Redlegs

Well I am sitting here at work and don't have anything else to do, so I will blog. I wish it was something super intellectual and inspirational, but, alas it is not. This blog is about what has been on my mind for the past couple of days. That is BASEBALL (specifically the Reds). Spring training starts this weekend and I am pumped!! So, without further ado, here are my thoughts on the Reds for this upcoming season.

Honestly, I am really excited about this years team. I am always excited for the start of a new season. (Being a Reds fan, that is the only part of the season that there was something to be excited about... Oh to have been alive during the Big Red Machine era!) However, this season, I am a little more excited, and I think I can have a little more hope in the Reds. I have heard some critics say that the Reds have done nothing to improve their team during this offseason, mainly because of the lack of signing a righty power hitter to man to vacant spot left by Adam Dunn. I think that is bogus. I am an Adam Dunn fan. His production was very good. Even though he was one of the most frustrating players to watch, I still liked him. That being said, I think the Reds are better off without him.

As far as replacing his production goes; there are other ways to win in baseball than smacking the long-ball. In the past several years, the Reds have been a homerun team. Being in a small park like GABP, that was not tough to do. However, in case you have not noticed, that did not help the Reds be a winning team!! As I said, there are other ways to win in baseball. It is called small-ball, and, in my opinion, it is a lot more fun to watch. Speed, defense, and pitching will win ballgames.

With that in mind, I think that the Reds have a lot of potential. One big area which I feel the Reds have improved this off season is in the center field and leadoff position. I think that the addition of Willy Taveras will prove to be very beneficial. The Reds have lacked a solid leadoff man for some time. Perhaps you will remember Cory Patterson... I rest my case. Some people say that Taveras' production fell of last year and he is washed up. Come on, everyone has a below average year. And for a guy whose production fell off, I don't think 68 stolen bases is too bad! His speed will definitely help win ballgames!

Another area that makes me feel good about the Reds is the abundance of young, passionate players. Guys like Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, and Chris Dickerson are there because of the love of the game. They are excited to be there and want to win! Take Bruce, for example. He showed up to spring training on Friday; a day before pitchers and catchers were to report and four days before position players had to be there. He couldn't wait to start playing baseball and doing what he had to do to contribute to a winning team! This guy will be a leader for this team and that leadership will produce very good things.

Finally, I am excited about the Reds pitching staff. This has also been an area that the Reds have struggled in recently. I think the struggles may be over. They have four very solid, if not exceptional starting pitchers. It starts with Harang. Sure, he had a rough season last year, thanks partly to a major lack of run support, but I would put money on it that he will not have another season like that. He is a good pitcher and will win ballgames for this team. Next is Volquez. After an incredible season last year, I think he will only build on that and be even better. Again, he is one of those young guys who has the itch to win. Then you have Arroyo. Granted, this guy frustrates me sometimes, but he is still a quality pitcher and will contribute a lot to this team. If only we could get him to stop singing stupid JTM commercials and focus on pitching :) Finally, there is Cueto. I think this kid has a lot of potential and will improve greatly this season. Last season had several ups and downs, including an incredible debut. There were also some struggles, but that could be expected for a rookie. I think he will only get better with time and is definitely a good 4th starter.

So, like I said, there is a lot to be excited about and I am ready to see what happens. Do I think the Reds will win the NL Central? Well, probably not. I would say more like second place, behind the Cubs. But I honestly believe that they will have a winning season, which is a big step from previous years. A little less than 2 months until opening day, and then we will see how it all turns out. Until then, I look forward to hearing Marty Brennamen saying "And this one belongs to the Reds!" at least 82 times :)