Wow! Could The Weekend Have Been Worse?

...Not for the Cincinnati Reds. Friday the Reds give up small-ball and lose a game while allowing just three hits. Saturday Votto goes on the disabled list. Saturday night Harang does nothing to ease the pain. Sunday the Reds leave 11 men on base while scoring just two runs. The result, three losses and panic-time in Redsland.
I thought they could go 4-3 on the trip because the pitching would win the day. But I wasn't banking on Votto leaving the lineup, and taking with him the timely hitting that has made this team an efficient machine. Now, I just hope they can keep the amount of wins within five or so of the amount of losses while Votto is out of the lineup.
I was glad to hear Brandon Phillips pop off some after Sunday's game. He was right about the Reds not doing the little things right in Milwaukee. We'll see if this was just a hiccup as the team tries to steady itself after getting walloped with the news that their best hitter is on the disabled list.
We will never know if Harang's outing Saturday night had anything to do with staying in last Monday's game after a two hour rain-delay. We will never know if the outcome would have been different Friday night if the Reds had tried to bunt in the eighth inning Friday night. But I do know both of those decisions were very unnecessary risks. I like a lot of things about Dusty and his managing style. Contrary to popular local belief, or at least popular local belief before he managed the Reds, Dusty does a nice job handing young players. I think he's a good manager when it comes to setting an air of confidence for a team. I think he keeps things very positive. But the two aforementioned decisions have given me a major headache. Here's hoping the team, and more importantly the manager, learned something from it.

Votto Out, The Reds Get One Hour Of Self-Pity

For the Reds, this stinks. It really stinks. Worse than that old carton of milk we once found under a reporter's desk in the newsroom. Rancid. But losing Joey Votto to the disabled list is something the Reds have to deal with, and have dealt with, in a positive way. While Joey has been in and out of the lineup the past three weeks, the Reds have played well. But Milwaukee and St. Louis on the road is a whole different animal than dealing with Cleveland and Houston at home. I'm not sure they can weather this storm. But this is where we will give the manager credit. Dusty has instilled a positive vibe in this team that is contagious. Hopefully that's the only thing that is contagious, but I digress. They had to battle the absences of Votto and Phillips. They get Phillps back in the lineup Saturday night. We should learn in short order if he is healthy enough to give the Reds the kind of juice he was giving them before the injury. But what has carried the Reds so far is the one facet that has remained healthy, and that's pitching. It's up to Harang to set the tone on that tonight.

Small-ball takes a back seat to something else

All of this talk about the Reds playing small-ball and they blow off an obvious bunting situation. It led directly to a rally-killing double-play Friday night in Milwaukee. Runners on first and second, nobody out, in the eighth inning with the Reds trailing the Brewers by one run. Let's see, it's late in the game, you can push two runners into scoring position, and pinch-hitter Chris Dickerson doesn't even make an attempt at laying one down. Dusty had statistics on his side with Todd Coffey allowing lefthanders to hit him at will. But you also have to keep in mind what has been working for your team all season long. Coffey ran the count to 2-0. Dickerson fouled off the next two pitches, then came the fateful bouncer to second base. Rosales could have made himself a tougher out as opposed to running head-on into the tag, but that is beside the point. It's amazing that the Reds have a pretty good season going while playing a certain style of ball, and that style goes out the window at the most critical juncture of Friday night's game. I didn't like it.

Anyone else have an uneasy feeling about this Votto thing? I'm sure you all do. Votto had to leave another game early, and I'm sure it's just the inner-ear thing. Make that I hope it's just the inner-ear thing. This will sound crazy, but I figure all of the changing air pressure that comes with flying could be taking a toll on Votto's situation. Maybe they should just have him drive from city to city. Or maybe they should sit him for a couple of weeks. I think the latter is more likely than the former. Not good. Not with all of these upcoming games against N.L. Central foes.

Maybe Dusty Likes Young Players After All

No question this is a big stretch for the Reds. Three games at second place Milwaukee followed by four more at first place St. Louis. But it doesn't end there. The Reds come home for a three game weekend series with the Cubs, then it's on the road for six more games. So 13 of the next 16 games are on the road. A brutal stretch to be sure, but a stretch this team can handle.
It's nice to finally see what good pitching means to a team. The Reds have been searching for way too long for this kind of reliable pitching, both in the starting rotation and the bullpen. That coupled with a youthful bunch that doesn't seem to know what it doesn't know yet has made this team resilient. Nothing bothers them because they don't know what's supposed to bother them. They just know there's a game to be played and they're going to do whatever it takes to win it. This fearlessness has been a joy to watch develop, and it's developed in a short amount of time. For that we should give some thanks to manager Dusty Baker, a guy who had a reputation for dismissing young players.

So how many do they win in St. Louis and Milwaukee? I'm going to take the pitching and say the Reds come home with four wins. I know that's not going out on a limb, but any road trip above .500 is a good one.

