Friday 4/3/09 Reds vs Reds Future Stars

[OnBaseMachine]

Future Stars lineup:

Chris Heisey, RF
Chris Valaika, 2B
Juan Francisco, 3B
Todd Frazier, LF
Yonder Alonso, 1B
Drew Stubbs, CF
Danny Dorn, DH
Craig Tatum, C
Zach Cozart, SS

SP: Dallas Buck

Reds lineup:

Darnell McDonald, CF
Jerry Hairston Jr., SS
Joey Votto, 1B
Brandon Phillips, 2B
Jay Bruce, RF
Edwin Encarnacion, 3B
Chris Dickerson, LF
Ramon Hernandez, C
Wilkin Castillo, C

SP: Bronson Arroyo

[dougdirt]

3-0 little Reds thanks to a 2 run HR by Yonder Alonso and a DP that scored Heisey.

[Mario-Rijo]

BP vs. Buck with 2 on, Dp?

[Mario-Rijo]

Hmm, a K! Then Bruce grounds out to Alonso, Hairston (2B, IF Single) and Votto (1B, BB) stranded.

[OnBaseMachine]

3-0 Future Stars after one inning.

Heisey and Valaika singled, Francisco GIDP, Frazier walked, and Alonso belted a homer.

Buck: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

[Mario-Rijo]

Dorn hits a laser DBl to LF to lead off the 2nd.

[OnBaseMachine]

I hope Yorman Rodriguez gets an atbat later in the game.

[OnBaseMachine]

Cozart lines into a double play to end the top of the second inning.

[Mario-Rijo]

Tatum grounds out to Hairston, Catches a liner off of Cozart and doubles off Dorn at 2nd. 3 sharp hit balls that inning sounds like Arroyo is just getting tagged.

[Mario-Rijo]

I hope Yorman Rodriguez gets an atbat later in the game.

Yeah I'd like to hear him play against major leaguers at 16, pretty cool achievment.

[Gallen5862]

It looks like the Little Reds want to get the callup to play opening day instead of the big reds.

[Mario-Rijo]

EE dribbles one down to Francisco at 3rd for out #1.

[Gallen5862]

Thanks for the updates OBM.

[Mario-Rijo]

Dickerson K'd

[Gallen5862]

Does Arroyo look hurt?

[Mario-Rijo]

Hernandez K'd

[OnBaseMachine]

Dallas Buck dominated the second inning:

EdE grounded out
Dickerson struckout
Hernandez struckout

Buck: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 GO/0 FO

[Gallen5862]

Wow! If Buck can have a great year that will help the farm system alot.

[OnBaseMachine]

Heisey and Valaika both single to begin the third inning. Both are 2-for-2.

[OnBaseMachine]

Juan Francisco homers. 6-0 Futures. Apparently an inside-the-park homer.

[Mario-Rijo]

Francisco with a 3 run inside the park HR (Dickerson can't find the ball)!!!! Who is the major league team here!? Arroyo is getting hammered on every AB!

[Mario-Rijo]

Stubbs has been K'd twice though, geez!

[OnBaseMachine]

Alonso walked. He's 1-for-1 with a 3-run homer and a walk.

Stubbs has struckout twice tonight but he's killed the ball all spring with Louisville.

Dorn K's.

6-0 Futures after 2 1/2.

[OnBaseMachine]

Buck throws a 1-2-3 third inning with a pop out and two groundouts.

Buck: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 4 GO/1 FO

[Mario-Rijo]

Buck throws a 1-2-3 third inning with a pop out and two groundouts.

Buck: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 4 GO/1 FO

Castillo
McDonald (FO)
Hairston

Cordero taking over on the mound.

[OnBaseMachine]

Francisco Cordero is pitching the 4th inning.

[Mario-Rijo]

*NM*

[OnBaseMachine]

Ok guess I'm on more ignores than I thought. Not needed here then.

Huh?

[GIDP]

Remind me which one of these teams has the minor leaguers on it?

[reds44]

The Reds sound like the Bad news Bears.

[reds44]

What are the Reds doing? This just sounds awful. I understand it's spring, but play with some pride.

[OnBaseMachine]

Juan Francisco just hit a long homer. 9-0 Futures.

[reds44]

Francisco just hit one way out.

HOW ARE YOU LOSING 9-0 TO YOUR MINOR LEAGUE TEAM?

[GIDP]

I swear every ball put in play someone has screwed up on it.

[reds44]

I swear every ball put in play someone has screwed up on it.
Just this inning, Hairston blew a DP (and somehow ended up lucking into one), EE blew a pop up, Bruce mis played one off the wall, then misjudged a fly ball on the next play. Then Francisco hit a 900 foot homer off of Cordero.

