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By Thaq Diesel

I feel like I just saw my ex-girlfriend at the mall with her new beau.  I didn’t think I would feel either way about who won the National League Pennant, but I’m officially mad that it was the Cardinals.  Sigh.  I wonder if they even have a shot against the Tigers.  Part of me thinks they do if only because everyone thinks the Tigers have already won it without having thrown the first pitch. 

I don’t care what he told Chris Myers -Scott Rolen still hates Tony LaRussa.  That’s because LaRussa is a jerk.  I like how they had bud light backdrops and locker covers in the locker room for the champagne. 

Finally - I just saw the premiere of “The Prestige” tonight.  It’s strange how the reviews I read either loved it or hated it.  There was no in between.  I LOVED it.  It’s probably about 30 minutes too long, but the story is great and I was really struck by the ending.  I didn’t get it at first, but after about 10 minutes I finally figured out what was going on.  I don’t think the (final - there are many) gotcha was as good as the Sixth Sense, but  there was more substance to the final ending.  Anyway, I hope my friends see the movie because I don’t want to ruin it for anyone but I’d really like to talk to people about it.

1976 National League Championship Series Game 3
October 12, 1976 at Riverfront Stadium
Reds 7, Phillies 6  Reds Win Best of Five Series 3-0

The Reds came from behind and beat the Phillies to lock up their second straight World Series appearance.  Jim Kaat started the game for the Phillies and he went head to head against Gary Nolan.

For all of the drama of this game, it started out pretty slowly.  Neither team scored in the first three innings, and it was the Phillies who got on the board first in the fourth when Greg Luzinski doubled home Mike Schmidt.  The Phillies padded their lead in the seventh when Garry Maddox doubled home Larry Bowa and Mike Schmidt doubled home Maddox to make it 3-0.  Similar to game two, the Reds managed only only one single through six innings and that base runner was eliminated on a double play.

The Reds finally struck in the seventh.  Ken Griffey led off with a single and he moved to second on Joe Morgan’s walk.  Tony Perez singled and scored Griffey to make it 3-1 and then George Foster drove home Morgan on a sac. fly to make it 3-2.  Johnny Bench walked to put runners at first and second before Dave Concepcion lined out to second base.  Then Cesar Geronimo came up huge with a two run triple to give the Reds a 4-3 lead.

In the top of the eighth, the Phillies answered against Rawly Eastwick.  Larry Bowa doubled home Jay Johnstone to tie the game at four, and then Dave Cash hit a sac. fly to score Terry Harmon which gave the Phillies a 5-4 lead.  The Reds went down without much of a threat in the bottom of the eighth and then the Phillies scored again in the ninth on Jay Johnstone’s triple.  The run was set up by Pete Rose’s fielding error.  The Reds entered the bottom of the ninth down 6-4.

Little time was wasted in the ninth.  George Foster and Johnny Bench led off with back to back solo shots and the game was tied 6-6.  Dave Concepcion singled and he moved to second on Cesar Geronimo’s walk.  Both baserunners moved over a base on bunting specialist Eddie Armbrister’s sacrafice and then Pete Rose was given a free pass to load the bases.  Then, Ken Griffey drove home Concepcion with a single to win the game.

For the second straight season, the Reds were headed to the World Series.  This time it was against the New York Yankees, who needed all five of their games to get past the Kansas City Royals.  That gave the Reds three days off in between their come from behind win and game one of the World Series.

By Thaq Diesel

I waited until the season was over to announce it, but I had my mind made up by mid-year.  Brandon Phillips has taken over from Sean Casey the moniker of “Thaq Diesel’s favorite Reds player.”  A trophy should be in the mail to Brandon by early next week.

Phillips has an easy-going way about him that is infectious.  When he hits a double, he does the two handed point across his chest to the dugout to some mysterious person, probably Griffey, with whom he likely had $20 bucks riding on the at bat.  I like his home run trot - he runs at an angle, like a rickety ship that has taken on too much water and is listing to the leeward side.  In the field, Brandon has a unique style and agility that allows him to make spectacular plays, if not a few errors.  He throws the ball early when running down a ball in the hole or turning a double play.  It’s this early motion that reminds me somewhat of Andre Agassi when he would return a serve - it looks unorthodox but works very well.  He has home run power and has great overall speed.

