Brandon Phillips' Comments Backfire as Reds Get Pummeled by Cardinals

“I’d play against these guys with one leg. We have to beat these guys. I hate the Cardinals. All they do is bitch and moan about everything, all of them, they’re little bitches, all of ‘em.

“I really hate the Cardinals. Compared to the Cardinals, I love the Chicago Cubs. Let me make this clear: I hate the Cardinals.”—Reds 2B Brandon Phillips prior to three-game set against the Cardinals this week.

First off, let me say that the comments uttered by Phillips are spot-on. The Cardinals complain about stupid little things like balls being rubbed differently and Bronson Arroyo's hat. Manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan are whiners. The real problem is that they are whiners who are also winners.

Nobody likes the team that beats everyone in a game of basketball yet still complains that the opponents were fouling like crazy. Herein lies the problem Phillips has with the organization—they are complaining about things that don't even affect the win and loss totals for the Cards. They are the divisional powerhouse and are still not satisfied.

So in that regard, Phillips is indeed correct. Many other players around baseball nodded their heads in agreement when they read his comments.

The part of all this I disagree with is the timing of it all. The veteran Cardinals have been on cruise control for most of the 2010 campaign. Why light a 20-foot fire the day you go in the forest? Why give them the motivation needed to beat the crap out of you? Baseball is all about being steady, not getting too up or too down.

That was not the case on Tuesday.

The brawl between the two clubs was a joy to watch—by far the best one of the season, as even the two managers were jawing at each other!

Former Cardinal turned Reds third baseman Scott Rolen was playing peacemaker until the uncalled-for comments of pitcher Chris Carpenter—directed towards Reds manager Dusty Baker—enraged Rolen. Next thing you knew, starting pitcher Johnny Cueto was pinned to the backstop kicking Cardinal players away just to avoid being trampled.

Cardinals catcher Jason LaRue was the only player to get hurt, but plenty of punches and pushes were thrown. I'd say the fight was a draw. And yes, Cardinal fans, you would start kicking people away too if you were pinned against a wall with 50 professional athletes getting shoved in your direction.

The problem is that now it looks as if Rolen and Cueto will be suspended. Carpenter might be the only one on the Cardinals' side to be punished (and I'm sure they will complain about it). All of this stemmed from Phillips' comments.

Now let's talk about actual play on the field.

In a nutshell, the Cards have crushed the Reds over the past three days. A two-game lead for the Reds has turned into a one-game lead for St. Louis. The Cardinals have been playing extremely angrily, and the Redlegs weren't ready for the boost in intensity.

There is no way to judge how much of an impact Phillips' comments had on the Cardinals' performance. Former Cardinal Al Leiter places all the blame on Phillips for the brawl. So is this whole disaster of a series his fault?

No, not at all. Is it his fault that the Reds' pitching has been horrendous? Is it his fault the outfield has looked like there were three Adam Dunns out there? Sure, he only collected two hits in the series, but there were plenty of other problems that could be blamed for this debacle.

But this is not a "ship has sailed" moment either. It's only three of 162 games. There are 50-plus games to go. The two teams play each other one more time in St. Louis in early September. The Reds have the easiest remaining schedule in all of baseball. The NL Central dregs are all still on the slate.

Don't take this series as anything more than what it was. The Reds have shown they aren't ready to take down the older brother just yet—but let's see if they can a month down the road.

Chalk this up as a learning experience for the young Reds. Pennant fever is getting hotter and hotter.

Brandon Phillips Will Never Be the Leader the Cincinnati Reds Need

Brandon Phillips is a good player, one of the best players for the Cincinnati Reds. Yet he continually disappoints fans with his lack of hustle.

Case in point: Tuesday night against the New York Mets.

Phillips laces a pitch off the left- center field wall that ended up taking a weird bounce. Had he been hustling, Phillips would have easily cruised into third with a triple. Instead he admired his hit and managed to only make it to second.

Joey Votto followed Phillips with a deep drive to left-center. Had Phillips been on third he would have been able to trot home on sacrifice fly. Not a big deal? The Mets beat the Reds by one run.

“He’s been talked to about this,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “We’ve talked to Brandon quite often".

Phillips is one of the Reds best players. He plays outstanding defense at second base, and has a Golden Glove to show for it. He has been a career .274 hitter for the Reds and is very durable, having battled various finger and wrist injuries throughout his Redlegs tenure. He's the only Red to play every inning this year.

But he is not the leader the Reds need.

He has claimed in the past of his desire to be the "face of the franchise", and how he wants to play the rest of his career in Cincinnati. Sure, he busts out that huge grin for the annual Reds van PR campaign. He does his part in the community to ensure the Reds maintain a positive image with it's fans.

Unfortunately, he simply doesn't lead by example on the field.

"I guess he’s better than he used to be. We’re trying to get him to the point where he can be a big difference maker every day. He certainly has the skill and ability,” said Baker.

