How would you deal with the LF/1B logjam?
by PeteyHendrix on Dec 19, 2009 4:30 PM EST
61 comments
Rolen is our third baseman for the foreseeable future, making things a bit complicated for our many defensively-underwhelming hitting prospects. What to do about the rather bulky LF/1B logjam now? With Bruce in RF and Stubbs/Willy T (vomiting sound effects here) in CF, there are a lot of guys competing for PT for the Reds in the next several seasons. Almost all of them are at AAA or MLB, so developing players while getting everyone enough playing time is going to be a challenge, especially for a manager who routinely struggles with logic and reason in the face of negative results.
Joey Votto plays a capable 1B, and played 40 games in LF in AAA in 2007.
Yonder Alonso should arrive as a 1B-only guy in late 2011 or 2012.
El Nino Destructor has a MLB-ready bat, but probably should take at least 3 months at AAA for plate discipline/defense seasoning. A year in AAA might well do him good. He has a .909 minor league career fielding percentage at 3B...yikes. He has only played 5 games in LF in the minors...yikes again. He's never played 1B...that's odd to me, as well, as he can probably knock a ball down better than the average lummox first baseman due to his experience at 3B. So the only position he's ever played, he sucked at. Rolen signing makes a lot of sense in that light. And that means that END is our LF of the future (I'm defensively skeptic), who may eventually play some decent 1B. He may need a full year to learn the OF...hard to know what we'll be getting out there.
Laynce Nix is a capable MLB bench player, who will hopefully rot on the pine at AAA - cuz that means better players are playing sizable MLB roles.
Wladimir Balentien is Pedro Cerrano sans Jobu. He's only gonna be 25, appears to be a decent corner outfielder defensively, but aside from an OK stint with the Reds (.779 OPS in 125 PA), he's not shown much success in the majors (.655 OPS in 559 PA). He has odd platoon splits: he hits righties better than lefties. I can't find his minor league splits to help figure if this is a small sample size anomaly or rather a product of him not doing well with breaking pitches. His .857 minor league OPS shows promise, but he'll have to impress in a hurry to stick long with the Reds.
Chris Dickerson is a great defender who hits righties well, and would be a good 4th OF'er on most any MLB club. He'll turn 28 this year.
Chris Heisey will be 25 this year, and has hit well at every level, until he got to AAA in the middle of 2009. He crushed everything for his first 15 games (1.039 OPS) there, but then fizzled to end up with a .788 OPS mark in 245 AAA ABs. Still, he did develop some unexpected pop in 2009 with 20 HR between AA/AAA. He hit an impressive .972 OPS in the 2009 Arizona Fall League. Sustaining this new-found power in addition to his blazing speed could turn him into a real asset. He's stolen 86 bases in 102 attempts, which is rather tasty, and has only grounded into 17 DPs in nearly 2000 minor league PAs. He's a question mark for sure...hard to know what his career path will be, but it will likely be revealed in the first half of Louisville's 2010 season.
Danny Dorn will be 25, and has weak defensive tools and no speed. He's shown good power and crushed it in the minors until he hit .204/.276/.366 in his first 28 games for Triple-A Louisville. He rebounded to post a .800 OPS in 111 AAA games in 2009. He's a year away, and has cement hands that preclude a move to 1B.
Todd Frazier's hit well in the minors, but perhaps not well enough to justify a corner outfield position. Defensively, he's been pretty stinky at a bunch of different positions. The Reds sent him to the post-season instructional league, where he proved to the Reds brass that he was no answer at 2B. So now he'll be a 24-year-old slow left fielder with underwhelming pop. He also has never successfully sacrificed at any level in 312 games, and will be playing for a manager who loves to sacrifice. He's MLB-ready now.
So taking development into account, to whom do you give playing time in LF for the Reds, and who plays OF for Louisville? Whom have I misjudged? Who do you think ends up being "the solution" in LF and 1B over the next 5 years for the Reds?
0 recs |
61 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
Let Alonso and END rake in Louisville
Then see what we can get in July. Ideally we could slide Votto to left and give 1B to Alonso, but I don’t see that ending well.
Didn’t Heisey play center last year?
