Back in the spring of 2011, the Cincinnati Reds were fresh off their first division title since the landing of Mayflower at Plymouth Rock in 1620. Jay Bruce had socked a homer into both the stratosphere and our permanent memories, and while the disappointment of being flushed out of the playoffs in short order by the Philadelphia Phillies stung, optimism was at a generational high when the Reds descended upon Goodyear, Arizona the following spring.
When Cactus League play commenced that year, the certain right-handed bat emerged as an absolute dynamo for the Reds. In 20 games, he went 22 for 39 with a trio of homers, 12 ribbies, and an equal number of walks (2) as strikeouts, in the process going from a guy you’d heard of a time or two to the talk of the entire camp.