Fire Dusty Baker: Epic Failure of Reds Since All Star Break Should Result in Manager’s Dismissal

After the Cincinnati Reds lost all six games on their recent, “key” road trip, they came home to take on the 2nd worst team in baseball — and lost 3 of 4.

They’re 5-16 in the last 21 games, and just 3-11 since the all star break.

Dusty Baker should be fired tomorrow. Period. Just like Eric Wedge.

If not, and of course he won’t be fired, true fans should not attend Reds games the rest of the season.

Just a thought.

Indians Actually Sweep Mariners; Reds Fall Closer to NL Central Cellar

I’m headed down to Cincinnati after work this evening to catch the Padres take on the Reds. Yes, you read that correctly: I am driving 120 miles each way, on a work night, to watch a 38-61 team take on a 44-53 squad (coming off an 0-6 road trip) on a Monday night. And to top it off, both teams are throwing their 5th starters, who are a combined 2-8 with ERAs closer to ten than zero. Why you ask?

Well, I have free seats courtesy of a friend who works for the Padres; I was raised in SD and still cheer for this pitiful team; I also like the Reds; it’s sunny out; and a friend from Washington DC is in town, therefore this is the closest big league park to my home in central Indiana; and I love baseball.

No, I don’t know which team I want to win. At least both cannot lose, right?

The Reds had a key road trip last week, whereupon I mused they needed to win four of six versus two good teams. They lost them all, prompting even the usually sanguine Hal McCoy to rip the team, declare the season over, and spend the first half of his Sunday afternoon post, writing about steak instead of baseball. Can you really blame the legendary Dayton writer? He claimed:

“They might as well be waving a white surrender flag when they get off the team charter in Cincinnati tonight. They are dead. They are buried. They weren’t a very good team to start with and you have to give credit for them hanging around so long. But now with some underachievers and a whole lot of minor-leaguers, they are barely a notch above Triple-A and there may be some better Triple-A teams out there. Would you believe Double-A?

They simply cannot compete with the big boys and now can barely hold their own against teams of their own ilk.”

Wow, Hal, I love the honesty!

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Indians swept Seattle over the weekend. This is quite miraculous, considering the Mariners are one of the pleasant surprises of 2009, while the Tribe is arguably baseball’s biggest disappointment. Nonetheless, despite four wins in a row, the Cleveland Indians still sit 17 games under .500 and 12 back of first-place Detroit. At least they’re out of the cellar.

The Reds, on the other hand, might be there soon if they don’t take care of the Pads this week before the streaking Rockies (54-44, and an incredible 36-16 under Jim Tracy) hit town this weekend.

Maybe then I can start demanding Dusty Baker to be fired, much like Eric Wedge on the other side of the Buckeye State.

Ohio Baseball Report: Indians Should Keep Cliff Lee, Reds and Dusty Baker Prepare for Key Road Trip

But before I leave the Tribe, two points:

1. Cleveland would be foolish to trade Cliff Lee. He is their only reliable starter. Period. Cliffy won the Cy Young last season, and despite a 5-9 record in 2009, still has a very respectable 3.31 ERA. Only one other pitcher in the majors this season has a better ERA with a losing record:  STL’s Joel Pineiro (8-9, 3.09).

Mark Shapiro, however, seems intent upon not only rebuilding the team for the second time this decade, but perhaps being the first GM to trade THREE former Cy Young winners: Bartolo Colon, C.C. Sabathia and Lee.

2. I should also add that while I was not a fan of Casey Blake during his years in C-town, he has certainly been more than capable out in LA the past calendar year. This is not to say the Tribe shouldn’t have unloaded him, but the third baseman has 22 homers and 80 RBIs during his 146 game Dodger career. His batting average is around .270, for a career .266 hitter.

For the Reds of Cincinnati, they stand in a similar spot in terms of unloading veterans before the July 31 deadline, but considering their steady spot in the standings (even at 44-48, just 5.5 back), one wonders why.

This week’s road trip will tell a lot about whether or not guys like the durable Bronson Arroyo – 16 straight scoreless innings, team leader in victories – will be dealt. And apparently Dusty Baker and GM Walt Jocketty told the team that before last night’s game.

