September is flying by faster than it has since my senior year of high school, and the Reds having two off days per week isn’t helping it feel any less like the season is already over. This week on the podcast the Crack Technical Staff and I try to stir up some flames in the dying embers of the Reds:

• How could the Reds finish so poorly when things seemed so promising in April? Was the loss of Eric Milton really so devastating?
• Ryan Jorgensen actual banned substance offense and Rick Ankiel’s alleged one
• Could some lightly toasted bread topped with honey and cinnamon give the Reds’ management the boost they need to turn the team around?

The Reds host the Cardinals starting tomorrow, and while I don’t actually have any hope for them winning, I do sort of hope that Brandon Phillips gets the chance to throw through Albert Pujols’ head.

Episode 75: It’s All Over but for Punching Pujols (21.4MB, 31:01)

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I didn’t say it! It wasn’t me! Get off my freakin’ back, already!

Jonny, my beloved husband and Red Hot Mama’s own Crack Technical Staff, does not have the love for the Reds’ number one catcher and attributes their loss in the two games yesterday to his return from the DL. I think that’s probably going a bit far, myself, but I can’t deny that I loves to see the Latin Love Machine behind the plate.

Tonight on the podcast, in addition to the CTS’s ranting about the catching situation, we also rant about the management of the team, both on the field and in general. As it has been every single time an interim manager has done well, Red Hot Mama’s stance on the situation is to allow said interim manager to interview for the position, but not to remove the interim tag before the interviews. Will the team get it right this time? That alone is reason to keep watching.

Episode 74: David Ross Is Dragging the Reds Down (16.7MB, 24:21)

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Tonight on the podcast, a glum Crack Technical Staff and I talk about the trade of Jeff Conine, the 14-4 drubbing the Reds were taking at the hands of the Braves, and the reasons why Juan Castro is the perfect representation of the Reds organization.

Short and sweet. Unlike Mike Stanton outings.

Episode 73: Juan Castro IS the Face of the Reds (11.1MB, 16:15)

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Tomorrow is the big first day of school: I’ll be tearfully waving as my adorable baby climbs up on the bus and rides away to the official kid-dom that is first grade. Then I’ll fume at all the slow buses as I drive myself to work. Funny thing, this parenting.

Despite the fact that I need to get up early tomorrow to make a special breakfast of cinnamon rolls, the Crack Technical Staff and I decided to stay up late and record a short podcast. It seemed important, given all the high-impact moves the Reds have made lately, such as:

• Trading Chad Moeller to the Dodgers for cash
• Placing David Ross on the 15-day DL after he suffered a concussion in a collision with Mike Cameron
• DFAing Mark Bellhorn on the strength of his big, fat 6 ABs
• Bringing up Ryan Jorgensen to fill the role of second catcher on a team that so much loves to have three catchers

Plus there’s a quick tour through the standings (the Reds are getting perilously close to slipping back into last) and a brief discussion of the fact that we’ll be sitting next to the Bats’ bullpen when they’re in Indy tomorrow night. You won’t want to miss a single minute.

Episode 72: Does Trading Moeller Really Count? (17.3MB, 25:16)

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The whole family made it out to Cincinnati on Friday to take advantage of one of the games Reds Heads members could get into for free using the ticket vouchers they got with their $20 membership. And, as is our tradition, the Crack Technical Staff and I turned on the digital recorder in the eighth inning to record our thoughts on the game.

The game had not gotten truly ugly by the eighth, but we had plenty to complain about nevertheless. I can’t remember whether we mention the difficulty getting ketchup and mustard (we had to walk three sections away to find a partially functioning dispenser) or the all-Cub-Scout section where we were sitting (we were frequently showered with peanut shells being discarded, Reds Hall of Fame ballots being thrown in the air, and water from one of those fan sprayer things), but I know we complained about the choice of relievers, recent comments from Bob Castellini, and the team’s chances of contending in what remains of the season.

Episode 71: The Eighth Inning Show (12.5MB, 18:12)

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