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WhoDeyForever

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WhoDeyForever Newbie

WhoDeyForever

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Chicago Cubs @ Cincinnati Reds

3 Game Series

Game 1- 4/2

First Pitch- 2:10

Carlos Zambrano vs. Aaron Harang

Reds win: 5-1

Game 2- 4/4

First Pitch-7:10

Ted Lilly vs. Bronson Arroyo

Reds Lose 1-4

Game 3- 4/5

First Pitch-12:35

Jason Marquis vs. Kyle Lohse

Reds Win 5-2

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WhoDeyForever Newbie

WhoDeyForever

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On Monday, me and my pal are going golfing in the morning and heading to Tabbi's in Mason to get smashed and watch the game. Might see someone there...

Sounds sweet. Parents told me I have to go to school Monday so I have no chance of going but I usually get home at 2:15 so it works out pretty well..Right when I get home, I will be able to watch the game :cheers:

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BengalszoneBilly Newbie

BengalszoneBilly

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From MLB.com:

Reds Opening Day outlook, Pitching will likely dictate success in 2007

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

The Reds had one of baseball's best Spring Training records, but of course, that is completely meaningless now.

The regular-season games that begin on Monday, and beyond, are what really count.

As usual, success will hinge on pitching. Can the back of the rotation support the efforts of Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo? Is the bullpen deep enough? Who will close games until Eddie Guardado is ready?

Will Adam Dunn's new dedication and hitting discipline in spring lead to more well-rounded offensive production? How will Ken Griffey Jr. handle a late start to spring and a shift to right field? Will young hitters Brandon Phillips and Edwin Encarnacion continue to mature and improve?

BATTING ORDER

1. Ryan Freel, CF:

His status as an everyday player without an everyday spot is over. Now the regular center fielder, Freel has 36 or more steals each of the past three seasons and is expected to remain a catalyst at the top.

2. Adam Dunn, LF:

Dunn hit 40 homers for the third straight season in 2006, but led the Majors with 194 strikeouts and was poor in the second half. Working with new hitting coach Brook Jacoby during spring seems to have paid off. Dunn has renewed dedication and has been hitting to all fields instead of just pulling the ball.

3. Brandon Phillips, 2B:

Phillips is coming off a breakout season, in which he had 17 homers and 75 RBIs. Reds manager Jerry Narron liked his plate discipline this spring and believes Phillips can produce from the three-hole.

4. Ken Griffey Jr., RF:

In a new position after 18 seasons in center field, Griffey didn't debut in spring until March 24, because he was slow to recover from a broken left hand suffered in December. It will be interesting to see if less than a week's worth of at-bats were enough to get the 37-year-old ready for the regular season.

5. Edwin Encarnacion, 3B:

For a young hitter, the 24-year-old is skilled at getting on base and also producing in run-scoring situations. After Encarnacion committed a team-high 25 errors last season, he'll have to make some improvement with his decision-making and throwing.

6. Scott Hatteberg, 1B:

One of the few hitters in this lineup not prone to striking out (he was the sixth hardest batter to strikeout in the National League in 2006, with one strikeout per 13.1 plate appearances), Hatteberg can be counted on for hits the other way, moving runs or taking a walk.

7. Alex Gonzalez, SS:

A free agent signed for his superior glove skills, Gonzalez and his .292 on-base percentage could be a lineup liability. But he has a little pop in his bat (23 homers in 2004 with Florida) that could benefit from Great American Ball Park. Gonzalez and Phillips could form an electric duo in the middle infield.

8. David Ross, C:

A late Spring Training acquisition last year, Ross had a breakout 2006 with a career-high 21 homers and earned a two-year contract and an everyday job. Now he needs to be more consistent. Ross batted .311 in the first half last season and .203 after the All-Star break.

ROTATION

1. Aaron Harang, RHP:

Underrated, despite being a 16-game winner who led the NL with 216 strikeouts and six complete games in 2006, Harang can change that by doing it again. Rewarded with a four-year, $36.5 million contract, he did not have a very effective spring but wasn't worried it would carry into the season.

2. Bronson Arroyo, RHP:

Arroyo welcomed himself back to the NL with his first All-Star appearance and led the Majors with 240 2/3 innings last season. It earned him a valuable contract extension that takes him through the next four seasons. The Reds were 21-14 in Arroyo's starts last year.

3. Eric Milton, LHP:

Signed to a three-year, $25.5 million free agent deal before 2005, Milton has one more season to do something positive for Cincinnati. An injury-riddled 2006 kept him from being consistent, again.

