Much apologies for the delay in making a post.
As we move along throughout the Reds-Brewers game I’ll attempt to catch you up on the comings and goings of the CPA and I over the course of the past three or so weeks.
The Reds game is in HD tonight! This is great news, considering the fact the Reds and FSN have only agreed to broadcast 35 games in HD this season, and that Directv, my provider, only shows one or two MLB games a night in HD, meaning they’re not going to show too many Reds-Marlins games in HD!
That makes nights like tonight extra special! I think it was Bill Simmons who said when he pulled up the listings of the current day’s games he was always delighted to see his Boston Red Sox listed as one of the HD games. I echo those sentiments, but the fact is, much like having the games on TV nearly every game vs. only half the games, I’d still rather see the Reds in HD every night.
Old timers often look back at the fact the only time they saw baseball on TV was Saturday afternoon, or later, Monday nights, too. A lot of people point toward that as a reason kids don’t grow up watching baseball on TV much anymore. Because they can watch a game anytime it’s not nearly as special an occasion.
While I appreciate that point of view, as a longtime baseball fan who will watch the Reds every single time they’re offered on TV, unless the CPA forces him to go to a wedding in Oxford, Ohio (more on that later), I want every game in HD. I demand it!
In the bottom of the third inning, the Reds have a runner on as Scott Hatterberg lines a one-out double down the right field line. Now Ryan Freel will look to his inner self, whom he’s named Farney, to get the job done. A wild pitch moves Hatteberg to third, Freel takes a rare walk and Junior pops up to first.
Now it’s up to BP (Brandon Phillips). This guy was on a tear in the early days P.N. (Post Narron). Right now he’s at .281 with 20 homers and 60 RBI. Not bad for a second baseman. He’s easily the best all around player the Reds have right now. And, doing his part to back me up, Phillips sends one the other way between first and second for an RBI single. 1-0 Reds!
Next up Adam, hopefully he’s still a Red this time next week, Dunn. He’s tied for third most in total home runs in the last four seasons with 153. Behind on Albert Pujols and David Ortiz. Now he’s well atop the strikeout list in that same time, with 677, but his career on base percentage is better than famed lead off guys like Kenny Lofton, Jose Reyes or Pete Rose.
Again, right on cue, Dunn walks.
I really believe that if you take Dunn for what he’s been, and a five-year career is a good sample of what to expect, you’d see that he’s a home run hitter, averaging over 40 the past three years, and a guy who gets on base. I’d love to see him strike out less, but again, who other than Dunn since Junior did in 2000 has hit 100 RBI for the Reds? Yes, I’d love to see a power hitter who’s hitting over 40 bombs drive in around 125 or so runs, but no one else has even reached 100 in the past seven seasons!
Jeff Keppinger just hit one down the right field line to clear the bases and give the Reds a 4-0 lead! He’s done a great job since getting called up just after the All Star break.
Pete Rose in the ballpark! Wow, the hit king is enjoying a steak in one of the luxury suites.
Wow, as Prince Fielder pops out to shallow left, it appears we have Dr. Jekyll instead of Mr. Hyde on the mound. Kyle Lohse has been as much of a yo-yo as anyone in baseball this season. He’s given up one or fewer runs several times but has also gotten nailed more often than not.
David Ross hit a double but tried a Pete Rose belly flop into second. Uh, Dave, you’re not Pete. And he proved it by doing something to his hand or finger, forcing him to leave the game. Javier Valentin will now be behind the dish.
Freel knocked in Valentin with a two-out single, making it 5-0.
OK, with all that aside, it’s time to talk about the past few weeks. The CPA and I traveled to San Diego, the home of Ron Burgundy. I didn’t see the anchorman out there, but I did drive on the Coronado Bridge where his dog Baxter was chucked from. We had a great time there and even got to tour Petco Park, which is the home of the Padres.
We got a private tour because no one else showed up for it, but our tour guide was a 1978 graduate of The Ohio State University. That was nice so far from home. We were able to go on the field and in the clubhouse and really got to see a lot of the park, which is awesome by the way.
We also went sailing, or SAAAAIIIIILLLLIIIINNNNNGGGG, as our friend Steve liked to say. That was fun, as was a little taco stand named EL Indio, which had its outdoor seating across the street from the restaurant. We went to the Wild Animal Park, which is just northeast of San Diego. That was pretty cool. It was much more than a zoo because it was more spread out and gave the animals more room to roam. It was mostly African animals and the arid climate there resembled what they would be used to in their natural habitat.
Craig Counsel just hit a solo shot just over Junior’s outstretched glove.
