So I went to last night’s game.  Six hours round-trip in the train, an hour walk from downtown to the Stadium, and I’m left with the feeling (wrong, of course, but real) that I put forth more effort than the Reds.

 Some notes, after the break: >> Continue

Dave Williams gave the Mets another good start last night, going 7 innings, allowing 3 runs, walking 1 and striking out 5.

In three starts with the Mets, his ERA is 3.79 and his WHIP is 1.26.

The Mets sent him back to AAA after last night’s game.

Can anyone give me a logical explanation why the Reds gave him to the Mets for nothing, rather than sending him to Louisville and/or putting him on the DL?

Rookie

Billings 12, Ogden 11

21 year-old Chris Valaika (Reds #3 - 2006) continues his hot hitting going 4 for 5 with 3 2B, BB, 2 R, 3 RBI.  For the season he is hitting ..340/.402/.544 with 21 2B, 4 3B, 8 HR, 57 K, 23 BB in 282 PAs.

LOW A

Dayton 1, South Bend 0 Game 1

South Bend 3, Dayton 2 Game 2

19 year-old Travis Wood (Reds #2 - 2005) pitched 6 scoreless innings giving up 2 H, and 3 BB while striking out 5.   Wood now has a 3.79 with 129 K, 53 BB, and 106 H in 133 IP.   Pretty impressive numbers from a 19 year old. 

HIGH A

Tampa 6, Sarasota 4

25 year-old Jay Garthwaite (D’Backs #14 - 2002) went 2 for 3 with a HR, BB, and 2 RBI.  For the season he is hitting .265/.338/.488

AA

Chattanooga DNP

AAA

Richmond 4, Louisville 3

26 year old Gary Majewski (White Sox #2 - 1998) pitched an inning giving up 2 H, 0 ER, and 0 BB.  In 3.2 IP at Louisville he has a 0.00 ERA with 3 K, 1 BB, 4 H.

From the Enquirer:

The Johnson move is not going to get fans excited, but more moves could be coming. The Red Sox are reportedly willing to part with veteran left-hander David Wells, who is 2-2 with a 2.65 ERA in five August starts.

“We’ve got a lot of things working,” Krivsky said.

Does anyone think trading for Wells is a good idea?

The longer Krivsky’s the GM of this team, the more he reminds me of Jim Bowden and his theory of “Sign ‘em all, let the number of games they lose for the Reds sort ‘em out!”

Reds adjusting to life outside the playoff picture (3rd place in the WC, all of the sudden), and looking to break a six-game losing streak. Harang vs. Maddux.

I’m heading over to Dodger Stadium in about 15 min. Seven years in San Diego, and this is the first time I’ve been to Dodger Stadium. Keep an eye open for me on TV. I’ll be wearing my 1975 World Series t-shirt, and cheering for a quick victory (last train back to SD is at 10:10 PM).

Another day, another scrub acquired by Wayne Krivsky.  Lancaster reports that the Reds have signed Jason Johnson to a minor league contract and are sending him to Louisville. 

With Cleveland:  3-8, 5.96 ERA (released).

With Boston:  0-4 , 7.36 ERA (released).

I bet Wayne Krivsky doesn’t do well at the track - rather than handicap the race, he spends all his time picking discarded tickets up off the ground, just in case someone threw away a winner.  Probably puts his finger in the coin return of every pay phone he passes, too.

Brian’s got another winner posted over at “Baseball Minutia“.

Rookie

Billings 9, Ogden 7

22 year-old Danny Dorn (Reds #32 - 2006) went 2 for 5 with a grand slam and 5 RBI.  The left fielder from Cal State-Fullerton is now hitting .340/.445/.555

LOW A

South Bend 1, Dayton 0 Game 1

South Bend 2, Dayton 1 Game 2

21 year-old Sean Watson (Reds #2 - 2006) continues to struggle since his promotion to Dayton.  He gave up a H, and an ER, while striking out 1 in I IP.  In the 11.2 innings since his promotion he has given up 13 ER, 19 H, 5 BB while striking out 13.   But the scouts say he has a pitchers body, so he has that going for him.

HIGH A

Sarasota 9, Tampa 1

25 year-old Jay Garthwaite (D’Backs #14 - 2002) went 2 for 4 with a 2B, grand slam and 6 RBI.  For the season, the Washington state native is hitting .262/.335/.480. 

AA

Carolina 7, Chattanooga 4

23 year-old Javon Moran (Phillies #5 - 2003) went 4 for 5 with 2 2B and a 3B.  Since being promoted Moran is hitting .325/.359/.411.  He has 14 SB in 21 attempts.  Javon has fastguyitis, the symptoms including being afraid to take a walk, being thrown out stealing so many times that you actually HURT your team, and repeated bunting despite playing at a level where that is an out 80% of the time.  Side effects include triples, people who think you are good on defense just becuase you are fast, and Dusty Baker saying “if I had 9 guys with fastguyitis, we would be unstoppable.”

