Rich Aurillia activated from DL, Ray Olmedo optioned to Louisville

[Caveat Emperor]

As per Marty on the Reds Postgame show.

Frankly I'm shocked...in a non-shocked sort of way.

[Danny Serafini]

How is this shocking?

[kyle1976]

This is great news!

[Benny-Distefano]

Next step is to option Dave Williams to the GABP parking lot for "assignment" AKA permanent "cigarette butt pick up duty."

[redsfan30]

As per Marty on the Reds Postgame show.

Frankly I'm shocked...in a non-shocked sort of way.
This has been talked about for three days....why so shocked?

[RedRage]

That's ok CE I caught your humor.
Keep up the good work.

[Caveat Emperor]

That's ok CE I caught your humor.
Keep up the good work.

Thank God -- I was re-reading the post and trying to figure out if I'd forgotten a word or two in there. :thumbup:

[BuckU]

I bet EE gets the next game off

[KronoRed]

I bet EE gets the next game off
Hope it would only be 1 game.

[dabvu2498]

I'd guess it'll be Hatteberg, continuing to recover from his ailment.

[BuckU]

Me too, but he's been struggling a little bit. A day off couldn't hurt.

[Reds Fanatic]

Great timing for this as the Reds face left handed pitchers Saturday and Sunday. This will allow the Reds to go back to the Aurilia/Hatteberg platoon that worked well early in the season.

[RichRed]

This is great news!

Great news would be if Richie learned how to pitch while on the DL. This is okay news.

[SeeinRed]

According to Marc's blog, Aurillia will either start at 3B or DH tomarrow.

[CTA513]

Olmedo is the person who I figured would go when Aurilia was ready to come off the DL. They now have to make room for Milton and eventually Cody Ross when hes ready.

[KronoRed]

According to Marc's blog, Aurillia will either start at 3B or DH tomarrow.
Awww :(

So no JR at DH

[Reds Fanatic]

When Cody Ross comes back you would think it is McCracken who would be DFA'd.

When Milton comes up on Saturday at this point you would think Williams would be out of the rotation. It was thought it was Ramirez that would be out but he is a lot better than Williams. The other move that has to be made soon is to DFA Rick White.

[UK Reds Fan]

Agreed...
Ross comes in McCracken DFAd.
Milton comes in to Williams spot in rotation.
Williams takes White's spot on Pen.
White DFAd.

Not very hard IMO.

[Jr's Boy]

Next step is to option Dave Williams to the GABP parking lot for "assignment" AKA permanent "cigarette butt pick up duty."

After his last outing that seems good right?

[dabvu2498]

Cody Ross will stay in AAA.

[Joseph]

Cody Ross will stay in AAA.

They will have to place him on waivers to do so.

[CTA513]

Cody Ross will stay in AAA.

Hes in AAA for a rehab assignment, once that time runs out the Reds have to either bring him back up or try to pass him threw waivers.

[CrackerJack]

The nature boy will be in full bloom on the diamond for the ladies again soon.

[Buckeye33]

Cody Ross will stay in AAA.

I'll take Cody Ross over Q everyday of the week.

They SHOULD just cut bait on Williams, but they will probably still send Lizard down for no good reason and let Williams continue to get shelled.

If/when one of the catchers gets moved, that will open up a spot for Denorfia.

My ideal roster from what is currently available:

C - LaRue
C - D. Ross
1B - Hatteberg
2B - Phillips
SS - Lopez
3B - Encarnacion
OF - Dunn
OF - Griffey
OF - Kearns
OF - C. Ross
OF - Denorfia
UTIL - Freel
UTIL - Aurilia

SP - Harang
SP - Arroyo
SP - Milton
SP - Claussen
SP - Ramirez
CL - Coffey
RP - Weathers
RP - Hammond
RP - White
RP - Shackelford
RP - Merker
RP - Belisle

Man, outside of Coffey, that is one sad bullpen.

