Press Clippings March 6, 2015

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1906-The Reds trade to the Cubs for Hans Lobert and . Steinfeldt had played eight seasons with the Reds, batting .267 with 160 doubles, 62 triples, 422 RBI and 109 stolen bases.

MLB.COM Cingrani determined to win rotation job After hurting shoulder last season, southpaw feels fine in camp By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com / [email protected] / @m_sheldon

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Reds left-hander Tony Cingrani not only sounded determined in that he wanted a spot in the club's rotation, but also that he needed it, too.

"That's what I'm going to do the rest of my career. I'm not, not going to start," Cingrani said. "It's going to happen. If I'm not starting, then there is an issue and I will address it then. Until that point, I don't need to worry about it."

Of course, there are variables involved before Cingrani can achieve his goal of getting one of Cincinnati's two open rotation spots -- shoulder health and performance are two, and there is a competition with other candidates.

Cingrani, 25, did not pitch after June 19 last season because of shoulder issues. He spent two weeks on the disabled list in May with tendinitis. So far in camp, there have been no problems with Cingrani's arm.

"Sometimes it's hard to tell with your guys. Some guys are blow and go in their bullpen [sessions]. He looks fine to me," Reds said. "It's an important camp for him to get extended and just make sure everything is OK physically with the shoulder. We haven't had any great concerns."

Price noted that the Reds have limited Cingrani in swinging the bat in camp to this point. He has swung, but not as much as other pitchers.

"Just so we don't create any issues," said Price, who labeled Cingrani as a leading contender for a rotation spot before camp started. Cingrani was 2-8 with a 4.55 ERA in 13 games, including 11 starts, in 2014. In part because of his shoulder, there were command problems. In his 63 1/3 innings, there were 35 walks compared to 61 . Only one start -- his first one on April 2 vs. the Cardinals -- lasted seven innings.

Cingrani is slated to make his debut Friday vs. the Cubs in Mesa. How will Price and the club know if Cingrani's shoulder is up to the job of him being a 30-start pitcher?

"The thing is, you don't know," Price said, "but we could say that to a laundry list of guys there. The difference is Tony has been in the big leagues already. What you do is your keep your fingers crossed that he is that type of a pitcher."

Cingrani spent his extended offseason rehabbing, lifting and throwing. He has refined his mechanics to put less of a load on his shoulder during delivery.

"I learned to have a better routine in the offseason to make sure I am strong," Cingrani said. "It's impossible to throw without shoulder complications. I think every pitcher in here has problems. It's just making sure everything is strong enough to maintain it."

Nearly one year later, Chapman showing no signs of trauma Reds closer didn't let scary incident impact his dominant season By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com / [email protected] / @m_sheldon

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Nearly one year after being in the head by a line drive that could have killed him, almost all signs of the trauma are gone from Reds closer Aroldis Chapman. The scar from the surgical staples that dotted the top of Chapman's head is covered by hair. Only a small bump remains above his left eyebrow that indicates anything might have happened at all.

"Even though you guys can't see, I'm still feeling it," Chapman said of the scar though the translation of catcher Brayan Pena.

It was a surreal and scary scene at Surprise Stadium on the night of March 19, 2014. There was Chapman lying on the mound, surrounded by teammates, after his 99-mph fastball to Royals batter Salvador Perez was crushed up the middle and back to the mound, striking the left-handed pitcher flush on the face.

Pena was behind the plate and the first person to reach the mound after Chapman collapsed.

"He was bleeding from his nose and his eyes, you know? So I got super scared," Pena said. "My thought was, 'We lost him.' He was calling his daughter's name over and over and then I saw his dad jump in there.

"His dad said something in Spanish like, 'I got you.. ... I'm never going to let you go.' It was very emotional to see one of your teammates, one of my best friends, going down like that."

Reds manager Bryan Price was also among those who tended to Chapman.

"The one thing about it that I remembered was, 'Who was this strange man in the sweater that's on the mound?'" Price recalled on Thursday. "Maybe it was … the on-call doctor for the game or whatever. It was Aroldis' father. I didn't learn until after we had been on the field for a couple of minutes with Aroldis. I was realizing his dad was there to witness it and had to be there and see his son in such agony and a lot of fear. That's unforgettable for sure."

Amid stunned silence inside the ballpark, Chapman was carted off of the field with his father, Juan Carlos, by his side and taken to the hospital. The game, which was in the sixth inning, was immediately called off. Chapman needed surgery the following day that repaired fractures above the left eye and nose. A metal plate was inserted to stabilize his injuries.

Perez was among those concerned for Chapman, but he doesn't like thinking back to that night.

"I don't want to remember that. I don't want to talk about it," said Perez, who helped Kansas City reach the in October.

Remarkably, Chapman not only made a full recovery but went on to enjoy one of the more dominant seasons of his five-year career with the Reds.

While becoming a All-Star for the third straight year, Chapman had a 2.00 ERA over his 54 appearances with 36 saves in 38 chances. He struck out 106 with 24 walks in 54 innings and his stunning 17.67 strikeouts per nine innings ratio set a Major League record. He also became the first pitcher to average 100 mph with his fastball (100.3 mph) since Pitch F/X data became available.

"After that, he came back even stronger. He had such a great season," Pena said. "Me personally, I wasn't expecting him to do it the way he did, but he believed in himself. He made sure everybody knew he was coming back stronger and better than he was. The rest is history."

In August, Chapman established a new Major League record for relievers by striking out at least one batter in 49 straight appearances -- dating back to the 2013 season. It broke the previous record of 39 games by Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter in 1977.

"I think with the way that he rebounded, beyond the fact that he came back and pitched beautifully, is that it allowed us to get past the memories of reflecting back terribly often on the events of that game in Surprise against the Royals," Price said. "It didn't become necessarily an afterthought, but it wasn't at the forefront. If he struggled … I think we'd end up talking a lot more about it."

