Hi everyone, 

Can you smell that? THAT my friends, is the sweet smell of spring and the beginning of my favorite time of year…BASEBALL SEASON. That’s right folks, Spring Training is officially in the books and each respective club will report to their cities as early as tomorrow and begin their seasons shortly thereafter. If you’re not excited for this years baseball season, then you’re simply not American. Bold statement indeed but I mean it. It’s BASEBALL SEASON!!! LET’S GOOO!! There’s just something special about hot dogs, cracker jacks, the crack of a wooden bat, the pop of a catchers mitt, and the perfectly green grass of a baseball field. I can’t even begin to explain how thrilled and excited I am to break camp and begin my season in the Reds Minor League Organization. 

For the last few weeks, minor league spring training had been in full tilt. Games everyday (no off days) and practicing like never before. As happy as I was to be there, there were some sad days as well seeing some of your closest friends get released and witnessing their professional playing days come to a halt. Seeing them empty their locker makes you appreciate what you have while you have it. This is a nasty business at times and I know one thing: I thank God and my mom and stepdad everyday for the opportunity I have to put on a Reds uniform and play the game I so desperately love. 

Surely it got to be a little monotonous for a little bit, but I am grateful for everyday I had this spring training because I know each day got me better and I am ready for the 2013 season to start. I was lucky enough to break camp with the Dayton Dragons, the Reds’ Low-A minor league affiliate. This being my first year in pro ball, I was fortunate enough to skip rookie level baseball and join what I think is going to be the best team in the Midwest League. Our lineup is absolutely stacked with talent. Here’s a link for you to check out and see what our projected starting lineup is going to be: 

http://redsminorleagues.com/2013/02/27/projecting-the-dayton-dragons-roster/

The one change that you’re going to see is at 2nd base, my best friend Brent Peterson will be holding down that position for the most part. He will be sharing it with Robert Ramirez as well. Both extremely good athletes up the middle.

This team is destined for big things this year. You heard it here first. Our chemistry is very close knit and we have good coaches to lead the way. If that’s not good enough to convince you, then us winning nearly every spring training game should convince you otherwise. We might have lost 2 games all spring, sooo yeah, bet your money on us. Unless you’re Pete Rose. You should lay low for awhile sir. :)

Anyways, I am excited to play in front of the Dayton faithful and give them some entertainment all year long. However many wins and losses we have, I want to make sure of one thing though; and that is to serve the community. The city of Dayton has been gracious enough to the team to build an amazing stadium and sell it out every game with up to 9,000 people. Host families open their doors for players to live in and basically serve as our home away from home while we’re playing. The least we can do as players is give back and make an impact with the community, in particular the youth. I promise you this, as good as our team will be on the field, we will be even better off of it. Look for us to serve at schools, hospitals, and just about any community service event out there this year. 

Tomorrow is travel day for us Dayton Dragons so that means this is our last night in Arizona. That, intrinsically, is a cause for celebration. A lot of us have been here way too long and a change of scenery is much needed. I don’t even care how cold it is in Dayton, Ohio right now (in the 30’s…maybe I care a little), I just want a change. I know my teammates do as well because we were getting a little stir crazy in this hotel out here in AZ for awhile. In any case, that’s all I got for you guys. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at my email I’ve posted in previous blogs or my favorite means of communication these days: twitter. @joehud4

Go Reds/Dragons, 

Joe Hudson #18

Fear not MLB fans, Baseball season is less than a month away. This off season has been one to remember for sure. From the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim making the biggest FA signing in Josh Hamilton, to the Toronto Blue Jays completely revamping their team and going for it all.
This is what we all love, but oh do we have questions. Can Mike Trout & Bryce Harper build on their strong rookie campaigns? Can Aroldis Chapman be a starting pitcher? Well I’m here to answer all your questions, well, sorta.

My friend Adam Kramer has a certain method at predicting the NCAA Football season and he gave me his blessing to do the same thing… By using a video game to predict the season, so MLB 13 the Show will bring you all these answers plus the World Series Champions. Boy this should be good.

Let’s start in the American League East where the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox had a very busy off season. Now, we all thought the Red Sox made great moves in adding to their lineup and making up for their fire sale last August, but man did anyone seeing them win the AL East? Well John Ferrell and the gang go 88-74 beating the Tampa Bay Rays by 1 game who go 87-75. Boy was this division competive as the Blue Jays finished in third with a 86-76 record and the Yankees finish in fourth with a 85-77 record… Tampa Bay does clinch one of the two wild card spots in the AL and will prepre for the one game playoff.

