(05-08-2013 09:51 AM)BearChatter v2.0 Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 08:39 AM)Coopdaddy67 Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 03:49 AM)icehole3 Wrote:  choo has to be resigned

Provided he keeps up the pace, that's not going to happen. He's going to demand too much money on the open market for the Reds to compete. This will be his last chance at a nice contract, and given his performance this year, he'll get it.

Mostly agree. But never say never.......

1. What if he fired Boras? And hired an agent he demanded get a contract done with Cincinnati?
2. What if he likes it in Cincinnati - likes the coaches, his teammates, and winning in general, and sees a winning team for years to come?
3. Arroyo and Masset's contracts come off the books this season. According to Cot's Contracts, Arroyo's is over $16M this year because of his signing bonus. Masset's is $3.1M.
4. What if they could trade Bruce and Broxton? That's another $19M off the books next season.

What if?

Never say never.

1. I guess maybe. Pure speculation though.
2. He does like Cincinnati. He has said so multiple times. Now actually demanding to stay here is another story. Free agents tend to chase the money.
3. Arroyo is owed a lot of deferred money. So we will still be paying him for the next couple of years. Votto's contract takes a step back next year but others will progress quite a bit.
4. Broxton is virtually untradable. That was a terrible contract for a set up man. Don't really know what to say on Bruce but I don't see that happening. At this point you would be selling extremely low as Bruce has been terrible to start the year. I don't expect it to continue but I don't expect them to try and trade him either.

Only realistic way I see Choo as a possibility is if the Reds continue to increase payroll by quite a bit.

Well, BK and Butch also said they really liked Cincinnati as well. What would anyone expect Choo to say, that he doesn't like it here?
I would be pleasantly surprised if he was here next year. If Hamilton isn't ready, expect another stop gap player or trade of one or more of our pitching prospects to get someone instead.

(05-08-2013 12:48 PM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  Well, BK and Butch also said they really liked Cincinnati as well. What would anyone expect Choo to say, that he doesn't like it here?
I would be pleasantly surprised if he was here next year. If Hamilton isn't ready, expect another stop gap player or trade of one or more of our pitching prospects to get someone instead.

Comparing Butch and BK doesn't offer much insight. Those two could have been offered more money to stay at UC and they would have left because the nature of college football.

Choo cannot go any higher in the league. The Reds figure to be a contender for the next few years. If they pay him, he will stay. But the idea of him taking a discount to stay here doesn't seem particularly likely. This is first and likely only chance at a big contract. By the time his next one comes he will be on the downswing of his career. The Reds are going to have to pay up and they already have a lot of money committed next year.

I believe the Reds have 79 million already on the books next year (doesn't include deferred money to Arroyo) amongst 11 players plus arbitration they owe to 6 players. Then they still need to fill 8 other roster spots.

The only way I see Choo as a possibility is if they move payroll to somewhere between $115 - $120 million. Is that a possibility?

Dusty just loves to stick with Arroyo and Leake a few batters too long. Why bring Leake back out for the 8th to face two guys that were already 4-6 against him on the day? None of the relievers had pitched in back-to-back days and there is an off day tomorrow. If you have a strong, rested bullpen... then use it!

Simmons is a very impressive young player. He plays SS as well, if not better, than anyone in the league.

(05-08-2013 03:46 PM)Bearcat04 Wrote:  Dusty just loves to stick with Arroyo and Leake a few batters too long. Why bring Leake back out for the 8th to face two guys that were already 4-6 against him on the day? None of the relievers had pitched in back-to-back days and there is an off day tomorrow. If you have a strong, rested bullpen... then use it!

Dusty is an idiot. Broxton, Chapman and Marshall hadn't pitched much lately.
They are off tomorrow.

Take the 7 innings and 2 runs by Leake and don't get greedy.

