Cin City: Votes for Votto, draft prospects and more
The All-Star voting is officially underway and it comes as no surprise to Reds fans (and baseball fans in general, surely) that Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto lead the way in their respective positions.
Phillips is on a mission to overcome what seemed to be an ‘All-Star’ snub last season as he was overlooked for the final selection despite putting up solid numbers at second base, but chasing him in the ballot is Marco Scutaro of the San Francisco Giants. Votto, however, seemingly has his position locked up as his biggest challenge comes from Brandon Belt also of the Giants.
For your chance to get involved in the MLB All Star voting visit the website here
Draft Time
The MLB Draft 2013 is upon us, and although the Reds haven’t stated clearly exactly who it is they’ll be looking for, recent talk suggests that the club will look to build an array of young pitching prospects. A couple of key names to look out for include both pitcher Ian Clarkin and catcher Jonathan Denney.
Ian Clarkin:
James Madison High School – 6’1’’ – 190 pounds
Fastball – Low 90’s
Breaking ball – ‘Plus-Plus’ – Low 70’s
High leg-kick (Think Bronson Arroyo)
Jonathan Denney:
Yukon High School – 6’2” – 205 pounds
Right-handed batter
Known for his defensive skills
Solid/quick swing – Puts a lot of balls into play
Good power – Regularly reaches extra bases
Can also play at the corner infield positions
Week gone by
The Reds will consider the Ohio Cup battle a little disappointing considering they got off to a hot start posting two consecutive victories at Great American Ballpark before falling in Cleveland to split the series 2-2. Cincinnati got back to winning ways, however, taking a 2-1 series victory on the road in Pittsburgh against the Pirates managing to gain a few games over a team who are fighting to shrug off the critics who see this as a temporary surge from the Pirates.
The Big One
It’s the one we’ve all been waiting for. Beginning this Friday 7th June, the Reds take on division rivals St. Louis Cardinals at home in Great American Ballpark. Coming into the game the Reds know that a series win (or better yet a clean sweep) will push them to the top of the division. The probable pitchers sketched in at the moment are Matt Latos, Mike Leake and Bronson Arroyo who will take responsibility on the mound for this series that will mean so much to both sides.