Now we go to the AL Central where the Detroit Tigers defend their AL crown and do win their division with an 85-77 record. But man Indian fans you have to be happy to see Terry Francona turn your team into an 84-78 team, but just missing the wild card spot. The Minnesota Twins make a big mark as well going 58-104. Looks like one franchise misses their speed guys at the top of the order.

Oh yeah, remember that whole “Can the Angels live up to the hype” discussion? Well how is 111-51 and winning the division by 22 games? As a team the Angels slugged .460!!! But it’s okay Texas. You my have lost Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli but hey you have a shot for the one game Wild Card against the Rays. The Houston Astros, welcome to the American League. Where you are in a familiar slot, the basement with a 67-95 record.

Now onto the National League, can they top what their fellow league did?
We’ll start with the Natonal LEague East who supply 3 Playoff teams… Yikes this is good. 
BJ & Justin Upton look like they will be just fine together as they finish the year 98-64 with a 8 game lead on the Washington Nationals. Oh man, the Phillies do strike back, though. an 88-74 record gives them another shot at Washington and returning to the Postseason. 

The New York Mets behind just david Wright go 74-88. The Miami Marlins finish… I can’t make this up 52-110… Someone better find Jeffrey Lauria and make sure he’s okay.

Now to the NL Central where oh man it finally happened!!!! It can’t be. The Pittsburgh Pirates go 82-80, they have a winning record! Oh, but they finish in 4th place. 

The St. Louis Cardinals win the division by 5 games with an 89-73 record, as the Cincinnati Reds made a late run but suffer an 84-78 record. The Brew Crew wrap up an 83-79 cmpaign where oh the Cubbies hang a lot of L’s at Wrigley Field… 91 to be exact.

Where the West was won… The San Fransisco Giants faced their arch nemesis Los Angeles Dodgers who spent millions upon million of dollars. The Giants go 90-72 and the Dodgers again watch the post season at home with an 86-76 season. But apparently everyone is compeitive this year because the San Diego Padres finish 84-78 and the Arizona Diamondbacks go 82-80. The Colorado Rockies though, not so much as they go 68-94.

So if you’re keeping tabs at home…19 of the 30 Ball Clubs finish with winning records. Oh man this post season should be fun.

Now to your Award Winners:
Your National League MVP is Jason Heyward hitting a solid .307 with 42 Home Runs and 133 RBI. Talk about a breakout year.
The American League MVP stays in Detroit and Prince Fielder finally wins an MVP instead of protecting the winner. Prince hits .308 with 49 Home Runs and 140 RBI. Not too shabby.

Kris Medlen gets the Cy Young Hardware following his 19-4, 2.70 ER with 135 Strikeouts.. He has made Atlanta very very happy.
Oh but Jered Weaver isn’t impressed. Weaver wins the AL Cy Young over teammate Tommy Hanson (uhh what?). Weaver goes 22-6 with a 3.22 ERA and 126 Strikeouts. Hanson goes 17-5 with a 3.27 ERA and 132 Strikeouts.. How did he lose!

The NL Batting title goes to Arizona Catcher Miguel Montero hitting .341 with 21 HR & 75 RBI
The AL title stays with Miguel Cabrera. Miggy backs up his triple crown with a .323 Average, 44 HR and 123 RBI. Indians CF Michael Bourn finishes second with a .320 clip 8 Homers and 59 RBI.. Good signing Cleveland.

The NL Reliver of the year is now being called the Jason Motte Award. Motte had 55 saves with a 2.64 ERA and 48 Strikeouts.
Oh to be an Angel, and to have such an amazing recovery from Tommy John surgery.. Ryan Madson gets the Reliever of the year with a huge48 save 1.59 era and 31 Strikeout season. The Mechanical arm comes through!!

I’d tell you the ROY winners but their not real prospects.. OH you got us MLB with your fake players.
When it comes to your Hank Aaron winners, ithe Jay Hey Kid takes it with ease, as well as Miguel Cabrera.
Now foor the Gold Glove winners
NL: Daniel Hudson (P) Carlos Maldonado (C) Freddie Freeman (1B) Chase Utley (2B) Aramis Ramirez (3B) Jimmy Rollins (SS) Bryce Harper (LF) BJ Upton (CF) Andre Ethier (RF) 
AL- Michael Pineda (p) John Hester (C) Mark Teixera (1B) Dustin Pedroia (2B) Kevin Youkilis (3B) Brendan Ryan (ss) Alex Gordon (LF) Adam Jones (CF) Nick Markakis (RF)

And now it’s post season time…
The Phillies end the Washington World Series run with a 11-5 vicotry eruptin for 6 first inning runs off of Stephen Strasburg.
Yu Darvish and a 5 spot in the third inning take the Rangers out of the Wild Card spot. Let the fun begin.