(05-08-2013 03:54 PM)HoopsJunky Wrote:  

(05-08-2013 03:46 PM)Bearcat04 Wrote:  Dusty just loves to stick with Arroyo and Leake a few batters too long. Why bring Leake back out for the 8th to face two guys that were already 4-6 against him on the day? None of the relievers had pitched in back-to-back days and there is an off day tomorrow. If you have a strong, rested bullpen... then use it!

Dusty is an idiot. Broxton, Chapman and Marshall hadn't pitched much lately.
They are off tomorrow.

Take the 7 innings and 2 runs by Leake and don't get greedy.

That would require Dusty to use logic for his decisions

Francisco slams Reds as Braves win series
May 8, 2013 5:02 PM


Brandon Phillips looks to the stands after the Reds lost to the Braves 7-2 at Great American Ball Park on Wednesday. The Enquirer/Cara Owsley

Written by
John Fay

Reds manager Dusty Baker rolled the dice with Mike Leake.

The 7-2 score tells you how it worked out.

The Reds lost in the series finale with the Atlanta Braves, 7-2, before a crowd of 32,640 at Great American Ball Park. It is the first time this year the Reds have lost a home series. They won the first five.

This was a 2-1 game as the seventh turned to the eighth. That's when Baker went with Leake -- not once but twice. First, he let Leake hit against left-hander Mike Minor with two outs and runners at first and second in the bottom of the seventh. Then, he let Leake start the eighth with 96 pitches.

"He still had good stuff," Baker said. "I let him hit in the seventh because he was about as good a right-handed hitter as I had off the bench. It just didn't work."

Leake gave up a single to Jordan Schafer to start the eighth. Andrelton Simmons slapped one past right where shortstop Zack Cozart would have been with the hit-and-run on.

That was it for Leake.

Sean Marshall came in and allowed a single to Freddie Freeman to make it 3-1.

J.J. Hoover took over and walked Justin Upton to load the bases. Hoover got Dan Uggla to hit into a fielder's choice. But Juan Francisco hit a grand slam off Hoover, the player he was traded for, and it was 7-1.

Baker defended his decisions.

"We had a choice of either letting Leake hit, pinch-hitting for him," Baker said. "Not to take anything away from our guys, but he's the best right-handed hitter we had on the bench."

The Reds' bench is heavily left-handed. The only true right-handed hitter on the bench is Corky Miller, a .189 career-hitter.

"So we let Leake hit," Baker said. "He's a good hitter."

Did Baker consider sending up Jack Hannahan or Xavier Paul against Minor?

"Yeah, but did you see the way (Minor) made Joey (Votto) look?" Baker said. "It's tough to send another lefty up there. I would send them up there (against) a guy throwing gas. I would have sent Xavier up there against a guy throwing hard.

"The guy had 115 pitches. I figured we had a better chance against a tired guy. Like I said, it didn't work. Not to make alibis. We didn't win."

Leake went seven-plus innings and allowed four runs on eight hits. He walked one and struck out six. He was very good until the eighth.

"I felt fine," he said. "I got behind Schafer and he made me pay. There was unfortunate hit after him."

Before the eighth, it was a tight game.

The Reds missed a big chance in the second. Brandon Phillips led off with a double. Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier walked to load the bases. Donald Lutz hit a flyball to medium left. Phillips tried to score. Evan Gattis threw him out easily for a 7-2 double play.

"Gattis is not normally an outfielder," Baker said. "We took a chance. That was a big inning."

Cozart gave the Reds the lead in the third. He hit his fifth homer of the year. He sent a missile into the upper deck, a shot estimated at 417 feet.

Gattis hit one out in the fifth. The umpires ruled it foul. They then reviewed it. The call stood. Gattis ended up striking out. The next batter, Uggla, tied it with his sixth of the year.

Uggla hit his second of the day in the sixth to a make it 2-1.

The Reds, meanwhile, were doing nothing against Minor. He retired 12 of 13 after Cozart's home run.

Lutz singled with two outs in the seventh. Devin Mesoraco followed with a walk. Baker allowed Leake to hit for himself. He flied out to left to end the threat.

