CSNbbs

The other was getting pretty long for everyday observations. Plus we finally got a winner!


Reds 6, Brewers 5
03/09/13 at 6:26pm by John Fay

GOOYEAR, Ariz. — The Reds ended a seven-game Cactus League losing streak (they did beat Team Canada the last time out) to improve to 3-11.

The arms: Homer Bailey started and went two innings. He allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits. He walked none and struck out one. He was scheduled to go three but had a 30-pitch inning. Manny Parra followed and allowed two runs to his former team over two innings. Sean Marshall and Jonathan Broxton each made their fourth scoreless appearance of the spring. J.J. Hoover pitched 1-2-3 ninth, striking out two, for the save.

The bats: Cesar Izturis hit a solo home run in the sixth and drove in a run with single. Izturis has 17 career home in 4,221 major league at-bats. Neftali Soto was 2-for-2 with an RBI.

The rest: Henry Rodriguez mishandled a line drive at second for his fifth error of the spring. The Reds also messed up two potential double plays. “We won,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “But it’s hard to win that way. We missed some signs.

Up next: The Reds go to Glendale to play the Chicago White Sox. Johnny Cueto (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will make his third start of the spring. He faces right-hander Gavin Floyd. The game is WLW (700-am). It starts at 4:05 p.m.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2013/03...brewers-5/

Baker on spring record: ‘I ain’t worried’
03/09/13 at 12:29pm by John Fay

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — I’m working on a piece for the paper looking at spring training at the midpoint.

The Reds go into today 2-11. What’s Dusty Baker’s take on that?

“I ain’t worried,” Baker said. “I ain’t worried about nothing. We know we got a good team. We’ve got to keep working and working. Spring training offensively is for the very young and guys who play played Winter Ball.

“We don’t panic.”

That is not to say he wouldn’t like to win some more games over the last three weeks of spring.

“You’re never pleased losing,” Baker said. “We lost some of the games late with guys who aren’t going to be on the team at the start. We play everybody here — not only to get them ready for our season but to get them ready for their season, wherever they’re going to play.”

Baker has let young pitchers stay in the game in situations where he’d pull them in the regular season.

“They need their work or they’ll never get there,” he said. “That’s why you see managers taking out players in the middle of the inning. They’re on a pitch count more than performance count.”

Spring records overall are often deceiving.

“Last year, didn’t the Texas Rangers have one the worse records in baseball (during the spring)?” Baker said. “I don’t think anyone remembers who won the Cactus League.

“I’m not real worried about it.”

The Reds are also playing without the two best positions players, Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips. Both are playing in the WBC. Ryan Ludwick and Jay Bruce haven’t hit much.

Another factor in spring is starting pitchers only go two or three innings early. That plays away from a strength of the Reds.

“Our starting rotation is among the best,” Baker said. “What have these guys pitched one time, two times? Three innings max.”

That’s meant a lot of innings early for pitchers in camp for the first time. The Reds have been outscored by 19 runs through 13 games. That goes back to the young pitchers

“We’ve got four or five kids out of A ball,” Baker said.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2013/03...t-worried/

Izturis drives in two, Bailey goes two frames in win

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 3/9/2013 6:35 P.M. ET

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Logan Schafer had two hits and two RBIs, but the Reds emerged with a 6-5 win Saturday afternoon at Goodyear Ballpark as Cesar Izturis drove in two runs late.

Cincinnati scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth as Izturis hit an RBI single that scored Donald Lutz. Later with one out, Mike Hessman scored from third base on a Corky Miller groundout to the pitcher.

Reds starter Homer Bailey pitched two innings and allowed three runs (one earned). Bailey also gave up four hits and hit a batter while striking out one.

"He had a 30-pitch inning that first inning," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "We didn't want to give him another inning and took him out. He threw the ball real good. He just couldn't put them away. I think three of their hits were two-strike hits."

Milwaukee's first run scored Jean Segura from third base on a wild pitch to Khris Davis. In the second inning with two outs, Kentrail Davis reached on second baseman Henry Rodriguez's two-base fielding error, which allowed Blake Lalli to score. Davis scored on Schafer's RBI single to right field for a 3-1 Brewers lead.

Brewers starter Wily Peralta pitched 2 1/3 innings and gave up three runs and five hits with one walk, two strikeouts and two wild pitches.

In the bottom of the first inning, Yorman Rodriguez reached on an infield single to third base and scored on Neftali Soto's two-out RBI single through the shortstop. In the bottom of the second against Peralta, Derrick Robinson's RBI single scored Jason Donald. Devin Mesoraco later scored after the second of two wild pitches.

Peralta is one of three candidates for two open spots in the Brewers' starting rotation, assuming Yovani Gallardo, Marco Estrada and Chris Narveson get through camp in good health. The three candidates are Peralta, Mike Fiers and Mark Rogers -- each of whom pitched well in the Majors at some point last season.

"I think it's going to come down to the end," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said before the game. "I really can't tell you right now. It's too early for some of them to really see what's happening. [The club's goal is] to get them back to where they were last year, and some of them may be a little late in getting there. Then we'll have to figure out what we're going to do."

Plus, two perfect innings were thrown by reliever Burke Badenhop in his first multiple-inning stint of the year. He was acquired from the Rays in early December as part of the Brewers' bullpen overhaul, and has allowed one hit, no walks and no runs in four Cactus League innings so far.

Milwaukee added two runs in the fourth inning against former teammate Manny Parra. After a perfect third, Parra returned for another inning of work and gave up three hits. There were also two potential double plays not turned, which led to Donnie Murphy scoring a go-ahead run. Schafer hit a two-out double down the left field line to score Kentrail Davis.

Sean Marshall replaced Parra and threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

In the bottom of the sixth inning against Brewers lefty Travis Webb, Izturis hit a 0-1 pitch for a solo homer to left field.

"We won, but it's hard to win like that," Baker said. "We missed some signs. We just have to tighten up our game."

Reds up next: The Reds' new leadoff hitter, Shin-Soo Choo, has hit safely in four of his seven games played this spring. After a day out of the lineup Saturday, Choo will be back Sunday when the Reds play the White Sox at 4:05 p.m. ET in Glendale's Camelback Ranch. Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier and Ryan Ludwick will also be back in action. Ace Johnny Cueto will be on the mound for his third start of spring. Listen to the game on Gameday Audio.

