*3B Juan Francisco was the only position player that wasn’t hitting or fielding with the team. Francisco is still nursing a sore left calf. He is doing strength and conditioning and has graduated to hitting in the cage. He will participate fully when he can run without pain.

*Reds owner/CEO Bob Castellini arrived at the complex today and held a press conference outside. I will have a story on that later on MLB.com/Reds.com

*Click here to see some video of Joey Votto’s morning media availablity.

And finally some photos:

For photo day, all 58 players in camp go to different stations and take a variety of pictures in different poses. These are the still photos you often see on the scoreboard at games when a batter or pitcher enters the game.

As for live BP, that’s quite a welcome for hitters that are only in their second official day of Spring Training.

“Those aren’t very good days for the hitters,” manager Dusty Baker said. “I remember those days. The pitchers are way ahead and it looks like they’re throwing a thousand mph. You have to really be careful not to start bad habits like pulling away, flinching. You’ve got to have it. Pitchers can have all the bullpens they want but when there’s a live hitter up there, it’s a totally different window to throw it to.”

*When asked about CF Drew Stubbs, Baker said he didn’t expect his off-season practice results to really surface until regular season games begin. Hitters and pitchers don’t go over scouting reports and don’t approach everything the same in exhibition games. While Baker hopes Stubbs improves as a hitter, especially in cutting down strikeouts, he gave an overwhelming endorsement to the importance of Stubbs defensively.

“Stubbs is a probably as big a part of defense as anybody. Not just on our team, in the league,” Baker said. “When the Big Red Machine got Cesar Geronimo, they didn’t get him to hit. They got Geronimo to play center field and play defense. To me playing defense is like rebounding in basketball. You’re preventing second and third shots. Look how many runs Stubbs saves.”

*It will be a different type of platoon in left field this season with Chris Heisey and Ryan Ludwick. Both are right-handed hitters so Baker will have match them up to their strengths each game.

“That’s the plan, right now,” Baker said. “Ludwick likes the ball down. Heisey likes the ball up. Ludwick likes the ball more down and away and Heisey likes the ball in and up.”

That means checking the pitcher and going over his report before each lineup is written out.

“That’s part of making out the lineup,” Baker said. “It’s difficult when a guy hits two or three home runs against a guy he should hit and then you don’t play him the next day. A few times, you say ‘ok’, and then play him the next day and they do nothing. How many times does that happen?”

*Joey Votto sat down and chatted with the Cincinnati TV media today. As usual, Votto is always finding room for improvement but he was very pleased to have met his goals in 2011.

“The thing I was most proud of last year was the number of games I played,” Votto said. “I had some complaints. Most players do hoping they can do better. I played 161 games and at the very beginning, I said my top priority was staying healthy. I achieved that goal. The second thing I mentioned was getting better as a player. At the end of the season, I could honestly say I did. I had a lot more challenges. Baseball was kind of different to me last year because of the way I was pitched and approached in general. I think I met that challenge.”

“I’m going to make it pretty simple for just about anybody,” Votto said. “I’m going to leave all that to the Reds front office and my agent and myself. I will try to keep it as private as possible. I don’t think it’s fair to the fans. I don’t think it’s fair to myself. It’s certainly not fair to the team for any of that type of stuff to creep into the season and become a distraction. I plan to make some sort of comment if I happen to sign an extension with the Reds or if I happen to get to the point where I get to free agency.”

Someone who doesn’t like to make a lot of waves publicly in general, it’s the distraction factor that Votto is most abhorrent about when it comes to public contract talk.

“You know what? I’m human and it is a distraction,” Votto said. “As much as players want to say it’s not a distraction and it doesn’t affect me at all, it’s exhausting. And it’s a lingering issue. The team knows about it. Fans know about it. Management knows about it. The bottom line is every player has the right to say yes and no. it’s clearly my decision. Once the public gets a handle on it, it can turn bad and I don’t want that because I’m in a lucky spot. I signed a three-year deal last year. I have another two years on my deal. And I’m in a position where I don’t have to comment on contracts because I’m in the midst of one.”

After a slight pause, Votto added…

“Prince sure got a lot of money though, didn’t he?”

