Hernandez Signs Deal With Rockies

The Reds bid farewell to Hernandez, who
spent the last 3 seasons with the club

As expected, free agent and former Reds catcher Ramon Hernandez has signed a deal with a team outside Cincinnati, pending a physical. The team? The Colorado Rockies -- who dealt away their current backstop (Chris Iannetta) earlier today to the Los Angeles Angels to make room on their roster.

Hernandez's contract is reportedly worth two-years and $6.5 million, which is a slight increase to the 1yr/$3M he earned with the Reds last season.

Acquired back in December of 2008 from the Baltimore Orioles, the 35-year old posted a .280 average, 24 HR, and 121 RBIs in three seasons with the team. He never appeared in any more than 97 games in a single season during that span, but did however, come up with some clutch hits during his stay in the Queen City.

Addressing the Reds 3 Biggest Needs

In a piece published earlier today, Christine Kahrl of ESPN.com suggests three problems and three solutions confronting each team in the NL Central this offseason.

The following is the excerpt pertaining to the Reds (to view her post in its entirety, follow this link):

"1. Sorting out the rotation.

After not really resolving the situation over 2011, the Reds are still confronted with tough choices from among six plausible alternatives for four rotation slots. (Thanks to still owing Bronson Arroyo $28.5 million, they're stuck with him in the other slot for two more years.) However, GM Walt Jocketty's choice seems to involve a lot of “none of the above,” given rumors that his offseason interests are focused on even more young starters, with Jair Jurrjens of the Braves or John Danks or Gavin Floyd of the White Sox getting mentioned.

Midweek Links

* Could 2012 be the year Barry Larkin gets voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown? According to Barry Bloom of MLB.com, the outlook looks good for the former Reds shortstop. LINK.

* The 2011 edition of Redsfest will be more fan friendly writes Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. LINK.

* Both Brandon Phillips and the Reds appear closer to a contract extension that will keep the beloved second basemen in the Queen City for many more years. However, GM Walt Jocketty was quick to dismiss such an accord had been finalized just yet. LINK.

* Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay breaks down the coaching announcements made by Single-A Dayton in the following post. LINK.

Triple-A Affiliate Tabs New Skipper

Former major leaguer David Bell, who managed Reds' Double-A affiliate Carolina for the last three seasons, was announced as the new manager for Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday afternoon. He takes the place of Rick Sweet.

Here is a snippet taken from the Bats website regarding the announcement:

"Louisville, KY – Former Louisville Redbird David Bell will manage the Louisville Bats in 2012, marking the first time since 2004 that someone other than Rick Sweet will serve as skipper of the Bats. Joining Bell, who spent the last three seasons at Double-A Carolina, on the coaching staff will be Ted Power, who returns for his seventh season as pitching coach for the Bats, and hitting coach Ryan Jackson.

Catching up on the Latest News & Notes

* The team has re-signed RHP Chad Reineke after the pitcher elected free agency this past October. The 29-year old posted a 9-7 record and 3.84 ERA in 22 starts with Triple-A Louisville in 2011.

* The Reds are one of several teams reportedly interested in reliever Octavio Dotel, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The 38-year old right-hander recently pitched out of the 'pen for the World Champion Cardinals.

* MLB.com's Mark Sheldon offers an update on the status of Francisco Cordero, Aroldis Chapman and Yonder Alonso in this video clip.

* Sheldon also explains GM Walt Jocketty's outlook for the upcoming Winter Meetings in this recent piece. Spoiler alert: Don't expect Cincy to do anything huge during the meetings.

Latest Yonder Alonso Suitors/Rumors

The latest rumors I have heard swirling around Yonder Alonso have him possibly ending up on the southside of Chicago, or with the AL Champion Texas Rangers. The latter scenario is very intriguing to me. Let me preface the rest of the post with the disclaimer that once again, these are RUMORS, and also that I prefer James Shields.