One more thing about the Reds. A lot has been made about the pitching, but what about that catching tandem of Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hanigan? It was just last year when the Reds carried three catchers on the roster (Bako, Ross, Valentin) and none of those three would be kept ahead of the current duo of Hernandez and Hanigan. This is a serious upgrade. We expected the veteran Hernandez to help the cause, but how has Hanigan developed into the player he is today? I love the way he handles himself behind the plate. (how can he crouch that low?) Plus, he can hit. In 66 plate appearances this year he has struck out twice. It's unthinkable that the guy was a non-drafted free agent. Usually, 1,200 or so players are drafted each year. Hanigan was still around when the 2002 draft ended. That doesn't mean Hanigan wasn't on some one's radar. He was on the radar of Reds scout John Brickley. After playing three years at Rollins College, Hanigan was playing in the Cape Cod summer league in August of 2002. That's when the Reds swooped in to sign him and Hanigan decided to forgo is final year at Rollins. The Reds should be on their knees thanking Brickley for signing him. But Brickley had a soft spot for Hanigan. Brickley played at Rollins too, back in the 70's.

Dusty Did it, Not Sure I Would Have

After a two hour rain delay, Dusty Baker sent Aaron Harang back to the mound. The Big Hoss of the reds rotation was one out away from qualifying for a win. If you know Aaron Harang, you know he would pitch 20 innings one day and try to pitch 20 more the next. He's fearless when it comes to his arm. He's a gamer. Managers need to keep gamers from overdoing it. But Dusty has a soft spot and wanted his big man to get a win. Harang's suffered through miserable run support in the past, and the Reds had a 5-spot on the board. No doubt, Harang is a moose. But given what happened last year after the relief stint in San Diego, I would have told my big man to hit the showers. Dusty sent him back out there, and in the end, Harang got the win and probably loves his manager more than ever. I get all of that. I just would not have had the nerve to send Aaron back out there. Way too many much too lose with way too little to gain. For Dusty and Aaron's sake, I hope it worked out for the best. So far it has.

By the way, this road trip coming up against Milwaukee (three games) and St. Louis (four games) is huge. I'm guessing we won't see Brandon Phillips try to play before Friday. Get that right thumb as healthy as possible before the games against the Brew Crew. It was good to see Joey Votto enter the game Monday and stay in the game. Hopefully his problems are a thing of the past.

Phillips Not Happy That Indians Are Coming To Town

Brandon Phillips is like a lot of greater Cincinnatians because he doesn't like Cleveland. At least he doesn't like the Cleveland Indians. He's also tired of hearing about them, since each and every time the series comes around he gets a questions or two about it. Phillips was drafted by the Expos in 1999, then traded to Cleveland in 2002. It was in the Indians organization that his career practically flamed out. The Reds traded for Phillips in April, 2006, and you know the rest. The Phillips acquisition is on target to go down as one of the best trades in Reds history. The only downside for Phillips, he has to face his former team each season, and field questions about them. If he didn't have such an obvious dislike for the Indians, the questions might go away. So here's the question. Does playing his former Cleveland team matter any more?

For the record, I love that answer. In six game against the tribe last season, Brandon had 9 hits, 1 homer, and 7 rbi. The Reds won five of the six games. I understand Brandon was asked a few question about Cleveland earlier in the day, and I bet he gets a few more tomorrow. They won't be coming from me.

Moving Andre Means What?

Well, it could mean the Bengals didn't like what they saw of Andre Smith at left tackle during the rookie mini camp, or it could mean they meant to use him at right tackle all along, or it could mean they're not sure where he fits.
Let's start with the first part of my supposition: Is there any way in the world the Bengals would see something in 3 days of drills in shorts that they did not see in four years worth of game video? I can't imagine anyone being that inept. seriously, i mean, there's no way, right? right? someone out there convince mean there's no way that could happen? hello?
So, the second part of my supposition would have to include the question: why? why in the heck let him put his left hand on the ground like he did for so many games at Alabama. why not get him used to playing right tackle from the jump? maybe they just wanted to let the big guy get comfortable in his orientation to the nfl. hey, that sounds logical. except they immediately moved Rey maualuga to the outside, and he played the middle for his entire career at u.s.c. now i'm getting that uneasy feeling again. anyone else have that feeling? i have that feeling, and it doesn't feel good.
So, the third part of my supposition: maybe they're not sure where he fits. I really don't think that's the case. I think , and this is assuming a lot of competence that the Bengals don't deserve, I think they just wanted a look at Smith at left tackle to make sure he wasn't the next Munoz. Obviously he wasn't, and that's not a knock on Smith. Could he be the next Willie? That's asking a lot too. Again, no knock on Andre. But as the sixth overall pick in the draft, Andre is the highest drafted right tackle in the history of the franchise. Big willie was tenth overall. The highest drafted lineman in Bengals history? no, not Munoz, try again........ of course, center bob johnson, the first overall pick by the franchise in 1968. (he's still #1 with all of us who know him. what a man) munoz was the third overall pick in 1980, but of course he's number one in my book too. we'll give andre a little time to determine where he fits in the book.
As a parting piece of advice from an old man to andre: please, do not change positions as often as it appears you change agents.