I will have more on this later with a complete story on MLB.com, but Scott Rolen is also here. Obviously, Rolen has ambitions on a much better 2012 than 2011. He batted only .242 in 65 games and missed most of the second half. Rolen says he’s ready to go after Aug. 3 left shoulder surgery to remove bone spurs and fragments.

“I feel good,” Rolen said. “I have more range of motion than I’ve had for the last four or five years probably.”

Rolen is in the final year of his contract but passed on saying whether or not he planned to play beyond 2012. He will turn 37 on April 4.

“I’m not spending much time on that,” Rolen said. “Right now I have one year left on my contract. If this is my last year, I want to make sure I get out there and I play and contribute and I want to be accountable for this year. I had a hard time with that last year. That was one of the biggest disappointments I had last year. I felt unaccountable. As an everyday player, one of the most important jobs is the responsibility to your position, to your team and accountable for what happens on the field and yourself being on the field. I wasn’t able to do any of that last year. I’m looking in the present right now, just getting on the field and being accountable.”

Unlike last spring when he hoped for 120 games from Rolen, Dusty Baker wasn’t putting a number of it this time.

“His body is going to dictate that. Quite frankly, I’m hoping for more,” Baker said.

*The Reds no doubt have a vested interest in the Brewers star Ryan Braun’s appeal victory yesterday.

“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Baker said. “I’ll say it’s interesting. I like Ryan Braun. I’m glad things worked out for him. But I imagine there could be some guys that did go down that are wondering why his was reversed and theirs wasn’t.   “It definitely opens future doors and it might open some past doors. What good it does, I don’t know.”

“Everything right now is in theory,” Baker said on Thursday. “It’s subject to change. I will come up with something that will be a topic for discussion, I’m sure.”

Don’t be surprised though if rookie Zack Cozart bats No. 2 in the order. Baker batted Cozart in the two-hole in 10 of his 11 games last season.

“Age is a very small factor,” Baker said when asked about Cozart. “Skill, ability, aptitude, unselfishness – that’s where your most unselfish player in the lineup hits. And one of your smarter players in the lineup. They take a lot for the other guy to steal, a lot of stuff. “

*Another lineup issue is to cut down on strikeouts. The Reds offense had the fifth most K’s as a team in 2011.

“We’re still working on and addressing cutting down the strikeouts,” Baker said. “Most of the guys that have been striking out have been striking out most of their lives. Stubbs wasn’t the only guy you know. He just did the most. Imagine how good our offense could be if we put the ball in play a little more. We were still second in the league in runs scored.”

*I’m writing my main story on Bronson Arroyo today. Arroyo has altered his off-season program to find velocity that was missing last season during the worst year of his career.

“I totally retooled my entire workout program and did things I’ve never done before,” Arroyo said. “A lot of lunging, a lot of back exercises I’ve never done before to try and strengthen my back so I can use my legs. Over time my lower back has gotten to the point where it inhibited me from doing squats and I haven’t been able to use my legs. My flexibility has gotten worse in the whole hip region. I worked on that the whole off-season as well as the regular things like my scapula and shoulder. That was a huge transition for me – a lot of core work and a lot of back work. I feel as good as I’m going to feel. But if I’m throwing 85-88 mph consistently this year, then Bronson Arroyo is going to pitch that the rest of his career because that’s all there is in the tank.”

Said Baker: “He works harder than anybody we’ve got. He’s a great example for the young guys on how to go about your business. Everybody sees him as this fun loving, guitar playing dude but this cat works hard.”

*A representative from Topps was here with baseball cards in the clubhouse this morning. It’s interesting when you see a player open a pack and find his own card. I asked Mike Leake if he would put his own card in the spokes of his bicycle…he said no.

At this time last year, Phillips was worried about not having a long term contract beyond 2012. He was talking about it at the end of the regular season. A deal was not reached during the off-season so it was natural question to come up after Phillips’ first workout.

“I thought it would be over with by now. It is what it is,” Phillips said. “The only thing I can really do is go out there and play the game and do what’s best for the team. I love the moves that we made to make the team better. That’s what it’s all about. We’ll all go out there and win and get things done. My day will come. I’m not really worried about it. I’ll let my agent and the Reds take care of that themselves. It would have been nice to come to camp knowing that things would have been done with but it actually didn’t work out that way.”

