Nice Spring By Dickerson

Fighting for the starting LF spot, Chris Dickerson looks like he's picked right up from the end of the 08 season this spring. So far in the spring, Dickerson is batting .348 and has 24 total bases in 46 at-bats with nearly a .400 OBP.

World Baseball Classic

Well Japan did it again. They beat the Korean team 5-3 night in ten innings to take the second World Baseball Classic. I think I took the Japanese team from the start but hoped the USA could pull the mild upset this time around. So after two of these WORLD events the Japan team is two for two. Not good if you are an American baseball lover like the writers of this site are. I have to say congrats to the way this team played and to the way Japan takes their baseball. I would say this country is as serious about baseball as any country in the world, the US included. Can you say NFL, it makes me sick to see MLB take a back seat to the NFL. Well in my eyes it doesn't, but I do have BIG RED MACHINE blinders on at times.

The title was won on American soil, Dodger Stadium no less and there were plenty of Japanese people there rooting their team to victory. Hell the Empire State Building is going to light their world famous tower in honor of Japan winning this classic. The Crown of the building will be lit in red and white to honor the Japanese flag. Would the Babe drink to this....I think not.

My question to you as American Baseball fans is do we still have the right to call the World Series the World Series. Wasn't this the real World Series. Try telling that to the boys of Summer. Well to answer the question about what we should call 'our' World Series, is yes it should still be called the World Series as this is still the place where the best players in the world play the game. They don't have on a Japanese uniform or a Cuban uniform they have a Major League Baseball uniform on and they play for the Major Leagues and this is really where the best baseball is still played. You might divide the MLB players up for a world tournament but when all is said and done the real World Series is settled in the USA.

Did you pay much attention to the World Baseball Classic. How does it mix in with MLB in the future. Is it here to stay. Will it continue to grow.

Fifth Starter.....Still Up For Grabs

Homer Bailey had another solid outing, throwing two scoreless innings on Wednesday. Is this finally the year this guy lives up to his billing. Where do you put him on your draft board....is he on your draft board. How many 'fifth starters' are you watching this spring. Yes the Reds have a very nice young pitching staff. How far can it carry this team. Bailey is sporting a 0.90 ERA in 10 innings this Spring, he has also fanned eight....very nice.

Homer isn't the only pitcher thinking he has the fifth starter job locked up. Micah Owings has been just as impressive as Bailey. Owings is chalking up more than a strikeout per inning this Spring. Micah has recorded 12 K's in 10 2/3 innings to go with his 1.69 ERA. Not your typical fifth starter numbers either.

I don't think anyone thinks these two can keep these numbers up, but with each biting the others heels who knows. Nothing like a little competition to make a guy step up. If these two stay this close to each other Dusty will have a tough decision to make when the club heads north. Managers like these kind of tough decisions though.

Maybe this is what happened to Homer and why he's so improved....................article from SI.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/ted_keith/02/26/reds.postcard/index.html?eref=T1

Bailey spent part of his offseason working out in Austin, Texas. Among his frequent workout partners was tennis star Andy Roddick, whose fanatical workout routines put Bailey and the rest of the participants to shame. "We'd all be exhausted and he'd just keep going," says Bailey.

Johnny Gomes

After a very poor 2008 and no job for 2009 Johnny Gomes is trying to make Dusty Baker not have an easy decision as to who to not bring north with the team. Johnny Gomes has been smokin the ball so far this Spring. Gomes is hitting over .400 and has smashed two home runs and added nine RBI's. There is no way he keeps this up, but looking back at his 'good' years in the Majors and you realize he did have some pop in his bat, hitting over twenty HR's in 05 and 06. If he makes the team and that's still to be determined, Great American Ballpark just might be the place to wake that bat back up. Good Luck Johnny and keep smashing the ball. With Jr. and Dunn gone we still have a few dingers to be made up somewhere.

Owings and Bailey Rollin

Micah Owings and Homer Bailey are battling it out for the 5th starter spot. If they keep going like this, somebody else will lose their spot in the rotation. So far this spring Owings is 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA and 12 Ks in 10 2/3 innings. Homer has a 1.13 ERA with 7 Ks in 8 innings. Not bad so far guys. Keep it up.

Francisco Cordero

The Reds have had plenty of trying times in their bullpen over the past few years, before they went out and spent more money than usual, for this ranchise, and signed Franciso Cordero. I realize it's very early in the Spring but signs are not encouraging right now. Cordero has an ERA over 20 right now. He has been roughed up all three times out so far. Dusty says it's way too early to worry, but if this continues he will worry big time. How many times have the Reds lost games in the 8th or 9th inning the past few years. Last year that wasn't near as big of a problem with Cordero doing a pretty good job most of the time. Everyone knows what our second option is and to but it bluntly that's not a pretty option. Let's get it together Cordero....these young guys are counting on you BIG TIME.

Homer Bailey On Fire

Homer Bailey had his second straight scoreless outing. After a scoreless inning on the first day of Spring training games Homer Came back to throw three more scoreless innings on Monday. Homer is doing his best to win the fifth starter job for the Reds and one would think this has given him at least a slight edge right now. It's was too early to just hand it to him but another outing close to these two and it might be his to lose. After a very bad 08 it looks like Bailey wants to live up to all the hype that has surrounded him from day one in a Reds uniform.

So far this spring Homer has pitched four innings while fanning six. This is the Homer Bailey all Reds fans have wanted to see.....is this his real breakout year.

Yonder Alsono in the Lineup Today

Wow, looks like the Reds think a lot of 1st round draft pick from last season, Yonder Alsonso. He's in the spring training lineup today against the Yanks. So far in the 5th, it's 5-5 and Yonder has a double. Harang got roughed up giving up 3 ER in 3 innings of work striking out ZERO. There's finally been a Chris Dickerson sighting as he smoked a homer and is 2-2 with 3 RBI.

Reds crushed by Red Sox 16-5

Nothing good in the pitching area last night as the Red Sox pounded out 20 hits and 16 runs on the Reds. Votto had 2 hits and prospect Drew Stubbs had a hit and 2 RBI.

For some reason, Chris Dickerson has only 3 at bats so far this spring.