DaytonDailyNews.com

The humorous taunts and shouts across the clubhouse are gone, whisked away with the exodus of Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn.

Gone, too, are the explosive offensive numbers and dismissive defense, which in a way defines the 2009 Cincinnati Reds.

Even with a ballpark designed with the home run in mind, the home team is trying it a different way — pitching, defense and manufacturing runs.

"Why not?" Reds second-year manager Dusty Baker asked. "The other way wasn't working."

Indeed, it wasn't.

This once proud and revered franchise is feeling the weight of eight straight years of losing, leaving fans frustrated and putting management in scramble mode.

Once, the Reds were a must-see during spring training. Now, they are one of the poorest draws. The two smallest crowds in Bradenton's McKechnie Field this spring were matchups between the Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Baker and his brigade, though, believe this might be a breakthrough season with a blend of talented youth and well-worn veterans that ranges from Jay Bruce (22 years old), Homer Bailey (22) and Johnny Cueto (23) to a pair of 39-year-old relievers, David Weathers and Arthur Rhodes.

"I've never had a team like this," said Baker, a two-time National League manager of the year. "It's a team like I've always wanted, a good mixture of youth and veterans with talent and athletic ability — pitching, speed and solid defense up the middle."

Harang slipped in '08

It begins with the starting pitching, perhaps the team's best feature. Amazingly, the biggest question mark is placed after the name of Aaron Harang, who will start his fourth straight Opening Day.

After going 16-11 in 2006 and 16-6 in 2007, Harang slip-slided to a perplexing 6-17 last season.

Which Harang is the 2009 version?

"One of those years," Harang said with a shrug. "It seemed as if no matter what I did, things didn't turn out my way. I figure I'm due a whole lot of positive stuff this year."

After Harang comes 17-game winner Edinson Volquez, 15-game winner Bronson Arroyo, second-year starter Cueto and newcomer Micah Owings.

Owings came to the Reds from Arizona in the Dunn trade. The Reds picked up a starter, but they have not replaced the 40 homers, 100 RBIs, 100 runs and 100 walks Dunn provided with a machine-like, unappreciated monotony.

How do they replace that offense? Probably, they don't. What needs to happen is for Bruce (21 homers), Joey Votto (24), Brandon Phillips (21) and Edwin Encarnacion (26) to hit more homers to make up for Dunn's output.

Probably won't happen.

That's why the team changed its face, acquiring swift center fielder Willy Taveras to bat leadoff and ignition-switch the offense.

He stole 68 bases for the Rockies last season, but batted only .251 with a miniscule .308 on-base average.

The Reds want him to keep the ball on the ground, bunt more and walk more, but he did none of the above this spring.

Will Gonzalez

work out?

The addition of Taveras and catcher Ramon Hernandez puts some epoxy on the up-the-middle defense, even though Hernandez had the second most errors and second most passed balls by a catcher last year in the American League while playing for Baltimore.

Gold Glove second baseman Phillips could win

No. 2 in 2009, but the rest of the defense is a house of cards with shortstop Alex Gonzalez as the ace of spades.

Pull him out, and the defensive deck is totally shuffled in a bad way.

If Gonzalez and his troublesome knee, troublesome hamstring or troublesome whatever can't play, the defense suffers.

Jerry Hairston Jr. probably would be the shortstop, which might help the offense, but he is not Gonzalez on defense.

Even though he knows not where he might play — left field, shortstop, left out — Hairston likes what he sees this season.

"This is a young and experienced team with a lot of physical ability," he said. "The players here are confident. I haven't seen one thing negative."

Contact this reporter at

hmccoy@DaytonDailyNews.com.