Trade Deadline Update: Less Than 24 Hrs To Go

Three Candidates Remain A Possibility, A New One Surfaces

By Ryan Bramwell

It is the last day before the MLB trade deadline and we've already seen quite a few moves by other teams around the league.  But with so many teams still in competition this late in the season, we haven't seen as many trades as in previous years.  And when you have an extra wild card spot in the mix, new for the 2012 season, a plethora of teams have good reason to believe they don't need to be sellers. 

The Reds interest in players has most likely taken a hit in the last two weeks with the recent tear they have been on.  And the "replacing Drew Stubbs" column I wrote a while back is now null and void.  Stubbs was just awarded NL Player of the Week for his play on the recent road trip.  He batted .370 with three homers and ten runs batted in.  (And as I am typing this Drew just hit a first inning homer off Edinson Volquez.)  Ryan Ludwick is hitting .354 with six homers and 13 RBI in the month of July.  And that is only a portion of Ryan's numbers which have jumped up month-by-month.  He has also spoken of the team chemistry in Cincinnati and how it is the best he's ever experienced.  (While typing this Ludwick just knocked in two more runs with double in the first inning.)  I don't see Walt making any big-time moves, but if the price is right then we might still see a last-minute addition to this ballclub.  I think most of us would be satisfied with just a solid bat off the bench, preferably left-handed. 

With all that in mind, let's look one last time at what the Reds are possibly pursuing as the deadline approaches.

• Juan Pierre:  Still seems like the most probable candidate.  Knowing that he won't be a Stubbs replacement and would instead be added depth to the Reds outfield.  He would be a solid addition and would give the Reds a left-handed batter at the top-of-the-order when he is in the lineup.  Pierre also sports the cheapest option monetarily as he is making $800K this season.
• Shane Victorino: Several other teams are pursuing the Flyin' Hawaiian at this point.  Victorino is a proven veteran and a switch-hitter.  Although he is having his worst offensive season, the Phillies will still be asking for a major-league reliever that the Reds are most likely not going to give up.  Like Pierre, Shane would be rental for the remainder of the 2012 season and if he doesn't resign with the Reds at season's end, then the Reds would lose the rights to a draft pick.
• Denard Span: A left-handed bat and great outfielder in Minnesota.  He still has a few years left on his contract and each year is pretty reasonable and affordable even at the level of the Reds' payroll.  Unfortunately, this means that the Twins will be asking for a lot in return.  They are rebuilding and will want prospects and possibly a major-league ready pitcher to boot.
• Shin-Soo Choo: This is the new one, obviously.  Although it seems doubtful, Choo does have what the Reds are seeking: a leadoff hitter with good OBP.  He is also a good outfielder (but has played RF most of his career).  Choo has the highest OBP of all the candidates listed and like Span, would not be a one year rental.  However, the Reds would be forced to give up more than they'd like in order to obtain his services.  

Game 101: 10-straight! Road Trip Sweep!

Latos Looks Terrific, Offense Just Won't Quit.

Cincinnati   7   12   1
Colorado     2    6    1

By Ryan Bramwell

• The Reds have the best record in baseball!  We have won 10 consecutive games!  We are 21 games over .500!  We have won 17 of our last 19 games!  We are a machine!
• Mat Latos gave up a two-run homer in the 1st inning and then nothing else thru eight innings of work.  He was splendid as he only surrendered four hits on two runs.  He walked three and struck out eight Rockies.  Great job, Mat!
• Triples!  Two of them!  Heisey and Cozart both had a pair of hits and both had a triple!  They also both scored twice.
• Stubbs homered again!  Didn't I just say that in the last post? Number 12 on the season for Drew.  Three RBI on the night.  He also walked.  He does not want to lose his starting spot nor be replaced.
• Bruuuuuuuce!  Home run number 20 was a bomb for Jay.  
• Hanigan pounded out two doubles on the night.  Numbers nine and 10 on the season for Mr. Patience.
• Brandon Phillips.  The hottest of all the hot during this streak.  He's been overlooked with all the home runs and big hits.  He has batted nearly .420 during the winning streak.  With a pair of singles on the night, the Reds are no longer a team with only one .300 hitter in the lineup.  Brandon is officially batting .300 now.  Keep it up, BP!

*Ten.  10 consecutive victories.  The Reds are finally getting media recognition too.  They are at or near the top of most outlet's Power Rankings.  The San Diego Padres are coming to Cincinnati now.  Votto may be back by the end of the week.  Marty Brennaman has to make good on a promise and shave his head completely bald.  People, enjoy all of this as much as you can.  Not even the Big Red Machine ever won more consecutive games than the 2012 Reds.  

Game 100: The Streak Continues

Cueto's Unusually Poor Performance Is Overshadowed By Reds Offense.

Cincinnati   9   9   2
Colorado    7   13  0

By Ryan Bramwell

• Well, what can you say?  Johnny Cueto looks like a mortal man after this one but the Reds refuse to lose anyway.  Cueto gets a win despite a somewhat poor performance.  Johnny pitched six full innings and gave up five runs (four earned) on 10 hits.  He walked a pair and struck out three.  
• Ryan Ludwick continued his monster July by contributing two home runs.  He should probably start being considered for Comeback Player of the Year at this point.  His average has increased dramatically every month since the beginning of the season and he hasn't missed a beat during the Reds' winning streak.
• Stubbs continues to prove to the brass that he is the right man for the job as the everyday center fielder in Cincinnati.  Drew reached base three times on a walk, single and yet another home run.  Keep it up, buddy!
• Todd Frazier homered and singled as well.  He's good, people/
• Scotty Baseball got in on the action and homered as well.  Got to love that.
• Phillips doubled and had a pair of RBI.
• Hanigan reached base three times by walking twice and adding a single.
• The bullpen was well-used.  Five guys: Arredondo, Bray, Ondrusek, Marshall, and Chapman all saw action.  Only Arredondo gave up a run.  He gave up two.  Bray was bad as well as he only pitched to one batter and walked him.

*9 in a row!  One more and Marty Brennaman will be shaving his head!

Votto Update

By Ryan Bramwell

While listening to tonight's game on WLW 700, Reds beatwriter John Fay paid a visit to the radio booth with Marty and the Cowboy.  Marty asked John about the health and status of Nick Masset and Joey Votto. Fay had the following to say in regard to the questions:

• Masset pitched an inning in the Arizona League and faced four batters and striking out the side.  He assumes the organization will soon move Masset to one of the Reds' affiliates where he will hopefully continue to progress as he makes his way back to the big club.
• The exciting news:  Fay said Votto has been progressing quickly and is already doing exercises as well as running.  He expects Votto could make his return to the Reds lineup as early as Friday, August 3rd.  That is incredible.  I don't expect the Reds to rush anything, especially with their current state being A-OK.  If he is actually ready as early as Friday, then I would hope they wait an extra few days just to be safe.  After all, the guy is making a quarter of a billion dollars.  Either way, it is terrific to know he has progressed from his injury and surgery so quickly.

So there's some good news for ya, Reds fans!

Weird, Weird, World of Sports

By Nick Hall

Who saw last weekend when Matt Cain, of the Giants, and Cole Hamels, of the Phillies, both hit homeruns in the game?  Let me rephrase that; Matt Cain, a pitcher for the giants, and Cole Hamels, a pitcher for the Phillies, hit homeruns off of each other.....in the same inning.  Now that is just crazy.

First of all, pitchers don't hit homers very often.  Matt Cain is no slouch, he has 6 HR in his 8 year career.  Hamels on the other hand made that his first big league homer in now his 7th MLB season.  To top it off, this is not the first time this has happened.  Kevin Millwood and Denny Stark traded long-balls in 2002, but not in the same inning.  Kevin Gross and Fernando Valenzuela were the last two to accomplish the same feat as Cain and Hamels.  Gross and Valenzuela did it in 1990, coincidentally in the 3rd inning and both were solo HR's, same as Cain and Hamels.

This got me thinking and searching the World Wide Web.  Here are some of the craziest sports records and achievements I could find.  Keep in mind I narrowed my search to baseball, football and basketball.  No offense to hockey and racing, I just didn't feel like searching for those.  It's my column.

MLB

1999 Fernando Tatis - Two Grand Slams in one inning.  Only one to ever do it, and also the record holder for having 8 RBI in one inning.

1982 Ricky Henderson - Everyone knows he set the record with 130 Stolen Bases, but he also set the record that year for most times caught stealing with 42.  So that would also give him the record for most stolen base attempts in a season with 172.  He had 143 hits and 116 walks that year which totals 259 times on base (probably a few more times than that on errors and fielders choice plays).  Assuming he was on base more than 259 times, let's say 300 times, thats still attempting a steal more than 50% of the time he got on base, and more than 1 attempt per game.  Pretty incredible when you think about it.

2006 Kevin Kouzmanoff - On the first pitch Kevin ever saw in the major leagues, he blasted a Grand Slam for the Cleveland Indians.  "Glad we called that guy up" was probably the coach's thought immediately following.

