Check out my latest Broo View Podcast. It's on the front page of my web site: www.kenbroo.com. You'll hear comments from Xavier players and coaches on their first round match up.
Chad Johnson is shooting his mouth off again. Now, he's saying he'll not only skip voluntary workouts, Johnson is also not committing to playing for the Bengals this season. Hmmmm, seems to me he's under contract in Cincinnati through 2011. And now, the NFL Network says Chad's running buddy, TJ Houshmandzadeh may sit out the workouts too! Check it out here.
Wonder how Marvin Lewis is going to handle all of this, when the voluntary workouts begin Monday. I'm sure his 'spin machine' will be working in over drive.
The Reds had their one and only off day of spring training Wednesday. When they reconvene, Dusty Baker and his staff will have some tough decisions to make. Homer Bailey, Matt Belisle and Josh Fogg are all in a foot race for the fifth and final spot in the rotation. Belisle may win by default, as Bailey, still a decent prospect despite his flat curve ball and shaky attitude, needs to pitch every fifth day. A fifth starter in major league baseball pitches infrequently in the early season.
The other big decision Baker has, is who's on first. Not the Abbott and Costello bit, but rather who starts at first. It appeared to be Joey Votto's job to lose as camp opened. It appears Votto has succeeded in losing it, with a poor hitting performance. Veteran Scott Hatteberg, thought to be a bat off the bench, looks to have regained the job he held the past two seasons. Hatteberg is sorching the ball. Like Bailey, Votto needs to play consistently and won't, sitting on the bench watching Hatteberg. Phenom centerfielder, Jay Bruce has just about punched his ticket to AAA. So it now appears that the three most promising prospects in the Reds system, all given chances to win jobs at the major league level, have failed to do so. Things could change in the final ten days of camp. I wouldn't bet on it.
