Why's it gotta be WHITE Sox? Civil Rights, bitches! Reds win, 4-3

by Brendanukkah on Jun 19, 2009 10:54 PM EDT in Game Threads Comment 30 comments

Oh, you didn't KNOW? Yo' ass betta CALL SOMEBODY! (AP Photo/David Kohl)

Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Brandon Phillips. The key to wins in the time of T-Virus is Cancer, evidently. Phillips was 1-3 with a two run homer and 3 RBI. Honorable mention goes to Bronson Arroyo, who went 6.2 innings and only gave up two runs on two hits, striking out 7. His four walks weren't so great, though.

Key Plays

The White Sox got the early lead thanks to a walk to Ramon Castro in the fourth, followed by Chris Getz's first home run of the season. 2-0, and recent history suggested this game was over.
But Lee Corso cautions us to decrease the speed with which we make assumptions. Everybody put on their Mr. Redlegs heads as Laynce Nix and Ramon Hernandez hit back to back doubles to pull a run back in the bottom of the fourth.
Ryan Hanigan tripled to lead off the fifth. The rout was on! Oh, except Paul Janish, Bronson, and Chris Dickerson couldn't bring him in. Nice job, Strand Landers.
Oh, your second baseman hits home runs, does he? Check it. And your Jerry Hairston has been retired for twenty years? Well guess what! Cherry led off the sixth inning with a single (he didn't have to bunt someone else over) and Brandon Phillips hit his eleventh homer of the season to give the Reds a 3-2 lead, our Frisch's Big Boy Big Play of the Game.
Phillips added a Great American Insurance Run with a sacrifice fly, following a double by Dickerson and a single by Hairston in the seventh inning.
Good thing too. Coco Cordero gave up a big home run to Paul "We'll Stick With Sean Casey, Thanks" Konerko in the ninth inning. Fortunately, it was the first batter he faced, and he got the three outs to nail down the Reds victory.

via FanGraphs

Other Notes

The top of the order went 5-10 with 3 runs, 3 RBI, and a stolen base. In unrelated news, we won.
Bronson's seven Ks were the most he's had since Sept. 21, when he struck out 8 Brewers in six innings. But that day he also gave up six runs and the Reds lost 8-1.
Despite a lot of swinging from his heels, this was BP's first homer in 53 at bats, since June 3.
Prior to Nix scoring the 4th, Contreras had pitched 19.2 innings of scoreless ball.
Bronson Arroyo now has as many wins as Johan Santana.
What offensive drought? Five Reds players had multiple hits. Meanwhile, the White Sox only managed four hits, though two of them were home runs, and they did walk four times and stole three bases.
Bill Clinton will be the keynote speaker tomorrow at a luncheon for the Civil Rights Game. No word on whether White Sox fan and president Barack Obama will be on hand for the festivities tomorrow.

Final - 6.19.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Chicago White Sox	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	3	4	1
Cincinnati Reds	0	0	0	1	0	2	1	0	X	4	11	0
WP: Bronson Arroyo (8 - 5) SV: Francisco Cordero (17) LP: Jose Contreras (2 - 6)

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Comments

Obama would have thrown the first pitch at GABP tomorrow

if the Reds hadn’t beat his favorite team!

Way to go, Cincinnati Reds!

Needless to say, this didn't work and everybody died.

by SullivanSmith on Jun 19, 2009 11:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

We swatted them away like a fly

by ken on Jun 19, 2009 11:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And did so in a calm, cool fashion

by riverfront76 on Jun 20, 2009 6:35 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And, of course, PETA is pissed.

"Sir, can you please put your pants back on?"

by Ash on Jun 20, 2009 6:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good to see Goodroyo

I think his last start in KC should just be chalked up to being a day start. It did start at 6, and it was really light out!

I’m glad Dickerson got that out of his system so he can relax on the bench again for the next two days.

Isn't there a slanket somewhere you should be filling with your farts?

by nycredsfan on Jun 19, 2009 11:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Obama won't be there

Iran’s gonna go boom tomorrow. He’ll have to stay in Washington.

Frank Robinson is throwing out the first pitch.

Baseball worshiped here.

by Daedalus on Jun 19, 2009 11:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

don't they have phones and shit?

or fucking leave biden in charge.

Bloop

by justin007000 on Jun 20, 2009 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

if Obama does show up

They might not want to publicize it ahead of time, for security reasons.

I seem to recall that’s what they did at some games when Dubya threw out the first pitch. The public didn’t know until it was announced over the PA system at the game.

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

by BubbaFan on Jun 20, 2009 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

when he gave his acceptance speech they didn’t even release the exact time he would give it, for security reasons.

Bloop

by justin007000 on Jun 20, 2009 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nevermind Obama;

Dusty shouldn’t release the exact time Willy Taveras will take his place in CF for security reasons.