Chapman didn't believe it was that difficult to both recover from his injuries and regain his form on the mound.

"It wasn't so hard for me, because I believe in myself. I trust myself," Chapman said. "I was confident enough to come back stronger than the way I was. I have very positive thoughts. I took that with me."

Helping Chapman dominate wasn't only his fastball. In the offseason before 2014, he made adjustments to his slider on the advice of soon-to-be Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez. Chapman also developed his offspeed stuff with a better changeup and improved command of all of his pitches.

"Even though everybody knew his fastball was coming 80 percent [of the time], he was throwing the offspeed," Pena said. "I think he got hit just one time with the changeup all season."

The Reds will be back in Surprise on Saturday to face the Royals, but Chapman is not scheduled to pitch. He is getting two days off after his first spring game on Thursday vs. the Indians. Following a leadoff walk in the third inning, Chapman struck out the side.

Since last year, Chapman never appeared traumatized by his experience, nor did it seem to affect him on the mound.

"I don't feel anything," Chapman said. "The only time that I remember it is when you guys in the media come ask me."

Cueto, Chapman show no rust in debut Ace yields one hit over two scoreless frames while closer fans side By Jordan Bastian and Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Yan Gomes enjoyed a breakout season last year, working through his first full season as the Indians' starting catcher and earning a Silver Slugger Award for his showing at the plate. In a 9-3 Cactus League victory over the Reds on Thursday, Gomes picked up right where he left off.

It was Gomes who launched a two- in the fifth inning off Cincinnati reliever Burke Badenhop, who was making his first appearance of the spring, to cap Cleveland's five-run outburst.

WHEN IT WAS DECIDED

Prior to Gomes' blast, a pair of singles by the Indians and an error by Reds Eugenio Suarez loaded the bases.

The first Tribe run scored on a Michael Martinez groundout to first base, but Jose Ramirez broke the inning open with a two-run single. That set the stage for Gomes, who hit a 0-1 Badenhop pitch over the fence in left-center field.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Also picking up where he left off: Reds ace Johnny Cueto had a relatively smooth spring debut with 25 pitches thrown with one hit and two strikeouts over two scoreless innings. Cueto, last season's National League Cy Young Award runner up, retired his first five batters in a row before 's single to right field. Murphy advanced on a Cueto balk.

Chapman fans the side: Reds closer Aroldis Chapman replaced Cueto for the third inning. After walking first batter Jerry Sands, Chapman struck out three straight batters to complete his first spring appearance.

Bauer outage: Trevor Bauer logged three innings in his first Cactus League start, finishing with one unearned run allowed on three hits. While Bauer worked through an assortment of his pitches, he focused on his two-seam fastball. "It was nice to be in a game situation again," said Bauer. "In live BP and bullpen [sessions], the adrenaline isn't quite there and you never quite know how things are going to turn out when your adrenaline is there and you have a defense behind you and in a stadium. I was pleased with it."

Zimmer time: Outfielder Bradley Zimmer, who was selected by Cleveland in the first round (21st overall) in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, connected for an RBI in the seventh inning in his Cactus League debut. The 22-year-old also drew a walk in the sixth inning and played center field.

QUOTABLE

Cueto on solid spring debut

"I actually worked today with location. Everything I threw, I wanted to keep it down, and that's what I did today. Everything worked the way, flowed the way I wanted." -- Cueto reflecting on his first outing

"I think you're seeing more of a comfort level with him. If you ever have a chance to look in the dugout -- like when he's not pitching -- when we score, he's the first one up. Little things like that will tell you about if a guy cares about winning. I think he's situated to have a really good year." -- Indians manager , on Bauer being a rotation lock

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS • In pregame ceremonies, Reds infielder Kristopher Negron received a trophy for being last year's Most Outstanding Player in the regular season Ohio Cup series won by the Reds, 3-1. In his three games, Negron batted .538 (7-for-13) with two doubles, one home run and five RBIs. • In an eight-inning "B" game that took place at the Reds' complex Thursday morning, the Indians took a 7-4 victory over the Reds. Carlos Moncrief went 3-for-3 with a home run and a walk for Cleveland. He has reached base in all eight of his plate appearances thus far in spring. Cincinnati outfield prospect Juan Duran hit a second-inning home run. WHAT'S NEXT

An important spring campaign begins for lefty Tony Cingrani on Friday when he makes his Cactus League debut vs. the Cubs at 3:05 p.m. ET. Cingrani will be trying to prove his 2014 shoulder issues are behind him and also perform well enough to earn one of the two open Cincinnati rotation spots. Another candidate, Paul Maholm, is also slated to pitch. New ace is scheduled to start for the Cubs.

Votto close to making Cactus League debut Reds skipper Price says star slugger is 'champing at the bit' to get into lineup By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com / [email protected] / @m_sheldon

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Although there hasn't been a specific date or game revealed, Reds manager Bryan Price expressed confidence Thursday that first baseman Joey Votto is close to making his Cactus League debut.

Votto, who missed 100 games last season because of a distal strain of his left quadriceps, has not been in the lineup for the first three games vs. the Indians.

"I promise you, you won't have to hold your breath for this," Price said.

The Reds and Votto spent the winter more focused on his rehabilitation and strengthening and less on getting him into "baseball shape," which put him behind schedule for game action.

"Just to reiterate, you guys know we just went too far into the rehab and made a commitment to do an extensive rehab to do anything before we feel like he's ready," Price said. "I think he's very close, and he's champing at the bit to get in there."

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Painful season helped Hoover learn lessons By C. Trent Rosecrans / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @ctrent

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – J.J. Hoover had a bad season in 2014. That is not up for debate.