Actually
Heisey is a natural CF, but he wouldn’t play CF in front of Stubbs.
Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter
Wlad
has extremely lopsided platoon splits in the minors – with a pretty stellar .311/.392/.536 line vs. RHP. With no options and marginal trade value I think you let him get as many cuts as you can this year. He adds power to a LF platoon and could be more than just a test case, especially if he’ s insulated from lefties.
Sign Gomes, but only if it doesn’t preclude a SS acquisition and you can get him at $2MM or below. In Wlad and Gomes, you’ve got power against lefties and righties. Gomes defense may be poor enough – and last year’s performance enough of a blip – than he becomes a glorified PHer. At $2MM it would be a very minor bust and still give the Reds a righty power bat off the bench who isn’t also a pitcher.
Yeah, those guys and the Cincinnati Reds. They're a terrible football team. / Because they're a baseball team? / Exactly. You know who's the worst football team? The Philadelphia Flyers. - Best Show
by RijoSaboCaseyWKRP on Dec 19, 2009 9:35 PM EST reply actions
Alonso and Votto
Despite the fact that Votto is the Reds best player, I have to ask him to try left field for the betterment of the team. Alonso projects to be the best hitter among the prospects by quite a bit in my mind. Unfortunately he can only play 1B. I would explain to Mr Votto that the best thing for the team to winning is likely him in left and Alonso at first because he has the ability to play left field while Alonso doesn’t. Its not a move you make in April, but if Alonso is performing in June its something you have to look at in my opinion.
Francisco doesn’t come into play at all for me until he shows a semblance of plate discipline in the minor leagues over at least a 300 at bat stretch.
Frazier can still be on the team getting reps in LF, 2B and 3B. I would also explore trading Brandon Phillips if I thought Frazier could be some reasonable defense at 2B. He can’t just yet, but I would let him get some more time there to see how he continues to progress.
Heisey is a guy I am still not completely sold on. I like the progress, but as noted above his AAA performance wasn’t exactly lights out. Give him some more time in AAA and see where he is in June/July as well as others and make a decision from there.
At the end of the day though I would do everything in my power to get Alonso and Votto in the same lineup.
When do you think Alonso will be MLB-ready?
Give me a lineup of 9 Ryan Freels, and I'll show you a team that can't pitch.
by PeteyHendrix on Dec 20, 2009 2:14 AM EST up reply actions
Alonso
The wrist injury is the key. Most guys have a power outage for roughly a year after breaking the hamate bone. Depending on how quickly Alonso gets that power back is the key. At the latest, September would be my guess.
I'd like to see if Votto is down for a Longoria-esque contract
Explain to him that the team is committed to him but that because of his athleticism, the team may want to move him to LF to optimize the lineup. Votto will qualify for arb for the first time next season, so he hasn’t had the big payday yet. That combined with the economy should allow the Reds to get a deep discount if they sign him within the next year.
by ken on Dec 20, 2009 8:11 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Interesting...
Give me a lineup of 9 Ryan Freels, and I'll show you a team that can't pitch.
by PeteyHendrix on Dec 20, 2009 1:17 PM EST up reply actions
Yes, but do we really want to give up the best bat of the bunch?
Seems as if he could be an even better hitter than Jo-eh— and we are starved for offense, even if Jay Bruce returns to form. Ideally, Votto to LF begins in September with a Yonder call-up and continues to ST 2011.
I get Wily Mo vibes from END— in no way do I want to see him in Cincy for 2010 (short of a playoff push). Plate discipline and defense (LF or 3B) with Rick Sweet and company will tell us what kind of commodity we have on our hands.
Let Frazier spend another season in Louisville. If he can’t define himself, then we have our Rosales for 2011.
I think Heisey is ready— AFL clinched it for me. ST will determine if he’s a starter or a platoon guy, but I don’t see the point of more AAA time for Chris.
Balentien has 2010 in Cincy to prove himself. Dusty isn’t skilled enough to make it work, but dem’s da’ breaks! Like it or lump it!
Dorn— welcome to the career AAAA club!