1990 Minnesota Twins - In a game against the Red Sox, they turned two triple plays.......and lost 1-0.

1993 Jim Abbott - Who can forget this guy?  Only one arm, his left arm.  His right arm was handicapped, and he would use it to hang his glove on while he pitched. As soon as he released the ball, he would slide his pitching hand into the glove and be ready to field.  Let's talk about this for a minute, I really did some research here, because he was truly amazing.  First of all, he had one arm.  He made it to the big leagues and pitched for 10 seasons, notching 87 wins.  Sure that is impressive, let's up it a little.  I told you how he pitched and fielded, well in 10 seasons he made only 9 errors, posting a career .976 fielding percentage.  That means almost 98% percent of the time a ball was hit to him, only 60 feet away from the plate, he was able to make the play...with one arm. That is also impressive, but how about this.  In his final year 1999, he pitched in the NL for the first time, no DH.  No big deal, he got two hits and and had 3RBI.  That might sound miniscule, but I'd like to see you go hit a Major League pitch with two hands.  After you fail at that, try swinging the bat one handed at a 90 MPH fastball and let me know how you do.  So why 1993?  Well in 1993, Mr. Abbott tossed a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians.  If this guy doesn't inspire you, check your pulse.

NBA

1995 Dikembe Mutumbo - Took home Defensive Player of the Year Honors.  Landed a spot on the All-Defensive 2nd Team?  More reason to laugh at the NBA and David Stern.  Dumb.

1997 Bubba Wells - Wells played for the Mavs.  In a game against the Bulls that year, Mavs coach Don Nelson invented the "hack-a-shaq" before anyone else, only his target wasn't Shaq, it was Dennis Rodman.  Rodman was a terrible free throw shooter, so Neslon sent Wells into the game with only one mission: foul Rodman and limit their points.  It took Wells only 3 minutes of action to record 6 fouls and foul out of the game.  Incredible.  I'm not sure if I've ever beat that record on a video game, but I'll bet Mr. Dant has.

1990 Charles Barkley - Another "award malfunction" by the great NBA wizards.  Charles Barkley posted the most first place votes for MVP of the 89-90 season.  In fact he tallied 11 more first place votes than Magic Johnson, who happened to win the award that year?

2002 Qyntel Woods - Remember him?  Me either.  Although, this really isn't a record or achievement, nor did it happen on the court, I'm going to tell you anyway.  Woods was stopped by police in 2002, and his car smelled of reefer.  The police searched his car and found the dope.  They asked him for his license and registration, he had neither. Instead, he handed the officer his basketball card and asked if it could be used as ID.  The secondary charge of driving without ID and proof of insurance would lead me to believe that it does not pass.  I don't know why I find this so hilarious, but I do. This is precisely why I am not a cop.  If I were, he would have been let go.  In my world, good comedy trumps all.  I pull Mark Lemke over and ask for ID, and he hands me an Upper Deck card of him fielding a groundball....no ticket.

NFL

1979 Walter Payton - In a game against against the Vikings, Bears star RB Payton ran for a TD, caught a TD and threw a TD pass.  Amazingly this happened again in 2001.  It was probably due to cheating though.  David Patten of the terrible Patriots accomplished this against the great Colts.

1997 Brad Johnson - In 1997 Brad Johnson made Bugs Bunny proud by throwing a TD pass....to himself.

1950 Jim Hardy - It was opening day in 1950 and Jim Hardy went into the game holding the record at the time for most passes thrown without an interception; 114.  He ended his streak by throwing 8 INT's in the game.

2002 Houston Texans - In a game against the Steelers, the Texans gained only 47 yards from scrimmage the whole game......and won 24-6.  They scored all three of their TD's on INT's and fumbles.  Good work Steelers.


If you've gathered anything from this article, it may be this: 1.) I am very biased towards baseball.  2.) I have great disdain for the NBA. 3.) I share that type of disdain for the Patriots.

Hope you enjoyed.  I would recommend Googling "weird sports records".  There are thousands more just like these, some are pretty hilarious and some are downright incredible. 

The Latest Jive

By Ryan Bramwell

Walt Jocketty: Holding Pocket Aces?
According to several sources, Walt Jocketty is still intent on being a buyer before the deadline.  If you've followed the Reds since Jocketty became GM, then you know he will continuosly tell the media there is nothing going on (regarding trades and deals) and then you'll see a big-time Reds trade/move scrolling across the ticker along the bottom of your television.  It will come out of nowhere and it will often not even involve they players you had been preparing for on either end of the deal.  It is extremely difficult to read this man, our General Manager.  Walt has a stellar pokerface.  It is rumored that the Reds could make a few moves or even none at all.  Jocketty has been said to be after a leadoff hitter and outfielder, a power-hitter for the middle of the lineup, and rotation depth for security.  Will we really be filling all those voids before the 31st?  Highly, highly doubtful.  Will we at least see one move take place?  I'd say it's 50/50.  But stranger things have occurred.  This past winter Jocketty claimed the Reds were not making any moves as the winter meetings were coming to an end.  Then, out of the blue, the Reds had traded for Mat Latos.  Just a few days later we acquired Ryan Madson.  It is very hard to know the answer to this one.  And I am guessing that even Walt isn't sure yet.  It will depend on what's out there and what's left after some big money deals are made.  The 2012 baseball season has been full of parity and a lot of teams are still potentially in contention for a playoff spot.  Especially when you factor in the extra wild card spot that was added this season.  This is going to make a lot of teams wait until the very last moments of July 31st to make deals if they are indeed are going to make them.  They want to see where they stand in this overpacked and close race before they buy or sell.


Trades: Who is Considered as Reds Bait?
Tony Cingrani (LHP - AA Pensacola - 24 yrs) - 5-2, 2.15 ERA
Daniel Corcino (RHP - AA Pensacola - 22 yrs) - 7-5, 3.23 ERA
Kyle Lotzkar (RHP - AA Pensacola - 23 yrs) - 4-5, 5.32 ERA
Yorman Rodriguez (CF - A Dayton - 19 yrs) - .290, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 5 SB, .801 OPS, Bats: L
Henry Rodriguez (2B - AAA Louisville - 22 yrs) - .298, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 2 SB, .715 OPS, Bats: S
Didi Gregorious (SS - AAA Louisville - 22 yrs) - .308, 4 HR, 10 RBI, .893 OPS, Bats: L
Neftali Soto (1B - AAA Louisville - 23 yrs) - .227, 13 HR, 57 RBI, .689 OPS, Bats: R
Billy Hamilton (SS - AA Pensacola - 22 yrs) - .306, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 9 SB, .443 OBP, .932 OPS, Bats: S
Reds Bullpen - Logan Ondrusek, Bill Bray, J.J Hoover, Sam LeCure
Reds 25-Man Roster: Drew Stubbs, Xavier Paul, Chris Heisey


Trades: What Are the Pros and Cons of Each Potential Trade Candidate?

Juan Pierre

• Pros: High OBP, top-of-the-order guy, left-handed, base-stealer, 800K contract
• Cons: Rental until the end of the season, cheap contract/performace enhances price

Shane Victorino

• Pros: Proven veteran, top-of-the-order guy, swith hitter, plus fielder
• Cons: Rental player until of the season, expensive contract for limited time, worst season of career

Denard Span

• Pros: Above agerage batter, plus fielder, good speed, signed thru 2014, left-handed, low salary
• Cons: Twins ask for too much in return 

 

Game 99: Rocky Mountain High

Reds Win 8th Straight Behind Arroyo's Pitching

Cincinnati   3   9   0
Colorado   0   8   0

By Ryan Bramwell

• Bronson Arroyo was terrific last night for the Reds as he went 6 and 2/3 innings allowing zero runs on six hits.  He also struck out three batters and walked absolutely no one.  Arroyo has had trouble in the past at Coors Field, but he sure didn't have any Friday night.  Bronson is now 6-6 and has lowered his ERA to 3.76 on the year.  It was also the first time all season that he's been able to tally back-to-back wins.
• Ryan Ludwick had the best day offensively for the Reds as he reached base three times going 2-for-3 with a walk.  He had an RBI-double and scored two runs as well.
• Ryan Hanigan also moved from the batter's box to the basepaths on three occasions with a walk and a pair of singles.
• Scott Rolen was 2-for-4 with two singles on the night.  His average is up to .219 as he continues to climb out of the cellar.
• Xavier Paul came off the bench and promptly got a single in his pinch-hit opportunity.  Paul is now batting .500 in his short tenure with the club.  He is making it difficult for Jocketty and company to spend money and prospects on a new outfielder, or he's at least making them think twice about it.
• Phillips and Cozart each had a base knock and Brandon scored a run as well.
• Frazier knocked Ludwick home on a somewhat shallow fly ball to center.  Luckily a not-so-good throw to the plate allowed the sac-fly to happen.
• Cozart and Stubbs.  The top-of-the-order.  The #1 and #2 guys.  They went 1-for-10 last night.  They combined for only one strike out, which is good.  But they combined for zero walks, which is just plain terrible.
• Alfredo Simon put a fire out in the 7th when Bronson left the game.  He then went on to pitch the 8th inning as well.  Simon allowed only one hit in his time on the mound. 
• Aroldis Chapman gave up a hit in the 9th, but he struck out three other unlucky Rockies to grab his 20th save on the year.  His strike out per nine innings rate is at 17.2 now.  Sheesh.

