Reds v. Diamondbacks - Series Preview (3/31 - 4/3)

[Caveat Emperor]

Opening Day. Game #1 of 162.

For the briefest of moments, every team stands tied for their division lead. Every team steps onto the field -- some with the expectation of greatness, others with merely the hope of greatness.

Virtually every sports publication projects the Cincinnati Reds to be somewhere around #2 or #3 in the NL Central. Nobody is willing to hand them anything, but few are writing off the possibility that something could be there for the taking. Almost half (9 out of 20) ESPN analysts predict the NL Rookie of the Year will be wearing the Wishbone-C on his cap. Some think it will be Johnny Cueto, some think it will be Jay Bruce. Also, in the parade of young-uns are Edinson Volquez, the man standing in the shadow of Josh Hamilton, and Joey Votto, the man looking over his shoulder at Scott Hatteberg. One Hundred and Sixty Two games from now, we might just have a good idea how good these kids can be -- and how good these kids can be will go a long way to telling us how good this team can be.

I, for one, can't wait to find out.

Opening Day (3/31 @ 2:10PM): Reds v. Diamondbacks
http://assets.espn.go.com/i/mlb/profiles/players/65x90/7121.jpg v. http://assets.espn.go.com/i/mlb/profiles/players/65x90/6936.jpg

NAME (L/R) W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP IBB BK ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
HARANG (R) 16 6 34 34 2 1 0 0 231.7 213 100 96 28 52 218 8 12 948 3 1 3.73 4.66 125 1.144
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
WEBB (R) 18 10 34 34 4 3 0 0 236.3 209 91 79 12 72 194 5 3 975 6 0 3.01 4.70 156 1.189

Game Two (4/02 @ 7:10PM): Reds v. Diamondbacks
http://assets.espn.go.com/i/mlb/profiles/players/65x90/7172.jpg v. http://assets.espn.go.com/i/mlb/profiles/players/65x90/6498.jpg

NAME (L/R) W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP IBB BK ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
ARROYO (R) 9 15 34 34 1 0 0 0 210.7 232 109 99 28 63 156 13 4 921 6 0 4.23 4.66 110 1.400
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
HAREN (R) 15 9 34 34 0 0 0 0 222.7 214 91 76 24 55 192 3 10 935 1 0 3.07 4.20 137 1.208

Game Three (4/03 @ 12:35): Reds v. Diamondbacks
http://assets.espn.go.com/i/mlb/profiles/players/65x90/6299.jpg v. http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:dOiDJdjn8ZvfsM:http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_456501.jpg


NAME (L/R) W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP IBB BK ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
CUETO (R) 12 9 28 28 1 0 0 0 161.1 146 63 55 11 34 170 15 2 673 0 3 3.07 ---- --- 1.12
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
DAVIS (L) 13 12 33 33 0 0 0 0 192.7 211 100 91 21 95 144 5 10 862 7 1 4.25 4.70 111 1.588

Discuss.

[westofyou]

When Jeff Keppinger takes the spot at short for the Reds on opening day it will the 5th straight different starting shortstop for the Reds in 5 opening days.

Big deal right?

Maybe… however the last time the Reds had a string that equaled this was from 1908 to 1914 when they had a different shortstop for seven straight seasons.

They were

Ruiswitt
Mowrey
Downey
Atizer
Esmond
Tinker
Herzog

The winning percentage for that era was .460, the winning percentage of the current run is .465.

For years the Reds were spoiled in the shortstop position, now….. not so much.

[Highlifeman21]

Is Cueto the game 3 starter?

Opening Day is a treat for any baseball fan, just b/c it's Opening Day. But this Opening Day pits Harang vs. Webb. I'm not sure it gets any better than that, in the NL.

[mth123]

When Jeff Keppinger takes the spot at short for the Reds on opening day it will the 5th straight different starting shortstop for the Reds in 5 opening days.

Big deal right?

Maybe… however the last time the Reds had a string that equaled this was from 1908 to 1914 when they had a different shortstop for seven straight seasons.

They were

The winning percentage for that era was .460, the winning percentage of the current run is .465.

For years the Reds were spoiled in the shortstop position, now….. not so much.

McMillan, Cardenas, Concepcion and Larkin put a lock on the position for about 50 years (with a bit of Woody Woodward and Darell Chaney sprinkled in). Lately its been a black hole. Unfortunately, there is no long term SS on the horizon. I wonder how Leo Cardenas would fare in today's offensive game. I think he'd be a star.

[Patrick Bateman]

Opening Day is a treat for any baseball fan, just b/c it's Opening Day. But this Opening Day pits Harang vs. Webb. I'm not sure it gets any better than that, in the NL.

Just wait until we see a Josh Fogg vs. Ryan Dempster matchup.

[Highlifeman21]

Just wait until we see a Josh Fogg vs. Ryan Dempster matchup.

I just got the dry heaves.

Thanks, AK.

[jojo]

I would hate to be a worm on the GABP infield tomorrow.

Davis has tough guy kharma on his side. Pretty hard to root for him to get lit up.

[westofyou]

From 1950-2004 sixty-seven men have played shortstop for the Reds, a total of 8680 games.

The amazing fact within this fact is that 80% of those games were played by only four men, equally amazing is 51% of them were played by only two men.


I wonder how Leo Cardenas would fare in today's offensive game. I think he'd be a star.
He'd be what the Reds have now IMO, low OB% and some pop.