The No. 32 -- Quick Hits

by Rick House on May 28, 2008 11:47 AM EDT in News

I never noticed it before, but I think I'm gonna fall in love with Jay Bruce's hand flip.
No full Farmers Only post today, but Homer threw a good -- but not great -- game in Louisville's loss. (He allowed only one run in 6 innings but walked four and allowed 5 hits.)
Not surprisingly, last night's game was FSN Ohio's highest-rated of the year.
Hardball Times uses PitchF/X data to examine Johnny Cueto. They find that one of his biggest assets is the similarity between his slider and changeup: They're the same pitch until the very end, when they "dart in opposite directions 20 feet or so from the plate." Very interesting read. Hat tip to Doug Dirt.
Lost in Brucemania was that Adam Dunn set a Reds record for home runs by a lefty, passing Klu with 252 career shots.

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Three other things

Devin Mesoraco has an 8-game hitting streak.
Tom Shearn is joining Justin Lehr in Korea.
Daryl Thompson is starting tonight for Louisville.

What do you mean, "blank slate"?

by boobs on May 28, 2008 12:07 PM EDT reply actions

Driveline Mechanics on the Bruce

Here’s a video analysis about Bruce’s swing that was linked on BBTF. A bit physics heavy.

by ken on May 28, 2008 12:43 PM EDT reply actions

The hand flip

I said the same thing to my brother

On the broadcast, you couldn’t see it, but he had a huge grin out on 2nd base after his double. Gotta love it

"To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there's no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other." - Jack Handey

by JJ on May 28, 2008 12:53 PM EDT reply actions

That grin is what baseball should be all about. Sheer joy, me thinks.

Did anyone else see him mutter to himself “I just walked. I walked” after his first at bat?

With Bruce, the Reds just got a whole lot better, and got a good infusion of positive energy.

It was just painful to watch Corey struggle at the plate and I can’t imagine he was fun to be around. I am not saying he was a cancer in the clubhouse, in fact, he probably is a great guy. I think it is just really hard to be upbeat and lighthearted at work when you are pretty terrible at what you do.

Tanzen!

by Verka Serduchka on May 28, 2008 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions

also

c trent has a longish video of jay bruce up his blog. its the same jay. maybe the coolest 21-year-old ever. also, i really like c. trent’s blog.

What do you mean, "blank slate"?

by boobs on May 28, 2008 12:57 PM EDT reply actions

FSN Ohio's highest-rated of the year

god, this is sad. cincinnati is a pathetic bunch of couch potatoes. the city sux. people can’t get off their couches to see something in person, bunch of lazy bums. waaahh, i’d get wet! waaaaah, there’s too much traffic! waaaaaaah, it’s too expensive! waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BRING UP BRUCE!

by Daedalus on May 28, 2008 1:11 PM EDT reply actions

(said with tongue in cheek of course. it was a really disappointing crowd)

BRING UP BRUCE!

by Daedalus on May 28, 2008 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions

but who could have anticipated bruce would be any good?

by Gray on May 28, 2008 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions

The crowd was pretty embarrassing

I think espn.com was reporting that it was about 17,900. The majority of the soccer games I go to have bigger crowds than that. I forgot that it was raining, so maybe that had something to do with it, but my goodness.

by Brendanukkah on May 28, 2008 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions

groan

Baseball is sort of dead in Cincinnati. People just aren’t into it.

Any wonder that Sarasota let the Reds walk, and is throwing $30mil more than it would have taken to get the Reds to get the Red Sox?

by bobestes on May 28, 2008 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Reds attendence

The Reds have always had to rely on Reds country for ticket sales. There’s not a large enough local, walk-up community to pack the house overnight. People plan going to the games in advance. Ticket sales lag performance. Winning records this month means more sales to game next month. Losing record this month means fewer sales next month.

by rojosoto on May 28, 2008 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions

You know, it’s a shame. I’m a Cubs fan who lives in Louisville (go Bats!), so I know the guys like Keppinger, Votto and Bruce very well, but I only go to Reds games when the Cubbies are in town.

I have to say that, especially after seeing two games in Pittsburgh this past weekend, that Reds fans are some of the classiest in the league. They know their baseball and they’re gracious in defeat—-which unfortunately is where they’re at most of the time. I’ve sat just behind the dugout and up in the nosebleeds and I’ve never had a bad experience.

It’s a shame a team with such a great history and some of the best young players in the game can’t get the crowd it deserves.

Go Avs! Let's get some goals!

by Joe Dunman on May 28, 2008 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks for the nice words

I try not to rag on the attendance too much. It’s easy for me to say people should go more often when the choice for me is removed. If I lived closer to Cinci, how often would I go?

At any rate, it’s just kind of refreshing (and surprising) to get a thoughtful, sympathetic, and uplifting post from a Cubs fan. See dacubs below…

by Brendanukkah on May 28, 2008 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions

The accomplisnments of Adam Dunn

are heralded here at RR, but the local media has really done a job on Adam. With the coming of JayBruuuuuuuuce…maybe fans will begin to see how well Adam interacts with J. (Griffet too) and begin to see that Dunn is also important as a good guy in the clubhouse. His pranks and humor and willingness to reach out to the young soon to be ‘super star’ (we hope) show Dunn as a pretty confident guy about who he is. I don’t what we can do to influence Big Bob…but Dunn is the next link in the chain to be ‘locked up’. This team is going to hit it’s stride real soon and Adam will be instrumental. Sign him NOW.

