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.

Los Angeles Lakers: New Piece of the Puzzle Just Doesn't Fit

Last year's magical run left Laker fans spoiled. No major riffs between players, no lapse in effort, and every player knew their role and embraced it.

This year's squad just isn't the same.

Kobe Bryant is the same dude. He can put up 25 in his sleep. He knows exactly what it takes to win and has the determination and drive to do it. I loved hearing that he worked on his post moves all summer with Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon.

He knows he doesn't have the lift he used to when he was posterizing players left and right. Bryant's game is still just as effective with mid-range jumpers, fade-aways, and up-and-unders. He epitomizes the way an aging super-star should play.

He isn't the problem. Neither is Lamar Odom. His rebounding off the bench kills opposing second teams. He is averaging just under 10 boards in addition to his 10 points a game on 46 percent shooting. While Mr. Kardashian may have grabbed a few headlines in the offseason, he has been all business this season.

How about Pau Gasol? His numbers don't lie...17 points and 11 rebounds a game is nothing to sneeze at. His impressive 53 percent shooting shows that his shot selection has been superb. No problems with Mr. Gasol.

The emergence of Andrew Bynum has been fun to watch. He went from an 18-year-old softy to a legit third-banana on a Championship-caliber team. Problem is, he still can't shake the injury bug that has plagued him his entire career. A healthy Bynum is a necessity for the 2010 Lakers run.

Will he be healthy? That's the $100,000 question.

And the million dollar question? The one and only Ron Artest.

The man can play, that's obvious. He used to be the best defender in the entire NBA. Today he is still in the Top 10.

Problem is, Artest can't seem to find his comfort level in Phil Jackson's triangle offense. Watching him out there makes me think he doesn't understand the basic ball-moving concepts of the offense, thus disrupting the flow.

He makes bad decisions on the fast break and makes a few plays a game that leave you scratching your head. You get the sense that he is desperately trying to fit in, but it's almost April and he has yet to do so.

"With Ron, there's a little synapse there, a little delayed reaction," Coach Jackson said. "That's just Ron, regardless. All the guys have had to get used to it."

Trevor Ariza was the perfect fit due to his on-the-ball quickness and good decision making. Artest hasn't shown those two qualities.

Ariza was fit nicely into the puzzle, while Artest is trying to cram into a space that just doesn't connect to the other pieces of the puzzle.

Artest even admits as much.

"He probably is," Artest said. "He's a role player, a great role player. I haven't been a role player. Many times I've had to carry the load, this is a different look for me."

And it's frustrating to watch. He is trying to shed the crazed image he created and groomed over the years. He has been a model citizen amidst the madness that is L.A. But for whatever reason, he just doesn't fit this Lakers team.

All is not lost. I think Artest still has the opportunity to figure it all out. But the window is closing as the playoffs are fast approaching.

Bynum needs to get healthy fast. Artest needs to figure things out. If both occur, we have defending World Champs on our hands.

If not, the parade will be in Denver or Cleveland this year.

Ohio St Proves Quality Over Quantity Works

The skeptics are all over the Ohio State Buckeyes lack of depth.

“How can they survive two games in two days,” ask the critics.

It’s a simple answer… it’s about the quality not to quantity in 2010.

Ohio State is not a deep team.

The Buckeyes regularly play a rotation of no more than six to seven guys. The top four players average at least 34 minutes a game and it isn't uncommon for a few to play the entire 40 minutes.

On Sunday against the No. 10 seeded Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the Buckeyes had three players go the distance while the other two starters played 36 and 31 minutes. That's a lot! But it doesn't matter due to the way the game has changed.

With the integration of T.V. there is a mandatory timeout called at a dead ball on four separate occasions each half. Each team is awarded four timeouts per half, eight for the game. So we are up to a potential for 16 timeouts in a game.

Add that to whistle-happy referees calling more fouls than ever before and the outcome is a game of stop-and-go. There are so many opportunities to rest during a game now that it's not a big deal to go the full 40 minutes.

Not to mention the whole "these guys are 18-22 and are at their physical peak" theory.

Make no mistake about it, the quality is certainly there. Junior do-everything guard Evan Turner won the Oscar Robertson Trophy, presented annually to the national player of the year in college basketball by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Turner returned from missing six games with a back injury to lead the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding. Including his two NCAA Tournament games, he is averaging 20 points and a shade over nine rebounds per game. He was only a rebound and assist away from a triple double on Sunday against Georgia Tech.