While in California we also drove north to Anaheim for an Angels game. While it’s a much older ballpark, Angels Stadium has a lot of charm. It was a great place to see a game and the crowd was very into the action. And, because our hotel was so close and we didn’t really have much of an idea what we’d do the rest of the day, we went to Disneyland. I had never been there, let alone Disney World in Orlando, so despite my advanced age of 28, I really enjoyed myself.
Wow, FSN just put up a graphic that illustrates my earlier point. In 10 quality starts, sprinkled throughout the season, Lohse has an ERA of 1.70 and a 5-3 record. In 10 non-quality starts his ERA soars to 9.00 and he’s 0-9. Just a bit inconsistent, wouldn’t you say?
Shortly following our return from the left coast, the CPA left for a business trip to Detroit, which was quickly followed by a return flight so she could get to Oxford for her friend Paper Jen’s wedding. (Most people need a nickname to be on the site and since she’s a paper scientist, and that was her name in her freshman dorm, Paper Jen will have to do.)
As the husband of someone who’s in a wedding, you really just kind of have to hole up in the hotel room or find something to do while the gals in the wedding party get beautified throughout the entire day! This is especially the case if you don’t really know any of the guys in the wedding all that well.
There’s really no handbook for the spouse of someone in the wedding party. It’s as awkward a position as you can be in, really. If you’re along for the ride just to attend a wedding you can kind of stick together, but that wasn’t the case for me.
That said, it’s not something I’m complaining about, because nobody will listen anyway! No, I’m happy for Paper Jen. I met her my freshman year of college and I hope she’s happy with this new chapter in her life.
I had never been to Oxford, home of Miami University, so I explored a bit. It’s a nice campus, in the middle of nowhere much like Ohio University. Maybe that’s why the two schools dislike each other.
Anyway, both nights, first the night of the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, and then the wedding night, I missed the Reds altogether. Each game against the Marlins turned out to be terrible losses. At least in San Diego we found our way to a sports bar with the MLB package to watch most of one of the games.
Lohse gives up a 3-2 single with two outs to knock in the second run of the game for the Brewers. He ends up going 5.2 innings and will have to watch the Rocky Horror Picture Show that is the Reds bullpen just like the rest of us.
Jon Coutlangus comes in to face a lefty and promptly walks him, loading the bases. Now, I’m not one to bash the departed, but Jerry Narron would’ve left him in the game to walk a run in. New head man Pete Mackanin though does things differently. He brings in Jared Burton, a rookie he’s come to rely on of late, and he gets a ground ball to end the inning.
Wow, bottom of the seventh and Dunn not only hits one through the infield shift, but he really gets on his horse and takes second base. It was a serious move for him to hustle out of the box and take two.
Ross dislocated a pinky finger, so it looks like he’s not as hurt as previously thought. That’s good. Gotta have that .196 hitting catcher in the lineup every day! I kid because I care, really.
Pedro Lopez came into the game in a double switch and led off the inning for the Reds. Well, he only saw one pitch, and maybe I shouldn’t say he saw it because the first pitch thrown hit him in the face. Several minutes have been spent attending to him. Blood is gushing from his mouth.
Lopez is a guy I’ve enjoyed seeing play. With Alex Gonzalez gone because of his ill son, it’s been Lopez and Keppinger at shortstop.
OK, back to baseball. With a 5-3 lead it appears the Reds will have Jeff Conine at third base in the ninth inning. I assume Freel will move to second and Phillips will slide to short, but maybe Freel will play short. Conine steals second and Hopper nails one to the left center gap! The Reds needed that run to go up 6-3. Hatteberg follows that up with an RBI double and it’s 7-3!
I don’t know if Matt Wise should have been kept in the game after he beaned Lopez. It was obvious he was shaken up about it and he really hasn’t thrown a fast ball since.
Just as I thought. Freel moved to second, Conine plays third and BP goes to short. I assume Keppinger will continue to get playing time at shortstop but I don’t know what will happen with Lopez’s spot on the roster. Do they hold off until Friday when some have speculated that Lopez would come back? Or do they make a move from Louisville?
Stormy Weathers is trying to nail down the save. He came in to finish the eighth and he’s just two outs away as he strikes out Tony Graffanino in the ninth. BP ranges across the second base bag to track down a grounder and get the second out. And a slow tapper ends the game.
Reds win 7-3!
Our thoughts are with Pedro Lopez. Hopefully his mouth is OK.
I’ll try to get more on here in the near future. I’ve decided to spice things up with a joint effort on a college football column. I’ve asked a few of my friends to submit predictions for the upcoming season and I’ll post all of their thoughts together with mine. We’ll also be posting NFL picks between the CPA, Big Game, Inglis and I.
This will be the second season the four of us have competed against one another with NFL picks and I have to admit the three sports writers were all beaten by the CPA! She has the spread sheet to prove it, too!