In the AL the Red Sox keep the magic alive with a sweep over the Detroit Tigers. What a run for the boys in Boston!
They will face the Angels who defeat their divison rival Rangers in 4 games.. Josh HAmilton has a rye smile after this one.

In the National League it’s the Giants turn to rest. They go on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round and wait the Braves & Phillies battling it out to game 5.
The Braves win 2-0 in game 5 behind a Brian McCann 2 run bom and 7 shutout innings from Brandon Beachy.

So now it’s set. Boston vs Los Angeles Angels for the ALCS & Atlanta vs San Fransisco for the NL title.. Let’s go to the simulation.
Well the magic of Boston continues with a series victory in 5 over the magic of the Angels.. Take that Bobby V!

It was a great run at repeating for the Giants, but they fall short in 6 games. Beachy continues his post season dominance in the decider throwing a 4 hitter.
Now here we go for the World Series. The Braves get the Home Field advantage against the Sox, but nothing seems to faze these Red Sox.

The Sox take game 1 with a 4-1 final. Jacoby Ellsbury hits a 2 run blast and John Lester throws 8 innings of 1 run ball.

The Sox take the 2-0 lead but man a 9-8 ball game in Game 2! Boston puts up 4 runs in the second inning including Johnny Gomes going yard! Yup a Johnny Gomes sighting in this article.
We head to Boston with the Sox up 2-0 and on a 10 game winning streak in their last 3 World Series, can the Braves come back? 

Game 3 the Braves win 5-4 where Jason Heyward hits for the cycle. Truly the greatest virtual athlete since Bo Jackson in Tecmo Bowl.
The Braves tie it up! a 6-3 win in game 4 makes it awfully interesting. 
John Lester puts a stop to it in game 5 helping the Sox to a 5-4 victory behind a huge 2-4 day from Will Middlebrooks. Can the Sox do it? They stand just one win away.

The Red Sox win! The Red Sox win! In Game 6 only one inning sees any runs from both teams. The Sox start the 4th with 3 runs and the Braves can only score one. From a Fire Sale to World Champions… Really someone find Lauria.

Jarrod Salalamacchia brought the thunder with a 3 run blast in game 6 for the Sox to win it all. What a season!

With all these outstanding performances from the Red Sox your World Series MVP is……. Pedro Ciriaco? Huh? Well, he hit .500 with 3 RBI in the series to lead the Sox to a title. This will heal the wounds of Carl Crawford and Bobby Valentine, i’m sure.

So there you have it folks, the Boston Red Sox shock the world with another magical World Series run. Congrats to the boys at Fenway for sure.

Hi everyone, 

As Spring Training approaches and strength camp winds down, I wanted to take some time to reach out to everyone and let you guys know what is happening right now with us minor league folk. Our days are pretty much the same. Monotony has taken its ugly toll around the complex as we lift, run and partake in pretty much the same “baseball related activities” all day. I try my best to keep it interesting for guys who don’t share my passion for lifting and exercising. I try to encourage and crack jokes the best I can to keep people motivated and focused on our strength program. It’s been a long four weeks so far, but I have loved every second of it. See my last post if you are unsure what strength camp for the Reds is all about. 

As we all know, big league Spring Training is well on its way. This means that the big league players have been floating around our complex and luckily I have been able to meet and talk with most of them. I have had the opportunity to catch Aroldis Chapman, Mike Leake, and Mat Latos, share a hot tub with Joey Votto, an ice bath with Shin Shoo Choo (who by the way speaks perfect English and is a really nice dude…he remembered my name!), and go over to Devin Mesoraco’s house for a friendly game of poker with some of the guys. Brushing shoulders with these guys has been an awesome and unforgettable experience, but it’s taught me one important lesson…big leaguers are just like me and you. Although they might have superhuman baseball talents, they are not unapproachable humans that we need to act differently around just to “fit in.” They are normal people; it’s that simple. Be yourself around these guys and they won’t think you’re an absolute idiot. Formula for success right there. BOOM. 