The veteran leader David Lighty (the only remaining member of the Greg Oden led final-four team) has shown excellent veteran leadership while averaging over 12 points and four rebounds a game.

Sharp shooting junior guard Jon Diebler forces a defender to shield him at all times due to his red-hot 42 percent shooting from behind the arc.

Dallas Lauderdale, the 6'8 junior forward, supplies the bulk in the paint. He is averaging five-and-a-half rebounds a game while banging with the other teams best big man.

This brings me to the one problem the Buckeyes face...foul trouble. OSU can't afford for any of their starters to get in early foul trouble. This is especially the case for Lauderdale.

They don't have the depth to lose the big fella for an extended period of time. Yet somehow the Buckeyes have done a solid job of shielding this chink in their armor.

Credit must be given to coach Thad Matta for teaching the proper way to defend in the post without hacking the other guy. Credit must also be given to Turner, whom is terrific at avoiding the ticky-tack fouls that so many players fall victim to.

The No. 2 seeded Buckeyes will be in St. Louis Friday at 7:30 to take on the No. 6 seeded Tennessee Vols in the regional finals of the Midwest bracket. No. 5 seed Michigan State will play No. 9 seed Northern Iowa 30 minutes after the first game.

I can’t picture a scenario where the Buckeyes won't be dancing their way to Indianapolis and the final-four. They are much more disciplined and better coached than the Vols, and they have already beaten the Spartans at Michigan St. with a healthy Kalin Lucas.

The need to have a deep bench is simply not as important as it used to be. So what if the OSU bench isn't very good. The starters are all more than capable of taking a ride down the final-four highway.

Ohio Bobcats Do the Impossible!

This is why you love sports. This is why the NCAA tournament is the greatest event in all of sports. This is why you stick with your team, even when they look to have no chance.

The (14) Ohio University Bobcats did the unthinkable. In a game where they never trailed, the Bobcats dominated the (3) Georgetown Hoyas 97-83.

As an Ohio alum, I feel qualified to say that this is the biggest win for the school in the past 40 years—maybe ever. This team was under .500 in the MAC! They had to win four games in the MAC tournament as a No. 9 seed. They got blown out by the only Big East team they played (Pitt) by 25.

None of it mattered on Thursday night.

Armon Bassett is a certified legend in Athens, Ohio. The Indiana transfer dropped a game-high 32 on a team that had no way of stopping him. Time and time again, he blew by the Hoya guards and finished strong over the weak help defense. He hit everything, pull-ups, hand-in-their-face fade-aways, and was 5-for-10 from behind the three-point line.

The media keeps asking who on Georgetown should be blamed.

In reality, OU simply played lights out. They had an answer for every G-Town comeback. Every time the Hoyas would cut the lead to single digits—Bobcat nation began to panic.

Everyone except the players, that is. Never once did the team look scared or nervous. The 'Cats only had 11 turnovers.

"They were spectacular, to tell you the truth," coach John Thompson said. "They handled everything we threw at them."

Eventually even Greg Monroe, the Hoyas' best player on both ends, seemed in awe. He was twice called for traveling and twice for charges while trying to find his way to the basket, as he finished with 19 points.

Bassett's partner-in-crime turned out to be freshman D.J. Cooper. He dropped 23 points while dishing out eight assists and three swipes.

One of the steals was a ESPN top play. Cooper had one of those YouTube plays that will be viewed over and over.

It was a clean strip of Georgetown's Jason Clark followed by a full-speed half-court sprint, capped by a gorgeous alley-oop that floated near the rim before teammate DeVaughn Washington slammed it home.

"You can sit and talk tactics and strategy, and at the end of the day, sometimes it just comes down to players making plays," Thompson said. "And those two kids, over and over again, made plays, regardless of how we approached it."

The win sends Ohio (22-14) to a second-round game against No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday at Providence. Can they do it again? Could former Thad Matta assistant at Butler, Xavier, and Ohio State John Groce play OSU in the sweet 16?

You know who I'm rooting for.

Think sports don't matter? Check out the scene on campus after this epic event.

Worst No. 1 Seed Duke Gets Easiest Final Four Road

Wow. Just wow. Some how the Duke Blue Devils have by far the easiest path to Indianapolis and the final four.

After a cake walk to the ACC championship, a No. 1 seed seemed likely for the Dukies. The consensus was they were the weakest one seed and could potentially fall to a two seed, getting bumped by Big East tournament champ West Virginia.

