Location: Cincinnati, Ohio | Ballpark: Great American Ball Park (42,941) | Spring Training: Sarasota, Fla.
Owner: Robert Castellini | GM: Walt Jocketty | Manager: Dusty Baker | World Championships: 5
Shortstop Jeff Keppinger has been a fill-in for most of the last two seasons and there may not be a better so-called stopgap in all of baseball.
Due to injuries and family problems, incumbent starter Alex Gonzalez played only 110 games last season and Keppinger filled in by hitting .332 over 241 at-bats.
Gonzalez is still out, this time with a fractured knee, and Keppinger has played all but one game at shortstop, hitting .324, including seven straight hits and a walk over the weekend against the Mets.
"He works at it, he thinks about it, he concentrates, he focuses and he is trying to maximize his effort and opportunity to play," manager Dusty Baker said after Keppinger went 5 for 5 in the second game of a doubleheader against the Mets Saturday, after playing all nine innings of the first game. "For a guy with that slight of build (6-0, 180) to have that kind of night in the second game of a doubleheader after a long day and a long night shows what kind of shape he is in."
METS 8, REDS 3: RHP Johnny Cueto, 22, lost his composure in the first inning and the game in the end. Cueto allowed three runs and four hits, losing his fourth game against two wins as the team lost the series 2-1.
Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
Okay, so the preview of this game is pretty much tickling the balls of the Rockies, who, in my opinion should not be in any conversations. Lucky for them, their division is a bunch of a half-wit losers. If it were up to me, you shouldn't be able to make it to the play-offs without a solid winning record but NL west could be
...(more)
I just wanted to get a thread going about Dusty. Just about everyone (including myself) bashes the guy for being a terrible manager. He makes controversial and often flat out dumb decisions weekly if not more often. But the thing is, I am not mad at Dusty anymore. I finally figured it out. Why bash a guy who is doing his best? It's not his fault he isn't a good manager. It's th
Jason Stark is reporting that the Yankees have inquired about Adam Dunn. He reports that the Reds asking price may be to high. The Reds are asking for a top tier and 2nd tier prospect in return.
...(more)
