Votto relaxed, feeling fine, thanks

By John Fay • jfay@enquirer.com • December 4, 2009

Joey Votto answers the question with four words.

"I've been feeling better," he said.

The question was inevitable: How have you been able to put the anxiety and depression problems behind you?

Votto, never one to open up about himself, isn't going to start now. But he wants everyone to know he's OK after missing 30 games with those issues last year.

He's been spending time in Toronto with family.

"It's been really relaxing," he said.

He plans to head to Florida in a couple of weeks to begin training for the season.

"This year, I'm going spend a little more time on baseball stuff," he said. "In the past, I've just done physical stuff. I feel like there are holes in my game that I need to improve on.

"I want to work on the defensive side of things."

VOLQUEZ UPDATE: Edinson Volquez's rehab from "Tommy John" surgery has gone fine, but he's decided to wait until after the first of the year to begin throwing.

He was going to start throwing in mid-December.

"I feel great," he said. "But I want to wait. I could throw now. But I don't want to rush it."

Volquez has been working out five or six hours a day, five days a week at the Reds' academy in the Dominican.

"I lost 12 pounds," he said.

LINCOLN GOOD: Mike Lincoln will resume throwing in a week or two. He went to the Instructional League right after the season and pitched in three games there.

"They wanted me to take a month off after that,' Lincoln said. "I should be full-go by spring training."

Lincoln had season-ending disc replacement surgery July 20.

LEHR'S HAPPY: Justin Lehr is taking the offseason off after a couple of years of pitching virtually year-round.

The Reds gave Lehr a one-year, big-league contract and then optioned him to Louisville.

"They gave me exactly what I wanted," he said. "My split is guaranteed."

The guaranteed money allowed Lehr to rest. He went 5-3 with a 5.37 ERA. He thinks his stuff will improve with rest.

HEISEY ON HEISEY: Chris Heisey was given the Chief Bender award as the Reds' top minor leaguer Friday night. He played in 134 games for Double-A Carolina and Triple-A Louisville and hit a combined .314 with 35 doubles, 22 homers, 77 RBI and 21 stolen bases.

Heisey has gone from an unknown to being in the conversation for the left field job in about a year.

"I just do the best I can," Heisey said. "If it's good enough to impress somebody, all the better. I'm happy to have gotten all the opportunities I have coming from where I've come - a late-round pick, not much expectations. It's been fun."

Heisey plays all three outfield positions.

"I played center in college," he said. "I would have said that was my favorite, but since I've played them all I couldn't pick a favorite. I feel comfortable in all of them. That's one of the things I've been able to do in the minor leagues is to play them all. I feel comfortable in all no matter where they put me."

His goal for 2010?

"Obviously, I'd love to be with the team the whole year. But if I'm at Triple-A the whole year, that's OK. I'll just try to make the best of wherever I go."

PRICE CHECK: New pitching coach Bryan Price was able to put names to faces at Redsfest.

"I've talked to all of them," Price said. "I had some difficulty getting with the guys out of the country. But I spoke just last week to Johnny Cueto and Edinson (Volquez).

"We haven't got into the baseball stuff. As we get into December and January, I'll give a better idea of what I expect at spring training and what the expectations are."

Price isn't overly familiar with the staff and he's all right with that.

"Most of these guys I only know on paper," he said. "We only played them six times a year when I was in Arizona. I didn't see them at all this year. I think that is a good thing. What I have to have is my own impression. A lot of staff and front office will have established relationships. I'll be able to come in and make up my own mind.

"I really like to form my own opinion. I look forward to that. Until guys get on the field and start to work out - I can watch the video I want and I have - but you have to watch guys perform in person to get a real good feel for them."

Price saw top pick Mike Leake in the Arizona Fall League and was impressed.

"As much as people talk about command, he's got good stuff," Leake said. "He's got plenty of velocity. He's got movement and deception. He's got two good breaking balls. He's a great athlete on the mound. He's got great intangibles. That's probably the most important thing - his feel for pitching, his feel for hitters. He was very impressive."

Leake is ahead of the curve on the little things.

"He holds runners well and fields his position," Price said. "He throws all his pitches for strikes. That's really the foundation for a start to compete."

How soon before he's big league ready.

"I wouldn't put a timetable on him," Price said. "But really it's just polish on a guy who is already a pretty polished guy. It's a matter of getting innings under his belt."

OTHER AWARDS: Brandon Phillips was named Most Valuable Player by the Cincinnati chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Bronson Arroyo won both the pitcher of the year and the Joe Nuxhall Good Guy Award.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091...ne++thanks