How desperate for baseball am I to really be considering writing a game wrap based solely on the intermittent posts by Marc Lancaster? Yeah, pretty much the same level of desperate that I always am.

The game got underway at 1:35 this afternoon under a scintillating blue Floridian sky. Newly acquired Pirate Booty Dave Williams got the start against the Korean team and promptly gave up five runs, including a 3-2, two-out, three-run home run. It's so nice to see the new guy fitting in.

Earl Snyder committed an error at third making three of those five runs unearned, so I'm sure Williams will take some solace in that. In the top of the second, catcher Dane Sardinha contributed an error by overthrowing second when trying to throw out the stealing runner. Second baseman Frank Menechino got in on the erroring fun in the fourth.

Jake Robbins would take the mound in the second and give up another run to bring the score 6-0 Tigers. Matt Belisle pitched a scoreless third, and Todd Coffey did the same in the fourth.

Travis Chick, the younger fella we got in the Randa trade last season, got the ball in the fifth and promptly handed over another 4 runs to bring the Tigers' lead to 10 before getting two outs. Tommy Phelps came in to take care of that tricky third out and give up another run in the sixth inning. Tigers 11, Reds nothing.

Our boys finally made themselves heard in the bottom of the sixth when Everyone's Favorite Human Interest Story Aaron Holbert doubled, Sardinha singled, Tuffy Rhodes walked, and first baseman Joey Votto walked in the first run. Guy I've Never Heard Of Aaron Herr GDIP'd in Sardinha before Other Guy I've Never Heard Of Derek Wathan grounded out to end the Reds' scoring. Tigers 11, Reds 2.

Ryan Wagner took the mound in the seventh just before the game got so painful that Mr. Lancaster stopped the play-by-play entirely. Wagner, or perhaps a different pitcher sometime in the next two innings, gave up one more run to bring the score to it's final, 12-2 Tigers.

A big loss. That has a cozy, familiar feel to it.

Go Reds!

Just when it looked like William Bergolla would be the first guy slated to start the season on the disabled list, the party line changed. Per The Cincinnati Enquirer:

NO HERNIA: Further examination proved that William Bergolla does not have a hernia.



That means he won't have surgery.



“I'm glad,” Bergolla said.



The last time he had hernia surgery, he missed two months.



Bergolla does have a very high groin strain. He suffered it in Winter Ball. He began treatment Saturday and could return to baseball activities in a week or so.

So, let's get this straight. When news of Bergolla's injury first came out, we heard that he was bothered by it while he was in Venezuela, an MRI showed a hernia, and he's had a hernia before. Everything short of a large purple bulge pushing itself out over the waistband of his compression pants.



But now it's just a groin strain. Been bothering him for weeks, but he'll be back in a few days.



Huh. Personally, I'll stick with the current count of potential second basemen at seven. And hopefully that will be enough.

Tomorrow is the first exhibition game of the 2006 spring training against the Kia Tigers. Per Marc, our exciting line-up is going to be:

• Quinton McCracken, CF
• Chris Denorfia, RF
• Jason LaRue, C
• Tuffy Rhodes, DH
• Jacob Cruz, 1B
• Frank Menechino, 2B
• Earl Snyder, 3B
• Ray Olmedo, SS
• DeWayne Wise, LF
• Dave Williams, P

Other pitchers slated to be available tomorrow: Matt Belisle, Todd Coffey, Jason Standridge, Mike Burns, Travis Chick, Tommy Phelps, Josh Hall and Jake Robbins.

I'm so excited! Go scrubs! Kick some Kia butt!

Meanwhile, it looks like Aaron Harang is currently in line to be our opening day starter.

Tentatively, Harang's first exhibition start will be March 4 against the Yankees at Tampa. If given the expected four days rest between starts all month, it would put the right-hander perfectly in line to pitch the April 3 regular-season opener against the Cubs at Great American Ball Park.

OK, kids, all together on three: 1, 2, 3: DUH!

The chat with Wayne Krivsky this afternoon got over 100 attendees at one point. Of course, that probably doesn't count all the people who, like me, spent their whole lunch hour staring at this screen.

I can only assume this had something to do with my company's firewall, Internet access privileges, or other security features. Nice of the applet not to mention that anything was wrong, though.

If it's someone good chatting next Monday, I guess I'll just have to quit my job. Or call in sick.

UPDATE: Duh, I forgot to link to the chat log.

UPDATEx2: Next week will be Mr. Adam Dunn. I think I'm getting feverish already.

The ESPN.com rumor page reports that the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres are the only teams apparently interested in negotiating with Pedro Astacio. It references a story in the Washingtom Times, possibly this one regarding the offer from the Nats:

The Nationals have offered the 36-year-old right-hander a non-guaranteed, minor-league contract to report to spring training, and baseball sources said he's expected to decide between the Nationals and San Diego Padres within 48 hours.

So, Astacio couldn't even pitch for the Padres until May 1 (he missed the deadline) while the Nationals are only willing to give a minor league deal. Sounds like Cincinnati has an opportunity to make a pretty appealing, incentives-laden offer. Hopefully, they see that their apparent drop out of the race is a play to bring the price down.

I guess the next 48 hours will tell.

I went to the official site of the Milwaukee Brewers looking for some information about them signing my boy, Jason Romano. Instead, I was greeted with the smiling face of Dan O'Brien.

The article says that O'Brien is meeting with the front office for a few days, and it sounds like everything is a go for him to come on-board as a consultant. Brewers' general manager Doug Melvin specifically states that O'Brien will not be a threat to take the job of assistant manager Gord Ash. O'Brien was Melvin's assistant when Melvin was general manager for the Rangers.

Good to have buddies, I guess. Will O'Brien draw two paychecks this season? The Reds still have to pay him for 2006, you know.

The most intimidating quote of the story: “[O'Brien is] just a guy with a wealth of information.”

Yeah, he's got a wealth of information…about the Reds. If we're not careful, they're going to find out about our bad pitching.

According to Hal McCoy in a story in the Dayton Daily News today, guest pitching instructor Tom Browning suggested that Eric Milton adjust his delivery toward the first-base side to get a better angle. When a right-hander is at the plate, Browning thinks the new rubber position will help Milton get inside and improve his performance.

No word yet on Browning's advice for increasing stamina or dealing with stiff competition.

Tomorrow from 11:30 a.m. to noon, general manager Wayne Krivsky will appear in a chat room on MLB.com to field questions from the inquisitive public. If you would like to get a chance to participate, get yourself an MLB.com account here.

I, of course, will be using my position, influence, and feminine wiles to sit in the waiting room with everyone else for the chance to ask a question. After my questions at the Reds caravan, I feel like I can't just ask any old question. I'm considering several approaches. I could use this opportunity to:

• Ingratiate myself to the management. Things are so much cooler since you've been around, Mr. Krivsky, sir. How does it feel to be the awesomest (and handsomest) general manager around?
• Do some ingeniously subtle advertising. How will you REDirect the team now that that HOThead O'Brien is gone? It's an enigMA MAn.
• Demonstrate my deep understanding of the game. Why don't you just hire Sammy Sosa or something?
• Ask the only question that really matters. When the heck are you going to get us some pitching?

Of course, you and I both know I'll probably fall back on asking him about the mustache. Tune in tomorrow to see what I ask. Or whether my feminine wiles are even enough to get me past the waiting room.