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Some not-so-random thoughts for an off-day…
* I’m really proud of this Reds team. We were all afraid that they were about to drop off the face of the earth, but they rebounded nicely after the Seattle debacle.
* This is the reason the internets were invented. It’s a Toy Story/The Wire mashup. Just brilliant.
* By the way, Toy Story 3 is just great. If you haven’t seen it yet, go tonight.
* FanGraphs takes a look at Jonny Gomes and Chris Heisey, and concludes that the Reds might be better off with Heisey starting in LF for the rest of the season. I’m not really surprised at the conclusion; Gomes really is brutal defensively, while Heisey is outstanding. Gotta love the big guy, though.
* ESPN’s Jason Grey has a good look at Heisey, as well. It’s behind the Insider wall, but it’s fairly complimentary of the young guy:
At a minimum, Heisey is what is he is right now for the Reds: a fourth outfielder with some pop who can hit lefties and is versatile defensively. But I think he’d be a solid regular if given the opportunity.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Heisey were the starting left fielder in 2011.
* As many of you know, I just got back from a week at Disney World with the family. We had a better time than I expected. It was very hot, but the crowds weren’t bad and Disney knows how to take care of people. The kids had a blast. I’m actually a Disney fan. Admitting that makes me feel like such a loser.
* I am a huge fan of John Lee Hooker. I am not a huge fan of Dusty Baker. Articles like this, however, make me like Dusty a lot more. (Tip of the cap to C. Trent.)
* Oh man, I cannot wait for July 25.
* At Epcot, in the French pavilion, my eight year old daughter said “Hello, brother” in French, then Spanish. Her five year old brother, unimpressed, responded: “Me-sa Jar-Jar Binks.” Sheesh.
* I wish Cincinnati still had an NBA team.
* The Cubs organ player is getting into heavier, darker stuff. Heh.
* Brandon Phillips is having his best season. Both offensively and defensively, he’s just been great, that’s all. He really might be the Reds MVP at this point in the season.
* “Like a party in your pocket. But not in a weird way.” Brilliant tagline for a visionary ad…from 1977.
* I think Aroldis Chapman to the bullpen is a stroke of genius. And not only because Bill and I recommended precisely that in our recent podcast. It’s a great way to limit his innings and provide Chapman an opportunity to get some work against big league hitters. Having that big lefty in the bullpen down the stretch to intimidate opposing hitters is a pretty exciting prospect.
* A little more than a year ago, I read a couple of books about soccer. I read this first, because it was recommended to me and because the author was a fellow Wahoo. After that, I read Fever Pitch, written by my favorite author. It was, thankfully, nothing like the crappy Jimmy Fallon movie based on the book.
Anyway, I was fascinated by the passion and emotion of world football, and specifically the English Premier League. I picked a team and set out to follow them and see what all the fuss was about. I couldn’t have guessed that, one year later, I would be hooked. I’ve always mocked soccer as a joke (they can’t even score!). I couldn’t have been more wrong. There’s a reason why the rest of the world is crazy over this sport.
It occurred to me this morning that soccer is probably my second favorite sport now, after curling. (Okay, after baseball.) I can’t believe I’m typing those words. Anyway, I’ve been engrossed in the World Cup. I’m looking forward to the USA’s next game on Saturday. All of this surprises me immensely.
* Just got tickets to see Dave Matthews Band next month, with another intrepid RN editor (unfortunately, I was at Disney when DMB was in Cincinnati last week). Should be fun. I’ve seen DMB live a number of times, mostly when I was in college and law school, but I haven’t been to a show since this one. It’s been far too long.
* Feel free to use this as an off-day open thread….
