Reds lose to Brewers, post-game/open thread

...it was an interesting game.

Patterson is carrying this team. If he continues like this, he's worth 3 million.

Bako continues to hit. But where's the stolen bases I saw in spring training? ;-)

In the post strike era, the offense has averaged 4.65 runs each year over the first 8 games and have only scored fewer than 32 runs in 2 seasons (1998, 2004). Then again, they've only scored significantly more than 32 twice (1996 - 45, 2006 - 52).

On the positive side, the pitching staff has only allowed fewer than 32 runs over the first 8 games twice in that span (2004 - 24, 2007 - 27). Of course, both of those teams finished 2nd to last in RA/G at the end of the season. So, there's that. But neither of those teams had Johnny Quest and The Wagon!

First, I just read through the threads from last night. Good stuff ladies and gentlemen. The music theme was a hit, pun intended, and very fun to read. I regret my late arrival. I will add this though:

Hey, Buffalo Bill, who do you kill?

Second, JC superstar made the front page of the Listin Diaro's sports page this morning. The headline read "Cueto ponche ocho y sale sin decisión" (Cueto strikes out eight and leaves without a decision). Nothing really too excting about the article, but , and I will say it once more, it is thrilling to see the Reds being noticed here.

Again, It was really trippy, and quite amazing, to see the the FSN Ohio broadcast last night projected on a big screen out front of my neighborhood colmado as people gathered around in plastic chairs listening to bachata and sharing big bottles of presidente light in little plastic cups.

Finally, in further Dominican news, today I am home from work because of a national general strike. The idea is to stop the country and demand a higher minimum wage and lower transportation costs. The intentions are well meaning, but using the general strike as a tool for social change is a bit limited and shortsighted. I say this for a couple of reasons: 1) The strike is aimed at causing the government to make changes that it doesn't have the freedom to make. Raising wages and lowering transportations costs effect profit margins, when profit margins are effected corporations tend to leave for greener pastures, and when corporations leave places where economies are dependent on them, economies crash. 2) The strikes is a limited tool for social change because it only stops the current system and does not in itself work to organize an alternative that could function better. For this reason, as a high school teacher I am enjoying my day off, but as an organizer I am not much in favor of what is happening today.

0-7 to start the season for the 3rd time since 2002. Of course, this team had different expectations than either of the previous teams. They are also the 22nd team since 1901 to start out 0-7. Only two of the previous 21 finished the season with a winning record (1983 HOU- 85-77 and 1980 ATL 81-80). Nine of the previous teams finished with 100+ losses.

Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs. Are you kidding me? I just hope we can win a game.

and the question was "Name an animal that's black and white and cute all over." And the woman said "A tiger."

mantra, but just for grins, consider this: If the playoffs began today, we'd have Florida at Milwaukee, St. Louis at Arizona, Kansas City at Baltimore and Anaheim at the White Sox.

That the Tigers are 0-7, though, is astonishing. Using Slyde's newfangled stats stuff, I've calculated that with 4 percent of the season gone, they're on pace to lose, well, all of them. That would be kind of fun to see, wouldn't it?

I come away more impressed than the last time.

Handling two really good offensive clubs like AZ and MIL makes me salivate for when he goes up against the Pirates.

but it's already taken

I was in the graduate library yesterday and noticed the return of the infamous pervert who wears a business suit and spends a few pleasant hours "reading" on the bench outside the women's lavatory.

I've complained about him a few times over the years, but the burly enforcers of library etiquette have proven more interested in sniffing out contraband Reece's Pieces than in confronting a weirdo who leers at women going to the toilet.

I only bring this up because yesterday I noticed him fitfully reading this book, which made me laugh out loud.

but it looks like someone on here is trying to win back brendan's mom

to rec this muthafucka.