2010 OF’s for Dusty: CDick, Stubbs, Balentien, Heisey, Bruce.
T-Virus— DFA’d out of ST…
"Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will bury you!"
by "Red" Moskau on Dec 22, 2009 1:39 PM EST up reply actions
I honestly think
that other than the Alonso at first/votto in left situation that none of our options fit well for us in the long run.
C-dick and Heisey don’t hit well enough, they both are great 4th outfielders or decent fill in center fielders if Stubbs got hurt
Dorn will never wear a reds uniform, but i like him as our left handed bench bat more than nix. especially if he could fill in for Votto every now and then ( so we dont have Hernandez there…)
Wlad has the most chance to stick there in my mind, he plays plus defense there, and has the power potential to hit well enough…. just needs to show that he can actually hit in the majors( could be a cruz, slow adjuster)
El nino cant play defense, and cant take a walk. He needs a lot of time in AAA in my mind, the best option would be to trade him while his stock is high. Maybe for a SP/SS/LF/C option
Frazier could probably play defense well enough to stick in left, but im just not sold on his bat. His bat looks extremely nice in the infield, but slightly below avg in left. Also he has never seen major league pitching. Just too many questions, i wouldn’t be opposed to trading him as well if the price was right
"strikeouts are a lot sexier than groundouts"
So would you platoon Bladdy and C-Dick in LF to start the season...
with END starting every day in LF in AAA to see how he does
and Heisey starting everyday in CF in AAA, in case he continues to hit
and Votto starts shagging flies in ST so he could be ready to move to LF at midseason
and Dorn in RF in AAA
What happens to Frazier?
Does Nix ride the pine at AAA?
Give me a lineup of 9 Ryan Freels, and I'll show you a team that can't pitch.
by PeteyHendrix on Dec 20, 2009 1:23 PM EST up reply actions
I would give bladdy the job to lose
cuz c dick and bladdy both hit righties well, no reason to platoon them. If he struggles, then its C dicks to lose and so on.
El nino in AAA LF, if he starts walking then maybe a mid season callup. If he keeps hitting like he has been i would try to move him at the deadline
Heisey is my AAA CF, If he proves he can keep hitting and Cdick/Bladdy struggle he is my next guy in line.(If Stubbs struggles he platoons with Cdick in center for me) If one of them hold down LF, and we are in the race at the deadline i would trade him
Votto definitely starts taking fly balls and doing outfield drills for me
Dorn plays first for me in AAA so he can add that position in his belt
Nix is my RF AAA. strictly insurance/depth
If Frazier has a great spring he makes my club, but i give him the Jerry Hairston role. He plays 3rd, 2nd, LF, and RF when those guys need breaks. If he plays well enough he might steal a job from someone. If Rolen gets hurt he is my main insurance.(anything to get rosy off the team)
"strikeouts are a lot sexier than groundouts"
I agree with all of this.
Give me a lineup of 9 Ryan Freels, and I'll show you a team that can't pitch.
by PeteyHendrix on Dec 20, 2009 2:21 PM EST up reply actions
I really think we need to trade some of them to fill other holes
Like a decent C prospect, A Legit SS, or a top of the rotation potential pitcher.
Since the reds most likely wont even entertain the idea of votto to left, i would shop Alonso. I would shop Heisey and El Nino, both of them are really luxuries at this point.
They only people i would really hold on to unless someone wowed me with a trade is our starting pitchers(while i like the Rolen trade, I have to admit we are thin in that area and harang/arroyo might be gone sooner than later) and Frazier i would be less willing to part with(he seems to be the only one of our “3rd base” prospects that can actually stick there)
Everyone else i would be looking to trade for a legit SS/LF option that would be younger, cheap, and extremely effective for the next few years. And if i could get a catcher out of it that would be nice
now before everyone freaks out on me for “selling the farm” I would want a SS like Andrus, or Starlin Castro, or Ian Desmond
and a LF like Jason Heyward or Nelson Cruz or Michael Taylor
Any of them would be worth a package of a couple of our top prospects because none of our prospects other than Alonso have that impact potential.
"strikeouts are a lot sexier than groundouts"
I agree that we need some prospects at key positions.