But look deeper than the 1-10 record and the 4.88 ERA. Hoover threw 1,146 pitches and without 13 of them, he doesn't have to relive those failures. He's back in the relative anonymity of a middle reliever.

By many numbers, Hoover's 2014 looked just like his first two years in the big leagues when many believed he was a future closer. Last season his fastball, according to FanGraphs.com, averaged 92.9 mph, consistent with 2013 (92.7) and 2012 (92.8). Hoover missed more bats than ever – his swinging strike rate was 10.7 percent, up from 9.2 percent. Hoover struck out 10.77 batters per nine innings, the best rate of his career, all while keeping his -to-walk ratio steady (2.42).

As far as the balls hit, his line-drive rate was the lowest of his career (18.8 percent), the groundball percentage was in line with the year before (28.5 percent in 2014 to 30.8 percent), and the flyball percentage was squarely between his two previous seasons (52.7 percent in 2014 vs. 56.6 percent in 2012 and 47.9 percent in 2013).

It's those 13 pitches – a mere 1.1 percent – that defined an entire season. Hoover gave up 13 home runs in 2014, leading to his record and ERA.

"If I missed last year, I missed over the plate, as opposed to other years, if I missed, I missed further away or a little further in," Hoover said. "Everything last year went to the heart of the plate and that's why so much damage was done."

Manager Bryan Price said he likes what he's seeing from Hoover, who pitched an inning in the Cactus League opener Tuesday, giving up two hits, then struck out the side.

Two of the three hitters he struck out were left-handed, the hitters that gave Hoover trouble, hitting .333/.357/.590 against him and accounting for six of the 13 home runs. It was the first time that lefties hit Hoover better than right-handers. In 2013, lefties hit just .163/.238/.239 against him.

"I think he got one-sided with the ball. A lot of times, it was down and away to right-handers, down and away to left-handers," Price said. "The curveball wasn't great concern for covering the inside strike or maybe that pitch in on the hands. The left-handers (Tuesday) had a couple of hits on balls over the plate.

"The lefties were the hitters who gave him the most trouble last year, hit him at pretty high rate. He's going to have to establish that he'll use that inside half of the plate, especially to left-handers to get back to being as effective as he was years past. He made a great effort to do that (Tuesday)."

More than anything, Hoover said, he felt good on the mound. He didn't know how hard he was throwing, just that he was able to throw it by batters.

"I felt really good. I felt like the ball was coming out, I don't know what the velocity was. I'm not really worried about it," Hoover said. "I go by the reaction of the hitter more than anything."

The difference, Hoover feels, was mostly in his mechanics. To help that, he went back to doing yoga in the offseason.

"I never in my life thought I'd be a yoga person, but the benefits outweigh the stigma," he said. "It gets me flexible and body awareness and control you need as a pitcher, as an athlete."

Most importantly, he said, 2014 is past.

"I reflected on it early in the offseason and moved on to this year," Hoover said. "You have to do that no matter what you're doing, you take what you can from your success and failure, that's how you grow to be a better athlete, person or professional – anything, you take what you can and move on."

Reds' Johnny Cueto looks like Johnny Cueto By John Fay / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @Johnfayman

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Johnny Cueto looked like Johnny Cueto in his 2015 spring training debut.

Cueto pitched two scoreless innings. He allowed a hit and struck out two.

"Thank God, I felt really well today," Cueto said. "I worked with location. Everything I threw I wanted to keep down, and that's what I did today. Everything worked the way I wanted."

Cueto could have gone out for another inning.

"I could have thrown more innings if they wanted," Cueto said. "But they wanted me to throw 25 pitches. I actually had 25 pitches thrown. That was good enough."

Cueto is coming off a year in which he went 20-9 with a 2.25 ERA and finished second in the National League Cy Young voting to Clayton Kershaw of the . Cueto is lined up to start Opening Day against the Pirates on April 6.

Burke Badenhop struggles in Reds' 9-3 loss to Indians By C. Trent Rosecrans / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @ctrent

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The Reds fell to 1-2 on the spring with a 9-3 loss to the Indians in front of 3,143.

The bats: Jay Bruce singled and scored on a two-out error by Indians in the second inning. Jason Bourgeois and Marlon Byrd also singled for the only other hits by Reds' starters. The Reds added two runs in the eighth on a Taylor Sparks , a Phillip Ervin single and a Luis Gonzalez double.

The arms: In his first outing as a Red, right-hander Burke Badenhop gave up five runs (four earned) on five hits and a walk, including a home run to Yan Gomes. Badenhop allowed just one home run in 2014. Johnny Cueto pitched two scoreless in his spring debut, allowing a hit and striking out two. Aroldis Chapman (three strikeouts, one walk) and Manny Parra (one strikeout) pitched scoreless innings in relief. Right-hander Michael Lorenzen threw two scoreless innings. Lorenzen had four strikeouts.

The rest: The Reds also had a "B" game against the Indians on Thursday, with Cleveland winning that game 7-4. Jon Moscot of the Reds gave up three runs in the first without recording an out. Juan Duran homered for the Reds.

The quote: Reds manager Bryan Price: "(Cueto) looked great -- just good quality, command of everything, sharp, he had a great tempo going. He had a good rhythm there with Devin (Mesoraco). I couldn't be more pleased with the way he threw the ball. Chapman walked the first guy, was up a little bit and made a nice adjustment after the first hitter. It looked like his arm's in shape, he looked real good, as did Manny Parra right after him. He was sharp with his location, had good stuff. It was good to see."