(Chad, I’ve got DMB on Itunes at work right now… well, technically, Dave and Tim Reynolds live at Radio City.) Anyway a question for people out there I moved from the Titanic Struggle Recap:
There’s a Joe Posnanski blog at cnnsi.com talking about this year’s Braves winning all games in which they’ve scored 5 or more runs. He researched and found that teams, on average, win 75% of the time since 1980 win scoring that many runs. Among other nuggets:
For instance: Not counting strike seasons, the best five-run team of the last 30 years was… the world champion 1990 Cincinnati Reds. You might remember: That Reds team won just 75 games the year before. They did not have a pitcher win more than 15 games (not that pitchers’ wins mean much, but this is still a rarity) and they did not have a player with more than 25 home runs. Their starters’ ERA was a not-much-better-than-league-average 3.62. And they scored only 12 more runs than the league average.
But that Reds team won an astonishing 64 of its 67 five-run games. The Dodgers scored five runs more often (73 to 67) but went 54-19 in their five-run games. And, so, the Reds won the division by five games.
So my question to anyone that would like to answer is what percentage of games have our beloved 2010 Reds won when scoring 5 or more runs?
Matt, the ’10 Reds are 30-6 when they score 5 or more runs. They are 31-11 when they give up less than 5 runs.
I agree with Toy Story
I agree with Chapman
I really agree with the NBA team
Who’s opening for DMB? Robert Earl Keen opened for him here, REK is one of my favorites, I highly recommend him to anyone that is into songwriter/singers (he’s a much better writer than singer).
As for World Cup soccer…ugh, I’ll pass. Watched 1/2 of the US/England game and that six hours of my life I’ll never get back..
And I’m old enough to remember when Cincinnati did have an NBA team…and that’s when the NBA actually played basketball.
Who’s opening for DMB? Robert Earl Keen opened for him here, REK is one of my favorites, I highly recommend him to anyone that is into songwriter/singers (he’s a much better writer than singer). (Not enough that I was going to pay big money to see the opening act..)
As for World Cup soccer…ugh, I’ll pass. Watched 1/2 of the US/England game and that six hours of my life I’ll never get back..
And I’m old enough to remember when Cincinnati did have an NBA team…and that’s when the NBA actually played basketball.
Good stuff there, Chad. As I stated the other night on Twitter, tht Wire/Toy Story mash-up is quite brilliant. I’m watching the show season by season for now the second time and I kind say w/o hesitation that it’s the best tv show in the history of the medium. As for, Mad Men, I’m also counting down the days for the return of that now top 5 all time show. The final 3 episodes last year were as good as tv gets, period. This summer has sucked…hard for films. I’m still waiting on Cyrus to drop up here in Toledo, but for now it’s strictly a waiting game for Inception. Giddy. Now then, the potential move of Chapman to pen is an exciting and right one for the Reds to make in my humble opinion. In closing, I also took a dip into the EPL waters last summer for the first time last year in prepartion of this years World Cup and was amazed at how watching the EPL is quite nearly watching WC matches. The rivalries, crowds, energy, players etc. is hard to beat in the world of sports. I recommend. Sidenote: I cozied up to the Arsenal as “my team”. Yourself?
Regarding the Gomes/Heisey issue and the short term …
I suggested here a few days ago (then quickly ducked) that the Reds ought to consider trading Jonny Gomes right now. My reasoning was that Chris Heisey/Chris Dickerson would be able substitutes for the remainder of the season. Obviously this includes a calculation regarding defensive skills and also assumes that we should trade Gomes while he is at (likely unsustainable) peak value, which is certainly right now.
I think we could get a major bullpen piece in trade for Gomes, considering an AL team could use his bat without suffering his defense — and his contract is so incredibly cheap.
Regarding the longer-term prospects for the Reds in left field …
While I’m assured that Dusty Baker has a master plan in place for developing the young Reds talent (I know this because he said so and the Enquirer uncritically repeated it as though it was axiomatic), it occurs to me that LF is one of the most likely places that Walt Jocketty could invest in a substantial upgrade for the Reds.
Sort of Carl Crawford/Jayson Werth-caliber upgrade. Serious upgrade.
This would make the “tinkering around the edges” debate over Heisey vs. Dickerson vs. Nix vs. Gomes pretty much meaningless.
I hope that’s what happens, anyhow.