[MartyFan]

Send LaRue and Kearns somewhere for quality pitching...bring Deno up to play CF, move Junior to LF or 1B...Move Dunn to 1B

[Team Clark]

Cody Ross will stay in AAA.

Cody can not stay in AAA. That is how the Reds ended up with him.

[Caveat Emperor]

Send LaRue and Kearns somewhere for quality pitching...bring Deno up to play CF, move Junior to LF or 1B...Move Dunn to 1B

I think it's obvious, at this point, that the team conisders Dunn unfit to play 1st base.

They're looking at the same stuff we are with regards to Jr. being a defensive liability in CF and the increased defensive coverage that would result from Denorfia being out there instead. Yet they continue to send Junior to CF and Dunn to LF every night -- even after a full offseason of Dunn working out at 1B and a majority of ST with him there as well.

The baseball minds have clearly reached consensus on this issue, and we're not going to see Dunn at 1B for the forseeable future.

[KronoRed]

The baseball minds have clearly reached consensus on this issue, and we're not going to see Dunn at 1B for the forseeable future.
Sadly.

They must really be enamored with Rich and The Hat as starters.

[Mario-Rijo]

Agreed...
Ross comes in McCracken DFAd.
Milton comes in to Williams spot in rotation.
Williams takes White's spot on Pen.
White DFAd.

Not very hard IMO

Disagree if you mean what WILL happen. Burns & Ramirez go to Triple-A, Milton back to Rotation and Ross is additional RH bat off bench. Or perhaps White gets canned that may be a possiblity, but I doubt it.

If you mean what SHOULD be done. Burns to Triple-A White DFA. Does Belisle still have options? McCracken should neither be DFA or deserves it IMO. You simply can't expect every non-starter to be a young & upcoming star. The young ones need to develop & the old ones are role players which you need. Other than dropping the Williams flyball last weekend and one bonehead baserunning error, he hasn't done anything to be considered useless as someone else had put it in another post.

[Big Klu]

The nature boy will be in full bloom on the diamond for the ladies again soon.

In other postgame news, Kearns, Freel, and Dunn celebrated the Nature Boy's impending return and thanked Ray Mysterio for filling in, Horseman-style, with several metal chair shots and left him unconscious in the PNC Park parking lot. WOOOOO!!!

(Just kidding about Olmedo! I like Ray-Ray, and I think that there is a role for him on this club--if they ever decide to go with "only" 11 pitchers! But they need to issue him a "regular" uniform number--#62 is just wrong!)


The Four Horsemen are back together! WOOOOOOOO!!!!!


:aurilia: :dunn: :kearns: :freel:

[kyle1976]

Great news would be if Richie learned how to pitch while on the DL. This is okay news.

Ok, maybe Aurilia returning isn't great news, but it's certainly very good. Dunn getting a hit with runners on would go under the category of great news. :evil:

[captainmorgan07]

by any chance wat is ross hitting in AAA in his rehab assignment

[CTA513]

by any chance wat is ross hitting in AAA in his rehab assignment

He is 1 for 2 tonight and his average is now up to .308

[Chip R]

In other postgame news, Kearns, Freel, and Dunn celebrated the Nature Boy's impending return and thanked Ray Mysterio for filling in, Horseman-style, with several metal chair shots and left him unconscious in the PNC Park parking lot. WOOOOO!!!


After Williams' performance today, he should have gotten the Dusty treatment.

[Topcat]

Rich Aurillia " The straw that stirs the drink";)

[RedsMan3203]

I'm Glad Richy boy is back........

Watch the O step it up this weekend and take 2 out of 3 from the Tigers...

Just watch..... Here we go... We are gonna get back on the roll.

[pedro]

Cody Ross will stay in AAA.


He's out of options and only down there on rehab. He'll be back up or Reds will have to expose him to waivers.

[Larry Schuler]

Does anyone think Griffey should be moved to LF and Dunn to 1st?

