On Apr. 3 of last year, another Dominican flamethrower made his presence felt in Cincinnati. Cueto had a perfect game going into the fifth inning of his MLB debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He allowed one runner that game and picked up his first win. Cueto did end the year 9-14 with a 4.81 ERA, but he finished the season strong, winning two of his last three games. Cueto has been working with former Reds great Mario Soto in the offseason and hopes to become one of the top starters in the NL.
A casual MLB fan may stroll along Pete Rose Way in Cincinnati and hear many boos. What that person may not know is that it's actually Reds fans chanting the new diaper dandy's name, "Jay BRUUUUUUUCE!"
On May 27 last year, Bruce took Cincinnati by storm. In his first full week in the Majors, he batted .577 (15-for-26), with three home runs, three doubles, and nine singles in addition to six walks. The three home runs came in three consecutive days, with his first being a walk-off homer. He also scored 12 runs, and batted in seven more.
Most importantly, the Reds had a winning percentage of .714 (5-2) during his first week. Before Bruce was called up, they had a winning percentage of .451 (23-28), and had lost five of the last seven games. Bruce finished the year with 21 HR and a .251 BA. He has devoted his offseason to making strides to raise his average and lower his strikeouts.
The Reds made some key additions to this year's roster. By signing veterans like 100-base stealer Willy Taveras and catcher Ramon Hernandez, the Reds are making a play for the Wild Card if not the division. As a realist, I believe the Reds are still one year away from the playoffs, but it is exciting to hope. Cincinnati fans are yearning for a winner they haven't seen for 10 years.
If veterans such as Jerry Hairston, Jr., Edwin Encarnacion, David Weathers, and Francisco Cordero experience great years, the Reds may have a shot. The young core is strong with more in the pipeline. GM Walt Jocketty looks to have fielded a young yet promising club that will look to stick a fork in someone's plans this season.
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