Location: Cincinnati, Ohio | Ballpark: Great American Ball Park (42,941) | Spring Training: Sarasota, Fla.
Owner: Robert Castellini | GM: Walt Jocketty | Manager: Dusty Baker | World Championships: 5
--OF Norris Hopper, on the DL most of the season with a sore right elbow that has bothered him since early May, will undergo Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery Tuesday and is out for the season.
--RF Ken Griffey Jr. homered in the first inning, giving him 5,001 career total bases, 18th on the all-time list.
--2B Brandon Phillips has not made an error in 75 games and has made only one error all season while playing spectacularly.
--C Paul Bako was hitting .300 the first three weeks of the season, but is 2-for-25, dropping his recent average from .242 to .220.
BY THE NUMBERS .244 -- Team batting average at the season's halfway point, next to last in the National League.
QUOTE TO NOTE "We're pretty low in every hitting category and we just have to start hitting. We strike out too much, way too much (527 the first half)." -- Manager Dusty Baker, noting that no Reds player is on pace for 100 RBIs this season but six are on pace to strike out more than 100 times.
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I will be mad if the Reds dont go after this guy hard. He is a gold glove, leadoff hitting SS with speed that solves 3 problems in 1 for the Reds. He just turned 31 and reportedly the As offered 4 yrs - $48 mil. The Reds need to offer him a better deal to come to Cincy obviously and I think they should. Any insight or thoughts?