The Reds move to 59-40.  Yes, 19 games over .500.  Yes, eight wins in a row.  Yes.  Only the Yankees have a better record than the Reds in all of baseball.  And only by one game.  Saturday's game will get started at 8:10pm ET as the Reds send ace Johnny Cueto (12-5, 2.23) to the mound against Christian Friedrich (5-7, 5.71).  Let's go get win number 60 tonight, fellas!

Trade Deadline Update

By Ryan Bramwell

Victorino & Pierre
*The Reds turned down an offer from the Phillies a few days ago that would have sent Logan Ondrusek to Philadelphia in exchange for switch-hitting outfielder Shane Victorino.  Apparently the two clubs have continued to talk.  The question is what are they still discussing?  It's possible that the Reds are still looking at Victorino, but aren't willing to give up Ondrusek for him.  Maybe they are seeing if there is anyone else the Phillies might be interested in from the Reds organization.  Also, the Phillies have Juan Pierre on their roster and we've all seen the stories linking him and the Reds together throughout the trade season.  I'll keep scouring the net for updates on this situation and will post as soon as I know something.

Denard Span
*Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports reports that Reds scouts have been recently seen eying Minnesota's Denard Span.  Obviously, this is nothing new as we've known he has been in the mix all along.  However, for us to now know that the Reds are actively scouting him is a different story.  This makes the rumor true and tangible now.  Span is under contract for a few more years and it's a relatively cheap contract.

Red Sox Players
*Apparently the Reds have not only scouted Ryan Sweeney in Boston, but teammates Ryan Kalish and Cody Ross as well. 

Hunter Pence
*This one kind of came out of nowhere.  But it sounds as though a rumor has started linking the Reds and Hunter Pence.

Michael Brantley
*Another new one that surfaced today on ESPN Insider.  If Cleveland decides to sell, then apparently Michael Brantley could be an option.  He's good.  Left handed center fielder.  25 years old.

Others
*Daniel Murphy and John Jaso also surfaced in the most recent ESPN Insider article written not quite an hour ago.  A reliever even made the list as a possible interest to the Reds: Jonathan Broxton.  Some new interesting names to research and ponder today, guys.

Nobody At All
*Some say the Reds might not make any moves at all before the deadline.  I have to say that is quite possible when you consider the recent success of the team.

Game 98: Stubbs Bests Cordero Again, Reds Win 7th Straight

Bailey Has Superb Outing, Reds Comeback In 9th For Second Straight Night

Cincinnati   5  10  4
Houston      3   8   0

By Ryan Bramwell

"How 'bout that!" I literally yelled during the Reds' 9th inning rally last night.  Drew Stubbs came up big again late in the game for Cincinnati in his home state of Texas.  And, once again it was our old friend, Francisco Cordero, who blew the lead and the game for the Astros.  All the excitement almost makes you forget about the game that Homer Bailey had on the hill for the Reds.  Let's break it down with some game highlights:

• Homer Bailey truly threw a gem.  He did surrender five walks, and I want to state that first because it should be overlooked.  Why's that?  Well, because the home plate umpire was just awful with his balls/strikes and pinched Bailey all night.  Not only that, but Homer worked himself out of every one of those sticky situations like a true veteran.  So let us forget about the walks this time around as none of them came back to haunt us.  On to the rest of his statistical line for the night:  7 innings pitched, ZERO runs on just four hits, and seven strikeouts.  His ERA on the year is now 3.53 (4-0, 1.44 ERA in his last five starts).  Unfortunately, Bailey was cheated out of his 10th victory due to an unusually bad performance from Logan Ondrusek.
• Drew Stubbs.  Take a breath and say his name out loud with me..."Drew Stubbs".  Stubby has been the hero for this Reds club on consecutive nights now.  Sure, it was against a terrible, terrible team and a closing pitcher past his prime, but Drew's hits were indeed enormous for the Cincinnati ballclub.  Stubby's big hit came in the 9th off Cordero.  Just like the previous night.  Only instead of a homerun, Drew tagged a long double off the left-center field wall which would bring home two runs and give the Reds a one-run lead.  Stubbs was 2-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base.
• Xavier Paul.  Paul played great the other day in his first start for our boys.  Tonight he was reserved to pinch-hit duties.  And that 9th inning would not have been possible without the efforts of this young man.  Paul worked the count and waited until he got a pitch he could hit and then promptly drove that pitch into the outfield.  He had a leadoff double and suddenly the Reds were alive and very much in the game again.
• The Reds obtained their first run of the game in the 3rd inning when Mesoraco (singled) was knocked in by a double from Drew Stubbs.
• Speaking of Mesoraco, Devin had a good night as well.  He went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.  He also made a heck of a defensive play and threw a man out at second base.  He is going to be a special player someday.
• The Reds gained an insurance run in the 8th when Rolen singled in Stubbs to make it 2-0.  Jay Bruce was on second when this happened and did his best to score on the play but was easily thrown out at the plate.  As it turned out, we really needed him to score that run...
• The bottom of the 8th was a nightmare.  I'm not exaggerating.  It was an ugly affair, folks.  But it was an important game highlight so I have to write about it even though I don't want to.  OK, so Logan Ondrusek came in the ballgame to relieve Bailey after his eight strong innings of work.  Jose Altuve hit a double off of Ondrusek's second pitch to lead off the 8th.  I immediately thought to myself, "Good thing we got that insurance run."  Justin Maxwell then hit a fly ball deep enough to allow Altuve to tag-up and get to third base.  One out.  Chris Johnson then hit a liner over the head that was snagged by a leaping Scotty Rolen at third.  It was amazing to see the reaction time and jumping ability of the old fella.  Two outs.  Now the nightmare.  Scott Moore doubled to right field scoring Altuve.  Moore then reached third base on a wild pitch.  J.D. Martinez then tagged a double that pounded the left-center field wall and then fell straight down and sat directly at the bottom of the wall.  Ludwick fielded the ball and made a good throw to shortstop, but no one was there (error charged to Ludwick).  Martinez is now charging toward third base.  Todd Frazier, playing first base, picks it up and throws a beam to Rolen covering third.  But the throw is well-wide of Rolen (error charged to Frazier) and Martinez heads home to score and give the Astros the lead 3-2.  WHAT THE @?*$#! 
• Sean Marshall then was called upon and delivered the last out via a fly ball and got the Reds out of that horrendously disastrous inning of little league baseball.  
• In the 9th, part of which we've already covered, Cordero was on the mound again to close out the game for the Astros.  Xavier Paul hit a pinch-hit double to lead things off.  Heisey struck out swinging.  Brandon Phillips, who had the night off, came in to pinch-hit and worked a full count from CoCo after being down in the count 0-and-2.  He walked him.  Runners on first and second with one out, 3-2 Astros lead.  Cozart then struck out swinging.  Two outs.  Up walks Drew Stubbs to face Cordero for the second straight night with the game on the line.  Stubbs hit the second pitch he saw.  It was a two-out double off the wall that scored two runs.  Reds up 4-3.  "Woooo!!" I exclaimed at this point.  Jay Bruce was up next (after CoCo was replaced on the mound, of course) and he singled on a line drive that scored Stubbs from second.  The Reds would now go into the bottom of the 9th with a two-run lead.  Wow, what an amazing turn of events.
• Aroldis Chapman pitched in the 9th inning. Do I need to say anything else?  He did surrender a hit, but he got the save (his 19th) and the Reds won yet again.

Box Score

Mercy! These Reds are on fire, boys!  Seven wins in a row.  We've won 14-of-the-last-16 games.  We are 8-2 without Joey Votto in the lineup.  We are 18 games over .500!  Today we get a nice day off to rest and reflect on our success.  We will be in Denver to to take on the Rockies tomorrow night at 8:40pm ET.  It will be Bronson Arroyo (5-6, 3.98) vs lefty Drew Pomeranz (1-5, 4.98) at Coors Field.

Rumors and Randomness

By Ryan Bramwell

Rumors

• The Reds apparently nixed a deal with the Phillies that would have sent Logan Ondrusek to Philadelphia in exchange for Shane Victorino.
• Here's an article by Kyle Newport that explains why the Reds were "right" to deny the trade for the Flyin' Hawaiian.
•  He makes some interesting points that are mostly convincing in favor of his opinion.  With all the winning going on in Cincinnati I'm not sure if my judgement is clouded or not.  I really, really wanted Victorino.  If you had told me that the Reds were dealing Ondrusek-for-Victorino straight up I would have thought it was a cruel joke on us because it was such a steal.  But right now, at 57-40 and rolling, and with the points Kyle made in his above article...I just don't know.

Rookie of the Year

• A pleasant article by Tyler Duma that supports my opinion on why Todd Frazier is the National League Rookie of the Year.
• He is a hero after all, ya know

Charlie Sheen:  Crazy Person.  Big Time Reds Fan.

• First, what do Sheen and the Reds currently have in common?  Answer: They're both winning.
• Here's an article covering Sheen's recent appearance on Jay Leno where he had a Reds trivia contest with none other than Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan.
• Backstage with Charlie after the Reds trivia showdown with Joe.

