It was way too cold for baseball and so the game was something to be endured more than enjoyed. But at least I can now point to exactly the moment when I first missed Brandon Phillips, the best fielding second baseman in Cincinnati Reds history.
It was the top of the second inning, nobody out and a runner on first for the Louisville Bats, the Reds’ AAA franchise and opponent for this exhibition game. Batter Gavin LaValley tapped a high hopper to shortstop that had double play stamped on it.
Reds’ shortstop Zack Cozart backed up a half step in order to catch the grounder waist high. He then flocked a perfect toss to Phillips’ replacement, Jose Peraza, who pivoted and threw wildly to first, pulling Joey Votto off the bag and putting LaValley on first.
It was an easy play, one that Peraza won’t screw up too often. Yet it also was a reminder of how reliable Phillips was during his 10 years with the Reds. His range was amazing. Write this down: Reds opponents will get a lot of hits to center and right this season that would have been outs with Phillips playing second.
The final score was 1-1, which was perfect because the Reds hardly overwhelmed their top farm club. Reds’ starter Rookie Davis gave up a second-inning home run to Aristides Aquino and wasn’t as impressive in his three innings of work as Bats’ starter Tyler Mahle was in his five.
The Reds needed four hits and a walk to score their only run in the bottom of the first. Remember how the lack of timely hitting was a problem last season? Their defense won’t be as good without Phillips. And their pitching staff – well, what can you say about a team that apparently will open the season Monday with 13 pitchers and only four backup players?
My answer to that question is that the Reds have a lot of promising young arms, and manager Bryan Price has no clue what to do with them. The staff is so unsettled that Bronson Arroyo, 40, may earn the fifth spot in the five-man starting rotation. But guys who were supposed to be starters are now in the bullpen or slotted for long relief.
Veteran starter Homer Bailey is on the injury list again. Homer is so fragile, both mentally and physically, that it still boggles the mind that Reds’ management decided to keep him instead of the reliable Johnny Cueto.
That’s just one of the most glaring examples that the people running the Reds have no idea what they’re doing. They’ve unloaded all the big stars with fat contracts except for Votto and Bailey, and they haven’t gotten much in return, as least that you can see with the naked eye.
In exchange for Phillips and his $14 million contract, for example, the Reds got a couple of pitcher named Carlos Portuando and Andrew McKirahan, who so far have gotten lost amid the plethora of pitchers.
The Reds also kept the hapless Price, a former pitching coach who last season presided over the worst bullpen in baseball. If he keeps 13 pitchers, it looks as if the plan is to pitch by committee. Price is a by-the-book guy, which is fine if your players are willing to bust their butts for you. But so far Price has not reminded anybody of Sparky Anderson – or even Dusty Baker.
I’m particularly interested in Amir Garrett, the 6-foot-5 left-hander whose motion, but not his velocity, brings to mind Aroldis Chapman. He played NCAA D-I basketball at St. John’s and was still playing overseas until the Reds told him to concentrate strictly on baseball. He’s now in the starting rotation.
When they had Chapman, the Reds had both the fastest thrower and fastest runner in the game. The runner is still with them. Switch-hitting center fielder Billy Hamilton, who changes games with his speed both in the field and on the base paths, led off the exhibition batting left and got a slap single to left field, giving rise to the hope that he has learned to hit the ball where it’s pitched instead of trying to pull it.
Adam Duvall
It’s also going to be interesting to see if Louisville native Adam Duvall, who had a terrific spring training, can built on the power numbers that got him on last season’s National League All-Star team, and if right fielder Scott Schrieber can finally have the break-out season that baseball experts have been awaiting.
The catching position depends on whether Devin Mesoraco can recover from injuries that caused him to miss last season and the start of this one. The Reds are fortunate that his backup, Tucker Barnhart, is an outstanding defensive catcher whose strong arm discourages runners thinking about stealing bases.
The enigmatic Votto, who has almost a Garboesque aura about him, remains the best hitter in baseball. His critics claim he takes too many pitches and doesn’t drive in as many runs as he should. But that’s like art critics who find fault with the Mona Lisa. Every time Votto comes to the plate, it’s a study in the quest for perfection.
After glimpsing the 2017 Reds, I wish I could tell you they’re going to be serious pennant contenders. But I don’t wear rose-colored glasses. I think anything above 70 wins would be gravy. I could accept that if I thought the franchise was being run by people with serious plans about rebuilding the farm system and the team.
But I can’t like that, either. I have no confidence in current management. The best I can say for these deep thinkers is that they have allowed Gold Star chili to remain at the concessions stands.
Billy Reed is a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Hall of Fame, the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame and the Transylvania University Hall of Fame. He has been named Kentucky Sports Writer of the Year eight times and has won the Eclipse Award twice. Reed has written about a multitude of sports events for over four decades, but he is perhaps one of media’s most knowledgeable writers on the Kentucky Derby