I am certainly a fan of bringing American League pitchers to the National League because I feel that they seem to adjust better or something, but Chicago doesn't really seem to be the best fit for Alonso, nor the best trade option for the Reds. The two main pitchers they could or would probably offer in return would either be John Danks or Gavin Floyd. Of the two, I'd rather have Danks because he is younger, has had better seasons, and is left handed. In five seasons with the White Sox he is 54-56, with a 4.03 ERA, including ERA's of 3.32, 3.77, and 3.72 from 2008-2010. Floyd has eight years of experience in the majors going 58-55 with a 4.50 ERA. Danks may have a chance to do it, but I don't think Floyd will become the top end starter the Reds are looking for. Plus, the White Sox are set at first base and designated hitter with Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn (unless he continues to be awful) so Alonso would more than likely be headed to the outfield for them, and I doubt they want to make a trade where they give up a starter like Danks for a suspect left-fielder.

This Day in Reds History: The End of an Era

November 28th, 1978 - In a decision that took the entire baseball world by surprise, new GM Dick Wagner fires Sparky Anderson and replaces him with John McNamara.

The following is an excerpt taken from Redleg Journal on the shocking occurrence:

"The stunning move touche a wave of protest among Reds fans. No one was more surprised than Anderson, who had just returned six days earlier from Japan. He still had a year remaining on his contract. In nine seasons with the Reds, Anderson was 836-586 with five division titles, four National League pennants, and two world championships. McNamara never played in the majors and began managing in the minor leagues in 1959 at the age of 26. He had previously managed in the big leagues with the Athletics (1969-70) and the Padres (1974-77) and was a coach with the Angels in 1978. The quiet and colorless McNamara never caught the imagination of Reds fans in his five seasons in Cincinnati."

Pics of Redsfest Past

The 2011 edition of Redsfest is set to go down this upcoming Friday and Saturday at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Downtown Cincinnati. It's a great chance for Reds fans to interact with current and former players, scoop up some team merchandise, and experience the coolest fan gathering in all of professional baseball.

So to help wet your appetite for this momentous occasion, here are some photos taken from Redsfest of the past...thanks to @willpower36 for scoring the tickets.

Another Great 2011 Highlight Reel

Relive some of the high-points of the 2011 season in the following video.

Among the notable highlights include a plethora of walk-off hits, Reds pitchers mowing down opposing batters, some defensive gems and Francisco Cordero nailing down his 300th career save.

Yonder Alonso: Should he Stay or Should he Go?

Yonder Alonso must feel more like a grub worm than a professional baseball player right now. This due to the recent speculation claiming the team is dangling the prized prospect as their primary trade bait for pitching -- namely another top-notch starter and/or closer to fill the vacancy left behind by free agent Francisco Cordero.

While there's no doubt Cincinnati's starting rotation could use another "stopper" at the top, they must be extra cautious in parting with Alonso too soon. For one, Joey Votto's time in the Queen City may be coming down to it's final stretch. Given the market value for a player of Votto's caliber, it's improbable the Reds will be able to afford his services when his contract expires at the end of 2013. With Alonso being the only MLB-ready first basemen currently in their arsenal, it makes the decision on what to do with the Cuban slugger all the more difficult. Furthermore, it's plausible that the very pieces they seek in return for Alonso may already be on their roster. Let me explain.

Black Friday Reds Links & Notes

Happy (Black) Friday to all! I hope everyone had a safe and blessed Turkey Day. For the small crowd who isn't out shopping right now, here are some good Reds-related links to help cure your post-Thanksgiving hangover. Dig in!

* Reliever Bill Bray, the team's union representative, recently weighed in on his thoughts pertaining to the labor agreement between MLB and the Players' Association. Link.

* The following piece on bleacherreport.com outlines "5 Reasons the Reds Should Re-Sign Ramon Hernandez". I disagree with their opinion personally, but it's still an interesting and rather short read nevertheless.

* Hal McCoy of FOXSportsOhio.com breaks down the barrage of offseason rumors swirling around the team in this post.

