Night of the Roundtable

It's All-Star break time! Well, it was All-Star break time, now it's Back to the Grind time and the Rockies are in town for a little visit. In honor of the All-Star game, the halfway point of the season, and because you know you love it, here's some Roundtable Goodness for your eyes to feast upon. We had our fun Monday night during the Home Run Derby (congrats to Ryan Howard on the win) and you'll notice we seem to have a fondness for Jell-O. Even if it is made of horses.

And now, without further ado, my part (part 6, question 5) of the roundtable extravaganza. Links to the other parts to follow.

Shawn: OK, Question 5 coming up....
Shawn: Who is your favorite Red? (and why?)
Red Hot Mama: I really like Phillips. He's like Pokey Reese, only cooler.
Daedalus: Griffey - liked him since he played high school baseball. Will always like him. He has such a beautiful swing.
Red Hot Mama: I'm very pleased with Kearns this year--for a change
JinAZ: I'm pretty enamored with Brandon Phillips too. Love his energy.
Shawn: I have a soft spot for Dunn. Big, goofy guy, hits the ball a mile. My kinda guy.
JinAZ: I also love Harang. Big, solid, consistent, effective...
JD: Brandon Phillips
JD: Good defense, good offense, seems to have fun with things
Jacci: Austin Kearns. I have no idea why. Probably the goofy ears
Doc Scott: My favorite Red... probably Adam Dunn. Fairly unique skill set, although I wonder what's going to happen to him as he gets older.
Shawn: I think Dunn will be finished at 30.
JinAZ: And I have a decade long man-crush on Griffey. Still do. :)
Red Hot Mama: I hope Dewayne Wise will be giving us all a reason to love him
Jacci: Phillips is really close behind Austin for me
Ashlee: Dunn... even with all of his problems. I just think he's going to get better. Favorite pitcher: Harang. He's a solid, tough, awesome machine.
Doc Scott: you mean DeWayne "Rally Time" Wise?
Doc Scott: it's Reggie Taylor in a mask, man
Shawn: Heeheehee
Red Hot Mama: I base my opinion of Wise on talking to him more than watching him play
Red Hot Mama: So na na na na na
Doc Scott: hey, I root for 'em all... even Juan Castro (with my teeth clenched)
Jacci: I like Phillips more for his post-hit celebrations than for his skill, but he's certainly got skillz
Red Hot Mama: Coffey?
Shawn: I like Denorfia too, but he's not on the roster.
JinAZ is typing one-handed now
Doc Scott: and Coffey as well, once I found out he was a former game geek
Red Hot Mama: 8-o
JinAZ: I love Coffey. Hope he can get straightened out soon.
Doc Scott: good thing I haven't eaten dinner yet
Shawn: It's a slump
Doc Scott: the "pitch tipping" explanation for Coffey makes a lot of sense
JinAZ: Maybe we can send Coffey jello....
Jacci: Yeah, I think I'll love Coffey whether he stinks for the rest of forever or not.
Shawn: He likes Jell-O?
Jacci: Everyone likes Jell-O
Jacci: Well, except my cousin
Doc Scott: of course, they said that about Danny Graves, and two new pitching coaches couldn't fix that slide
Red Hot Mama: There's always room for Jell-o
Red Hot Mama: He might switch to the sugar-free variety
Daedalus: Jello is made from horses
JinAZ: Coffey's only been struggling for a month or so, and could just be tired. He's close to 50 innings, no?
Red Hot Mama: Mmmm...horsey
Shawn: Graves never was that good. His command slipped a bit, and he was toast
Jacci: Which is what makes it delicious?
Doc Scott: and what good have horses ever been compared to that fruity goodness?
Jacci: Horses are awfully pretty. I'm rather biased on the subject, though
Daedalus: i like lime.

Parts of Other

One - Shawn's Reds Blog (Shawn's blog)
Two - Church of Baseball (Daedalus's blog)
Three - Reds (and Blues) (Doc Scott's blog)
Four - ..."and this one belongs to the Reds!" (Ashlee's blog)
Five - Red Reporter (JD's blog)
Six - Right here (I'm Jacci)
Seven - On Baseball and the Reds (JinAZ's blog)
Eight - Red Hot Mama (Red Hot Mama's blog)

Hell Hath No Fury (aka Round Table Part 3)

Okay, so I'm not exactly scorned, but in honor of Doc's "eww, girls" comment, he gets to wear pink!

And now I present, for your viewing pleasure, last Sunday night's baseball discussion adventure. It was great fun. Enjoy! Mad props to RHM for editing!

This is part 3, links to the other six parts coming soon.

