5 Cincinnati Reds

THE LINEUP
projected roster with 2001 statistics
PLAYER		B-T	PVR	BA	HR	RBI	SB
BATTING ORDER	2B Todd Walker	L-R	216	.296	17	75	1
	SS Barry Larkin	R	123	.256	2	17	3
	CF Ken Griffey Jr.	L	26	.286	22	65	2
	LF Adam Dunn	L-R	40	.262	19	43	4
	IB Sean Casey	L-R	99	.310	13	89	3
	3B Aaron Boone	R	152	.294	14	62	6
	RF Juan Fncarnacion#	R	222	.242	12	52	9
	C Jason LaRue	R	226	.236	12	43	3
BENCH	C Kelly Stinnett	R	308	.257	9	25	2
	IF Wilton Guerrero	S-R	312	.338	1	8	5
	OF Brady Clark	R	341	.264	6	18	4
PITCHER		PVR	W	L	IPS	WHIP	ERA
STARTERS	RH Elmer Dessens	147	10	14	6.0	1.35	4.48
	RH Chris Reitsma	159	7	15	6.0	1.42	5.29
	RH Jose Acevedo	195	5	7	5.3	1.41	5.44
	RH Joey Hamilton *	224	6	10	5.4	1.70	5.93
	LH Jimmy Haynes #	192	8	17	5.8	1.51	4.85
PITCHER		PVR	W	L	S	WHIP	ERA
BULLPEN	RH Danny Graves	58	6	5	32	1.26	4.15
	RH Scott Sullivan	171	7	1	0	1.26	3.31
	LH Gabe White #	267	1	7	0	1.42	6.25
#New acquisition
(R) Rookie B-T-throw IPS: Inning pitched per start
WHIP: Walks plus hits per inning pitched
PVR: Player Value Ranking (explanation on page 154)
*Combined AL and NL stats

The ace of the Reds is Elmer Dessens .

The ace of the Reds is a 30-year-old righthanded journeyman from Hermosillo , Mexico , whose boyhood hero was Fernando Valenzuela .

The ace of the Reds has a major league record of 23-27 with a 4-78 ERA. He's no Fernando Valenzuela .

The ace of the Reds is the ace of the Reds for three reasons.

1) Because general manager Jim Bowden is forced to maintain a puny payroll. Two seasons ago he shipped Denny Neagle , Cincinnati 's No. 1 starter, to the Yankees for a package of minor leaguers. This off-season Pete Harnisch , a gritty righthander, departed as a free agent. The Reds' payroll is now $45 million, too low to be able to afford a true ace.

2) Because were it not for the Devil Rays , Cincinnati would feature baseball's worst rotation. Lefthander Lance Davis showed promise as a rookie last year by going 7-3 with a 3.66 ERA after the All-Star break, but righties Chris Reitsma , Jose Acevedo and Joey Hamilton offer all the hope of an Enron 401(k). Reitsma has twice broken his pitching arm. Acevedo is coming off December hernia surgery. Hamilton was released last August by the Blue Jays after winning 15 games over three seasons. Last year the Reds ranked 14th in the National League with a 4.77 ERA They haven't improved.

3) Because Mario Soto isn't going to make a comeback.

The ace of the Reds has been around. Since 1993 he has pitched in Mexico and Japan as well as for three minor league teams and, briefly in '97 and '98, the Pirates . "Guys like Elmer can do a lot for you," says Cincinnati pitching coach Don Gullett . "He might not have the most talent, but from bouncing around and struggling, he wants it bad. That makes him our ace."

The ace of the Reds knows frustration, which should serve him well this season. Before the 1999 season he signed with the Yomiuri Giants only to spend most of the year with one of their farm teams. "You don't go to Japan to play in their minors," he says. "It was no good."

On Dec. 13, 1999, Cincinnati signed Dessens as a free agent. "At best we thought he might be the 11th man on staff," says Gullett . "He surprised us. He's a diamond from nowhere."