Wowowowow, that’s exciting to think about. Of course, I shudder to think where Dusty would stick Werth in the lineup (I’d bat him second, behind Phillips and before Votto).
On an unrelated Reds topic, how in the hell can Paul Dougherty go all the way to Louisville to watch Volquez in a rehab start and write about his miraculous recovery without mention anything about his 50-game suspension for PEDs? Those are not unrelated topics at all.
Big second on Toy Story 3. We took our 2 1/2-year-old Monday, and all three of us loved it. Be prepared to get choked up, though, if you’re a parent. Wasn’t expecting that at all.
Has anyone been watching Treme? It just wrapped up Sunday night, and while it’s not nearly as good as The Wire, it was immensely enjoyable in a completely different way. As much as I’m looking forward to the upcoming season of Mad Men, I think they can go ahead and engrave Breaking Bad on the best dramatic series Emmy. This past season is as close to being as good as seasons 1 or 4 of the Wire as anything I’ve seen. The acting is just outstanding, and the cinematography is Oscar-worthy. We truly are living through a Golden Age of television these days.
We watched ‘Treme and couldn’t get into it…nothing ever seemed to happen. I’m a New Orleans fan (going back in November for my anniversary), but it seemed to be more about the hurricane and the city than the characters. I thought it was disappointing.
FWIW, I think season 3 was the Wire’s best.
Tried Mad Men via Netflix and after about 4 episodes, gave up…
Wow, really? Mad Men is the only program that I’ve ever seen that I might put above The Wire as the best show I’ve ever seen. It’s great.
I do have to give Bill credit for turning me on to The Wire.
@Travis G.: Oh, I couldn’t agree more with you in regards to what Breaking Bad did this season. I won’t spoil anything for those who haven’t seen the series yet (get on it people), but I was absolutely blown away with the writing, acting and yes, great call on the cinematography. The scene in the desert when he sports his Heizenberg hat for (ok, i’ll stop), well, needless to say was case in point with that call.
As for, Treme. I’m only about 5 eps deep, but I’m enjoying the series very much thus far. The music is top notch, as with everything else David Simon brings to the television medium.
Okay Chad .. I enjoyed your far reaching comments on everything under the sun today. I don’t reply very often .. But today I feel I have to respond to a couple of your remarks .. While I apreciate your views on all of the above and I realize I have no life beyond following our beloved Reds . And I am not in the least objective . To each his own of course. But …
(1) NBA Basketball is garbage . College basketball is enough for Cincy and Louisville too btw
(2) Soccer .. See #1 . I suggest watching the CWS (College World Series) on ESPN this week . It is a much better way to spend your time.
Yes I am indeed a crusty old man
@Jason: No, not Arsenal! My team is Arsenal’s North London enemies: Tottenham.
Jason, if you haven’t already seen this blog at NOLA.com, it’ll really enhance your enjoyment of Treme.
@Bill Lack: Someone named Amos Lee is opening.
And you have to give soccer a chance.
Give it a chance? Back in the day, I played..on my ship’s team, when we were in Europe..we got our butts kicked regularly. Even played on TV once in Palermo Sicly…it’s BORING.
That’s a great story I never knew about you.
I disagree that it’s boring, but we aren’t going to convince each other. I have never played the game, though. I’d like to try sometime, even at my advanced age.
Responses, around the horn…
@Steve: I love Gomes, but I wouldn’t have any problem trading him. His value may never get higher.
@Travis G.: I have all the episodes of Treme on my DVR, but we haven’t started watching them yet. I’m looking forward to it.
Also, I keep hearing good things about Breaking Bad. I’m going to have to watch that. Tim Watley, the dentist, stars in that, doesn’t he?
@littleleo1: I love the College World Series, but I’m boycotting this year because my beloved Virginia Cavaliers fell just short after being ranked #1 most of the year.
One year ago, I would’ve been saying the exact same things about soccer that many of you are saying here. I’m telling you, you have to give it a chance. I have made a 180-degree turn, with respect to my opinions of soccer.