Doc Scott: Dave better have razor-sharp control
JDArney: If Dave Williams can post a sub-5.00 ERA then he will have surprised the hell out of me.
Red Hot Mama: I think Javy's going to rap in Spanish.
Blade: I'm not really high on Dave Williams either
Doc Scott: there isn't as much margin for error if you're a lefty starter without Johan Santana's stuff in GABP
BRM: Who remembers the Sparky Anderson game last year? Dave Williams totally shut down the Reds that day.
Jacci: Oh, that's even better.
Doc Scott: at least as homers are concerned
Shawn: I'm rooting for Williams, but I don't have real high hopes
Shawn: I'll sing polka...good in Cincy
Doc Scott: he's going to pitch better than Luke Hudson did as a starter
BRM: Williams has been successful at every level he has pitched at, including the majors. Look at his bio year by year and you will be impressed.
JDArney: I would like to hear Javy rap in Spanish. I'd pay up to $10 american dollars to hear that. Possibly more.
Doc Scott: if Milton improves to mediocrity, Harang is the same, and Claussen improves a little, we have four not-terrible starters
Shawn: I'll give you that Williams will have a better year than Hudson or Ortiz did last year
Jacci: You can make checks payable to me
Red Hot Mama: Jacci, you've got the hook-up with Javy and YOU NEVER TOLD ME??
Shawn: It says a lot for diminished expectations that we are hoping to have four starters with ERAs under 5.00.
BRM: Belisle could be the key guy for that rotation. I think we all want to see him get a shot, right?
Jacci: Ummm, no, I was lying. I was gonna run off with all your money and have umbrella drinks
Red Hot Mama: In favor of whom?
Shawn: But that would probably get us over .500 on the field
BRM: I am assuming Paul wilson will not be ready
JDArney: Umbrella drinks? What are you some kind of girl?
Doc Scott: that's the guy I'm not counting on
BRM: he is only pitching at 50-75% currently.
JDArney: Wait a minute ...
Shawn: Belisle can fill in for Wilson to start, and then whoever else gets hurt
Jacci: Why yes, yes I am
Shawn: I'll have a Shirley Temple, Jacci
Doc Scott: ewww, girls...
Jacci: Don't worry. Cootie free
Doc Scott: (ducks)
BRM: Even if Paul Wilson declares himself healty I think Belisle can out pitch him.
Doc Scott: BRM: agreed
BRM: *healthy*
Shawn: That's true...
Shawn: It would be unrealistic to think that the starters will make every start all year...that rarely happens on any team
Doc Scott: who's the dark horse?
Shawn: Belisle could be very valuable even as a utility pitcher
Shawn: I like Germano and Dumatrait to make some starts this year, and maybe be in the rotation in September
Doc Scott: maybe Germano, yeah
Doc Scott: or Elizardo Ramirez
Doc Scott: if they can teach him how to throw *fewer* strikes
Jacci: Christina asked me to tell you was that she's hanging out at Ruby Tuesdays having fish sandwiches with Dunn
Shawn: Lizard needs some AAA time
JDArney: I'd like to see Elizardo in the bullpen for a few months
Doc Scott: those two don't have the stuff to not get hit if they don't throw a few outside the strike zone
Shawn: mmmmm.....fish sandwiches
BRM: Ramirez got torched in Winter Ball
Blade: I could go for some cod right now
JDArney: Knowing Dunn I'm surprised they're not at some seedy strip club in Sarasota
Doc Scott: Ruby T's got an impressive salad bar, although I bet Adam considers the four food groups to be meat, starch, barley, and hops.
Shawn: Lizard is young...23 this year....he needs time to pitch in the minors
Shawn: Ash Wednesday is March 1
BRM: Soto is working with Ramirez right now... that sounds good to me.
Shawn: Good call
BRM: Mario Soto is one of my all time favorites.
Doc Scott: "CHANGE TAKEN, STRIKE THREE!"
Doc Scott: I'd like to hear that quite a bit this year
Shawn: Oh, yeah...I miss Mario Soto
Shawn: Wish his arm had held out until we got a good team around him
Doc Scott: from what I've read, though, siccing Tom Browning on some impressionable young minds isn't such a good idea

• Part 1 is over at The Cutting Edge
• Part 2 is now hanging out with Red Hot Mama
• Part 3 is what you just read
• Part 4 is at Reds (and Blues)
• Part 5 is currently over at Red Hot Mama as well, but will be at Big Red Mechanic as soon as mlblogs.com learns to play well with others
• Part 6 resides at Shawn's Reds Blog
• Part 7 will spend time with Red Reporter