However, one thing that is NOT normal is Aroldis Chapman’s fastball. I had the (dis) pleasure to catch his bullpen the other day and good God is that guy a freak. He wasn’t even trying to throw hard and he was probably hitting the upper 90’s. Everyone knows him as the guy who throws 105mph; I’m just glad I don’t know him in the same way as a catcher. When I received knowledge of me catching him earlier in the day, I immediately ran into the training room and requested an extra pad be installed into the palm of my catcher’s mitt. Without that thing, I don’t know if I would’ve made it. I am excited for his season this year and anxious to see if he can make it as a starter for the Red’s rotation. In my not so expert opinion, I think they are going to ease him into the role. I think the nod will be given to Leake and Chapman will be assigned the long relief role earlier in the season to build his innings up and make the transition smoother. This way, when the Reds need to pull away from the others in the National League, we can make Chapman a starter and avoid a Strasburg incident like the Nationals had last year where they blew out his innings and had to shut him down in the middle of a pennant race. 

Anyways, as I write this I can’t help but think how nice it will be to start Spring Training and get on with my own season. It’s been since May 30th, 2012 since I played my last truly competitive and meaningful game of baseball. I was also wearing a Notre Dame jersey at that time…so it’s safe to say that it’s been WAY TOO LONG. I can go off on a baseball obsessive tangent right now, but I will spare you readers and save it for another time. I hope everyone has a good day/night and I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Go Reds, 

Joe Hudson 

By Tim Daniel and Cliff Eastham

Keep checking your calendar Reds fans, Baseball season isn’t too far away.

With the Pitchers and Catchers reporting this week to Goodyear, Arizona the excitement of Baseball has hit us and with a very busy off season, Reds fans have had a lot of debates and opinions.

Can Shin-Soo Choo play Center Field? Will Joey Votto & Johnny Cueto be healthy? Can Aroldis Chapman be a starter for a full season? 

Many of us have asked these questions, but one name that hasn’t been discussed is pitcher Mike Leake. Leake, the 2009 First Round selection out of Arizona State went straight to the Major Leagues his rookie season (2010) and took the world by storm. 

Leake is the only pitcher in Reds history to remain undefeated after his first 10 Major League starts, but since then it’s been a rocky road. Mike Leake has a career 28-22 record in 3 seasons with a 4.23 ERA. 

Mike also brings a tool not many pitchers do, he can swing the bat. Leake, a career .274/.308/.348 hitter also has 2 Home Runs and 8 RBI to his name in his career. So now we bring up the question, where does Mike Leake fit? Does he beat out Aroldis Chapman for a spot in the rotation? Can he be a pitcher out of the Reds Bullpen? Should the Reds send him to Louisville, or even see if they can move him?

To help me discuss this topic is redstothebone.com writer Cliff Eastham. Cliff is also the Reds Featured Columnist on Bleacher Report and a very insightful opinion when it comes to our beloved Redlegs.

Cliff: 

Thanks for asking me to collaborate with you on this story, Tim. Leake has a wonderful upside. He is only 25 and already has three years of MLB experience. When he is on, he is very good. In 2012 he had a pair of complete game wins. Nobody on the staff had more than he did. He has increased the amount of IP each year and if he were in the rotation I would fully expect him to throw 200+ innings. 

We all know, however, that unless something catastrophic happens he will not be part of the five man rotation. Many think that Aroldis Chapman will be wearing a bib this year, and be asked to throw a certain amount of innings. With that in mind some think that Leake should maybe start in his spot every third or fourth round to extend him on further in the season. Some have even said that perhaps a six-man rotation would be called for. I disagree with that experiment because some, like Arroyo, pitch better on less rest than more. It could throw the entire cohesion out of whack. 

I like the idea of him staying with the team, pitching long relief and spotting for Chapman occasionally. I don’t think it would benefit him to be relegated to the starting rotation of the Louisville Bats. That stinks of demotion and he really has done nothing to be cast aside. I don’t know who should make the ‘walk of shame’ to Louisville but I would bet that it will not be Manny Parra. 

Tim: Really great points, Cliff. It looks like you won’t get any Devil’s Advocate for me. 

I love what Mike Leake can bring to this ball club. Whether it’s in the rotation or in the bullpen, I think he’s a solid asset to a team that looks full of talent. If the game plan is for Aroldis Chapman to be in the rotation, then I am all for Mike Leake being in the Bullpen as a Long reliever/ spot starter, especially now that Sam LeCure is looking more like a Mid-Reliever. 

As far as should Mike Leake be in AAA I’ll say this. Mike Leake is a Major League talent. Now should he be traded? I say no, Mike Leake is a Cincinnati Red for a reason. 