[OnBaseMachine]

Top 4:

Tatum K's reaches on passed ball/wild pitch
Cozart GIDP
Heisey doubled off wall
Valaika doubled off wall, 7-0
Francisco hits a long homer
Frazier K's

9-0 Futures team.

Heisey and Valaika are each 3-for-3 with a double while Francisco is 2-for-3 with 2 homers and 5 RBI.

[GIDP]

I blame it on Hairstons D and Mcdonald playing center over Taveras for sure.

If we had our full team we would be crushing these guys!

[OnBaseMachine]

Buck: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K

Both walks were to Votto.

9-0 Futures.

[GIDP]

the mudcats owners are probably wishing they werent a part of the Reds right about now.

[reds44]

Does anybody else find this a tad embarassing?

[OnBaseMachine]

Arthur Rhodes is pitching the 5th for the Reds.

[reds44]

the mudcats owners are probably wishing they werent a part of the Reds right about now.
Why? Their players are blowing out the "Real" Reds right now.

[coachw513]

tonight notwithstanding, the reds need to get off to a good start IMHO...wonder how long dusty should wait until he cuts loose with a "Leyland" moment...for about a week, these guys have been really unfocused and making tons of mistakes...

I'll stay optimistic and say they are just ready for the bell to go off on Monday...but I'd feel a lot better about that if this club had actually accomplished something already...

OTOH, Buck is really throwing well it seems...if he stays healthy, how far away from arriving in Cincy????...he really is/was the wildcard in the Dunn deal...

[Gallen5862]

Can our Futures lineup play opening day? :)

[OnBaseMachine]

Does anybody else find this a tad embarassing?

The Pirates lost to Manatee Community College yesterday.

[GIDP]

Why? Their players are blowing out the "Real" Reds right now.

I dont know I just wanted to get a dig in. haha

[reds44]

The Pirates lost to Manatee Community College yesterday.
I know, and that was embarassing as well.

We are down 9-0 in the 5th inning to a group of minor leaguers from our own organization.

[OnBaseMachine]

Alonso walks on nine pitches against the tough lefty Rhodes.

[OnBaseMachine]

OTOH, Buck is really throwing well it seems...if he stays healthy, how far away from arriving in Cincy????...he really is/was the wildcard in the Dunn deal...

Buck is a stud, if healthy. He was viewed as a potential #1 overall pick in the draft before losing velocity and eventually undergoing Tommy John surgery. If his velocity returns as expected then he's got top-of-rotation potential. He'll begin the season in Double-A Carolina. If he has a big year then you may see him in Cincinnati in September.

[reds44]

lol McDonald drops a fly ball in CF.

10-0

[Gallen5862]

Let's go little Reds. Maybe can increase some trade value for some players.

[Gallen5862]

Big reds need to wakeup before Monday's opening game. Is Herera on Futures team or still with Big Reds team?

[reds44]

Dickerson goes yard.

Really hopes he gets the start on Opening Day even against Johan.

[Gallen5862]

Is Buck still pitching?

[OnBaseMachine]

Is Buck still pitching?

Yep.

[mth123]

This sounds like a case of major leaguers coasting after an extra long spring training.

[reds44]

McDonald just doubled. Buck is tiring.

[OnBaseMachine]

Hairston RBI groundout and Votto K's to end the inning.

Buck: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K

Nice start from Buck.

[OnBaseMachine]

Sean Henry takes over for Heisey and pops out.

[reds44]

So all the Reds backups just came in. It's the retred Reds vs. the future Reds!

[OnBaseMachine]

Top 6:

Weathers pitching

Henry popped out
Valaika flied out
Francisco struckout

10-1 Futures after 5 1/2.

[OnBaseMachine]

Live pictures from the game:

http://oxblue.com/pro/open/carolinagreencorp/fivecountystadium

Kudos to Doug for the link.

[OnBaseMachine]

Misael DeJesus relieves Dallas Buck.

[OnBaseMachine]

Reds rallying off DeJesus.

Richar grounded out to begin the inning but Rosales and Gomes each doubled off the wall. 10-2 now. Apparently the wind is causing trouble for the outfielders.

[OnBaseMachine]

Mike Lincoln is pitching the 7th for the Reds. Score is 10-4 Futures.

[JaxRed]

Has Arroyo made his "I was just trying to get my work in, throw to spots" talk yet?

[OnBaseMachine]

Top 7th:

-Frazier singles
-Alonso hits the ball hard but it's a double play
-Stubbs triples, correction, they rule it a double and error. Brantley thinks it should be a triple.
-Neftali Soto doubles, 11-4 Futures
-Mesoraco RBI single, 12-4

[Gallen5862]

Is Herera on Reds roster or on the Futures roster?

