never knew that stat. Still piissed at the writers not electing anybody to the hall.

Aye. Think I stand with the writers who didn't vote for Clemens etc. I know the argument for his and Bonds' stats before the steroid era but for me, when you take performance enhancing you are cheating the public and other professionals out of the true drama of sport. For that reason I can see why they've done it especially when I would suggest that level of cheating is far more serious and damaging than what keeps Pete Rose out of the Hall.

I think Maddux will be a first-timer next year and Glavine will go in eventually. Not sure on some of the others. Think the writers may sit out the Clemens and Bonds stories to see if anything surfaces in the future.

The HOF is full if cheats and racists already though. Hardly the home of the pure.

There's a difference between PEDs and pushing the game to its limits. Who are you thinking of who is a bigger cheat than the PED bods?

Gaylord Perry was one. Many pitchers have cheated for centuries through putting stuff on the ball.

Not really sure that's the same as injecting yourself with artificial stimulants that enable you to perform at a higher physical level than you are able to normally.

Catchers and pitchers report, here's to another great season at Wrigley.

Anybody interested in Fantasy Baseball this year? I'll sort a draft out. Is Sunday night good for everybody or shall we look at a midweek date? Season starts on 31 March this year so was thinking of either Sunday 17th or 24th.

I usually do an espn one. How do you think choo will transtion to centre field? I hear Bruce has offered to shed some pounds to make the switch if needed.

Excellent. I think there was four or five of us a couple of years ago and I can pick up some more RL fans who follow baseball on Facebook to fill us out.

As for Choo. Don't know how he is defensively as I usually only get to see Reds games and postseason action. I know we definitely need his bat for leading off. I don't know how well up any of you are on the Reds but we have had a succession of players try to lead off with zero success. Billy Hamilton (he of the minor league stolen bases record) it is hoped will come up next year so we needed a stop gap (also Hamilton needs to work on his OBP).

Last season we tried seven different guys at lead off producing a ..208/.254/.327 split which ranked dead last in the majors. Those batting splits are actually lower than the Nationals average hitting from ninth i.e. pitcher, which gives you an idea of how bad it's been. They combined for 83 runs from that spot which is second lowest in the majors. The position has been a problem for several years and yet in two of the past three we've won the division.

I know what will happen this year. We'll get run production but our pitching staff won't hold out. They went injury free until the eighth pitch of the postseason lol. I can't see them repeating that although the rotation does look good even without Chapman. Don't know if he'll make it as a starter but if he does that's one hell of a starting five.

Choo is key though on offense as is Votto's return from injury. He can still hit but after that knee injury he didn't hit a home run and if we lose his 30hr/100rbi that's a lot especially as he just signed a ten year deal.

In case you didn't know, the Reds are kind of notorious among their fans for being slightly pessimistic because of numerous false dawns. Very passionate fans but bear more than a passing resemblance to the average depressed RL fan. I remember when we signed Ken Griffey Jr for his homecoming that was mega, except a guy who dinged at least 40 homers in six of the seven years before he joined (the year he didn't he only played 70 odd games), managed just one season of that in nine years (his first when he hit .271, his lowest ever season average up to that point). Then came the injuries a year into this nine year mega contract which effectively crippled the club for that decade.

rlRyan Braun's name turns up on Miami doping clinic documentsrl. Also A-Fraud's name pops up too.

I think there is something int the Braun thing, we foget that he only just escaped a ban last year on a stupid techinality.

Excellent rlQ&A with Reds catcher Ryan Haniganrl. Also MLB article on his unsung contribution to our recent success. cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/art ... 0&c_id=cin

Excellent rlQ&A with Reds catcher Ryan Haniganrl. Also MLB article on his unsung contribution to our recent success. cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/art ... 0&c_id=cin

I will pop into a fantasy league. Let's go Astros

mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd ... b&c_id=mlb

mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd ... b&c_id=mlb