• The Reds stuff begins right around the 7:30 mark of the video.
• Below is more proof of Charlie being a Reds fan.

Alex "The Crybaby Little Girl, Prima Donna, Sally-Pee's-Her-Panties" Rodriguez

• A-Rod was hit in the hand last night by a pitch. He'll miss 6-8 weeks of action while he cries about it.  

Game 97: The Red Hot Rollin' Reds

Leake Provides Quality Start Thru 8th, Stubbs Provides Heroics in 9th.  And A Special Thanks To Our Old Friend, Francisco Cordero.


Cincinnati  4  11  1
Houston     2   8   1

By Ryan Bramwell

Ecstatic.  Elated.  Enthused.  These are the adjectives that best describe how I am feeling right now about my streaking Redlegs.  Excited.  There's another one.  Boys and girls, Cincinnati has now won six in a row and 13 out of their last 15 overall.  Our good buddy and fellow author J. Dant?  His Cubbies once again defeated those sneaky Pirates which has set them 2.5 games behind us in the Central.  Leake pitched outstandingly.  The Reds provided one run of protection for Mike thru eight innings.  Then, Drew Stubbs, like a masked hero in the night, cracked a two-run shot over the left field wall at Minute Maid Park in the ninth inning to give the Reds the lead.  Didn't he read my article on finding his replacement?  I said he wasn't producing and I was willing to part ways with him if the net return was worth it.  And now, here I am trying to get the taste of crow out of my mouth.  Thanks, Drew.  Let's go over the game highlights:

• Mike Leake got a considerable confidence boost after this one.  Dusty surprisingly let him pitch thru eight full innings and if he hadn't, then Mike would not have recorded the victory.  All in all, Leake allowed two runs on seven hits with six strike outs and one walk in those eight innings.  In his last 13 starts, Leake is 4-1 with a 3.02 ERA.  He's our number five starter.  Those are solid numbers for the 5th man in any team's rotation.
• The hero of the night was obviously Drew Stubbs.  With the Reds trailing 2-1 in the 9th inning a runner on first, Drew tagged a bomb to left that gave the Reds a 3-2 lead.  Drew was already having a good night however.  He finished 3-for-4, reaching base four times with a walk, two singles, two RBI, a run scored, and a game-winning homer.  Way to prove me wrong, Drew.  It could not have come at a better time.
• The allowed homer and blown save went to none other than former Reds closer, Francisco "Coco" Cordero.  Ah, it's so good to see you again, Coco.  Glad you haven't let the change in scenery affect your abilities to hold leads in the 9th inning.
• All the Stubbs excitement make us nearly overlook the night of Xavier Paul.  Paul was getting his first start (LF) as a Redleg and he sure made the most of it.  The X-man went 3-for-5 with two RBI.  The only bad play I recall him making all night was a sac-bunt attempt that was bunted in the wrong direction causing the lead runner to be thrown out at 3B.  Otherwise, it was a good night for Paul and I'd expect to see more of him while he is on the 25-man roster.
• Brandon Phillips had two hits including a double.  Don't look now but the Reds are sneaking up on having their second .300 hitter on the club. Brandon is now batting .298 after the recent tear he has been on.
• Cozart, Rolen, and Frazier all had a hit apiece.  Bruce walked three, count 'em, three times!
• After Chapman didn't cover first base on a routine play that led to the Astros getting a runner aboard in the bottom of the 9th, he got mad at himself.  He took it out on the next three batters.  He struck them out with ease.  All of them.  He hit 100, 101, and 102 mph on the radar gun.  You know, nothing out of the ordinary.  That is now something like 31 of his last 37 outs recorded coming via the strikeout.  Incredible.
• This just in: The Cincinnati Reds are a good baseball team.
• We are 17 games over .500!  7-2 without the greatest pure hitter in baseball in our lineup!  How 'bout them apples?

Cincinnati will go for yet another series sweep tonight!  Homer Bailey (9-6, 3.74) will be facing Bud Norris (5-8, 5.33) in Houston with the first pitch being tossed at 8:05pm ET.  Whatever we've done to please the baseball gods, let's keep doing it guys!

The Amazing Todd Frazier: Superhero

By Ryan Bramwell

If you are a Reds fan then you already know about Todd Frazier and how he saved a man's life during a road trip in a Pittsburgh diner by successfully performing the Heimlich Maneuver.  Later that night, Frazier had a hit that would prove to be the difference in the game against the Pirates.  Over at Redleg Nation they began calling him "Super" Todd Frazier and "Superhero" Todd Frazier.  I thoroughly enjoyed this new moniker and have tried to spread it's usage by typing it up frequently here on our site.

Frazier has proven himself to be a very capable young ballplayer.  He has played LF, 3B, and now he is filling the shoes of Vottomatic at 1B.  Todd the Superhero is batting .285 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI.  He has 15 doubles on the year and an OBP of .347.  His OPS?  Well it's a healthy .890.  Yeah.  If you don't understand that statistic then I will break it down for you:  It means he is good.  Enough said. 

Frazier was recently honored by Dr. Heimlich himself for his life-saving encounter.  Wow.  That truly is special.  Add to it that Frazier is a loveable and fun guy in the Cincinnati clubhouse.  Everybody goes on and on about what a "cut-up" he is, and that he loves pranks and jokes, etc.  Todd Frazier is my second favorite Redleg just behind the best pure hitter in baseball, Joey Votto.


Frazier saves man's life article.
Frazier honored by Dr. Heimlich article

CHECK OUT THIS T-SHIRT DESIGN!

NOW SEE TODD WEARING HIS OWN T-SHIRT! HA!

Trade Deadline: Making The Case For Replacing Drew Stubbs

Likeable Stubbs Continues to Disappoint.  What Should We Do?

By Ryan Bramwell

Ok.  This is tough, I know.  The deadline is less than seven days away and we are pretty certain the Reds will be picking up at least one position player.  Drew Stubbs is 27 years old and will turn 28 in October.  We have continuously supported him because we know he is talented and has some major potential.  We know Drew is disappointed with himself and wants with every fiber of his being to become the player he knows he can be.  But guys, I have got to tell you, I think it is time we consider replacing him in one form or another.  Whether we use him as part of a deal to bring in a non-rental, productive outfielder or we use him as a backup off the bench.  We need to do something about this.


OK, let's first take a look a Drew so we can properly analyze the situation and know precisely where he is not producing.  From there, we can look into the rumors and find out who can best put up the numbers at the top of the Reds lineup.

-Baseball-Reference - Drew Stubbs

-FanGraphs - Drew Stubbs

You'll notice the drop in Drew's production immediately.  All his numbers are down across the board for the most part.  He is batting .220.  His on-base percentage is .289.  His slugging percentage is even down (.355) which in combination with his OBP, of course means that his on-base+slugging (OPS) is an awful .644.   His WAR is 0.6 or 0.4 depending on the source.  His Wins Above Average is a negative number.  That's bad, fellas.  I, myself, am a believer in the OBP/OPS statistics and feel we need somebody who can fill in those categories.

-OBP vs Batting Average article

Jocketty and company have under a week to perform some moves in favor of the Reds organization before the deadline.  I have heard and read a slew of rumors.  Some of which have died, and some that continue to swirl around and remain possibilities.  Mainly, it will come down to what the Reds won't do.  Meaning that it depends on what our trade partner is asking from us in order to make the swap.  The farm system wasn't depleted by this past off-season, but the MLB-ready talent was however.  There are surely a ton of possibilities and names the Reds are willing to part with in order to make a deal that will get them deep into the post-season, but who?  Billy Hamilton?  Henry Rodriguez?  DiDi Gregorious?  Kyle Lotzkar?  Or will it take a current major leaguer to sweeten the pot and make the deal complete?  If so, would you be willing to part ways with the aforementioned Drew Stubbs?  Does it matter to you if the player we get in return for Drew and/or prospects is a rental until the end of this season only?  After all, it is quite possible that Billy Hamilton could train in the outfield in the off-season and be brought up to the majors for 2013.  Hamilton will not take the spot of Brandon Phillips or Zack Cozart in the middle infield and he is getting closer everyday to being MLB-ready, thus he will move to the outfield.  Would you be happier if the Reds traded a relief pitcher for a great outfielder and top-of-the-order guy?  I read a rumor that the Reds nixed a straight-up deal with the Phillies that would have involved Logan Ondrusek and Shane Victorino.  Sounds like a steal really.  But you also have to factor in that Victorino will be a free agent at the end of the season.  If the Reds really did turn that offer down, then I might drive to the Queen City myself and slap somebody.  But I digress.  Let's go over the potential targets one more time before the deadline.

Shane Victorino - .253/.316/.386/.702, 21 SB, 33/47 BB/K
Positives: Switch hitter, plus fielder, speedy, top-of-the-order guy, GABP the break he needs?
Negatives: Having worst offensive year of his career, 31 yrs, rental for season (in the last year of his contract)

Denard Span - .280/.344/.384/.728,  9 SB, 35/47 BB/K
Positives:  Left-handed, 28 yrs, 2 yrs left on contract, plus fielder, high OBP, top-of-the-order guy
Negatives:  Asking price?

