"I've accomplished what I wanted to here," Mesoraco said. "The main thing for me was getting comfortable handling the pitchers and having them be comfortable with me. I've been lucky we've had guys coming up and down. I got to catch Johnny (Cueto), Homer, Volquez has been down here a lot. Mike Leake was down here. To get to work with those guys is good for the future."
The future will be in Cincinnati soon enough barring a trade which Reds' general manager Walt Jocketty has resisted.
"Offensively I feel good. I've had some ups and downs but I've had good at bats here lately. The ups and downs are expected but for the most part, I'm happy with my year," Mesoraco said.
Mesoraco knows his debut is close but is cautious about not getting ahead of himself.
"It is going to happen whenever, or hopefully it does. It's been a lifelong dream, I've always had and always kind of expected to get up there. In September if I go, it will be good to have the experience and learn about my business from the guys up there. I think it will be good for the rest of my career and I'll be up there for a long time."
While he waits his turn, he is encouraged by the promotion of guys he's played with in the minor leagues. Teammates, Yonder Alonso, Todd Frazier, Dontrelle Willis and Dave Sappelt are already in Cincinnati.
"It's good to see guys that I've played with all the way up through A ball and played with this year make it. They deserve it. They deserved getting that call."
The other Louisville catcher, Corky Miller, has helped Mesoraco during his learning curve. Miller was signed for backup for Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hanigan but has helped Mesoraco, like the fictional character, Crash Davis did for a pitching prospect in the movie "Bull Durham".
"Corky's been awesome. I couldn't ask for a better guy or a better person to learn from. He's just a class act. Everything he does, everybody respects him. He knows so much about the game. I pick up little tidbits from him. I couldn't imagine having anybody better to work with."
"He taught me how to approach the game; how to approach an at bat. He taught me how to act. Mechanically wise, at this level, you're pretty much set. You are who you are. There's little things that he tells me. He taught me stuff about receiving earlier in the year. We talk about hitters up there. We talk about stuff that he's experienced in the past; just stories. He's fun to be around."
Unlike Mesoraco, Valaika has been there. He made his debut last season when Brandon Phillips broke his wrist. He was called up as insurance for the playoffs last year. He had a fine spring and came close to making the Reds out of spring training. There was a split among the Reds staff about whether to take Valaika to the Major Leagues out of spring training.
Valaika hit .310 with a home run and six RBI in 42 at bats. There was debate whether to keep Valaika as a bench player and release Miguel Cairo or send Valaika to Louisville to allow him to play everyday. The Reds chose to keep Cairo and that move has worked out for the Reds.
Valaika was called up to play thirdbase between April 17 and May 27, when Scott Rolen and Francisco Rodriguez both went down with injuries. He hit .313 with the Reds in 17 games.
When Rolen came back, Valaika was sent back to Louisville.
"I've had some ups and downs. This season started off real well getting a chance to get back up to Cincinnati. It was a tough adjustment coming back to the minor leagues and getting into a rhythm here," Valaika said.
"Of late I feel great and hopefully I've given myself a chance to get back to Cincinnati at the end of the year," Valaika said.
Valaika turned 26 on Sunday and was reminded to call his sister, whose birthday is today.
Valaika had two tough months in June he hit just ;179 and in July hit just .230 but he has his average up to .247 by hitting .326 so far in August.
"It's a tough game," said Valaika of his struggles and his near miss for making the team out of spring training. "That's the way it is. I can only control what I can control. I give my best everyday out here playing, hopefully, they see something in me that will give me the opportunity to stay in the big leagues."
Valaika didn't have anything specific to work on and is simply waiting for his opportunity.
"I just wanted a chance to prove that I can play at that level. The times I've been up there I gave it my best. That's all I can do. I anticipated that they would send me down when Scott (Rolen) came back. Those guys are established. They're all-stars. The deserve to be there. Hopefully, one day my time will come to stay in the big leagues like they do."
Dusty Baker made the point when Cairo was chosen over Valaika to fill the bench role, that the veterans can live with an 0-for-2 but the younger player tends to stress over a bad game. Valaika confirmed it.
"It wore on me last year when I was up there. Being a utility or bench player you want to go out and get a hit everytime and when you don't it's in the back of your mind that you're going to get sent down. The last time I kind of matured. The last time I was up I reminded myself that I'm up here for a reason and if I get a hit, I get a hit. Jeremy Hermida has taught me to concentrate on the at bat and not necessarily the result. I want to get a hit everytime but if I don't its not the end of the world.. I am trying to help win games."
The adjustment from playing every day to coming off the bench is more difficult than most think.
"It's a big adjustment from going from playing every day, to not playing every day and getting just one at bat a game," Valaika said. "Trying to prepare yourself for one at bat is tough. Then if you swing at the first pitch, you might not play again for three or four days. Then you think all that time about the one at bat you had three days ago. It is a big adjustment. Guys like Miguel and Edgar (Renteria) do that everyday. It helped me just to watch how they did it."
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