Reds Try Yonder Alonso at Thirdbase

Left field didn't work.  Firstbase happens to be occupied by the NL MVP, who is having another great year.

Yonder Alonso has been an underdog before.  Even in college he cleaned offices with his father after his familty escaped Cuba.

Alonso has been working hard at learning to play thirdbase at this level.  Fans and analyst have the luxury of quoting offensive statistics but managers in the Major League's know that good bats that can't play defense can get you fired.  Just ask the five managers that were fired while Adam Dunn was here.

Dusty Baker knows the importance of defense.  No matter how well a player hits, he has to play defense.

Yet, Alonso, who has all of 65 plate appearances, has shown great potential on offense.

The Reds would prefer to convert Alonso to third in the off season.  They also have a couple other talented prospects that can play thirdbase, Todd Frazier and Juan Francisco.  Both of those players have had time in the outfield as well.  Frazier is actually pretty good defensively in the outfield.

Preferences aside, Alonso, will start against the Philadelphia Phillies at thirdbase.

"It's pretty cool," Alonso said.  "It's something I've always done.  I've played thirdbase all my life.  It is something I've definitely worked on now for three or four weeks.  I feel like I'm ready."

Alonso is more excited about facing Cole Hamels, the Phillies started.

"I like facing guys like that.  Guys that are good pitchers," Alonso said.  "It's part of the big leagues. I'm no more nervous about playing thirdbase more just being anxious to get out there."

Dusty after watching Alonso work at it the last few weeks decided to go ahead with the plan early.

"You've got to try it sometime, if you're going to try it..  Hamels gets righthanders out better than lefthanders on the offensive side.  If Homer (Bailey) throws like he normally throws, he (Alonso) will have some action but not a whole bunch of action..  With guys like Dontrelle, Leake and Arroyo, who throw a lot of off speed stuff, you need the best defensive left that you can find.  Alonso has been working hard out there.  We'll see. We're trying to find a position for him, other than the one that Joey occupies."

The timing is still an issue but Baker has endorsed it but only in pencil, not ink.

"You're not real comfortable experimenting with a new position at the big league level.  You wish you'd done it before you got here but it wasn't the plan at the time.  I remember when I was a kid, (Orlando) Cepeda and (Willie) McCovey, they tried to move both of them to left field and it didn't work.  They had to make a decision.  It's a big problem.  You've got two guys who have played the same position for a long time."