They responded Monday night with three in the first off a rusty Jason Schmidt, despite another  pouting episode by Brandon Phillips. Unfortunately, Micah Owings – whose time in the rotation should thankfully end when Edinson Volquez returns — imploded by allowing four runs back in the bottom frame, then two more in the second and the Reds fell 7-5. Though only five and a half back, the Reds do have four teams — all playing better ball than they this month too – ahead of them in the mediocre central.

Homer Bailey should take Owings spot as, aside from his last outing, has finally been serviceable. Aaron Harang — just 11 wins the past two seasons and none since May — has not. Nor has Johnny Cueto, sporting an ERA over 8 in July.

So, the struggling Reds have two more against the best team in baseball, then a weekend in Chicago. They need to win three of the next five I think, or else the proverbial “bottom might fall out.”

Needless to say, it’ll be players leaving, not skipper Dusty Baker, who’s underachieving again in a weak division. Next year won’t be so easy.

One thing Dusty might want to learn is to play hot hitters with the best stats, rather than the obsessive righty-lefty mentality so prevalent in baseball. Case in point, Dusty continues to play the horrid lefty Laynce Nix against righties, while sitting righty Johnny Gomes, who actually hits righties better as is.

There’s more I could note, but it’s unnecessary until next time…. 

**********

* – Cliff Lee photo credit: Miller Park Drunk

* – Dusty Baker photo credit: Mouthpiece Sports

Unlike Indians Fans, Reds Fans At Least Have Some Hope Heading Into Season’s Second Half

Major League Baseball’s first half of the season ended poorly for Ohio’s two teams.

 

Hope has been gone since mid-April for the Cleveland Indians, and clearly, it’s only getting worse as the Tribe is looking at a 100 loss season if they don’t play decently the rest of the way. This from a team considered by many to be the favorite in the AL Central and by some to be a pennant contender. Thanks, Eric Wedge. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out — in October.

 

The Cincinnati Reds limp into the break after a disastrous 2-5 east coast trip this week, which sent them fading into 5th place at 42-45. Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo need to continue pitching as well as they have recently, while Johnny Cueto needs to forget July for the Reds to compete the rest of the way.  

 

Though the loss of Jay Bruce – and the continued absence of Edinson Volquez — for an indeterminate amount of time with a wrist injury won’t help matters, Cincinnati is still just a few games behind first place St. Louis. So despite needing to leapfrog many clubs, there’s still hope in the Queen City for the first playoff games in Great American Ballpark’s history.

 

* – Indians fans photo credit: Clemson Girl Baseball

A Summer of Sadness for Indians and Uncertainty for Reds

One Ohio team has mercifully closed the chapter on their 2009 season, even though the calendar has yet to flip to July.

Truthfully, the Cleveland Indians season ended the first week and a half of the season when they stumbled out to a 1-8 start. How on earth a team with that much talent could play so poorly in early April can only be answered by manager Eric Wedge. Aside from 2007, his teams have underachieved like no other three of the past four seasons — yet, for now, he still has his job, despite his team displaying the AL’s worst record (31-46).

With the economy in northern Ohio sputtering, and now Mark DeRosa gone, with perhaps others to follow, Jacobs Field could be a sad site this summer.

Let the next “phase” begin, I suppose. It can’t be worse than the first, and we have seen Tribe teams bounce back after rebuilding. It’s just that this team only gave its fans ONE year of success after a bleak three year period (2002-2004) following the magical mid to late 90s’ squads.

Bring on the White Sox! Cleveland baseball has written some whirlwind stories in its history.

Meanwhile to the southwest, the tease that is the Cincinnati RedLegs, fresh off taking two of three in the “Ohio Cup,” have found their way back to .500 again at 37 up, 37 down. They’re somehow ahead of the Cubs, who might be as disappointing in 2009 as Cleveland — maybe.

Cincy moves on face some crucial home games this week versus the putrid Diamondbacks, then the first place Cardinals. Win four or five of those six, and this team is a legit contender in a jam-packed NL Central as we reach the All Star break.

Brandon Phillips bat (and perhaps his mental attitude) and Homer Bailey’s arm — with the indefinite loss of Edinson Volquez — will be two of the many keys to success on the banks of the Ohio this summer.

