Monthly Archives: May 2012

May 30, 2012

Daily Brief: MLB draft

Last Game
The Reds brought the series even with an 8-1 win over the Pirates last night. The game was delayed by weather, but they didn’t do the start-and-stop thing, allowing Homer Bailey to get his second career complete game.

Next Game
The rubber match happens tonight at 7:05 p.m. Johnny Cueto (5-2, 2.53 ERA) takes on A.J. Burnett (3-2, 4.19 ERA). The light-hitting Pirates could be a good springboard for a struggling Cueto.

MLB Draft
Next Monday, baseball goes the way of football and tries to convince television watchers that 150 front office guys playing with the lives of teens and 20-somethings is worth tuning in for. To make the first-year player draft more palatable, the Reds have enlisted Sean Casey to be their representative. The Reds will select 14th, 49th, 57th, 78th, 109th, and 142nd.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
Homer Bailey, Jay Bruce, Mike Leake, Devin Mesoraco, and Drew Stubbs were all selected in the first round of the draft.

May 29, 2012

Brandon Phillips eating weird gourmet foods


This is actually a pretty good segment. Gotta admire a guy who’s try those out-there foods, especially when he ends up liking them. Makes me want to hit the gourmet food in New York!

If the embedded video isn’t working for you, go to the Fancave site to see it in context.

May 29, 2012

Daily Brief: It’s all about the pitching

Last Game
The Reds broke their modest winning streak with a loss to the Pirates yesterday. The Reds remain in first place, but only by a half game. The win extended the Pirates’ win streak to 4 and brought their record to .500.

Next Game
Tonight at 7:05 p.m. the Reds and Pirates face off again in PNC Park. Homer Bailey (3-3, 4.19 ERA) goes up against Charlie Morton (2-5, 4.27 ERA).

Forecast calls for baseball showers in Pittsburgh
The Reds hit 17 home runs in the 7-game homestand they just finished, and the Pirates’ starting pitcher tonight has trouble keeping guys in the park. It could be quite a show tonight.

What to Say to Sound Smart at the Water Cooler
The average age of the Reds’ starting rotation is 27.3 years. Without Bronson Arroyo, the average age is 25.

May 28, 2012

PNC Park photos

This year, the Red Hot Family used the Memorial Day weekend as a chance to get out to visit the only NLC stadium we hadn’t yet seen for ourselves: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA, home of the Pirates.

We’ll post a more complete justification of the business expense after the long drive home is complete, but in the meantime, here are some photos from my phone.

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Roberto Clemente, captured in bronze just outside the front gate.

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Not too many in attendance on this hot Memorial Day. Sort of surprising to me…in my world, the patriotic holidays are the baseball holidays.

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Lovely view over the outfield wall. There wasn’t much to complain about this visit, except the Reds’ performance.

May 27, 2012

Game 46: Rockies 3, Reds 10

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Rockies (17-28)1002000003101
Reds (26-20)40110040-10121
W: Hoover (1-0) L: Guthrie (2-3)

Boxscore

And just like that, another winning streak can begin.

Last night, the Cincinnati Reds bounced back a game after losing their 6-game winning streak and went on an offensive tear. The team hit 3 home runs. Chris Heisey, his second in as many games, hit a 3-run shot for the early lead in the first inning. Devin Mesoraco hit a solo shot in the 4th. And Ryan Ludwick contributed his own 3-run homer of the pinch-hit variety in the 7th.

The 7 runs provided by that barrage were more than enough to win the game, no thanks to another crappy starting performance by Mike Leake. Although in his last start, he was good, this time, not so much. Over 3 2/3 innings, Leake wasn’t fooling anyone. He allowed 3 runs on 9 hits.

Manager Dusty Baker had him on a short leash, though, removing him for J. J. Hoover in the 4th. That move worked, as the bullpen turned in another of its excellent outings. Hoover threw scoreless 1 1/3 innings for the win. He was followed with scoreless turns by Same LeCure, Logan Ondrusek, and Sean Marshall.

Thanks to a St. Louis Cardinals loss, the Reds picked added a game to their first place lead. I think the season can be called off now, right? It’s almost Memorial Day. No team has ever come back when not in first place by Memorial Day.

There is another game today, though. Mat Latos takes to the mound at 1:10pm EDT. The Rockies will counter with a player twice as old as Latos in Jamie Moyer. The Reds will be going for the series win.