Up next: The Reds travel to Mesa to face the Cubs at 3:05 p.m. Left-hander Tony Cingrani starts for the Reds against Cubs lefty Jon Lester. Also scheduled to pitch for the Reds are left-hander Paul Maholm, right-hander Carlos Contreras, left-hander Ryan Dennick, left-hander Ismael Guillon, right-hander Pedro Villarreal and right-hander Daniel Corcino. The game will be broadcast on WSAI 1360-AM.

Reds' Bryan Price: Lorenzen, Moscot may be in bullpen By John Fay / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @Johnfayman

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Reds manager Bryan Price said the Reds are leaning toward breaking camp with 12 pitchers.

"Looking at it realistically, we have the one day off after the opener, then we have eight straight," he said. "So the need for a fifth starter is right there on (April 12). For the bullpen, it's essential. I also think it depends on how the bullpen is comprised. Obviously, if you have the five starters that make the Opening Day roster, you've got to have the seven bullpen guys."

The makeup of the bullpen will depend on whether the Reds can find a middle guy. Interestingly, Price mentioned prospects like Michael Lorenzen and Jon Moscot as possibilities. Lorenzen, the Reds' No. 4 prospect, is one of the hardest throwers in camp. He's being groomed as a starter. Moscot has also been a starter in the minors.

"The real question is: Who's going to fill that length role in the bullpen for us?" Price said. "As much as Alfredo Simon had a huge year for us as a starter, his value the year before was significant as well. He was a durable, strike-throwing relief pitcher who could throw four or five innings and within a day or two be ready to pitch again.

"That's an important role. So as much as talk about the rotation and the setup guys and the match-ups, that durable, strike-throwing, middle-relief guy is going to be important."

Price has a long list of candidates for that Simon role.

"(We have) quite a few," Price said. "Pedro Villarreal I thought was really impressive. You can look at a guy like Keyvius Sampson. ... The two veteran guys — (Paul) Maholm and (Jason) Marquis — if they don't make the rotation, I don't know if that's where they're best suited. We've got another month to figure that out.

"Lorenzen is a guy who could do that. Matt Magill. (Raisel) Iglesias, if he doesn't look like he's ready as a starting option. I think those guys are all candidates in that role. You could do a guy like Jon Moscot - if we felt like that was a good way to get him acclimated to the big leagues as opposed to starting at Triple-A."

Reds' Tony Cingrani makes his spring debut Friday By John Fay / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @Johnfayman

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Left-hander Tony Cingrani makes his spring debut Friday against the in Mesa. Cingrani is coming back from a shoulder injury that limited him to 13 games and 11 starts last year.

The Reds can't be sure of what they'll get with Cingrani, i.e., if he can be a 30-start pitcher.

"The thing is you don't know," Price said. "Those are things we don't know. But we could say that to a laundry list of guys there. The difference is Tony's been in big leagues already. What you do is your keep your fingers crossed that he is that type of a pitcher.

"We had the same questions about Mike Leake when he came up. He was a college pitcher who was pitching once a week, every Friday night, coming into a five-man, five-day rotation with limitations on how many innings we wanted him to throw in 2010. He's ended up being the guy who's been one of our more durable starters over the last five years.

"Hopefully, we've earmarked things with Tony and his shoulder and are able to keep him strong. I know he's worked extremely hard on coming into camp strong. Hopefully that pays dividends throughout the year."

Price said Cingrani has looked fine.

"It's an important camp for him to get extended and just make sure everything is OK physically with the shoulder," Price said. "We haven't had any great concerns.

NO RETURN FOR CHAPMAN: Aroldis Chapman will not be on the trip Saturday to Surprise when the Reds play the . Chapman, of course, was struck in the face by a line drive on March 19 of last year during a game against the Royals in Surprise.

"I don't think we're trying to avoid anything, but he's going to have at least two days off between outings – two to three off," Price said.

PHILLIPS SECOND: Brandon Phillips was second in the lineup again Thursday. Price has been deliberately vague about his lineup.

He would not say if Phillips will hit second once the regular season starts.

"I'm really looking at him all over, in large part because I think you can plug Brandon in anywhere in the lineup and he can be an effective player," Price said. "Right now I'm not playing our eight regulars at the same time, and probably not until we get to the end of spring training, won't. Sometimes it's because of how I've laid out their workload schedule."

Price will mix things up this spring.

"As you'll see, throughout the course of spring training, these guys are going to hit all throughout the lineup," he said.

Doc: Reds' Joey Votto a curious guy By Paul Daugherty / Cincinnati Enquirer

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Joey Votto loves numbers. Baseball analytics mesh with his personality, which is as analytic as it gets. Votto might be a see-ball, hit-ball ballplayer. But only if you tell him why he should be, and back it up with statistics seemingly conjured deep in a bunker at MIT.

His favorite numbers are On-Base-Plus Slugging-Plus and Weighted Runs Created-Plus. Also known as OPS+ and wRC+. If you don't know what those are, today's your lucky day. From fangraphs.com: wRC+ is the most comprehensive rate statistic used to measure hitting performance because it takes into account the varying weights of each offensive action and then adjusts them for the park and league context in which they took place.

Got it? The formula for wRC, according to fangraphs, is this: wRC = (((wOBA-League wOBA)/wOBA Scale)+(League R/PA))*PA

Well, all right then. There might be other major leaguers who can tell you their Weighted Runs Created Plus. But you have to think that list isn't overwhelming, don't you?

"It's pretty simple, actually,'' Votto says. "Look up the list of hitters who lead that, and you find the best players in the game.'' He's right about that. One through five, it's , Babe Ruth, , and Ty Cobb.

If you want to know why Votto sees no need to change the way he thinks at the plate (or apologize for it), it's all in the numbers. His numbers might not be your numbers. Votto stands with the SABR savants in disdaining RBI, for example. To Votto and the analytics people, RBIs are a function of opportunity more than skill.

