March 12, 2007
Blue Jays at Reds 3/12
By
Cincinnati Reds Video Poker
Posted at 12:07 pm
Lineups from C. Trent:
Jays, eh?
Clayton SS
Hill 2B
Overbay 1B
Glaus 3B
Zaun C
Thigpen DH
Griffin LF
Mottola RF
Duncan CF
Redlegs
Freel CF
Gonzalez SS
Phillips 2B
Dunn LF
Encarnacion 3B
Conine DH
Hatteberg 1B
Valentin C
Denorfia RF
He forgot to mention the starting pitchers, DOH!
Its Matt Belisle for the Reds and Gustavo Chacin for the Blue Birds.
Personally I think Belisle could be our strongest candidate for the 5th spot in the rotation. The problem is that am not sure he can survive an entire season, he seems to develop shoulder or back problems every year, but I blame that on pitching him in long relief from the pen sporadically. I think set in a rotation he could be very good. I like Elizardo starting the year in AAA and getting the call later. He will be hungrier and meaner that way and more determned to stick around, because he’s gotten a taste of the big leagues with pretty decent results. We can use Saarloos as a long reliever until somebody goes down or struggles at which point he gets the next chance to start and show what he can do. So I am pulling for Belisle today. Paul Wilson I don’t know about… if you could screw his head onto a young body we might have something, but no matter how much of a competitor he is I don’t think he can be successful in the longhaul with a fast ball in the mid 80s. We have too many young guys with higher potential that should move ahead of him at this juncture. Let the Cardinals take him I don’t care. Would that really frighten anyone? Not me.
I’d like to see Belisle do something special today, myself. I’d love for enough of the 5th-spot guys to do well that they put the pressure on Milton and Lohse.
Also see trent is showing one bench spot undecided, with the others going to Castro, Conine, Hamilton and Valentin. He is suggesting Moeller needs to be considered because of Valentin’s pinch hitting role. I have to disagree. Bubba Crosby has showed me something this spring (even though I have listened to all the games)… he has speed, plays all 3 outfield spots… you figure Griffey is our gimpiest player and you facotr in that Freel is also a utility infielder and you almost have to have another outfielder. Denorfia has folded from the competition, and Crosby and Hamilton both show they deserve to be on the 25 man roster, IMO. Valentin can still pinch hit in the bottom of the 9th or the top of the 9th in a losing situation, even if we only have 2 listed catchers. I have to believe there are a plethora of bad hitting catchers avail. on the waiver wire at any point during the season. I don’t see how you can commit a roster spot to one. Of course Moeller is making it interesting by actually doing some hitting this spring, after hitting below the mendoza line in winter ball. Still, I wouldn’t expect him to bat much more than .200 this season wherever he winds up.
And we aren’t talking about bellhorn much anymore, are we? he finally started showing his true colors. I told you he was a bum! :hehe:
Javy’s a badass pinch hitter. But, as you mentioned, Crosby and Hamilton are both showing that they’ve got some offensive prowess as well. If they can take on some of the pinch hitting, then you don’t have to worry about using Javy so much. At least by my reckoning.
True dat on Bellhorn.
Don’t the Blue Jays have like double our payroll? Look at that weak-ass lineup. Their GM is a joke.
Clayton at SS? That’s not Royce, is it?
That’s exactly who he is… he goes from batting 8th for most of last year to now batting leadoff for a team sharing the division with the Yankees and Red Sox. If that’s their plan for the entire season its gonna be a LOOOONNNNG season indeed for Canadian baseball fans.
Canadian National Anthem….nice!
OH CANADA WE STAND ON GUARD FOR THEE!
They’d be better off with Anderson Machado.
Maybe Kriv-dawg can work something out…
We could take Overbay for him if he’s a righty. 😀
Here we go… Matt belisle trying to “crack” the rotation…
He is facing (My other car is a Rolls) Royce Clayton.
Overbay is like their best hitter, so I doubt we can work that one. Denorfia makes the first out on a lazy fly ball.
Oh yea they do have Vernon Wells.
AGON catches a liner. 2 outs. here comes Overbay. Aren’t we glad he’s out of the NL Central? He abused the Reds as a member of the Brewers.
Guess what RHM? They have little Ray Ray Olmedo trying to make the club. Sheeit, I’d start him over Clayton right now.
Dumatrait, Medlock, Dickerson, Shearn, and some other nobody optioned down today.
Overbay draws the walk.
Belisle knocks down a rocket and makes the play to first. No score heading to the bottom of the 1st.
Leading off for the Reds, Ryan Freel… facing Gustavo Chacin, the lefthander. Line drive basehit to CF!
I give the Blue Jays two chances of winning their division this year: SLIM and NONE.
You’re definitely right about Olmedo and Clayton. I’d take little Ray Ray in an heartbeat. I can’t imagine Clayton will last.
Called strike 3 on AGON. I don’t like him in the #2 spot.
Freel dives back nearly avoiding the pick off.
2-2 on Phillips, he’s been fouling off pitches.
Full count. Chopper to 3rd… SAFE ALL AROUND!
“nearly” avoiding the pick off? Does that mean there are two outs?
Yeah, Gonzalez in the #2 spot doesn’t make sense.
Fielders choice, Freel beat the throw at 2B. Dunn now up. Line drive BASE HIT CF, Freel hustles in to score. 1-0 Reds! Dunn’s 6th RBI of the Spring.
That was a beautiful crack of the bat on Dunn’s hit. Nice to see him doing better at making contact in RBI situations.
No I meant Chacin tried to pick Freel off of first base… he was leaning… and he got back in ahead of the tag.
Fly out, Edwin.
Conine now up.
I heard the “crack” of the bat too… a beautiful sound.
line out to 1B. Reds draw first blood, 1-0 after 1 inning.
What’s Dunn batting now, like .650?
To me, there’s something special about Dunn knocking in Freel. It’s like I know everything must be clicking when that happens. The world is as it should be.
Denorfia makes the catch a couple steps short of the warning track. Thigpen coming up. THis is truly a ridiculous lineup the Blue Jays are featuring.
Called Strike 3!
Ground out to phillips. 2 easy innings for Matt Belisle in the books.
The Fedora-wearing Giant Ice Cube is at-bat.
Hatteberg strikes out. Valentin up.
I do wish Belisle were facing harder competition. But at least he’s getting through this lineup with ease.
I understand why the Jays might not have brought many players with them. The two parks are quite far apart.
LLM draws the walk. denorfia at the plate.
Batting a buck-seventy-nine… his chances of making the roster fading fast.
Groundball base hit thru the left side. Freel outta the game… Hopper now batting. We are hoping Freel is ok.
Bouncer to the mound, 1-4-3 double play. End of 2, Reds leading 1-0.
Hmmm…it’s early for Freel to be coming out. I’ll be interested to hear what’s up.
Hey, remember [url=http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/16881755.htm]this guy[/url]?
Maybe Freel needs an IV.
Called strike 3 against Mottola. Belisle looking good.
C Trent will be in the booth to chat with Steve shortly … he might shed some light on Freel’s early departure.
Swinging strike 3 on a good offspeed pitch.
chopper to SS, AGON throws out his conterpart… Belisle retires 7 in a row.