John Fay

jfay@enquirer.com

Ryan Hanigan isn't sure what to expect Friday night when he returns to Cincinnati. Hanigan was in the Reds organization as long as any player on the roster when he was traded to Tampa Bay this offseason.

The Reds signed Hanigan as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He'll be back with the Rays to play a weekend series at Great American Ball Park.

He says it will be nice to return.

"It will be," he told Marc Topkin from the St. Petersburg Times. "I don't know what to expect honestly. I think I'll feel comfortable playing the game. Obviously I've got a little inside track on some of the pitchers and the hitters, so the scouting report will probably be a short one."

"I'm excited. It'll be fun. I've got a lot of memories there, a lot of good experiences. I spent my whole career there. Hopefully, we can win the series."

Hanigan is expecting a gift. Homer Bailey has a watch for Hanigan for catching Bailey's second no-hitter.

Hanigan isn't sure how much his familiarity with the pitching staff will help him at the plate.

"We'll see," he said. "I know how their ball moves, I can tell you that. But they've got a lot of good arms, a lot of talent, so they're tough for anyone to hit."