Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category

Other than the fact that he was playing for the hated Cardinals and their a-hole of a coach, I thought the Rick Ankiel story was amazing.  He transformed himself from crazy-wild pitcher to prolific power (major league) hitter in two short years.  I bought into it hook, line and sinker.  Then the HGH story comes out and I ask myself, “Why did I fall for this again?”  Fresh off the years of Bret Boone hitting 37 home runs and Ron Gant’s biceps bursting out of his uniform, you would think I would learn.  Well, no more feel good features for me.  I’m assuming that everyone is juiced.  Screech, Gary Coleman, Don Zimmer.  Everyone.

Reds are 9.5 games out.  ‘Nuff said, true believer.

Wait - haven’t I seen this before?  Mike Stanton gave up three runs yet again in only his fourth appearance, blowing a late comeback by the Reds.  Narron has consistently gone the ‘pen and brought in pitchers in different situations - playing the averages.  It has consistently blown up in his face too - it’s hard to figure out who is going to not execute in this bullpen.  Sometimes they play well, other times - well, look at last night’s game to get an idea.  It’s difficult to feel very confident with any late lead with this current Reds ‘pen.

One nice development in this game was Ken Griffey Jr.’s emergence as the Griffey of his youth.  Grif hit a 3-run homer and actually stole a base (which later led to him scoring a run). 

Josh Hamilton did indeed win the NL rookie of the month award.  It would be pretty hard to argue against him winning it.  He’s a Cinderella story for sure.  Let’s hope the happy endings continue for Josh (and I mean that in the strictest, most Southern Baptist sense.)

By Thaq Diesel

Hope springs eternal during the beginning of a new baseball season.  It’s an exciting time and, despite my constant bitching during the offseason, I’m starting to get the excitement in my belly about how this new Reds team will turn out.  I’m going to work to keep it all positive from here out.  I don’t care about the size of Barry Bonds head, why Gary Matthews Jr. is apologizing or where Roger Clemens ends up* - let’s get going Reds. 

*Note - Roger.  If you want to come to Cincinnati, I care very, very much. 

By Thaq Diesel

It’s good to have Harang into the fold.  He pitched a ton of innings last year, struck out a lot of people and was a pretty consistent performer in the gopher ball home stadium we call Great American Ballpark. 

The Reds did a common sense thing and signed Harang to big money - money that, in today’s baseball economics, still looks like a bargain.  Harang deserves the big money no matter what happens from here out.  It’s probably safe to say that had arbitration determined Harang’s salary for next year, he wouldn’t have re-signed with Cincinnati.  It’s tough to bust hump for less money and not be bitter.  They get Harang for four more years and can pay him more if they want to should he improve on his past form. 

So, that kept the Reds in place, like every other deal this season.  What’s going to break the logjam?

By Thaq Diesel

One year ago I bought a new Sony Wega HD television, using the Super Bowl as the impetus for finally getting away from analog signals.  After a year’s worth of sporting events in my living room, I still say to my wife, “See? You can see the holes in their jerseys!  Look at how you can see the reflection off their helmets?  See that woman in the third row?  It’s like you’re really there!”  Her reply, “YES, I KNOW!  FOR THE HUNDREDTH TIME!”  The sports that benefit the most from the HD format thus far, based on 1 year’s sampling:
College / NBA Basketball - My bias against the NBA (thug city, individual play) isn’t helping, but I still don’t enjoy HD NBA basketball that much.  It doesn’t hold my interest.  HD college ball is pretty engrossing though.  I don’t notice much difference to the overall experience. 

ML Baseball - It’s better, but it doesn’t add much to the experience.  You can see more of the field in a given camera angle, but otherwise it looks much the same overall.  The slo-mo replays on FOX are probably the best HD baseball has to offer so far - checking out each blade of grass on a slow grounder bare-handed by the shortstop is pretty neat.  There is room to grow here and I expect the concept to get better with more years of experience under their belt.  What really killed my HD baseball fun though was seeing the Albert Pujols cold sore in vivid HD during the late innings in the World Series.  It was pretty disturbing.

Soccer - World Cup in HD - simply awesome.  Well except when the USA is sucking the gas pipe.

Olympics - Winter Olympics in particular.  You feel like you’re on the mountain only without freezing your balls off. 

Football - NFL in HD is about as good as it gets.  It’s like taking your favorite food, doubling the portion and adding an extra flavor you love to it.  CBS really needs to get its act together and broadcast all its regional games in HD next year.  I hated when my Bengals were shown with the smaller, boxed-in view. 

Hockey - This isn’t to say that, despite how much I love it, hockey is a better product than the NFL or that I enjoy hockey ore; they’re not even close.  BUT, hockey on television is light years ahead of where it was in the analog days.  You can see more than a third of the ice at one time.  You can actually see the ice skate cuts left in the ice.  The puck is much easier to follow.  Hockey in HD, above all other sports, is most similar in feel to what it’s like to actually be at a hockey game.  This sport has by far gained the most in watchability since HD broadcasts were introduced.

