How about the 1-2 in the batting order for Cinci today?

[Sports Guy]

1st- Jerry Hairston

2nd- Darnell McDonald

[BaltimoreTerp]

It's like what the 2000 Orioles dreamed the 2003 Orioles would look like

[DrungoHazewood]

Who's hurt? There's no way a contender in any divison in MLB should be starting a AAA (note, not AAAA) guy and a utility player and bat them 1-2 on opening day. Not without some injuries.

Edit: I guess Willy Taveras is injured? Or maybe they just cut him? McDonald is a AAA outfielder, but so is Taveras. Still, why is Hairston playing?

[BaltimoreTerp]

Who's hurt? There's no way a contender in any divison in MLB should be starting a AAA (note, not AAAA) guy and a utility player and bat them 1-2 on opening day. Not without some injuries.

Edit: I guess Willy Taveras is injured? Or maybe they just cut him? McDonald is a AAA outfielder, but so is Taveras. Still, why is Hairston playing?

Taveras has the flu.

Hairston is apparently their super-utility player who's going to get all kinds of PT. He had a nice year last year, too.

[24fps]

Who's hurt? There's no way a contender in any divison in MLB should be starting a AAA (note, not AAAA) guy and a utility player and bat them 1-2 on opening day. Not without some injuries.

Edit: I guess Willy Taveras is injured? Or maybe they just cut him? McDonald is a AAA outfielder, but so is Taveras. Still, why is Hairston playing?

I think it's because Chris Dickerson - who has some talent - isn't that good against tough lefties yet. I've got to think he'd be a better choice than McDonald though.

[Migrant Redbird]

If Hairston can remain healthy, he's capable of being far more than a utility player. Alas, that's the only role available to him on the Reds. I was hoping that he'd be given an opportunity to win the starting 2nd base job for the Cardinals -- with lots of incentives -- but our incumbent MFL (manager for life) was determined that he could convert a center fielder to play 2nd base.

Who knows, maybe he can? However, Skip Schumaker switched colleges between his freshman and sophomore season because his freshman coach didn't think he could be a community college level shortstop. As a center fielder the next season, he played well enough for UCSB to get drafted by the Cards.

Preliminary reports on Skip's defense at 2nd are somewhat encouraging but not definitive.

[DrungoHazewood]

If Hairston can remain healthy, he's capable of being far more than a utility player.

If Hairston was capable of remaining healthy Brian Roberts might be a nice utility player for the Brewers or something. He couldn't, and most folks don't change.

[T2E2C]

thought that i was hearing things http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/M/darnell-mcdonald.shtml is the starting CF for the Reds today...former 1st rd Orioles draft pick...30.y.o. "rookie"

[Abadie]

with a former oriole in Jerry Hariston Jr playing LF and batting leadoff w/McDonald batting 2nd

scary thing is....this team will probably end up with more wins than the Orioles this season.

[Palmoripken]

with a former oriole in Jerry Hariston Jr playing LF and batting leadoff w/McDonald batting 2nd

scary thing is....this team will probably end up with more wins than the Orioles this season.

To be fair, they do play in a weaker division and they have some good young pitchers and they also have Jay Bruce who is going to be 22 the whole season. I remember McDonald vaguely. Good luck to him.

[Boy Howdy]

Slightly off-topic, but...

In Jeff Pearlman's new Clemens book, he mentions Jerry Hairston as one of the three most hated opponents within the Yankees clubhouse about 10 years ago (Clemens & Jaret Wright were the others)

Didn't say why, and I was never aware of it. Any idea why Jerry ticked the MFY off so much?

[blueberryale77]

Didn't McDonald get in trouble for bringing his pet pit bulls into the clubhouse in Bowie or something random like that?

[T2E2C]

i thought i heard them say "Darnell", but had to look up the lineup online on ESPN to make sure.

Everyone knows how coveted Jay Bruce is, but with Hairston; McDonald; Willy Tavares; & Chris Dickerson being the Reds other 4 of 5 OF'ers i feel truly blessed with having Markakis, Adam Jones & Pie.

[T2E2C]

for the "oldtimers" that's hardly Wally Post; Vada Pinson & some guy named Robinson

[mrbraswel3]

Slightly off-topic, but...

In Jeff Pearlman's new Clemens book, he mentions Jerry Hairston as one of the three most hated opponents within the Yankees clubhouse about 10 years ago (Clemens & Jaret Wright were the others)

Didn't say why, and I was never aware of it. Any idea why Jerry ticked the MFY off so much?

I don't know/remember a specific incident, but I do recall Hairston celebrating a HR by walking with the bat a ways in a game against the Yankess while he was still an Oriole. From what I remember the Yankess threw at a batter shortly after. I also vaguely remember a 2b sliding incident w/ Hairston and the Yankees, but don't remember if he was covering or the base runner. Maybe someone else will remember.

Note: Darnell McDonald does not look very good in the OF