4. Kyle Lohse, RHP:

Poised for his first full season with the Reds, Lohse is trying to get back to the consistency that made him a 14-game winner with 201 innings in 2003 with Minnesota. The club remains in love with the right-hander's stuff, and a strong season would be a nice boost.

5. Matt Belisle, RHP:

A spectacular spring earned Belisle a starter's job after he worked out of the bullpen last season.

BULLPEN

With Eddie Guardado out until midseason, and expected closer Dustin Hermanson's surprise release on Sunday, the Reds are currently without a set closer. Todd Coffey was a workhorse with a club-leading 81 appearances in 2006, and will see action in the sixth, seventh or eighth innings. David Weathers lost the closer's gig with a rough first half last season but was sharp after the All-Star break. Being back in a setup role should suit him better.

Lefty Mike Stanton, acquired as a free agent, has postseason experience and has been durable for multiple situations. Rheal Cormier is another lefty in the bullpen that can be used against both lefty and right-handed hitters.

Two young arms earned jobs with strong springs. Rule 5 pick Jared Burton is a hard-throwing right-hander that could be of use in the late innings. Lefty Jon Coutlangus had a spectacular camp and has enough movement on his pitches to also be force a against both lefties and righties.

OPENING DELAYED

Guardado, who had ligament replacement surgery on his left elbow in September, is targeting a June return. The left-hander began throwing off a mound for the first time in mid-March and will continue his rehab with the club up north.

Right-hander Gary Majewski's sore shoulder kept him out of games most of spring. Majewski will begin at Triple-A Louisville. After last season's trade controversy and cries of damaged goods toward the Nationals, it obviously wasn't the outcome the Reds were seeking.

Lefty Bill Bray missed several spring games with a sore shoulder but can't begin the season because of a bruised left index finger. Bray went on the DL and will catch up at extended spring training.

BURNING QUESTION

The Reds have tried to convert to a pitching- and defense-minded team, but do they have enough pitching? After Harang and Arroyo, the last three spots of the rotation have a mixed track record -- at best. Milton never delivered results in his two years with the Reds. Lohse, who was acquired from the Twins late last summer, is trying to show that he can again be considered dependable and consistent. And Belisle is trying to establish himself as a big-league starter after winning the job in camp.

Last season, Harang and Arroyo combined for 475 innings and had a 3.52 ERA, while the nine other starters used by Cincinnati combined for 500 innings and a 5.58 ERA. That has to get better this season for the Reds to seriously challenge. If it doesn't, Homer Bailey could be promoted quickly if he shows he's effective early at Triple-A.

ON THE RECORD

"I think we'll be right there with all of those teams. That's the thing about the NL Central. Everyone seems to think the Central is the worst division. I think it's the best one. The teams are all pretty even. You can't look at the Central and think you have it easy. All of the teams are pretty even, and hopefully we can get away from the criticism [saying] we're a weaker division." -- Harang

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

Of course one of the best records in this exhibition season does bode well for our Reds, but as we've seen countless times in the past, that doesn't mean s**t come the regular season. I like what Jerry Narron has done with what he's had to work with, and his outlook on his teams chances for this year. Below is from the Reds home website:

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Some preseason predictions have already discounted the Reds from having any chance to contend in the National League Central.

That was fine with rotation ace Aaron Harang.

"Place us where you want. We'll try to prove you wrong," said Harang, the NL strikeouts leader and 16-game winner last season. He is Cincinnati's Opening Day starter vs. the Cubs on April 2.

Joined by fellow starter Bronson Arroyo, Harang and the Reds nearly did that in 2006. Given no chance to compete because it was supposed to be a transitional year with new ownership and new general manager Wayne Krivsky, Cincinnati won 80 games (up from 73 in 2005) and staved off elimination until the season's final week.

The Reds were in first or second place most of last season before finishing third. The Cardinals won the NL Central with just 83 games, then went on to win the World Series.

Many Reds felt it could have been them.

"I think everybody thinks that we squandered an opportunity last year to get to the postseason," reliever David Weathers said. "We would like to have another shot at it. To get another shot, we have to play good baseball."

"After last year, and how good we thought we were and seeing St. Louis win the World Series, you had somebody to compare to that you played all season," catcher David Ross said. "We felt like we were just as good, if not better, than them."

Had it not been for a 13-21 stretch-run nosedive, that began Aug. 24 on a 2-8 West Coast road trip, it might have been. Many Reds did a slow burn this past winter over their big fade and vowed to set the bar high this season.

