The Reds are playing out the schedule, not yet sure who the opponent will be. The most likely candidate will be Philadelphia but as former manager Jerry Narron used to say, "It ain't written in ceement."
At stake are positions on the 25-man roster. Dusty Baker said that the Reds have it pretty much figured out but won't publicly reveal it because he wants to tell his players first. He won't even tell how many pitchers he'll use because, "those guys can all count."
"We want to keep everybody but you can't," Baker said. "That's why its a tough decision picking three out of five."
"I think our pitching has been better than it's ERA," Baker said.
If it is indeed the Phillies, they have three number ones in Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt, longtime noted Reds killer.
"Roy Hallady wasn't always a number one," Baker reminded. "We have some guys who will be number ones."
Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez, Travis Wood and Mike Leake all have number one starter potential. All but Volquez came up through the Reds system, although Leake bypassed it. He is a rare case learning at the Major League level, though he has been shut down after reaching an organization imposed innings limit.
"This system is producing players," Baker said. "That's the only way to sustain excellence."
Cincinnati Sports News and Commentary
About Me
- Gary Schatz
- I am a freelance writer. I've covered the Cincinnati Reds, Bengals and others since 1992. I have a background in sales as well. I've sold consumer electronics, advertising and consumer package goods for companies ranging from the now defunct Circuit City to Procter&Gamble. I have worked as a stats operator for Xavier University, the University of Cincinnati, the College of Mount St. Joe and Colerain High School.
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