Reds could be in for "Goodyear"

Yes, that time of year has finally arrived; the Reds are playing baseball again.

This year, however, they no longer play where announcer Marty Brennaman lovingly refers to as "tired old Ed Smith Stadium." Instead, they will train in a brand new facility in Goodyear, Arizona with their Ohio baseball comrades, the Cleveland Indians.

Opinions about the new stadium are mixed from fans and players alike, but most agree there will be a consensus of appreciation after the adjustment.

Fans are particularly the ones taking the move from Sarasota the hardest. "Thanks Reds, for telling the average fan that you don't care about them because you need to provide your team with carpeted locker rooms, a new hot tub and a covered facility, blogged Reds fan Michael Holly. "It's unbelievable they did this to their fans. What's wrong with sunny Sarasota?"

Others see the move as a minor inconvenience that's best for the team.

In response to Holly's answer to my question, Samuel Gueiss writes: "You hate Arizona, well stay away. The Reds made a solid business decision to take the best available offer to them at the time. These facilities are the best in baseball. They have millions invested in these players, why not give them the best training possible. If you want a winner, it starts with what the club can offer them."

Whether fans like it or not, manager Dusty Baker told the Enquirer that it takes some getting used to. "It's like moving into a new house," said Baker. "You like your old house but it had only a on-car garage and one-and-a-half baths. This one's got six bathrooms and room for all the cars you want. But you won't hear me say anything bad about Sarasota.

So far, the Reds have played eight games in the Arizona Cactus League, and sit at 4-4. If the team breaks .500 this year, many would see that as a step in the right direction.

The Reds have had nine consecutive losing seasons, an ugly feat in any sport, especially Cincinnati baseball. For those who remember the glory days of Pete, Sparky, Morgan, Bench, Foster, etc., it's especially stinging. Every year in the past decade we hear the chirpiness of hope for the upcoming season from Reds players and coaches alike. Even the owner, Mr. Castellini, has been more vocal than his predecessors.

So why should we believe this year is truly different? Since 2001, the Reds have finished above 4th in the NL Central only once (2006). Last year's mark of 74-88 was a two game improvement, but it'll take more than that to bust into the postseason this year. With young talent on the pitching staff in the likes of Bailey, Cueto, Volquez(injured), Leake and Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, the Reds have a bright future. Combine that with Votto, Bruce, Phillips, Cabrera and Rolen and there's no reason why this team cannot compete.

Offense was the achilles heal of this club last season. They failed to score more than 700 runs for the first time in years. This could be attributed to the absence of power hitters like Dunn and Griffey, but give me 5 guys who can hit more than 20 home runs over two guys who may hit over 35 any day.

Final Projection: IF this team stays away from injuries they have the talent to break the .500 curse. The rotation is young and mean and the several players in the lineup are headed for breakout years (83-79, 3rd in NL Central).

See The Reds' Young Pitchers In Action!

Big Dance Preview!

It's March- that means a few things. The days will become more sunny and breezy, for at least one day people will be drinking green beer and finally, college basketball will rule prime-time t.v. and become the topic of conversation around the water cooler. In the spirit of this new month, I thought I'd take a look at local teams within a sonic boom of the Queen City, and see where they may end up come dancing time. There are 347 teams in Division I basketball, only 64 make the NCAA Tournament, here's how each team looks:

Cincinnati Bearcats (16-12, 7-9, RPI: 58, Strength of Schedule: 14)
Ah, where to begin? The Bearcat's hourglass of March Madness hopes contains maybe one last grain of sand. Cincinnati started very strong this year. With back-to-back wins over ranked opponents in the Maui Invitational, the Bearcats made it all the way to the finals where they fell to Gonzaga in overtime. This performance earned the cats a No.19 national ranking and hope for the rest of the season. The sweep of UConn and wins over Notre Dame, Maryland and Vanderbuilt help the cat's resume, their 16-12 record does not. With an RPI ranking of 58, here's what needs to happen to get the Bearcats on the dance floor:
1.They MUST win their last two games. Defeating Villanova and Georgetown would get the committee's attention. Both are in the top 15.
2. They MUST win at least one conference tournament game; this would put their win total at 19. In the Big East, that's good enough.
3. Hell must freeze over. The best Cincinnati can hope for is one more win and an NIT berth.