Duke ended up getting the third No. 1 over Syracuse. If you compare the overall body of work, the two were similar (Duke had more L's). The biggest difference was the fact that 'Cuse beat Georgetown twice, while Duke got spanked by the Hoyas.

A minor gripe that can be forgiven.

The problem lies in the teams placed in the South region alongside the Blue Devils.

Villanova, the two seed, lost five of it's last seven games. Typically the strongest two seeds are paired with the weakest one seed. In this case West Virginia was the strongest followed by Ohio State. Yet the committee inexplicably put OSU in Kansas' bracket and WVU in Kentucky's.

Another head scratcher, but the gift wrapped bracket for Duke gets even better.

The three seeded Baylor Bears have lost to the likes of Alabama and Colorado and don't exactly strike fear into the top tier teams. This is especially the case when you compare Baylor to legit three seed threat's Georgetown and Pittsburgh.

Four seeded Purdue is a shell of it's self due to the torn ACL of star Robbie Hummel. They were last seen barely squeaking out a win over Northwestern and getting hammered by 27 to Minnesota. Considering Maryland, Vanderbilt, and Wisconsin were the other four's—Purdue is clearly the weakest. Oh and Duke lost to the Terps and the Badgers.

Texas A&M is slotted as the fifth seed. Another stretch that just so happens to be in the Blue Devil's region. Michigan St, Temple and Butler all have better resumes as the other five seeds.

One of the biggest surprises of the entire tournament is Notre Dame getting a six seed. A perennial bubble team up until last week, now they are a six seed?

The Richmond Spiders are properly ranked as a seven seed, no qualms with that, but California isn't worthy of an eight seed. Their lack of quality wins is a joke.

Going over the top eight teams in the south region, every single one of them is over-seeded with the exception of Richmond. How is this fair?

Kansas and Kentucky should be the teams rewarded because they were the top two teams this year. Yet Kansas must go through the gantlet of OSU, G-town, MD, and MSU. Kentucky must potentially beat the best No. 2 in WVU.

Why did Duke get such preferential treatment?

The Dukies havn't beaten a team seeded better than fifth in the nine years since their last championship. This team was prime for an upset in a stronger bracket.

But alas, the cupcake South is set up very nicely for Duke. Needless to say, I am strongly considering a Louisville upset in round two.

Are The Steelers The New Bengals Off The Field??

For years the running joke in the NFL has been the extensive criminal records of the Cincinnati Bengals. Owner/G.M. Mike Brown has been given the "redeemer" tag on many occasions. He loves to take the high risk/high reward players. He ignores the off-the-field stuff.

But over the past three years, it has been their division rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have been making the headlines for the wrong reasons.

Let's start with the most obvious.

QB Ben Roethlisberger has been involved in some sort of controversy in three of the past five off-seasons. First it was the reckless driving of a motorcycle without a helmet. How can a guy with the concussion problems of Big Ben not wear one?

Roethlisberger did not have a valid Pennsylvania motorcycle license at the time of the accident, only a temporary permit that he had obtained after moving to Pittsburgh which had expired four months earlier. Roethlisberger would later say in interviews that paramedics on the scene stopped the bleeding in his throat just in time to save his life.

Last July Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting Harrah's casino executive Andrea McNulty, 31, in his hotel room while he was in Lake Tahoe for a celebrity golf tournament. He allegedly called her into his room to fix his T.V. When she determined it was working just fine he blocked her from leaving and began kissing her. According to the lawsuit, McNulty required hospitalization for depression after the alleged attack.

Last week, a 20 year-old female has accused him of sexual assault at a college bar in Milledgeville, Ga. KDKA, the CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh, reported Roethlisberger told police he did not have sexual intercourse with the woman. He said he had contact with the woman and afterward she slipped and fell, injuring her head.

He may be innocent of the two allegations, but either way his reputation has taken a massive hit over the past year. But he seemingly doesn't care, he continues to put himself in situations that turn into a "he said, she said" ordeal. The latest charge could turn into a painfully drawn out case that sucks millions of dollars in court fees and advertising away from Big Ben

I'm sure he will get out of the charges because he has money, and power, but he has certainly lost everyone's respect.

The QB grabs the headlines, but what about other Steeler mishaps?

Santonio Holmes was busted for smoking marijuana mid-season in 2008, not to mention his domestic violence charges in '06 that were later dropped. All was forgiven when he won Super Bowl MVP.