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://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/arti...6&c_id=cin

So far, Paul making strong case for Reds' roster spot

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 03/09/2013 7:16 PM ET

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Even after a solid second half for the Reds last season, Xavier Paul takes zero for granted. Paul has lived on the fringes of too many rosters to ever feel too comfortable in camp.

"Really, every Spring Training for me I pretty much came in with the mindset of trying to make a team," Paul said Saturday. "This is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business, unless you're under a five- or 10-year contract. For a guy going year-to-year, you just have to keep trying to have another good year."

One of the smaller 2012 Reds transactions that paid off big, Paul batted .314 with a .379 on-base percentage in 55 games while in the fifth outfielder's role. As a pinch-hitter, he was 12-for-36 (.333) with one of his season's two home runs.

Paul, 28, spent the first half of last season at Triple-A in the Nationals organization, but he was never called up. He was released July 3 and signed by the Reds on July 12 and assigned to Triple-A Louisville. After hitting in all six games he played for Louisville, he was back in the Majors.

Whether he remains in the Majors this spring is not decided, but his skills are needed for the bench.

"He's a very good fit," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "I think he's more of a corner man, and he gives me a left-handed bat off the bench. You try to have balance off the bench. I'm not saying he's on the team, but he's a front-runner. You want some speed. You want some pinch-hitters or some hitters that can hit for a pinch-hitter and not lose much."

Paul broke into the Majors with the Dodgers in 2009 but spent much of the year on the disabled list with fractures in his right ankle. He has split time between the big leagues and Minors almost every season since. In 2011, he was up the whole season for the Dodgers and then played 121 games for the Pirates.

This spring, Paul is batting .261 (6-for-23) after a 0-for-2 day against the Brewers on Saturday. His six runs scored lead the club, and his 12 games played are tied for the team lead.

"I feel good. So far, things have gone well," Paul said. "I'm actually feeling a lot better at the plate sooner than I have in the past."

Part of that feeling is attributed to taking more offseason swings than usual near his Slidell, La., home.

"I made sure that I did that," said Paul, who is out of Minor League options. "I need to try to find a way to get myself loose, stay loose and stay mentally ready for when Dusty calls my name."

Reds to play 'B' game before Cactus League outing

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- One day after rain washed out two Reds split-squad games Friday night, manager Dusty Baker used none of his regular players against the Brewers on Saturday afternoon at Goodyear Ballpark. More rain in the morning had kept the field damp.

"I don't have too many of my big boys playing today, not that the other guys are sacrificial lambs; it's precautionary," Baker said. "The fact that we have a B game and an A game [Sunday], so the innings will be bumped up on some of the guys since their endurance is up; we're going to start playing them longer."

To make up for one of the washed-out games against the Dodgers on Friday, the two teams are playing a 12:30 p.m. ET "B" game Sunday at Camelback Ranch. Following will be a regular Cactus League game at the ballpark between the Reds and White Sox.

Friday's game against the Cubs in Goodyear was called off after 1 1/2 innings as a downpour made conditions poor on the field.

"They said it was real sloppy and wouldn't take much more rain to make it unplayable," Baker said. "[The umpire] came over and said it was getting around the bag, bad around home plate, bad around the mound. You use the best judgment you can. It was getting dangerous out there."

Worth noting

• The Reds made their first two cuts of the spring Saturday. Right-handed pitcher Justin Freeman and catcher Tucker Barnhart were re-assigned to the Minor League camp. Freeman did not pitch in a game this spring, while Barnhart went 1-for-9 (.111) in seven games. There are 56 players remaining in Reds big league camp.

• While the Reds' big leaguers have a scheduled off day Monday, fifth-starter candidates Aroldis Chapman and Mike Leake will pitch in the Minor League camp.

• Second baseman Henry Rodriguez committed his team-leading fifth error of the spring Saturday. Rodriguez did not come up with a line drive hit by Milwaukee's Kentrail Davis in the second inning, scoring a run.

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.

After full season, Cozart ready for more responsibility

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 3/8/2013 11:15 P.M. ET



Zack Cozart displayed plenty of promise last year as a rookie, but looks to show his worth with his bat and speed on the base paths in 2013

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- A shortstop is supposed to be the defensive field general, but as a rookie for the Reds last season, Zack Cozart played in this scenario:

To Cozart's right was eight-time Gold Glove winner Scott Rolen at third base. On the left side of the infield was three-time Gold Glove winner Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto with one Gold Glove at first base.

"I'm not going to be the one in the infield who is loud and making all the decisions even though that's what you want out of your shortstop," Cozart said.

Before Spring Training got into full swing, Reds manager Dusty Baker let Cozart know he should show more energy and become free about being vocal in the infield. Cozart, 27, plans on taking that instruction and running with it.

"This year, I have a year under my belt and the trust of these guys. I can take more of a leadership role," Cozart said.

That's just one of a few changes Cozart will be experiencing during the upcoming season. Life will be a little different offensively, too.

Used most often at either the leadoff or No. 2 spots, Cozart is going to bat seventh this season since trade acquisition Shin-Soo Choo will bat first and Phillips will take the two-hole.

"Now the tough part will be how he adjusts to the seven-hole," Baker said. "He'll probably see more breaking balls, less fastballs. Hitting in front of Joey, there were probably times you don't want to throw a fastball, but they had to. Your seventh hitter is the foundation-underneath guy."

In 138 games last season, Cozart batted .246 with 15 home runs, 33 doubles, 35 RBIs and a .288 on-base percentage.

The seventh spot is not devoid of responsibility. It's a place that can mean more run-producing chances to drive in hitters like Ryan Ludwick, Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier. It's a spot that can keep rallies going and possibly help turn over the lineup through the pitcher's ninth spot.

"I will relish the moments when people are on base and getting big hits," Cozart said. "[Turning over the lineup] is going to come with time. That's why [Ryan] Hanigan is so good in the eighth spot. It seems like every time he's up, he gets a hit or works a walk to get the pitcher up. Even if the pitcher gets out, we'll have the leadoff hitter up the next inning. Guys in the bottom of the order, they are in as important positions as the top of the order."

