Happy Josh Hamilton Day

Half of the front page of today's DDN's sports section is a picture of Josh Hamilton. In case you somehow missed the story, Hamilton had some major drug problems and is trying to make his way to the majors after two years of suspension. If he makes it, I think he might be able to help with my continuing bitterness over the loss of my beloved Kearnsy (I don't know if I'm ever going to get over that). If he lives up to his billing (the cannon arm and whatnot) he could be very much like Austin. He's got some curly locks for starters. I guess using him to heal the pain is a little like buying a new puppy to replace the one that just died. It's probably not something he'd aspire to be. It could always lead to actual affection for him, though, like it sometimes does for the puppies. I'll just have to work on not being disappointed if he turns out to be nothing like Kearns. We can't exactly give him to the pound.

Tidbits of News

In case you haven't already heard, Majewski is the center of some unpleasant attention once again. He showed up at camp this year still sporting the shoulder inflammation that caused all the ruckus last year. I feel for the guy, but isn't it about time we figured out what is going on with his arm? That's an awful lot of inflammation to let go.

Also in the news today, Adam Dunn has a brand new lease on life, or at least on his job. He took a page out of Austin Kearns' book, adding excercise and healthy eating to his list of things to do. He also plans to put a lot more effort into his game, mostly in the defense category. I can't wait to see what a healthier, more dedicated Dunner can do.

I also failed to mention before that Joe Nuxhall is being treated for lymphoma in Florida. Sunday he was reported to be "resting comfortably" and awaiting the results of an MRI to help determine his course of treatment from here. Best wishes to Joe and the family.

Griffey Fends off Sharks/Bermuda Wrestling Pirates, Breaks Hand

Apparently Mr. Griffey broke his hand a few months ago. I don't remember hearing about this injury and the conspiracy surrounding it until now. It seems there was speculation that he hurt himself performing daring but dangerous stunts that, while heroic and amazing, would be a breach of his contract.

In reality, he fell on his hand while wrestling with his kids on a yacht in Bermuda. Perhaps his contract should now forbid him any good, clean, family fun as well. The good news, Griffey's hand seems to be working now.

Waiting for Snow

I really like snow. I also really like to watch it snow. Since it's decided to start in the middle of the night, I'm bound and determined to keep myself awake until this mega-blizzard gets good and started. So, whilst I wait, I decided I'd try to get caught up on some of the dealings that went down while I was away. This may not be a bright idea because I'll probably still have to go into work tomorrow and they kind of like for me to be awake while I'm there, but off we go anyway.

Goings of Note

We lost a few players of considerable note during the offseason, namely Jason LaRue and Rich Aurilia. I'm a little sad to see LaRue go. I'd feel a little bit better if I could convince myself it was because the powers that be just felt that three catchers was too many, but that's obviously not the case (I'll elaborate on that in a bit). Aurilia I'm rather ambivalent about. I like him, and he's always good to have around when you need a clutch guy, but also, he likes San Francisco an awful lot, and perhaps he'll be a little less whiney about playing time there. And if he's not, at least we don't have to hear it anymore.

There were others, I am sure, and forgive me for not mentioning them. There's just so much I missed.

Comings of Note

Going back to that thing about three catchers, in place of Jason LaRue, we now have Chad Moeller. He comes from the great state of Wisconsin. Well, techinically he comes from the great state of California, but we got him from the Brewers. I really don't know much about him. I have learned from his page, though, that his batting average over his career is .227. He only played 29 games last year I guess. I feel like I should know a lot more about him, though. His name is too familiar for me not to know anything about him. Maybe he's one of the many people who only play really well against the Reds. Like Yadier Molina, who hits half of his homeruns in games against Cincinnati.

We have three new outfielders. I've never heard of any of them. Two of the guys are newbies to MLB. The other is a former Yankee. That's too bad. It'll take me a while to get over my irrational hatred of all things Yankee. I'll do my best for him, though. Also, Ryan Freel is listed as an outfielder this year. That's different.

There are a few new names among the pitchers and infielders, but no one I really know anything about, so I'll let you learn about them from someone who knows more about judging people based on their stats. You've probably already done that, though. They've probably been around for months.

Tuskegee Airman

This is kind of neat. I listened to Col. Warren's interview with Marty on the radio on Sunday. I think it was Marty, anyway. He's a funny guy. Real sharp. Since Steve's not going to be back, I think they should hire him.