I would look to trade OUR prospects when they are at their peak value. I think only Frazier (and possibly END) fall into this category. Frazier played only 18 minor league games at 3B, posting an ugly .929 FP. His numbers are bad at 2B, SS and 1B, as well. His bat’s not enough to earn a spot as a LF/RF, so I don’t see a place for him with the Reds (nor with an All-Star team). I’d trade him today for a solid Class A catcher.
Give me a lineup of 9 Ryan Freels, and I'll show you a team that can't pitch.
by PeteyHendrix on Dec 20, 2009 4:34 PM EST up reply actions
see i didnt realize he was that bad defensively
i knew he wasn’t great, but i thought he held his own. This changes my perspective of him a lot, i would be all for trading him.
"strikeouts are a lot sexier than groundouts"
I disagree about his bat not being enough for LF
only in the sense that I believe it may not be developed enough to play LF. His minor league numbers (.296/.367/.491) aren’t far off of Joey Votto’s numbers (.289/.386/.477). Plus, his line drive rate is consistently around 22%, which, along with the 45 doubles he hit last year, leaves me very confident that he will develop the home run power (25-30 HR) to play LF. Even if he doesn’t but is still able to maintain an .850 OPS, he can play LF.
As for defense, you know only 18 games is not enough time to judge a player’s defense at a position, especially using fielding percentage (he only made 3 errors). The biggest downside for Frazier is that the Reds haven’t left him in a position long enough to really be able to get any statistical sense what kind of defender he is. Hopefully their scouts have an idea because the data doesn’t tell us squat.
Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter
right
and from what i’ve heard, the Reds are fully confident that he can play 3B, which is why they havent played him there much. they know he can do it, so they want to see if he can play anywhere else too.
im not sure i agree with this approach, but that’s what ive heard.
"Everything you are doing is bad. I want you to know this."
by Charlie Scrabbles on Dec 20, 2009 5:19 PM EST up reply actions
Frazier needs to get a legimate shot this ST
He looked very very good last year in ST and I think he’s going to be a pretty decent MLB hitter…a Paul O’Neil or better….Mike Cameron even…
Chris was a guy that ... was heavily misunderstood.. the only guys that knew Chris and knew how good of a heart he had, how kind he was, how gentle he was, how soft of a heart he had, were the guys in our locker room, the guys who were close to him, his family." — Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer
Good info, Slyde & Chuck.
But Mads, I don’t think that ST is a great barometer. Playing in front of a lot of scouts and evaluators is good, but the games rarely tell us anything useful.
Give me a lineup of 9 Ryan Freels, and I'll show you a team that can't pitch.
by PeteyHendrix on Dec 20, 2009 5:48 PM EST up reply actions
Prolly right except if you go, you get to see the players in person doing things like 'hitting', 'catching', 'throwing' and 'running real fast'.
Chris was a guy that ... was heavily misunderstood.. the only guys that knew Chris and knew how good of a heart he had, how kind he was, how gentle he was, how soft of a heart he had, were the guys in our locker room, the guys who were close to him, his family." — Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer
If you live in a crappy enough neighborhood...
…you can see “running real fast” every day. :)
Give me a lineup of 9 Ryan Freels, and I'll show you a team that can't pitch.
by PeteyHendrix on Dec 21, 2009 1:07 PM EST up reply actions
Racist!
Wear something sexy to my funeral.
by Pops Daniels on Dec 21, 2009 1:51 PM EST up reply actions
Not in Canada.
Give me a lineup of 9 Ryan Freels, and I'll show you a team that can't pitch.
by PeteyHendrix on Dec 21, 2009 4:12 PM EST up reply actions
the reason Mike is good is because he's a GOD in CF, Mads
not because he’s a great hitter
yeah, I'd say O'Neill was a much better hitter than Cameron
Red Reporter or follow on Twitter: @redreporter
Mike cameron had/has some pop and yes he can play D.
O’Neil was such a whiner and that’s all I have to say about him.
If Todd Frazier is as good as either of theses two the reds would be blessed.
Chris was a guy that ... was heavily misunderstood.. the only guys that knew Chris and knew how good of a heart he had, how kind he was, how gentle he was, how soft of a heart he had, were the guys in our locker room, the guys who were close to him, his family." — Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer
We'd all love a SS or C prospect...