Cozart, who has been instructed to improve his bunting technique, will also be trying to build on last year by smoothing some of the rough edges at the plate. That will include seeking consistency. Last season, he was prone to extended hitting funks that included an 0-for-19 skid, plus 0-for-13 and an 0-for-12.

"I want to make those bad moments go quicker and get out of the slumps quicker," Cozart said. "I want to hit better with runners on base. I thought I had a decent year last year. I want to improve."

At this same time, defense will be Cozart's bread-and-butter. A finalist for a Gold Glove, he finished second among National League shortstops with a .975 fielding percentage while making 14 errors.

"He's steady Eddie and he's going to get better," Baker said.

Last week, Cozart made nice diving stops to his left on back-to-back days. He'll never let defense take a back seat to hitting.

"That's me. If I'm struggling at the plate, I can always play defense," Cozart said. "That's what I fall back on. That's what I pride my game on."

And now he can be more vocal and take charge like a field general should.

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.

Reds snap losing streak

The Reds pulled out a 6-5 victory over the Brewers with two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Since the Canada game didn’t count on the Cactus League ledger, Saturday’s win snapped a seven-game losing streak.

Here’s some of the dirt:

*Homer Bailey was slated to go three innings but lasted two innings with three runs (one earned) on four hits with one strikeout, one wild pitch and one hit batsman. Bailey nearly got out of the second inning clean after a double play but an error prolonged the inning.

“He had a 30-pitch inning that first inning,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “We didn’t want to give him another inning and took him out. He threw the ball real good. He just couldn’t put them away. I think three of their hits were two-strike hits.”

*It was committed by Henry Rodriguez, who played second base today and committed his team-leading fifth error of spring. Rodriguez couldn’t come up with a line drive from Kentrail Davis in the second inning, for a two-base error which scored a run and led to another.

*In the fourth inning, two runs crossed against former Brewer Manny Parra. There were two double plays that weren’t turned that led to the scoring. Parra also allowed Logan Schafer’s RBI double.

“We won but it’s hard to win like that,” Baker said. “We missed some signs. We just have to tighten up our game.”

*Cesar Izturis, who was a Brewer for 57 games last season, hit a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth inning. Izturis made it a 5-5 game in the bottom of the seventh with a RBI single that scored Donald Lutz.

*J.J. Hoover, who is vying for a bullpen spot, looked good in getting the save in the 1-2-3 ninth inning with two strikeouts.

*The Reds made their first two cuts of spring on Saturday. Right-handed pitcher Justin Freeman and catcher Tucker Barnhart were re-assigned to the Minor League camp. There are 56 players remaining in Reds big league camp.

http://marksheldon.mlblogs.com/

Doc: Hanigan's tools aren't of ignorance
Mar 9, 2013


Off the field, Ryan Hanigan studies physics and new-age quantum mechanics. / The Enquirer/ Liz Dufour

Written by
Paul Daugherty


GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Ryan Hanigan is reading a book called “The Field,” which he describes as being “about the Zero Point Field, with regard to quantum mechanics. It combines physics and new-age quantum mechanics.”

It does what?

Hard to explain, exactly. “Google it,” Hanigan says.

“The seminal work of the New Age,” comes the description. “One which provides a scientific explanation for psychic phenomena such as ESP, spiritual healing and remote viewing.”

Remote viewing?

It explains that everything is connected by the Zero Point Field (ZPF), a sea of energy that reconciles mind with matter, classic science with quantum physics, and science with religion.

Hanigan majored in philosophy at Rollins College. That’s not a bad way to go, if you’re pondering a career dealing with neurotic major-league pitchers. I asked him who his favorite philosophers were. Just to make conversation.

Yogi Berra, maybe. Casey Stengel. Marty Brennaman.

“I like all the existentialists,” Hanigan said. “Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Sartre. That was my genre. I believe in it. The only way to understand knowledge in life is through experience. Experience gives you a different level of understanding.”

Sometimes, we don’t know nothin’.

That’s especially true when our subject is a catcher, the only player on the field whose head is helmeted in plastic and steel. Rumors of Ryan Hanigan’s intellect abounded. His dad is a retired FBI agent, who once tracked down a fugitive who’d been on the lam for more than a decade.

Hanigan grew up in Andover, Mass., home of Phillips Academy, prep school of the stars, most notably one George W. Bush. But he was a townie. And he’s quiet. And he wears the tools of ignorance. “The backbone of the team,” Hanigan corrects.

Forgive us. But we didn’t assume we’d be discussing quantum mechanics and Jean-Paul Sartre with the catcher of the Cincinnati Reds. Just so you don’t believe Hanigan spends his off time reading Freud and saying “Hmmm” a lot, he’s also partial to reggae and gangster movies. What was it the bad-guy Tommy DeVito said in Goodfellas?
“What do you mean, I’m funny? Funny like a clown?”

So as to better engage our subject, we decided not to ask him standard baseball questions. We didn’t want to bore him to death.

Have you ever gone to the mound to talk about wedding gifts?

“I don’t think it’s ever come up. One time a guy talked about a car he wanted to buy. Usually, it’s just time to let a guy catch his breath and refocus.”

If Crash Davis were real, he’d be ...

“Corky Miller.”

Hanigan says that three times, foul balls have cracked his catcher’s cup: “When it misses the cup is when you’re in trouble.”

He says he liked playing in the dirt as a kid. He says his knees don’t bother him, from all that squatting. “Big-muscle groups hurt. The joints have been good.” He prefers Advil to Aleve.

Word association. I say Bronson Arroyo, you say ...

“Unique.”

Chapman.

“Flamethrower.”

Homer Bailey.

“Raw talent.”

Latos.

“Horse.”

Broxton.

“Power.”

Would you rather block the plate against Ryan Howard or catch a short pass over the middle against Ray Lewis? “Howard. Saving a run is a bigger play than catching a pass over the middle.”

Which is better: Your Spanish or Chapman’s English? “My Spanish. I took a couple years in high school and five or six lessons two years ago. I can understand a lot more than I can speak.”

Which is more twisted: The Hangover movies, or the fingers of your right hand?

“Fortunately, it’s my left hand that’s screwed up. So I’ll go with The Hangovers.”

