Should Reds consider bringing back Bauer?
Q: I’ve noticed your palpable excitement for the upcoming baseball season, so does the thrill ever fade? — DAVE, Miamisburg/centerville/ Beavercreek.
A: This is my 51st year covering baseball and the Cincinnati Reds and, as always, it feels like the first year. I always feel like the raw rookie playing in his first Opening Day, even though my body tells me I’m close to my Closing Day. And the day the thrill, excitement and anticipation fades is the day I’ll close the lid on my laptop and say, “I’m done.” Ain’t gonna happen.
Hal Mccoy
Since the Reds need pitching, pitching, pitching, should they take a chance and sign Trevor Bauer? — JOEL, Dayton.
A: No, no and no. You said it yourself — it would be taking a chance. Even though he says he’d pitch for the MLB minimum, he just comes with too much baggage. It looks to me as if there might be a black ball etched next to his name.
Q:
Can you fill me in on new rules changes, or as I call them, messing up the game? — JOE, Englewood.
A: I’ll fill everybody in
Q:
and fortunately no messiness this year. They lowered the time on the pitch clock with runners on base from 20 seconds to 18. Pretty soon a pitcher will have to be in his wind-up as the catcher throws him the ball. And they’ve cut mound visits allowed from five to four, meaning a manager now can only come to the mound four times to tell his pitcher, “Throw strikes, I have a dinner date.”
Q: Where do you think baseball will expand? — LARRY, Dallas, TX.
A: They need expansion by two teams. There are now 30. If they have 32, 16 in each league, they can do away with interleague play ... but they won’t.
One wonders if Salt Lake City knows something we don’t. The city has plans to build a major leagueready ballpark. Montreal is a possibility, if it builds a new park because old State Olympique where the Expos played is a concrete monstrosity. And they might tuck Nashville between Cincinnati, Atlanta and St. Louis. And they could consider baseball-crazed Mexico City, population 22.5 million. Heck, they could put two franchises there.
Is there any player on the Cincinnati Reds’ roster you project to become an All-star caliber player this year? — CHUCK, Clayton.
A: There must be at
Q:
least one since every team gets at least one Allstar. Who might deserve it? If Elly De La Cruz learns that the strike zone isn’t as wide as the Ohio River and as high as an elephant’s eye, he might be it. But I like second baseman Matt Mclain. He is what they call a ‘gamer,’ never finishing a game without his uniform requiring extra-strength Tide.
Do you see a three-year window with the Reds starting this year? — JAY, Englewood.
Q:
A: The hope is that nobody slams that window on their fingers. Looking at the division, I see no juggernaut and no reason why it can’t be a one-year window. As for a World Series appearance, so many things have to go right but with all the young talent a three-year window, with or without Venetian blinds, is a possibility.
If you were a betting man, which of the plethora of young infielders would you wager will still be with the Reds on Opening Day? — GREG, Beavercreek.
A: MLB Rule 21(d) doesn’t say writers can’t bet on baseball, but betting on anything involving
Q:
baseball is foolhardy. So, no wager. But I will say all these youngsters will be on the 26-man roster — Christian Encarnacion-strand, Matt Mclain and Elly De La Cruz.
It is so sad and unfortunate that Noelvi Marte was suspended 80 days for a PED violation. I am now no longer perplexed as to why they brought in Jeimer Candelario and why Jonathan India is still with the team. But there still remains time to deal India for some more pitching help because everybody says its loud and clear ... a team never has enough pitching.
Any chance of bringing Joey Votto back to Cincinnati for a farewell tour if no other team signs him? — TED, Brookville.
Q:
A: Ah, everybody was concerned about poor
Joey Votto. And now he is getting a chance to make the Toronto Blue Jays roster after agreeing to a non-roster tryout. If a player announces his impeding retirement before a season begins, he gets the proverbial farewell tour all season. Votto, though, didn’t retire. And the Reds couldn’t waste a valuable roster spot so Pal Joey could make a farewell tour, and I’m certain he wouldn’t want it that way. When he does retire it would be awesome for the Reds to bring him back for a Joey Votto Day and retire No. 19. That’s the best I can come up with.