Chapman to start? Maybe not
 

Dusty, Dusty Dusty:

Re: Chapman to start? Maybe not
 

Hmmmm.

Well, that's got 2 questionable people involved in that comment.

Jim "make stuff up" Bowden.
Dusty "only the mailman walks" Baker.

Not sure how much stock I put in that.

Re: Chapman to start? Maybe not
 

Walt didn't guarantee it himself. I want to say this is Bowden stirring the pot.

Re: Chapman to start? Maybe not
 

If true, Broxton was a TERRIBLE signing.

Re: Chapman to start? Maybe not
 

:facepalm:

Re: Chapman to start? Maybe not
 

Jim Bowden would sign Deion Sanders to be the closer if given the chance.

Re: Chapman to start? Maybe not
 

I'd imagine the discussion had a line or two wherein Baker mentioned that if Chapman struggles in Spring Training or the Reds can't find a taker for an extra starter or Leake finds major success, Chapman can always move back to the closer role if need be.

What Bowden came away with was that Chapman moved back to the closer role.

Re: Chapman to start? Maybe not
 

He's a reporter. If he's not taking things out of context in order to stir the pot, he's not doing his job.

Re: Chapman to start? Maybe not
 

Dusty has said from day one *he* prefers Chapman in the rotation. This sounds more like Dusty's own preference rather than the standing preference of the organization.

Thing is, it's not Dusty's call which is why he probably phrased it as he did.

Re: Chapman to start? Maybe not
 

Dusty in the Enquirer this morning :)


“He could very well be my best starter and my best reliever,” Baker said. “So I’m sure that he’ll do whatever you ask him to do. He would probably prefer to start, but last year we were preparing him as a starter, and there was much debate about whether to send him to the minor leagues to start or not.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/2...|text|Sports|s

Re: Chapman to start? Maybe not
 

How much of that was the presence of 5 other qualified starters as well?

Re: Chapman to start? Maybe not
 

Hopefully this is just Bowden stirring the pot... After the Broxton signing, Chapman anywhere other than the starting rotation is an unequivocal fail IMO.

Re: Chapman to start? Maybe not
 

Dusty Baker, at every chance he has been given, has talked about Chapman in the bullpen. At every chance.

Re: Chapman to start? Maybe not
 

Exactly. Which is why I am confident that it is not his call. Walt and Price want Chapman in the rotation. They almost has their way last season until Madsen got hurt.

I assume that will always be a possibility, but an injury to Broxton, along with no other option to close, is the only way that I see Chapman being the closer again.

Re: Chapman to start? Maybe not
 

Bowden is just stirring the pot. Jocketty is no dummy. He signed Broxton to close. Unless Broxton is injured, he will close and Chapman will start. If Dusty even brings up Chapman in the pen I'm sure he will get a call from Jocketty and remind him why Broxton was signed.