When life throws you a curve, how do you handle it? “If it’s hanging, I try and crush it. If it’s below the zone, I try and take it.”

Sounds existentialist.

“Haha.”

What is the strike zone, really? “It depends on the umpire, the day. It’s usually a little wider than it is high. A little below the knees.”

Are you nice to umpires believing it will help you get a call? “I don’t try to manipulate umpires. They see through that. They’re like cops. They have all the leverage. Some you can talk to, some you can’t. Some guys give you more respect for being around a while, some don’t care. That’s a big part of the game that guys don’t talk about. Knowing where we stand.”

Ever wish you could catch standing up? “No. I’d feel very vulnerable standing up.”

What part of a catcher’s makeup is unique? “The expectation every day of taking balls off your body. The rest of the guys are trying to use their glove.”

The next time you hear a pro jock mention “the field,” don’t assume he means grass and dirt. You might miss out on an entirely different conversation. You might underestimate a guy like Ryan Hanigan.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130...-ignorance

Reds' Mesoraco in search of old self
Catcher says struggles don't mean he can't play
Mar 9, 2013

Written by
John Fay


Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco watches one of his two home runs this spring. / The Enquirer/Gary Landers

GOODYEAR, ARIZ. — Devin Mesoraco clearly had a bad year last year. But he says he didn’t suddenly become a bad player.

“I didn’t change as a player,” Mesoraco said. “None of the skills, none of the ability changed. It’s all in there. It’s a matter of getting back to what I was doing. It’s matter of going back to what made me successful in the past.”

Mesoraco, the 24-year-old catcher, came into last season as the Reds’ No. 1 prospect. A lot people had him as a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.

It didn’t work out that way. Mesoraco made the club out of camp. But he started the season catching two out of five days to Ryan Hanigan’s three. Hanigan would eventually begin catching four of five.

Mesoraco was optioned to Triple-A Louisville on Aug. 23 after he returned from a two-game suspension for bumping umpire Chad Fairchild. He was recalled Sept. 2. But he only played in two more games and was left off the playoff roster.

He didn’t completely revamp things this offseason.

“There was some things I did differently,” Mesoraco said. “But, for the most part, it was the same. I watched more video than I have in the past. I didn’t swing any more. I didn’t hit any more. I just wanted to come into spring with a plan of where I wanted to get to. Have that all good by the time games started. I executed that plan. Now, I’ve just got to go out and hit.”

Mesoraco was searching for his old self.

“It was mostly looking at other guys and looking at myself in the past,” Mesoraco said. “I feel like I didn’t have the swing I had in the past. For me, you just chalk last year up as a lesson learned and try to get back to where I was in early 2011 and 2010.”

In 2010, he combined to hit .302 with 26 home runs and 75 RBI at three levels of the minors. He hit .289 with 15 home runs and 71 RBI in 2011.

“A lot of people thought Devin was ready last year,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “Sometimes you get overwhelmed with all the things you’re supposed to do, especially as a young catcher.”

Baker doesn’t second guess the decision to start Mesoraco in the majors.

“It’s easy to say after the fact,” he said. “That’s the easiest thing in the world to say. We won 97 games even though Devin struggled.”

Mesoraco has had a good spring so far. He’s hitting .400 (6-for-15) with two home runs and six RBI.

“I feel comfortable,” he said. “I’m at a point where I’m happy with my spring. It’s a matter of maintaining. The biggest thing to come is timing and pitch selection. Now I feel that I’m in a good, strong position to hit. Everything is going to take care of itself.”

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130.../303090122

Reds 7, White Sox 3
03/10/13 at 7:07pm by John Fay

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Reds won their third straight (counting the win over Canada) to improve to 4-11 on the spring.

The arms: Johnny Cueto started and went four innings. He allowed two runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out two — the final two he faced. He hit a batter and threw a wild pitch. He wasn’t sharp but should have only allowed a run. “I was going too fast,” Cueto said. “My shoulder was getting ahead on my fastball.”

The bats: Todd Frazier went 3-for-4 with his first home run of spring — a shot to center field. Shin-Soo Choo was 4-for-4. Jay Bruce, Ryan Hanigan and Cesar Izturis drove in two runs each. The Reds were 5-for-17 with runners in scoring position.

The rest: Ryan Ludwick misplayed a ball in left into a triple, leading to the second run off Cueto. Jack Hannahan made a couple of nice plays at first base.

Up next: The Reds are off tomorrow. Tuesday they play Dodgers at home. Right-hander Mat Latos (0-0, 0.00) faces right-hander Josh Beckett (0-0, 0.00).

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2013/03...ite-sox-3/

For Todd Frazier, have (one) glove, will not travel
Reds notebook
Mar 10, 2013


Todd Frazier missed some time with a strained calf, but overall he’s getting more reps at third. / The Enquirer/Liz Dufour

Written by
John Fay

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Todd Frazier’s equipment bag is a lot lighter this spring.

Frazier, who has played six positions in his short big league career, is playing exclusively at third base this spring.

“I enjoyed playing the different positions,” Frazier said. “It doesn’t really bother me either way. Is it a little more comforting? Yeah, you can say it is. I don’t have to bring as many gloves to the field. I don’t have to worry about another position because I know this is the spot they want me to play and I want to play.”

Frazier is glad that the club has the confidence in him to allow him to take over the position from Scott Rolen.

“It feels really good to have that spot and hone in on one position,” he said. “That’s probably the biggest thing. You never know what can happen during the year. Things can change. Third base is the spot for now.”

Frazier missed some time with a strained calf, but overall he’s getting more reps at third.

“But I’ve been able to take a lot of ground balls,” he said. “Ground ball after ground ball. It’s just repetition. (bench coach) Chris Speier is really good at that.”

VOTTO LIKE: Shin-Soo Choo singled and doubled in his first two at-bats Sunday's game – both times to left. Going to the opposite field is something Choo has done a lot early in camp.

“He’s not ready yet,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “He works hard. He’ll be ready by the time the season starts. He kind of uses the whole field like Joey (Votto). His approach is similar to Joey’s, which is conducive to hitting.”

Choo hit .283 with a .373 on-base percentage last year. His on-base was higher than any Red but Votto’s.