I was going to keep this a secret, lest the front office decide to deal him like they did Sean Casey last year.  I’m hoping Phillips is in the long-term plans for the Reds. 

By Thaq Diesel

I’m reminded of the 1987 Toronto Blue Jays, who choked away the final seven games of the season to miss the playoffs in lieu of the Detroit Tigers.  In my twisted mind, I’m substituting “Cincinnati” for “Detroit” and St. Louis for Toronto.  It will probably be Houston playing the role of Detroit if it happens at all.  Still, a boy can dream.

• The way Cincinnati has played the Cubs this season is pretty representative of the Reds season. They’ve hovered around .500 against them and should have beaten them more than they have, all things being equal.  Oh, and they had six errors against them on Saturday.  And the Reds scored 75% of their runs off a homer.  It’s like a picture snapshot of the season!
• Sunday, Aaron Harang threw 87 of his 110 pitches for strikes.  That’s what you call rearing back and throwing it.  Suffice to say, he didn’t walk a batter. 
• I like the name Norris Hopper.  It’s like a cross between a hockey division and an evil grasshopper character from A Bugs Life.  My next kid is getting that name, boy or girl.
• “He was about crying in the dugout that it wasn’t a legal game, and I told him there’s no crying in baseball,” second baseman Juan Castro said.  That tells me a) that Norris is a rookie and b) that Juan Castro really is a leader in the clubhouse.  My favorite Castro moment of the year is when he sat near anyone in the dugout who hit a home run so his kids could see him on TV when the Reds were at an away game. 
• One more week of baseball left.  Man that was fast.

By Thaq Diesel

After some inspired play this season and a chance to play full time, Ryan Freel is done with a hand injury.  Uncle Milty goes under the knife as well.  Griffey made it most of the year before getting hurt.  The playoffs are all but out of the picture for the Red Legs.  I guess you have to enjoy the fact that it lasted this long, especially when many didn’t think this season would have any hope at all.  The bullpen has some young arms, when it had nothing to start the year.  Hey - things are looking up for next season at the very least.

September 18, 1976 at Riverfront Stadium 

Giants 5, Reds 0  (95-55)

Ed Halicki and Gary Lavelle held the Reds to only two hits in one of the worst offensive games of the season for the Reds.  Pete Rose doubled and the Reds drew only a single walk.  They hit into a double play, Ken Griffey was caught stealing and the Reds stranded two runners.

Fred Norman dropped to 12-6 on the season.  He gave up four runs on seven hits and five walks in 5 2/3 innings of work.

By Thaq Diesel

The Reds lost 2 out of 3 to the Padres.  Rather than say the Reds are basically the playoffs, which would be easy and somewhat logical, I’m going to stay optimistic and fight to the bitter end.  At this point it’s either think that way or become Randy Quaid in the left field bleachers in “Major League.”  It’s so tough to stay positive when your team has remained at .500 for the past month (actually one game under for September).  They just haven’t recovered from that late-August West Coast road trip.  Still, happy thoughts… 

My next pipe dream is that the Reds sweep the Cubs at Wrigley (I’m going to see one or two of those games this weekend, which will be detailed in the Monday morning post).  At the same time, either the Dodgers or Padres (I am indifferent to which one) sweeps that series.  Oh, and the Cardinals lose all their games, as do the Marlins, Phillies and Giants, Barry Bonds retires and Tony LaRussa ceases to be an a-hole.  Now I’m really reaching.

 

By Thaq Diesel

I’m an optimist at heart;  I want the Reds to make the playoffs.  I just don’t see it happening.  This team is sputtering around like a 1980 Sunbird with a bad clutch.  The inability to play consistent winning baseball this past month has me cringing when I turn on a game or see an ESPN baseball score ticker.  I can tell myself the Reds are still in it all I want.  Subconsciously I seem to believe differently.  I really hope I’m proven wrong.