The kicker Jeff Reed is a one man disorderly conduct storm, collecting two separate charges over the past year. One was for destroying a gas station bathroom.

In March 2008, star LB James Harrison was arrested and charged with simple assault and criminal mischief stemming from a domestic altercation with his girlfriend.

Those are just the current players. Check out the rap sheets on former players (not including the infamous Plaxico Burress).

TE Johnathan Dekker was arrested in January 2009 and charged with obstruction of justice. In March 2008, WR Cedrick Wilson is arrested for simple assault, harassment, and disorderly conduct.

In June 2007, a 19 year-old woman accused LB Richard Siegler of spending several months persuading her to become a prostitute, and he took the first $450 she earned. Najeh Davenport was charged with child endangering, domestic violence, and unlawful restraint after a dispute with the mother of his son in October 2007.

All the above players were cut soon after the charges were filed. The Rooney family sends a loud an clear message: Don't get arrested or you will be cut... unless you are a good player. But since their reputation isn't like the Bengals, fans around the country look at each incident and are surprised.

With the Bengals the general consensus is "just another Bengal arrest". Well it's time for that perception to change. The Bengals did have the Rey Maualuga DUI setback, but other than that they have been quiet in the police blotter for the past three years.

In the past thee years, it's the Pittsburgh Steelers that are making the headlines off the field.

Cincinnati Bengals: No to T.O, Yes to Antonio Bryant

The Cincinnati Bengals needed a wide receiver desperately, and their needle looked to be pointing in Terrell Owens direction. Chad Ochocinco openly campaigned for the 14-year veteran to join the Bengals ever since the Pro Bowl. But alas, they decided that the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Antonio Bryant was the better fit.

The deal is worth $28 million over four years, and he can gain an extra million through incentives, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer's Joe Reedy. Official word from the team isn't expected until tomorrow. Everyone knew the Bengals needed a deep threat at receiver after the Chris Henry tragedy, and Bryant and Owens had emerged as the top two candidates.

Bryant made a visit to the Bengals team facilities on Tuesday, but left town without a deal. Rumors surfaced that the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins were also interested.

The contract is very similar to the one given to Laveranues Coles last year. We all know how that one turned out; I am very surprised by the move. Yes, the 6’1" Bryant is the tall receiver QB Carson Palmer craves (or at least according to Coles), and has big play ability, averaging over 15 yards per catch over his career. But this guy isn’t a Pro Bowl talent.

Two seasons ago, Bryant caught 83 passes for 1,248 yards and seven touchdowns with the Buccaneers. This was by far his best year. In 2009, he was effected by a knee surgery that repaired torn cartilage, and his production dropped to 39 receptions for 600 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games. Not exactly eye-popping numbers for a guy set to make seven million dollars a year.

The fact is, for his eight-year career, he has averaged fewer than four TDs a game and a measly 710 receiving yards—not worth the money he's getting.

The 29-year-old Bryant was drafted by Dallas in 2002, and has also played with the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers in addition to the Bucs. Last year he received a franchise tag from the Buccaneers and was paid $10 million for the one-year deal.

Owens arrived Tuesday night and visited the team on Wednesday, tweeting his happiness on the way out. Now it looks like the Bengals will not sign him.

They could have had a guy with a Hall of Fame caliber career. They could have had a guy that is a home-run threat on any given play. They could have had a guy that has averaged over 10 TDs and 1,068 yards per season over his 14-year career (Not to mention T.O. would have come at a bargain bin price).

Sure he saw a drop in production with the Bills in 2009 (829 yards and five TDs), but who was his quarterback? Ryan Fitzpatrick. Every Bengals fan knows what happens when he is your QB. Critics thought Ochocinco was washed up after a dismal 2008 with Fitzpatrick behind center: This year he was once again a Pro Bowler.

They also could have had a guy that has proven time and time again that he can destroy a locker room at the drop of a dime. But last year he was a model citizen with the Buffalo Bills. He bit his tongue every time a reporter laid the bait. He was finally showing signs of maturity.

In the end, all of Ochocinco’s public campaigning for T.O. went for naught. Two alpha dogs were prepared to share the ball and spotlight. Such is a rarity among the diva’s that are big play wide receivers in the NFL.

It appears that the Bengals flirted with Owens to appease Ochocinco, and possibly for leverage on Bryant. It also looks like internal discussions regarding a possible run at Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall were a tactic to knock down the expectations of both Bryant and T.O.

