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I've been watching the most recent Reds games on DVR-delay which means that I'm usually pressing 'play' and enjoying the first innings (Ahem. I'm looking at you, Arroyo) after my three kids have been put to bed and the dog has been walked and all other remains of the day have been cleared away.  The good thing about this is that I get to see more of each game and I get to really watch the game instead of trying wash dishes, mix Similac, catch Votto's at-bat, stir up more bubbles in the bathtub, remove Legos from cans of Play-Doh, admire a Volquez strikeout or two, wipe someone's ass, read 'Go, Dog. Go!' and then wonder who grounded into that double play.  That's the good thing. The bad thing is that I don't get to join ya'll in game threads.

So I'm sitting here watching Willy's home run with Sea Bass's bat and it's great but it's 930 and I can't help wondering which Red Reporters are gnashing their teeth in the ninth and why.  <sniff> I miss you guys.

Now I'm sure you birds have had a gay old time in the threads without me and that's cool but it's left me wanting to contribute something to Red Reporter so I dug up a "This Date in Reds History" boxscore for some boring old FanPost fodder...

           May 8, 1976:   Reds 14 Cubs 4   ..Yay!

Thirty-three years ago I was just settling into my second season of Reds fandom.  I was a month shy of my sixth birthday so I was too young to really have an awareness of (and now remember) individual games.  I did know one thing- the Reds were reigning World Series Champions and if you were asking five year olds' opinions, I would have told you that the Reds were gonna win it all again!  Anyway, this game was played on a Saturday afternoon so it's possible that I watched it (or more likely listened to it) with Dad and it's possible that this was the day that he first explained to me what it means to 'hit for the cycle' and how close George Foster came to doing it.

Other notes from this game:

• The Reds scored fourteen runs without a home run.  At Wrigley.
  
• The Reds scored fourteen runs without stealing a base.
  
• Pete had a hit. And a HBP.
  
• Little Joe had two hits. And a walk.  And a sac fly.  And two runs. And three RBI.
  
• Concepcion had his eight and ninth errors of the season. In early May?!
  
• Reds pitchers combined on a two-hitter but Santo Alcala (of whom I had no recollection) walked a bunch of guys and gave up a home run to Bill Madlock (who would hit .354 that year- only his second full season).
  
• Rick Reuschel started 529 games over like thirty seasons and this might have been his worst. (Game score of 18.)
• Nick Swisher's dad was an All Star catcher this season but on this day he was 0-for-4 and he called all nine innings of crap from Reuschel and company.
• The Cubs would lose 87 games and finish fifth or sixth in '76 but did you know that the Cubs actually finished second or third a bunch of times between '67 and '72?
• Pete LaCock.

And Happy Birthday to Harry Truman and Gary Glitter. And Bill Cowher.  And Don Rickles.  And Roberto Rosselinni. And David Attenborough. And Henri Dunant. And Ronnie Lott. And Alex Van Halen. And Toni Tenille. And Enrique Iglesias. And Sonny Liston.  And Melissa Gilbert.

 And Joselito.