Red Reposter - 5/22/09

by Charlie Scrabbles on May 22, 2009 12:13 PM EDT in News

Surprising words from Brandon Phillips: he doesnt like the Indians. We all know the story; he was a top prospect with the Indians until he flamed out at the Major League level. After a few years of treading water, the Reds picked him up for a Jr Bacon Cheeseburger without the bun. He comes to Cincy and immediately becomes one of the best 2nd basemen in the NL. But I always wondered what it was that held him back with the Indians. To hear BP tell it, it's because they didnt like him smiling all the time.

But really? I mean, I find it difficult to believe that 1) the Indians are such a sack of wet blankets as to discourage fun and smiling, and 2) this mandate would affect a player as much as it did Brandon. Grady Sizemore looks like he's having fun, right?

I know our friends up I-71 have speculated a million reasons as to why this all went down the way it did, and I dont really feel like going into any of them. But I find it kinda strange (and hilarious) that Phillips puts the onus for his troubles in Cleveland on a rule against smiling.
More from BP: Brandon Phillips Field will be officially dedicated on Saturday. No matter how bizarre his time in Cleveland was, I sure am glad to have him here. Dude is a helluva ballplayer and a pillar of the community.
Baker had this to say about Homer coming up for Saturday: "Hopefully Homer can up here and do the same thing he has been doing at Louisville — good except for a couple of outings. We need him and he needs it and wants it." Emphasis is mine on that last sentence. I dont think this is a last-chance-to-make-the-dance kinda thing for Homer, but he's getting close. He's gotta show he can handle the Majors this year or next year could be in serious doubt.
Joey Votto is relieved to hear (heh) that his troubles are due to an inner ear infection and not something more serious, like a tumor or a bug laying eggs in his brain. "With all the tests I went through, it was a pretty scary few days," he said. "A lot of the tests were pretty imposing, tests I'd never experienced before. But to get them all back negative is a big relief. None of the tests were fun and I feel like a pin cushion." I think someone else brought it up, but I'm a little worried it took them so long to diagnose an ear infection. I'm not a doctor and an ear infection would have been one of the first things I would be looking for considering his symptoms. Dr. Poke Stick at his best.
MLBTradeRumors takes a look at the contract options for the Reds for next season, and concludes that none of them are likely to be picked up. Ramon Hernandez has an option worth 8.5 mil, and though he has played well, he is not worth near that amount. Alex Gonzalez has a mutual option worth 6 mil that the Reds would be crazy to even think about. David Weathers has an option worth 3.7 mil, which could make for a much more difficult decision than the others. Stormy has been solid this year, just as he has been for the past 4 years or so. You have to think his age will catch up to him sooner or later, and I have predicted just that for about the past 3 years. So who knows, maybe we'll have a bit of drama come December.
ESPN's Jayson Stark (no relation to Laynce Nix) talks to some of the players about interleague play. RR favorite Adam Dunn had this to say about it: "I say just stick to the rivalry games and eliminate all the useless interleague games. People don't care about Washington against Toronto. They do care about Washington against Baltimore. So keep them and dump the rest."
I told you yesterday about FanGraphs including pitch-type linear weights to their player pages, and today they explain it.
Sticking with FanGraphs, they look at the UZR leaders by position and are impresssed with the way many of them are hitting. Our own Jay Bruce has been very impressive, posting a UZR of 8.0 and a wOBA of .358, even though his batting average has dropped to .247. All those homers and his increased walk rate have been a real blessing.
One more from FanGraphs (they do real good work over there): Eric Seidman explains when sample sizes stop being small and start becoming relavent.
SI's Ted Keith has his weekly power rankings, and the Reds remain at 12.
Just another reason to dislike the Yankees: the richie riches in the rich seats on Wednesday started throwing ice cream sandwiches to the unwashed rabble beneath them, drawing the ire of stadium security. Did we learn nothing from the French Revolution?

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Comments

You've been to LGT!, right?

They are a sack of wet blankets.

Also, dude, bringing up “Indians” and “blankets” together is touchy, at best.

by Brendanukkah on May 22, 2009 12:26 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

google

Slyde + blanket + hot sauce

im just sayin….

"I've actually never had a drink before, tonight I might try it out. We'll see."
—Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, on turning 21

by obc2 on May 22, 2009 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Amusingly enough...

Google “Slyde + blanket + hot sauce” and it directs me to your post, obc

2nd link with Google was this gem

by Highlifeman21 on May 22, 2009 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah

but ive met some humans who are Indians fans too.

go look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls

by Charlie Scrabbles on May 22, 2009 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions

I read that ice cream sandwich differently, I guess

I thought they were giving the sandwiches to the cheap seats folks and security didn’t appreciate the handouts that were originally intended for the better seated fans.

Either way, I still hate the Yankees.

I don't need a hot breakfast to have a good time.

by 3 Fast 3 Furious on May 22, 2009 1:36 PM EDT reply actions

Ice cream sandwich article, that is

I don't need a hot breakfast to have a good time.

by 3 Fast 3 Furious on May 22, 2009 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah

That’s how I read it, too.