A Bad Week for Sports in Ohio: Cavs Ousted, Sizemore hits DL, Reds Struggle

Despite the carefree days of summer kicking off, these are not happy times for sports fans in northern Ohio. The Cavaliers followed the lead of Cleveland teams before them, with a debacle the past fortnight, falling to the Orlando Magic in six games — all of which they could easily have lost. With 66 wins, Cleveland’s hoops squad was the NBA’s best team all season, but as this excellent analysis says of their series with Orlando, they were “never even in it.”

Most honest folks with whom I’ve spoken lay primary blame on head coach Mike Brown. Personally, I wonder if a coach of the year has ever been fired the ensuing offseason. Doubtful this will occur, but now would be the fairest time, as the Cavs won’t go anywhere with this guy “in charge.” I use quotes because he does not coach, lets his assistant draw plays (this was clear to anyone watching the series) while he chats with fans and allows Lebron to do whatever The King chooses. I’ve never seen two offenses look so different. Stan Van Gundy sets up plays and coaches his team. It’s clear Mike Brown rarely does.

Of course, few in the media castigated Brown. The generic opening of the aforementioned piece is:

“There was no drama and no last second suspense. The Orlando Magic came out of the locker room ready to advance to the NBA Finals and they took no prisoners. It was the Cavaliers who gave the Mickey Mouse effort and they paid for it with their playoff lives as the Magic won going away 103-90.”

Somehow, the article fails to call out the coach.

Long-time Cleveland columnist Terry Pluto, one of the best in America, also seems reticent to point his finger at Brown, though he does a bit at the end of this otherwise sound write-up. Other local media members rightly refuse to call the loss a choke (it was not, as the better TEAM clearly won), but still barely mention Coach Brown’s lack of any adjustments through six grueling games.

To no one’s surprise, the politically correct national media, like Yahoo’s Dan Wetzel, gets generic by focusing on Lebron and “the future,” with little analysis other than the mundane cliché of “Cleveland had the best player in this series. Orlando had the next four.” I heard that sixteen times on my 25-minute ride to work Friday morning, Dan. I didn’t even bother to read what sophomoric essay ESPN would have. Let’s just hope “witty” self-aggrandizer Rick Reilly’s not involved. {Ok, he isn’t yet, but irresponsible ESPN did focus on Lebron, naturally}

Speaking of bad “leaders” in Cleveland, despite my pleading three weeks back, Eric Wedge still has a job, regardless of his very-talented Tribe occupying the cellar in a bad division. It seems he’ll be the skipper the rest of 2009 and beyond. Too bad for fans of the Tribe. And now, Indians star centerfielder Grady Sizemore hit the DL this weekend

“The Indians say Sizemore has struggled with elbow discomfort for most of the season.”

There’s always an excuse. Sizemore, who is on the Disabled List for the first time, is having a terrible first eight weeks. It happens. I’m not so sure he’s hurt or he would have hit the DL earlier. Additionally, Travis Hafner has “suffered a setback” in his rehab. This I believe, since he was tearing up the minors prior and is injury prone.

It’s been a tough season for Wedge and his club, but other teams, like St. Louis, somehow persevere through bigger challenges year in and out. 2008 Cy Young winner Cliff Lee has been solid of late but has little to show for it. Cleveland is still waiting for Fausto Carmona to be the 2007 version rather than the ‘06, ‘08 or ‘09 version. And while Carl Pavano has been adequate, especially Sunday versus his former team before the piteous bullpen coughed up his lead despite Cleveland’s eventual triumph, Jake Westbrook cannot return soon enough.

On the opposite end of I-71, the Reds, once off to a strong start, fizzled this weekend in Milwaukee. And now their best player, Joey Votto, is out for mysterious reasons. Psychological injuries are often worse than physical ones. This could hurt.

The Reds still sit a few games over .500; they have a dynamite pitching staff sans fifth man Micah Owings (headlined by Johnny Cueto, 12 wins already from Bronson Arroyo & Aaron Harang, and the return of Edinson Volquez), and one of the best road records in baseball. But they also play, as of May’s end, in the NL’s premier division and arguably the best in baseball, so it’ll be tough. I’m no fan of Dusty Baker’s managerial skills either, as Chris Dickerson seems to be this year’s Corey Patterson (a guy who should be in the minors but is playing nearly daily and killing the team), and Baker could not care less.

