The final two games of the series with the Astros, George Grande was very clear about the fact that, though Thom Brennaman would be taking over in the FSNO booth for the weekend series with the Rockies, he (George) would be back in full effect for the series with the Cardinals starting tomorrow. I wonder whether he actually worked that into his contract.

Tomorrow the Reds start a series with the Cardinals, sending out ace Aaron Harang against one Todd Wellemeyer (whom I thought I'd never heard of, but I was just able to come up with his first name without looking, so maybe he's actually a part of our collective consciousness after all). The Cardinals, sad as they are, are currently holding the second spot in the NLC with a 24-30 record, just 6.5 games back from the lofty Brewers.

The Brewers, who have also fallen back to earth a touch, just can't keep up with the bowl-circling being done by the rest of the division. The Cubs, as bad as they are at 23-31 are keeping in the race at third, and the perennially miserable Pirates are fourth at 24-44. Houston has made a superb nosedive lately to come in fifth at 23-33, followed only by our beloved Reds at 22-36.

Wow. Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey, Jr. and Ryan Freel and Bronson Arroyo are 22-36. Josh Hamilton and Brandon Phillips and the Latin Love Machine are 22-36. How is this team less than the sum of its parts?

But worry not, because the Reds are doing something again that will utterly fail to address the actual problems of the team: bringing up Homer Bailey. I haven't hear anyone saying that he's really ready to go, so I can just assume that this is a desperate attempt to look like they're doing something--anything--to improve the team without all that pesky actually improving the team. But I guess it can't hurt too much; at least Bailey won't have the pressure to win.

I hope, though, that he will have the support of George Grande. I know how his loyalties are divided when it comes to the Cards.

Don't forget: series with the Cardinals are our traditional time for smack talk with Ms. Bellyscratcher. I haven't heard from her lately, but I know she's out there, just waiting to make a comment about the size of Dunn's head.