There has been no known movement in negotiations for a while. Phillips also hasn’t gotten any recent updates from his agents — the Levinson brothers.

“I haven’t heard anything since…I can’t remember. It’s been that long,” Phillips said. “It’s been before Redsfest [in December]. I heard my agent was going to come down here and talk to them during Spring Training. Hopefully they can get some things done. Like I’ve said, this is where I want to be. I’m not trying to break the bank or nothing like that. I don’t want Prince Fielder money or nothing like that. I just want to be within the other second basemen. That’s what I’ve asked for.”

Would Phillips set a deadline to stop negotiations so he can concentrate on playing?

“Not really,” he repled. I don’t see myself saying anything like that. I would really love to hear what they’ve got to say. I am not going to let it bother me. They’re going to be talking to my agent more than myself. My agent will bring it to my attention. I’m going to be worried about hitting the ball and catching the ball. That’s what it’s all about. I’m not an agent. Even though if I wasn’t a baseball player, I’d be an agent.”

“There’s no need to,” Baker said. “I’ve got it figured out. I had it figured out this winter.”

The five-man rotation has six contenders. Besides Cueto, there is Mat Latos, Bronson Arroyo, Mike Leake, Homer Bailey and Aroldis Chapman.

“The only thing that changes my mind is – right now we’ve got six,” Baker said. “What will change my mind is when we boil it down to five. And God forbid, you hope nobody gets hurt this spring because that would definitely change your mind and change your rotation. That’s what changed our rotation last year, especially when Johnny and Homer went down from the very beginning.

“You’ve always got a Plan A, always. You just hope you don’t get to Plan F.”

*As mentioned the other day, Jay Bruce is visibly lighter after dropping 15 pounds. That will require some adjustments to Bruce’s hitting style.

“He has a new body,” Baker said. “He’s going to have to learn what he can do with that new body, especially hitting. His trunk rotation will be a lot more compact, a lot more powerful. Consequently, he’ll have to learn he can wait longer now because he has less trunk to rotate.”

The club did not order Bruce to slim down.

“He was never fat. He just wasn’t suave and cut,” Baker said. “We’ll see. Everybody doesn’t necessarily have to be suave and cut. Some guys play better with a little baby fat on them. I’ve seen that too. I’ve seen guys we’ve put weight back on, guys that I played with. One guy was Fernando. He lost all this baby fat and wasn’t throwing anything so we had to fatten him back up again.”

*Look for a story on Homer Bailey later today. Unlike Bruce, he padded on 15 pounds.

“I wanted to be a little bit stronger and I wanted to see if it would make going through a whole season a little easier,” Bailey said. “It’s something I did on my own. I met a nutritionist and got to eat a lot.”

*Early arrivals: Drew Stubbs entered the clubhouse today. Brandon Phillips tweeted that he was in Phoenix and planned to get to the complex.

Here are a few pictures from Tuesday:

Reds manager Dusty Baker surveys the scene.

Bronson Arroyo warming up at the start of the workout

Mike Leake covering first base

Logan Ondrusek

Jay Bruce

Without further adieu, here are some news and notes.

*According to Dusty Baker it sounds as though the Aroldis Chapman situation is fluid this spring. Baker did not rule out the possiblity of Chapman being part of the bullpen even though he is transitioning to starting.

“We are going to stretch him out to see and to see if there is time,” Baker said on Tuesday. “If there is not time, or not quality, then you can always put the guy back in the bullpen. We would have had an answer now if things had gone according to plan – instructional league, fall league, Puerto Rico. But it barely got through the instructional league and into the fall league when they shut him down. His arm wasn’t ready to do that yet.”

*After the injuries of last spring to Cueto and Bailey, Baker likes having the depth of a stretched out Chapman for the rotation this spring. If Chapman does not make the club, Baker was asked if the lefty could go to Triple-A and start.

