--3B Juan Francisco, 21, set a Dominican winter league record for left-handers with 14 homers while playing for Cibao. He batted cleanup, despite having played only two years of Class A ball in the United States.
--SS Alex Gonzalez, coming off left knee surgery last July, will not play in the first week of spring training games, manager Dusty Baker said. Gonzalez sat out all of last season, and the team plans to ease him back into action. --RHP Edinson Volquez and RHP Johnny Cueto each pitched three scoreless innings in the team's first exhibition game (against the Rays), the only time they'll pitch for the Reds until they return from the World Baseball Classic. They will both pitch for the Dominican Republic.
--1B Yonder Alonso, the Reds' first-round draft pick last June, booted the first groundball he tried to field, a two-out error that led to five unearned runs on Feb. 26.
--INF/OF Jerry Hairston Jr., trying to win the available left field spot, hit a grand slam in the Reds' exhibition opener. He will soon join the Mexican team in the World Baseball Classic, leaving Chris Dickerson, Jonny Gomes and Jacque Jones valuable playing time.
--RHP Francisco Cordero and LHP Arthur Rhodes, two veterans counted upon in the Reds bullpen, both gave up two runs and put four runners on base in their one inning of work in their spring debuts.
BY THE NUMBERS: 63 -- Players in camp before the first cut, but six are leaving to play in the World Baseball Classic (RHP Edinson Volquez, RHP Johnny Cueto, C Ramon Hernandez, 1B Joey Votto, INF/OF Jerry Hairston Jr., OF Willy Taveras).
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We have the best spring training team that I've seen since I've owned the team." -- CEO Bob Castellini, beginning his fourth year as team owner.
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