Leake came into the at-bat a career .278 hitter.

"I like hitting off Minor," Leake said. "He just got one in on me."

Bruce made it 7-2 with his second home run of the year -- a shot to right-center in the ninth.

Up next: Reds vs. Brewers

When: Friday, 7:10 p.m. EDT

Where: Great American Ball Park

TV/Radio: Fox Sports Ohio/700 WLW

The Skinny: After losing their first home series of the season, the Reds face division rival Milwaukee in a three-game series. Taking the mound for Cincinnati is left-hander Tony Cingrani, who will be making his fifth start of the season. Cingrani will be making his first appearance against the Brewers, while Milwaukee right-hander Yovani Gallardo is 5-5 with a 4.75 ERA in 15 career starts against the Reds, 2-3 with a 3.81 ERA in nine starts at Great American Ball Park.

Pitching matchup: Reds starter Tony Cingrani (2-0, 2.63 ERA ) vs. Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo (3-1, 4.50 ERA)

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130.../305070135

Johnny Cueto eager to test himself in Dayton
05/08/13 at 4:28pm by C. Trent Rosecrans

Johnny Cueto will don a Dayton Dragons uniform for the first time since 2006 on Thursday as he will make a rehab appearance for the Reds’ Class-A team against the Lansing Lugnuts at Fifth Third Field.

Cueto has been on the disabled list since April 15 with a strained right lat. He was scheduled to go on a rehab assignment last week, but he had soreness in his oblique, causing him to bump a start in Pensacola.

“I feel pretty good, but we’ll see tomorrow how I feel for the game,” Cueto said after the Reds’ loss to the Braves on Wednesday. “It’s a lot different in the bullpen than it is in the game. I need to throw in a game.”

Cueto left the April 13 game in Pittsburgh in the fifth inning with the lat issue. He’s 1-0 with a 2.60 ERA in three starts this season.

Cueto’s 2012 postseason was cut short by an oblique injury, but he said earlier this week the soreness he felt recently was nothing like the pain he felt last October.

The 27-year-old right-hander said that if all goes well, he expects to make two rehab appearances before before returning to the team.

“It’s very encouraging, I hope he does well,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “We’re not as worried about his performance as we are him coming out of it (healthy).”

Cueto pitched for the Dragons for 14 games in 2006 as a 20-year-old, dominating the Midwest League with an 8-1 record and 2.59 ERA. He was moved to Sarasota during the 2006 season and was in the big leagues by 2008.

“I like it there,” Cueto said of Dayton. “Good stadium, good people. Big crowds, there’s good memories (there). I’m happy to pitch there.”

Wednesday afternoon the Dragons announced they still have $7 lawn seats available for Thursday’s game, which can be purchased by calling (937) 228-2287 or going to daytondragons.com.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2013/05...in-dayton/

Uggla, Francisco power Braves over Reds



Braves second baseman Dan Uggla hits his second homer of the game in the sixth inning off Reds pitcher Mike Leake. Al Behrman

By JOE KAY

The Associated Press

CINCINNATI —

Dan Uggla hit a pair of solo homers and Juan Francisco added his first career grand slam as the Atlanta Braves recovered from a stunning last-swing loss by beating the Cincinnati Reds 7-2 Wednesday.

Atlanta took two of three in the series, the first the Reds lost at home this season. The Reds are 13-6 at Great American Ball Park, the most home wins the majors.

Devin Mesoraco and Shin-Soo Choo hit two-out homers in the ninth inning for Cincinnati's 5-4 win on Tuesday night. A day later, one of the NL's top power teams got the better of it. Atlanta came into the game tied with Colorado for the NL lead with 44 homers.

Uggla had solo shots in the fourth and sixth innings off Mike Leake (2-2), his first multihomer game this season. Leake pitched into the eighth, ending a streak of six straight subpar starts by the Reds rotation.

