Spring Training Notebook 2-21-09.pdf

TODAY’S NEWS: The Reds have agreed to terms on 1-year contracts with OF Jay Bruce, RHP Jared Burton, RHP Carlos Fisher, 3B Juan Francisco, LHP Daniel Ray Herrera, RHP Sam LeCure, LHP Matt Maloney, RHP Robert Manuel, RHP Josh Roenicke, IF Adam Rosales and C Craig Tatum…15 players remain unsigned.

OPENING DAY TICKETS: Went on sale today only at reds.com as part of the Power Pack promotion…the 10-game package also includes tickets to all 3 games of the Indians series over Memorial Day weekend, the 3-game weekend series against the Cubs series in June and weekend games against the Brewers (Sat, 7/18), Dodgers (Sun, 8/30) and Pirates (Sat, 10/3)…prices start at $115.

SPORTS CLINIC: About 80 kids, along with their parents, enjoyed today’s free Reds clinic at Ed Smith Stadium…the annual event was sponsored by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, the local YMCA and Patrick’s restaurant…participants included pitchers Micah Owings and RHP Jordan Smith, catchers Chris Denove and Chris Kroski, infielders Adam Rosales and Chris Valaika, outfielders Jeff Keppinger and Drew Stubbs and International League Manager of the Year Rick Sweet.

ROTATION: RHP Edinson Volquez, RHP Johnny Cueto and RHP Homer Bailey are scheduled to pitch in Wed’s exhibition opener vs the Rays at Port Charlotte…RHP Micah Owings will start Thu’s home opener vs the Twins…the upcoming rotation also includes RHP Bronson Arroyo on Fri vs Phi, RHP Nick Masset on 2/28 at Bos, RHP Aaron Harang on 3/1 vs NYY and Bailey again on 3/2 at Pit.

Spring Training Notebook 2-20-09.pdf

TODAY’S NEWS: Today’s workout was uneventful.

OPENING DAY TICKETS: Will go on sale as part of the Power Pack promotion at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow only at reds.com…the 10-game package also includes tickets to all 3 games of the Indians series over Memorial Day weekend, the 3-game weekend series vs the Cubs series in June and weekend games against the Brewers (Sat, 7/18), Dodgers (Sun, 8/30) and Pirates (at, 10/3)…prices start at $115.

SPORTS CLINIC: The Reds’ annual kids clinic is scheduled for tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. at Sarasota’s Ed Smith Stadium…it is free and open to the public…the event is sponsored by the Herald-Tribune Media Group, Reds Community Fund and Patrick’s restaurant…scheduled to participate are pitchers Micah Owings and RHP Jordan Smith, catchers Chris Denove and Chris Kroski, infielders Adam Rosales and Chris Valaika and outfielders Jeff Keppinger and Drew Stubbs…International League Manager of the Year Rick Sweet will answer parents’ questions during the camp.

Spring Training Notebook 2-19-09.pdf

TODAY’S NEWS: Today’s workout was uneventful.

PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING: The Reds and the Men Against Prostate Cancer group will offer free comprehensive prostate cancer exams at Ed Smith Stadium on Monday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m….the mobile examination center will be located on the corner of 12th Street and Tuttle Avenue…contact Rex Hardin of MAPC at (941) 926-9666.

Spring Training Notebook 2-18-09.pdf

TODAY’S NEWS: No news today…the workout was uneventful…photo day was highly successful.

SPORTS CLINIC: The Reds’ annual kids clinic is scheduled for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Sarasota’s Ed Smith Stadium…it is free and open to the public…the event is sponsored by the Herald-Tribune Media Group, Reds Community Fund and Patrick’s restaurant…scheduled to participate are pitchers Micah Owings and RHP Jordan Smith, catchers Chris Denove and Chris Kroski, infielders Adam Rosales and Chris Valaika and outfielders Jeff Keppinger and Drew Stubbs.

Spring Training Notebook 2-17-09.pdf

TODAY’S NEWS: The Reds and 3B Edwin Encarnacion avoided arbitration by agreeing to terms on a 2-year contract through the 2010 season…the hearing had been scheduled for today in Phoenix…RHP David Weathers was the only other Reds player eligible for arbitration, but on 1/28 he signed a 1-year contract with a club option for 2010…the Reds won 5 of their previous 6 arbitration cases, beating RHP Chris Reitsma in 2004, LHP Bruce Chen in 2003, RHP Danny Graves & RHP Osvaldo Fernandez in 2001 and RHP John Hudek in 1999 while losing to 1B Sean Casey in 2001.
 
HOT STOVE LIVE FROM REDS HALL OF FAME: Tonight’s 6:00 p.m. Hot Stove League show will be broadcast live from the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum’s Palace of the Fans Theater…Thom Brennaman will host…it will be open to the public, with free admission after 5:00 p.m….the Hot Stove League show can be heard at 6:00 p.m. every Tuesday on 700 WLW Radio, via the internet at reds.com/hotstove and on the Reds On Radio Network.

This is my copier. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My copier is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my copier is useless. Without my copier I am useless. I must copy my pages true. I must copy faster than my enemy, who is trying to jam me. I must load him before he runs out of paper. I will. Before Rob (Butcher, Director of Media Relations) I swear this creed: my copier and myself are defenders of the press box, we are the masters of our gamenotes, we are the saviors of the stat pack. So be it, until there is no paper, but peace. Play ball.

Each game day, hundreds of copies are printed on thousands of sheets of paper.  Gamenotes, stat packs, news clips, press releases, box scores, minor league reports and any other material that is needed in the press box keep Major League copy machines running non-stop.  Considering the number of pages going through the copier, one can expect the occasional paper jam.  After a while, you don’t even notice it.  You just react. 

Every media relations staffer has a love-hate relationship with their copier.  Some days will go off without a hitch, others will be full of paper jams and misprinted sheets.  During my first year with the Brewers, two copiers occupied a space no bigger than most closets.  There was a running joke that I had contracted black lung disease from the toner dust by spending so much time in the copy room.

As keepers and disseminators of official information, we need our copier, we love our copier.  We often spend more time with our copier than with our friends and family.  This is my copier.  There are many like it, but this one is mine.

-JM

3B Edwin Encarnacion has agreed to terms on a 2-year contract through the 2010 season, avoiding arbitration.

His arbitration hearing was scheduled for today in Phoenix.  No Reds players remain arbitration eligible.

Spring Training Notebook 2-16-09.pdf

TODAY’S NEWS: Pitchers and catchers worked out this morning without incident…position players are scheduled to report tomorrow, with physical examinations in the early morning followed by an 11:00 a.m. full-squad meeting and workout…tomorrow, guest instructor and Cooperstown Hall of Famer Joe Morgan is expected to join camp for a couple days.

HOT STOVE LIVE FROM REDS HALL OF FAME: Tomorrow night’s 6:00 p.m. Hot Stove League show will be broadcast live from the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum’s Palace of the Fans Theater…Thom Brennaman will host…it will be open to the public, with free admission after 5:00 p.m….the Hot Stove League show can be heard at 6:00 p.m. every Tuesday on 700 WLW Radio, via the internet at reds.com/hotstove and on the Reds On Radio Network.