[KronoRed]

Does anyone think Griffey should be moved to LF and Dunn to 1st?
Yes

[WMR]

I think it's obvious, at this point, that the team conisders Dunn unfit to play 1st base.

They're looking at the same stuff we are with regards to Jr. being a defensive liability in CF and the increased defensive coverage that would result from Denorfia being out there instead. Yet they continue to send Junior to CF and Dunn to LF every night -- even after a full offseason of Dunn working out at 1B and a majority of ST with him there as well.
The baseball minds have clearly reached consensus on this issue, and we're not going to see Dunn at 1B for the forseeable future.

Please remember the article where Dunn said he spent NO time this offseason preparing for the move to 1B.

[Caveat Emperor]

Please remember the article where Dunn said he spent NO time this offseason preparing for the move to 1B.

Naturally, since Casey didn't get traded until the winter meetings. Still, Dunn is no stranger to the 1B position and apparently didn't look good doing it in January, February, and March.

My basic point still stands -- Krivsky and Narron do not believe Dunn can hack it at first.

[WMR]

He had more than 2 months of the offseason, not utilized, which could have been put towards a further familiarization of playing 1B... That was the point of the article. An article addressing Dunn not working on a new position when he didn't know that he was being moved to that position wouldn't make sense (not that that's a normal requisite for most Reds beat writers). Dunn had a LARGE chunk of the off-season still remaining after the move was announced, yet he did no preparation for the move...

There was a really interesting thread on this a couple months ago. I posited that this is all one big domino affect that Krivsky is refusing to address. Leaving Dunn in LF makes 'the JR question' more of a moot point.

I really don't see JR playing 1B. The diving and stretching required at that position seem totally adverse to what JR's body is capable of withstanding.

The clear move is JR to left field. The 'Dunn can't play 1st' mea culpa is an excellent way of not handling the '800 lb. gorilla.'

[pedro]

Does anyone think Griffey should be moved to LF and Dunn to 1st?


um.... yes.

[Larry Schuler]

Now, does anyone realize that Griffey will never move to LF and Dunn will never move to 1st?

[TeamBoone]

Dunn spent ST working on 1B (until Hatteburg was acquired), but played only 1 game at the position.

Casey was traded in December (two of his four months off were already gone). Most players' offseason regimen is pretty much set by that time, including workout routines, guest appearances (autograph shows, etc), and they do need some free time as well.... 8 months is a long time to be working almost every day (even a day off from the lineup is spent in the dugout).

[BRM]

Now, does anyone realize that Griffey will never move to LF and Dunn will never move to 1st?

If true, the Reds OF defense will continue to suck and suck badly.

[NJReds]

Now, does anyone realize that Griffey will never move to LF and Dunn will never move to 1st?

If management tells them to, then they should do it. If they don't like it, tough. You have to do what's best for the team.

Nothing in sports annoys me more then players who have a "me-first" attitude when it comes to position changes, lineup changes, etc. I'm not singling out Dunn and Jr., because it's common in sports these days.

[WMR]

Dunn spent ST working on 1B (until Hatteburg was acquired), but played only 1 game at the position.

Casey was traded in December (two of his four months off were already gone). Most players' offseason regimen is pretty much set by that time, including workout routines, guest appearances (autograph shows, etc), and they do need some free time as well.... 8 months is a long time to be working almost every day (even a day off from the lineup is spent in the dugout).

I saw Dunn and Kearns putting in a guest appearance at Avio's in Lexington, KY.

BTW, that's a club, not a batting cage.

(Joking, btw, on this point anyway.)

I dunno, yeah they need free time, but it's not too much to ask that he spent at least a portion of his remaining off-season preparing for the move if the Reds were actually serious about moving Dunn to 1B.

[kyle1976]

If management tells them to, then they should do it. If they don't like it, tough. You have to do what's best for the team.

Nothing in sports annoys me more then players who have a "me-first" attitude when it comes to position changes, lineup changes, etc. I'm not singling out Dunn and Jr., because it's common in sports these days.

