Despite the Reds 3 game "sweep" of the Fish, they are still one of baseball's worst. Ironically they are killing it in the minors...with baseball's 4th best record of all the farm systems. This is nothing new for the Reds. Jay Bruce has been one of the top prospects in all of baseball for three years running, moving up in the rankings every year from #30 to #8 to #1. Why is this? Because everyone else in front of him in past years is making the big bucks in the big leagues now!

Walt Jocketty wants to make sure that Bruce doesn't come up to the Reds and sit. "We're not comfortable that there is adequate playing time...". There is a simple solution to this problem. PLAY HIM! Of course Jr. or Dunn aren't going to sit on a regular basis, but by my count there are three OF positions and that's only 2. Arguments?

-He's not a true CF. Is Freel? Is Hairston? Clearly Norris Hopper must have urinated in Dusty's cereal bowl since the Reds are bringing up infielders from AAA to play CF. So is Bruce any worse?

-He's another left handed bat in a lineup filled with lefties. One difference...he's hitting .380 off lefties. Clearly the lefty-righty thing doesn't bug him as much as it seems to bug Dusty.

-You are paying a lot of money to Freel and Patterson to sit them. So we let the mistakes of the past doom the future? We're paying a lot of money to a couple guys who are sitting on the couch too. Freel can still spell pretty much anyone. Patterson can be a late inning defensive replacement for any OF. There's a lot of money on the bench, does it matter if there's a bit more?

-The Reds won't have a true leadoff hitter. Freel and Patterson's combined ON BASE % is .308. which would rank about 330th in the big leagues this season. The Reds DON'T have a leadoff hitter. For the record, Bruce's OBP is a tick shy of .400.

-He won't hit in the bigs like he did in AAA. 1) How do you know? 2) Votto is. Hairston seems to be doing ok. Even if he hits 70 points lower, he'll be the best healthy contact hitter on the Reds until Keppinger gets back.

Really, what more can this kid do to prove that he belongs up here everyday?

Walt Jocketty's record speaks for itself and he knows 100 times more about the game than I but..."We want to let the center-field spot develop more before we decide," Jocketty said. What in the sake of all that is holy could that possibly mean?!? What "development" could possibly occur that would make things better as is? Seriously, wasn't there a follow up question to this? "Mr. Jocketty, with all due respect, what development are you waiting to see?". Something that simple would suffice. Why aren't simple elaborations demanded when mysterious statements like this are made?

Jay Bruce has 22 hits in his last 10 games. Corey Patterson has 22 hits since April 7th. Adam Dunn has 25 hits all year. Jay Bruce has as many hits this year as Patterson and Freel combined in 55 fewer AB's.

Instead of worrying about finding AB for him, how about worrying about finding AB's for Patterson and Freel?

Stats AVG:.366 HR:8 RBI:33 SB:7