Thankfully, it’s a long way to October.

[Editor's Note: And to add to the misery of the state of Ohio this weekend, the Ohio State Buckeyes' baseball team played a couple of games this weekend in the College World Series. To say that they did not go well would perhaps the understatement of the century.]

MLB Betting – Diamondbacks and Braves, Reds and Padres Start Weekend Series

While most people are focusing on the Preakness odds, baseball is in full swing so let’s take a look at a couple of under-the-radar matchups for Friday.

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Atlanta Braves
Friday, May 15, 2009
Doug Davis vs Javier Vazquez

The Arizona Diamondbacks got a brief jolt of confidence when they fired manager Bob Melvin but that short buzz has worn off now.

The Diamondbacks won their first game under new manager A.J. Hinch but since then have lost three straight.

Overall, they are 2-9 in their last games, which is pitiful for a team that was expected to contend for the National League West division.

They’ll send Doug Davis to the mound on Friday to square off against Javier Vazquez in an interesting matchup of two pitchers who both pitch better on the road, than at home.

Vazquez is 0-3 with a 6.10 ERA at home this season but is 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA on the road. Opposing batters are hitting just .219 against him on the road but are batting .256 against him at home.

Meanwhile, Davis has similar splits. At home, he’s 1-4 with a 3.38 ERA. Meanwhile, on the road, he’s 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA.

Vazquez has struggled at home but on Friday, he faces a struggling lineup. Look for him to regain his winning touch with a win.

Online sports betting pick: Braves

Cincinnati Reds @ San Diego Padres
Friday, May 15, 2009
Aaron Harang vs Kevin Correia

Aaron Harang and Kevin Correia will be on the mound for their respective teams on Friday as the Reds and Padres battle.

Correia had a decent start to the season but has recently struggled. He didn’t allow more than three earned runs in any of his April starts but he allowed five runs in just 3.1 innings pitched in his first start in May.

He has never been an elite starter and given his modest strikeout-to-walk ratio, the sportsbook odds makers aren’t putting a whole lot of faith in him.

Harang has been far more consistent throughout his career and throughout this month.

In 14 innings pitched this month, Harang has given just four earned runs while striking out 16 batters and walking just four.

Harang is hot and is dominating right now as so are the Reds – they have won six of their last seven – so stick with them.

Online sports betting pick: Reds

Ohio MLB Update: Indians in AL Central Cellar, Reds Staying Above Ground

The Indians come home from playing ten of their first 13 games away from Cleveland at 4-9, and buried in the AL Central cellar, where they’ve resided all season.

Despite outscoring the Yankees 40-19 in the first series at the new stadium in the Bronx, Sunday’s loss meant the Tribe split four there, and went 3-4 on the road trip overall after losing two of three to the resurgent Royals. Anyway you slice it, this is a porous beginning for a team with playoff aspirations, as some have noted. Their team ERA is nearly seven, and MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince has broken it down further.

The Reds are staying above ground, after taking five of seven on their current road trip to stand at 7-5 overall. Despite not scoring a single run off Houston starters in the first three of the wrap-around four game weekend set — and just two scores off reclamation project Mike Hampton last night — winning three of four in Houston was a rarity for the RedLegs, as they often struggle in Houston. Although the team batting average stands barely above .210, the pitching has been consistent and the bullpen has been lights out. Joey Votto continues to be a stud in the three hole.

Speaking of young gems, I saw yet another Cincy super prospect, Adam Rosales, last Thursday night from the third row in Indianapolis. Playing for AAA Louisville, the shortstop homered and had two other rocket shots. At this time last year I saw Jay Bruce homer twice from the same seats. Dusty Baker, who to his credit has not been obstinate with lineup changes in 2009, brought up Jay soon after; but as for Adam, not so fast.

Some asides, following up from last week:

1. The Padres and their young hurlers continue to roll, despite blowing a lead and losing in heartbreak, walk-off fashion Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia. I said last week that a 4-5 road trip would be ideal; thus far, San Diego is 4-2, with just two games in the Bay Area to go as they fly cross-country after last night’s rain out in Philly. Jake Peavy goes tonight. Problem is, they’re still in second, behind the Dodgers, who may be the NL’s best team. LA’s line-up is so stacked. Joe Torre is the Phil Jackson of baseball: he’s always given loaded teams.

