Scott Rolen seeks healthy routine for Reds
He'll work out specific plan with Dusty Baker
GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Reds third baseman Scott Rolen leads the club in deadpan humor. Asked if he had surgery in the offseason, Rolen said: "Not that I remember."
But Rolen did end the season hurting.
"I think everybody's a little beat up at the end," Rolen said.
• Photos: 2011 Reds spring training roster
• Photos: Monday's practice
But Rolen was more beat up than most and it caught up to him. He hit .290 with 17 home runs and 57 RBI in the first half and .277 with three home runs and 26 RBI in the second half.
One of the things the Reds will endeavor to do this year is keep Rolen strong for the long run. It's not that they didn't try last year.
Reds manager Dusty Baker rested Rolen on a regular basis – often to the criticism of the fans.
But it didn't work.
"I can't pinpoint anything that I would have done differently," Rolen said. "I did my maintenance. I did my work."
Rolen is 35 with a long history of injuries. He's always looking at ways to avoid injuries. He will try to tweak his preparation.
One of the things he will do this year is play less during spring training. He talked to Reds manager Dusty Baker about dialing it back as far as spring at-bats.
"One of the things I want to look at is playing a little less here," he said. "In Toronto, I was playing one of three. Here, it was every other day. I'd like to keep a few more bullets in the chamber."
Rolen got 50 at-bats last year at spring training that was in line with all the other regulars. It make sense to cut it back this year to keep Rolen fresher and get more at-bats for Juan Francisco and Todd Frazier.
Rolen will look at other things during the season to keep fresh.
"Maybe I'll change my pregame routine up a little bit," he said. "Look at different things along the way: Day games after night games. Make a conscious effort to do less field work or maybe no field work, just get loose in the cage and go out and play the game."
"See if that works."
But, again, Rolen is not sure it would help.
"These are just thoughts, not answers," Rolen said. "It's a long season, a lot of travel. You get beat up. Everybody gets beat up. It gets to the point where we're kind of living in dog years with our bodies."
Rolen played through stiffness in his neck and his shoulder in September. It may have helped to go on the DL and let it completely calm down.
"I need to be more responsible with that," he said. "If it's April, May or June, I probably go on the DL. But the last two or three weeks of the season, you're trying to get through and clinch. I'm never going to be too responsible at that time."
Neck, shoulder and back injuries are things Rolen has dealt with in the past. They affect play tremendously.
"That's not a little tweaked hamstring," he said. "That's something I've had trouble with in the past. I should have probably taken care of it. When I say take care of it, it's not that I didn't take care of it but I played."
Rolen is planning to talk to Baker to work out a specific plan. Rolen played in 133 games last year and started 125. Baker says the number of starts will be about 120 this year.
"I'd like more but I'm spacing him for that, so I give him day after nights, especially when you play those 14 games in a row streak," Baker said. "He's a guy I've got to program to play to the off days.
"He's not going to say (he wants out). I have to go on what I see, if I see his swing, or stiffness. I've got a pretty good eye for differences. He trusts me. We'll talk about things."
