Ryan Freel addresses jailing incident.

[redsfan30]

This from Marc's blog.

Moving on

SARASOTA -- Ryan Freel is in camp and has been for quite a while, getting in his usual work.

Today, for the first time, he addressed the Jan. 8 incident in Tampa that led to his arrest on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly intoxication. The charge was dropped two weeks later.

Freel was at a friend's bachelor party at a pool room/sushi bar called The Rack. Another friend of Freel's who works at the bar had helped make arrangements for the party, but at some point in the evening one member of the party got in an argument with the employee. Freel said he was trying to separate the two.

"One of my buddies was getting in an altercation with the guy that was taking care of it, and I was embarrassed, because this guy was taking care of us," said Freel. "(My friend) wouldn’t stop, he just kept going on and on, and I kept telling him, ‘Get back in the car, shut up, let’s go.’ I was yelling at him, I was even hugging him and trying to get him out of there. He just wouldn’t stop."

Freel admitted to yelling and cussing at his friend outside the bar, but said he had done nothing to warrant being arrested.

"It was so stupid," he said. "Here I was, trying to get somebody out of trouble, yelling at him – this is my buddy – and all of a sudden I go to jail. I wasn’t fighting, I wasn’t doing anything."

Freel said he understood that his involvement in that incident, along with his arrest on DUI charges the night of Opening Day last year, might have tainted his image in the eyes of Reds fans. He said he doesn't intend to find himself in a similar mess again.

"The fans of Cincinnati, for the most part, have respected the way I’ve played and gone about my business," he said. "This stupid incident, it hurts your reputation. ...

"It’s embarrassing and I don’t want to get caught in that situation again. I’ve made some adjustments this offseason and taken care of my business in a different way."

[Johnny Footstool]

Guys drink and get into fights. It's a fact.

It sounds like Freel was trying to do the right thing, but you still have to believe that he said or did something to the police officer that prompted his arrest.

[Highlifeman21]

Somewhere, somehow, this incident has some weight as to Narron listing Freel as a back up all over the yard with ToWo as the starting 2B, and EE and RichA platooning at 3B. What's worse, is that instead of Freel starting @ 2B and leading off, that fine honor goes to ToWo.

[TeamBoone]

It sounds like Freel was trying to do the right thing, but you still have to believe that he said or did something to the police officer that prompted his arrest.

I don't know, I've met several pretty arrogant police officers in my time... haven't you?

[Johnny Footstool]

I don't know, I've met several pretty arrogant police officers in my time... haven't you?

Sure. I've met some who like to bully people. They usually leave you alone if you just do what they say. But they're still authority figures, and they're in charge. If you provoke them, they'll nail you.

[BRM]

Somewhere, somehow, this incident has some weight as to Narron listing Freel as a back up all over the yard with ToWo as the starting 2B, and EE and RichA platooning at 3B. What's worse, is that instead of Freel starting @ 2B and leading off, that fine honor goes to ToWo.

That's just sickening.

[KronoRed]

I doubt Narron would have Freel leading off if not for this incident, the Reds still see him as too valuable as a backup to be a starter.

[SunDeck]

I don't know, I've met several pretty arrogant police officers in my time... haven't you?

The worst calls we used to get when I was a fireman were EMS runs to barfights.
There is always, ALWAYS one guy, drunk as the rest of them who thinks he's the reasonable one, who thinks that yelling as loud as he can things like, "SHUT UP, MAN! JOHNNY'S GONNA RUN YOU IN MAN! IT AIN'T WORTH IT!", and who thinks that if only the officer would be "BE COOL, MAN!" then things would be fine.
He is an idiot and that night he was Ryan Freel.

[Highlifeman21]

I doubt Narron would have Freel leading off if not for this incident, the Reds still see him as too valuable as a backup to be a starter.

ToWo vs. Freel, tale of the tape...
36 AGE 29
5'9" HT 5'10"
170 WT 180
L BATS R

ToWo is currently listed as the 2B starter, with Freel as the first backup for LF, CF, and only 3rd on the DC for 2B and 3B. Their 2005 stats show why DanO's a moron for burning a pile of money on ToWo and why Narron's an even bigger moron for already listing ToWo as the starting 2B (let's pray for a ST injury here folks...)

ToWo 2005: .249 AVG .276 OBP .280 SLG 108 G 46 R 8 2B 1 3B 92 TB 12 BB 27 SB 5 CS

Freel 2005: .271 AVG .371 OBP .371 SLG 103 G 69 R 19 2B 3 3B 137 TB 51 BB 36 SB 10 CS

If Freel isn't screaming leadoff hitter with the .371 OBP, 51 BB and a not too shabby 78% SB success rate, then someone please find a great argument for ToWo starting, let alone being on the 40 man. If the argument of Freel being too valuable as a backup is the reason du jour, then let's not forget about RichA playing 2B, SS and 3B, which is exactly where Freel's spent some time as a Red. Sure, Freel gives us an OF option, but I would MUCH rather see Denorfia make the roster as the 25th man than ToWo hurting our team.

[Newport Red]

Somewhere, somehow, this incident has some weight as to Narron listing Freel as a back up all over the yard with ToWo as the starting 2B, and EE and RichA platooning at 3B. What's worse, is that instead of Freel starting @ 2B and leading off, that fine honor goes to ToWo.

Krivsky is going to has his own manager on the bench next opening day. Narron is just making Krivsky's job easier.

[TeamBoone]

Freel could be the starting 2b and moved later in the game if the situation warrents. Thus, he's the starter, but still the utility player if needed.