Reds Blogger Roundtable, July '06

I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to attend the Reds' Bloggers' Mid-Season Roundtable discussion on Monday night. There were eight participants, and each of us has been allocated one section of the chat log to post on our blogs. I got section VII.

The focal question for my section was "Where do you see the Reds in five years?" Topics discussed include several of our team's top prospects and young players, including Homer Bailey, Jay Bruce, Drew Stubbs, Joey Votto, Austin Kearns, Brandon Phillips, and Adam Dunn. Other topics include whether Pete Rose will ever make the Hall of Fame, whether the Reds will ever move the fences back at Great American Ballpark, and why I call myself J-in-AZ.

Since this might be the first time some of you have visited my blog, I've taken the liberty of including links to some of my articles on various relevant topics within the chat log. Yes, I really am a traffic-hound. So sue me. :)

Reds Blogger Roundtable, Part I - The Cincinnati Reds Blog (Shawn)
Reds Blogger Roundtable, Part II - The Church of Baseball (Daedalus)
Reds Blogger Roundtable, Part III - Reds And Blues (Doc Scott)
Reds Blogger Roundtable, Part IV - Red Reporter (JD)
Reds Blogger Roundtable, Part V - ...And This One Belongs to the Reds (Ashlee)
Reds Blogger Roundtable, Part VI - We Heart the Reds (Jacci)
Reds Blogger Roundtable, Part VII - On Baseball and the Reds (JinAZ)
Reds Blogger Roundtable, Part VIII - Red Hot Mama

Shawn: Question 6 coming up (I'm trying to get you guys out of here within an hour).....
JinAZ: ty
Jacci: Ooh! I didn't know there was a 6th question
Ashlee: Bonus Round
Doc Scott: this must be the one for the DVD release
Shawn: Where do you see this team in five years? How will the Reds look in 2011?
Doc Scott: a lot different
JinAZ: I see them in steady contention year after year, much like the Twins. In Krivsky I trust. Hopefully the outfield will include three of Dunn, Kearns, Bruce, and Stubbs. :)
Doc Scott: (congratulates self)
Shawn: #1 starter = Homer Bailey
JinAZ: I hope so
Doc Scott: Kearns will get traded
Jacci: No! Kearns can never be traded!
Shawn: Bruce in CF, with Kearns at his side.
Shawn: Phillips leading off
Doc Scott: Stubbs in CF and Bruce in RF
Ashlee: I would be a happy fan to see Kearns still wearing red in 2011.
Daedalus: votto will be fun
Doc Scott: although realistically, only one of them will have a sustained big-league career
Daedalus: i bet we won't have three catchers
Shawn: I can see a World Series win come 2011.
Shawn: But I bet Jerry Narron will not manage that team
JinAZ: It'd be nice to have a 1B who could hit for power. Hopefully Votto can be that guy.
Red Hot Mama: The Reds trade Adam Dunn in the offseason after another .500 year in 2007. Despite the outcry, it turns out to be a Lee May-type deal that propels the team into a decade of dominance!
Shawn: I can see that happening, RHM
JD: I think they'll be coming off of five straight world series championships
Daedalus: ha
JD: Joining the Bengals in making Cincinnati known as "the city of champions"
Daedalus: pete rose still won't be in the hall
Jacci: I can be quite happy with that.
Jacci: With the 5 straight championships, not Pete Rose remaining hall-less
JinAZ: Do you think the Reds will ever consider some alterations to GABP's fences?
Shawn: No chance of Rose in Cooperstown. Until he dies.
Shawn: I doubt the fences will move.
Doc Scott: agreed with Shawn.
Shawn: Not for some years, at least
Ashlee: I don't think that'll happen anytime soon - lose the revenue from the seats!? No way!
Jacci: No, I'm convinced they like all the home runs
Daedalus: omg, david wright is just killing the ball here. too bad he can't play for the reds
Shawn: Is there room to move home plate back, like they did at Dodger Stadium years ago?
JinAZ: Might change the mindset, at least, of our pitchers. But I agree, it's doubtful to ever happen.
Doc Scott: I don't think GABP is the problem
Daedalus: why would you want to move it back? the HRs are great
Doc Scott: considering that it's not a hitter's park, no matter what Hal F. McCoy says
Shawn: David Wright is a monster. He's got Hall of Fame written all over him.
Shawn: Someone should wipe that off.
JinAZ: Wright's defense aint so good though. :)
JinAZ: It does allow a high number of Hr's, though overall is mostly neutral.
Doc Scott: good pitchers can pitch in that park. It's not Coors Field.
Shawn: yeah, Krivsky just needs to collect some groundball pitchers. Then we'll be fine.
Red Hot Mama: Coors Field isn't Coors Field anymore. Maybe the Reds need a humidor.
Doc Scott: Shawn, I can probably get you Jeff Gilooly's phone number, considering he's from Portland
Shawn: Brandon Webb pitches just fine in Cincy.
Daedalus: if the reds got a humidor, the balls would get soggy
Red Hot Mama: No one wants soggy balls
Shawn: I was thinking a wet cloth, Scott
JinAZ: Ahh, Brandon Webb is my dream...
JinAZ: Seeing him here in AZ can be torture. :)
Shawn: Aha, that's what the AZ is for!
Ashlee: I was thinking the same thing
JinAZ: Of course! :)
Doc Scott: who needs a wet cloth when you can break an ankle? Or deliver a WWE headbutt? Is that French dude coming to MLS?

Thanks to the other bloggers for the great time, and the invitation to your secret little meeting! I'm looking forward to the next one.

And please remember check back at this space tomorrow (hopefully) for my 2006 First Half Season Review.