jjakq27 Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...t=.jsp&c_id=cin03/02/2005 1:03 PM ETReds eager to take fieldCincy opens Grapefruit League season ThursdayBy Todd Lorenz / MLB.com SARASOTA, Fla. -- After more than two weeks of doing pretty much the same routine every day, the Reds are finally ready to get the 2005 Grapefruit League season started. "I think we're all sick of the fundamental stuff and the drills," said outfielder Austin Kearns. "We're all ready to get out there and start playing." Although they played a couple of intrasquad games on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Reds will finally get their chance on Thursday when they travel to St. Petersburg to face the Devil Rays at Progress Energy Park. "Intrasquad's tough," Reds third baseman Joe Randa said. "It's nice to be able to play in the stadium and get the yellow screen and the cage out of the way. But in an intrasquad, it's kind of hard to zone in because you've been joking around with these guys for two weeks. You're kinda just going through the motions and you don't put a whole lot of emphasis on what happens out there." Of course, the Grapefruit League games don't count for much either, but they at least give the players a chance to work on real-game situations. "I think it makes things go by a little quicker," Randa said. "The only time you actually get anything out of Spring Training is playing the games. "You take ground ball after ground ball and hit in the cage, do flips or do whatever, but until you get in a game and do it over and over, that's when you get your real work in. Spring Training is two weeks too long. You get to a point where you're ready and then you have to try to maintain that to Opening Day, but the games make it go by a little faster." Although Reds right-hander Paul Wilson will get the start against Tampa Bay's righty Rob Bell in the spring opener, left-hander Eric Milton might be looking forward to getting games under way even more. "I've pitched against [the Reds] a lot, you know?" he said. "The whole reason I came here was so that I wouldn't have to face them." And he won't have to until next spring. Todd Lorenz is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirkendall Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 I'm fired up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BengalszoneBilly Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 I hope this season doesn't fizzle out like a cheap 4th of July sparkler on a rainy day like last year. They came out of the gates strong and fast, held 1st place for a respectable amount of time, then simply disappeared like a fart on a windy day after the All Star break! It sucked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyline Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 I hope this season doesn't fizzle out like a cheap 4th of July sparkler on a rainy day like last year. They came out of the gates strong and fast, held 1st place for a respectable amount of time, then simply disappeared like a fart on a windy day after the All Star break! It sucked. Yeah, it was disappointing, but I expected it to happen.I have a slightly higher level of hope heading into this season. A lot of things will have to go their way, but they have a chance...much moreso than last year at least.I'll be much more disappointed this season than I was during the last... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGrizzlyBaer Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 it seems like its been the case the last 3 years start strong and fall off about July Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyline Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 The game is officially under way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirkendall Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 This will be a great season! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BengalszoneBilly Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 This will be a great season! As usual, I hope you're right, as well as your prediction from last year atating that 2005 was the year to return to the Super Bowl for Cincy! We need to do this year what Boston did last year...Sweep the titles in Baseball and Footbal!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyline Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 This will be a great season!As usual, I hope you're right, as well as your prediction from last year atating that 2005 was the year to return to the Super Bowl for Cincy! We need to do this year what Boston did last year...Sweep the titles in Baseball and Footbal!! Don't ever let anyone accuse you of not being an optimist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bengalboomer7 Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 There are not too many things in this life that could make me cry, but thanks to billy my list just got one longer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BengalszoneBilly Posted March 3, 2005 Report Share Posted March 3, 2005 Don't ever let anyone accuse you of not being an optimist! Optimist and Visionary or Dillusional Dreamer. Tough call at this moment. I've been called both many times in my life. My misfortune is the latter is applied to me with far more regularity than the former. These words I posted...Sweep the titles in Baseball and Football!! ...will be only defined by the results of time and fortune. Simply put, I've again found myself smack-dab in the middle of another one of lifes endless crapshoots! C'mon Seven!! Make this village idiot look more like the reincarnation of a modern day Nostradamus for a change!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.