Juan Pierre - .305/.346/.370/.717,  23 SB, 15/15 BB/K
Positives: Left-handed, high BA/OBP, cheap at $800K, top-of-the-order guy
Negatives: Rental player for the season, 34 yrs old

Mark Kotsay -.287/.354/.368/.722,  0 SB, 9/7 BB/K
Positives: Left-handed bat off the bench, plays OF/1B, Good at-bats
Negatives: 36 yrs old, not a top-caliber name, not top-of-the-order material


Other names such as Josh Willingham, Carlos Quentin, Coco Crisp and Arizona's Upton are still out there as well.  Let's hope the brass makes the right decision when the time comes.

Game 96: The Redlegs Are Astronomical Right Now!

Reds Have Hit Parade In Houston, Gain Bigger Lead in Central

Cincinnati   8   17   0
Houston      3   11   2

By Ryan Bramwell

After the All-Star Break the Reds were hammered with some bad news regarding the knee of Joey Votto.  Their pitching and defense had kept them at or near the top of the division all season, not their offense.  Joey Votto was the offense.  Sure, that's a little over-the-top sarcastic, but not by much.  The Cincinnati fans began holding their breath and gritting their teeth as they braced for the impending meltdown.  ...and then?  Well, the Reds had suddenly made believers out of us all by going a major tear.  They have now won five in a row and 12 of their last 14 games overall.  Most importantly, they have done the majority of this winning without Joey Votto, and the portion they completed with him in the lineup was when he was ailing and not batting like the MVP he is.  To top off all this recent success, Barry Larkin was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame (along with the Cubs late and great Ron Santo).  It has been a tremendous--no, glorious time to be a Reds fan. Let's recap last night's game down in Houston, Texas.

• Mat Latos was looking better than decent through four innings last night.  He had scattered some hits and prolonged some at-bats but was still good up to that point.  Then came the 5th inning.  After Latos came up limp after apparently slipping on his plant foot during a pitch he was visited by the coaches and a trainer.  He stayed in the inning and gave up a pair of runs.  Most likely he would have given up those runs anyhow as the Astros had loaded the bases for the third time in five innings against Mat and were overdue for something to happen.  In the end, Latos pitched five innings, gave up two runs on eight hits with three strike outs and two walks.  Not pretty, but good enough for a win last night.
• The Reds piled up 17 hits in what turned out to be nearly a four hour affair at Minute Maid Park.
• The 3-4-5 hitters for Cincy were 9-for-18 for the game:  Phillips was 3-6 with a double and a run scored.  Ludwick was 3-6 with two RBI, two runs and two doubles.  Frazier was 3-6 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI.
• Heisey and Stubbs both had two singles.
• Stubbs and Phillips both had a stolen base.
• Hanigan reached base three times with a single and a pair of walks.  He also knocked one run in.
• Rolen reached twice with an RBI double and a walk.
• Cozart had a hit.  He nearly had an extra-base knock and RBI but was robbed on a great diving catch at 3B.
• Bruce came up big off the bench with a pinch-hit RBI.
• The bullpen (Arredondo, Bray, LeCure, Marshall) combined for four innings of work and allowed one run on three hits.  Very admirable.

The Reds are now 16 games over the .500 mark!  56-40 is the record.  ESPN lists the Reds as #4 in the MLB Power Rankings.  And that was posted before the win last night!  The Yankees, Rangers and Nationals are #'s 1-2-3.  Yes, sir.  Things are exciting in Reds country.  Tonight's game will begin a 8:05pm ET and will feature Mike Leake (3-6, 4.25) against Lucas Harrell (7-7, 4.24).

*Special thanks to J and his Cubbies for defeating the Pirates in shutout fashion last night to help the Reds gain much needed ground atop the division.  The Dodgers also defeated the Cardinals making them a full six games back of the Reds.

Game 95: Reds Only Score Twice. That's All Cueto Needs.

Reds Sweep Brewers To Finish Off Successful Homestand

Milwaukee  1   10  1
Cincinnati   2    8   0

By Ryan Bramwell

• Woo!  Boy, that Cueto fella' is really something, huh?  Although he wasn't perfect (117 pitches in 7 innings)  he was still extraordinary.  Johnny C. allowed only one run on eight hits in seven frames on Sunday.  He walked one Brewer and struck out nine of them.  Cueto is now 12-5 on the season and has an ERA of 2.23.  (Cy Young candidate status:  He should be in solid contention.  He's had the lowest overall ERA in the NL over the last two seasons and he is pitching in a ballpark that has given up home runs in 74 consecutive games.  It takes a special pitcher to maintain that kind of dominance.)
• All three runs of the game were scored in the 3rd inning.  Luckily, the Reds scored two of them.
• The Reds' top-of-the-order was 5-for-11 including two hits and two RBI for both Wilson Valdez and Brandon Phillips.
• Chapman struck out another pair of batters in the 9th to close out the game and obtain his 17th save on the season.
• The Reds have now won four straight games and 11 of their last 13!  During the homestand the Reds were 8-2.  Joey who? 
• Those pesky Pirates just won't go away.  I predicted they would begin to fade and be unable to keep up the magic, but they have yet to prove me right.
• Cincinnati will travel to Houston (34-62) tomorrow for the first of a three-game set.  From there, the Reds have an off-day and then head to the Colorado (36-58) for another 3-game series.  Mat Latos (7-3, 4.33) faces off against lefty Wandy Rodriguez (7-8, 3.75) tomorrow night at 8:05pm ET.
• We are 15 games over .500!  Only one other team in the NL has a better record than Cincy.

Let's keep it up, boys!

Game 94: Jumping Ahead Early

Reds Tally Four in the 1st Inning: Win 3rd Straight Game.

Milwaukee  2   6   1
Cincinnati   6   10  0

By Ryan Bramwell

• The 1st inning was all the Reds needed in the terms of offense for Saturday's game against the Brewers.  Three consecutive singles from Cozart, Phillips and Bruce, followed by a sac-fly off the bat of Scotty Rolen had given the good guys a 2-0 lead.  Ryan Ludwick pounded out his 15th homer of the season in the next at-bat and boosted the lead to 4-0 before the inning was said and done.
• Bronson Arroyo bounced back in resilient form as he tossed a quality start from the mound.  Arroyo gave up two runs on five hits through six innings of work while walking two and striking out six.  Good job, Bronson.  
• Brandon Phillips gave the Reds added insurance in the seventh inning when he tagged a breaking ball into the left-center field seats for a 2-run shot.  The Reds were 6-2 at this point and the score didn't change from that point.
• Arredondo, Marshall, LeCure and Ondrusek combined for the final three innings of work and allowed no runs on only a single hit.  
• Offensively Phillips, Bruce, Ludwick and Frazier all contributed two hits apiece. Cozart reached base twice with a single and a walk.
• The Redlegs have won three consecutive games and 10 of their last 12 overall.  Sunday they will go for the sweep of the Brewers to end an already successful homestand.

 Box Score

The Bird

By Nick Hall

Most baseball fans my age, have never heard of Mark Fidrych.  Until around 10 years ago, I never had either.  I grew up from the ripe age of 0 being around baseball.  As I divulged in an earlier post, a close family friend was a professional baseball player.  My uncle and my great grandfather played in the minors.  I played from the time I was able to walk.

I was in my freshman year of college and I was taking a sports literature class.  We got an opportunity to write a paper about a professional athlete of our choice.  The only stipulation was that the player had to be from a past generation and no longer active in their sport.  I was immediately excited.  I remembered my dad telling me about all the baseball players he grew up watching, and his passion when telling me about them.  He was at the game when Pete Rose broke the hit record.  He tried to name me Ernie and my older brother Hank after Ernie Banks and Hank Aaron, but my mother shot that down.  My youth would have been way different, but now I think it would be cool if my name were Ernie.

The weekend came and I called my dad.  We got to talking and I told him I was writing a paper about a baseball player, but I couldn't decide who.  He immediately said, "you should look up Mark Fidrych".  I had never heard the name, so he gave me a brief overview.  All I took away from the conversation was that he was a pitcher in the 70's, a little quirky and short lived.  I almost passed it off, because in my mind that wasn't significant.  I needed a Hall of Famer.  Luckily, I was curious enough to at least Google him.  The rest is what I found out.

Mark Fidrych was not a little quirky.  He was all quirky.  He was intense and he may have loved the game more than anyone who ever played it.  Sometimes when I think back on it, I can't help but think that maybe he was in a situation like the movie "Big".  A child in a mans body, only he happened to be in the shoes of a major league ball player.  After you read the rest, that statement will make more sense if I do Mr. Fidrych Justice.

Mark "The Bird" Fidrych made his Major League debut on April 20, 1976.  He made his last appearance on  October 1, 1980.  In 1977 he sustained an injury to his shoulder that was unknown.  He pitched out the season and struggled to get healthy over the next few years until his retirement due to the injury.  It wasn't until 1985, five years after his retirement, that it was diagnosed as a torn rotator cuff.  If only he were pitching in this era, modern medicine would have diagnosed that right away and he may have only missed a season and been back out there.  That's the quick back story, lets talk about 1976.