[OnBaseMachine]

Is Herera on Reds roster or on the Futures roster?

Reds.

[Gallen5862]

Thanks OBM. Hopefully he gets a chance to pitch tonight.

[OnBaseMachine]

Yorman Rodriguez is now playing CF.

[OnBaseMachine]

12-4 Futures in the eighth inning. Bill Bray is pitching the top of the eighth for the Reds.

[OnBaseMachine]

Henry flies out to begin the 8th. Valaika singles, his 4th hit of the night.

[OnBaseMachine]

Francisco flied out and Frazier struckout.

[membengal]

I am a lot less bugged about this than some of you. Mostly I see an underrated and deep farm system raking.

[OnBaseMachine]

I am a lot less bugged about this than some of you. Mostly I see an underrated and deep farm system raking.

I agree.

[OnBaseMachine]

Ramon Geronimo threw a scoreless 8th. 12-4 Futures after eight innings.

[OnBaseMachine]

Jared Burton in to pitch the 9th.

[OnBaseMachine]

Yorman flied out to CF against Burton.

[OnBaseMachine]

Yonder Alonso is 1-for-2 with a three run homer and three walks.

[OnBaseMachine]

Burton threw a scoreless 9th. 12-4 Futures after 8 1/2. Sean Watson is pitching the bottom of the 9th.

[_Sir_Charles_]

I am a lot less bugged about this than some of you. Mostly I see an underrated and deep farm system raking.

And with a lot more invested in impressing the Reds brass. To the big club, this is just a PR move. To the "futures" club, this is a chance of a lifetime for some of them.

[HokieRed]

Arrival date for Valaika?

[mth123]

And with a lot more invested in impressing the Reds brass. To the big club, this is just a PR move. To the "futures" club, this is a chance of a lifetime for some of them.

Exactly.

[Caveat Emperor]

The Pirates lost to Manatee Community College yesterday.

Yeah, at least the Reds are losing to their own players.

[membengal]

Arrival date for Valaika?

if he can stick at SS? Later this summer.

[HokieRed]

I have a feeling this club will need his bat no matter where he can play--and soon if he hits at L'ville, which I've no doubt he will.

[OnBaseMachine]

The Futures won 12-4.

[OnBaseMachine]

Boxscore for the Future Stars:

Heisey: 3-for-3 double
Valaika: 4-for-5 double
Francisco: 2-for-5 two homers, 5 RBI
Frazier: 1-for-4 walk
Alonso: 1-for-2 homer, 3 walks, 3 RBI
Stubbs: 1-for-4 double
Dorn: 1-for-3 double
Tatum: 0-for-3
Cozart: 0-for-4

Henry: 0-for-2
Rodriguez: 0-for-1
Soto: 1-for-2 double
Mesoraco: 1-for-2

Buck: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K

DeJesus: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K

Geronimo: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Watson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

[blumj]

Yeah, at least the Reds are losing to their own players.
And professionals who use wood bats.

[OesterPoster]

I love Heisey's game. He just quietly sneaks up on you, and all of a sudden he's 3 for 3. He seems to do that a lot.

[lollipopcurve]

I love Heisey's game. He just quietly sneaks up on you, and all of a sudden he's 3 for 3. He seems to do that a lot.

I've been saying it for awhile. He's a top 10 guy in the system for me.

Thanks for the updates, all == good day for the Reds system and organization, I'd say.

[BCubb2003]

It's like UCLA's freshman team beating UCLA in the Wooden years.

[klw]

The Pirates lost to Manatee Community College yesterday.

In the Pirates defense, the game was played underwater.

[Spazzrico]

So I'm finally going to get to go to game for the first time in two years next Thursday for the businessman's special. Unfortunately I'm probably going to get to watch Arroyo pitch, and I'm very worried that it will be like the last two outings. If he's hurt, man I hope he goes DL, if not I'd love to see them elevate Cueto to #3.

[BCubb2003]

In the Pirates defense, the game was played underwater.

Pirates vs. Manatees? A fair fight, I'd say.

[corkedbat]

if he can stick at SS? Later this summer.

I really hope so.

[OnBaseMachine]

From the DDN:

http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/01/90/40/image_8540901.jpg
Former Dayton Dragons star Juan Francisco is congratulated after hitting a two-run homer in an exhibition game against the Cincinnati Reds in Zebulon, N.C., on Friday, April 3.

[OnBaseMachine]

This time, he gave up a three-run, inside-the-park homer to Francisco in the third. An inning later, Francisco - last year's hitter of the year in the Reds' organization - added a conventional two-run shot off reliever Francisco Cordero.

