So, this is karma wanting Chapman to start? Two starters hit by batted balls in as many days? Yikes. Glad it sounds like both Latos and Arroyo are fine.   Here are a few of the best pictures from my "real" camera. Sadly, my iPhone takes better ones (if it only had a decent zoom).           And finally, I'll be putting up the prediction thread very soon. Does anyone have suggestions? Are we okay with something very similar to last season's? 

On the eve of heading to Arizona, I find myself excited, as usual, about many things. Also I find myself procrastinating, as usual, with a work project that has to be done before I leave. Anyway, here's at least a partial list of what I love about Goodyear: 1. Live baseball. 2. Sitting in the sun when it snowed in Ohio yesterday. 3. Debating players' performances and likelihood of making the roster over drinks. 4. Eavesdropping on whoever's in the practice field outfield from behind the back... [More]

The Sensei     Ryan Hanigan   Spring training reports indicate there’s an intense competition between Ryan Hanigan, Devin Mesoraco, and Miguel Olivo for starting catcher.  Just kidding.  Hanigan has the starting position locked down for 2013.  The only question seems to be how many games he’ll start.   Hanigan, who was signed in 2002 as an undrafted free agent after three years at Rollins College, has quietly established himself as one of ... [More]

What’s most exciting about 2013 is what’s making 2013 Spring Training a bit of a snooze fest. The fact that most of the positions are locked up and secure make conversations about position battles pointless. There are still some opportunities for some role players to play their way on to the roster this spring.   Locks: Joey Votto - Not much to say here. He’s looked pretty good so far this spring and as some here have said he could be in for a very good season. Votto&rs... [More]

The 2012 Cincinnati Reds were lucky.   The above sentence is a fact. Or, at least, is widely held as a fact. And I don't just mean by detractors of the Reds or Cardinal fans; I mean by the general population of those that watch baseball. In 2012, the Cincinnati Reds had a dream season, with health the likes of which the league had rarely, if ever, seen before, and whose hottest stretch coincided with the injury to their best player. Add it up, and the Cincinnati Reds were lucky last seaso... [More]

  As we’re just around the corner from Spring Training, here  are things I hope for during the 2013 season. I’ll get things rolling—feel free to chime in. --I hope Todd Frazier returns to mid-summer form—all year long. Wow, what a great July-August that guy had while Joey was out. By the end of the season, however, he looked a bit tired and was fighting for playing time with Rolen. I’d like to see him get 469 ABs and hit .277 with 26 HRs and... [More]

You know what sucks? The off season sucks. But the truth is that this exact moment sucks a little less for a Reds fan than a fan of just about every other team in baseball. Sure, the Giant fans are undoubtedly feeling good about their World Series Championship, and Canadians always seem like they're in a good mood, which means that given their off season, Jays fans are probably pretty stoked.   But hey - life is good for us Reds fans. Here are the 22 reasons I'm glad to be a Reds fan at t... [More]

The Reds announced the following non-roster players have been invited to spring training:   RHP Nick Christiani LHP Wilkin De La Rosa RHP Justin Freeman RHP Drew Hayes RHP Chad Rogers C Nevin Ashley C Tucker Barnhart C Corky Miller  IF Emmanuel Burriss IF Cesar Izturis IF Kristopher Negron OF Billy Hamilton OF Ryan LaMarre  

I thought the last thread was getting a bit unwieldy, hence a new thread.  These Christmas pictures of Mat and Cat Latos caught my eye, so provided the content for this starter     Happy New Year everyone!

Well last night's trade has us all stirred up and with the last starter getting long in the posts I thought we'd better start up another new one.  So let's kick the trade discussions up another notch.