage—oh, and so far through five innings in tonight's game is 2-for-2 with a double, triple, two RBI and a run scored.
We've all wondered before if Baker believes in playing the hot hand or just prefers to have the guys who have been there before.
Baker at one point recently said that he felt Rolen was looking good coming off the bench...hmmm.
I'm not intending on bashing either Baker or Rolen here by any means, but we can't deny that Frazier is a big part of this team's recent success. He may not have the glove that Rolen has, but he is a fairly decent fielder also.
I think it's time the Reds continue to play their future, and Frazier is in fact the future at the hot corner. What are your thoughts?
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