2. In the end, Boston won out as there’s no justice in the Josh Beckett debacle. The team cleverly had his suspension reduced to just five games for hurling a ball at defenseless Bobby Abreu on April 12. He won’t miss a start. The Boston media, naturally, thinks this is a tragedy and that their top pitcher is being oh so mature in not appealing further. Beckett feels otherwise; he’s still angry (bold by me):

“Everybody has to answer to somebody, and my boss told me this was the best thing for the ball club,” Beckett said. “If it was up to me, obviously, we would have gone through with this whole thing, because I don’t think I deserve even one game. When your boss tells you that something is best for the whole group, that’s what we do. I don’t support this at all.”

Josh, that you won’t miss a single start defeats the entire purpose of the suspension. What’s there not to support? Apparently, like the New England region, Red Sox nation thinks general rules don’t apply to them. They’ve won their last five games nonetheless. No worries, this is the last time Boston will be mentioned in these columns.

Lastly, the baseball season is over two weeks old, and therefore, the steroid talk in the sports media needs to stop now. Yahoo! Sports is the main culprit, looking to bash baseball as often as possible. The fatuous Jeff Passan did it over the weekend and Tim Brown did it again yesterday. The irresponsible media’s anti-baseball agenda is so transparent and unnecessary. Do the NFL and NBA national writers bash their sport for having endless playoffs, thugs, drug users or women abusers? Not nearly as often.

When they’re not bringing up non-issues like steroids, the AP is all too eager to write baseball’s “demise” by publishing attendance numbers that “dip.” Good grief.

Reds, Indians Update and MLB Roundup

This week’s focus will primarily be on the Reds, which is good, since Ohio’s other team won their first game of the season just Sunday, then were beaten in Kansas City last evening despite having twice as many hits as the Royals and the tying runs in scoring position with nobody out in the 9th. Fausto Carmona was as bad in his first two starts as Cliff Lee was, and Cleveland has a team ERA of 8.24. It very well could be a long season on the shores of Lake Erie.

Due to a rain out and an off day, Cincinnati only played five games last week, all at home, and in the end salvaged just two, most recently Sunday with a complete game gem by Aaron Harang. Technically, Harang is the Reds’ ace, but that’s mostly based on his tenure and results the past half-decade. At the end of the day (or season), Edinson Volquez and perhaps Johnny Cueto are Cincy’s best hurlers and their future, though Volquez threw five more poor innings last night.

The Reds’ offense sputtered in week one, prior to the team embarking upon the season’s longest road trip last night in Milwaukee. (They’re hitting .219 as a team entering Tuesday.) Some have noted that time away for these young guys with high expectations might be beneficial. And, at least offensively, it absolutely was, as the RedLegs pounded out seven runs — all in the first three frames — then hung on with quality bullpen work for a 7-6 win at Miller Park.

A few asides:

1. I mentioned in a prior column how, though I pull for the Reds, I wouldn’t consider myself a fan. My favorite NL team is the San Diego Padres, for whom I grew up cheering. Though this is midwestsportsfans.com, allow me to note that after one of the worst seasons in club history, the Pads seemingly have little upside in 2009, but so far, so good: winning six of eight to start the campaign, including spoiling the Mets’ Citi Field opener last night. The Pads follow up their next two in New York with a series in Philly, then San Francisco. If they come back from this trip with four of five wins in nine tries, that’d be exquisite.

2. Not only did Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye hit their 300th HRs in the same game yesterday, but their career batting averages and even their career hit totals are very close as well. Eerie.

3. Josh Beckett showed why so many folks now despise the Red Sox more than even the Yankees. After a 12 second delivery pause, Bobby Abreu called time Sunday afternoon, so Josh decided to throw 96 mile per hour heat at his head. Abreu took umbrage, Beckett charged HIM, ran away like a coward, then the benches cleared. NO Boston player was tossed but four Angels were. Seems fair, I guess. Monday afternoon on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” program, Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon agreed with the ostensible favoritism toward Boston. Wilbon called Beckett “low class,” while Kornheiser, referring to all the Angels tossed but no Red Sox, said “No justice was served.” Neither of those guys has any connection to the Angels either.