On this Day in Reds History: Team Hires Legenday Announcer

November 24th, 1970 - The club finds a lead announcer to go alongside Joe Nuxhall as they hire 26-year old Al Michaels for the club's radio broadcasts. He replaced Jim McIntyre who spent the last five years with the organization.

This is an excerpt taken from a book I highly recommend to any Reds fan called Redleg Journal, which is co-authored by Greg Rhodes and John Snyer:

"From 1968 through 1970, Michaels did play-by-play for the Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League. He also worked in Hollywood, picking the young women to appear on TV's "The Dating Game". Michaels remained in Cincinnati for three seasons. In 1974, he moved to San Francisco to do play-by-play for the Giants, and soon moved on to network television with ABC. Many rumors had Harry Caray coming to Cincinnati as McIntyre's replacement."

Since his time with the Reds, Michaels has went on to call multiple sporting events including countless Monday Night Football games, Super Bowls, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cups, Kentucky Derby's, college football affairs, and the Winter Olympics, among others.

Interestingly enough, the man who replaced Michaels in '74 stills holds the same position today - Marty Brennaman - who will be entering his 39th season as the voice of the Redlegs in 2012. All told, the franchise has had no shortage of on-air talent in several decades.

If the Reds Were Thanksgiving Dinner...

Happy Turkey Day everyone! I would like to use this time to express my sincere gratitude for everyone who reads or frequents this blog on a regular basis. You all are very much appreciated.

Secondly, I would also like to provide an interesting and somewhat humorous post on this glorified day of gluttony. While most of America will have food, family and football on tap today, Redlegs Review is going to add a fourth dimension to that list....Reds baseball.

For your pure comedic entertainment, I give you what select members of the Reds would be if they were a traditional Thanksgiving dish. So grab yourself some pumpkin pie or another dessert of your choosing and enjoy...

BP Talking About His Glove

Brandon Phillips reps his Wilson glove in the following short promo.

It looks the video was shot this past spring training in Arizona and apparently BP picked a good one, because it yielded his third career Gold Glove Award.

Catching up on the Latest Rumors

There's no action taking place on the actual field right now, but that's certainly not been the case off of it lately. Here's the latest buzz around the baseball world involving the Reds:

* FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reveals two rather surprising insights in the following tweet from late Tuesday night. This is the first I've read or heard of the possibility of bringing Hernandez back to the Queen City.

Votto Finishes Sixth in MVP Voting

Despite the team's lackluster season, Votto managed
to put together another solid year on the heels of
winning the NL MVP Award

In somewhat of an upset, Milwaukee's Ryan Braun edged out Los Angeles' Matt Kemp for National League MVP honors 388-332. Braun received 20 out of a possible 32 first-place votes while Kemp collected just 10.

Finishing sixth, however was none other than last year's winner Joey Votto. The Reds first basemen collected 135 overall points to finish right between St. Louis' Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman.

Votto followed his 2010 MVP season by hitting .309/.416/.531 with 29 homers, 103 RBIs, 101 runs scored and a league-leading 40 doubles in '11.

All totalled, 26 different players received at least one vote in the balloting with Votto being the only member of the Reds receiving any at all.

For more on the story please visit this press release by the BBWAA.

11 Reasons to be Thankful as A Reds Fan

Here is a list of some reasons to be thankful for as a fan of the Redlegs this Thanksgiving. If you have any additional ones to include, feel free to drop a line or two in the comment section below.

"Eleven Things to Be Thankful For"

11) At least you're not a fan of the Cubs or Pirates.

10) The team payroll is expected to climb to $85 million next season, which is up about 6% from last year ($80M) and nearly 12% from 2010 ($76M).

9) Despite a disappointing showing during the 2011 campaign, optimism is plentiful heading into 2012.

8) The great potential of youngsters Yonder Alonso, Devin Mesoraco, Brad Boxberger & Zack Cozart, among others.

7) Redsfest - the coolest and most exciting Cincinnati Reds fan experience in the universe - is just over one week away (Dec 2-3).