“I don’t know,” Baker replied. “We have to see when we get there. It depends on our needs. I’m not opposed to going with three lefties in the bullpen, not at all. Some of these decisions are mine but not all my decisions only.”

*On whether Devin Mesoraco is, or can be, the Reds’ No. 1 catcher out of camp, Baker said this:

“I don’t know. He’s one of two. Eventually, he’s going to be No. 1.”

*Pitching coach Bryan Price was pleased to see Homer Bailey put on about 15 pounds in the off-season.

“I think it was a good idea,” Price said. “The key is the strength. I anticipated if he worked harder in the weight room, there would be some benefits to weight gain that conincides with that.”

*Mike Leake had an interesting off-season. He and his family went to Peru and they climbed Macchu Picchu.

“It was very cool to see another part of the world,” Leake said. “My family has always been adventurous.”

*More early arrivals I’ve seen so far this morning: Willie Harris, Denis Phipps.

Arizona has its collection of 15 teams closer together with trips between sites that are no more than 45 minutes. A majority of the road trips are 15-30 minutes. The Reds take batting practice at their own place and can hop on a bus and be ready to go at 1:05.

The weather is consistently better here than in Florida. While it starts out chilly, the days are usually dry, sunny and pleasant. Obviously, there is no beach here and that is the one thing I miss from the Sarasota/Siesta Key days on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Goodyear Ballpark is a very pleasant place to watch a game, but there certainly needs to be some development around the facility to make it more attractive for visitors.

I certainly know the economy, airline tickets and gasoline prices make coming out here tough for most families. But if you’re able to make a trip this year, or whenever, I have a few suggestions about where to eat, drink and be merry. Many of the items are back from the first annual version of the list last year but there are some new ones.

It’s not hard to get around out here and the roads are easy to figure out…but you definitely will need a car to get around greater Phoenix.

Dining suggestions:

Culinary Dropout – Scottsdale: I didn’t eat here during Spring Training last year but it was highly recommended. I got to try it in April during the Reds’ road trip out here. It was extraordinary. I rarely eat fried chicken but since I was told it was the way to go — I ordered it and it was the best fried chicken I ever ate (came with mashed potatoes and a biscuit). The menu has a nice culinary twist on some basic comfort foods and the ambiance is great. There was an acoustic band playing on the small stage there as well. Not an easy place to get a table though and it can be a little pricey.

Raul and Theresa’s: One of the best Mexican restaurants I’ve ever been to and it’s not a chain, but they have opened a second location since last spring. Both are about 10 minutes from Goodyear Ballpark. The prices are very reasonable too.

In-N-Out Burger: A west coast hamburger mecca with multiple locations. It’s basically only burgers — no chicken nuggets, fish filets etc. However, they do have a secret menu you can likely find online. Things like animal style fries, and grilled cheese can be ordered.

NYPD Pizza: Many places pay lip service to the notion of being New York style. Most places outside of New York get it wrong. Not this one. This is thin crust and legitimate New York style pizza.

Rokerij, Phoenix: A very nice, but not kid friendly, restaurant. It is a great “date night” kind of place but be prepared for a wait. It’s a unique combination of Dutch-Southwestern smokehouse food. It’s sister restaurant, Richardson’s, that burned down a few years ago has re-opened next door I’ve heard.

Don and Charlies, Scottsdale: An iconic local eatery that will remind Cincinnatians of Montgomery Inn. It has tons of sports memorabilia (mostly from Chicago) and specialize in steaks and ribs. The food isn’t the greatest quite honestly and I discourage you greatly from ordering the Ned Colleti chicken schnitzel. He should sue to have his name removed from that item in fact. You’ll definitely need a reservation for this place because the waits are long.

Frasher’s, Scottsdale: another steak place but it’s main thing is St. Louis style meals and pizza.

Majerle’s Sports Grill: There are a few locations including one in Goodyear. It is my favorite sports bar around here. It has good food and it’s a great spot during NCAA Tournament time.

Oregano’s — multiple locations: They do thin crust pizza and thick crust Chicago-style pizza. It’s pretty good and they have sizeable hoagies. Their meatball sandwich could last one a couple of days. I’ve only been to the Old Scottdale location, which I read is moving down the street to an old farm house.