@Chad Dotson: Yep, that’s Dr. Watley. It took about half the first season for me to not be distracted about Bryan Cranston’s previous roles on Seinfeld and Malcolm In The Middle, but after three seasons, it’s hard for me to think of him in any other role. He should be a lock for a third straight Emmy.
@Chad Dotson: Oh, bloody hell. The Spurs? Guh. Yeah, get on Breaking Bad. You won’t be disappointed.
@Travis G.: I dunno if I should watch it. Dr. Watley? I’m an anti-dentite.
@Chad Dotson: Amos Lee isn’t bad Chad… singer songwriter with a little more soul infusion than most. Easy Sunday morning listening type.
I still can’t get into soccer. Maybe I’ll read the books you mentioned, but I’m still not optimistic. I tried to listen to the match yesterday, but it would only be bearable if Dennis Miller, Bill Cosby, and the ghost of Jerry Clower were doing standup only to be interrupted when a goal is scored.
I can’t help but think of the DMB bus incident every time I hear them mentioned. Just remember, if you find yourself underneath the tour bus close your mouth and eyes and move quickly away until you are reasonably sure you are no longer in danger.
Jar-Jar Binks – brilliant response.
Hey Chad – how’s the iPad stack up to the Kindle for reading? Is the Kindle going the way of the buggy whip?
@nick in va: The Kindle is better for reading, and it’s not even close. I like the size of the Kindle — about the size of a paperback — and it just feels right in your hands. Lighter.
I love my iPad, but for reading books, it’s just okay. You still have the problem of eye fatigue if you read for a long time, since it’s basically a computer screen. The Kindle e-ink technology is great stuff.
@Steve: I had the same thought as you did regarding trading Gomes. A couple of thoughts…
First, I don’t know where he fits. His contract is incredibly team friendly for this year and next, which means not just the contenders could be in on Gomes. That said, teams with talent but disappointing years could be buyers. If teams like Seattle or Arizona don’t have fire sales, I could see moves involving both teams.
Second, while some AL contenders like the Angels, Twnis, and Yankees could use a bat, contenders are more likely to deal prospects rather than current players. Unless the Reds fall out of contention and become sellers, I don’t see how flipping Gomes for prospects is worthwhile to a playoff run. The best you could hope for is a three team deal where AL contender gets Gomes, Reds get X, and seller gets prospects from AL contender and Reds.
Third, Gomes’ contract is a double-edged sword. Yes it is valuable, but at some point, isn’t it too valuable to deal? With Gomes and Stubbs both .2 WAR, and Heisey a .8 player, isn’t the better OF Gomes, Heisey, Bruce?
As a quick aside has anyone looked at Heisey’s splits?
v. LHP (32 ABs) .156/.250/.344
v. RHP (18 ABs) .500/.571/1.056
Heisey was hitting righties better at AAA in ’10 too. Over his minor league career though, his splits against lefties is far better. I kind of credit Dusty giving Heisey more ABs versus LHP, despite his line against LHP this year, which is awful. Shows Dusty isn’t looking at short term trends alone.
I think in the end, if the Reds are still contending at the deadline, you don’t trade Gomes in ’10. Maybe you do the deal this winter. The contract is just too good for the Reds. Offensively, I think the fix comes from in house, with Heisey playing CF and batting leadoff over Stubbs.
I have wished my whole life for the nati to get another NBA team,(born and raised in cincy), i move out to Oklahoma City and 8 years later im watching Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook dunk on Kobe, i give you all permission to join my bandwagon, you can quote me on this, The Thunder will be a playoff threat very very soon
@Matt WI:
In 2010, the Reds have scored 5+ runs 36 times in 73 games. Their record is 30-6 (.833 Wpct) in those games.
I also looked at this stat for the Reds for the previous 5 years…a couple of notes. From 2005-2010:
– this is only the second time in which the Reds Wpct in games with 5+ runs is greater than 75%. It was 79% in 2006.
– this is the first year since 2007 that the Reds have scored 5+ runs in about half their games (they were at exactly half before play Wednesday and at exactly half in 2005 & 2007.)