"We have to get it done," said Arroyo, who led the Majors with 240 2/3 innings in 2006. "We fell short last year. No matter what you say about the season, we didn't make the playoffs. To me, that's the goal on this club. If we had a $200 million payroll, I'd say the goal is to win the World Series. Yeah, the goal here is to win the World Series, but you have to make the playoffs. That's the first step. We have to try and work hard to get there."

To do that, the Reds tried to address some of their shortcomings in the winter. Much of the attention was paid to shoring up the bullpen and defense. Reds relievers were ranked 11th out of 16 NL clubs with a 4.44 ERA. Cincinnati's defense was the Majors' second worst with 128 errors and a .979 fielding percentage.

One of the best defensive players on the open market, shortstop Alex Gonzalez was signed to a three-year, $14 million contract. Gonzalez and talented second baseman Brandon Phillips are expected to form a solid middle-infield combo. To keep the middle of the field strong, Ken Griffey Jr. was shifted from center field to right field with a speedier Ryan Freel taking over in center field.

"Brandon Phillips, Alex Gonzalez and Ryan Freel in the middle of the field, defensively. Our defense automatically is better with those three guys," Reds manager Jerry Narron said.

In the bullpen, lefty Mike Stanton was signed to a two-year, $6 million deal. Closer Dustin Hermanson, who missed most of last year with the White Sox because of a back injury, was signed to a Minor League deal two weeks into camp and originally looked good -- and healthy -- enough to make the team, before fading near the end and getting released.

It could be closer-by-committee again for Cincinnati, which lacked a proven closer during the first half last season and suffered for it. Two young arms that earned jobs in camp, right-hander Jared Burton and lefty Jon Coutlangus, showed a lot of promise this spring.

Harang and Arroyo were locked up to long-term deals to maintain the top of the rotation for the next four years. The three and four spots, with Eric Milton and Kyle Lohse, are question marks because both have had a rough past few seasons.

"I think the pitching will be more of a strength [as] it's been in the past," Weathers said. "Last year, I think the starting pitching was pretty good all year. Our bullpen, after the end of June on, was pretty good, solid."

Offensively last season, the Reds had trouble scoring runs because hitters were undisciplined in key situations. Right-handed hitter Jeff Conine was acquired from the Phillies. After a nearly four-year stretch out of the game because of injuries and drug use, outfielder Josh Hamilton has been the story of spring. Hamilton, a Rule 5 acquisition and former overall No. 1 draft choice, has led the team in hitting and stunned observers with his poise and plate discipline. He'll be a fourth outfielder this season.

"We've got a lot of good players coming in and the same ones we had success with are back," Ross said. "It's hard not to expect to do more than we did last year. If we don't expect to do better next year, something is wrong."

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

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GapControl Collaborator

GapControl

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I'll be in attendance for tonight's game..I'm pumped..

Lineup for tonight:

Freel

Phillips

Dunn

Encarnacion

Griffey

Conine

Gonzalez

Ross

Arroyo

Man, sorry you had to see such a dud. <_<

Whoever would have thought that Lilly would shut down our offense? :blink:

s**t... our offense isn`t what it once was.... no Kearns, no Lopez, no Sean Casey... we are not an offensive powerhouse anymore. The Reds are going to have to win in a different way this year.

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Stripes Veteran

Stripes

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I'd say the Reds will still have a lot of offense this season, but the runs will be more manufactured than plastered out of the park as they have been in years past. I'm glad for that too.

The loss yesterday sucked, but I sorta saw it coming. I have a feeling Arroyo will be pretty average this season, though I obviously hope not. Beating Zambrano was more important IMO.

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duus Newbie

duus

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Although it was a loss last night, I am excited that I will get to watch nearly every Reds game this year even living here in Pissburgh ... thanks to the technological miracle otherwise known as SlingBox. Last night, I got to watch the game on my 32" monitor, and if I get my way, I will soon be upgrading my entertainment center television to a large LCD, and will then tie my home network into it and it will feel as though I am sitting in good old Kentucky. Anyway, I just wanted to share how much I am looking forward to this baseball season ... and the fall football season as well ... thanks to SlingBox. Bye, bye Pissburgh sports ... HELLO Cincy sports ... all in the comfort of my living room in western PA.

Giddy up.

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WhoDeyForever Newbie

WhoDeyForever

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Anybody listenin to the game today? Down 2-1..Marty just pwned the cubs guy..forget who he was..he was tryin to run to 3rd on a hit by aramis ramirez and Thom was like "Where was that guy going?"..Marty came up with a sweet remark.."Back to the dugout" :lol:

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