I'm Never Going to be Able to Pronounce his Name

The Reds picked up a new pitcher today, Scott Schoeneweis. He comes via the mythical land of Canada. Scott's got a record of 2-2 and a not so pretty ERA of 6.51, but he's a lefty, and we like those. He is also apparently a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to pitching. Jerry Narron described him thus (courtesy of the article linked above):

"He has started, he has done things out of the 'pen, he's been long, he's been short, he's been a specialist," manager Jerry Narron said. "He has some very good numbers against left-handed hitters in the past. He is a ground-ball guy. He has a lot of experience."

Also, Kent Mercker's career seems to be officially over. He blew the crap out of his elbow. Poor Kent. Best of luck to you in whatever endeavors you embark upon now.

And since we're talking about sad things, it appears that both of Ken Griffey Jr.'s parents are battling cancer. I'm quite impressed with his decision to play this week, knowing that. Many sympathies to the Griffey family.

Another Player of the Week for the Reds

Edwin Encarnacion was named National League Player of the Week for the week of August 7 through 13. Go EdE! A great boost for the Free Edwin Encarnacion campaign. You might recall that one Brandon Phillips was also awarded Player of the Week honors earlier this year.

Among other things, our beloved third-baseman had 4 home runs and 8 RBI last week. He is also in the midst of a fantabulous 10-game hitting streak. Congrats to Edwin!

Germano to the Rescue

Marc says Justin Germano is likely to be the starter Saturday, as Joe Mays has been given the boot. I like this. I'm not entirely positive why I like it, but I do.

Poor Cubbies

Looks like Derrek Lee is back on the DL. Too bad for the Baby Bears. And for Mr. Lee.

Off Day Madness

Madness only in that since I have neglected the blog for a while again, this is probably going to be maddeningly long.

First off, TheBaseballReport.com is giving away copies of "Tales From the Reds Dugout," (Tom Browning's book). The e-mail said they hoped I could put in a few lines about it, so here's those few lines. If you don't already have the book, you can register here to win it. I have not read the book, nor do I have it, but I hear it's an interesting read. It is Tom Browning, after all.

To The Games!!!

Thursday Bronson Arroyo failed yet again to secure win number 10. To be fair, it wasn't exactly his fault. He only allowed the Mets 2 runs in 8 innings, it's just that Tom Glavine also only allowed 2 runs. Majewski got the official loss. The game went into extra innings with the score tied at 2. Majewski gave up 2 more runs in the 10th. The Reds failed to respond, losing 4-2. They also lost the series to the Mets.

The Brewers strolled into town on Friday. With so few of these games on TV I've had a hard time keeping up. It sounds like the Reds made a heck of a comeback Friday night, though. The Lizard got pounded in his 5 innings for 5 earned runs on 11 hits. When Elizardo left the game the Reds were down 5-0. Jason LaRue belted out a home run in the bottom of the 5th to get the Reds on the board. Encarnacion's 2-run homer brought the Reds to within 2. Since he contributed so nicely, he got to sit out the next game. In the bottom of the 9th, with Phillips and Hatteberg on base, Derrick Turnbow walked Freel to load the bases. Dana Eveland replaced Turnbow, he then walked pinch hitting Valentin to give the Reds another run. Griffey chose this day for another dramatic game-ender; a walk-off 2-run single. The Reds won 6-5.

The Reds also won on Saturday despite Joe Mays. Freel's two home runs as well as Hatteberg's just being plain awesome these days really helped. Freel hit a solo shot to lead off the 1st. Later in the same inning Hatteberg smacked a two-run homer. Unfortunately, Mays decided the Brewers needed to have 3 runs as well, which he promptly gave them in the top of the 2nd. After much battling, 6 pitchers for the Reds, and an 8th inning solo home run from Freel, Cincinnati came out on top 8-7. Standridge, it must be noted, had now made it through two consecutive appearances without allowing a single run or hit. Amazing!