– the 2005 team led the NL in runs scored but also was worst in runs allowed.
Season, #G w5+ runs, #W w5+ runs, Wpct in 5+ games
2005, 81, 60, 0.741
2006, 77, 61, 0.792
2007, 81, 56, 0.691
2008, 67, 49, 0.731
2009, 62, 46, 0.742
2010, 36, 30, 0.833
I’d like to see more of Heisey in CF before Dickerson’s ready to come back.
@Greg Dafler: Thanks Greg… and Slyde, I saw that one up there. Looks like it’s good, but not great (which is an apt discription of this team overall as well)… inasmuch as it means anything. Slightly encouraging since ’06 was the last time they were in the hunt for any reasonable length of time.
Dave Matthews Band is the soccer of the music world. People that love them will swear by them. And like soccer, I have made an effort to enjoy DMB, but I just can’t do it. In the end, they’re both too boring to get into on a regular basis. Either way, I’m not impressed.
* I wish Cincinnati still had an NBA team.
The only sporting activity more boring than the NBA would be the Home Run Derby. Why not just get together, paint a wall and watch it dry. It is cheaper.
Phillips is having a GREAT season. His offensive numbers are impressive for a 2B and his defense is always great.
But you know he hasn’t been the Reds MVP. Votto gets very little love from the media and often gets ignore by fans because he’s not flashy. Votto is having an MVP season not just Reds MVP
this line is undeniable
.308/.409/.552
yup, Phillips has been great but just make a quick comparison
.307/.366/.479
and Votto’s defense has been just as good as Phillips…not worth as much but still excelent
only 4 position players in the entire NL and 12 position players in baseball have been more valuable than Votto
What’s that based on, Mike ?
I don’t believe that BP’s defensive flash is fake. What 2nd basemen do you think are better defensively ? The metrics usually support Utley but isn’t he having an off year ?
My wife & I are “yooj” Curb Your Enthusiasm fans (probably to an unhealthy degree… we own all seven seasons). It’s amazing how consistently good it is. Like Seinfeld to the 10th power.
As far as the Reds are concerned, I’m just looking forward to the return of Hanigan, and I’m curious to see how Volquez and Bill Bray do once they’re back in action. I have high hopes for both of them. I’m pretty dismayed w/ the Cabrera situation, but I doubt Janish will get regular playing time (unless OC goes on the DL) and I doubt they’ll go looking for someone else, so we’re probably stuck w/ him.
NBA basketball in Cincinnati ? As a kid, I was a big Royals fan. Along with Vada P. and Robby, Oscar Robertson is my favorite athlete of all time.
He was crazy good. The greatest all around NCAA player of all time.
And maybe the greatest all around NAB player of all time.
I like to challenge basketball fans by just saying straight out that he was the greatest basketball player of all time.
Through his first 5 seasons in the NBA, his game average was 30+ points, and 10+ for both rebounds and assists. People who regard themselves an basketball experts flat out deny that he (or anyone) ever did that. All I have to say is: “You can look it up.”
Lebron James is actually helping Oscar to get remembered. When he’s averaging about 30 points and 6-7 rebounds and assists a game, they’ll say: “Only 3 guys have ever done this: Michael Jordan (once), Jerry West (once), and … oh, Oscar Robertson, 7 times.”
I’ve read many Oscar Robertson/Micahel Jordan comparisons, by writers who never saw the Big O play. They always go with Jordan of course, saying things like “Oscar didn’t make the players around him better.” What bull. Before Oscar arrived, the Royals were a terrible team. After he left, they collapsed and moved to Sacramento.
How did they do with him ? His first few years, they went from terrible to very good. They would take the great Celtic dynasty teams to 7 game playoffs. That was when they had a good center, Wayne Embry. After Embry left, they had Connie Dierking, a white guy who couldn’t jump, as center. They became mediocre.