Mike also isn’t a bad player to have pinch hitting off your bench. Reds statistician Joel Luckhaupt today tweeted that since 2010 the only pitcher to have a better OBP than Mike Leake is Chris Narveson of the Milwaukee Brewers. 

I don’t feel the Reds are losing out on anything by keeping Mike Leake on the 25 man roster, now the reliever who goes should be an interesting conversation.

Thanks to Cliff for participating on this project with me. I hope we can work together throughout the season as well.

By Tim Daniel

As a big time Sports fan, and a Fantasy Baseball player we all look for the players from our team. We certainly game plan to get our players and have those people to watch everyday. 

Our chief concern, are we reaching for these guys and are they worth taking? Well thanks to ESPN they have placed their 2013 player rankings and we’re going to list them here for you.

C- Devin Mesoraco rated 28th overall at his position. Mes didn’t have the most dynamic year last season but next year ESPN expect Devin to become a sleeper in their leagues drafts. Also surprising that Ryan Hanigan wasn’t listed in the top 30. 

1B-Joey Votto rated 2nd at his position… This is an interesting argument you’re seeing on different websites between Votto & Pujols. Votto is expected to be 100% starting the season and is expected to put up some big numbers.

2B- Brandon Phillips 4th rated Second Basemen behind Robinson Cano (NYY) Ian Kinsler (TEX) and Dustin Pedroia (TEX). Coming off a .281 season, expect Phillips to put up some big numbers again batting 2nd in the Reds lineup between Shin-Soo Choo & Joey Votto.

3B- Todd Frazier rated 13th at his position. Todd last year was a ROY candidate, a great fill in for Scott Rolen and Joey Votto, and had the strangest Home Run possibly ever. Now Frazier has a chance to show what he can do as the every day guy at the hot corner for the Reds.

SS- Zack Cozart, 20th at his position.. A late round steal for the second straight year. Cozart, in his first full season was a guy that hit at the top of the order, and showed a lot defensively. Cozart is going to be hitting later in the order and should see his stats come up more in such a heavy hitting lineup.

OF- Jay Bruce 12th, Bruce is coming off his second all star season and his first Silver Slugger award. In GABP Bruce will continue to hit bombs. 

Shin-Soo Choo 25th, The Reds new lead off hitter has put up some very nice numbers at GABP. Now he will play there every day for the 2013 season, and is a big time improvement for the Reds in regards to any one who hit lead off last season.

Ryan Ludwick 70th rated OF? Ludwick being rated this low is surprising.. Granted he’s in his mid 30’s but his second half last season was great. Ludwick really stepped up for the Reds after Joey Votto went down and played well even into the post season.

SP: Johny Cueto 15th: Cueto last year had a very good year. Minus an All Star snub, and not being a CY Young finalist Cueto still managed to win 19 games and post a 2.78 ERA with 170 Strikeouts. Cueto should also be healthy when the season begins.

Mat Latos 20th: Latos was a Strikeout machine for the Reds last year, 185 to be exact. With 14 wins he was a solid #2 pitcher for the team.

Homer Bailey 57th: Could Homer Bailey be the late round steal? Homer went 13-10 with 168 Strikeouts and even threw a No Hitter against the Pirates later in the year.

RP: Aroldis Chapman 2nd: The Reds have made it loud and clear there game plan is to have Aroldis Chapman be in their rotation. But ESPN has only Craig Kimbrel listed higher than Aroldis. Coming off of a 38 save, 1.51 ERA and 122 Strike out season, guess you can’t blame them for keeping him there.

Jonathan Broxton 20th: 27 saves, a 2.48 ERA and 45 Strikeouts for Broxton splitting time between the Royals and the Reds. Current game plan is Broxton to be the closer for the team after being the set up guy to Chapman last year.

Sean Marshall 40th: Marshall started the season closing for the Reds. Last year Sean had a nice 2.51 ERA, with 74 Strikeouts and 9 saves.. Depending how deep your league is, this may not be a bad late round selection.

Hi Everyone, 

Well, as of yesterday, my first year (first full season) as a Cincinnati Red is officially under way. Words can’t explain how excited I am that all this is beginning. I arrived in Goodyear yesterday fresh off a plane from Tampa and for the first time in months, I saw a handful of my closest teammates together and we shared some good laughs and exchanged some bro hugs as well. It’s so nice to be back here and be around the guys who share the same dream as you…make it to the big leagues. 