Though hearing that the “cheap” seats cost $400 kind of ruins the “starving peasant” aspect…

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on May 22, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah thats how i read it

is that not the way that it came across? the Yankees and their security jerks are big jerks.

go look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls

by Charlie Scrabbles on May 22, 2009 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions

ok

i think i see. i played up the class aspect a bit much and jumped the shark. sorry.

go look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls

by Charlie Scrabbles on May 22, 2009 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Ys and is

Speaking of ESPN, I wonder if Wendi Nix is any relation to the doubles machine. Maybe the males in the clan get a superfluous Y and females get an I instead of a Y.

by ol Pete on May 22, 2009 1:47 PM EDT reply actions

Is McDonald, McFluffy?

According to MLBtraderumors he’s been DFA’d.

by ol Pete on May 22, 2009 1:55 PM EDT reply actions

read the post below this one

on the front page.

There is great joy and celebration therein. :-)

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on May 22, 2009 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Regarding Votto and his ear infection

It is ridiculous that it took them that long to diagnose an inner ear infection. A couple of weeks ago, a co-worker was experiencing similar symptoms and was rushed to the emergency room. A few HOURS later they told him he had an inner ear infection.

You went full retard. No one ever comes back from that. - Sgt. Osiris

by cesarhernandez on May 22, 2009 2:06 PM EDT reply actions

I diagnosed him last week

and I have not been near the man.

tellin' tales of drunkenness and cruelty

by Colin Auscapee on May 22, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions

FRIST!

by Brendanukkah on May 22, 2009 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs

I would guess

that they suspected what the problem was from the beginning, but just wanted to be super-careful. Since the Joey Vottos of this world are a lot more valuable than the rest of us peons.

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on May 22, 2009 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions

ok

but instead of putting him through 2 days of full-on diagnostics and an overnight stay in the hospital, they could have poked him in the ear in Arizona. i can see being careful, but that would mean he sits out for a few days while it clears up, not taking nearly a week to figure it out.

go look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls

by Charlie Scrabbles on May 22, 2009 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions

it can take weeks to clear up

So they probably figured they had nothing to lose by putting him through the full diagnostics.

Though they do say that important people may not get the best care, precisely because of their fame. The doctors are so worried about screwing it up that they lose their objectivity.

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on May 22, 2009 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions

it can take weeks to clear up?!?

I thought this was a jch post!

"I've actually never had a drink before, tonight I might try it out. We'll see."
—Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, on turning 21

by obc2 on May 22, 2009 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions

BAM!

tellin' tales of drunkenness and cruelty

by Colin Auscapee on May 22, 2009 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions

diagnosis is based on symptoms

but there are many, many things that can cause vertigo including antibiotics which can be ototoxic. Probably the only way to get a certain diagnosis is with an autopsy.

by ol Pete on May 22, 2009 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I guess the Fayplacement

took the criticism to heart. He posted the lineup four hours before game time…

Hanigan must have run over Dusty’s cat or something…

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on May 22, 2009 3:55 PM EDT reply actions

Rosales at first?

Why not Hanigan and Ramon at 1B?

"It seems as if every mistake I've ever made in life I've had an erection in one hand and a Bud Light in the other."

by jch24 on May 22, 2009 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Doesn't want...

…Arroyo to get the idea he has a personal catcher?

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on May 22, 2009 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions

I like this reading

he is no unique snowflake

tellin' tales of drunkenness and cruelty

by Colin Auscapee on May 22, 2009 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions

"We, as for me all seasons you are affected peculiarly in the edge of my seat and are happy concerning the fact that the Adam Dunn fan has been mixed up exactly." - Reynard-san

by BK on May 22, 2009 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Bogus, dude

Dusty should find away to get Hanigan into the lineup however he can. He’s more than proven himself, where Rosales is skating on the goodwill his initial scrappiness bought him.

I got to go down to the stadium and whip batteries at the players on both teams. - Philly Boy Roy

by RijoSaboCaseyWKRP on May 22, 2009 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions

I can haz votto soon?

tellin' tales of drunkenness and cruelty

by Colin Auscapee on May 22, 2009 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Supposed to be tomorrow.

"We, as for me all seasons you are affected peculiarly in the edge of my seat and are happy concerning the fact that the Adam Dunn fan has been mixed up exactly." - Reynard-san

by BK on May 22, 2009 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Ryan Leaf

was indicted on burglary charges. He was fired from his coaching job after asking a player for some of his pain meds, then apparently broke into his apartment to steal it.

Yeesh. Leaf just turned 33. He could still be playing football if he didn’t suck.

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on May 22, 2009 4:43 PM EDT reply actions

i could still be playing baseball

if i didnt suck.

go look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls

by Charlie Scrabbles on May 22, 2009 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: Mr. Smiley

" To hear BP tell it, it’s because they didnt like him smiling all the time."

I suspect that just Brandons diplomatic way of saying he doesn’t want to talk about it or doesn’t feel like putting it all out there will do him any favors with his current or potential future employers.

; D

by Deker on May 22, 2009 7:21 PM EDT reply actions