Things that we learned from Opening Day

The Cincinnati Reds won yesterday's Opening Day, 4-0. Here in Cincinnati, Opening Day is a holiday. There's a big parade, people take the day off and the bars are busy.

Is there something that we can learn from Opening Day about the Reds? Well, it's only one game. There are 161 more to go. Remember last year when the Reds opened the season with three straight wins over the Milwaukee Brewers? Guess who won the Central Division? Yep, the Brewers. But there is something that we did learn yesterday.

If Reds outfielder Jay Bruce can hit outside pitches, he's going to have a good year. In the eighth inning, Jay Bruce took an outside slider and hit over the centerfield fence. Look, Jay Bruce's weakness is the outside breaking ball away. He must either stay away from it or if he can hit it, he must not try to pull the ball. And that's what happened. Bruce took the pitch away and went with it. His bat speed hit the ball solidly and Brce blasted it the opposite way.

The New Nasty Boys. Aroldis Chapman has a sick slider. Aroldis Chapman threw a ninety mile an hour slider that struck out Miami Marilins Jose Reyes. So not only can he throw a hundred miles an hour, he can also threw a slider ninety miles an hour. If he has a changeup, he could be a great starting pitcher. The Reds should move Homer Bailey and put Chapman in the rotation. We'll see what happens. But Chapman's stuff is too good to send him , to the minors.

Reds reliever Sean Marshall who has inherited the closer's role has a good curve. Marshall was used by the Chicago Cubs last year as as set-up man. His ERA was 2.26 and he had five saves. Due to an injury to Ryan Madson,the Reds were forced to put him in the closer's role. Yesterday, I saw him throw a nasty curve for a strike. You do that with a good fastball that Marshall has, and he will get a lot of people out. That folks will add up to many saves.

Baseball has started. Spring is here. I'm hopeful for the Reds. And I'm still alive.