The reason I’m here 6 weeks prior to Spring Training is what the Reds call, “Strength Camp.” It’s a strength and conditioning camp run by our head strength coach and his assistants. Before I get into the details, I just want to say our head strength guy is off his rocker crazy. He’s so intense and passionate about his job that he is very intimidating to some. Imagine a guy who is always yelling and screaming at people to pick up the pace and lift heavier and run faster, calling you names in the process and giving you a hard time seemingly all the time…yeah, that’s this guy. That has a negative connotation to it, but don’t get me wrong, he is the perfect guy for the job. As much as a hardo he thinks he is, he truly cares about each one of us, and is really good at his job. So anyways, strength camp is mainly for first year position players. There is about 16 of us right now. The limited number is a good and bad thing. Good in the sense that we receive more individual attention. Bad in the sense that we receive more individual attention haha. These guys are always around. There’s no escaping them if you need an extra second to rest or recover, (or puke for some today). Always in your ear. But, the sick and twisted thing is: I love it. I love pushing my body to its limit, because I know I am getting better. I am becoming a better baseball player every exercise, every set, every rep even; and that fires me up! If you’ve been reading my blogs, then you already know I love baseball so much and nothing will ever change that about me. 

For those of you interested in what a typical day is like for me and my teammates now; this is roughly what we go through on a daily basis. 

8am - Get to the field and have breakfast. A spread of eggs, a breakfast meat or two, oatmeal, cereal, and a layout of fruit is the usual. This is also the time to hop in the hot and cold tubs to prepare your body for the days impending physical beating it’s about to take. 

9am - Stretch and mentally prepare yourself to get your butt kicked.

930am - Conditioning (Hill sprints, 300 yard shuttles, agilities, etc.) 

10am - Lay motionless on the ground and thank God it’s over. 

1030am - Lifting. This is when our crazy strength coach takes over and cranks things up a bit. He’s usually blasting some Satanic, heavy metal rock music. On top of that, he is adding his own lyrics of, “LET”S FREAKING GOOOO!! NO STANDING AROUND!! GET YOUR A$$ IN GEAR HUDSON! PUSH IT!!” Oddly enough, I really enjoy this part of the day. I’m a bit of a closet meathead. I drive with a forearm gripper in my car (you know the ones you squeeze over and over again…yeah) and I may have flexed in the bathroom mirror a few times in my day. But, that stays between you and me!! But let’s be real here, who hasn’t done that? Anyways, I love lifting! Curls for the girls as they say. 

12pm - Recovery. This is one of the most important times of the day. At this point, your muscles have been over-worked and broken down and they need to be taken care of. Ice baths are a must. For all you aspiring ballplayers out there, learn how to cope with water at a near freezing temperature. It will keep you healthy and allow you to play the 140+ something games we play in a season. This is also the time to raid the protein and supplement counter. Break out your GNC blender bottles and fill them with muscle milk and all that good stuff.

12:30 - 1pm - Lunch and time to do some extra baseball related activities. Some guys go swing it in the cages; some guys throw a little out on the field. Coaches don’t show up till second week of February, so all of this is on our own. 

After all your work is done for the day, then you can go home (the hotel). Guys take a very professional approach to this strength camp and I expect to lead by example for the younger guys here. Being from college, I am a little bit more experienced and have a pretty good feel for things around the weight room and what not. So, I’m excited to see improvements in not only my physical shape, but in the younger guys too. 

That is pretty much it as far as strength camp goes. I will continue to write on this blog throughout camp, Spring Training, and even throughout the season. I am excited to be doing this so you guys can have a semi-inside look to what goes on with us pro ball players. It’s an exciting process and I am so, so, SO blessed to be doing this. As always, if you have any questions, please email me. My email is in my last blog and if you want further insight on my “Road to the Show,” follow me on Twitter: @joehud4 

Reminder: If there are any parents reading this and have kids who aspire to be in my position one day, LET ME KNOW! I want to help them! I feel like my calling is not only to be a baseball player, but to also help the youth out there. It’d be a dream come true to know that I might’ve helped a young kid reach the major leagues one day. 

Now, stop reading this and go have a great day. Make a difference in someone’s life today. Be extra nice and do something that you wouldn’t usually do. Never know what can happen! 

Go Reds, 

Joe Hudson 

Hi everyone, 

I wanted to take this time during my offseason to reconnect with everyone out there. I am currently enjoying my time at home and spending precious time with my family and friends. This has been the first time in a long time that I’ve been able to enjoy this luxury. I pledge to take full advantage of this and cherish every second I have left before I report to Spring Training in Goodyear, AZ. In the meantime, weight lifting, conditioning, and golf have kept me quite busy as far as recreational activities goes. 