B GAME: The Reds beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 in a “B” game Sunday. Six pitchers threw one inning each. “With the rainouts, everyone needed work,” Baker said.

BAKER ON WBC: Baker saw the run-differential rule as the thing that led to the brawl in the Canada-Mexico game in the World Baseball Classic. A bunt single by a Canadian player with a 9-3 lead sparked it..

“I’ve seen that with my son’s game,” Baker said. “When they’re adding up runs and runs against, that makes it conducive to piling it on.”

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130...not-travel

Doc: Hannahan has special bond with cancer patient
Dad: "I'm not sure he saved Luke's life. But I'm sure he had a hand in it''
Mar 10, 2013


Says Luke Strotman of Jack Hannahan, “He gave me the courage to never give up, no matter how tough it got. He’s a big reason I beat leukemia the first time.’’ / Photo courtesy of Luke Strotman's Facebook page

Written by
Paul Daugherty

Pro athletes can be a self-absorbed tribe. The career path asks for a singleness of purpose that can overwhelm any responsibility to almost anyone else. Selfish isn’t a character trait. It’s a job requirement.

It would have been easy for Jack Hannahan to give Luke Strotman the once-over-lightly. In 2009, Hannahan was in his third year of major-league ball, after seven seasons in the minors. Luke was a 13-year-old from the Chicago suburbs, stricken with cancer for the second time. The two had never met.

A family connection had asked Hannahan to offer some kindness. Luke had rallied from a near-fatal bout with neuroblastoma at age 4, only to be hit with leukemia nine years later. Luke loved baseball. He needed encouragement desperately.

Hannahan signed a hat and a T-shirt. On a baseball, he wrote, “Stay strong, keep fighting. Your #1 Fan.’’ For most players, the obligation would have ended there. That was almost four years ago. Hannahan and Luke remain friends. Hannahan cried late last September, when he received a text message telling him 17-year-old Luke Strotman’s leukemia had returned.

“He’s a good kid,’’ Hannahan said of Luke. “A powerful kid. Big spirit. It’s inspiring to me, to see a kid who has gone through so much to still be so fun loving.’’

Says Luke Strotman of Jack Hannahan, “He gave me the courage to never give up, no matter how tough it got. He’s a big reason I beat leukemia the first time.’’

Luke’s father Bill is even more direct:

“The value of Jack Hannahan cannot be measured in the baseball encyclopedia. I’m not sure he saved Luke’s life. But I’m sure he had a hand in it.’’

Athletes are magical that way. We never let go of the child-like notion that athleticism equals heroism. Their power to do good isn’t entirely understood, even by the heroes themselves. Hannahan says of Luke, “He has given me much more than I’ve ever given him.’’

Luke went back into the hospital last fall, for a second bone marrow transplant. He stayed 32 days. Bill Strotman says his son took it hard. “When he was 4 and had cancer, he thought he had the flu. When he was 13, he knew what cancer was. This time, he was pretty depressed.’’

“When it came back, I couldn’t believe it,’’ Luke says. “I thought we’d never have to worry about it ever again.’’

Hannahan has been steadfast, calling and texting and sending baseball stuff, always inscribed with the mantra, “Stay strong, keep fighting.’’ He has a child of his own now, and another on the way. He understands better the fragility of life and the woe in a child being gravely ill.

Luke is a huge Cubs fan. (That in itself takes some strength and determination.) He sat in owner Tom Ricketts’ box for a game last summer. Ricketts was smitten by Luke, naturally. He gave Luke his e-mail address, with the casual invitation to “write anytime.’’

Last fall, after Cleveland released Hannahan, Luke wrote Ricketts. “Sign Jack Hannahan,’’ he said. Ricketts didn’t, of course, so now Hannahan will be boxing up some Reds gear to send Luke’s way. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do when the Cubs play the Reds,’’ says Luke. “I won’t be a Reds fan. I’ll just be a Jack Hannahan fan.’’


“When anything happens in my life, I revert to Luke,’’ Jack Hannahan says. “Life is precious. An 0-for-4 isn’t a big deal.’’ / Rick Scuteri/USA TODAY Sports

The cancer has affected his growth. Luke is 5 feet tall. He weighs 85 pounds, down from 105 when he began the bone-marrow transplant. He wanted to play football. Instead, he has been the ballboy for eight years. “It’s just as good,’’ he says.

Luke is also a baseball stats nerd. “A lot of people think I should be a scout some day,’’ he says. I ask him for his best Hannahan number. “He has two homers off (Seattle Mariners ace) Felix Hernandez, and they came in the same game,’’ Luke says.

“What a stat rat,’’ says Hannahan.

Luke underwent his last treatment for the leukemia last week. “All the bloodwork was positive,’’ Bill reports. Adds Luke, “With my history, I know we’ll beat it again.’’

Luke has made a life out of beating death. Bill says his son had a 30 percent chance of surviving the neuroblastoma, and a one-in-four chance at beating leukemia the first time. “Long term, who knows?’’ Bill says. “We all hope and pray we’ve seen the end of it. But we did that twice before. I’d be happy if Luke were a 5-foot tall 75-year-old.’’

So would Hannahan, who understands the power of ordinary heroism, and practices it.

“When anything happens in my life, I revert to Luke,’’ he says. “Life is precious. An 0-for-4 isn’t a big deal.’’

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130...er-patient

Reds 6, Dodgers 2
03/13/13 at 1:03am by John Fay

The Reds have won four straight, including the win over Team Canada, to improve to 5-11.

The arms: Mat Latos went four innings and allowed a run on two hits. He walked none and struck out six. He gave hits to the first two batters he faced and then retired 11 of 12. The other hitter reached on a error. “I’m not where I need to be,” Latos said. “I seem to struggle in the first inning for some stupid reason. I give the hitters too much credit. My changeup is coming around though and my slider is really good.” Sam LeCure worked two scoreless innings for the win. He was at his best in the sixth. He gave up a hit. The next hitter reached on his two-base error. But he struck out the next two and got a groundball to strand them.

The bats: The Reds only got two hits off Josh Beckett, but one was Shin-Soo Choo’s first home run as a Red. It was Choo’s sixth hit in his last seven at-bats. Donald Lutz’s tripled in a run. Devin Mesoraco broke it open with a three-run double in the ninth. He leads the club with nine RBI.