Votto's seeming worship of the walk might not fit your model of an ideal No. 3 hitter. He'd rather take a than hit a , because his numbers suggest that not making an out is more important than driving in a run.

As Votto says, "I'm a different hitter than most.''

Actually, he's different, period. The things that make Votto such a good interview – his candor, his insight, his introspection and, occasionally, his willingness to share it all – also explain his deep interest in analytics. He's a curious guy.

The Reds will rise or fall with him this summer. Votto says he is completely healthy. He says his legs will allow him to drive the ball the way he once did. He doesn't say he will be the prototypical middle-of-the-lineup hitter. That's not his goal. He doesn't understand the criticism. He thinks those believing he should fit a mold are ill-informed.

"The whole thing has gotten to me, because I've had one season (2013) where I took a lot of walks, drove in fewer runs, and I hit fewer home runs than expected.

"I was still rehabbing my leg that year'' from two knee surgeries in 2012. "One of my lesser abilities was to drive the ball. I decided to do everything I can to get on base as often as possible. If that costs me in the RBI department, so be it.

"In that season, there is some validity to the argument that I was pro-everything but driving in runs. I get it. My thinking was, if there was a hierarchy of options, I would take the hit, then the walk, then driving in the run with an out. That is where people saw the difference in me.

"I felt like the pitcher who'd lost five miles an hour on his velocity. I had to be crafty.''

What remains to be seen is whether craftiness and an ability to produce big power numbers can co-exist. If Votto bats second in the Reds lineup, that argument loses lots of steam. By typical definitions, two-hole hitters aren't expected to provide lots of power.

Votto says he doesn't care where he hits. Nor would he change how he hits, to fit the spot in the order. "My objective with men at 2nd and 3rd is to get one quality pitch to drive them in. If it's not available, I'm going to go to first base. I won't make any apologies about that.

"If I was just a guy who hit 24 home runs and drove in 100, I wouldn't be a special player,'' he says. "I wouldn't have gotten the contract that I have. What made me who I am was being able to do nearly everything.

"Some say I'm selfish. My approach is the complete opposite of selfishness."

Votto could be right. He could be in the vanguard of how hitters hit and think. At the moment, metrics are discussed by media and front-office types, not players. Maybe Votto bends that discussion.

Or maybe, fans look at that huge contract and demand that Votto create runs his way and theirs. Homers and RBI still matter to some. Baseball is the most traditional of games.

Keep your torch, Olympics - Cincy has a baseball The region's road to the All-Star Game starts with a baseball, naturally. By Amanda Van Benschoten / Cincinnati Enquirer

The Olympics can keep its torch - Cincinnati has a baseball.

After all, what better way to pave the way to the All-Star Game at Great American Ball Park on July 14?

Over the next four months, an actual MLB baseball will travel with community leaders to high-profile community events and venues across Greater Cincinnati in an effort to spotlight what the community has to offer and generate some excitement for the All- Star Game.

"Baseball Across the Region" was launched at the Feb. 18 Crosstown Shootout at the University of Cincinnati. On Friday the ball will travel across the Ohio River to Thomas More College, where the top-ranked Lady Saints will host Greensboro College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.

It isn't all about sports, though: the ball is also scheduled to visit places like Fountain Square, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, the Cincinnati Museum Center, Northern Kentucky University and a number of other venues.

Eventually, the ball will come to rest in a place of honor at the Reds Hall of Fame to commemorate the 2015 All-Star Game.

"Baseball Across the Region" was dreamed up by two business owners and self-described "baseball fanatics" from Northern Kentucky, Brent Cooper and Ralph Dusing.

It's an initiative of the cross-river Community Organizing Committee, the all-volunteer group coordinating local activities and efforts connected to the All-Star Game. MLB does have to sign off on COC activities, and organizers say the league liked the concept so much that they might implement it in other cities.

"It's about generating buzz for the All-Star Game, generating excitement about our community and showing off the best we have to offer," Cooper said. "It's a truly regional effort, and I think people are going to be really excited they were a part of it."

Follow the baseball's journey on Twitter using the hashtag #BATR.

DAYTON DAILY NEWS Looking for Mr. Middle Relief By Hal McCoy / Dayton Daily News

GOODYEAR, AZ. — With his pitching background, it wouldn’t be surprising if Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price wouldn’t prefer 25 pitchers on his roster.

That, of course, can’t happen. Somebody who knows which end of a bat to hold, other than Mike Leake, has to hit.

So, when asked if he planned to carry 11 or 12 pitchers to start the season, Price quickly said, “Twelve — five starters and seven relief pitchers.”

His explanation was: “We have one day off after Opening Day and then we have eight straight games, so we need that fifth starter. Seven in the bullpen is essential.”

ALL THE PITCHING talk this spring concerns who will flesh out the starting rotation, but Price has another objective and that’s to find a reliable long man in the bullpen.

Price harkens back to 2013 when Alfredo Simon was a top-shelf long man, but he was converted into a starter for 2014 and now he is gone. And the Reds never did find a bullpen replacement for Simon.

“The real question is who will fill that length role,” said Price. “Simon’s value in 2013 was significant. He was a durable, strike- throwing pitcher who could throw four or five innings and within a day or two would be able to pitch again. That’s an important role. As much as we talk about the rotation, the closer and the match-up guys, a durable, strike-throwing middle guy is important.”

And who might be a candidate? How about candidates? How about a whole bunch of candidates. Price looked at his list of pitchers on the whiteboard in his office and listed them.

“Quite a few, in fact,” he said. “I thought Pedro Villareal was impressive, you can look at guy like Keyvius Sampson, maybe one of the two veteran guys like Paul Maholm and Jason Marquis if they are not in the rotation, Mike Lorenzen is a guy who could do that, Matt Magill, Raisel Iglesias is an option if he isn’t in a starting role. Those guys are all candidates.”