I agree.

IF Dunn and/or Griffey are asked to change postions I don't understand why they wouldn't. I really don't. Neither of them are in the last year of a contract. Both are making millions upon millions of dollars. What's the big deal? Comfort in their current positions? Are they afraid of not being good at their new positions? Well, they're both not acceptable where they are. The Reds defense is deplorable, averaging almost an error a game and their lack of speed in the outfield allows many more hits that should be caught. Whatever is best for the team needs to be done...period.

[Highlifeman21]

Send LaRue and Kearns somewhere for quality pitching...bring Deno up to play CF, move Junior to LF or 1B...Move Dunn to 1B


In a perfect world, sure. I would rather see us keep Kearns, boot LaRue and I hate to say it but Freel. Aurillia can be our super sub as opposed to Freel. Kearns D is just far too valuable to lose right now.

As for the Deno/KGJ/Dunn move, I'm on board for that. It's too bad Narron, WK and those 3 players aren't all on the same page as us.

[deltachi8]

Dunn was playing LF ALOT from the start of Spring Training. It was aparant that it was Dan O's plan to move Dunn to first and Wayne didnt agree. He was going to move an OF and install Hatteburg at 1b form the time h aquired him. Just my $0.02

[pedro]

Now, does anyone realize that Griffey will never move to LF and Dunn will never move to 1st?

Never is a long time. I don't buy it. KG is going to move from CF within the next 2 years. You can probably count on one hand the number of 38 yr olds that played effectively in CF.

[KronoRed]

Now, does anyone realize that Griffey will never move to LF and Dunn will never move to 1st?
If true then the Reds have a serious problem letting players run the show.

[kyle1976]

If true then the Reds have a serious problem letting players run the show.

I still don't see why they wouldn't change positions. I'm sure most of you guys played baseball growing up and some may still play. And I'm sure alot of you played more than one position. I pitched, played short and 3rd. I liked all 3 positions. I would've played others too, if needed. I just don't know why they wouldn't want to switch IF they're asked to????

[westofyou]

You can probably count on one hand the number of 38 yr olds that played effectively in CF.

Better yet does anyone know how few teams have had 36 year old CF's with over 300 putouts in a year?

It's not a long list, though it does have its luminaries its also one that is fraught with guys on losing teams.

Breaking it up by eras it goes like this:


1876-1920

PUTOUTS YEAR PO PO G AGE
2 Dummy Hoy 1898 348 348 148 36
T3 Tommy Leach 1914 321 321 136 36
T3 Dummy Hoy 1899 321 321 154 37
5 Dode Paskert 1920 306 306 137 38

Every guy above played on a sub .500 team and was out of the game almost a year or 2 after the achievement, of note is that Hoy played on the Louisville Colonels, a team contracted after 1899... his backup was a young Tommy Leach who when the Louisville was contracted was moved over to the Pirates where he made his name with another couple of transfers named Clarke and Wagner.


1921-1945

PUTOUTS YEAR PO PO G AGE
1 Ty Cobb 1924 417 417 155 37
2 Tris Speaker 1926 394 394 149 38
3 Cy Williams 1924 368 368 145 36
4 Ty Cobb 1923 362 362 141 36
5 Doc Cramer 1942 352 352 150 36
6 Doc Cramer 1943 346 346 138 37
7 Sam Rice 1926 342 342 152 36
8 Doc Cramer 1944 337 337 141 38
T9 Max Carey 1927 331 331 141 37
T9 Earl Averill 1938 331 331 131 36
10 Mike Kreevich 1945 328 328 121 37
11 Tris Speaker 1924 323 323 128 36
12 Kiki Cuyler 1936 322 322 140 37
13 Doc Cramer 1945 314 314 140 39
14 Tris Speaker 1925 311 311 109 37
15 Eddie Brown 1928 309 309 129 36

Of note: Cobb and Speaker were both managers of teams and played themselves in CF, both experienced losing seasons doing it as well as winning. Only Max Carey played on a World Series team. Cramer and Kreevich are most likely a result of war time shortages. Three of the above players comprise 40% of the total players who were trotted out ther post 35.


