EDITORS NOTE: With Boobs temporarily out of commission while recovering from all of his real world escapades, Justin has provided some pretty good break room reading material. It's too bad the coffee still sucks.

I know I am not an administrator or anything, but I like the wrapup thread so I am posting one tonight.  The Reds seemed to have found some offense just in time for the bullpen to fail.  I seem to remember games like this last season; one componet of the team would catastrophicaly fail everynight. 

According to Fay Harang was ill today which explains...

...why his velocity was down.  I don't understand why he pitced the 6th, since his pitch count and location were up and his velocity was down, but what do I know I only where a Wriststrong braclet, and not very often.  It seems like Harang has had a few starts affected by illness.  He had the flu when he started on Opening Day 2006, and I remember reading about sinus infections and what not throwing off his game.  Maybe Harang needs to drink more Orange Juice. 

Griffey hit his 595th home run tonight.  I have tickets for the May 18th Indians game; could I see home run #600?  I hope not, hopefully he will have already have passed 600 home runs by that time.  I seem to remember him stalling at around 498 home runs in 2004 and getting to 500 was a real struggle for him.  I saw him hit 497 and 498 at an Expos Reds game at the end of May and he didn't reach 500 until Father's Day. 

The Bullpen...  As I have noted several times before I do not get FSN at ONU, and I stopped listening after Burton opened the flood gates.  After Burton opened the floodgates Affeldt went New Orleans levi system on us.  Coffey had another less than steller outing.  I just checked Baseball-Reference, Coffey 10th most comparable pitcher is a fellow Hamilton High alum Ricky Stone.  He is also an alum of my Junior High School.  I was hoping that last season was the outlier and 2006 was the norm but everyday I have come closer to accepting that Coffey probably will not be a productive relief pitcher.  He really hasn't been that good since he was placed in the closers role in 2006.  He had an ERA below 1 for atleast the first month of 2006, and it sky rocketed to 3.58.  In the months of  June, July, and August he posted ERA's above 5.  He kind of reminds me of John Riedling.  In April of 2004 he posted an ERA of .84, in May 2.20, June 7.20, July 4.70, August 10.38, and September 6.94.  Riedling was also a hard throwing right hander.  Considering he still throws in the mid 90's, which makes injury or overuse seem unlikely, one of two things has happened to Todd Coffey.  A-All he offered was velocity and has very little movement on his fastball and his breaking ball isn't very good, or he tips it.  B-I remember several blown saves in 2006 and he just wasn't the same afterwards, perhaps he has lost his confidence.  I am guessing if he puts up another bad season the Reds will non-tendor him at the end of the season. 

Our old friend Dempters pitched rather poorly for Chicago, 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R's all earned, 5 BB and 3 K's.  From an old school perspective he wasn't very good because he gave up 4 ER's in 6 innings.  From a sabrametric perspective he wasn't very good becuse he he walked a little less than one man per inning, and two more walks than K's, and had a game WHIP of 1.67.  He was probably lucky that he only gave up four runs.  I thought it was strange that Chicago moved Dempster to the closers role 3 years ago.  He seemed like that his best niche would be as an innings eater.  Before he came to Cincinnati he consistantly put up 200 innings a season, he had one or two good seaons, but he seemed like a hard throwing middle to low rotation kind of guy.  I don't think he was fit for the closers role becaue he walks too many hitters.  I want to feel reasonably sure that my closer, or any key relief pitcher for that matter, is going to come in and throw strikes.  I am guessing he won't have the arm strength to stick as a starting pitcher, especially with the way that Lou uses his pitchers (Am I the only one who thinks it is strange that part of Dusty's problem was that he ruined Prior and Wood and his successor rides starting pitchers just as hard as he did?)   

In Lousiville Belisle threw 7 innings, gave up 8 hits allowed only 1 walk, struck out 6 and gave up one run which was earned.  It was the 8.2 and the CG of A and AA, but he might have the hot hand right now.  If Fogg struggles tomorow is it too early to take him out of the rotation?  I would move Fogg to long relief, Coffey to AAA and Belisle to the rotation.  But I think I ama little biased towards Belisle and I don't really know why.  McBeth also threw a scorless inning tonight didn't allow a baserunner and struck out a batter for his second save.  David Ross went 1/4 with 3 strike outs, his hit was a single.  His AAA BA is .154.  He and Belisle are going to force Sweaterpants to make a few difficult decisions for different reasons.  He didn't pitch tonight but so far Bray has pitched in 4.1 innings in 4 games, has allowed a single hit, but 3 walks, and 6 K's. 

But hey we get to see the mismatch of Fogg and Zambrano tomorow, although Zambrano isn't as good as he was two years ago.