Cincinnati

Another year, another former All-Star suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

Last year it was Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez who was suspended for 50 games, and yesterday it was Cincinnati Reds pitcher Edinson Volquez who was suspended.

Obviously Volquez’s suspension isn’t as big of news as Manny being suspended, but it’s still pretty significant nonetheless.

Here is the statement that was released by Volquez’s representatives:

A perfect example of Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey came Wednesday night against the Florida Marlins. The frustration fans have felt about this guy is back.

We all thought he had turned the corner. We all thought the former phenom finally "got it." We all thought the Reds had found a solid starter for the next 10 years.

Looks like we were wrong.

Sure, the season is still in its infancy, and the marathon is still in the first mile, but so far Bailey has shown he is still not there yet.

After beating the Florida Marlins 10-8 in 11 innings, the 2010 edition of the Cincinnati Reds could rightly be called the "Cardiac Reds."

It is hard for me to watch the games in their entirety because it makes me feel like I am going to have another stroke.

But it is like a train wreck—you can't turn away. You just can't.

The Reds have won all five of their games in their final at-bat. That speaks volumes. They have won their last two games in extra innings, both on the road against the Marlins.

The Reds season is now one week old, and positive things are already transpiring.

To begin with, they are four up and three down, which is a real good thing, considering their first two series were against the top two finishers in the NL Central in 2009.

Scott Rolen is beginning to look like the Rolen of 2004 with the Cardinals. He finished that season with an OPS+ of 157.

There is a new young gun in town—I have named him "Iceman." When that takes off, don't forget where you saw it first.

Bruuuuuce.

It's a sound that Reds fans bellow every time Jay Bruce steps up to the plate.

Outsiders may think the noise is some sort of boo. The reality is quite the opposite—Bruce is a vital piece of the 2010 Cincinnati Reds, and the fans know it.

He has quickly become one of the most beloved players on the team. 

After being touted as a "can't miss" prospect coming up, he has struggled to live up to lofty expectations. After a red-hot start to his pro career in '08, his bat has cooled off mightily.

The Cincinnati Reds, feeling they needed a right-handed power bat, decided to bring back a slugger who had a pretty good year for them in 2009.

According to ESPN.com, the Reds have brought back right-handed-hitting outfielder Jonny Gomes on a one-year contract worth $800,000.

The contract also includes a $1.75 million club option for 2011.

The Reds have a pretty interesting outfield situation heading into 2010. They are set in right and center with two phenomenal young players in Jay Bruce and Drew Stubbs.

I was born in 1975 and have been a Cincinnati Reds fan ever since. For the majority of my life, the shortstop position has basically been manned by two people: Dave Concepcion and Barry Larkin.

Since Larkin's final season in 2004, the Reds have been unable to find stability at the position. It appears that the latest person to get a chance to play shortstop on a regular basis is Paul Janish.

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This is the sixth installment of the grading of the starters for the Cincinnati Reds' 2009 performances.

Willy Taveras is my biggest disappointment of the Reds' acquisitions last season. He came in as the reigning National League stolen base champ with 68.

This season, he "tentatively" stole only 25 bases and finished a dismal ninth in the league. Michael Bourn of the Houston Astros was the league's most prolific thief this year with 61.

While Scott Rolen is still in the "honeymoon" stage with the Reds, I will be evaluating him on a 40-game season.

His hitting is better than average, which should be expected for a .284 lifetime hitter. He didn't exhibit the power that I was so hopeful he would. Three home runs in a quarter of the season make it elementary enough to do the math; 12 home runs would not cut it for a corner infielder. He had a decent OBP as well at .364.