…and Yonder can bring one in return IF the Reds won’t consider Votto as a LF. Otherwise, you have to try to keep both those bats in the lineup.
END/Heisey/Frazier become your trade bait to fill the holes. Frazier is Rolen’s insurance policy (not a great answer, but better than Rosy).
"Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will bury you!"
by "Red" Moskau on Dec 22, 2009 1:44 PM EST up reply actions
Man, when I say that, Slyde calls me names
NYC has a voodoo doll of me and he pokes it with a pin every time I even think these kids won’t save me and management is just lying to me for the 10th consecutive year. And, Charlie…..well, I don’t want to tell you what he has done. too shocking.
At any rate, other GM’s know these could be average MLB’ers with only some chance of an upside. For that reason, I think you have to move them at the deadline (you know about the time some Reds minor league bloggers start believing Zach Stewart will win a Cy Young). The heat of pennant race and prospect’s hot start often befuddles the brain. I think that’s when you strike with a solid Alonso/END deal for the heir apparent at SS.
It is true:)
How do I go on?
If I didn’t like reading your analysis and agree with you 95% of the time, I would just have to run away to fay’s blog!
If you're going to Fay's blog....
Make sure you prepare yourself first.
"Santa Claus doesn't use Craigslist." -- 'tHan
8 of 13 AAA opponents are AL farms
With the DH active in those games, riding the pines isn’t as much of a concern. Whoever is in Louisville will get plenty of ABs and there is enough field time to spread around.
by JasperRed on Dec 21, 2009 1:48 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Good point.
I believe it was Bruce that was the DH when I saw the bats last year. It was only his rehab stint, so he already knew how to field.
Start SEEing motorcycles
Totally agree
I do not think our LF problem will be solved internally with success….unless Wlad has a breakout year. This guy really could be this year’s Nelson Cruz/Carlos Quentin. He went .273/.345/.546 with 6 career minor league seasons and was Seatle’s #5 prospect in 2008.
Frazier could be legitimate but I think he needs to be at 3B or 2B in the big leagues.
Heisey tore up the AFL, but I am still not sold. Rarely does a guy come out of nowhere and become a factor.
Alonso will not play for the Reds unless Votto has an injury.
by Dave from Louisville on Dec 20, 2009 1:27 PM EST up reply actions
not to nitpick
but “This guy really could be this year’s Nelson Cruz/Carlos Quentin”
and
“Rarely does a guy come out of nowhere and become a factor.”
Do not compute. Goofy shit happens in players’ career tracks all the time.
My thinking is that LF can be solved internally, its just a question of how long it’ll take them. I’d rather see 162 games of a solid LF platoon than 102 games of it. I’m just not sure how that’ll happen.
"And then there was the USAID guy in Kandahar who drove a giant pink Cadillac, which the locals set on fire one day. If you wanted to destroy something symbolic during a riot, you just could not do better than that. Good stuff." - Ghosts of Alexander
Yeah, I'd like to give Wlad a real shot with Gomes out
Seattle’s been known for rushing their prospects. A little patience with Wlad could go a long ways.
If he makes contact with the ball...then you will be correct sir....
Chris was a guy that ... was heavily misunderstood.. the only guys that knew Chris and knew how good of a heart he had, how kind he was, how gentle he was, how soft of a heart he had, were the guys in our locker room, the guys who were close to him, his family." — Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer
Bladdy: "Jesus, I like him very much, but he no help with curveball."
Give me a lineup of 9 Ryan Freels, and I'll show you a team that can't pitch.
by PeteyHendrix on Dec 20, 2009 4:36 PM EST up reply actions
Damn you funny PH
Chris was a guy that ... was heavily misunderstood.. the only guys that knew Chris and knew how good of a heart he had, how kind he was, how gentle he was, how soft of a heart he had, were the guys in our locker room, the guys who were close to him, his family." — Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer
END in LF
Dickerson and Wlad the Man Impaler as your extra OF.
Frazier/Alonso = trade bait (Alonso should have never been drafted, Reds stupidly passed on Beckham)
Nix- Cut in spring training
Dorn- Non-factor
Heisey- AAA
First time I shot her, shot her in the side.
Hard to watch her suffer, but with the second shot she died...