The rest: The game drew 5,369 — the largest of the spring at Goodyear. The Dodgers are a big draw in the Goodyear. The Reds made two errors, giving them 18 in 16 games this spring.

Up next: The Reds are home again. They face the World Champion San Francisco Giants. Bronson Arroyo (0-1, 9.00 ERA) faces left-hander Barry Zito (1-0, 3.86) in a matchup of guitar-playing starters. It’s a 4:05 p.m. start. The radio feed is available on reds.com

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2013/03...dodgers-2/

Joey Votto back — too early for his taste
03/12/13 at 9:22pm by John Fay



GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Joey Votto was back with the Reds sooner than he hoped. Votto was in the lineup Tuesday after Team Canada’s short run in the WBC.

“I wish I was in Miami right now,” he said. “I wish I was playing the game we’re watching right now.”

The Team USA-Puerto Rico game was being shown on a big screen in the Reds clubhouse as Votto spoke. Team USA beat Canada to eliminate Votto’s Canadian team.

“I was proud to play with Team Canada,” Votto said. “I was lucky enough to be part of it. I’m thankful I was healthy enough to play.”

The WBC gave Votto an early taste of the way clubs will pitch him. He came to the plate 14 times. He had two singles and was walked five times. By contrast in the 2009 WBC, Votto came to the plate 11 times and only walked twice. He had five hits, including two doubles and a home run.

Votto says his lack of production this year wasn’t because of the way he was pitched.

“I didn’t feel like they (pitched me that carefully),” he said. “I was just missing pitches. It felt like the regular season, except I wasn’t doing anything offensively.”

The WBC is many notches up from spring training on the intensity meter.

“I think it was really good for me personally,” he said. “It helped remind me what I need to prepare for on a daily basis. It was good to be challenged physically — play 18 straight innings, longer games, getting all the at-bats in. I think it was good.

“It reminded me that I’ve got a good bit to go. Thankfully, I got to test the waters. Now, I’ll get back to work and get ready for April 1.”

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2013/03...his-taste/

All-around Izturis staking his claim for Reds
Reds notebook
Mar 13, 2013

Written by
John Fay

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Based on camp so far, his stats from last year and his resume at shortstop, Cesar Izturis would be the No. 1 option for the Reds’ last utility spot.

Izturis is battling Jason Donald and Emmanuel Burriss for that spot.

Izturis went into Tuesday’s late game hitting .320, with a .393 on-base percentage, .440 slugging percentage, a home run and six RBI.

“I feel good,” he said. “It’s been going well so far.”

Izturis, a 33-year-old switch-hitter, hit .235 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 162 at-bats for Milwaukee last year.

He was claimed off waivers by the Nationals on Aug. 6. He played five games with Washington before being designated for assignment.

He was released six days later – ending his season.

He signed with the Reds on Jan. 7.

“Obviously, they were coming off a great year,” he said. “They’ve got a lot of great young guys. They want to win. They proved that last year.”

The Reds have always carried a true shortstop as a backup under manager Dusty Baker. Izturis qualifies as that.

He’s a former All-Star and was an everyday shortstop up until 2010.

“He can play short if his legs remain healthy,” Baker said. “That was the question when I had him in Chicago. It’s going to be a tough decision.”

Izturis has been on the disabled list nine times in his career – five times with leg injuries.

While he’s played 1,120 of 1,247 big league games at short, he’s also played at the other three infield positions.

“I’m comfortable at second and third,” he said. “I’ll do whatever they need me to do.”

BIG CUT: The Reds cut 12 players to reduce the roster to 44.

Left-hander Tony Cingrani and right-hander Daniel Corcino were optioned to Triple-A Louisville. Right-handers Kyle Lotzkar and Josh Ravin were optioned to Double-A Pensacola. Right-hander Carlos Contreras and outfielder Yorman Rodriguez were optioned to Single-A Bakersfield. Left-hander Ismael Guillon was optioned to Single-A Dayton.

Right-handers Chad Rogers and Nick Christiani, catcher Nevin Ashley, infielder Kristopher Negron and outfielder Ryan LaMarre were re-assigned to the minor league camp.

Players on the 40-man roster must be optioned; players not on the 40-man are re-assigned.

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll...303110067/

Doc: The raw, refined Homer Bailey
Mar 12, 2013


Now that Homer Bailey is physically full, his possibilities are as big as a west Texas sky. That raw talent is being refined. The stubbornness has its place, though. Always will. / Jake Roth/USA TODAY Sports

Written by
Paul Daugherty

GOODYEAR, AZ – Homer Bailey is a stubborn, cantankerous Texan, and we say that only because it is so. He doesn’t necessarily agree with that assessment, partly because he is stubborn and cantankerous. That doesn’t make it any less true.

“It depends on who you ask,’’ Bailey decides. “If you were to ask Bryan Price if I were stubborn, he’d probably say yes. But he’d also say I listen to him acutely well.’’

Price is the Reds pitching coach and a very valuable commodity. Especially if he got Homer Bailey to start listening to him.

“There was this rumor I knew it all. I didn’t know anything,’’ says Bailey. “I just didn’t have the right questions.

“When somebody tells you to do something and you ask why, that probably was taken a little out of context. I didn’t ask why because I thought I knew better. I asked why so I could learn. It’s like that for any young professional. If you’re not asking why, you’re probably not learning anything.’’

Bailey will tell you he had a breakthrough 2012 because he stayed healthy. Period. “There were no mystical changes,’’ he says. “I stayed on the field. I felt good. It’s not as complicated as y’all try to make it.’’

Bailey didn’t take the mound with his shoulder begging for mercy. His mind was focused on pitching, not on pain. He made 33 starts and missed none. The results were impressive.

I’m not a fantasy obsessive. If I were, I might take a chance on David Dewitt Bailey, who is on the edge of his prime and the cusp of special-ness. Bailey went 8-4 after June last season. He threw a no-hitter on Sept. 28, and that wasn’t even his best work. His catcher, Ryan Hanigan, will tell you Bailey was better in Game 3 of the NLDS against San Francisco. Bailey worked seven innings in that game, allowing one hit and one run in a game the Reds lost in 10, 2-1.