Maybe Bryant goes onto to have a stellar career as a Bengal. The problem is that questions surround Bryant’s health and overall production. The questions regarding the “look at me” side of T.O. were answered last year. The production and health subjects were never in question.

Bengal fans are left with 99 other questions regarding the passing game, but T.O. ain't one.

Red in the Face: Cincinnati's Five Worst Free Agent Signings

While the Reds have made plenty of bad trades over the years, historically they haven’t gotten torched for signing the wrong free agents. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t five worthy candidates.

Willy Taveras

The following players have sucked money out of the Reds wallets like a vacuum while giving the team next to nothing on the field. Highway robbery indeed.

Yeah he was only with the Reds for a year, but his awful performance gave Reds fans nightmares all last summer. His prediction of swiping 90 stolen bases before the season excited Red fans. Cincinnati hasn’t had any speed in the lead off position in years. Finally a guy that could get on base, cause havoc on the base paths, and a solid center fielder was going to play at Great American Ballpark. That was the idea anyway.

Instead he was one of the absolute worst everyday players in all of baseball last year. Speed is great when you can get on base, but Taveras couldn’t figure out the first part. His OPS (.275) and 18 walks were abysmal for a guy batting in the eight hole—let alone a lead off hitter.

Dusty had plenty of excuses for the guy since he convinced management to drop 6.25 million over two years on Taveras. But even he backed off after the All-Star break. Taveras was shelved with a bogus hamstring injury and was a spot starter for the rest of the season.

The Reds were forced to play a rookie fresh off the farm prematurely in Drew Stubbs just to ensure they could cut ties with this small market money killer. He was traded to the A’s in the off-season. Good riddance.

Jimmy Haynes

The Georgia native actually pitched pretty well with his first year as a Red in 2002. He went 15-10 while posting a 4.12 ERA (which is excellent for Reds pitchers during this time frame).

Once again a free agent, the Reds re-upped on Haynes. Whoops.

Haynes got absolutely rocked throughout the ’03 campaign—to the tune of a 2-12 record with an eye-popping 6.3 ERA. His 1.8 WHIP was down right frightening, until he pitched again in 2004.

How do you follow up a 14 winning percentage? How about a 9.6 ERA and win less record? Needless to say, this was Haynes last season in the majors.

Joey Hamilton

After posting a 5.89 ERA with the Blue Jays in 2001, the Reds took a stab at him, and was named the opening day starter in ’02. What high hopes G.M. Jim Bowden had.

A 4-10 and 5.27 ERA later—the Reds still refused to give up on the one time solid hurler. Once again Hamilton disappointed the Reds, getting rocked to the tune of a 12.66 ERA before the Reds said enough is enough and released him.

How bad was the ’02 Reds rotation for this guy take the hill for opening day? No wonder the playoff drought is 19 years and counting.

Corey Patterson

Dusty Baker’s first big move as manager of the Reds was to severely over pay a player that had never lived up to expectations. The sad thing was, Baker witnessed Patterson’s terrible bat as head honcho of the Cubs.

Dusty saw something in him that clearly nobody else had seen. The Reds threw $3M to the guy right before spring training began. If he was still available right before the season, clearly his phone is not ringing off the hook. They could have had him for a fraction of the cost.

And how did Patterson return the favor? The opening day lead off man mustered a comedic .205 average, 16 walks (nine caught stealing), and a .238 OBP in 366 plate AB’s. He failed in every single offensive category. The stats speak for themselves.

What you don’t know from the back of his baseball card is the comedic reactions Dusty received anytime he was asked if Patterson was playing just because he was dating his daughter at the time. He was the ’08 Taveras. Will somebody please stop Dusty from making any more decisions on lead off hitters!

Eric Milton

A fly ball pitcher in Great American “Small” Park? Not exactly a match made in heaven. The 2004 Reds pitching staff was abysmal. Jose Acevedo (5-12 5.94 ERA) was the third starter!

So G.M. Dan O’Brian figured he needed to make a splash in his first full off-season with the team. He threw $25M small market dollars to Milton.

Too bad it turned out to be a tidal wave of disappointment. In ’05, Milton was the equivalent of a pitcher throwing to hitters at the home-run derby. He gave up 40 dingers and 134 total runs. His 8-15 record matched his 6.47 ERA and 1.55 WHIP.

