Eric Davis working with some Reds players?....

[_Sir_Charles_]

Well, back at the ballpark, but not gonna stick around ofr the entier game. Just wanted to get some fodder and see ssome guys I haven't seen since spring training, like Adam Rosales, Ryan Hanigan and Chris Dickerson -- I'm gonna have a story on the young guys soon. Keep an eye open.
Anyway, lineup:
'Legs

1. Chris Dickerson lf
2. Jerry Hairston Jr. ss
3. Jay Bruce rf
4. Brandon Phillips 2b
5. Javier Valentin 1b
6. Edwin Encarnacion 3b
7. Corey Patterson cf
8. Ryan Hanigan c
9. Bronson Arroyo p

'Birds

1. Skip Schumaker cf
2. Ryan Ludwick rf
3. Albert Pujols 1b
4. Rick Ankiel lf
5. Troy Glaus 3b
6. Felipe Lopez 2b
7. Jason LaRue c
8. Brad Thompson p
9. Cesar Izturis ss

* Joey Votto is scheduled to return tomorrow
* Eric Davis was on the field and he's here to work with some guys. I'll have more from him soon.
* I'll tell you what, it feels empty in that clubhouse without Griffey or Dunn or their stuff. Both guys were double locker guys, as was David Ross (which happens a lot with catchers). But in a row you have Jay Bruce, Adam Rosales, Ryan Hanigan and Chris Dickerson.

via C-Trents blog. Nice to hear Joey's coming back too. And, as usual, I'm miffed about Rosales STILL not getting a start. I just don't understand it.

[RedsManRick]

Patterson over Keppinger. I HATE YOU Dusty Baker.... j/k. Kind of.

[Matt700wlw]

TV calls Eric Davis "special assistant"

[Big Klu]

Is he in uniform? And if he is, is he wearing his familiar #44?

[Matt700wlw]

Is he in uniform? And if he is, is he wearing his familiar #44?

He had a jacket on....he must have heard somebody froze to death outside the ballpark that day.

[Matt700wlw]

Q & A with C. Trent

Former Red Eric Davis was with the team this weekend and will accompany them to Chicago and Colorado. I caught up with him before Friday's game, and I interviewed him (along with Scott Priestle of the Columbus Dispatch). Here it is:


Q: You were in spring training, is this a continuation or were you brought in to work with one player or another?

A: I don’t think it was one thing in particular, outside of formulating a relationship with everyone to see where I can fit in and help out.


Q: Is that something you’re looking forward to?


A: Absolutely. It’s something I’ve never done – I’ve done it before, but not at this level. It’s just something I’m relishing. How can you not be excited when you look at the young players they have on this team? Not just position players, but pitchers and everybody else. You have to be excited.


Q: As a Red, a guy who is seen as a Red, is it something you take pride in, watching this organization and being identified with it?


A: Absolutely. I’ve been frustrated like everybody else who has been part of this organization when you watch. You pull for the team, the individual players, and it almost seems like your hands are tied when you can’t help. I’m trying to be part of the solution to help, I just want to be part of the solution. The last time they went to the playoffs, was what, ’95?

Q: Are you going to be here a while?

A: I’ll be here (at Great American Ball Park for last weekend’s series) and then going on the roadtrip. Then I’ll be coming back in a couple of weeks. I just want to help out where I can help out.

Q: It looks like you can help out in the field.

A: Don’t tell anybody. I don’t want a 10-day contract.

Q: You were at spring training, do you want to get into this full-time?


A: What I’m really trying to do is to define where I’m going to be most effective. If that’s intertwining between here and the minor leagues, let’s do it. Let’s really define where my effectiveness can really be because there’s a void from the time these young guys are here, they should know what they’re doing and understand what they’re supposed to do. Our conversations have been about there being a void in the development of our young stars.

Q: With there being some veterans that are no longer here, is there more of an urgency for you to be around?


A: I don’t know that it’s an urgency, but it’s something that’s needed.


Q: And, 44 is open again…


A: It’s not just that, something needs to be done, and not just by me. We’ve got a great tradition here. I’ve always said if you want to have people understand what your philosophy is, you need people to teach that philosophy. If you’re talking about the Reds’ winning tradition, you need to have people who know and understand that tradition. I think I’m just trying to put myself in position to be one of those guys.


Q: During the Hall of Fame weekend, there was certainly a lot of knowledge there.


A: You can look at the knowledge and then understand what’s needed. You look at that podium and what was there, and you can say, ‘whoa.’ There’s not too many organizations that can posses a group that’s still alive that you can put in front of someone. This is tradition, right there. There’s not a lot of organizations that can do that and be proud. I think the right steps are being taken place to do that. I’m just glad they think of me in that light, where I can add something to this.


Q: How important is it to have a group come up together to build a winning team?
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A: When you look at the core of our World Series team, the majority was home grown. And when you build that camaraderie, it’s easier to add a piece here or a piece there. When you don’t have that home-grown and you’re trying to add six or seven pieces a year, it’s very difficult to build that camaraderie.


Q: Do you see a good core of talent here?


A: Absolutely, and there’s only more to come. When you establish that, you can have confidence going forward. You have to develop that attitude about how this game is played. A lot of times the wins and losses are because of the way you were taught to play the game, they don’t just happen. You don’t come in and say you’re going to win because you have young guys. It’s the philosophy that you have to know. Once you start to play a certain way, your confidence exudes that to everybody. Then they start to perform on a level every day and then that’s when the people around the league respect you and know you can’t go into Cincinnati and know it’s not going to be easy and you’re going to have to play for nine innings. Right now we’ve got to get these guys ready to be hungry for nine innings. You need a reputation that you’re battle you for nine innings and that’s the reputation you want to have.

[MartyFan]

"...something needs to be done, and not just by me. We’ve got a great tradition here. I’ve always said if you want to have people understand what your philosophy is, you need people to teach that philosophy. If you’re talking about the Reds’ winning tradition, you need to have people who know and understand that tradition. I think I’m just trying to put myself in position to be one of those guys."

And this is why a Dodger and Atlanta Brave should never be the Manager of The Cincinnati Reds...at least one in particular.