Postscript to Hope Springs Eternal

• Every year, the first time I hear the end of the national anthem, followed by Marty's "If you're ready now, the starting lineups..." gives me chills. Really good chills. Screw Punxatawney Phil -- it's Brennamen who lets me know spring is on the way.
  
  
• Again, to quote the HOFer, I'd be a lot more excited if I was regularly hearing "the shortstop, Jerry Hairston, Jr." A quasi-friend of mine agrees with the thought of Hairston: "I'd ride that horse until it collapses." Why not? He far outpaced his career averages last year, but I'd give the guy who finished 2008 with an .871 OPS the upper hand at starting over the guy who didn't touch the field in said year. Ride him until he collapses. If and when his collapse comes, thank him, pat him on the back and send him on his way.
  
  
• If I were in the Reds front office, I would have pushed hard to obtain a middle-of-the-order bat for a corner OF. Nady... Abreu... even Dunn. I never would have signed Willy Taveras (in case you didn't catch on to that, yet). Between Dickerson, Hairston, and Bruce, I'd have assumed CF was solid enough and placed the "need" at a corner position.