When a well past his prime Oscar went to Milwaukee and teamed with Abdul-Jabbar as his center, they won the NBA championship his first season. His final season, they lost in the finals in 7.
sigh … I meant NBA, of course, not NAB.
fascinating and simple graph showing the distribution of the top 100 pitchers in baseball among teams.
as we all know, the Reds have some good pitchers, but no ace and that shows up here
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2010/6/24/1534371/how-the-top-100-pitchers-in
Back to the Reds, I’m excited about this team. Looking forward to the returns of Volquez and Bill Bray. They’ve been doing what they should at AAA: dominating. More important are the reports on how well they’re throwing, and how sharp their control has been.
@pinson343: O Robertson is definitely in the top 10 all-time, no question about it….but I’ll go with Kareem, Wilt or Jordan as #1
@pinson343: exciting….Volquez, Bray and Hanigan all returning soon. I dream of the Reds trading Gomes and releasing Cabrera. I think they’d run away with the division of they did that.
No reason to be ashamed of Disney.
Goofy as a baseball pitcher is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. And Donald Duck is way up there. Never understood the appeal of Mickey Mouse.
Then there’s the grand Disney tradition of young innocent girls developing into sexpots. It all started with Annette Funicello growing out of her Mouseketeer outfit. That was the object of way too many jokes.
Then Haley Mills, who played the ultimate good girl, Pollyanna, and then shocked the world by marrying a man her father’s age. That’s all it took to shock the world back then. Today that would be a snoozer.
I won’t bring down the level of this blog by mentioning the more recent cases.
Haley Mills…the original “Parent Trap”…I’ll still watch it if it comes on..but only for Maureen O’Hara.
@mike: Not going to debate about Oscar, I said enough.
I’ll just add that he was the Lebron James of his time.
Unfortunately, Lebron is having the same problem with winning a championship.
@mike: Votto & Phillips are both having great years; what’s interesting to me is how different they seem to be from one another. There was a moment in the dugout the other night that the camera caught (I think it was after Votto’s two-run shot against the A’s)–BP was horsing around, trying to hug Joey or something, and Votto looked like he didn’t really want any part of it (but not in a hostile way). It was fascinating how that one brief shot gave some insight into their characters.
(I wish BP would be more patient at the plate, but you can’t really argue w/ the results so far…).
Trade Gomes?!? You’re talking about the most bang for your buck free agent pickup in the majors. You might get a decent prospect, but you’d also have to plug that hole w/ some seriously unproven players or trade someone of value to acquire a player who’ll cost you 4 or 5 times as much. Makes no sense. Just let him walk at the end of the year. To get rid of him would be very bad juju.
@mike: I will agree that Jordan, Kareem, and Wilt are all arguably the greatest of all time.
But I said “all around” for a reason. Wilt couldn’t sink a foul shot. Arguing about him and Oscar is too much apples and oranges.
An Oscar and Jordan comparison is more meaningful, but even there they were so different and the game has changed so much.
@pinson343: understood and sometimes I find, no matter what sport we are talking about if we are talking about the greatest, it’s splitting hairs…..career vs peak or how far ahead of their peers were they. Bonds or Ruth? Anthony or Walter Ray (if you know who they are props), Smith or Payton, Gretzky or oh right, Rose, Bench or Larkin, Hornsby or Morgan? Cy Young, Clemens or W Johnson Any which way they these people are among the greatest ever.
I guess those discussions are what making a fan so fun
much more fun than say Cabrera or Stillwell and Sanders, Patterson, Taveras or Taylor
@pinson343: yeah understood. I forget who it was but one of the stats websites recently did an article titled something like “good at everything” They looked at only current baseball players who were good at every aspect, hitting, defense, arm, baserunning, etc. I found it facinating then once you put a requirement of good at every aspect of the game that of the 40 players in history only 2 Reds made the list, McPhee and Groh
For the 40 players in history who were good at everything, how was Robby not on the list ? (He did hurt his arm at some point.)
Right, Mike. But Jim Brown and Gayle Sayers were much greater than Smith and Payton !
Sorry boys…no one was as good a RB as Jim Brown..no one. And I hate Cleveland with a passion…but he was great, went out at the top of his game, and never looked back..
