There’s an episode of Cheers where Norm has an interview for his dream job as a beer sampler at a local brewery. At the bar before the interview, Rebecca Howe tells Norm a story of her blowing an interview so badly she ended up singing knick-knack-paddy-whack-give-a-dog-a-bone. Rebecca’s story gets stuck in Norm’s head. When Norm […]
That’s the way it’s supposed to work. Dominant pitching from Luis Castillo. Hitting up and down the lineup. Sure, the Brewers were without Ryan Braun (back), Christian Yelich (DL oblique), Eric Thames (groin), their starting catcher (DL calf) and backup catcher (DL shoulder). But even if all those guys were healthy, it wouldn’t have helped […]
The formula for winning is straightforward. First, assemble a group of talented players. That’s the most important variable in the equation. Second, those players need to perform well. To do that, they need to stay healthy. Those are the main factors in success. Roster is reality. Major league managers have little impact on wins and […]
Too many not-ready-for-prime-time rookies. St. Louis Cardinals 13 • Cincinnati Reds 4 || Box Score || Win % || Reds Pitcher Stats Steve MancusoSteve grew up in Cincinnati as a die-hard fan of Sparky’s Big Red Machine. After 25 years living outside of Ohio, mostly in Ann Arbor, he returned to the Queen City in 2004. He has resumed a first-person love affair […]
I had occasion a few minutes ago to check back on Homer Bailey’s two no-hitters. I assumed his fastball velocity tonight would be lower than those glorious nights. On a sweltering Cincinnati summer evening in 2013, Bailey’s fastball averaged 94.6 mph. He struck out 9 batters and walked one. The previous September, a crisp, cool […]
I’d start looking for tickets. Or at least broadcast availability. Thursday the Reds open up a four-game home stand against the St. Louis Cardinals. But the night to circle on your calendar is 24 hours later, Friday, April 13. Game time is 6:40 p.m. The forecast is for a high of 77º a low of […]
Eugenio Suarez’s fractured thumb raises anew the issue of when the Reds should call up their top prospect, Nick Senzel. Borrowing from an old post, here’s a quick refresher of the labor framework and math of service time considerations and how they relate to Senzel. Years of Team Control As determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement […]
How long will Eugenio Suarez be out with a fractured thumb? It depends on the severity. In the past two seasons, time on the DL for players with fractured thumbs has ranged from a couple weeks to three months. Martin Perez (2017): 2 weeks Mike Moustakas (2016): 2 weeks Robbie Grossman (2017): 2.5 weeks Aledmys […]
Sometimes, when the pitching is outstanding, a single run holds up. That’s what happened this afternoon at the Great American Ball Park as our Cincinnati Reds busted into the win column with a victory over the stupid Chicago Cubs. The Reds go for a series sweep tomorrow. Chicago Cubs 0 • Cincinnati Reds 1 || Box Score || Win % || Exit Velocities […]
Welcome to the 21st century, at least for a day. Steve MancusoSteve grew up in Cincinnati as a die-hard fan of Sparky’s Big Red Machine. After 25 years living outside of Ohio, mostly in Ann Arbor, he returned to the Queen City in 2004. He has resumed a first-person love affair with the Cincinnati Reds […]
Yes, I appreciate the irony of an optimistic post about the Reds built around a metaphor of brightening skies while the Opening Day game is rained out. But let’s persist and use the overcast and now unoccupied moment to assess where the Reds stand in relation to being good. Reconstruction of the team progressed too […]
The Cincinnati Reds’ 2018 Opening Day game vs. the Washington Nationals scheduled for 4:10 p.m. Thursday, March 29 has been postponed until 4:10 p.m. Friday, March 30 because of impending inclement weather. pic.twitter.com/nhJihPTC0I — Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) March 28, 2018 Steve MancusoSteve grew up in Cincinnati as a die-hard fan of Sparky’s Big Red Machine. […]