AAA

Norfolk 10, Louisville 0

27 year-old Tim Bausher (Mariners #27 - 2001) who was acquired this week for Mike Burns, went 2 innings, gave up 6 H, and 3 ER.  Wayne Krivsky continues to feed his OCD with another arm that looks EXACTLY like the arm he traded.   FOR THE SEASON Bausher has a 5.15 ERA with 41 K, 37 BB, and 83 H in 71.2 IP.   But the scouts say he has a good high pitchers butt.

Eric Milton vs. Mark Hendrickson - one for the ages.

Rookie

Billings 12, Ogden 4

22-year old Daniel Dorn (Reds #32 - 2006) went 3 for 4 with a 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB, and 4 RBI.  Dorn, from Cal State Fullerton, is hitting .339/.446/.538

LOW A

South Bend and Dayton PPD

HIGH A

Tampa 5, Sarasota 4

22 year-old Paul Janish (pronounced Yanish) (Reds #5 - 2004) went 1 for 4 with an RBI.  The shortstop from Rice University is hitting .312/.396/.495 in August.  Since being promoted to Sarasota he is hitting .278/.356/.422.

AA

I love Homer Bailey!!!

Chattanooga 8, Carolina 7

20 year-old Homer Bailey (Reds #1 - 2004) pitched 6 incredible innings giving up just 2 H, 0 BB, and 0 ER while striking out 8.   Since being promoted to Chattanooga he is 7-0 with a 1.06 ERA.  Bailey, from LaGrange, Texas, has 77 K, 24 BB, 47 H, in 68 IP. 

AAA 

Louisville 3, Norfolk 1

29 year-old Tom Shearn (Astros #29 - 2006) pitched 6 innings 5 H, 1 BB, and 1 ER while striking out 6.  Since being promoted to Louisville, Shearn has a 2.69 ERA with 71 K, 39 BB, 82 H in 90.1 IP.

From John Fay:

Javier Valentin has decided he would like to end his career as a Red.

The club didn’t exactly give him a lifetime contract, but the Reds did extend his deal through 2007 with a club option for 2008. The extension is worth $1.25 million per year.

Ok, it’s not a lot of money and he has done a decent job as a PH this year….but….

Signing Valentin gives the Reds two catchers under contract for 2007. Jason LaRue, the No. 2 catcher, is due to make $5.2 million next year.

David Ross, Cincinnati’s No. 1 catcher, will be eligible for arbitration for the first time in the offseason.

You couldn’t GIVE Jason LaRue away right now and Ross is headed for arbitration, which will bring him a hefty pay raise, unless the Reds try to sign him to a multiyear deal after one breakout season.

You would think that something has to give in the offseason as far as the Reds’ catcher situation is concerned.

LaRue’s contract makes him difficult to trade, and he’s been reduced to a once-every-five-days catcher because of his offensive struggles.

Gee, ya think?

Difficult to trade is a vast understatement.

How does this extension make any sense?

Reds try to break a 3 game losing streak…and reverse a scary trend from the weekend.

But to do so, they’ll have to beat Brad Penny with Chris Michalak…

Discuss it here.

Rookie

Ogden 14, Billings 5

21 year-old Chris Valaika (Reds #3 - 2006) had his Pioneer League record 32-game hit streak snapped with an 0-for 4 and a BB against the boys from Ogden.  The California native is now hitting .329/.393/.530.  This means his 40-game on-base streak (which is MORE impressive) is still intact.

LOW A

Dayton 9, SW Michigan 7

22 year-old Eric Eymann (Red #19 - 2005) went 3 for 6 with a 2B and 2 R.  On the season Eric has struggled to a .240/.305/.355.

HIGH A

Sarasota DNP

AA

Carolina 7, Chattanooga 0

This game sucked, but over the 3 weekend games with Carolina, Joey Votto (Reds #2 - 2002) went 4 for 12 with a 2B and 3 BB.  He is now hitting .312/.400/.539.  Votto leads the Southern League in AVG, OBA, SLG, OPS, R, and 2B.  He is 6th in SB (24), 3rd in RBI, and 2nd in HR.

AAA

Louisville 9, Toledo 2

26 year-old (His birthday was Saturday) Brendan Harris (Cubs #5 - 2001) is absolutely on fire.  Harris went 4 for 5 with a HR and 2 RBI.  In his last 4 games he is 13 for 19 with a BB, 4 2B, 3B, HR, 8 RBI, and 6 R.  In August, Harris is hitting .407/.465/.703.