Boston’s fans, naturally, scoffed, called names, blamed Mike Scioscia, the umpire, Abreu, but never their guy. They seem to take after their pompous front office, or maybe they’re made their beloved team is two and five and in the AL East cellar.

Angel fans and community, on the contrary, have always been classy, and it’s shown in the wake of the Nick Adenhart tragedy, as has the grieving around the baseball world.

On the same morbid but current subject:

RIP Harry Kalas.

MLB Opening Day: Seasons of High Hopes for Indians, Reds Begin With Losses

Snow fell here in Indianapolis Monday — as it did in Cincinnati, Chicago, Saint Louis and probably numerous other locales — but the calendar still said it was Opening Day.

Temps will be steady in the mid-30s in Cleveland, with snow, rain and wind through Wednesday, so it was good the Indians opened on the road, unlike 2007 when a full series vs. the Mariners was wiped out with wintry weather opening weekend. (Cleveland hosts three afternoon games this weekend, and then is back on the road until April 21. Not a bad idea.) The Tribe opened the 2009 campaign yesterday in Arlington where it was in the mid 50s and will be in the 80s when they tee-it up again later this week.

Former President Bush, erstwhile owner of the Rangers, tossed out the first pitch — to “a standing ovation and overwhelming cheers” — which continued all afternoon as former Indian Kevin Millwood, who was great with the Tribe in 2005, was great again Monday. The 35 year old whose ERA was over 5 the past two injury-laden seasons, handcuffed the Indians, holding their punchless bats to just five hits and one run in a 9-1 debacle.

Cliff Lee was, as I feared, the 2007 Cliff Lee in this opener. Much as in the spring, he was disastrous: seven earned and ten hits in five innings. It was not until May last season that most of the baseball world realized what a special season Lee was having, so perhaps the pressure of being Cleveland’s number one guy is overwhelming. Stay tuned. John Kruk said he was “missing his spots,” which is cliché, but if true, against a powerful club like Texas today or other AL giants this season, this spells trouble.

Without C.C. Sabathia (who was terrible for the Yanks Monday — and for the record, I believe he will underachieve in the Bronx), Jake Westbrook (out until at least June), the uncertainty of Fausto Carmona, and an iffy three through five in their rotation, Cleveland’s staff has far too many question marks in a good AL Central.

This is perhaps why so many AL Central “experts” are dismissing the Tribe’s chances in 2009, while moving to Minnesota and others. The Tribe’s own fans are already aberrant in their early prognostications.

The Indians are also looking at a brutal schedule early in the year: In the first two month of the season, Cleveland will play Boston, the Yankees and Tampa 21 times. Yes, having the Rays on your schedule has done a 180 due to last season’s success. The good news is that from June to September, the Indians will play the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays a total of zero times. They open new Yankee Stadium vs. C.C. Sabathia next week.

Tomorrow night Carmona gets the ball, and Thursday afternoon an “excited’ Carl Pavano ,with a lot to prove, toes the rubber in Arlington.

Here are some more in-depth looks at Cleveland’s bats and arms for 2009. Apparently, Shin-Shoo Choo is suddenly a very important cog.

Meanwhile, in the other corner of the Buckeye State, hopes are very high, yet cautious. We’ll get to more of that next week, but for now, Dusty Baker has already made one very questionable move: this guy, 30 years old, and a .143 career hitter in 42 big league at bats, is batting second and starting in centerfield for a team with playoff aspirations?

The Reds’ offense was as anemic as the Indians Monday afternoon in a 2-1 loss to the Mets at a frigid Great American Ballpark. Their pitching, both starter Aaron Harang and the much-maligned bullpen, was stellar though. Cincy’s setback was therefore surely not as bad as Cleveland’s.

An off day today, then the Mets and Reds are back in action Wednesday night when Edinson Volquez opposes Mike Pelfrey.

Youth Movement in Cincinnati Leads to High Hopes for Reds in 2009

After the pennant-winning success of Detroit in 2006, Colorado in 2007 and Tampa Bay in 2008, I was trying to deduce if the Cincinnati Reds or Kansas City Royals would be “that team” in 2009, and have decided it is in fact the Reds. I should add that I am not a Cincy fan, so this is as objective as you’ll find. I cheer for Cleveland, but cannot ignore the giant upside for Ohio’s NL team in 2009.