Yonder Alonzo, the Reds' first-round draft pick last year, hit a two-run homer and finished with three RBIs. Chris Valaika, the club's reigning minor league player of the year, had four hits, including an RBI double in the fourth off Cordero. The Futures stretched their lead to 10-0 in the fifth.

"They've beat me around," Arroyo said. "Definitely some ballplayers out there. It's just a matter of those guys putting together a good season, front to back, and continuing to improve and impress people around here."

The team consisted of the top minor leaguers from all levels of the Reds' organization but wore the grey road uniforms of the Mudcats, Cincinnati's new double-A farm club.

And they sure didn't play like minor leaguers, taking a six-run lead in the third on one of the stranger sequences of the spring.

Francisco's pop-up down the left-field line landed in front of Chris Dickerson, and the outfielder's momentum carried him over the short fence near the stands. By the time he hopped back over the wall and realized the ball was still in play, Francisco had raced all the way around and easily beat the throw to the plate.

An inning later, Francisco had a much more leisurely trip around the bases. He crushed a towering drive off Cordero that cleared the equipment shed in right, one batter after Valaika's run-scoring double off the wall in right.

Alonzo, Cincinnati's first-round draft pick last year, capped the Futures' three-run first off Arroyo by lining a 91 m.p.h. fastball over the right-field wall. It was the second homer of the spring for the former University of Miami star who spent last season at single-A Sarasota.

"The guy worked hard," Reds manager Dusty Baker said of Alonzo. "This guy, he wants to make it, and he wants to make it big, and he wants to make it rather quickly. I think he's on the right course."

Alonzo later made it 10-0 in the fifth when he scored from first after Darnell McDonald dropped Craig Tatum's long fly ball to centre.

Dickerson hit a line-drive homer to right in the fifth for the Reds, who earlier in the week wrapped up their final spring training in Sarasota, Fla. They're finishing the pre-season with a pair of games against a collection of their top minor leaguers.

After taking on the Futures 30 miles east of Raleigh, they were scheduled to meet again in Dayton - home of their single-A affiliate - on Saturday. They open the regular season Monday against the New York Mets.

"We get to see our prospects against us, we get to see where these guys are going to play, get a feeling of what it's about," Baker said. "And I think it gives my big league guys an appreciation of what they came from and gives the minor league guys some motivation of where they want to be."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5i2V6hMSEJ1Ulf8Bwo79SXFogh3Eg

[_Sir_Charles_]

Anybody else notice that Juan Francisco played third and SHORT in today's game? Has he EVER played short before? Seems like an odd move to me.

[nemesis]

All I can say it is becoming more and more likely that Fransisco is going to have a monster season. He had a solid 08 season, Dominated winter ball. HAd a good good spring and now crushes the ball in a Futures game. His confidence and concentration has to be at peak right now. I think it becomes more and more likely he supplants EE at 3B next year if he has a good 09.

[OnBaseMachine]

From the DDN:

http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/04/09/02/slideshow_1020948_Futures_Reds_Baseball_N(7).jpg
Futures pitcher Dallas Buck winds up during the second inning of an exhibition baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Zebulon, N.C., Friday, April 3, 2009.

http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/00/10/02/slideshow_1021003_Futures_Reds_Baseball_N(9).jpg
Cincinnati Reds catcher Ramon Hernandez misses the tag as Futures' Yonder Alonso slides safely into home during the fifth inning of an exhibition baseball game in Zebulon, N.C., Friday, April 3, 2009.

http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/03/10/02/slideshow_1021030_Futures_Reds_Baseball_N(8).jpg
Futures' Yonder Alonzo (19) is congratulated after a two run-homer in the first inning during an exhibition baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Zebulon, N.C., Friday, April 3, 2009.

http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/01/10/02/slideshow_1021012_Futures_Reds_Baseball_N(6).jpg
Futures' Juan Francisco is congratulated after hitting a two run-homer in the fourth inning during an exhibition baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Zebulon, N.C., Friday, April 3, 2009.

[lollipopcurve]

Definitely some ballplayers out there

I think so.

This was a GREAT idea. The Reds deserve a lot of credit for putting this together, ahead of the industry.

[dougdirt]

Anybody else notice that Juan Francisco played third and SHORT in today's game? Has he EVER played short before? Seems like an odd move to me.

The Box Score is wrong. He did not play SS.

[corkedbat]

I think Francisco may have moved his arrival time up a year to 18 months this offseason. Alonzo is a Hobbit. :D

[bounty37h]

Does anybody else find this a tad embarassing?

Awful, I was embarrased to be there rooting for them. I started screaming 10 run rule early.

[bounty37h]

Is Herera on Reds roster or on the Futures roster?

Reds, and was one of very few Reds that seemed to care about the fans at the game-shy, but very nice guy