Better than he used to be?? Last year he was called out in a series against the Royals for missing a sign. He was also criticized for lack of hustle on another deep hit that could have been a double or triple. Instead, Phillips got a single out of it.

There is no need to admire the ball you hit Brandon, that's what replays on the scoreboard and game tape are for. The Reds are bad enough on offense as it is (.238 team average), they need every base they can get.

Joey Votto and Scott Rolen hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning of the Mets game, and both players practically sprinted around the bases. Was this a direct signal from the true leaders of the team to Phillips?

Baker has always been a "player's manager," and it really does show with the way he handles Phillips. A day after the gaffe he was once again in the starting lineup, business as usual.

“What’s tough as a manager is when you’ve got an A-student who’s getting Bs,” Baker said.

Time to put Phillips in detention for a few games until he learns his lesson. But will he even get the message?

History says no.

2010 Cincinnati Reds Season Preview

The 2010 baseball season is upon us and that means it's prediction time.

The consensus on the Cincinnati Reds is sleeper status. They have the potential to make a run with their abundance of young talent. On the other hand, a injury here or there and the Reds will be lucky to break the horrid streak of nine straight years finishing below .500.

The problem is there are too many questions.

What if Aroldis Chapman and his 100 mph fastball are called up in June and he takes the National League by storm?

What if Jay Bruce lives up to the sky-high expectations set for him as a 20-year-old rookie?

What if Aaron Harang bounces back from a disgusting 12-31 mark over the past two years?

What if Mike Leake makes fans forget about Chapman as he shows his critics why he's the first pitcher since the '80s to skip the minor leagues completely?

Veteran skipper and ex-big league player Dusty Baker leads the Reds. Plenty of fans in Cincinnati can't wait for the toothpick-toting, armband-wearing manger to be fired. He still carries the "kills young pitching" rep that unjustly followed him from the Chicago Cubs.

He does tinker with the lineup a bit much in regards to always trying to match righties and lefties, but other than that, he has not been the issue in his two years at the helm for the Reds. He hasn't killed any young arms and has done a magnificent job juggling the innings of the No. 3 ranked bullpen.

Francisco Cordero has been the key cog in allowing fans to relax with a one-run lead. He had 39 saves in 43 chances last year, was the only All-Star for the team, and he is the vocal Latino leader in the clubhouse. He is the veteran presence that keeps the likes of young guns Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez grounded and focused.

Combine Cordero with Nick Masset and Arthur Rhodes, and the seventh, eighth, and ninth are in good hands with a lead.

When talking about starting pitching, the biggest question is Harang. I detailed the possibilities here. Long story short, he is possible of anywhere from five to 15 wins—same goes for the amount of losses.

We all know what Bronson Arroyo brings: about a .500 record with a few gems and a few atomic bomb outings. He has never missed a start since high school and will more than likely continue the trend.

The 24-year-old Johnny Cueto was on fire in '09 till the Civil Rights game against the White Sox in mid-June.

He was sporting a 2.17 ERA up until that point. Then the wheels slowly fell off, culminating in allowing nine runs in 2/3 of an inning against the Phillies. Just like that, his ERA jumped to 3.45.

This is the year to see if he can maintain success over the grind of 162 games. He didn't pitch in winter ball and should be able to finally reach the 200-inning plateau after falling about 30 innings short the past two campaigns.

Homer Bailey is also 24. He is also badly needed for the Reds to be successful. Everyone knows about his dominating 6-1 finish to the season—but let's not forget that four of those were against the lowly Pirates.

So, he is still a wild card in my mind. Adding the split-fingered fastball is what most media credit his late season success to. In reality, he only threw the pitch an average of three or four times a game. The jury is still out.

And then there is the new college grad Mike Leake. Boy, oh boy, did he steal Chapman's thunder or what? The Reds No. 1 pick in last year's draft has been flawless to this point.

But I can't say he will be anything better than mediocre considering all the adjustments he will have to make. I know he dominated in the spring, but that's a whole different ballgame. No more minor league hitters getting their reps. No more star Major Leaguers caught off guard by the lack of tape viewed on a new pitcher.

I can see Chapman taking his spot right around June 1. Chapman will blaze through the National League and finish strong. Leake will be back late in the season after a few months of fine-tuning his pitching approach.

The lineup looks good on paper, but that doesn't mean a thing especially when there isn't a sure leadoff hitter.

OF Drew Stubbs and OF Chris Dickerson will swap all year in the leadoff role. Baker is hoping that one of them will emerge as the clear-cut choice. My money is on Stubbs due to his power, but don't count out the superb defense that Dickerson contributes on a nightly basis.

Newly acquired SS Orlando Cabrera quietly hit .171 in the Spring.

Cause for concern, or just another "ehh, it's only Spring training?"

