Hot Stove League show report

[Chip R]

Here is the Reds Hot Stove League show report for 1-3-07. This is another shortened edition since the Xavier game is on afterwards.

After commercial, Marty pimped season tickets. Marty said that next week's show will be at the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.

The first caller asked if Conine would be the starting right fielder or would Freel or Denorfia be there. Marty said that will probably play itself out come Spring Training. He said the Reds feel Conine can also play 1B and will complement Hatteberg. Marty thinks Conine can be an asset to the Reds despite his age.

The next caller asked if Marty knew about Dimitri Young's status and whether the Reds might sign him. Marty said he hasn't but that doesn't mean there isn't anything going on.

The next caller asked what happened to the pitcher the Reds got in the Sean Casey deal. (Not even 10 minutes into the show) Marty said Casey was traded to PIT and had an injury, came back and was traded to DET. He said Dave Williams was a disaster here and ended the year in the Mets organization.

The next caller asked if Ross was an everyday catcher. Marty said he didn't think so and Javy will get playing time back there since he's a switch hitter. Marty said he doesn't know if Ross could put up the kind of numbers you'd expect over 140 games but he thinks that he won't be put into the position where he's playing that many games. He said the Reds would love to get the kind of production they got out of him last year.

After commercial, the next caller asked if the Reds had any common sense when it came to the pitching cause they really can't expect Lohse and Milton to be the 4th and 5th starters. Marty agreed about Lohse and Milton and said that Wayne must see something in them that he doesn't.

The next caller said he was concerned about the Cubs and the moves they have made and wants to know if the Reds can compete in the Central. Marty said the Central is as wide open as it was last year. He said the Cubs have big pitching questions. He said the Cards have questions and he thinks the team that has improved itself the most was the Brewers. He said that the Reds have to do some more to compete though.

The next caller asked if the Reds had a pitching coach yet and he'd like to see Ted Power be the pitching coach. Marty said Dick Pole is the new pitching coach but he believes Power will get a shot someday because he's highly regarded in the organization. The caller said he always talked to the kids and signed autographs and is a really nice guy (The very definition of a great pitching coach )

The next caller asked about former Reds draft picks Sardinha and Espinoza and what was the deal with them. Marty said JimBo signed those guys to major league deals in order to not pay them so much bonus money. He said they were a disaster and JimBo made a big splash about signing them. Marty said he doesn't like JimBo (Worst. Kept. Secret. Ever) but he had to do things like that to save money cause that is when Marge owned the Reds. (Actually, that was under the Lindner/Allen regime but let's not let facts get in the way of a good rant, shall we?)

The next caller asked Marty if the Reds should acquire Chad Harville. Marty said he would be a good addition to the bullpen (At least he'd bring the average age down). Marty said the biggest question they have is the lack of a closer and it looks like now it will be Stanton against lefties and Weathers against righties. (And if the Reds have to face a lineup that goes R-L-R - or vice versa, they are screwed. )

The next caller thought Marty would be a great baseball commissioner. Marty disagreed and said he isn't politically correct enough. He also said he didn't use to be a fan of Selig's but he thinks he has the toughest job there is and he's done a pretty good job over the last few years.

The next caller said the Reds are one pitcher away from making some noise and asked if he thought Dunn would be traded and what Marty thought of the LaRue deal. Marty said that Jason doesn't figure in the Reds plans because the job Ross and Javy did and they aren't going to carry 3 catchers again (Chad Moeller says hi). Marty said that hopefully Jason can get a chance to play in K.C. but they have a catcher in John Buck who is a lot like Jason. (Marty forgot the part about Dunn).

Thus endeth the Reds Hot Stove League show report for 1-3-07. So let it be written. So let it be done.

[WMR]

Thanks Chip! Love the editorializing, btw.

[goreds2]

Thank you for the update!!

[Reds Nd2]

He also said he didn't use to be a fan of Selig's...

Did he say why? Maybe Selig strikes out too much.

[Newman4]

It was a shortened edition so Marty couldn't possibly have enough time for a Dunn rant.

[Bigredfan#1]

Thanks, interesting. Especially nice for me since I can't listen to it!! Live too far away.

[cincy09]

The caller said he always talked to the kids and signed autographs and is a really nice guy (The very definition of a great pitching coach )

By far the best part of the report.....
Thanks again Chip

[KoryMac5]

Thanks, interesting. Especially nice for me since I can't listen to it!! Live too far away.