And that wasn’t all. Price paused for a quick breath and said, “You could do a guy like Jon Moscot if we thought that was a good way to get him acclimated to the big leagues as opposed to have him start at Triple-A.”

JOEY VOTTO WAS not in the lineup for the third straight day when the Reds played the Thursday for the third straight day.

But manager Bryan Price promises that the day is drawing near when fans will see Votto in the batter’s box and at first base.

Asked if Votto is close to playing, Price said, “Yeah. Yeah, he is. He is. You won’t have to hold your breath. I promise nobody will have to hold their breath. He is very close and he is chomping at the bit to get in there.”

BRANDON PHILLIPS BATTED second for the third straight exhibition game, but Price says not to read anything into it, that it doesn’t mean he plan to bat Phillips second when the season begins.

“I’m looking at Brandon to bat all over because you can plug Brandon into any spot in the order and he can be an effective player,” said Price. “We’re not playing our eight regulars at the same time right now and probably won’t until we get toward the end of spring training.

“We’ve seen Brandon bat one through six in the five years I’ve been here and throughout the coure of spring training these guys will hit all over the lineup,” Price added.

THE REDS AND INDIANS played a ‘B’ game on a back field Thursday morning, mostly so Price and his staff can get a look at some young pitchers like highly regard Nick Travieso and Jon Moscot

“It’s a great opportunity to look at them and it is a chance to get them into a ‘B’ game environment before sending them into the 1 o’clock ‘A’ games,” said Price. “I’m really looking forward to seeing them transition from the bullpens and the live batting practice into game action. We get to see how they manage a game, manage the running game, how they compete.”

It wasn’t a fun morning for Mr. Moscot, despite the pleasant Arizona sun. He started the game and gave up three ground ball singles and three walks without retiring a batter. They cried ‘uncle’ and stopped the inning, the beauty of ‘B’ games. When the second inning began, Moscot was back on the mound and gave up a double and a run-scoring single, but also got three outs.

CBSSPORTS.COM Reds' Price: Tony Cingrani (shoulder) 'looks fine' in camp By R.J. White / CBSSports.com

Reds manager Bryan Price said Thursday that there have been no problems with the arm of pitcher Tony Cingrani after he dealt with shoulder issues for much of last season, MLB.com reports.

"Sometimes it's hard to tell with your guys. Some guys are blow and go in their bullpen [sessions]. He looks fine to me," Price said. "It's an important camp for him to get extended and just make sure everything is OK physically with the shoulder. We haven't had any great concerns."

After seeing his last action of the season in mid-June, Cingrani spent the offseason rehabbing and has refined his mechanics to put less of a load on his shoulder.

"I learned to have a better routine in the offseason to make sure I am strong," Cingrani said. "It's impossible to throw without shoulder complications. I think every pitcher in here has problems. It's just making sure everything is strong enough to maintain it."

Cingrani went 2-8 with a 4.55 ERA and 61:35 K:BB ratio in 63 1/3 innings last season.

Reds 1B Joey Votto getting closer to playing in spring games By Michael Hurcomb

Reds manager Bryan Price said Thursday first baseman Joey Votto is getting closer to making his spring debut, per the Cincinnati Enquirer. Votto missed 100 games last season with a left knee injury.

"You won't have to hold your breath, I promise you, you won't have to hold your breath for this," Price said. "Just to reiterate, we just went too far into the rehab and made a commitment to do an extensive rehab to do anything before we feel he's ready. I think he's very close and he's champing at the bit to get in there."

FOXSPORTSOHIO.COM Moncrief continues to have spring success against Reds By Joe Reedy / Fox Sports Ohio

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- When it comes to spring training, Carlos Moncrief loves facing the Reds.

Last year the Indians outfielder made a great running catch to rob Kristopher Negron of a hit near the right-field wall. What also made the play noteworthy is that a picture makes it appear that Moncrief was running into the middle of a new kitchen due to the ad on the wall.

On Wednesday, Moncrief went 4-for-4 in the Indians' win over the Reds. In a "B" game on Thursday at the Reds complex, he was 3-for-3 with a double and home run as the Indians won 6-4.

"I enjoy playing against the Reds; I have a couple of friends over there," Moncrief said. "I took it in, let it be and now it is time to turn the page."

Playing primarily in right last year in Columbus, Moncrief played in a team-high 132 games and batted .271 with 12 home runs and 63 RBI. He also led the Clippers in doubles with 33.

"He's an interesting kid," Terry Francona said. "He's really athletic. He doesn't have a ton of games under his belt for his age but he has some major-league tools, and it will be interesting to see where it goes."

Francona did say that Moncrief has the chance to be an everyday player in the majors but didn't know if he would be promoted if there was an injury to an outfielder. Speaking of the outfield, Francona noted that he wants to get a good evaluation of Tyler Naquin and James Ramsey while they are in camp.

OTHER "B" GAME NOTES: Carlos Carrasco started and went two innings. The right-hander allowed three runs on four hits with a walk and a strikeout. Jordan Smith had two hits and drove in two runs while Erik Gonzalez and Ryan Rohlinger each had two hits.

TRAINING ROOM: Corey Kluber has recovered from a short bout with the flu and will start on Saturday against the Dodgers. Saturday will also be the spring training debut for Jason Kipnis, who got off to a slow start after offseason finger surgery.

Pitcher Gavin Floyd was scheduled to pitch on Sunday against Texas but will have that pushed back. The right-hander is likely to pitch a minor-league or "B" game first early next week.

Brandon Moss could also get his first game action next week as he continues to progress from offseason hip surgery. Nick Swisher has started to do more agility running, but the timetable for a return to game action isn't clear.

