[DaytonFlyersFan]

-- It was a little game within the game. Manager Dusty Baker challenged young sluggers Joey Votto and Jay Bruce to try and get through Spring Training without striking out.
"I didn't take that to heart, but I think it's kind of a fun little game to play," Votto said on Thursday.
Bruce notched his one and only strikeout on Saturday. Votto struck out for the first time on Wednesday, a punch out in the second inning vs. the Red Sox, and in Thursday's game vs. the Yankees.
"The first thing Jay said over the phone when I spoke to him was, 'You struck out, huh?'" I go, 'Yeah, thanks buddy,'" said Votto, who took a called strike three in his third plate appearance on Thursday. "He struck out on a check swing a while back. He was paying attention and making sure I didn't go through the whole thing without striking out."
The challenge aside, Baker still wants all of his younger hitters -- including Votto -- to be more aggressive at the plate.
"He needs to swing some more. I talked to him about that," Baker said. "Strikeouts isn't the criteria. I think a lot of this on-base percentage is taking away some of the aggressiveness of some of the young kids to swing the bat. Most of the time with young guys, you have to put handcuffs on them not to swing.
"I really hate the called third-strike fastball. It means you're guessing or you're not ready to hit."
Votto is off to a slow start, batting .188 (3-for-16) in eight games. The 24-year-old is competing with veteran Scott Hatteberg to be the Reds' starting first baseman.
"I am an aggressive hitter, but it's just taken me a little bit of time and a few at-bats to get comfortable up there," Votto said. "It takes me a little while to get my timing down and my swing ready to go. I'm not one of those guys that kind of pick up and right away hammer the fastball."
Vets be aggressive, too: Baker doesn't just want the young guys to be aggressive. He was asked about left fielder Adam Dunn, who is a selective hitter with a high OBP.
"Dunn's not a kid. He's not old, but he's not a kid," Baker said. "I bet you he gets better. He's from Texas. There's not a cow in Texas if he doesn't get better. He wants to get better."






Looks like Baker's got high expectations for the Reds this year.......maybe a little too high.