1946-1960

PUTOUTS YEAR PO PO G AGE
None

Expansion Era version 1 & 2


1961-1976
PUTOUTS YEAR PO PO G AGE
1 Bill Bruton 1962 394 394 145 36
2 Willie Davis 1976 349 349 128 36
3 Bill Bruton 1963 339 339 138 37
4 Willie Mays 1968 301 301 142 37

Bruton was a small, skinny guy on a 5th and 6th place Braves team, Davisnever played full time again and was out of the game in 77 and 78, Mays is in the same vein as Ty and Tris, a one of the kind guy who had no major injuries as he gained on father time.

Expansion Era Version 3


1977-1992

PUTOUTS YEAR PO PO G AGE
1 Robin Yount 1992 371 371 139 36
2 Willie Wilson 1992 355 355 120 36


A HOF player and a prototype 80's CF in his last year as a starter. Yount retired 2 years later.
Expansion ERA Version 4.0


1993-2005

PUTOUTS YEAR PO PO G AGE
1 Brett Butler 1993 369 369 155 36
2 Steve Finley 2004 359 359 158 39
3 Otis Nixon 1995 357 357 138 36
4 Otis Nixon 1997 351 351 144 38
5 Marquis Grissom 2003 343 343 148 36
6 Otis Nixon 1996 342 342 125 37
7 Marquis Grissom 2004 341 341 142 37
8 Craig Biggio 2003 326 326 150 37
9 Steve Finley 2002 319 319 144 37
10 Kenny Lofton 2003 314 314 136 36
11 Brady Anderson 2000 307 307 132 36
12 Steve Finley 2001 300 300 131 36

This aside for the 21-45 era is the one most rich with the achievements of the post 35 year old CF, but like the aforementioned 21-45 era the numbers are dominated by 3 players who hold 66% of the places above. This however is the list that can boast a player who played on World Series team that won, with Finley hoisting the trophy with the Diamondbacks in 2001.

So out of the 27 centerfielders over the age of 35 who had 300 putouts only two played on teams that went to the world series and only one played on a team that one it all.

Not very good odds if you ask me.

[TeamBoone]

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Aurilia's return gives rest to others
BY JOHN FAY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

DETROIT - Rich Aurilia started at third base Friday night in his first game back from the disabled list.

It was a chance for Edwin Encarnacion to take a night off. The Reds will mix a lot more rest into the infield equation.

"The thing about Richie is not only is he an outstanding hitter," Reds manager Jerry Narron said, "I can rest the guy at third one night, the guy at short one night, the guy at second another night. Who else can you do that with, and bat them third or fourth?"

With Aurilia on the disabled list with a strained groin since May 4, Narron had to let Encarnacion and Brandon Phillips try to play their way out of slumps. That was particularly true when Aurilia and Ken Griffey Jr. were both on the DL.

That's difficult for a young player.

But with Aurilia back, Encarnacion, who went into Friday with just three hits in his last 23 at-bats, took the night off against Jeremy Bonderman.

Encarnacion was OK with the day off, although he didn't ask for it.

"I can play every day," he said. "But it's not my decision. I'll take today off and focus on tomorrow. I feel good. Sometimes the ball falls, sometimes it doesn't. It's part of the game."

Narron agreed.

"Eddie's going to be all right," Narron said. "All young guys are going to go through ups and downs."

Aurilia probably will play first today and Sunday against left-handers Mike Maroth and Nate Robertson.

Going into Friday, the Reds were 13-4 when Aurilia started. He had hits in each of his last 12 starts.

It's likely he'll be playing somewhere nearly every night.


http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060520/SPT04/605200331/1071

[KronoRed]

Uhh Jerry all the old guys go through ups and downs to, all ballplayers do ;)

But..will Jerry rest them when they do?