My golf game is heating up the last few times on the links. A career shift to the PGA might be in the cards in my future! (Just kidding any Reds front office guys or coaches reading this!) Other than golf, I am really enjoying pushing my body to the limits and working out with my Reds teammates Sean Buckley and Jesse Winker. Both live near Tampa and we all work out at the same gym everyday of the week. It has been very fun having those guys around. More specifically, it’s funny to watch Winker lift weights for the first time in his life. Being a high school kid, he isn’t as advanced as Buck and myself in the weight room, but he works his tail off and he still hits balls twice as far as us in bating practice. Funny how that works, huh?!?!

Also, I have been giving baseball lessons (more specifically catching lessons) to little kids out there in the Tampa Bay Area. This has been by far the most fulfilling part of my offseason. To those who don’t know me on a personal level, I love children. I think the world of kids and one day I will hopefully be blessed with my own. For the lesson, I arrange a time and place with their parents and for at least an hour straight, I teach them everything I know about the catching position. The desire to learn in these youthful children brings real joy to me. During our lesson, I typically go over the mechanics and techniques of being a catcher. All of this is extremely important, however, the lasting impression I want to leave on these children is that bottom line; they have a friend in me. There is so much more to life than just baseball. The people and relationships around you are so valuable. These children need someone to look up to and a positive role model in their life. I have been blessed to be in a position where I can make that lasting impression on them and hopefully make a difference in their lives through the sport of baseball and offering my support and friendship. 

Lastly, I know this blog was meant to fill you readers in on what goes on in my life on the “Road to the Show.” I still intend to fulfill this purpose. However, in light of a newly discovered inspiration in my life, I want to challenge everyone reading this to take a minute or two and think about what is truly important to them in their lives. Especially as the holiday season approaches, material things start to overtake our desires and we begin to overlook aspects of our lives that have deeper meaning and more importance. Family, friends, and loved ones should always be in your heart and in your thoughts and prayers. As the tragic event in Newtown, CT has taught us, you NEVER know when you’re going to lose someone you love. So, with that in mind, think about what’s really important this holiday season and try to act upon my challenge to you.  

Well, I hope everyone is doing well and I truly want to hear from you guys if you have any questions or seek help in any way possible. Parents: if your kids have any questions whatsoever (baseball related or not) let me know! It’s all about the kids. I’m here for them as much as I am for you guys. You can always reach me at my twitter: @joehud4 or if you have something more personable email me at:  joe_thad_hud@hotmail.com

Go Reds, 

Joe Hudson 

Hi everyone, 

As instructional league winds down, I wanted to take the opportunity to fill you in on what has happened to me and my teammates in the last few weeks. First of all, it’s been an absolute blast showing up to the ballpark everyday to play baseball. I still can’t get over the fact that I’m doing this for a “living”. 

I’m very glad I was invited to play in the Reds instructional league. I have learned SO MUCH stuff about the game of baseball. Before pro ball, I thought I knew a good amount about the game. I prided myself on being an intelligent player with good enough instincts to get by. Well…jokes on me. Turns out there’s a whole universe of unknown out there for me to discover. With the help of my coaches, I know that I am a better player than I was a few weeks ago. 

It hasn’t been all baseball for us players the last few weeks. We have a little fun outside the white lines as well. We have Sundays off, which means we can go exploring on Saturday nights. Cities such as Tempe, Scottsdale, and Glendale are all within 20-30 minutes of us. My favorite is Tempe because that is where Arizona State’s campus is; and everyone knows that ASU is home to a great nightlife. My teammates and I have certainly taken advantage of that over the past few weeks (always responsibly of course). We have met some interesting people, but the best part of the night is spending it with your buddies and the fellowship that accompanies a night out on the town with them. 

I’ll tell you one thing. Since I missed my entire first summer of pro ball, I didn’t get to experience how great this whole gig is. I know I have been annoying you with this story in just about every one of my posts, but I’m serious people…this is the best job in the world. I hardly consider it a job, and for all you younger guys out there who want to be in my spot one day, don’t ever give up on the dream. It’s worth every second of hard work you put into getting here. Go take those extra hacks in the cages, get your extra lifts in when no one else is, stay after practice to take a few extra ground balls, and run those extra sprints when nobody else on your team will. Trust me, it will make you a better player AND person. Instilling a good work ethic and doing the right thing when nobody is looking are extremely important traits to an aspiring ball player and human being in general. No matter what you do in life, that same kind of work ethic needs to be applied. So, that’s my final thought. If you are an young kid reading this who wants to play pro ball one day, take this to heart. There is no better opportunity to live out your dream and play this game than at this level. So, work hard, stay out of trouble, and eat your spinach kid. 

