Archive for June, 2010

The Reds sign Junior. Gary Matthews Junior that is. He signed a minor league deal and will report to Triple A Louisville today. The former All-Star was cut by the New York Mets about a week ago. This should give us some outfield insurance. Even though we some nice depth, you never know when you need a glove or bat.

The Reds will skip Mike Leake’s spot in the rotation this week. He is on pace to pitch 200 innings and the Reds think that is too many innings for the rookie. In his last college season he pitched 125 innings and that is the most he has ever pitched. I think its a great idea to give this kid a break. The weather is unbearably hot here in Cincy and going out there every fifth day is bound to zap your strength. Walt Jocketty has said he wants Leake to finish the season with around 170 innings.

With the Reds bullpen struggling mightily, the front office has decided to move Aroldis Chapman to the pen. The Reds have Homer Bailey and Edinson Volquez both back in the next couple of weeks so there is simply no room for Aroldis in the Reds’ rotation. So, they are going to give him a try in the bullpen down in Louisville. If he succeeds down there, I would assume he will be up with the big league club by the All-Star break. He could be a welcome addition to the Reds relief corps. Everyone except Arthur Rhodes is pitching badly. [...]

The Reds and Edinson Volquez are targeting early July for a return. He will probably work out of the pen for his first couple of appearances and then move back to the rotation. If he can come back and be effective, it will be a huge boost to this team. And, could be damaging to the St Louis Cardinals chances with their recent struggles of their rotation. Edinson is on minor league rehab for another week.

Well, just as everyone here in Cincy was on the Big Red Machine bandwagon, the Reds start their June Swoon. They have now lost 5 of 6 games and can’t score runs. And, to top it all off, they are on their longest West Coast trip of the season. This looks distinctly like a recipe for disaster. They aren’t getting that timely hitting and aren’t stringing hits together. In the first 2 games against the Seattle Mariners, they have scored 1 one run. They are getting decent pitching but the offense has shut down. They lost their last home series [...]

The Cincinnati Reds with the 12th pick in the draft, choose Yasmani Grandal, a switch-hitting catcher out of the University of Miami. This spring for the Hurricanes, Grandal has hit .418/.546/.746 with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs in 201 at bats. Behind the plate, he has a reputation as an excellent defensive catcher with a strong arm and solid game-calling skills. The Reds need a big time catching prospect in the minors. He is 21 and could be ready soon to be playing in the big leagues. If the Reds can sign him. He is expected to ask for [...]

Edinson Volquez pitched one inning at extended spring training yesterday against the Chicago White Sox. He hit 94 mph on the radar gun with his fastball. He underwent Tommy John surgery on 8-3 of last year. Let’s hope he bounces back healthy from his first outing.

I came across the stat last in the last couple of days and it astounded me. The Reds acquired Scott Rolen for Edwin Encarnacion last August at the trading deadline. The deal looked like a throw away for both teams. The Reds had given up on Edwin and the Blue Jays were cutting salary. Anyway, Rolen has brought a different attitude and a professionalism to the Reds. And it shows in every facet of the game. The Reds record when Scott Rolen starts is an amazing 58-30. That is unbelievable. The Reds record last year was 78-84. His effect on [...]

Man oh Man. Watching baseball in June and the games actually mean something. Wow. I actually forgot how it feels. I watched every pitch, swing, and foul ball the last two days. The Reds are playing the Cardinals for first place in the division and for the best record in the National League. Cincinnati, as a city, loves winning. You can see it when the Bengals are winning. The fans come out of the woodwork. But, when they lose, everyone is a critic. We are starved for a winner. But, when the Reds are winning. Look out. The Reds had [...]