Cincinnati

A couple of days ago the Cincinnati Reds dumped $8.5 million by not picking up the option year of catcher Ramon Martinez.  Now let's say that the Reds don't go all nutters and start trading like a stockbroker on crack.

What do we do with this new cash?

Here is a novel idea—one that Reds' owner, Bob Castellini may wish to consider:  Tuck it under the mattress and save it for a rainy day.

Yes, it is a lot of loot.  But it relieves most of the fat wad Scott Rolen is set to earn next season.

Reds' fans should be digging the offseason so far. 

First, Diamond Dick Pole was sacked—well, that was during the last week of play (the unofficial start of Reds offseason). 

Anybody would be better than Pole. 

While many Reds' faithful were clamoring for Ted Power or Mario Soto, Bryan Price is a swell hire.

Price is a former Coach of the Year and Pitching Coach of the year for both the Mariners and Diamondbacks.  At 47, he's got some experience, but isn't a decrepit old man with jowels.

Like Dick Pole.

It’s hard to tell what is a sicker part of the entire Washington Redskins-Jim Zorn saga, the fact that Daniel Snyder is arrogant enough to publicly humiliate his head coach without firing him, or that Jim Zorn has enough resolve to stick it out for the money.

Obviously, Snyder’s foolishness has the staying power of 10 years of futility, but there is something admirable about Jim Zorn’s refusal to buckle to the whim of a petulant billionaire .

Seems like several D.C. area sports stars are becoming fed up with the media, which is good, because New York teams are doing relatively well and its about time another major market took up the mantle of journos on the attack.

First it was a lethargic Gil , and now, Mike Sellers is just trying to live in the face of media scrutiny .

CINCINNATI—Some losses are easy to take. Some are harder than others. Then you have the true heart breakers. The final stage of losses are the ones that make you sick—literally, like head over the toilet sick.

Friday night's Cincinnati loss to St. Louis falls into the latter category.

Homer Bailey started for the Reds and had his best outing in the three years that the team has been shuffling him up and down between the big club and the minors.

Astros 7, Reds 2

The Cincinnati Reds lose again, dropping four straight games heading into their final game tomorrow.

Reds pitcher Homer Bailey looked very impressive, as he pitched six innings of four hit ball with two earned. Bailey had eight K's to only one walk.

Mike Lincoln came in the seventh inning and gave up two runs on two hits.

Micah Owings was on the mound as he pitched his last game to audition for the No. 5 spot in the starting rotation. Owings pitched into the sixth, but was pulled out with the bases loaded. He gave up four runs (one earned), five K's, three walks, and six hits. A Jay Bruce three-run error in the fourth with two outs buried the Reds' hopes for good.

Nick Masset pitched up and down in two innings of work.

The Reds made three more roster moves today, cutting outfielders Jacque Jones and Norris Hopper and young pitcher Daryl Thompson. They were all re-assigned to Class AAA Louisville.

Jones was by far the biggest name on the list, as he was previously a leading candidate for playing time in the outfield. But he batted very poorly (a lousy .089 in 45 at-bats) this spring.

For the first time in many seasons, the Reds have a very solid and deep pitching staff to excite the fan base.

Most of the baseball world forgets that Cincinnati received Daniel Ray Herrera with Edinson Volquez in the Josh Hamilton trade before last season. As it happened, Herrera was actually the deciding factor in the deal with the Texas Rangers.

The Reds' only All-Star representative, Edinson Volquez, dominated once again as he helped Cincinnati beat the American League Champion Rays

Volquez pitched five innings and gave up his first run of the spring, but only let up one earned run while striking out three, walking four and allowing only four hits. Volquez has very low ERA of 0.47 and his record is 2-0 for the spring.