Reds try to achieve the split today…big game.

According to Marc Lancaster, today’s lineup:
Freel RF
Hatteberg 1B
Griffey CF
Encarnacion 3B
Dunn LF
Ross C
Phillips 2B
Clayton SS
Lohse P

Discuss it here…

The Enquirer has three articles today on the Reds radio opening:

In the first of two articles by John Erardi:

Stewart’s replacement will probably be hired soon after the Reds season ends. Redsfest in early December at the newly expanded Duke Energy Center downtown would be a logical time and place to unveil the new No. 2, but the club hasn’t set a deadline.

But if it’s like so much else that new Reds owner Bob Castellini has done, the announcement figures to have considerable splash, and will reverberate among fans. Such is the power of baseball on the radio in Cincinnati that Castellini’s decision could very well be the biggest off-season move the club makes.

Let’s hope it isn’t the biggest off season move the club makes…

And Marty has (for the first time that I know of) made public his future plans:

Complicating the Reds’ decision on who should replace Stewart is the fact that Brennaman, the Hall of Fame announcer, said he wants to stop working full time after four more seasons. He has one more year on his contract, then wants to sign one more three-year deal.

Then, if the Reds give him the same opportunity the Dodgers gave the legendary Vin Scully - do home games, and a selected road trip or two - “I’d work forever,” Brennaman said.

Otherwise, Brennaman says, he’ll retire. He’ll be 68 in four years.

“If they (the Reds) said, ‘No, we need you more than (half a season),’ I’d say ‘Fine,’ and be out the door,” Brennaman said. “I believe there’s life after baseball. There are things I’d like to do and see while I’m still able to do them. And I say that even though I love my job and still find it to be a challenge.”

Brennaman’s plan to either retire or work part time after the 2010 season means the Reds will probably have yet another voice in the radio booth starting in 2011. The person will presumably have to mesh with Stewart’s replacement.

The Reds say they haven’t decided which direction they want to go yet for a replacement.

John Allen, the Reds’ chief operating officer, said the team hasn’t decided whether it wants a play-by-play announcer - who could ultimately serve as Brennaman’s successor - or a former player to be a game analyst.

There are advantages to bringing a former player into the booth now. Most listeners’ antennae go up when a former player is talking. Think about the folksy style of Joe Nuxhall, whom Stewart replaced.

“It’s just the way it is, and I think the Reds would do well to hire a former player,” said Roger Ruhl, who was involved with the search and hire of Brennaman 33 years ago, when the Reds needed to replace the popular Al Michaels and pair the new guy with Nuxie. “A lot of credibility comes with the (right) former player.”

snip…

“They (the Reds brass) could do it (hire a former player to be the analyst), but they’d have to be sure they got the right person,” Brennaman said. “It’d have to be somebody who would not be intimidated, has a good head on his shoulders, and would work his butt off.”

In his second article, Erardi covers some possibilities:

The Reds are believed to be leaning toward hiring a former player to be the No. 2. Several former Reds and a current coach fit Brennaman’s description of people who may have the right stuff: Tom Browning, Joe Oliver, Billy Hatcher and Todd Benzinger, all of whom were members of the 1990 World Champion Reds.

Hatcher is funny, a catalyst , a baseball lifer who has just the right motor for the game and most likely, the booth. Benzinger may be the most insightful, articulate Red since Joe Morgan. Oliver brings the catcher’s perspective, a guy who kept things loose in the clubhouse and always had his finger on the team’s pulse.

And Browning? Browning could easily be painted as “the new Nuxhall,” because Browning lives in Greater Cincinnati and has gotten to be almost as beloved as the Ol’ Left-hander, Joe Nuxhall.

It’s tough to voice an opinion on any of the players mentioned. The only one I’ve heard on the radio is Browning, who has done some Dayton Dragons games. But the thing I find most curious is the name that’s missing, that of tv broadcaster, Cincinnati resident, and former Red, Chris Welsh.

If the Reds are looking for a future replacement for Marty though, his son Thom’s name is the first mentioned. But John Fay writes:

Brennaman said Saturday that he has had no contact with the club. The Reds would have to get permission from the Diamondbacks to contact Brennaman.

Brennaman has been with the D-Backs since the club’s beginning.

“They’ve been very good to me for 11 years,” he said.

Fay also says that Thom is in the 2nd year of a 5 year contract that he says he fully intends to fulfill.

My hope is that the Reds bring in a player that can add some energy to the booth, someone that could possibly counteract some of Marty’s negativity (which I don’t think anyone would deny goes overboard at times), but that would also bring some freshness and some statistic based insight to the booth.