I was joking a bit with Mike, but I agree 100%.
@pinson343: that is exactly my point
take you’re pick of those 4
Question about Heisey…are the Reds doing him a disservice by having him up here riding the bench, rather than playing every day in AAA? Is this smart in the long run? Would the Reds be just as good with someone else (Balentien, Terrero, etc) in Heisey’s spot and him playing in Louisville? What do you think?
Not sure if this has been posted before, but the following article pretty much sums up my beliefs on Dusty’s influence on this team:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/joe_sheehan/06/24/baker.larussa/index.html
The Matthew’s signing is making me sick to my stomach.
@Bill Lack: I’m sure Heisey’s paycheck appreciates being on the 25-man roster. Granted, Heisey could stand more playing time, but that is on Dusty. He needs to be inserted into almost every game as a late-inning defensive replacement, IMO. Let Gomes get three ABs a game, then hand it over to Heisey. I’d much rather have Heisey on the bench than Matthews anywhere near the 40-man roster.
A couple of comments.
First, I think the Reds have to be very careful about making a trade. The team this year has great chemistry. I know that is an over-used word of dubious value … but I think part of the reason the Reds are where they are is because of chemistry and messing with it could be disastrous.
Second, if Balentien is brought up, he would have to stay up or clear waivers again to be sent down. (I dont know about Terrero) I was surprised he (Balentien) cleared waivers the first time and would be more surprised if he cleared again. He could end up being another Cody Ross.
Is Matthews on the 40 man? I thought it was just a minor league deal.
As for the signing, there is no point to it and so long as it is just a minor league deal and is not using up a 40 man spot I would not have a big problem with it. Except, much like the Cabrerra signing, with the present management there is every chance on earth that he will be overused. If this was just a low cost flyer to see if he can recapture his old form fine. But I have no trust he will not be taking ABs that should be going to Heisey, Dickerson and others.
I’d like Heisey to get more playing time, but really he should start getting a couple of starts a week in center for Stubbs to get him a few more at bats.
Jonny Gomes may have peaked for production, but they are not going to trade him right now. One, I don’t think you would get much for him other than maybe from a club trying to unload a big contract. Two, I got to say numbers whatever, Gomes is a personality on this club.
I guarantee Heisey would rather be doing what he is doing in Cincy than batting clean up and playing everyday in Louisville. The guy is ready for the big and doesn’t really appear to need any ‘seasoning’. Plus the guy has helped the Reds win some games. I don’t think even if Dickerson is ready to start re-habbing he will be back until late July, so I wouldn’t worry about it. I do think Heisey might be the guy they might use to go get a player though…
Sheehan’s pretty brutal to Baker in that SI piece. He must’ve watched some Reds games this year.
The Sheehan article is rough, but doesn’t say anything different from the consensus here.
Matthews Jr. got a minor league deal. WJ said he will get playing time at Louisville and for now, that’s it.
I am of course concerned about how Dusty would use him if he does get promoted down the road.
Cardinals losing 5-0 to Toronto.
Can’t see trading Jonny Gomes. Heisey’s a good looking player but Jonny is producing NOW.
I was at the Cincy DMB concert and was so geared up to see DMB that I didn’t pay much attention to Robert Earl Keen. I enjoyed his opening, but can’t tell you much about it. The DMB portion was outstanding. And Chad doesn’t give his fellow RN editor credit for being the one that suggested we go to the concert next month!
I had never seen DMB and after watching the Cincy concert, I insisted to my wife that we see them again this year since they aren’t touring next year.
As for Soccer, it is for sissies! BORING!
I have always wondered if Cincy got an NBA team if I’d have to switch my allegiance to them over the Lakers. I’ve been a Lakers fan my whole life, but adding a team in Cincy would be tough not too pull for.
[...] On the other side, both Chad and Bill from Redleg Nation love the move. Chad calls it, “a stroke of genius,” noting that it serves the dual purpose of limiting his innings and getting him experience [...]