Majors' best catching combo, LaRue, Valentin try for reprise (1/18)

[Strikes Out Looking]

In defense of the article's writer, I do think the Reds have a real shot at carrying 3 catchers. Valentin also plays 1b, and with Dunn basically a rookie at the position, the Reds may want to go with 3 catchers allowing Valentin to play 1b if they want to put Dunn in the OF or let him sit. Also, if Kearns, Pena or Griffey get hurt (hard to believe that may happen), Dunn could go back to the Of and Valentin could play 1b.

[TeamBoone]

Originally Posted by harangatang

I personally think Larue wanted to get on guys like Milton but Casey would always defend everyone because baseball in his mind is about having fun, not about winning.

Do you honestly think that Sean Casey did not care about winning? Have you ever seen him on the bench when he gets angry?

IMHO, that's an unfounded ridiculous notion.

[westofyou]

Originally Posted by TeamBoone

IMHO, that's an unfounded ridiculous notion.

It's almost as wacky as thinking the Reds will be a .500 team.

[Unassisted]

Similar summary from MLB.com

http://montreal.expos.mlb.com/NASApp...=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Reds: LaRue and Valentin are back after combining to connect for 26 homers while catching, which tied them for the Major League lead among backstop combos in 2005. Their 101 RBIs were tops in the league.

All Reds manager Jerry Narron has to do is continue figuring when the best is time to start each catcher. Last year, LaRue started 104 games of his 110 games played behind the plate. Valentin played 76 games, with 58 starts as catcher.

Both players' personal statistics certainly thrived under the 2005 setup. LaRue, who turns 32 in March, established career highs in average (.260), doubles (27) and RBIs (60) while hitting 14 home runs. Valentin's .281 average, 14 homers and 36 runs scored all were career bests.

Beyond those two, Dane Sardinha will have a chance to win a spot on the 25-man roster with a solid Spring Training. Sardinha, a 2000 second-round draft pick, spent the past two seasons at Triple-A Louisville. Miguel Perez, 22, made the sizeable leap from high Class A Sarasota to the Majors last season and is considered a future prospect.

[TeamBoone]

Originally Posted by harangatang

I guarantee Sean Casey would have defended Milton to the bitter end because that the way the clubhouse was with Sean Casey as it's leader.

I truly wish there was a way to prove you wrong.

Were you there? Maybe, but somehow I highly doubt it. You probably shouldn't guarantee things that you have absolutely no control over.

BTW, there isn't one of those guys that's going to say bad things about their teammates to the media, even if they are true. Well, except for Jiminez and that was after he was gone.

[harangatang]

All I have to say is wait until of end of the 2006 baseball season. The Reds will be at least a .500 ballclub, if you don't believe me now, you'll believe me then.

[Doc. Scott]

a) I heard Jason LaRue on an MLB Radio online interview a couple of weeks back. He said that if Paul Wilson could come back and Eric Milton could pitch the way he did in the second half (news flash: 5.55 ERA), the Reds would challenge for the division title. Jason certainly couldn't have gone on the record talking about the team's pitching being horsecrap, could he? Could any player? OF COURSE a catcher isn't going to rip his veteran starting pitchers. What goes on behind closed doors is something only a privileged few will ever know. We can speculate all we want about intangibles, but all I know for sure is that the pitching staff is embarrassingly bad and hasn't gotten that much better.

b) Sean Casey's presence did not help the club win. It did not help the club lose, either. I don't believe Jason LaRue's anointed leadership will help the club win or lose, either. There's just no way to measure these things.

[Ron Madden]

Good God!!!

Sorry pitching and an incompetent front office is and has been the main reason for our failures.

I guess Sean Casey now shares the blame.

Let's just hire Mike Tyson as Pitching Coach. Name him Team Captain, let him beat the hell outta Milton untill he pitches better.

Sometimes I wonder....