Xavier Musketeers (21-7, 12-2, RPI: 12, Strength of Schedule: 22)
Playing in the Atlantic 10 may be seen to some as a disadvantage; not this year. Temple, Richmond and Xavier were all ranked at one point, and the A10 is set to send at least four teams dancing. After the enormous home win against No. 22 Richmond, Xavier has cracked the rankings at No. 25 and is a virtual lock for the NCAA Tournament with only two games remaining. With a 21-7 record, look for the Muskies to get about a 6 or 7 seed in the dance.

Kentucky Wildcats (27-2, 12-2, RPI: 4, Strength of Schedule: 38)
The Wildcats will be dancing with the stars thanks to first-year coach John Calipari and his NBA talent. Kentucky suffered only their second loss of the season on Saturday at Tennessee, making their record 27-2 and dropping their ranking to No. 3 in the country. If Kentucky wins the remainder of their games as well as the SEC Tournament, they have a shot at the overall No. 1 of the NCAA Tournament. If that doesn't happen, the Wildcats still are poised to be No. 1 in their bracket and make a deep run into the tournament. Elite 8? Final 4?

Dayton Flyers (19-9, 8-6, RPI:42, Strength of Schedule: 39)
The Flyers are having a Bearcat-like collapse down the stretch. In a unique season that could see the Atlantic 10 send as many as six teams to the NCAA Tournament, Dayton may not be one of them, as they are currently seventh in the A10. Here's what the Flyers can do to make the big dance.
1. WIN, WIN WIN... after losing three out of their last five, one of which saw the Flyers post a pathetic 13-point first half, Dayton has a chance to avenge losses against St. Louis and Richmond, as they play them the last two games. The Flyers are currently 19-9 and if they win out and make some noise in their conference tourney, they very well could be dancing. Otherwise, they look like an NIT lock.... No. 1 seed, perhaps?

Wright State Raiders (19-11, 12-6, RPI: 96, Strength of Schedule: 161)
First, the bad news. The Raiders play in the Horizon League, ever heard of it? Unfortunately for them, neither has anyone else. They also play second-best in the league to power-house mid-major Butler. The Bulldogs are undefeated in Horizon League play and sit at No. 11 nationally. At 19-11 with two games remaining, here's what Wright State needs in order to be called on Selection Sunday.
1. Their season is over, and 19 wins will not cut it coming out of the Horizon League. The Raiders MUST win their conference tournament, which will likely mean they must beat Butler in the finals, a team who has beaten them twice this year.

Louisville Cardinals (19-10, 10-6, RPI: 32, Strength of Schedule: 5)
This has been somewhat of a down year for last season's overall No. 1 team. Rick Pitino has come under fire for his personal scandal and at one point deep in the season the Cardinals lost four out of five games. The one win coming against your Cincinnati Bearcats. As it stands now, Louisville is 19-10 with two games remaining. What is most impressive however, is their conference record at 10-6; quite a feat in the Big East. With wins over No. 1 Syracuse and the sweeping of UConn, Louisville looks poised to go dancing. Look for them as a No.5 or 6 seed, depending on the outcome of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden.

Of course, any and all of these teams may end up dancing in a couple weeks. Any team that wins its conference tournament gets an automatic bid. So if a team goes 0-30 during the season, then sweeps their tournament, they're in. Call it whatever you want, but the most appropriate word is madness. To add to the madness, the NCAA committee is proposing the tournament be expanded by as many as 32, thus dissolving the NIT. With a 96-team field, the opportunities for bubble teams are even greater. Check out the video of the possible move and get reaction. CLICK HERE