Something has to change.  Thus far, the omens have only been bad.  Griffey injured himself in a freak way while hustling on a play yet again.  Everyday Eddie is now at home watching the Price is Right every day (hopefully while icing down the elbow).  We just acquired a fresh pitcher who subsequently lost his first start Elizardo Ramirez-style (pitched well, team didn’t score behind him.)  The guy’s name:  Sun (as in things look bright), Woo (”as in let’s win!  Woo!”), Kim (as in the girl who dumped me in third grade).  Sigh - even that seems cursed.  (I know the Reds list Ramirez as out with shoulder tendonitis.  I’m convinced he’s on the DL with a broken heart.  Nobody picked him up this year when he pitched.)

I’ll keep rooting for you, Reds.  Time is running out. 

By Thaq Diesel

Elizardo Ramirez almost coughed up the win on his own today.  Yet, he dug deep, pitched himself out of a jam (after a balk moved the runners to 2nd and 3rd) and got a long overdue victory.  The apocalypse will now begin.

The road trip is finally over and the Reds can boast a 4-3 winning record.  Despite being only 1 game over .500 in June, Cincinnati is only two games out of first.  How cool would it be to have the Reds in first place at the All-Star break?  We all wished it at the start of the season, but how many of us Reds fans actually believed deep down in our hearts that they could do it?  As it stands, the Reds would be the National League Wild Card. 

• The American League Central has mowed down the National League Central this year in interleague play.  In particular, this past week hasn’t been pretty.  Looks like the Astros are finally going to stop the bleeding tonight.
• It was satisfying to see Griffey and Dunn homer in the same inning today.  I can’t figure out if Dunn is slumping (for the entire season) or if he’s just settled for nestling home runs in between strikeouts. 
• Congratulations to Jerry Narron for being selected to the National League All-Star team as manager.  Griffey may yet sneak in as an outfielder and you have to figure that Arroyo is going to be a pitcher on the team, if not the starter.
• Hopefully the Kansas City Royals will not prove to be a miserable team with the Reds number, akin to the Cubs this year.  The Reds have lost to most superior teams this year.  They really need to whoop up on the inferior ones when they can.
• If you were Jeremy Sowers, would you think it cool that you gave up your first big league home run to Griffey?  I would, but then again I’m a fan.

By Thaq Diesel

Elizardo Ramirez almost coughed up the win on his own today.  Yet, he dug deep, pitched himself out of a jam (after a balk moved the runners to 2nd and 3rd) and got a long overdue victory.  The apocalypse will now begin.

The road trip is finally over and the Reds can boast a 4-3 winning record.  Despite being only 1 game over .500 in June, Cincinnati is only two games out of first.  How cool would it be to have the Reds in first place at the All-Star break?  We all wished it at the start of the season, but how many of us Reds fans actually believed deep down in our hearts that they could do it?  As it stands, the Reds would be the National League Wild Card. 

• The American League Central has mowed down the National League Central this year in interleague play.  In particular, this past week hasn’t been pretty.  Looks like the Astros are finally going to stop the bleeding tonight.
• It was satisfying to see Griffey and Dunn homer in the same inning today.  I can’t figure out if Dunn is slumping (for the entire season) or if he’s just settled for nestling home runs in between strikeouts. 
• Congratulations to Jerry Narron for being selected to the National League All-Star team as manager.  Griffey may yet sneak in as an outfielder and you have to figure that Arroyo is going to be a pitcher on the team, if not the starter.
• Hopefully the Kansas City Royals will not prove to be a miserable team with the Reds number, akin to the Cubs this year.  The Reds have lost to most superior teams this year.  They really need to whoop up on the inferior ones when they can.
• If you were Jeremy Sowers, would you think it cool that you gave up your first big league home run to Griffey?  I would, but then again I’m a fan.

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