Does this man have another 256 wins left in the tank?
Mark Sheldon: Heisey hopes to make bigs in 2010 Few Reds prospects made strides like Chris Heisey last year. And now, with a good spring he just might make the OD roster: "I think right now, subject to changes on the club, he should be a guy that comes to camp with an opportunity along with anyone else competing for that position like [Chris] Dickerson and [Wladimir] Balentien," general manager Walt Jocketty said. If they're really gonna play him, that's fine. But if he's going to be on the bench next to Dusty I'd rather see him get at-bats in Louisville.
Ben Sheets works out for Reds, others The Reds were one of several teams observing RHP Ben Sheets, who threw before scouts Tuesday at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. The Rangers, Mets, and Cubs are reportedly the favorites. Per the article: According to a report on AOL Fanhouse, Sheets first threw 20 fastballs in the workout, topping out at 91 mph. He then threw another 20 pitches, half of them curveballs. In his third session, Sheets' fastball topped out at 88 mph and the pitcher looked "gassed," the report said. Sheets is believed to be seeking a two-year deal.
FOX Sports Ohio to broadcast classic Reds games As they've done the past couple of years, FSN Ohio will be showing several classic Reds games leading up to spring training. The series begins on Monday, January 25th at 10:30pm, with new episodes on Mondays at 8pm. The first broadcast will be the 4,192 hit game from 9/11/85.
Nachos Grande has 37 Barry Larkin cards Including a recently acquired 1991 Score. The back of the card quotes Eric Davis raving about Larkin's bat control, a point raised by Slyde in a thread earlier this month. I never had a prolific Larkin card collection, but I did have an 8 by 11 folder of a blowup of Larkin's '88 Topps.
THT: Best stuff of the 2009 rookies Let it be known that at 87.5 mph, Matt Maloney had the fifth-slowest average fastball among 2009 rookies. Mr. 007000, clearly you should stop calling Maloney the next Tom Glavine and instead anoint him the next Jamie Moyer. Can we still consider him a prospect?
Reds.com - Path of the Pros: Micah Owings Although the two-way talent 'refused to lose' in the Minor Leagues, he's had to accept a lot of losing at the major league level. I'd love to see him bring his walk rate (4.8/9 IP in 2009) down to his rookie level (2.9). With a bit more control, he can be a very valuable asset as an average-ish starter that can slug like a firstbaseman.
ESPN: Lefty Doug Davis, Milwaukee Brewers reach agreement Apparently LHP Doug Davis has reached a 1-year agreement with Milwaukee for a guaranteed $5.25M. Along with Randy Wolf, Milwaukee has signed two left starters this offseason.
Rob Neyer: What umps' new contract means MLB recently announced a new agreement with its umpires that should improve umpiring in a couple of ways. One, it will allow MLB to more easily select the best umpires for the playoffs. Two, there is a provision that gives MLB the freedom to determine if video replay can be expanded without first negotiating with the umpires. Both are good things for the sport, imo. Apparently the carrot was a 2% raise while the stick was the threat of more Jose Offerman. (HT to Baseball Musings)
Edit: An interview with a Cuban baseball writer was also brought to my attention. Discussion is mostly about Cuba and Cuban baseball rather than Aroldis. The author wrote the Havana Times piece that got some play in Cincinnati right after the signing.
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