Bailey will be 27 on May 3. All the lessons he has learned and pain he has collected seem to have served him well. Being a top draft choice of a team that, in 2004, had Junior Griffey and a perennial wish for Next Year made Bailey a bigger target for media scrutiny than he’d have liked. Bailey isn’t big on media scrutiny.

“I get very annoyed very quickly,’’ he says. “Let me be left alone. Let me go play.’’

I played word association last week with Hanigan. I named a pitcher, he offered a one-word descriptive. Hanigan is a very bright guy. His answers came instantly, until I came to Bailey. Hanigan thought on it for 10 seconds.

“Raw talent,’’ he said.

Bailey knows he needs to refine. “I want to get better from the stretch. My secondary pitches (need) a little more consistency. Establish the fastball. Get ahead (in the count) with breaking balls. I’m really close. I have to realize what my game is, and make it better. You’re not going to tell Joey (Votto) to bunt. I know who I am now.’’

As for the mental portion of the program?

“The mental side is very hard to explain,’’ Bailey says. “If I told you stuff, you wouldn’t understand it.’’

No, of course not.

“One pitch at a time. Knowing how to pitch when you don’t feel good. Knowing how to pitch when you do feel good. Channel all of that. Those are your generic answers.’’

I wanted to ask Bailey about hunting. He does a lot of it. The first time he appeared in the clubhouse at Great American Ball Park, he had a hunting knife strapped to his pants-leg.

In some meaningful way, hunting defines him. It’s a solitary, individual pursuit, like pitching, and deeply rooted in the American persona. Hunting is self-made and rugged, and as such very Texan. Bailey is old-school, pickup-truck Texan in a way that fellow Texan Jay Bruce is not. I wanted to plumb the depths of his hunting passion.

“Did you really kill a lion with a bow and arrow?’’ I asked.

Yes.

“How’d you do that?’’

“Pulled the string back. I don’t want to talk about the lion.’’

Can we talk about hunting generally?

No. “Baseball questions.’’

Bailey allows that he has “always been rather confident in my ability.’’ Now that he’s physically full, his possibilities are as big as a west Texas sky. That raw talent is being refined. The stubbornness has its place, though. Always will.

I suggest to Bailey he was lucky not to have been drafted by the Yankees or Philly. All that media nonsense, multiplied. He disagrees, naturally.

“Annoyance is annoyance,’’ he says.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130...mer-Bailey

Price on Chapman and closing
03/13/13 at 3:25pm by John Fay

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — It was reported that pitching coach Bryan Price prefers Chapman in the closer role. Price hasn’t committed one way on another.

“I’ve been clear that I like the idea of Aroldis getting ready as a starter,” Price said. “But, at the same time, we’ve got to look at what is best for the team. I’ve never said (that I prefer him to close). I’d be disappointed if I was characterized as saying that.”

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2013/03...d-closing/

Dusty Baker likes what he’s seen from new CF Shin-Soo Choo so far
03/13/13 at 1:55pm by C. Trent Rosecrans

Cincinnati Reds v San Diego PadresRecently Dusty Baker noticed new center fielder Shin-Soo Choo approached bench coach Chris Speier with a question, but not him. The Reds manager went up to his new player and asked why he didn’t come to the manager directly.



“He said in Korea, you don’t talk to the manager directly — the manager is like God,” Baker recalled.

Baker smiled and said he told Choo, “Well, we’re not in Korea.”

This, of course, brought laughter from the assembled press. “You’re not?” Baker was asked.

“No,” he noted, laughing.

But Baker said one of the things he’s noticed — and appreciates — about Choo is the questions he asks.

“This guy is really curious and he asks great questions. He wants to be better,” Baker said. “That’s really refreshing.”

Thursday Choo is scheduled to meet with Eric Davis about his leads from the bases and jumps. Choo stole 21 bases last season, one off his career high of 22 set in 2010. The Reds aren’t going to ask Choo to change his game, just improve it. Baker was asked if he wants Choo to change his approach to take more pitches, see more pitches. No, he said, he just wants Choo to do what he’s done his entire career — get on base at a .381 clip and score runs.

“The most important is scoring runs, because that’s his job,” Baker said. “I envision Choo scoring 100 runs with the guys behind him. Most leadoff men in our league, a leadoff man who drives in 50 runs is pretty good. The American League is different because they have good hitters in the eighth, ninth spot. You want your middle guys to account for 100 both ways (RBI and runs). … Choo is going to have the ability to drive in 70 runs, because he’s going to drive himself in 20 times. You figure someone is on base half the time, you figure 30 RBI before he’s scored off someone driving him in.”

Baker said he’s not worried about Choo’s defense — “If you can play center field or outfield here, you can play it anywhere,” Baker said. But most importantly, he summed up with the ultimate compliment Baker can give: “Choo can hit.”

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2013/03...keronchoo/

Bronson Arroyo gets in pitching, fielding work vs. Giants
03/13/13 at 6:36pm by C. Trent Rosecrans

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Two things happened Wednesday that pleased Reds starter Bronson Arroyo. First he was able to throw 45 pitches in his four innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and striking out three. Arroyo added another 15 pitches in the bullpen to get his total to 60 for the day. Secondly, he got a play in the field that is nearly impossible to replicate in drills.

With a runner on second in the second, former Red Wilson Valdez hit a high chopper that Arroyo had to wait on and try to make a quick throw to first. Arroyo, a former Gold Glove winner, threw the ball high to first baseman Neftali Soto, allowing an unearned run to score and Valdez to advance to second. It was ruled a single with a throwing error.

“You can’t replicate those in fielding practice, you can’t replicate that feeling,” Arroyo said. “That’s one of the funniest plays in the game because anything that’s below your feet, I’m used to it. But anytime the ball’s up in the air and you don’t know where the runner is. It’s impossible to time the ball and you’re wondering, ‘where’s he at? Where’s he at? Where’s he at?’ And I’ve got to get this ball when it comes down cleanly and get rid of it cleanly.

“It’s one of the funkiest plays in the game and it’s nice to get one in a real game. You’re only going to get that three times a year, so it’s nice to have a feeling. I just messed that one up.”