Reds speedster Hamilton's job? Get on base, then wreak havoc By Hal McCoy / Fox Sports Ohio

GOODYEAR, AZ. -- Billy Hamilton walked into the clubhouse on the first day of spring training and before he could unzip his equipment bag somebody was in his face.

It was new teammate Marlon Byrd and his first words to Hamilton were, "You are going to score 140 runs this year."

Hamilton broke into a broad smile and later said, "Man, talk about somebody showing some confidence in you. That meant a lot to me."

As a leadoff hitter, scoring runs is "priority A" for Hamilton and that, of course, means getting on base. His on-base percentage last year was .292, far below the expectations of a guy with his speed and a guy batting leadoff.

During the winter, Hamilton spent nearly every day doing fireside chats, working with Mike Cameron and Delino DeShields, two former major leaguers who knew how to use their speed and how to get on base.

Hamilton realizes how important he is at getting the offense into perpetual motion and that means getting on base so he can create some havoc with his speed.

"My job is to get on base and that's what me and Delino are talking about most this spring," said Hamilton. "Whatever I can do to get on base and it doesn't matter how -- walk, hit by pitch, hit. Just find a way to get on base. That's my job every day, every game. "Delino and I actually worked on everything -- from base running to hitting to just learning the game," he added. "We sat down and had long conversations about the game."

Hamilton listened intently and absorbed.

And DeShields, now manager of the Class AAA Louisville Bats, worked with Hamilton on bunting and hitting, "So I feel I'm better prepared now."

DeShields is Hamilton's guru and he said, "I worked with Delino all last spring, but once he left to be with the minor leaguers I got away from it. And I missed him. I can always be honest with Delino and he knows me. He taught me well in spring training and I got away from it once the season began."

For the first half, Hamilton didn't need DeShields. He hit .285, scored 47 runs and stole 38 bases. He missed DeShields dearly in the second half when he hit only .200 and scored 25 runs and stole 18 bases.

The general consensus is that Hamilton wore down, that his 160-pound body couldn't take the 162-game marathon, especially because Hamilton always played winter ball or fall league and had no off-season rest. He took this winter off from playing baseball games.

Manager Bryan Price believes Hamilton's second-half swoon was a combination of exhaustion and some bad habits that DeShields wasn't around to fix.

"It could have been fatigue," said Price. "He is an every day player. He is a guy who plays at 100 percent all the time. He never shuts it down. He loves to showcase his speed on the bases and in center field, which is great. Everything he does is at full speed.

"And I think he got into a few bad habits with the bat and didn't feel it the same way in the second half that he did in the first half," Price added

Hamilton admitted that every time he failed to get a hit in a game the second half of last season he tinkered with his stance, "Changed things around all the time and that didn't help me. That won't happen this year. I let the season get away from me last year and I can't let that happen again."

And his physical well-being?

"I feel better prepared, a lot stronger," he said. "I worked harder on weights than I ever have. My body feels really good. This is the first time I've really had the chance to do those things -- work out more, run more, learn about the game.

"I didn't have to go to winter ball, I didn't have to go to the fall league," he said. "I played two years of winter ball and two years of instructional league and a year in the fall league. This is the first winter I've been able to be home and that's why I feel better prepared."

If Hamilton can push that on-base average up to the .400 level he might make Byrd's prediction of 140 runs scored a reality.

FOXSPORTS.COM THREE REASONS TO WATCH THE REDS IN 2015 By Rob Neyer / Fox Sports / Just A Bit Outside

We’ll be pardoned, I think, if we don’t get all weak in the knees about the Cincinnati Reds in 2015. So far in 2015, anyway. In the wake of their fourth-place season, the Reds have signed Marlon Byrd, and traded Alfredo Simon and Mat Latos, two of their better starting pitchers last season. Now, I’m not saying they should not have traded Simon and Latos – well, Simon anyway – but what I am saying is that the Reds don’t seem to have improved themselves over the winter, and in fact our latest projections have the Reds finishing with essentially the same record as last season, but dropping from fourth place to fifth.

Fortunately, this story’s not being written to mollify demoralized Rhinelanders. Rather, it’s for the rest of us who might be wondering if there’s any reason at all to watch the Reds this season.

There are reasons! Good ones! Forthwith:

1. Joey Votto might still be a hitting god. The Reds’ first baseman got into only 62 games last season, and when he did play he wasn’t great. But over the previous five seasons, this guy was the best hitter in the major leagues. No matter what Marty Brenneman says. Still, we tend to remember what we’ve seen most recently, and what we’ve seen most recently wasn’t all that impressive. So this season is sort of a big deal for Votto. Maybe 2014 was just a little detour on his path to Cooperstown. Or maybe it was the beginning of an injury- and age-related decline. Which would be pretty lousy news, considering Votto’s contract runs through 2023. Yeah. By the time Joey Votto’s contract expires, we’ll all have jet-packs and pet drones with the proportionate strength of a spider.

On the other hand, if Votto does hit like he used to – and yes, if some other unlikely things happen, too – the Reds might be a lot better than fifth.

2. Aroldis Chapman In almost every instance, the reasons to watch teams that I’ve been offering are the same reasons I would watch them. In the case of Aroldis Chapman, though ... Sorry, but the #StrikeoutScourge leaves me cold. Now, I know Chapman’s special. Last season he struck out 52.5 percent of the batters he faced. In fact, among pitchers with at least 50 innings in a season, Chapman owns three of the six highest strikeout percentages in major-league history. So if strikeouts are your thing, then by all means keep an eye on the scores, and tune in to the Reds if they’ve got a lead in the eighth inning. Me, though? I’m more of a Jumbo Diaz sorta guy.