Many love the potential of the Reds, especially in a large, but less-than-stellar division. I’ve personally been preaching the virtues of the Reds since last summer when they decided to fully immerse themselves in the youth movement.

After the necessary losses of Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn’s age and huge contracts, this team could seriously push for the Wild Card, unless the Phillies/Mets/Cardinals contingent runs away with it. Ninety wins, as some quixotic folks have predicted, might be a stretch, but this team should be incredibly improved.

Jayson Stark of ESPN agreed Tuesday morning as I drove to work. Already this spring he has written about the Reds high hopes for 2009.

“There’s something happening here in Reds Land. Something building. Something growing,” he claimed. “There’s as much spring buzz about the Reds as there is about any team in Florida. And frankly, Griffey and Dunn needed to get out of the way for that buzz — and this team — to prosper.”

Stark’s thesis seems to be that the Reds are following the 2008 World Champion Phillies’ formula for success.

Comparing the Phils’ trade of Bobby Abreu to the Reds parting ways with Griffey and Dunn, he writes, “They became a different team that day. A team with a whole different personality, a whole different chemistry, a whole different energy level, a whole different aura…And if you look closely, it’s not hard to envision a very similar phenomenon erupting in Cincinnati.”

No, it is not at all.

The pitching is dynamite on paper, and most experts like Stark believe it’s second best in the six-team NL Central.

Edinson Volquez (25 years young), emerging star Johnny Cueto (23), the mercurial Bronson Arroyo, and a trimmer Aaron Harang “anchor” the frontline starters, while a maturing Homer Bailey (22) and Micah Owings round it out.

The Reds also have a solid closer in Francisco Cordero, and oh by the way, a powerful offense led by Brandon Phillips, still just 27, and Joey Votto, a Canadian who hit 24 homers as a 24 year old last season. They go alongside veteran acquisitions Willie Taveras, Jonny Gomes and Ramon Hernandez — plus arguably baseball’s best young hitter in Jay Bruce, who turns all of 22 this week. (He hit 21 homeruns as a 21-year-old last season in just over 100 games.)

The versatile veteran Jerry Hairston, and speedy Chris Dickerson should get at bats as well, with shortstop Alex Gonzalez returning after missing all of 2008. The Reds go even deeper, with another rookie, Paul Janish, showing strides and challenging Gonzalez. Another phenom in Adam Rosales waits his turn.

The depth on the banks of the Ohio is evident when they’re sending veterans like Jacque Jones and solid contributors such as Norris Hopper down I-71 to Louisville a week before the season’s first pitch in America’s oldest baseball town. Already, infielder Jeff Keppinger, who had been a valuable role player the past two seasons for the Reds, has been traded.

Therefore, any problem won’t be the squad itself – there’s plenty of talent there — but it may be the skipper, though that’s my personal opinion.

“Dusty’s way” may not work with this kind of roster, as, if history is a guide, he’ll lean too much on underachieving veterans. Those would be pitchers, especially relievers, who he’ll overwork in the heat of summer. With the pitching depth Cincinnati has, young arms like Bailey and Ramon Ramirez — who showed signs last September — this is not a good idea.

At least Baker seems to be saying all the right things for now:

“Not to take anything away from Griff and Dunn, because they’re outstanding guys, and they were good guys on this team,” he said. “But when you lose something, sometimes it permits you, or forces you, to grow.”

Then again, late Wednesday night on the Reds’ flagship station (700 WLW-AM in Cincinnati), Baker said he is interested in Gary Sheffield, of all people. In fact, before departing Florida for good, Baker will meet with the recently-released Tiger Thursday morning. This prompted an array on angry callers/fans, incensed and befuddled at why a team like the Reds would even consider the volatile, over-the-hill slugger. I could not agree more. Baker will have to answer anything further on that topic.

Bottom line: The Reds leave spring training in Sarasota for the final time as you read these words — like the Indians in ‘09, they’re relocating to West Phoenix in 2010 — with hope renewed for October baseball in the Queen City for the first time since 1995.

The latest news on Cincinnati’s potential opening day roster can be found here.