Arroyo struck out Guillermo Quiroz to end the inning. He was let off the hook in the decision in the sixth thanks to Chris Heisey’s two-run homer that tied the game at 3.

“That’s one of those plays that if it happens in the regular season you want to shoot yourself for about a week,” Arroyo said. “Luckily it’s spring training, so I just want to have dessert tonight.”

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/reds/2013/03...vs-giants/

Arroyo makes strong start as Heisey shows power
Righty allows one earned run in four innings; backup outfielder goes deep in sixth

By Chris Haft / MLB.com | 3/13/2013 6:50 P.M. ET

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Ricky Oropesa and Juan Perez delivered back-to-back homers in a six-run eighth inning Wednesday to power the San Francisco Giants past the Cincinnati Reds, 9-5, in a Cactus League rematch of last year's National League Division Series.

Non-roster invitee catcher Johnny Monell, batting .600 (9-for-15) this spring, went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs.

With one out and the score tied 3-3 in the eighth inning, Nick Noonan singled off Reds reliever Pedro Villareal. Oropesa then cleared the right-center field barrier with his first spring home run. Perez also recorded his first Cactus League homer by launching a drive to left field.

Kensuke Tanaka and Francisco Peguero singled before racing home on Monell's double. Monell scored on Ehire Adrianza's single.

The Giants, who have won three of their last four games, snapped Cincinnati's three-game winning streak.

Both starters recorded their longest outings of the spring. Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo lasted four innings, surrendering two runs (one earned) and four hits. Arroyo has not walked a batter in his last nine innings. San Francisco's Barry Zito worked 3 1/3 innings, yielding five hits and just one run. He escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third inning by coaxing Ryan Ludwick's one-hop smash to third baseman Joaquin Arias, who started a double play.

Arroyo and Zito welcome the extra preparation time afforded by the World Baseball Classic, which lengthened Spring Training.

"There's nothing worse than losing a game at the start of the season, because you've thrown 80 pitches only once," Arroyo said.

"I'm not where I want to be yet, but that's why we have [the time] we have," Zito said.

The Reds opened the scoring in the first inning as Zack Cozart doubled with one out and came home on Neftali Soto's single. San Francisco responded by scoring twice in the second inning after two were out with nobody on base. Peguero singled, Monell doubled him home and Wilson Valdez hit a high chopper to Arroyo that was scored as an infield single. Monell came home when Arroyo overthrew first base.

The Giants added a run in the fifth with more help from Monell, who homered in Tuesday night's loss to San Diego. He led off with a single against Sean Marshall, advanced to second base on a groundout and scored on Guillermo Quiroz's single.

Cincinnati pulled even in the sixth inning against Giants left-hander Javier Lopez on Derrick Robinson's RBI single and Chris Heisey's solo homer.

Up next for Reds: Right-hander Clay Hensley, who spent last season with the Giants, is among Cincinnati's relievers scheduled to work Thursday against Seattle at 4:05 p.m. ET. Hensley is competing for a spot in the Reds' bullpen. Homer Bailey, who has pitched just five innings in his three spring outings, will attempt to put together a longer stint as he makes his fourth Cactus League start.

Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/arti...n&c_id=cin

Hamilton sustains mild hamstring injury

By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com | 3/13/2013 4:30 P.M. ET


Outlook: Hamilton's speed should help him in 2013

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Billy Hamilton tweaked his left hamstring stealing a base last Friday and has been held out of Cactus League activity the last few days.

"He's not ready. Not ready," manager Dusty Baker said. "For a guy who depends on his legs, you don't want to take a chance with this being a chronic thing all year. Guys who run that fast are usually going to have something."

Hamilton was a full participant in Wednesday morning's workout and showed no hitch in his giddy-up walking around the clubhouse. He indicated that the injury is not the least bit serious.

Asked when he might be back in games, Hamilton said, "No idea. Shouldn't be long."

Reds have high hopes for Chapman as a starter



GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Reds still aren't sure if Aroldis Chapman will be pitching for them in the first inning or the ninth this season, but Dusty Baker hopes to know sooner rather than later.

"I'd like to decide soon and get my team together," Baker said Wednesday. "I don't like having guys in the middle, because that's a bad situation when you're in the middle of anything, an unknown. Then everyone else is in an unknown situation. I don't think that's fair to him or us."

Baker acknowledges that the decision is not his and his alone. It is an organizational decision in which he'll certainly have input. It is apparent that if Baker had his way, Chapman would remain a closer, but as an organization, the Reds recognize the value the Cuban left-hander could have as a starting arm.

"I'd like to make a decision in the next week or so," Baker said, "so I can get my team together."

One concern with converting Chapman would be his workload, as he pitched just 71 2/3 innings last season and would, therefore, be limited in terms of how many innings he could pitch as a starter. The Reds would have to be creative with how they dole out the starts to Chapman.

"[The workload] is always a concern," Baker said. "You're on uncharted waters."

Chapman is scheduled to start Saturday against the Giants in a split-squad game. His competition for the No. 5 starting slot, Mike Leake, will start the Reds' other game that day.

In four innings of work thus far this spring, Chapman has allowed one run on three hits.

LeCure epitomizes utility pitcher role



GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Reds have an important utility player, and he doesn't man an infield or outfield spot.

He is Sam LeCure -- a utility pitcher capable of filling in as a spot starter, mop-up man or fixer in a late-inning nail-biter. Never was LeCure's value more apparent than in Game 1 of last year's National League Division Series against the Giants, when he stepped in for an injured Johnny Cueto in the first inning and got five pivotal outs.

"He's a guy [where] you fall in love with him over time," manager Dusty Baker said. "He wasn't real high on the radar screen around here. But the guy can get out of trouble.

"He's like your epitome of a utility pitcher. He's a spot starter, can pitch long relief, can come in specialty. It took him a while to get his arm conditioned to doing this. You've got to get your arm conditioned to go back to back, especially when he was a starter the whole time."

LeCure has pitched well in some tight situations thus far in Cactus League play. In his first six innings of work, he allowed two runs on six hits with a walk and six strikeouts.

"Sam has gotten better," Baker said. "He's worked at it. The main thing is he is not scared. He knows how to pitch."

Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/arti...n&c_id=cin