In 1976, The Bird had an OK year.  He had a good spring with the Tigers.  About half way into the first month of the regular season, they called him up and put him in the bullpen.  He wouldn't make his first start until mid-May because the scheduled starter had the flu.  He started the game with 6 innings of no-hit baseball and finished the game with a 2-1, complete game victory.  The rest is history.  He finished the season with 19-9 record.  He led the league with a 2.34 ERA.  Oh, and he threw 24 complete games, won Rookie of the Year, finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting, and 11th in the MVP voting. Like I said, an OK year.

The stats are impressive, but they are not what made Mark Fidrych memorable.  They helped, but they were secondary. Remember that first game I told you about? The 2 hit complete game victory?  Something was happening that night.  Mark was running around the infield, thanking the position players for routine groundouts, he was talking to the ball and himself, he was on hands and knees on the mound patting it down, and he was sensational to boot. Fans and players alike were unsure what to think.  Rico Carty of the opposing Indians was quoted at the end of the game as saying that mark was "trying to hypnotize them".

Sports are not now, what they were then to the players or the fans.  Fans get up now for playoff games or a heated rivalry game every now and then, to the point where you feel like it is something of a special atmosphere to be at a game like that.  Back then, sports figures were heroes.  They were heroes for being sports stars.  It's not like that now, we know too much about them.  Certain sports networks have turned into satellite stations for TMZ.  We know where Derek Jeter went shopping on Thursday, and who A-Rod is dating.  Athletes aren't popular for being great at their sport, they are popular for being "hot" or funny on Twitter.  It is sad. In 1976, it seemed that people didn't know much about these sports figures, but it seemed for the better.  These fans worried about their own problems throughout the normal week, and then if they were lucky enough to get out to a Tiger's game, or any other team for that matter, it was time to let go and enjoy themselves.  Every game was an event, and often electric.  It didn't matter where their favorite sports star ate dinner the night before, all that mattered was that he did what it took to help the team win. That's what Mark did, and the Motor City latched on for one crazy summer.

The Bird was electric every time he took the mound, in any city that he pitched in from that point. In August of that year, The Bird pitched in front of 51,822 fans at Tiger Stadium......on a Tuesday.  On a Tuesday night in July that year, he drew over 30,000 people to a road game against the Twins in Minneapolis.  "Bird Mania" they called it.  Everyone had to go see The Bird pitch in any city.  They had to see with their own eyes some "crazy" guy running around the infield, talking to the ball, and talking to thin air.  Did I mention that everyone wanted an interview with the guy after the games.  He was equally as entertaining in that light.  He once gave up a HR to Carl Yastrzemski at Fenway.  When asked about it after the game, he said this:  "It blew my mind. It blew my god damn mind. Just because.... hey the only reason it blew my mind was because, here I am, goin', I'm in front of my.... Fenway Park."

I could go on and on.  I could tell you that he threw two 11 inning complete games.  I could tell you all about his last 4 seasons after his rookie year, where he tried to make a comeback from an unkown arm injury but couldn't.  I could tell you for those four years he was not good, but even in 1980, four years after that electric summer, over 48,000 fans showed up at Tigers Stadium for a game in August.  It was his last attempt he would make at a comeback, and the faithful "Bird Mania" followers showed up in droves hoping the magic would be back.  I could tell you all of this and more, but I would rather show you.

The video below is from a June, 1976 game against the Yankees.  The Bird threw a complete game and beat the Yankees.  The video shows the last out of the game, and a restless crowd going absolutely wild over a relatively meaningless game in the first half of the season.  Seeing this is what captivated me.  I have heard many post game interviews he did, I have seen a ton of video clips of him talking the ball and running around.  I have heard him described as quirky, wild, great, funny, crazy, insane, nuts, intense, odd, and everything else.  The best word I can think of to describe him is "genuine".  He never changed.  The Bird may have run around like a madman, but he was never playing to a crowd.  He was talking to the ball and himself to satisfy something within himself.  When you hear him talk in interviews after the games, it was almost like you could wait for him to reveal the punchline, but he never did, because it wasn't a joke.  It was just how he was, The Bird.

It is hard to capture into words everything that I said Mark was.  My best advice is the advice my dad gave me: "look him up". I now know why he told me that rather than try to spend hours explaining it.  You just have to see it to believe it. Enjoy the video.

The JTM Cincinnati Reds?

By Joseph Dant

The other day, I was perusing some articles on the ol' four letter network. I happened across an article that was discussing Bud Selig's position on advertising on uniforms, in light of the NBA's recent announcement that they would begin selling small advertisement patches on NBA jerseys. For once, Bud held a view that I actually agree with. He was quoted in the article as saying: "You learn never to say never, but you know, with us, uniforms are really important. They're history.
You can close your eyes, and that Cub uniform, my goodness gracious, I can remember (that from) when I was 10 years old, and that's a long time ago. And there's the Yankee pinstripes, and the Red Sox and so on and so forth, so I've been pretty consistent on that." Aside from the fact that he earned some brown-nose points with me by mentioning the Cubs uni first, it is a valid point. Anyone with any attachment to the game of baseball has connections to the uniforms. Even when a team's uniforms change, we maintain that connection.

I have never understood the urge to put advertising on a the uniforms in any sport. It seems to me that the uniform is the team's biggest advertisement for itself. It seems as though this would be the equivalent of having a Froot Loops commercial in the middle of a Bud Light commercial. It distracts from the original subject. I suppose it is a little more acceptable in the other sports, as they are not as tradition-laden as baseball. The NBA in particular, has always (in my lifetime) shown themselves to be the athletic parallel of an ambulance chasing lawyer. Anything they feel they can make a dollar on, they will do. I'm not saying that the other sports are not looking to maximize profits, but the NBA just seems to be the worst league at hiding this fact.

Maybe I'm in the minority on this one. Am I the only person that holds my uniforms to be a little hallowed? Each team I root for is one with a distinct and tradition heavy uniform. I hope that Selig is being honest in his opinion here, and not just waiting for the NBA to make their move before doing the same to baseball. What does everyone think? Is the influx of an estimated $100 million dollars or more in revenue more important than the sanctity of the tradition of the uniform?

Game 93: It Was All About Homers Last Night

Bailey Throws Another Gem. Reds Go Deep Three Times To Secure Win.

Milwaukee   1   6   1
Cincinnati     3   8   0

By Ryan Bramwell

The Reds won again last night and have now won nine of their last 11 games in all.  Homer Bailey threw another terrific game and secured his fourth consecutive winning decision on the mound.  The Reds are now a season high 13 games over the .500 mark and managed to stay a half game ahead of the Pirates in the Central.  Here is the game wrap-up:

• Homer Bailey.  Like we said after his last start against the Cardinals, "he has grown up".  Homer pitched eight innings and gave up only one run on six hits.  But the most impressive stat was his strikeout/walk number: Homer struck out ten Brewers and walk none of them.  He was brilliant.  14 of his 19 starts this season have been quality starts.  He has never had more than nine wins in a season in his young career, but it looks like he will certainly break into double digits in the win column this year.  Possibly as soon as the next time he takes the hill for Cincinnati.
• Jay Bruce seemed to break out his slump in convincing fashion.  He hit his 23rd double of the year and followed that up with his 19th long-ball of the season.  Jay also took the only base on balls for either team in the entire game.
• Zack Cozart was moved back to 2-hole duties in the lineup and it really seemed to work.  Cozy was only short a triple of completing the cycle in last night's game.  That's right.  He singled, hit his 22nd double, and hit his 10th round tripper of the year for a solid 3-hit ballgame.
• Not to be outdone, old man Scotty Rolen joined Cozy and Bruce in the double/homer day parade as well.  Scotty showed some power tonight which is tremendous to see from the veteran.  The two hits were his eighth double and fourth home run on the injury-riddled season.
• Devin Mesorace seems to be coming around offensively as he donated a hit in his eighth consecutive ballgame.
• Aroldis Chapman.  Wow.  He picked up his 16th save convincingly.  He struck out a pair of batters and set the Brew Crew lineup down 1-2-3 in the 9th inning.  Of the last 31 outs recorded by The Cuban Missile, 25 of them have been via the strikeout.  That is simply unheard of and flat out ludicrous.  Creating a perfect specimen in a video game probably couldn't match those numbers even if the user was depending on cheats and glitches.  I cannot stress this enough, people: Aroldis Chapman is having the most dominant season EVER by a relief pitcher.  Ever.  Gossage, Eckersely, and even that incredible season from Gagne.  None of them were as incredible of a force or dominant a figure as Aroldis Chapman.  And that's not bias.  That's just statistics, folks.

The Reds will host game two of the three-game set against the Brewers today at good ol' Great American Ballpark.  The first pitch should take place at 7:10pm ET and will feature rocker Bronson Arroyo (4-6, 4.03) against Yovani Gallardo (8-6, 3.59).  Let's go Redlegs!  I have almost forgotten all about this Votto character thanks to all the winning and whatnot.

MLB: Awards Races

By Ryan Bramwell

These are the current vote-getters in my book for both leagues.  I used ESPN and Baseball-Reference to gather the numbers. Who do you think will win each award?  There is still a long way to go, friends.