In his three year stint with the Reds Milton went 16-27 with a 5.83 ERA. The Reds shelved him after going 0-4 only six starts in ’07 as common courtesy to a guy that was getting beat to a pulp. The Reds released him as soon as the ’07 season came to an end.

Congrats Milton, you are the worst signing in the 140 plus years of the Reds franchise.

Aaron Harang and the Significance of Starting Opening Day

Cincinnati Reds' manager Dusty Baker has announced that Aaron Harang will once again take the ball for the first game of the regular season in 2010.

He has been has starter the opener every year since 2006. Harang's fifth consecutive Opening Day ties the team record set by Pete Donohue (1923-27) and Mario Soto (1982-87).

You really have to pitch well the previous year to receive this honor right?

Wrong.

Harang is coming off consecutive six-win stinkers. His record the past two season is 12-31 with a 4.50 ERA. Does that look like the numbers of an "ace"? He has battled various injuries ever since Baker pitched him four innings on three days rest in an 18-inning game against the San Diego Padres in '08.

Last year the Reds best starting pitcher was clearly Bronson Arroyo. He won 15 games with a 3.84 ERA. He has been the model of consistency during Harang's struggles, pitching at least 200 innings all four seasons he has been with the Reds. In fact, Arroyo hasn't missed a start since high school.

Baseball is America's pastime. It has been in the DNA of U.S. citizens since 1869. The fans of the game care deeply about legacies, stats, and pride. The same simply can't be said about football, basketball, and hockey in this country.

Being named the opening day starter for your team is considered the highest of honors for a starting pitcher. It means that the manger wants YOU to have the chance to pitch the most innings for the team. The manager trusts YOU with going up against the other teams best. The opening day starter is considered the "ace" of the entire pitching staff.

But I think this old tradition certainly doesn't mean as much as it used to.

With so many off days, rain-outs, injuries, and minor league call-ups—the No. 1 will only face the other teams No. 1 a hand-full of times throughout the marathon season.

The allure of being the opening day starter has to do with the traditionalists of the game. Sure it's an honor, but it means next to nothing come May.

And this is why Dusty went with Harang. He is rewarding him for his long tenure as a Red (entering his eighth season, by far the most of any current player). He knows it's a pride thing for Harang, while Arroyo could care less:

“I’d rather enjoy that day and soak in all the festivities,” Arroyo said.

“It’s not a big deal for me to pitch in the one hole. I pitched in the five hole in Boston. I ended up throwing against five No. 1s in one season. Once you get a rain-out, one off day, somebody’s a little sore and they get bumped back a day, match-ups don’t matter—until you get to the playoffs."

Well that and the night owl Arroyo is MUCH more comfortable pitching at night than during the day—in 2009 to the tune of 13 night wins versus two during the day and over a run difference in ERA. Too bad Baker has slotted Arroyo third after the young hurler Johnny Cueto. Guess what time game three is... 12:35 p.m. So much more that logic, Dusty.

As spring training rolls on, remember that this whole naming a opening day starter thing is really not important. It certainly wont have an impact on anything that happens in the fall. Even Baker agrees:

"After day one it doesn't really matter anyway."

Terrelle Pryor's Knee Worse Than Previously Expected?

Was Terrelle Pryor playing with a severe knee injury?

His routine surgery to strengthen a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament three weeks ago turned into a much more extensive procedure. The doctor found additional issues within the tear according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Pryor told the media before the Rose Bowl that he had been dealing with a slight PCL injury. Sunday at a team charity event in Columbus, he said that the arthroscopy was performed on his left knee, not the right as the school announced in early February.

Pryor has begun strength training but hasn't rejoined team workouts. He is expected to be back in time for spring practice in April.

"You lose a type of leadership," Pryor said of missing the team workouts. "I laid at home for about five days and then I went in and started to do upper body [workouts]. My upper body got real weak because I was sitting at home taking pain pills and I lost a lot of weight because I wasn't really eating."

Anybody else find it strange that the Buckeyes would announce an injury to the wrong leg of their star quarterback? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Not sure if Ohio St. is trying to cover up the severity of the injury or Pryor is embellishing it. Considering the fact that Pryor is scheduled to be back in time for spring practice, it's no big deal. But why even mention it? Is he making excuses for his mediocre play in the second half of the season? Lots of un-answered questions in this whole situation.

This is the type of thing that would be much bigger news if it happened in the fall, but no big deal in March.

Odd story either way.