March 17, 2014 - I dragged myself out of bed early to check out the morning workout at the Reds Player Development Complex. They have workouts every day except off days, but it's easiest when there's a home game, and it's a day game, and the previous day's game was also a day game. Night games kind of disrupt the schedule.
The main practice field, where the big leaguers usually work out.
Jack Hannahan, lolling about on the grass, the lazy bum.
Just kidding, of course. He was stretching.
It was mostly infielders when I was there. Not sure where the outfielders were.
Joey played catch with Mesoraco and one of the infielders. Hannahan, maybe? They were throwing frozen ropes, while he was throwing looping rainbows. They ragged on him a little for it. "Don't you have more than that?" "I have enough!"
I did see Billy Hamilton.
Joey Votto's bag, sitting on the grass.
Fans begged Joey for photos and autographs. He acknowledged them, but politely declined to sign anything or pose for photos, at least then.
After going through a stretching routine, they did an interesting defensive drill. The coaches would call out a situation ("9th inning, no outs, winning run on third, infield in!") and everyone would take the positions they would take in that situation. The pitcher would toss a pitch at the hitter, and the fielders would react as they would in that situation in a real game.
Here's Jim Riggleman, pretending to be a runner.
They made fun of him for being old, calling, "We need a cane at first! Cane needed at first!" I think BP started it.
There was a lot of joking around, but it was serious, too. Poor Kristopher Negron got called out when he let a ball get past him. "Negron, you have to get that!"
Corky Miller, taking his turn as a baserunner.
Brandon Phillips at second.
The pitchers are lined up along the first base line, waiting to take their turn in the drill. The pitches thrown were half speed or less; the point was to field their positions, not pitch.
Mat Latos was there.
Here Joey is hamming it up, reacting to a coach being hit by a ball that was thrown in from the outfield.
Joey talking to manager Bryan Price behind the batting cage.
Fox Sports Ohio set up to tape Jim Day and Chris Welsh right in front of me.
As the workout ended, Brandon Phillips ran at Jonathan Broxton and jumped on him.
Broxton kind of ignored him.
Latos stayed after most of the players left. He was running up and down the berm between the practice field and the street. I guess players use it for conditioning.
Someone put a green cap on his head. Backwards.
He and Ramon Santiago appear to be good friends.
The buses started to arrive to take the players to the ballpark. Some fans stay and try to get autographs as the players board the bus, but I headed to the ballpark myself. Though I walked. Don't think they'd let me on the bus.