NL MVP

1. Andrew McCutchen, PIT - .369 BA, 22 HR, 65 RBI, 14 SB, .423 OBP
2. David Wright, NYM - .353 BA, 14 HR, 65 RBI, 9 SB, .443 OBP
3. Joey Votto, CIN - .342 BA, 14 HR, 49 RBI, 5 SB, .465 OBP
4. Melky Cabrera, SFO - .357 BA, 9 HR, 48 RBI, 10 SB, .397 OBP
5. Carlos Ruiz, PHI - .350 BA, 14 HR, 51 RBI, 3 SB, .413 OBP
6. Ryan Braun, MIL - .309 BA, 26 HR, 65 RBI, 16 SB, .394 OBP
7. Carlos Beltran, STL - .292 BA, 20 HR, 66 RBI, 9 SB, .375 OBP

AL MVP

1. Mike Trout, LAA - .352 BA, 14 HR, 45 RBI, 30 SB, .404 OBP
2. Miguel Cabrera, DET - .326 BA, 21 HR, 76 RBI, 3 SB, .386 OBP
3. Josh Hamilton, TEX - .300 BA, 28 HR, 78 RBI, 6 SB, .370 OBP
4. Paul Konerko, CHW - .326 BA, 14 HR, 44 RBI, 0 SB, .405 OBP
5. Mark Trumbo, LAA - .305 BA, 26 HR, 65 RBI, 4 SB, .357 OBP
6. Adrian Beltre, TEX - .322 BA, 17 HR, 59 RBI, 1 SB, .352 OBP
7. Joe Mauer, MIN - .329 BA, 6 HR, 44 RBI, 4 SB, .416 OBP

NL Cy Young

1. R.A. Dickey, NYM - 2.72 ERA, 13-1, 132 K's, 1.01 WHIP
2. Matt Cain, SFO - 2.53 ERA, 10-3, 124 K's, 0.96 WHIP
3. Ryan Dempster, CHC - 1.86 ERA, 5-3, 75 K's, 1.02 WHIP
4. Johnny Cueto, CIN - 2.28 ERA, 11-5, 94 K's, 1.16 WHIP
5. Stephen Strasburg, WAS - 2.66 ERA, 10-4, 135 K's, 1.10 WHIP
6. Clayton Kershaw, LAD - 2.74 ERA, 7-5, 132 K's, 1.05 WHIP
7. Jordan Zimmerman, WAS - 2.35 ERA, 7-6, 84 K's, 1.09 WHIP
8. Ryan Vogelsong, SFO - 2.31 ERA, 7-4, 84 K's, 1.11 WHIP

AL Cy Young

1. Chris Sale, CHW - 2.11 ERA, 11-2, 102 K's, 0.98 WHIP
2. Jered Weaver, LAA - 2.26 ERA, 11-1, 77 K's, 0.95 WHIP
3. Justin Verlander, DET - 2.43 ERA, 10-5, 136 K's, 0.93
4. David Price, TAM - 2.64 ERA, 13-4, 120 K's, 1.17 WHIP
5. Felix Hernandez, SEA - 2.82 ERA, 8-5, 143 K's, 1.17 WHIP
6. Matt Harrison, TEX - 2.87 ERA, 12-4, 73 K's, 1.23 WHIP
7. Jake Peavy, CHW - 3.12 ERA, 7-6, 113 K's, 1.04 WHIP
8. C.J. Wilson, LAA - 2.82 ERA, 9-6, 102 K's, 1.20 WHIP

NL Rookie of the Year

1. Todd Frazier, CIN - .278 BA, 10 HR, 31 RBI, 1 SB, .345 OBP
2. Norichika Aoki, MIL - .288 BA, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 11 SB, .363 OBP
3. Wade Miley, ARI - 3.13 ERA, 10-5, 76 K's, 1.11 WHIP
4. Bryce Harper, WAS - .273 BA, 8 HR, 26 RBI, 11 SB, .343 OBP
5. Yonder Alonso, SDP - .269 BA, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 3 SB, .351 OBP
6. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, NYM - .261 BA, 9 HR, 19 RBI, 3 SB, .325 OBP

AL Rookie of the Year

1. Mike Trout, LAA - .352 BA, 14 HR, 45 RBI, 30 SB, .404 OBP
2. Yu Darvish, TEX - 3.96 ERA, 10-6, 121 K's, 1.39 WHIP
3. Jarrod Parker, OAK - 3.16 ERA, 6-4, 71 K's, 1.26 WHIP
4. Tommy Milone, OAK - 3.54 ERA, 9-6, 76 K's, 1.22 WHIP
5. Jesus Montero, SEA - .262 BA, 9 HR, 36 RBI, 0 SB, .300 OBP

Game 92: Wow. Now That's A Rally

Phillips and Reds Come Back From 6-0 Deficit; Win 7-6.  And There Was Much Rejoicing.

Diamondbacks   6   14   1
Reds                   7    6    0

By Ryan Bramwell

I hope you didn't turn off your TV or radio during this one!  The Reds were down 6-0 going into the bottom of the 6th inning.  They did not get their first hit until Devin Mesoraco singled in the 5th inning.  Mike Leake was not looking his best today.  In fact, he looked downright terrible.  But never fear Reds fans!  Brandon Phillips and a sudden outpouring of offense gave the Reds four runs in the 6th and three more runs in the 7th.  The bullpen finished the last four and two-thirds innings brilliantly.  Reds win.  Here are some game notes:

• Mike Leake's ERA went from 3.96 to 4.25 after this ugly affair.  He pitched five and one-third innings and allowed six runs on 11 hits while walking one and striking out two.  He also gave up two homers during that span.
• Going into the bottom of the 6th inning, the Reds had only one hit on board and were trailing by six runs.  Things were looking bleak, friends.
• Then, in the bottom of the 6th inning, the Redleg's offense woke up.  Back-to-back singles by Stubbs and Valdez kicked things off.  Then Brandon Phillips strode up to the box and decided it was going to be his game today.  BP took the third pitch of the at-bat in a 1-1 count and bombed it to left-field over the wall for a 3-run homer.  Folks, the lead had just been cut in half
• To the bottom of the 7th we go.  Fresh off the bus Xavier Paul walked to lead off the inning.  That was followed up by another walk to Drew Stubbs.  Wilson Valdez then was able to reach base on a fielding error that scored Paul, moved Stubbs to third, and allowed Valdez to get to second base.  6-4 is now the score and two runners are on base.  BP was up to bat again.  He nailed the sixth pitch he saw on a 2-2 count into left-field for a bases-clearing double.  We are tied!  BP has contributed his 4th and 5th RBI of the game. After a pitching change and ground out by Jay Bruce that advanced Phillips to third base, it was Superhero Todd Frazier coming to bat.  Another pitching change and once again it didn't make a difference for the D-backs.  Frazier singled to left-field and Brandon scored.  The Reds had scored seven consecutive runs to take a 7-6 lead going into the 8th.
• The Reds bullpen pitched 4 2/3 innings and gave up zero runs and just three hits.  They also walked no one.  Dominant.  
• Simon was the winner as he was on the mound during the comeback.  He pitched very well in 1 2/3 of work.
• Ondrusek and Marshall combined for an inning's worth of work and kept the Reds in the lead.
• Finally, Aroldis Chapman came in for the save in the 9th.  He got Aaron Hill to pop out and followed that up by striking out the last two batters of the game, of course.  Save number 15 for Chapman.
• The Reds win in dramatic fashion today, folks!  Enjoy it.  We don't have the best hitter in baseball and we are surviving.  And rest assured that we will be making a trade or two before the deadline on July 31.  

 MLB.com Summary

Game 91: Blah.

Latos Has Poor Outing.  Offense Doesn't Show Up.

Diamondbacks  7   10   0                          
Reds                 1    8    0

By Ryan Bramwell

• I think the above title should tell you enough.  We lost.  It wasn't pretty.
• Let us not discuss much here.  It was an awful game.  
• One more game against the Diamondbacks today and then the Brewers are coming to town.
• Stubbs and Frazier each had a pair of hits.  I guess that's something.

