GOODYEAR, AZ. -- Marlon Byrd has the word on the Cincinnati Reds. In fact, he has more than a few words about his new team.
Don't try to tell Byrd that the Reds will be bottom feeders, residents of the depths of the National League Central, as most prognosticators believe.
Byrd, the team's new left fielder, stood in front of his locker Wednesday morning and talked expansively as he pulled on jersey No. 9.
Asked what his first thought was when he was told on New Year's Eve that he was traded to the Reds, he smiled broadly and said, "Excitement. Gosh, yes."
And why is that?
"I'm coming to a team that's ready to win and I get to hit in THIS lineup," said the 37-year-old 14-year veteran. "And I love it in the NL Central, a great division. And the Reds have amazing fans. There are positives all around."
And Byrd definitely is one of those positives.
Byrd couldn't stop talking when asked what puts the extra skip in his step this year after he hit 25 home run and drove in 85 for the Philadelphia Phillies last season, a season that followed a 24-homer, 88-RBI season for the Mets and Pirates in 2013.
"I feel energy and it looks as if all the big names are healthy now," he said. "Man, you have superstars here in Joey Votto and Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips and the young stars like Todd Frazier and Devin Mesoraco. You have Billy Hamilton ready to make it big and growing up fast, building on the year he had last year. We have the one-two pitching punch of Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey and the back-end of Aroldis Chapman closing."
A lot of so-called experts don't see it that way. They remember the fourth-place finish and the 76 wins last year and slot the Reds into the same hole.
"This team shouldn't get respect, shouldn't get noticed, because of what happened last year," said Byrd. "We're going to have to show 'em. We're going have to have guys bounce back and make sure we stay heathy all year long to get wins."
Byrd looks up and down the lineup and sees nothing but infused power, everybody able to hit the ball out of the park, especially in "Great American Smallpark."
"We have two through seven capable of hitting 30 home runs, each guy," he said. "Phillips has done it, Votto has done it, Jay Bruce has done it, Todd Frazier was at 29 last year, I've hit 25, Mesoraco got 25 last year."
After his litany, Byrd smiled broadly and said, "In this lineup? Put me anywhere. I just like to drive in runs and you can do it in pretty mjch any spot in this order."
Byrd feels that he not only can fill the black hole that has been left field for the Reds the past few years, but he is eager to provide the leadership that is so often talked about around the club the last couple of years.
He is ready, he is willing and he believes he is more than able.
"It's not tough to be a leader when you are a veteran guy and you've been around," he said. "First you want to come in and fit in and be a piece of the puzzle."
That's no problem for Byrd, a veteran who is highly respected by other veterans and by the young players. That's how it is when you've been there and done that.
"You have to bring veteran leadership," he said. "I've been through more than most of these guys in here. You name it, I've done it. I talk to all the young guys about being released, about being traded, about being suspended, about going to the playoffs, about winter ball. I've done it all in baseball.
"It's great to just be able to answer questions or to be able to say, 'Hey, this is the routine that you need to follow. Just watch me.' Or I can say, that's not what you do, this is what you are supposed to do. I can do that going into my 14th season. That's what veterans are supposed to do."
Byrd, though, says there is a caveat. He can lead, but who will follow? Will they all follow?
"You cannot lead if nobody follows," he said. But with Byrd's multi-faceted done-it-all experience and his positive personality, he seemes to be what is called a "Natural-Born Leader."