Sunday was a sad day. Milton got a bad break on the numbers. Though it shows 4 runs, only 2 of them crossed the plate while he was still out there. Things looked bad for him from the beginning. He loaded the bases in the 2nd, from the which the Brewers gained 2 runs on the Reds' 0. The only run for the Reds came in the form of a Brandon Phillips home run, which I hadn't seen in a while. It was apparently his 8th this year. Majewski inherited some runners from Milton in the 7th (I still don't think he should be out there past the 6th) and allowed two of Milton's guys to score. Coffey worked the 9th, where no runs scored. All in all, a sad day for the Reds, as they lost 4-1.

In notes of presumed interest, Kent Mercker found himself on the 15-day DL with an inflamed elbow, retroactive to Friday, I believe. Retroactive is such a great word, don't you think? I love saying it. Man of Misfortune, Brian Shackelford, came back from Louisville to take his place. I have heard rumblings that David Ross might be back in the rotation as early as Wednesday this week. He was to be having a rehab assignment in Chattanooga today.

Tuesday Cincinnati starts a series in Houston, where Aaron Harang faces off against Roger Clemens. Scary scary. Clemens's record of 2-3 isn't so scary, but his 2.43 ERA is a little. And his picture is a lot.

My Heart, She Doth Ache

Mere days after publicly proclaiming Austin Kearns my favorite Red, he up and gets traded to the Nationals, along with Felipe Lopez and Ryan Wagner. I called Christina to tell her that we sure as hell better be getting the Nationals entire pitching staff in return (though probably with a few more expletives). We got Gary Majewski and Billy Bray for the bullpen and Royce Clayton as a shortstop. A few more players I'm not sure I recognize made it an 8-man trade.

My poor, poor Austin. Even though he is always referred to as a building block for the team's future, I always thought Dunn would be the first of the two to go. How wrong I was. William Bergolla and Chris Denorfia have been recalled to take Kearns and Lopez's spots on the roster.

That article, by the way, makes it sound as if Lopez was the sole source of Cincinnati's defensive problems. I'm fairly certain, however, that there were a few more people contributing. Also, I like how the headline says nothing about who Cincinnati gave up in return.

I will miss my Kearnsy. And I will miss Lopez, too. Wagner, however, I am rather indifferent on at the moment. I sure do love the way he wears his socks, but Denorfia does it, too. And he's much nicer to look at.

Also, I meant to mention the blog's birthday, which was Tuesday. So, happy belated 1st birthday We Heart The Reds blog!

Moving Around

There were a few changes in Rosterland over the weekend. Rather than go over it all for you again, I'll just link you to a bunch of stuff from Marc.

• Cody Ross was traded to the Marlins when Mercker came off the DL.
• Matt Belisle's on the DL with a lower back strain. Justin Germano was called up in his place.
• Esteban Yan is now a Red.

Also, Joe Nuxhall is in the hospital with double pneumonia. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Joe.

A Few Changes

Lots of people coming back from the DL means lots of people being moved elsewhere. I guess "lots" is really "two." Ray Olmedo was sent back down to Louisville upon Aurilia's return from the DL on Friday. Also, Dave Williams was DFA'd when Milton was activated on Saturday. A little shocking, it seems. Most people expected Ramirez to be sent down (including me), but Lizard Man has been doing well. I'm glad he gets to stay. Things about unused options could be said here, but as I have a very minimal understanding of exactly what that means, I'll just leave it at that.

The Reds also picked up Joe Mays after he was released from the Royals. I know three things about him: he's a pitcher, he and Krivsky were in Minnesota together and the Royals don't want him anymore. He was signed to a minor league contract, so I guess we'll see what happens.

As Per Marc

Griffey's back? He's playing tonight, too. That's sooner than I thought it would happen, but no matter. Here's hoping his return spells doom for the Nats.

Tidbits of News

Several little bits of news to relate.

1. The Reds picked up a guy named Cody Ross from the Dodgers. He comes at the expense of a player to be named later. ESPN says later is Monday, but now is also Monday so I'm not sure when exactly "later" is.
2. Tony Womack will not be that player I guess, as he was DFA'ed today. He never gave me any real solid reason to dislike him, but he never gave me one to like him, either, so I guess I'll just be happy that the 2nd base issue is getting closer to solved.
3. Brandon Phillips was named the National League Player of the Week. With 17 RBI in a single week (including three home runs, one of which was a grand slam), it's really not a surprise. Well, it kind of is, seeing as no one respects the Reds. Worst team in baseball my ass. Anyway, as per the Reds' site, Tourneau (who is apparently connected to this Player of the Week thing) is going to give him a "luxury Swiss timepiece." Wonder why they couldn't just say "watch."
4. Eric Milton had surgery on his knee today. I think he did, anyway. He's got a lovely stint on the DL to look forward to, now. In his place we get to see Elizardo Ramirez tonight. Ramirez does not look as much like a lizard as his name might lead you to believe. Rumor has it he's been pitching well in Louisville, though.

