Arroyo says he's happy in Cincinnati
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By Hal McCoy
Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
SARASOTA, Fla. — Bronson Arroyo says not to take him seriously, especially when he is strumming his guitar and tinkering with words to songs.
Some Cincinnati Reds fans became disjointed when they heard about a charity concert Arroyo did in Boston in January. He sang a song called "Boston" by Augustana.
But he changed the lyrics and they came out like this: "I said I think I'll go to Boston. I think I need a ballpark where all the fans are there. I gotta get out of Cincinnati. I'm tired of the summer. I think I need the Olde Town to fill my heart again. Ah, yeah."
Arroyo said Tuesday, Feb. 19, he was playing to the crowd, to New England folks, to Red Sox Nation.
"That's all built into my personality," he said. "Once in a blue moon, I say something that people consider outlandish. New England has been good to me and I still enjoy going back.
"It was a great event to raise money and those people paid like $7,500 for a ticket," Arroyo added. "It's a great song and I was just entertaining people. I enjoy my time here in Cincinnati and I wouldn't have signed a four-year deal if I didn't want to be here.
"If I was traded from here and had an opportunity to come back to RedsFest, I'd do that same thing (change words in a song to fit Cincinnati). It is just part of my gig. I've changed words in songs every year that I've performed," he said.
Around the cage
Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. took their first rounds of batting practice Tuesday in Ed Smith Stadium and, as usual, levity reigned.
Griffey hit a towering drive to right and Dunn said, "Is it out?"
"No," said Griffey as the ball sailed over the wall.
"Well, you're 0-for-1 this spring calling homers," said Dunn.
Dunn drilled a ball into the right-field corner and yelled, "triple." As the laughter subsided, he said, "Why not? I got my knee fixed."
Of his off-season, Griffey said, "I thought I opened Christmas presents about a week ago and here I am in spring training already."
Griffey and his family moved into a new home near Orlando just two weeks ago, an abode designed by Griffey that he called, "a little bungalow, a nice little villa."
That little villa features 36,000 square feet with two bowling lanes in the basement.
A point of view
Pitcher Jon Coutlangus, standing in line at a food table in the clubhouse, said aloud to nobody in particular, "I got married in the off-season."
Said catcher David Ross, "Oh, that's too bad."
Quote of the day
"Matt Belisle looks like Paul Bunyan or Jack Johnson — a big, strong guy who won nine games last year for a not-very-good team and there is no reason for him not to win 15 this year." — Manager Dusty Baker.
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