2011 Arizona Fall League Final Recap/Analysis

The regular season of the Arizona Fall League has come to a close with the Phoenix Desert Dogs finishing 14-22, last place in the AFL West, and tied for the league's worst record with the Scottsdale Scorpions. Let's review how the Reds prospects performed this fall with the Desert Dogs. There were three hitters and four pitchers originally sent to do work in the AFL. Aroldis Chapman became the fifth pitcher when he was sent to warm up for the Puerto Rican League (which didn't happen). Two hitters succeeded. One hitter did not. The pitchers did seem to perform fairly well given their limited outings. Perhaps several or all of the following players will wind up in Cincinnati some time in the near future.

C Yasmani Grandal
3 G, .333 (4-12), 2 2B, 3 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO
.385 OBP, .500 SLG, .885 OPS

Yasmani Grandal was sent to the AFL by the Reds with the intentions of him being an every day player and getting the most work of any of the Reds prospects, and for good reason as he was ranked the fourth best prospect in the Reds organization by Baseball America. He started the first game, and then played a couple more and was successful at the place, which left the mystery of why he was not playing more? It was later discovered that Grandal injured a finger on his left hand that bothered him when he caught, and even more so when he was hitting, so he was shut down for the remainder of the AFL for precautionary measures. Despite his limited playing time, he was selected as one of two Reds for the 2011 AFL Rising Stars game, though he was unable to participate.

SS Brodie Greene
21 G, .288 (23-80), 4 HR, 15 RBI, 14 R, 10 BB, 12 SO, 2 SB
.374 OBP, .475 SLG, .849 OPS

Brodie Greene spent most of last season at Class A Advanced Bakersfield for the Reds. The 24 year old certainly did well enough to classify his 2011 AFL stint a success. He played in the sixth most games for the Desert Dogs and tied for third in home runs on the team, as well as fourth in RBIs. The middle infielder also made just two errors in the field. Greene is far from becoming a future staple of the Reds infield, but he is trending in the right direction for the time being.

On this Day in Reds History: Two Reds Receive MVP Award

Robinson

November 22nd, 1961 - Frank Robinson wins the National League MVP Award by receiving 15 out of a possible 16 first place votes. Teammates Vada Pinson and Joey Jay finish third and fifth, respectively in balloting.

Robinson batted .323/.404/.611 with 37 HR, 124 RBIs, 22 SBs and 32 doubles during the regular season to help the upstart Redlegs capture the NL pennant. However, Robinson and the Reds fell to Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle and the rest of the New York Yankees in five games in the World Series.

The MVP honor wouldn't be the last for the Beaumont, Texas native (the same hometown as current Reds right fielder Jay Bruce) as he would also earn the American League MVP Award as a member of the Baltimore Orioles in 1966.

Reds Looking to Acquire A's Closer?

The Twitter world is aflutter about the possibility of a trade involving the Reds acquiring Oakland closer Andrew Bailey. Multiple sources have tossed the rumor around in recent days with ESPN's Buster Olney being the most credible/prominent.

The former AL Rookie of the Year winner has made a mockery of opposing hitters since entering the league in 2009. Bailey, 27, has compiled a stingy career ERA of 2.07 and a career WHIP of 0.95 in 174 innings pitched over his first three seasons. Add this to the fact that he's still relatively cheap and remains under team control through 2014, and it's easy to see why teams in need of a closer are vying mightily for him.

Monday Reds Links & Notes

Here are some interesting Reds-related links to help get you out of the gate this week:

* Through the Fence Baseball writer Graham Houston projects the Reds' 2012 starting rotation in the following post.

* ESPN's Christine Kahrl also breaks down Cincy's rotation to great extent in this insightful piece.

* Freddy Wander of the Bleacher Report discusses what the franchise can expect in the future out of promising, young catcher Devin Mesoraco in this article.

* Hamilton County is facing a $14.2 million deficit for the county's riverfront stadiums next fiscal year. How they will overcome this is still unknown, but a proposed ticket tax won't likely be the answer writes Sharon Coolidge of Cincinnati.com. Link.