Box Score

National League: Individual Leaders By The Numbers

NL Stat Leaders as of 7/17/12

NL - Batting Average

1. .369 - Andrew McCutchen (PIT)

2. .353 - Melky Cabrera (SFO)

3. .350 - Carlos Ruiz (PHI)

4. .348 - David Wright (NYM)

5. .342 - Joey Votto (CIN)

 

NL - Home Runs

1. 26 - Ryan Braun (MIL)
2. 22 - Andrew McCutchen (PIT)
3. 20 - Carlos Beltran (STL)
4. 19 - Pedro Alvarez (PIT)
5. 19 - Giancarlo Stanton (MIA)

NL - Runs Batted In

1. 66 - Carlos Beltran (STL)
2. 65 - Andrew McCutchen (PIT)
3. 65 - Ryan Braun (MIL)
4. 62 - Jason Kubel (ARI)
5. 62 - Carlos Gonzalez (COL)

NL - Stolen Bases

1. 30 - Dee Gordon (LAD)
2. 25 - Michael Bourn (ATL)
3. 25 - Tony Campana (CHC)
4. 23 - Jordan Schafer (HOU)
5. 22 - Emilio Bonafacio (MIA)

NL - On Base Percentage

1. .465 - Joey Votto (CIN)
2. .439 - David Wright (NYM)
3. .423 - Andrew McCutchen (PIT)
4. .413 - Carlos Ruiz (PHI)
5. .395 - Carlos Gonzalez (COL)

NL - Wins

1. 12 - R.A. Dickey (NYM)
2. 12 - Gio Gonzalez (WSH)
3. 11 - Johnny Cueto (CIN)
4. 11 - Cole Hamels (PHI)
5. 11 - Madison Bumgarner (SF), Lance Lynn (STL)

NL - ERA

1. 1.86 - Ryan Dempster (CHC)
2. 2.28 - Johnny Cueto (CIN)
3. 2.36 - Ryan Vogelsong (SFO)
4. 2.43 - Jordan Zimmerman (WSH)
5. 2.56 - Matt Cain (SFO)

NL - Strikeouts

1. 135 - Stephen Strasburg (WSH)
2. 132 - Clayton Kershaw (LAD)
3. 127 - R.A. Dickey (NYM)
4. 127 - Gio Gonzalez (WSH)
5. 125 - Cole Hamels (PHI)

NL - Saves

1. 27 - Craig Kimbrel (ATL)
2. 26 - Joel Hanrahan (PIT)
3. 23 - Santiago Casilla (SFO)
4. 21 - Jonathan Papelbon (PHI)
5. 20 - Jason Motte (STL)

NL - WHIP

1. 0.96 - Matt Cain (SFO)

2. 0.98 - R.A. Dickey (NYM)

3. 1.02 - Ryan Dempster (CHC)

4. 1.05 - Clayton Kershaw (LAD)

5. 1.07 - Madison Bumgarner (SFO)

 

American League: Individual Leaders By The Numbers

AL Leaders as of 7/17/12

AL - Batting Average

1. .355 - Mike Trout (LAA)
2. .333 - Joe Mauer, (MIN)
3. .327 - Miguel Cabrera (DET)
4. .322 - Adrian Beltre (TEX)
5. .320 - Paul Konerko (CHW)

AL - Home Runs

1. 28 - Josh Hamilton (TEX)
2. 28 - Adam Dunn (CHW)
3. 27 - Jose Bautista (TOR)
4. 26 - Mark Trumbo (LAA)
5. 25 - Edwin Encarnacion (TOR)

AL - Runs Batted In

1. 78 - Josh Hamilton (TEX)
2. 74 - Miguel Cabrera (DET)
3. 65 - Adam Dunn (CHW)
4. 65 - Prince Fielder (DET)
5. 65 - Josh Willingham (MIN)

AL - Stolen Bases

1. 30 - Mike Trout (LAA)
2. 24 - Rajai Davis (TOR)
3. 20 - Jason Kipnis (CLE)
4. 19 - Ben Revere (MIN)
5. 18 - Coco Crisp (OAK)

AL - On Base Percentage

1. .420 - Joe Mauer (MIN)
2. .414 - David Ortiz (BOS)
3. .408 - Mike Trout (LAA)
4. .401 - Austin Jackson (DET)
5. .397 - Paul Konerko (CHW)

AL - Wins

1. 12 - Matt Harrison (TEX)
2. 12 - David Price (TAM)
3. 11 - Chris Sale (CHW)
4. 11 - Jered Weaver (LAA)
5. 10 - Justin Verlander (DET)

AL - ERA

1. 2.11 - Chris Sale (CHW)
2. 2.26 - Jered Weaver (LAA)
3. 2.43 - Justin Verlander (DET)
4. 2.43 - C.J. Wilson (LAA)
5. 2.80 - David Price (TAM)

AL - Strikeouts

1. 140 - Felix Hernandez (SEA)
2. 136 - Justin Verlander (DET)
3. 125 - Max Scherzer (DET)
4. 121 - Yu Darvish (TEX)
5. 114 - James Shields (TAM)

AL - Saves
1. 27 - Fernando Rodney (TAM)
2. 26 - Jim Johnson (BAL)
3. 26 - Chris Perez (CLE)
4. 24 - Rafael Soriano (NYY)
5. 22 - Jonathan Broxton (KAN)

AL - WHIP

1. 0.93 - Justin Verlander (DET)
2. 0.95 - Jered Weaver (LAA)
3. 0.98 - Chris Sale (CHW)
4. 1.04 - Jake Peavy (CHW)
5. 1.08 - Colby Lewis (TEX)

Around The League: Team Rankings By The Numbers

Team Rankings as of 7/17/12

AL Team Batting

Team/Rank  Runs - BA/OBP/SLG/OPS
1. Texas          456  - .278/.340/.445/.785
2. Boston        455  - .268/.329/.440/.769
3. Toronto       448  - .252/.320/.432/.751
4. New York   443  - .264/.338/.465/.803
5. Chicago      431  - .260/.324/.420/.744

AL Team Pitching

Team/Rank     ERA - QS/ER/BAA
1. Oakland        3.43  -  52/308/.242
2. Texas            3.67  -  49/329/.245
3. Los Angeles 3.70  -  54/331/.242
4. Tampa Bay   3.71  -  43/334/.245
5. New York     3.75  -  45/335/.257

AL Team Fielding

Team/Rank      E -  FPCT/A/PO
1. Seattle          35 - .990/870/2472
2. Chicago       37 -  .989/857/2437
3. New York    46 -  .986/815/2409
4. Cleveland    48 -  .986/959/2412
5. Texas           50 -  .985/819/2418

NL Team Batting

Team/Rank  Runs - BA/OBP/SLG/OPS
1. St. Louis      438 - .274/.340/.428/.768
2. Colorado     432 - .268/.330/.442/.772
3. Atlanta        412 - .260/.326/.409/.735
4. New York    411 - .260/.328/.399/.727
5. Milwaukee  407 - .246/319/.418/.737
(10)Cincinnati 377 - .249/.315/.415/.730

NL Team Pitching

Team/Rank        ERA - QS/ER/BAA
1. Washington     3.16  -  58/280/.232
2. Los Angeles    3.29  -  58/297/.256
3. Cincinnati       3.31  -  56/296/.247
4. San Francisco 3.49  -  55/311/.240
5. Pittsburgh       3.52  -  46/309/.244

NL Team Fielding

Team/Rank      E  -  FPCT/A/PO

1. Cincinnati     46 - .986/873/2411

2. Arizona         48 - .986/908/2368
3. Atlanta          49 - .985/884/2377
4. Washington   52 - .984/854/2394
5. Milwaukee    54 - .984/881/2448

8-Year Old Baseball Phenom: Bo Ryan Kahn

Promising Youth Shows Up The Older Talent At Jay Bruce Baseball Camp

By Ryan Bramwell

Bo Kahn, an 8-year old boy from southern Indiana loves the game of baseball.  He has a true passion for the game.  And it is real.  It's tangible.  Yes, he enjoys most sports like other boys his age, but man does he love baseball.  I have been lucky enough to see him play organized games and he does not disappoint.  If you could label a ballplayer as young as Bo as a five-tool prospect, then you would do so.  He can run, he can hit, hit for power, field, and throw.  When I was his age, I could field and throw.  I was never a good hitter until I started seeing faster pitches in pony league.  Bo, however is a tremendous hitter.  When you watch his approach, his stance and his swing I swear it is just like watching a miniature MLB player at the plate.  And to be honest, a lot of professional ballplayers don't even have the patience and dedication to improving their swing as much as Bo does.  It's fun to watch him play in his youth little league games because he gobbles up every ball and pop up, fields every grounder within 20 feet of him and makes hard, accurate throws to first base or wherever the play needs to happen.  He's made throws to first base from his knees at shortstop that kids twice as old would have a difficult time performing.  All the parents and kids on the other teams know him by name just because of his talent. I have never seen a boy as young as Bo show the recognition or "baseball IQ" like he does.  Whereas other players on his team will be scuffling around or be so caught up in the moment on a play that they miss an opportunity for a double play.  Nothing gets by Bo.  He has a mind for the game.  An intangible quality he has is his desire to win, always.  He can go 5-for-5 in a game with a home run, a slew of RBIs, and many putouts in the field; but if the team loses, he puts the burden on his own shoulders.  Pete Rose, the game's greatest competitor says there are three tips he gives to ballplayers who seek his advice.  Those tips are: 1. Be aggressive, 2. Be more aggressive, 3. Never be satisfied.  Nobody had a desire to win more than Peter Edward Rose.  Bo Kahn has that desire as well.  His father, Ryan, just took Bo to the Jay Bruce Camp.  Ryan was told by some of the camp instructors that "that kid is going to have his own camp someday."  He outshined all the kids his age despite having a smaller frame.  When he hits his first big growth spurt everybody better watch out.  He truly is a special kid.  I am proud to be his uncle.  He is well-mannered, sweet, and extremely talented at the game he loves.  I am truly excited to see what he can become as a baseball player.  He told his dad yesterday that all he wants to do when he grows up is be a professional baseball player.  A lot of us had that dream.  But with Bo's abilities he might be able to actually make his dream come true.