By Thaq Diesel

Yet another piece of the pitching “war of attrition” was added to the puzzle today as Oakland traded Kirk Saarloos to the Reds today for RH David Shafer, a 24-year old reliever who played in AA-Chattanooga last year (also included was the oft-traded “Player to be named later.”)   Saarloos pitched pretty well in the softball league that is the American, going 7-7 with two saves and a 4.75 ERA.  With the current Cincinnati pitching staff, he may have a shot at contributing; quality pitching is needed in both the bullpen and in the starting rotation so the Reds will takes what they gets from Saarloos come Spring Training.  If it doesn’t pan out, it was worth the risk (Saarloos settled arbitration for $1.2 million, so he’s a bargain and definitely more upside than risk).  Hopefully a few of these journeyman pitchers will make the leap and pitch great for the Reds next year.  Krivsky’s trying the “throw a lot on the wall and see what sticks” strategy.  It may make more sense than the strategy many other teams try (aka the Texas Rangers) - the  strategy of dumping buckets of money out the window on high-priced underperforming free agents.

Because we’re dealing with Billy Beane here, I’m asking myself a) what did he see in David Shafer that the Reds were missing and b) what didn’t he like about Saarloos?  It’s like dealing with the Libyans in “Back to the Future,” in that you never know when he’s going to backstab you.  Run for it Marty!

By Thaq Diesel

I feel like a broken record, but I feel like this team is still stuck in the rut of “maintaining” while other teams are adding depth to their rosters (albeit at what feels like a mega-premium).  Perhaps Krivsky is remaking this team in the mold of Oakland and Minnesota where you get production out of players that people don’t necessarily value (and then lose in the first round of the playoffs).  We’ll see.  It doesn’t feel like the Reds are going to be competitive this year.  That’s exactly how it felt last year too.  Maybe they’re World Series contenders and I don’t see it.  Perhaps the farm system has something brewing.  Ugh - I’m really starting to dread this season.  I need a deal, Wayne!  Anything - perhaps a utility infielder?  Haven’t seen that in about 12 days. 

By Thaq Diesel

Not a peep about the Reds these past couple weeks.  On the bright side, Griffey didn’t drop a hammer on his big toe and break it.  At least not that we know about.  Perhaps he’s trying out for a remake of the “Three Stooges.”

Krivsky is going to make a move for at least one more pitcher, but I’m sure it will be a subtle one.  Well, at least I’m setting myself up for that so I’m not disappointed.  My gut tells me Homer Bailey will get a hard look in Spring Training and that the money the Reds have left over will be spent on a closer or closer candidate (as in, “someone who hasn’t done much closing duties, but who has potential.”).  It might be a couple months before that happens however.

In closing, I am getting on a plane in two hours to catch the National Championship game in Arizona.  I’m really starting to get excited about tonight.  Go Buckeyes!

By Thaq Diesel

I have officially become an old man.  “Back in my day, we didn’t pay $2.5 million per year for mediocre set up men!  We had our starters pitch 250 pitches per start until their arms fell off - AND WE LIKED IT!”

Yes the Reds signed Weathers for $2.5 million per year for two years today.  He seems like a nice enough guy, but there was a point last year where I was absolutely disgusted with Weathers - he gave up two or three home runs in an inning and then took himself out of a game because his arm or some other body part which I won’t name here hurt.  It’s either a sad state of the free market in baseball, a sad state of the Reds bullpen or both.  Weathers had decent numbers at the end of the year - 4-4 with a 3.54 ERA and 61 hits in 73 2/3 innings.  Those numbers shock me.  They seemed much worse during the year and I distinctly remember getting a queasy feeling when he came to the mound because of how the year started (when he was the closer, then he wasn’t, then he hit that rough patch). 

It’s almost certain Weathers is not going to be a closer for the Reds and they have not offered arbitration to Eddie Guardado, who is recovering from season-ending surgery.  This could be a tactical ploy aimed at paying Everyday Eddie less money to be the closer when he’s recuperated, if that day ever comes for the 37-year-old.  More likely, Krivsky is going to make another deal for a closer.  At least I hope that’s what’s happening. It’s rare to see “closer by committee” work, the 1990 Reds notwithstanding.  Right now the Reds are middle-relief heavy and lacking a true closer.  It’s a long way to April so I will sit tight and watch hopefully.

Rich Aurilia turned down his $2 million option with the Reds and he’ll now test the market.  This isn’t earth shattering or anything.  Aurilia was solid but we have other guys who could easily replace him.  In any event, I expect him to come back into the fold and resign with the Reds.  You can’t blame him for wanting to see who else might want him at a better price.

Aurilia joins David Weathers, Royce Clayton and Jason Johnson as free agents.  Outside of Aurilia, none of these guys are worth putting too much effort into.  Weathers was solid but replaceable.  Clayton was a throw in with the Kearns/Lopez trade and he won’t be back.  Jason Johnson played for three teams in 2006 but he had a couple of fair seasons for the Tigers in 2004 and 2005.  I don’t see him having a spot on the team next year though.

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