I don't understand how it can be a day before the start of the season and a team can not have named a starting first baseman, but that's the situation the Reds are in right now. All spring the debate has been logic vs.
Dusty Baker, personified by
Joey Votto vs.
Scott Hatteberg. When asked by John Fay about the first base situation today,
he had this to say:
"(The starting first baseman) is whoever's playing that day. Joey Votto has a great upside," Baker said. "But Hatteberg had a great spring. We'll go with matchups. (The seven spot) is an important spot in the lineup. Adam Dunn had an OK spring. Edwin (Encarnacion) struggled.
Translated that means, "Everyone says that Votto can hit, but his veteranosity quotient is not nearly high enough for me and so Hatteberg is going to play." I love the comment about the "match-ups." Both Votto and Hatteberg hit left-handed and both hit much better against righties than lefties. Does that mean Hatteberg gets most of the starts against righties while Votto hits against lefties, giving Dusty more "evidence" to keep playing Hatteberg? I hope not, but that's where this seems to be headed to me.
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