Also a shame that a consummate professional in all aspects of the Scott Hatteberg got DFA’d. But he’ll land on his feet.I wouldn’t be surprised to see him move into coaching and management before long.

His youth baseball camps have been great for kids – Here’s a shot of him (albeit batting RH) working with a future MLB superstar!

"When I got my award, I just wore my usual stuff," Dunn said.
"Was it for the Reds organization or all of baseball?" Bruce said.

by Madville on May 28, 2008 1:27 PM EDT reply actions

Local media on Dunn, the day after Bruce's debut

Local talk shows on 1530 have been negative on Dunn this morning. Saying this was a “new era” in Cincinnati and the team can finally get rid of the losing baseball of Dunn and Griffey.

One caller made an idiotic statement on Alan Cutler’s show that Dunn was holding back other minor leaguers, and that Jocketty needed to get rid of Dunn so these other youngsters could come up. WTF?

It is so very unfortunate that there are that many Reds fans who believe that mindless drivel. That the team’s record has been Dunn’s fault. Dunn’s is probably one of the biggest reasons the Reds haven’t been the Pirates the past decade. Without Dunn this team would only have finished lower in the standings in each and every year he played.

by rojosoto on May 28, 2008 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions

that was the other thing that upset me about last night's game

we have this awesome new guy come up and all people can do is complain. i was listening to that extra innings show again (i really have to stop doing that. it ruins things) and every caller just complained about everything. even tracy jones pointed that out.

BRING UP BRUCE!

by Daedalus on May 28, 2008 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Dunn

My opinion of Dunn was really negative for a long time before this year. I, like many others, hated the fact that he struck out all the time and didn’t seem to come through in the "Clutch." I also knocked him for his range, arm, and hustle in left field. I consider myself a pretty knowledgable baseball fan, but I had a distorted view of the value he brings to the club.

I first registered and started hanging around this site about the same time ctown boy was spouting his garbage. I would consider RR pretty much pro-Dunn and after seeing the insight and stats brought up by some of the more prominant posters on this site in response to him, I have taken a different perspective on the Dunner.

Here’s to hoping Bobby-boy makes the right move and re-signs him, and thanks to all of you for changing my mind on who is one of our beloved Reds’ best players.

"Here's to you, Mr. Ceremonial First First Pitch Thrower Outer"

by jmgard6 on May 28, 2008 1:50 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Thanks for a great post

and most of the credit should go to you for keeping an open mind and being willing to change it.

...crumbs...

by Man Mountain on May 28, 2008 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Here's to you, Mr. Open-Minded and Willing to Change Guy

You know what you like in a ballplayer. He plays the game the right way, gives himself up to score a run, and always comes through in the clutch.

(Don’t even liiiike automatic cars!)

But your favorite team has a left fielder that’s like that nerdy girl in art class who wears glasses, dirty overalls, strikes out too much and has terrible defense. And probably acne.

(Might wanna seeeee a dermatologist!)

But when you take her out to the prom to win a bet with your buddies, you see her in a new light. She’s got walks, and plenty of them. A slugging percentage other girls only dream about. And big home run totals. Really big home run totals.

(Rounding third and heading for home at the afterprom!)

Other people want to laugh at your left fielder, but now that you’ve seen him in a new light, you kinda want to keep him for yourself. That’s why this Bud Light is for you, Mr. Open-Minded and Willing to Change Guy. Go get ‘em, slugger!

by Brendanukkah on May 28, 2008 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions

my mancrush on you is throbbing so heavily it's bleeding

What do you mean, "blank slate"?

by boobs on May 28, 2008 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions

ignore every other word

mancrush you throbbing heavily bleeding.

What do you mean, "blank slate"?

by boobs on May 28, 2008 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Shhh

I know.

I feel the same way about Jay Bruce.

by Brendanukkah on May 28, 2008 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Resign

Dunn stands as much chance of resigning in Cincinnati as I do living in Boulder, Colorado for the next 40 years

which is to say, none

by bobestes on May 28, 2008 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions

The Colorado Daily

is ragging on you for all your strikeouts, huh? Maybe you should just step up your game, Bob!

I’m actually fairly optimistic about Dunn getting signed to an extension. We shall see, though…

by Brendanukkah on May 28, 2008 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions

After arguing on behalf of Dunn for years this is odd

but I don’t think they should sign him. If he would sign an unusually short deal-four years or so-then sure, but his decline phase will be ugly. And can you imagine the beatings he’ll take from the Cincinnatians who thought he was terrible during his prime?

by Red Menace on May 28, 2008 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions

i agree

i was getting ready to say this. he’s probably going to start declining in three years or so, and a long-term deal is absolutely the wrong thing to do with him. Which makes me think the Reds will do it.

What do you mean, "blank slate"?

by boobs on May 28, 2008 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't want to check, I just want to ask

What is Jocketty’s history with contract extensions? I’m thinking of people like Jim Edmonds and Mark McGwire.

by Brendanukkah on May 28, 2008 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions

nope

I just don’t think he has a compelling reason to want to play in cincinnati for the rest of his career, and I could see the bidding war ruling the reds out quite quickly.

by bobestes on May 28, 2008 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Just in Off Sports Wire

Reds and Cubs discussing trade….. Reds get “K”orey’s brother Eric from triple A
Iowa and Jim Edmunds…... Cubs get the Jay Bruce guy and Adam Done Dunn.
I think it will work Rusty likes it Corey can play every day…............

by dacub on May 28, 2008 2:52 PM EDT reply actions