Francisco's slam off J.J. Hoover highlighted a five-run eighth inning. The Braves obtained Francisco in a trade with the Reds last year for Hoover.

Jordan Schafer had three hits, and Andrelton Simmons had a career-high four hits in the top two spots in Atlanta's lineup.

Left-hander Mike Minor (4-2) allowed four hits in seven innings, including Zack Cozart's homer in the third. Jay Bruce had a solo shot in the ninth off Anthony Varvaro.

The game matched starting pitchers taken back-to-back in the 2009 amateur draft. Minor was taken seventh out of Vanderbilt, with Leake drafted next out of Arizona State.

There was a replay review in the fourth, when Evan Gattis hit a long foul down the third base line. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez talked to the umpires, who reviewed the play for 3 minutes, 5 seconds and upheld the call. Gattis struck out on the next pitch.

Up came Uggla, who homered on the following pitch to tie it at 1. Uggla is 4 for 10 career off Leake with three homers.

http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/baseball/...eds/nXkrk/

Brennaman forgets signature call in walk-off excitement

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 5/8/2013 2:03 P.M. ET

CINCINNATI -- When back-to-back home runs by Devin Mesoraco and Shin-Soo Choo with two out in the bottom of the ninth gave the Reds a thrilling win against the Braves on Tuesday, something was slightly amiss. Radio listeners might have noticed that Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Marty Brennaman left out his signature game-winning call: "And this one belongs to the Reds."

Longtime radio producer and engineer Dave "Yid" Armbruster let Brennaman know.

"As I finished the call and went to a commercial break, within five seconds, Yid said, 'Guess what you forgot to say?'" Brennaman said Wednesday. "When I came back on, I said, 'For those of you who are concerned or about to pick up the phone and call, I forgot to say it. I know I did.' Then I said it.

"I would have never known I didn't say it. I was so caught in the moment. That's the kind of thing that shocks you."

It's not the first time it happened, however.

"In 40 years, I've done it probably a dozen times where I've forgotten because of a game like that," Brennaman said.

Cueto set to start rehab assignment Thursday

CINCINNATI -- Reds ace Johnny Cueto will begin a rehab assignment Thursday with Class A Dayton, pitching a home game against Lansing. Cueto threw 25 pitches in the bullpen on Monday and felt no ill-effects in his oblique area.

"I feel pretty good," Cueto said Wednesday morning.

A while later, Cueto played catch on the field with Miguel Cairo and appeared to throw nice and easy.

Cueto has been on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right lat, but had a setback during an exam last week, when he felt soreness in the right oblique. That forced the Reds to push back the start of a planned rehab assignment at Double-A Pensacola.

Cueto's injured battery mate, catcher Ryan Hanigan, began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday and went 1-for-2 with a single and a walk against Lehigh Valley. Hanigan, who has been on the 15-day disabled list since April 21 with left oblique and right thumb injuries, caught and played six innings.

Reds react to scary Happ injury on comebacker

CINCINNATI -- By Wednesday morning, many in the Reds' clubhouse had already seen the frightening video of Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ being struck in the head and face by a line drive against the Rays.

Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo recalled another incident from 2005, also against the Rays, when former Red Sox teammate Matt Clement was hit in the head by Carl Crawford. Clement was never the same.

"You go out there and hope you don't get hit in a place that will kill you or end your career," Arroyo said.

Arroyo took a line drive off of his pitching hand during Spring Training. While fortunate not to break any bones, the seams of the ball were left imprinted on his knuckle for several days.

"You tend to forget about it, but then you get smoked one time like I did in Spring Training," Arroyo said. "You just realize that at the end of the day, you probably can't do anything about it. The ball is back on you so fast. You watch so many instant replays and you think you might try to make a catch on a ball, and it's four feet past you already. It's definitely scary. To be honest, it's just impossible to pitch with that on your brain. Inevitably, all of us have the same amount of chance of that happening to us. There's really no way around it."

The Blue Jays said Happ suffered a head contusion and a lacerated left ear, and he spent the night in the hospital. He was released Wednesday morning.

