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Testing out to see if the fixes worked.

Another try.

Looks like my RSS feed got hacked.  I’m checking to make sure what I did fixed the problems.

The NL Central is quite a log jam these days.  The Reds have dropped four straight, including a three game sweep at the hands of the Royals, yet they still sit just 2 1/2 games back of first place.  Unfortunately, just four games seperate first from last and we’re talking about a six team division here.  The All Star break is a month away but things are definitely interesting here in Reds land.

It was another one run, five hit game as the Reds lost this afternoon.  The Reds scored in the first, then never pushed a runner across the plate again.  Jonny Gomes had the lone extra base hit with a double and Alex Gonzalez scored the lone run.

Johnny Cueto was roughed up but oddly, all five runs he gave up were unearned.  He gave up seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts in six innings.

The loss pushed the Reds to an even 31-31.  The Reds at least get a break from interleague as they host the Braves for three games.  It’s Aaron Harang against Jair Jurrjens in the opener on Tuesday.

Well, my new favorite player didn’t even become a Red as my hopeful signing, Pat Burrell, signed a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. It was a nice little deal for the Rays too and you wonder why the Reds didn’t jump. You’d think with a veteran manager (Dusty Baker) and a top notch general manager (Walt Jocketty) that this team would be on their way back but we’re a year plus into the regime and we’re still waiting.

There’s a decent story on Adam Dunn at the Enquirer. He’s still out there and while he’d be a good fit for the Reds, odds are they won’t roll that way because of Dunn’s past with the Reds (not that it’s bad, they just gave up on him once, so why go out and get him back). It looks like the Dodgers have shown some interest if the Giants can steal Manny but our old friend Jim Bowden in Washington might also have his eyes on Dunnster.

Here’s another reason why the Willie Taveras signing looks foolish. Now Andruw Jones might be available at a bargain basement price. Not that a Jones signing wouldn’t have its risks, but at least there’s a lot more upside then Willie T. In the meantime, the Reds are waiting to hear from Jerry Hairston, Jr. but that’s another snoozer deal.

I know the economy has all of the mid-market teams spooked, but c’mon. Burrell is a premier slugger and he got scooped up for $8 million per. If the Reds wait too long, they’ll be left holding the bag.

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.

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