We do know he has a superior glove but it remains to be seen if he can hit in that .275 range required by a good No. 2 guy. I have a bad feeling he won’t. The 35-year-old's bat speed has looked very slow.

1B Joey Votto, 2B Brandon Phillips, and 3B Scott Rolen are the three locks on the squad. You know what to expect by looking at the back of their baseball cards.

They will not be the reason the Reds continue their losing ways in 2010.

If anything, this is the year Votto becomes a household name with a 35 HR, 100-plus RBI, and .320 batting average season. Watch out for the aging Rolen on the injury front.

The other big question mark in '10 is OF Jay Bruce, as documented here. No way can the Reds survive with Bruce hitting in the .220s, but a .260 average with about 35 HR and a decent OPS will do wonders for this lineup. Remember the guy is only 22.

The bottom of the order will be filled with OF Johnny Gomes and OF Laynce Nix. Both have decent power, but need to cut down on the strikeouts. For a team tight on payroll like the Reds, this option will have to do.

Last but not least C Ramon Hernandez will bat eighth. He is a guy that will provide support for all the young pitchers while probably batting .265 in the process. For the Reds, that is all you can ask for from a catcher.

So what does it all mean? The overwhelming trend is that this team is young at key positions. Bruce, Bailey, Cueto, Stubbs, and Leake are all under the age of 24. This means the future is very bright in the Queen City. But this year? Not so much.

As the Reds continue their push to finally have a winning record, they ultimately will fall just a bit short. The depth on the bench is great in the pitching department and awful in the batting lineup. When journeyman Miguel Cairo makes the team after he had all but written himself off? Not a good sign. Paul Janish and Ryan Hannigan? Meh.

I am very intrigued with 3B/OF Juan Francisco. While he has an awful career K/BB rate, his raw power is exciting to watch. He hit .429 in 21 AB after a late September call-up so he has the potential to consistently get base knocks. Watch for him to force his way into the starting lineup by August.

Ultimately, the Reds record will be 79-83 and they will just fall short of breaking the nine-year losing streak.

G.M. Walt Jocketty is laying the bricks, but the concrete is still drying.

The weak bench will hurt when a key offensive injury occurs. Harang will be trade bait as the Reds look to unload the overpaid ($12.5M), one-time ace.

Hate to say it Reds fans, but "wait 'til next year."

Is Jay Bruce Going To Live Up to His Potential in 2010?

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.

Last year, Bruce began to fall in love with the long ball while failing to reach base at a consistent rate. He hit 22 home runs but hit just .223 with a .303 on-base percentage.

Bruce himself wasn't too pleased with his 2009 season.

"I was embarrassed with the way I played last year. I expect way more than what I was doing," Bruce said. "That's not me."

After breaking his wrist against the Mets in July, Bruce was able to sit back and learn from the vets.

He was immediately catapulted into a starting role and never had the chance to soak in the small details that must be grasped in order to be successful at the major league level.

He was able to come back in September, and the difference was noticeable. Upon his return, Bruce hit .375 in 12 games.

Maybe he just needed a mental break after experiencing failure for the first time in his life. Then again, it was only 12 games against the Astros and the Pirates. But he goes into this season with lofty expectations from not only himself, but his coach and teammates as well.

"He hasn't even scratched the surface on what he can do and what he's going to be," said Reds manager Dusty Baker.

"If he hits .223 or whatever he hit, I would be absolutely shocked. I think he's fine," said 1B Joey Votto.

"I think it's a good year for him. Everyone thinks having a bump along the road is a bad thing, I think it's a great thing for him. It happened in the best year for him, when we were losing."

Bruce's stats through 16 games and 40 at-bats aren't drastic improvements—he's hitting .250/.286/.475 this spring—but it sounds like he's feeling much more comfortable at the plate.

"I'm still working on that every day to be consistent," Bruce said earlier this week. "It's going well, I'm making progress, and things are going where they need to be going."

His range in right field is average, but one facet of his game never questioned is his arm strength. He has a cannon for a left arm that will certainly make runners think twice before advancing on his watch.

As Opening Day inches closer, Bruce looks to be a candidate for the five or six spot in the lineup.

Votto and SS Brandon Phillips will provide protection for the slugger. Having Scott Rolen in front of him should enhance his RBI totals.

If he can increase his OPS and cut down on the Ks, the future for Bruce and the Reds is bright.

"Every year there's a buzz around us, they always say we can be the sleeper, dark horse, whatever, but the bottom line is it comes down to doing it," said Bruce.

"We haven't done anything in 10 years and until we do, it's going to be tough to make people believe we're capable of doing it. If we go out and play this year like we know how and take care of business and people stay healthy, we've got as good a chance as anyone. We're as capable of anyone of doing it, but we've got to do it, that's the bottom line."

Bottom line: The Reds will not be successful without a major contribution from Jay Bruce.