New Double-A Affiliate Unveils Logo

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the new Double-A affiliate of the Reds beginning in 2012, released their logo and associated branding marks to the public on Friday. The mix of exotic, warm colors and one ferocious-looking fish are sure to strike fear into the hearts of any opponent. How's that for intimidation?

You can view their primary and alternate ballcap insignia by following this link.

National League Power Outage?

After browsing over some statistics from baseballreference.com from previous seasons I quickly noticed one trend, offense in the National League is becoming increasingly valuable.

It's no secret that the crackdown on steroids and performance enhancers in baseball have shifted the advantage back toward the pitchers, as the following illustrations will indicate, but it is a little surprising how gradual and constant the change has been.

This graph represents the average runs scored per game in all National League contests since 2006:

Franchise Records: Batting Average & WAR

Since we still have over four months until Opening Day, and since there's not much to write about Reds-wise right now, let's dust off the franchise record book and take a closer look shall we?

Throughout the chilly months of winter you may see an occasional post recognizing the best of the best in a particular statistical category or categories. Today we get a little offensive (pun intended) as we take a gander at the all-time, top ten career and single-season leaders in both batting average and Wins Above Replacement (WAR) in Reds franchise history...

Top Ten Career Leaders in WAR
1) Pete Rose 74.6
2) Johnny Bench 71.3
3) Barry Larkin 68.9
4) Frank Robinson 61.5
5) Joe Morgan 61.3
6) Bid McPhee 57.9
7) Vada Pinson 45.1
8) Tony Perez 43.8
9) Edd Roush 41.1
10) Heinie Groh 38.7

A Blast from the Past (Video)

I recently stumbled across this video while perusing around YouTube. It is the opening theme to the 1986 season opener against the Phillies.

In the clip you can see highlights from the 1985 season, Marty and Joe already in midseason form, an interview with Tracy Jones, and some vintage commercials. Enjoy.

Top 10 Reds Prospects

As expected Mesoraco is #1

Here they are, short and sweet.

Baseball America’s top 10 Reds prospects:

1. Devin Mesoraco, catcher
2. Billy Hamilton, shortstop
3. Yonder Alonso, 1B/outfielder
4. Yasmani Grandal, catcher
5. Zack Cozart, shortstop
6. Daniel Corcino, right-handed pitcher
7. Robert Stephenson, right-handed pitcher
8. Didi Gregorius, shortstop
9. Todd Frazier, 3B/outfielder
10. Brad Boxberger, right-handed pitcher

Six More Additions to 40-man Roster

Just hours before the Friday deadline, Cincinnati protected six more players from being selected in the upcoming Rule 5 Draft by adding them to the 40-man roster.

Among the prospects now off-limits to other teams include infielders Netfali Soto, Didi Gregorious, Donald Lutz and Henry Rodriguez and right-handed hurlers Kyle Lotzkar and Pedro Villarreal.

Among some notable players selected via the Rule 5 Draft include Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, Toronto slugger Jose Bautista, Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana, and reigning AL MVP and former Red Josh Hamilton.

For more on the story please visit Mark Sheldon's article here.

D'Dogs, Javelinas Tie in Final AFL Game

In the last game of the 2011 Arizona Fall League regular season, the Phoenix Desert Dogs and Peoria Javelinas finished with a 2-2 tie. Also, apparently the last games of the AFL regular season go only seven innings. My guess would be so the playoff teams can keep their players, pitcher in particular, fresh for the postseason.

-Stenson Award Nominee Brodie Greene went quietly in his final appearance in the 2011 AFL, going 0-3 with two strikeouts. He was the only Reds' prospect to appear in the game.

Check back soon for final statistics and analysis on each of the Reds' players from the AFL.

Greene finished with a BA of .287.



Reds Prospect Turning Heads in AFL

There may be no Reds prospect having a better showing in their offseason league than 2B Brodie Greene. The 24-year old from Texas A&M University is performing well for the Phoenix Desert Dogs.