I used to stream WLW until I got XM radio which is worth the investment.

[LINEDRIVER]

Chip, thanks for ANOTHER great recap of the Hot Stove show. Your report takes the pain out of me listening to those numerous dumb questions.

***********************************

Team Clark and I were discussing Ross a few weeks ago and we both agreed that IF David Ross has any common sense, he is working out this winter with a personal trainer so that he can be in great physical condition for the 2007 season. Ross wasn't expecting to play as much as he did in '06 and therefore wasn't physically able to handle that much playing time.

If Ross is in good shape and can stay injury free, I think it is possible for him to hit at least 25 HR's in '07 which could possibly put him in 2nd place on the team behind Dunn's 40-50 HR's. I'm expecting EE to hit about 25 so it should be interesting.
.

[Eric_Davis]

Thanks, Chip. Appreciate it very much.

[dfs]

Marty said he didn't think so and Javy will get playing time back there since he's a switch hitter.

you know...for somebody who watches so many games, that's a really stupid thing to say. I mean it's technicly true that Valentin is a switch hitter, but it's absolutely meaningless. Over the last three years Valentin has 500 at bats against right handed pitchers for a respectable 800 ops. He also has 100 at bats against lefties in which he has put up a disasterous 450 ops. Switch hitter or not, he should never, ever, ever go to the plate against a lefty. If he does, it better be because there's nobody left to catch, because they would be better off sending up Eric Milton as a hitter than Javier Valentin against a lefty.

Marty should know that.

[Team Clark]

By far the best part of the report.....
Thanks again Chip

That's usually the theory. He'd be a great coach because he signed an autograph for my kid.

[George Anderson]

That's usually the theory. He'd be a great coach because he signed an autograph for my kid.

I have always felt that is the mindset of way,way to many fans. "Such and such player wouldnt sign an autograph for my kid so he is pond scumb and must go"(regardless of how good he is). Or "Such and Such player said hello to me at a restaurant and signed my ball, so he is the best and should never ever be traded". Fans to many times are clueless and judge a player not how he performs on the field but whether he is a nice guy or not

[Team Clark]

I have always felt that is the mindset of way,way to many fans. "Such and such player wouldnt sign an autograph for my kid so he is pond scumb and must go"(regardless of how good he is). Or "Such and Such player said hello to me at a restaurant and signed my ball, so he is the best and should never ever be traded". Fans to many times are clueless and judge a player not how he performs on the field but whether he is a nice guy or not

I certainly can't say that I still do not fall into that category sometimes. I mostly did that as a Kid but occasionally my mind still plays tricks on me. I backed LaRue for a long time until I got a better look at what was going on. Then I realized the error in my thinking. Human nature I guess.

Junior really falls into that category on this board. I'd go so far as to say Jr., Adam Dunn, Austin Kearns and Sean Casey have a reverance on this board that is unmistakeable and/or unshakable. Either you are a loyal follower or you are a "hater".

Most of it boils down to whether those players signed someone's ball, read a feel good story, patted their kid on the head, think they are cute or something along those lines. There really isn't anything wrong with that. I was a big Barry Larkin fan because I met him in Spring Training in '87. Tracy Jones too. Every so often you find someone who really likes a player because of his value. I know as a kid I didn't pick my favorite players based on their stats/value. Heck, all I had was the Street & Smith's Guide and the Baseball Digest Preview. I was a BIG Danny Tartabull fan before he ever made it to the bigs. You can throw Ricky Jordan, Jose Canseco, Mike Aldrete and Tim Spehr into that category.

Having an opinion on a player back then seemed a lot less harmless. Now if I like a player, and I actually say so, I have to listen to 25 people bemoan the player I just happen to "like". I have learned to temper my comments about that sort of thing on this board. It's just better if you keep some of these things to yourself if you don't feel like hearing about it.

[Newman4]

I have always felt that is the mindset of way,way to many fans. "Such and such player wouldnt sign an autograph for my kid so he is pond scumb and must go"(regardless of how good he is). Or "Such and Such player said hello to me at a restaurant and signed my ball, so he is the best and should never ever be traded". Fans to many times are clueless and judge a player not how he performs on the field but whether he is a nice guy or not

Kinda like when the lady wins the office March Madness pool because she picked the team with the cool mascot and cute uniforms?