Beckham was the better pick
because he plays on the left side of the IF, but Alonso is still a defensible choice. Beckham is a 3B/LF candidate, while Alonso is a 1B/DH type. They both put up similarly gaudy numbers in college. The Reds saw something in Alonso over Beckham and I think he still has a chance to be as valuable as Beckham over the long haul – especially if Beckham’s defense isn’t up to par at 3B.
I think you stick Heisey in LF vs. lefties, play Dickerson and Wlad against righties and let Dickerson have a chance to win CF. Frazier, Francisco and Alonso are tradeable at the deadline if the Reds are in the hunt, otherwise why not take a full year to evaluate who might provide the best value at 1B-LF vs. who has the best perceived trade value.
I think who gets dealt depends a great deal on what happens at short.
Yeah, those guys and the Cincinnati Reds. They're a terrible football team. / Because they're a baseball team? / Exactly. You know who's the worst football team? The Philadelphia Flyers. - Best Show
by RijoSaboCaseyWKRP on Dec 21, 2009 12:15 PM EST up reply actions
Beckham was indeed the better pick
wonder if anyone called that ahead of time?
"Nate Silver is a genius" .... BK
This one blew me away
Smoak is a switch hitter adn higher on everyone’s boards
by Dave from Louisville on Dec 23, 2009 9:59 AM EST up reply actions
he spent most of last year hurt
"There is no harder thing than to have Glenn Beck outlive your child."-The Onion
by justin007000 on Dec 27, 2009 12:17 PM EST up reply actions
Won't happen...
Chris ain’t got it and Wlad is never going to amount to much more than we what we’ve seen..a power bat off the bench.
Nix will porbably start in AAA
Dorn – who cares
Heisey…There’s your trade bait unless Stubbs falls complete flat on his face
And everyone seems to forget that Wily is still a possibility..
Chris was a guy that ... was heavily misunderstood.. the only guys that knew Chris and knew how good of a heart he had, how kind he was, how gentle he was, how soft of a heart he had, were the guys in our locker room, the guys who were close to him, his family." — Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer
Platooning sucks
The easy way out of this is to continue to put a slash mark between two average or questionable prospects and say you have solved the problem. This works when you find an outfield that you can pencil in every day against anybody/everybody.
Guys who get 254 AB a season don’t ever mature in a lineup. If they can’t play defense, dismiss them to Lousyville where they can learn.
Baker ain’t this crisp, folks. Reduce his chances of failing by reducing his choices.
It's a good point about Baker
Dusty-proofing is always a concern. But I really don’t think the Reds can muster a truly full-time LF this year. It’s the art of the possible — I don’t see how some kind of platoon is avoided this year.
Gomes has jagged platoon splits and poor defense.
Dickerson can’t hit lefties.
Wlad has hit righties very well in the minors, lefties not as much.
Heisey has hit lefties very well in the minors, righties not as much.
And both Heisey and Wlad have non-existent or questionable major league resumes, while they’re ceilings are too low to really justify a Jay Bruce-like installation as fulltime starters. Auditioning them in as part-time OFers makes a lot more sense.
Juan Francisco and Todd Frazier have yet to complete a full year at AAA. They’re best bet to play full time is in Lousville. I’d add that l Nino has a .281 lifetime OBP vs. lefties.
There’s nothing doing on the free agent market and if the Reds are going to shed prospects this year, it really ought to be for a shortstop.
Yeah, those guys and the Cincinnati Reds. They're a terrible football team. / Because they're a baseball team? / Exactly. You know who's the worst football team? The Philadelphia Flyers. - Best Show
by RijoSaboCaseyWKRP on Dec 21, 2009 1:09 PM EST up reply actions
Well said!
"Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will bury you!"
by "Red" Moskau on Dec 22, 2009 1:49 PM EST up reply actions
Of course Dudsy might just:
Lead of with CoPat Wily in CF and bat Stumps 2nd in LF…although that would fuck up his formula it would also show that he’s flexible…
Chris was a guy that ... was heavily misunderstood.. the only guys that knew Chris and knew how good of a heart he had, how kind he was, how gentle he was, how soft of a heart he had, were the guys in our locker room, the guys who were close to him, his family." — Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recent FanShots
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
