It is my unfortunate distinction to find myself with something in common with Paul Daugherty. Today, he is a columnist on SI.com, talking about how promising the Reds are:

SI.com contributing writer Paul Daugherty examines a team that, 39 games into the season, has shown some real promise for the future and the present. The Reds haven’t had a winning season since 2000 but Daugherty believes the key to the Reds’ recent success is largely due to veteran Scott Rolen. Reds owner Bob Castellini is quoted saying “We needed stabilization in the lineup and in the clubhouse. Rolen is a stable, no-nonsense guy. He has proven to be exactly who we knew we needed.” With a plethora of talented rookies, the have Reds lacked the focus and leadership they needed in previous years.

Clearly they had to quote Castellini rather than Daugherty himself so that you could understand what was being said.

Speaking of not understanding what was being said, I was also featured in an different forum than usual. I was a guest on the Astrocast a couple weeks ago, giving my commentary over the phone while I walked to a Dallas sushi restaurant with a group of strangers, which I’m sure had an interesting impact on the audio. The episode is now available for your listening enjoyment.