Finally!

Hey! Guess what! As of 8:45 last night, we've got a Dunn! Dunn's gonna get himself a pretty sizeable chunk of change, too. $18 million over the next two years, in fact, plus some more nifty cool stuff, provided he sticks around for another year. Hooray for Scruffy! Maybe Dunn-With-Some-More-Money will also be Dunn-That-Shaves-And-Cuts-His-Hair-Regularly. Or maybe he'll just be Dunn-With-A-Bigger-TV. Either way, at least we've got him.

No More Casey?

Anybody know where I can get a tiny eye patch? Poor Tiny Casey was left to hold the fort in Athens for the holidays and has no idea his larger counter-part is leaving the state. It seems my computer has lost the ability to make a new paragraph, so we're just gonna have to keep going with this one. I have no idea how I actually feel about Casey being traded. In the grand scheme of things, that doesn't really matter, but I'm going to wonder about it, anyway. So HA! On the one hand, I love Casey. I don't want him to be a Pirate. But maybe it'll turn out to be a good thing. Maybe there will be some decent pitching in our future. I choose to remain mostly ambivalent, but slightly affronted for the moment.

Check it out! New paragraph! Also, it has come to our attention that Red Hot Mama (link found over that way --->) has a book! You should buy it! She'd probably really like that.

Crazy Headline People

Oh my gorshness. While the main headline on the Reds website is ultra lame, the one about Harang didn't make use of any of the usual puns with his name. They aren't trying to "Harang" anyone out to dry. Nor are they trying to "Harang" on to anything. It leaves me feeling almost blissful. I might be blissful if I could get rid of my plague, but such is life.

Two wins in a row for the boys. Considering the recent return to true Reds form, it's quite the streak. We're big fans of the five-run inning of late, as well.

Here's to Haranging a loss on the Cubs tomorrow!

I was going add my own update, but taking advantage of Jacci's efforts and just adding on to hers is so much easier. So pretty much read what she said, and repeat. Rinsing optional. Especially about that headline. "Let there be five"? Would have hoped for something slightly less lame from a fellow OU alumni. Because I myself am full of witty humor. The fact that they scored 5 runs in an innning though I'll take. Todays game aside I read something in the Dayton Daily today though that reinforces my argument for Dunn to go on the program. Apparently he was sitting on the clubhouse coach and leaned back and the couch and all 270lbs of Dunn fell onto the reporters leg. I suppose if I wasn't really lazy I could go downstairs and reread it for exact details, including the name of the poor reporter, but if I recall the paper has already made it to the recycling bin, which I would then have to shuffle through. And that folks, is just too much effort.

:(

Well, it's not like it wasn't one of the most expected moves ever, but Randa is gone. Everyone knew it was going to happen, including Randa who commented several times in the paper on expecting to be traded, but I'm actually quite sad. Randa was very good at 3rd base, further evidenced by an awesome diving catch I was able to witness in person last night. And who isn't going to miss that goofy smile when he comes up to bat? The one that he insists really isn't a smile, which makes sense considering he has the expression at bat even when the Reds are getting the crap beat out of them. Lets hope the pitching they got out of this deal doesn't end up being a lost cause like a certain Reds who shall remain nameless for the sake of me not having to eat my words if they start doing better. You will be missed Randa. Well, at least by me anyway.
On another note, why isn't the game on TV tonight? I have some work to do at home, and as much fun as that is on a Saturday night, I thought at least I could do it in front of the TV with the game on. But noooo, instead FSNOhio is choosing to air "Beyond the Glory (Mike Ditka)" and some other programing which is not the Reds game. Who wants to watch that crap?! You will rue the day FSNOhio...

They Listened!

KEARNS IS BACK!!! And Freel has returned as well! Apparently my last post lit a fire under some people in the Reds organization. Don't worry, you don't need to thank me, just knowing I made a difference is enough. Now, lets beat up on some Cubs!!!