Last game
Mike Leake, fresh off the worries of being demoted to the minors for some up-start rookie, dominated the New York Mets last night, shutting them out for 7 innings, while allowing only 3 hits. The offense used a game plan that I think should be repeated in the future and scored all the runs the team needed in the first. Sure some of it was due to the Mets pretending to be the Cubs, but the results still had the Reds up 3-0 before any Met ever picked up a bat.
Next game
The Reds have won the 3-game series against the Mets and are going for the sweep today. Despite it still being the Mets and the Reds sending out Mat Latos, the win will still be difficult. Yes, the Mets have one good starting pitcher who has almost 1/3 of the team’s wins in Matt Harvey. The Reds will see how good he is today at 1:10pm.
Jeremy Affeldt’s memoirs: To Stir a Movement: Life, Justice, and Major League Baseball.
Jeremy Affeldt, a relief pitcher for the Reds in 2008, has released his memoirs in a book titled To Stir a Movement: Life, Justice, and Major League Baseball. In the book, Affeldt talks about overcoming his crippling fear or homosexuals.
“I didn’t leave my hotel room when we came to play the Giants or A’s. I didn’t want to go out or see anyone,” he said. “There was a profession of being wrong. I’ve come to that from a deep angle. I’ll probably get a lot of flak from the church for it, but I believe I’m right.”
It sounds like Affeldt didn’t like the person he was and actively sought out the Bay area when he become a free agent after his year with Cincinnati. In his time with the Giants–this is his fifth year with them–he’s overcome his phobia and now admits he was wrong to judge like he did before.
This is encouraging to hear from a baseball player. The response to the first openly gay NBA player was positive, and when a baseball player comes out, I’d love for it to not be a big deal. The progression of Affeldt’s judgmental conservative Christian beliefs to one of tolerance and acceptance is a good sign.
What to say to sound smart at the water cooler
With yesterday’s win, the Reds increased their road record to 12-12, the first time this season they’ve been at .500.