Down is up! Up is down! Black is white! White is black! Gary Majewski is good! Francisco Cordero stinks!
Next, fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes. The dead rising from the grave!
Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!

Reverend Lovejoy: Let the Lord’s light shine upon you. Feel the spirit. Let it out!
[Grandpa, who has just had the Lord's light shine upon him, suddenly goes into a possessed frenzy.]
Grandpa: HORRIBLE! HORRIBLE THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEEEEEEEN! [pointing at random people] And they’re gonna happen to you, and you, and you, [points at Marge] and you! Whoa, Nelly!
[He falls to the floor, whimpering and babbling. Comic Book Guy records him on his cell phone.]
Grandpa: People of Springfield, heed this warning: Twisted tail! A thousand eyes! TRAPPED FOREVER!
[Grandpa walks in a circle on the floor, making turkey-like gobbling noises.]
Lisa: Dad, do something!
Homer: [frantically flicking through the Bible This book doesn't have any answers!
Grandpa: Beware! Beware! Time is short! Epa! Epa! EEEEEEEEPAAAAAAAA!!! Believe me! BELIEVE ME!
[Homer rolls him up in the aisle rug and drags him out of the church.]
Grandpa: [babbles again briefly] Thanks for listening!
I have to vent about this:
Um, does Dusty realize what Bako’s stats are? Does he realize that in May, June, and July, his OPS is under .600? Does Dusty realize that Ross’s OBP is .400? Does Dusty realize that the one good thing about having 3 catchers is that you can pinch-hit for the starter without worrying too much that you are going to run out of catchers. I find it hard to really dislike Bako because I do think he’s done a good job with some of the Reds pitchers, but this is like the Patterson situation all over again.
Agreed, Ross needs to play at least 4 days a week. And I’ll take issue w/ Bako’s reputation as a good pitcher’s catcher. Besides his below average reflexes, his game calling skills aren’t that good. Far too often he leans on a starter’s two best pitches in stressful situations and ignores a third, keep you guessing pitch, which is the whole point of having a third pitch—for precisely those situations. Outside of that, much of the pitch calling is debateable because of the pitcher’s stuff and the scouting reports.
I can’t believe Cueto’s ERA is 4.90. He is (and will be) much better than the numbers show. Pleasantly suprised w/ Bray too.
Anybody concerned about Cueto’s 120 pitches last night? Seemed like a bit much to me.
This season is lost, so the main thing we need to do now is keep our young players fresh and healthy. No point in endangering them at all now. Do whatever is best for Cueto, Volquez, and Thompson to be strong and healthy in 2009 and beyond.
Oh yeah, Bailey too… Yikes… how far he has fallen! I keep forgetting that he’s 22 and might still be pretty good!
Just an honest question here, and not snarky sarcasm – can someone answer?
Why is it that Kyle Lohse was a bad pitcher here, and left and became a good pitcher? Why is it that Francisco Cordero was a good pitcher for Milwaukee, and came here and now struggles?
Is it them, or us?
Enquirer says Valetin starts becasue he is 5 for 10 versus Peavy. Patterson doesn’t start even though he is 6 for 11 versus Peavy because it would not be fair to him.
I agree that he shouldn’t be starting and I think the only thing Patterson should be starting this summer is his lawn mower at home, but what kind of logic is that for the manager to use? He shouldn’t be starting because he stinks not because it wouldn’t be fair.
Dusty is awfull.
Ever think Dusty doesn’t want to rip on his players and go “Patterson has a good record against Peavy but he’s friggin’ awful so I’m not gonna play him.”
It is interesting that Dave Ross is hitting righties better than lefties. Must be seeing the ball better from that side.
Dusty isn’t that bad. He has yet to do a Juan Castro pinch hitting for Josh Hamilton(in a game Josh went 1-2 with a 2 run bomb and a walk).
Mart T., a lot of people say Dave Duncan can work some voodoo and make pitchers reach their potential. Of course if he can lay claim to making Lohse not be crap can Dick Pole lay claim to fixing up Edinson Volquez?
At 24 I am not sure you can say Volquez needed to be fixed.
Duncan does have a spectatular record for reclamations. If he got Jeff Weaver to win, which he did when nobody could and everyone tried, they should sign Eric Milton, which would be the ultimate test.
Give Lohse another month and see how he is. He could always look brilliant for a while before going in the tank. I guess Duncan could get some credit for it lasting this long, but it can’t last.
Not sure this is the right spot really, but considering this doesn’t make sense at all, according to the SF Chronicle, the Reds have joined the Huston Street race.