3. Billy Hamilton Ah, now here’s the good stuff. Votto’s season might well be an exercise in sadness, while Chapman’s dominance exemplifies what’s going wrong with baseball. Fortunately, we’ve got Billy “Hey I still need a good nickname” Hamilton representing the best of baseball. At its best, baseball is about guys running around on the field and doing things, and fewer are better at running around than Hamilton. In 2012, Hamilton stole 155 bases in 132 minor-league games. Alas, he’s not found the basepaths quite so exciting in the majors, swiping only 69 bags in 165 games so far. Of course, that’s due in part to his .297 career on-base percentage; if Hamilton doesn’t significantly improve his OBP, he’s never going to pile up truly impressive base-stealing numbers.

The good news is that Hamilton, an ex-second baseman, has taken so well to center field that he’s both valuable and interesting even if he’s not running wild on the bases. Which means there’s a pretty good chance that if you watch one whole Reds game, you’ll see Billy Hamilton do something exciting and impressive. Even if they really do finish last.

Cincinnati Reds 2014 record: 76-86 Playoffs: N/A Projected 2015 record: 77-85* Key additions: OF Marlon Byrd, P Anthony DeSclafani, SS Eugenio Suarez Key subtractions: SP Alfredo Simon, SP Mat Latos, OF Ryan Ludwick

ASSOCIATED PRESS Cueto makes debut, Badenhop hit hard as Indians win 9-3 By The Associated Press

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto made his spring debut and allowed one hit and struck out two in two scoreless innings on Thursday.

But reliever Burke Badenhop got hit hard in his Reds debut, giving up five runs while retiring only two batters and the Cleveland Indians pulled away to a 9-3 victory.

Badenhop allowed Jose Ramirez's two-run single and Yan Gomez's two-run homer during Cleveland's five-run fifth inning. The reliever gave up five hits and walked a batter.

The Reds signed Badenhop to a one-year, $2.5 million deal last month, trying to improve one of the NL's worst bullpens last season.

Cleveland's Trevor Bauer allowed a run and three hits over three innings, his first of the spring.

TRANSACTIONS Date Transaction 03/05/15 C Taylor Teagarden assigned to Chicago Cubs. designated 1B Ji-Man Choi for assignment. SS Ozzie Martinez assigned to . 1B Trey Mancini assigned to Baltimore Orioles. RHP Mychal Givens assigned to Baltimore Orioles. OF Matty Johnson assigned to . 1B Tim Roberson assigned to Boston Red Sox. RHP Kyle Kraus assigned to Boston Red Sox. LHP Robby Scott assigned to Boston Red Sox. LF Derrick Robinson assigned to Washington Nationals. C Mark Zagunis assigned to Chicago Cubs. LHP Austin Kirk assigned to Chicago Cubs. RHP Tucker Healy assigned to . SS Yu-Cheng Chang assigned to Cleveland Indians. OF Ollie Linton assigned to Cleveland Indians. RHP Seth Frankoff assigned to Oakland Athletics. SS Carlos Penalver assigned to Chicago Cubs. C Marcus Littlewood assigned to Seattle Mariners. RHP Bobby Wahl assigned to Oakland Athletics. IF Dustin Geiger assigned to Chicago Cubs. OF Billy McKinney assigned to Chicago Cubs. SS Wes Darvill assigned to Chicago Cubs. RF Bijan Rademacher assigned to Chicago Cubs. 1B Bobby Bradley assigned to Cleveland Indians. RF Jacob Hannemann assigned to Chicago Cubs. OF Bradley Zimmer assigned to Cleveland Indians. IF Taylor Murphy assigned to Cleveland Indians. IF James Roberts assigned to Cleveland Indians. 1B Nellie Rodriguez assigned to Cleveland Indians. OF Ryan Strausborger assigned to . 3B Jeimer Candelario assigned to Chicago Cubs. 2B Danny Lockhart assigned to Chicago Cubs. C Kellin Deglan assigned to Texas Rangers. Seattle Mariners activated LHP Edgar Olmos. LF Adron Chambers assigned to Chicago Cubs. 1B Dan Vogelbach assigned to Chicago Cubs. LHP Hector Daniel Rodriguez assigned to Baltimore Orioles. SS Garabez Rosa assigned to Baltimore Orioles. OF Mike Yastrzemski assigned to Baltimore Orioles. SS Alex Blandino assigned to Cincinnati Reds. SS Luis Gonzalez assigned to Cincinnati Reds. 3B Taylor Sparks assigned to Cincinnati Reds. RF Aristides Aquino assigned to Cincinnati Reds. OF Phillip Ervin assigned to Cincinnati Reds. CF Brian O'Grady assigned to Cincinnati Reds. LF Jimmy Pickens assigned to Cincinnati Reds. SS Carlton Daal assigned to Cincinnati Reds. RHP Taylor Garrison assigned to New York Yankees. RHP Zach Davies assigned to Baltimore Orioles. RHP Chad Green assigned to . LHP Mike Belfiore assigned to Detroit Tigers. LHP Nate Baker assigned to . RF Joey Curletta assigned to Los Angeles Dodgers. RHP Steve Smith assigned to Los Angeles Dodgers. SS Joey Wong assigned to Colorado Rockies. RF Tyler Massey assigned to Colorado Rockies. SS Pat Valaika assigned to Colorado Rockies. RHP Clayton Mortensen assigned to Kansas City Royals. LHP Daniel Stumpf assigned to Kansas City Royals. RHP Jose Leclerc assigned to Texas Rangers. LHP Juan Perez assigned to Texas Rangers. RHP Josh McElwee assigned to Texas Rangers. IF Guilder Rodriguez assigned to Texas Rangers. RHP Ryan Rodebaugh assigned to Texas Rangers. RHP Cesar Vargas assigned to New York Yankees. SS Tyler Wade assigned to New York Yankees. LHP Fred Lewis assigned to New York Yankees.