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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2008 > December > 15
Monday, December 15, 2008
Reds-Reds Futures to play at Fifth Third
To commemorate 10 years of their existence and 10 years affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds, the Dayton Dragons came up with a novel idea.
The idea, which germinated last April, was so good that Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said, “A tremendous idead and I wish I had thought of it.”
Jocketty gave credit to the Class A Dayton Dragons for dreaming it up and presenting it to the Reds: An annual exhibition game before the season between the Reds and a Reds minor-league All-Star at Fifth Third Field.
The Reds bought the idea quickly and the first game will be played Saturday, April. 4, two days before the Reds open their 2009 season in Great American Ball Park.
“The only danger is they might beat us,” said Jocketty.
That could be so, especially after Reds director of minor league development Terry Reynolds tossed out a few names of possible minor-league participants.
“It is hard to nail down specific players at this point, especially pitchers who might have thrown a day or two previous o the game,” he said.
He mentioned: first baseman Yonder Alonzo, the team’s No. 1 draft pick in June; shortstop Chris Valaika, the Reds’ minor-league player of the year in 2008; shortstop/outfielder Todd Frazier; third baseman Juan Francisco, the teams minor-league hitter of the year; outfielder Drew Stubbs and catcher Devin Mesoraco, the team’s No. 1 draft pick in 2007.
“Most of these kids played in Dayton and this game will be a plum for them, a chance to show what they can do against the big team in front of everybody,” said Reynolds.
It is believed this is the first time any major-league team has played a game against an All-Star team made up of the club’s minor-league affiliates.
The minor-leaguers, called the Reds Futures, will come from Class A, Class AA and Class AAA teams.
REDS VERSUS REDS FUTURES
When: Saturday, April 4, 2009 (Time To be Determinted).
Where: Fifth Third Field, Dayton
What: Cincinnati Reds against an All-Star team of Reds minor-leaguers.
Tickets: First choice goes to season ticket holds, corporate partners and suite holds. If any tickets remain, the rest will be offered to those on the Dragons season ticket waiting list.
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TweetReds signs outfielder Nix
With only three outfielders on their 40-man roster - Jay Bruce, Chris Dickerson and Norris Hopper - the Cincinnati Reds are in search of a few good outfielders.
On Monday, they signed one to a minor-league contract, 28-year-old Laynce Nix. He has agreed to a minor-league contract that is worth $600,000 if he makes the team out of spring training with bonus clauses that could push it to $1.1 million.
The Reds hope to re-sign free agent Jerry Hairston Jr., but he is negotiating with two other teams. GM Walt Jocketty said talks with Hairston, “Are slow, but now that thre winter meetings are over maybe they’ll pick up.”
Hairston attended the winter meetings in Las Vegas last week, but did not sign with any team.
Nix was a top prospect with the Texas Ranger at one time before sustaining a severe shoulder injury when he ran into a wall in 2003.
The Rangers sent him to Milwaukee as part of the Carlos Lee deal in July 2006.
The last two years, playing at Class AAA Nashville in the Brewers’ system, he hit 48 homers and drove in 140 RBIs while playing all three outfield positions. During that time, he has had only 24 at-bats in the majors.
FOR A BRIEF PERIOD the Reds had only two outfielders. They did not offer a contract to Hopper. Nor did they offer contracts to pitcher Gary Majewski and Matt Belisle. All three were free to sign with another team.
The Reds, though, quickly signed Hopper to a one-year contract.
JOCKETTY’S TAKE ON the garish spending by the New York Yankees: “They money theyspent enough on two pitchers ($321 million to CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett) is enough to buy a whole franchise.
“It’s really hard for us (the Reds) to put into perspective because the money is so outrageous,” he added. “They are in a position to do it, but that doesn’t always equal success or a championship. Hey, as long as the rest of us aren’t expected to compete with that…”
JOCKETTY CONTINUES the search for a righthanded-hitting outfielder. Why righthanded when he has only two lefthanded hitters (Jay Bruce, Joey Votto), while as of now he has four righthanders (Brandon Phillips, Edwin Encarnacion, Alex Gonzalez, Ramon Hernandez)?
“We’re trying to find the right back to put between Bruce and Votto,” he said. Jocketty said of free agent Pat Burrell: “His market might be beyond our reach, but we’re looking a some non-tendered players, a few free agents or maybe a trade.”
How about the Jermaine Dye deal? “Right now, we’re thinking more long-term (Dye is 34) and on the final year of his contract ($11.5 million in 2009).
“We have to fill out our outfield and some bench spots and it may or may not happen right away, but we’re working on it,” he said.
ASKED IF THE MAN who missed all of last season, Alex Gonzalez, is the team’s shortstop going into spring training, Jocketty said, “Reports are that he should be ready for spring traing. If he’s not, we still have Jeff Keppiner and Paul Janish and Hairston, if we can sign him.”
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