Pizzeria Bianco, downtown Phoenix: I got to try this with some other writers during the All-Star game. It’s very strong with wood-fired individual pizzas. Caution — the place is tiny and it can be hard to get a table. They do have service at the bar.

The Tee Pee — two locations: Very good Mexican food and funky atmosphere with kitschy items spread around. There is one in downtown Phoenix but I went to the one on 42nd Ave and Indian School Rd.

Joe’s Farm Grill, Gilbert: This one is a major hike but if you like seeing places featured on Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives, you might think it’s worth the trip. It’s super kid friendly and has good burgers, fries, chicken fingers, shakes, etc. It’s in a neat old-school looking building and part of a working farm with fresh ingredients. It will take a good hour-plus to get there from Goodyear though. Make sure you get the onion rings.

Senor Taco: down the road from Goodyear Ballpark and they have very large burritos. It’s quasi fast food though, unlike Raul and Theresa’s.

Pei Wei, multiple locations: Same food and owners as PF Chang’s but you order at the counter and they bring it out.

Taste of Italy: A one-minute drive from the Reds’ complex, they do pizza by the slice and it’s good. And cheap. Two slices and a soda for $5.

Corleone’s, Tempe: Right off campus from Arizona State University…they know how to do a decent cheesesteak. It’s fast food though, but cheap.

America’s Taco Shop, three locations: I went to the one near Chase Field with my friend and colleague, Jesse Sanchez, last season. Great carne asada tacos and a neat little restaurant. The owner’s name is America, it’s not proclamaming itself as the country’s official taco place.

Yogurtland, multiple locations:  Great dessert spot with about 15-20 different yogurt flavors. It’s all self-serve and there’s around 30 toppings to choose from. You do it all yourself and pay according to the weight of your cup on the scale.

From Nick, the Reds’ Goodyear intern that hails from here…a couple of added suggestions:

Dillon’s BBQ, Peoria: This one is about 15-20 minutes from Goodyear. It’s on my list to try in the coming days. From what I hear from someone else, it’s very good.

Bison Witches Bar & Deli, Tempe, — A small neighborhood hangout that features gourmet deli sandwiches, bread bowl soups, salads, appetizers, and a full service bar with tableside service.

You will notice that I did not include seafood or sushi type places. I’m sure there are good ones, but I absolutely hate seafood so I can be of no help. Sorry…

Some things to do in the area:

Camelback Mountain: I tried this hike in 2010 and only made it about three-quarters of the way. The views are stunning, even if you don’t reach the top.

Piestewa Peak: It’s the area’s second highest mountain peak in the area behind Camelback. It’s a little shorter and less steep of a climb than Camelback as well. Last year I did reach the top and it was great view of the valley.

Phoenix Zoo: I’ve took my family there last year we all came away quite impressed. The animals were perky and actually do more than lay around. There’s a cool wide open area called the Sanctuary where you see a bunch of animals roaming and you can feed the giraffes. It’s right near the Papago Park area where the A’s spring ballpark is located.

Westgate — Glendale: It’s like Newport on the Levee, times 100. Lots of restaurants and bars and the Jobing.com Arena is also on site for Phoenix Coyotes NHL games and concerts. Free parking, even for the hockey games. The Arizona Cardinals football stadium is next door and you’ll see it from miles away.

Estrella Mountain Regional Park — Goodyear: Only about 10 minutes from the complex. They have good playsets for the kids but also a bunch of hiking trails. It’s a pretty remote place and definitely desert terrain.

Goodyear Community Park: Also a good kids spot to let them run around and play.

Sedona: It’s two hours away but certainly worth the drive. Don’t forget to bring a camera. The mountain peak views and red rocks are simply spectacular. The town itself is a little touristy for me but the surroundings are a living postcard.

The Grand Canyon: It’s a four-hour drive from here. I’ve never been but it’s on my bucket list. From what I hear and saw in the 1991 movie “Grand Canyon,” it should be on everyone’s bucket list.

And of course, there is baseball and lots of it. If you can’t see the Reds in Goodyear for some reason, there are plenty of ways to see them at the other ballparks. Be sure to check the schedule.