“Plate Music” is what I call the song that players choose to have played over the PA system as they step up to the plate. Presumably it is a song that the player feels says something about him, helps get him pumped up, or intimidates the opposing pitcher.

Arroyo's plate music is “45” by Shinedown.

After much anticipation (OK, maybe not that much), the Reds have finalized their contract with David Weathers. To make room on the roster, they've DFA'd Brandon Claussen.

Marc has some quotes from Claussen if you're into reading the unconquerable spirit that lives on in even those who should be feeling pretty conquered.

It's true that Claussen failed to live up to his high expectations last season. Coming out of spring training, he predicted that the Reds starters would be going 7-innings deep, which was true of a couple of them. Not him of course, but a couple of them.

What I'll miss most about Claussen is the relentless pickle jokes Bellyscratcher loved to make at his expense. Maybe the Cardinals will pick him up. I bet she would relish that.

The podcast was supposed to go down yesterday, but I was out-for-the-count after blacking out (multiple times) in the shower sent me to the ER. I'm OK, but yesterday was defined mostly by me sleeping on the couch.

The podcast would have gone down today, after watching my kid's Christmas program at school, if not for the fact that he's been vomiting all night. (And when you have an hour-long commute home with a vomiting child in the back seat, there's also a lot of laundry to do when you arrive.)

Tomorrow would be the Crack Technical Staff's turn to get sick, but I don't think that's going to happen. For one thing, he's far too dedicated to the podcast to let a little stomach flu get in the way. For another thing, and perhaps more importantly, he's much more prone to injury than illness. So, no, the podcast won't be pushed off for anything like pneumonia tomorrow, but I wouldn't rule out him cutting off a toe or something.

Regardless, there's been some actual activity on the Reds' roster, so I probably ought to say something about it. And I'd better do it quick before I black out again, find I have regurgitated Popsicle to clean up, or gross you out any more than I already have.

The Cubs must see that it would be virtually impossible for them to be as bad as the Pirates, so instead, they're trying to be not-quite-as-bad but for a whole lot more money.

At least, that's the only reason I can see for them signing Jason Marquis to a 3-year, $20 million contract (via GROTA):

The Cubs filled out their rotation on Friday night by signing free-agent Jason Marquis to a three-year deal worth approximately $20 million, sources said.

The signing, which was first reported by the St. Louis-Post Dispatch, ends the Cubs search for two starters, following the four-year, $40 million deal for Ted Lilly on Wednesday.

Marquis, 28, went 14-16 for St. Louis in '06 with a 6.02 earned-run average in 2006. he was 3-10 with a 6.72 ERA after the All-Star break, costing him a rotation spot in the postseason.

The Cubs believe pitching coach Larry Rothchild can fine-tune Marquis and make him a more consistent pitcher. His best season came in 2004, when Marquis went 15-7 with a 3.71 ERA. His career record with Atlanta and St. Louis is 56-52 with a 4.55 ERA.

I don't usually quote an entire story, but every word of this is golden (plus, it's really short). So the Cubs believe that Rothchild can succeed where Duncan could not? Marquis wasn't even on the Cards' post-season roster, and the Cubs are giving him $7 million a year? His best season was in 2004, and they're signing him to a three-year deal?

Maybe they're hoping he can spell Soriano in center. I remember him being a pretty good hitter.

I'm still spending the majority of my time sniffling and sneezing, but I can't stand not to put up something for the faithful Reds fans who check in even over the weekend. Without you (and the people who stumble onto my site when looking for porn) Red Hot Mama would be a lonely, lonely place in December.

So, for your time-filling enjoyment, are a handful of photos from Redsfest. The first is the “Dream Room” that you could sign up to win. There was a LOT of licensed merchandise here, but not so much as a single Red Hot Mama clock, so I was disappointed.

The Louisville Slugger Museum sent a couple of women with very large equipment to the Redsfest to chat with children and pose for pictures, like this one seen here. They were very friendly, handing out their free tickets to the museum to everyone who happened by. Unlike the Lottery people who showed up later in the day on Saturday with tons of merchandise that they could not, by law, give to minors. Not that it's their fault, but I do think it was odd that they brought size medium shirts.

For Redsfesters with a sweet tooth, there was an assortment of chocolates available, many with a baseball theme. These little chocolate players look just good enough to eat, like many of the actual players.

The Reds Hall of Fame exhibit was mostly filled with people who were standing in line for an autograph and people watching the Reds trivia contest on the stage. But if you could get beyond the crush, you were treated to some interesting exhibits. These pictures show the team logos of the Indianapolis Clowns and Atlanta Black Crackers, two teams from the Negro Leagues.

The Hall of Fame exhibit also contained a Woman and Baseball section, which featured women playing baseball, as most everyone is now familiar with thanks to the movie A League of Their Own. I think that's great, but where is the section on women executives, trainers, and journalists who have had their say in shaping the sport? There are some of those, right?

We're almost through the photos now. Our final installment will be photos from the big concert on Friday night. You'll surely want to tune in for that: Bronson Arroyo playing music I didn't even like when it was popular was the headliner.