"That might be the worst thing in baseball you want to see," Reds pitcher Homer Bailey said. "Any one of us who get on the mound could [get hit]. You don't even really like talking about it."

There has been discussion around the game of improving safeguards to protect pitchers from line drives. It picked up steam last year, when former A's pitcher Brandon McCarthy, now with the D-backs, suffered a fractured skull from a line drive.

"The game has been played a long time. This is the way it's been," Bailey said. "It's very unfortunate, but we still have to keep it our game. There's been a lot of evolution. Most of it is for the better. What does that happen, once every 10 years? I don't think we can go adjust the whole program just for extremely unfortunate instances like that."

Arroyo said he has seen some prototypes of head protection and other proposals for pitchers, but did not think much of them.

"Where Happ got hit yesterday in the face, nothing is going to protect him from that, other than a full-on helmet," Arroyo said. "It's going to be difficult to pitch with a freaking helmet on it. I don't think there's anything they can do about it. It's just the way it is. The only thing you could do is throw every pitch on the inner half, but then you become kind of predictable and it makes it tough to get anybody out."

Reds manager Dusty Baker said changing this part of the game is difficult, especially considering how both pitchers and hitters approach the game.

"We were taught to stay on the ball and try to hit it back up the middle," Baker said. "I was talking to Hank Aaron, and he used to tell me [Bob] Gibson and Don Newcombe particularly hated the ball being hit back up the middle. Most of the time, the balls hit back up the middle are low and away, where pitchers are taught to throw them most of the time -- mostly fastballs.

"It's part of the perils and dangers of the game. I hate to see it happen, but we play a dangerous game sometimes."

Worth noting

• Josie Shuler was named the Reds' honorary bat girl for Sunday's Mothers Day game against the Brewers. Shuler is one of 30 winners of the annual Honorary Bat Girl Contest, which recognizes baseball fans who have been affected by breast cancer and demonstrate a commitment to eradicating the disease.

Selected via fan votes and a special judging panel, Shuler will be recognized on the field during a pregame ceremony and take part in other pregame activities.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Mark My Word, and follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=...n&c_id=cin

Dusty passes Lasorda with 1,600th career win
Reds skipper ranks 18th on all-time managerial victories list

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 5/8/2013 12:47 A.M. ET

CINCINNATI -- On its own merits, Tuesday's thrilling 5-4 walk-off win for the Reds will be memorable for the 25,730 fans at Great American Ball Park. For manager Dusty Baker, it's even more special.

When Devin Mesoraco and Shin-Soo Choo connected for back-to-back two-out home runs in the ninth against Craig Kimbrel to take the game, it gave Baker career win No. 1,600.

That put Baker all alone in 18th place on the all-time wins list, passing Dodgers great and Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda.

"That was one of the best victories I can remember out of the 1,600," Baker said. "It might be the top one. It's quite an honor to pass my old skipper, Tom Lasorda, too. I tied Tom Lasorda against my old club, the Cubs. I passed him with my original club, the Braves. That was probably the best victory I could imagine."

Baker, 63, began his big league managerial career in 1993. He has a career record of 1,600-1,446. Up next is Hall of Famer Fred Clarke, who has 1,602 wins.

Ten of the managers ahead of Baker on the list are in the Hall of Fame and three others -- Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre -- rank in the top five in wins.

"That's incredible," Mesoraco said. "Dusty brings so much to the game. He's been around for so long. Just the guys he has the information from after being in the game so long, you collect information from guys that you play with. He's an encyclopedia of sorts."

The Reds were down to their final strike against Kimbrel when Mesoraco sent a 3-2 pitch into the first row of seats in right-center field. Choo followed by a hitting a 2-1 fastball 432 feet to left-center field.

"That's exciting," Baker said. "That's why you play nine and play all the outs. You never really know. We beat one of the best closers in the game today."

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Mark My Word, and follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=...n&c_id=cin