Through 21 games played Greene has batted .288/.374/.475 with 4 homers, 15 RBIs and 14 runs scored.

In fact he's impressed coaches and onlookers so much that he was named as one of six nominees for the eighth annual Arizona Fall League Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award on Tuesday -- an award created in memory for the late Reds prospect who was killed during the 2003 AFL season.

Greene talks about the nomination and other baseball-related topics in the following video clip:

Reds Links & Notes for the Weekend

Congratulations to all you loyal readers out there, you have made it to another coveted weekend. And to help kick it off right, here are some interesting Reds-related reads for you...

* Satchel Paige of MLBDailyDish.com recently took a stab at projecting the Reds' 2012 roster. Take a look at their post by following this link.

* Open auditions for the new Cincinnati's Got Talent competition takes place this weekend at Great American Ball Park. Click here for the full details.

* Looking to give or receive a Reds hat this holiday season? Jeanne Rose of the Yahoo! Contributor Network lists her top five suggestions here.

Why Reds' World Series Path Just Got Easier

Major League Baseball announced some major realignment news on Thursday -- most of which will make the Reds' path to both the postseason and World Series a bit easier (read ESPN's coverage of the news here).

Among the moves that will ultimately impact the Reds is the decision to move current NL Central foe Houston to the AL West beginning in the 2013 season. Although the Astros finished with the worst record in all of baseball last year (56-106), eliminating them from the division will mathematically raise Cincinnati's chances of winning the division from roughly 16% to 20%.

Another move announced today that will positively impact not only the Redlegs, but all MLB teams is the approval by Commissioner Bud Selig to add one additional playoff spot for each league via the Wild Card. This means that 33% of teams will automatically advance beyond the regular season instead of 27%. While it's still TBD on when the new playoff format will start, all indications are they could begin as soon as next season.

Puckett Goes Deep as D'Dogs Win

The Phoenix Desert Dogs beat the Salt River Rafters 12-7 yesterday, in the second to last game of the 2011 AFL season. The D'Dogs will finish their season today against Peoria.

-Cody Puckett was the DH, and went 1-4 with a home run (3), an RBI (9), and a run scored. He also walked once and struck out three times.

-Donnie Joseph had another solid outing throwing a perfect inning of work.

-Brad Boxberger had his worst outing of the season, allowing four earned runs on two hits, including a three run homer, as well as two walks, while he did get all three outs via the strikeout. It looks like he had some control issues, throwing 34 pitches, with just 16 of them being strikes.

Joseph has an ERA of 2.16.



Reds in Offseason Leagues (Stats)

Here's an update on how players from the Reds organization are performing....statistically speaking:

Dominican League:

Francisco

Juan Francisco 3B
- .333 (30-90), HR, 11 RBI, 16 RS, 4 2Bs
 +Tied for league lead in runs scored

Denis Phipps OF
- .289 (22-76), 2 HR, 7 RBI, 10 RS, 4 2Bs, 22 GP

Tom Cochran SP
- 3-1, 2.70 ERA, 6 GS, 30 IP, 1.17 WHIP
 +Tied for league lead in starts and is third in innings pitched

Trade Rumors & Other News

Here are some notable tweets, rumblings and other recent news regarding the Redlegs:

* Despite swirling speculation, the Reds will not attempt to trade reigning MVP Joey Votto this offseason according to SI's Jon Heyman.

* Although a long-term deal hasn't been struck yet with second basemen Brandon Phillips, don't believe the club is trying to shop the 3-time Gold Glover around.

Webb Loses, D'Dogs Get Shutout

Since the 2011 Arizona Fall League season is almost over, we'll save this week's stat recapping till the very end.

Yesterday, in the league, the Phoenix Desert Dogs got shut out, and nearly no hit, by the Surprise Saguaros, eventually losing 5-0.

-Travis Webb (2-1) started the game pitching four innings, and allowing four hits and  two earned runs on two home runs. He walked two and struck out six, as the only Reds prospect to play in the game.