That’s all I got for this post. I hope you guys are enjoying these. I have one week left in AZ before I head home to Tampa to be with my friends and family. I can’t wait to spend time with the people I have dearly missed the past few months. If you guys have any questions, as always, tweet/follow me at @joehud4 on Twitter or find me on facebook and send a message. I will gladly help you out in any way I can. Like I said, I’m here for mainly the young ones. I want these kids to realize their dreams just like I have so far in my young career. It’s a great feeling that I think everyone should feel in their life. 

Go Reds and Irish, 

Joe Hudson 

Hi everyone, 

So a week of instructs has passed and I’m having a great time each and every day. Being around my teammates and playing baseball every day is something I wish I could do the rest of my life. Everyone is learning so much about the game of baseball. Our coaches really know what they’re talking about and I’m excited to put all I’ve learned into practice and start playing soon. By the way, my wrist is perfectly healthy now and I’ve been cleared to play in a game this Monday. Words can’t describe how excited I am to play baseball once again. I love this game so much it’s probably unhealthy, but whatever…I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Being a professional baseball player for the Reds has given me the opportunity to meet some pretty cool people so far. For starters, I have crossed paths with former big leaguers such as Ken Griffey Sr., Darren Bragg, Eli Marrero, Eric Davis, Jose Nieves, and many others. Most notably, Charlie Sheen made a guest appearance one day and took batting practice at our complex. He actually swung it quite well and managed to put a few to the deep part of the outfield. Despite his former reckless lifestyle of “winning”, the guy still has it. I even managed to take a picture with him. I talked to him for about a minute and he seemed like a really nice guy. He said he will be back again to hang out, so I’m hoping he can teach me a few things about how to be totally awesome (but not too awesome if you catch my drift). I get tested for those sort of things.

Anyways, this week has been insurmountably better than the last few months in pro ball. My friends are all here and the days are shorter and not as hellishly hot. We get two meals a day from the team cook and there’s better protein supplements in the weight room. It’s the little things that count in this life. Don’t ever forget that people. A typical day for me is as follows for those who are interested:

6am - Crawl out of bed…pound some of the finest coffee Folger’s has to offer

7am - Early work for catchers (stretching, film study, defensive work, etc.)

8am - Breakfast

9am - Team Stretch and throwing program

10am - Extra Hitting or Team Defensive drills (1st and 3rds, Bunt D, Relays, Infield/Outfield, pickoffs, etc.)

11am - Bullpens (I usually catch about 4 a day…you have been warned if you are an aspiring young catcher reading this…sorry bro)

Noon - Batting practice on the field 

1pm - Lunch 

2pm - Game

It’s such a hectic day that is run on a tight schedule. You always have to know where to be and if you’re late the coaches will get on you. If you’re late again, they will just fine you. A lot of guys will jokingly complain about how miserable and exhausting these days are and how they would rather be laying poolside at the hotel sipping on a cold beverage. However, everyone for the most part knows that we are absolutely the luckiest people in the entire world. We are playing baseball for a living and I’m sorry, but it DOESN’T get any better than that. I have goosebumps as I write this blog thinking about how lucky I am to be doing this. Surely, it has it’s downs like being away from your family and loved ones and having to take an ice bath up to your neck on a daily basis, but playing this game everyday AND getting paid to do it is something I wish I could do forever. We have an off day tomorrow, so a few teammates and I are probably gonna go out tonight and try to relax a little. Hopefully we can meet some cute ladies and take our minds off of baseball a little. As amazing and gratifying as it is to play everyday, it can be a grind and mentally you need to have a life outside the chalked lines. So, here’s to a good night of fellowship and fun. 

Until next week, that’s all I have for you guys today. There’s a big Notre Dame/Michigan football game on later tonight. I think you guys know who has this game. 28 - 17…Notre Dame wins and people start to believe in this team. I already do. As always, hit me up on twitter @joehud4 if you have any questions or you just feel like saying hi and giving me props for this outstanding blog/novel you just read. Just kidding…but seriously. Do it NOW…please?

Go Reds, 

Joe Hudson