Webb is 2-1 with a 5.03 ERA.

Links & Notes...

- Mike Axisa of MLBtraderumors.com lists the Reds as a potential suitor for Seattle Mariners utilityman Chone Figgins. You can read the complete post here.

- Cincinnati announced their 33-game Spring Training schedule on Monday writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

- Seven or eight teams are reportedly in talks to signing free agent closer Francisco Cordero (including the Reds) according to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Full article here.

- Former Redlegs first basemen Hal Morris was recently named as the Los Angeles Angels' director of pro scouting. You can find the full story here.

- Prospects Devin Mesoraco and Brad Boxberger are "set to erupt in 2012" according to Bernie Pleskoff of MLB.com. You can view his take on both promising young players, as well as others at this link.

Mesoraco

2011 Attendance: Where the Reds Ranked

As the graphic clearly indicates, the Redlegs finished in the middle-of-the-pack this season in regards to home attendance (27,327). They ranked 16th among all 30 clubs and 10th out of 16 in the National League.

Now what you might not immediately notice is Cincinnati finished second among all MLB teams in average road attendance (33,120), trailing only the infamous New York Yankees (33,228). This fact is undoubtedly aided by their multiple visits to well-attended parks/cities - namely St. Louis, Milwaukee and Chicago - who all three finished in the top ten in home attendance this past year. Nevertheless, this stat suggests that opposing fans desire to see the Reds in action.

Here a few other notable tidbits regarding '11 attendance:

Could Pujols' Destination Eventually Impact Votto's?

Could Albert Pujols' offseason moves eventually affect the career path of Joey Votto? According to this opinionated article written by Adam Hughes of Yahoo!, the answer is yes.

While he does bring up some valid and interesting points in the piece, I'm not so sure the two superstar's fates are so intertwined.

It's a no-brainer that Votto's future contract will compare somewhat to whatever Pujols receives this winter, but I'm not convinced the Miami Marlins would be as aggressive to acquire Votto as the article may lead on. Nor do I think the Fish could offer a package good enough to suffice the Reds demands -- Miami's farm system was ranked as one of the worst in the majors back in January.

And in addition to that, just the mere thought of Votto donning a St. Louis Cardinals jersey should irk Reds fans almost as much as Charlie Hustle being denied a place in Cooperstown. 

2011 Season in Review

Still feeling dazed and confused about Cincinnati's past season? No worries, the following video assembled by MLB.com should help sort things out.

I believe the four-minute clip to be an excellent summary of the Redlegs 2011 campaign. Enjoy.

Greene, D'Dogs Quiet in Another Loss

The Phoenix Desert Dogs lost again, dropping a close 3-2 game to the Scottsdale Scorpions.

-Brodie Greene was the only Reds prospect to play, going 0-2 with a walk, while playing 2b.

There are just five regular season games left in the AFL.

Weekend Reds News & Notes

* Should the team attempt to trade superstar Joey Votto? David Schoenfield of ESPN.com thinks they should not. Writes Schoenfield: "the goal of every team is to acquire a superstar, not trade one away."

Stubbs

* MLB.com's Mark Sheldon recently penned a feature article on Drew Stubbs' 2011 season and beyond. You can read his piece here.

* According to this online post by The Marietta Times, former Red Chuck Harmon will be signing autographs on November 17th in West Virginia. The event is part of a membership movement by the local chapter of the Reds Hall of Fame. For more details please visit the link.

* Reds pitching coach Bryan Price will be inducted into the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame this weekend. The left-handed Price pitched for the Golden Bears from 1981-84. The Marin Independent Journal has the full article here.

Struggling Puckett, D'Dogs Lose Again

Phoenix lost 10-8 to Mesa last night.

-Cody Puckett played 3b and went 0-4 with a strikeout.

-Donnie Joseph pitched another 1.2 perfect innings with two strikeouts.

Joseph has lowered his ERA to 2.30.