He sits alone...Reds are not home.

by Gapper on Jun 20, 2009 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nice line up - Good pitching, good D...fun game

Jannish looked mighty rusty…

But everyone else was either getting on by hits or BB or hitting the ball JayBruce hard..
Really too bad that Dusty will only give it one night. I’d still like to see Ramon at 3B…gotta keep Hanigan while he’s hot…how can you sit this guy down?

I think I would know Nora's fart anywhere. I think I could pick hers out in a roomful of farting women.

About his wife, Nora; James Joyce

by Madville on Jun 19, 2009 11:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Nukkah, recs and 360-degree clapping all around for that headline-caption line duo.

Eighty-five percent of the f*ckin' world is working. The other fifteen percent come out here. A f*ckin' playground for the cocks*ckers.
-Lee Elia on Cubs fans

by Farneyismycopilot on Jun 20, 2009 12:02 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Also, I just read the Lee Corso line and that was fantastic as well.

I’m really pissed I missed roughly 70 percent of this game.

Eighty-five percent of the f*ckin' world is working. The other fifteen percent come out here. A f*ckin' playground for the cocks*ckers.
-Lee Elia on Cubs fans

by Farneyismycopilot on Jun 20, 2009 12:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nice game

I really really really hope Dickerson goes on a human torch hot streak starting right about now. Of course, with Richard and Buehrle going in the next two games, I’m sure Dusty won’t even give him a chance.

by teb7 on Jun 20, 2009 1:12 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Dickerson should keep playing

If Rusty I mean Dusty puts Taveras back in center for the next game I may throw up. Bakers so called loyalty to veteran players does not add up. The Yankees gave Alex Rodriguez a day off about 4times earlier then Baker’s handling of Taveras. Also the development and the contribution of the young players seems to not matter to him.Someone need to point out where and when Dusty achieved a positive result from his so called loyalty. It certainly was not last years center field situation.Dickerson needs at bats against lefties.Dusty should give these youngsters the same breaks that he got. As I remember Dusty the player he didn’t have anything on Dickerson, on offense or defense.

by JamesE on Jun 20, 2009 6:48 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Dusty the player...

Played in parts of 19 MLB seasons, collected nearly 2000 hits, and just over 240 hrs. Dusty was in the bigs for good at 23 and remained a regular until he was 35. To this point CDick is hardly more than a fourth outfielder— in fact all evidence points to the fact that Dusty the player was FAR superior to Chris Dickerson.

Dusty the manager has many faults, his predilection for being loyal to veteran players who the fans have become openly disenchanted with perhaps the most prominent among them. That having been said his loyalty to the players is something which likely has a positive effect in non-quantifiable ways. I suspect the loyalty he (and the organization) is showing to Jay Bruce through his sophomore slump will pay big dividends in the future. The trust his loyalty inspires in his players surely contributes to a positive work environment. Is it reasonable to think that the trust he shows in practically the entire pitching staff to work out of jams may actually be paying dividends in their developmental process?

by Bill Doran on Jun 20, 2009 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

very good point

good to see ya Bill

You're so 2000 and late

by Charlie Scrabbles on Jun 20, 2009 11:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

interesting

phrase that Dickerson is hardly more than a fourth OF.
Unfortunately, the Reds organization is on the same page as you.
But why is Dickerson labelled as a 4th OF when he has consistently played outstanding defense in a premium position for his short time with the Reds as a 390 OBP and .377 wOBA.
And this year when everyone as been willing to bury him- his OBP is 372 with wOBA 334.
Dickerson as played almost exactly one half year of playing time with Reds and as logged 2.3 WAR or if he played for a full season my math computes to a 4 WAR player. Hardly the performance to be labelled as barely more than a 4th OF.

by davidmac84 on Jun 20, 2009 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

".219 .375 .313"

That’s his AVG/OBP/SLG in the majors against lefties (albeit in 41 abs). But yeah, he’s kind of Corey Pattickerson against lefties.

by Cy Schourek on Jun 20, 2009 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah but Taveras is a Cory Patterson from both sides of the plate

Nobody listens to Andrew

by nlt-andrew68 on Jun 20, 2009 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

.375 OBP

from a lead off hitter is not too bad. I think one of Dickerson’s problems is there is still is a bias against players that derive alot of their value from drawing walks.
But as this year proves thats infinitely better than a player that derives value from infield hits.

by davidmac84 on Jun 20, 2009 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sample size?

I’m not implying that Chris can only be a 4th outfielder. But his age, scouting report, and minor league performance has indicated to many (right or wrong) that this is his ceiling. And in the context of evaluating him against Dusty Baker I still feel it is an apt comparison. From looking at your later statement it appears that you are trying to impose an anti-statgeek bias against my “hardly more than a fourth outfielder” comment. It is possible for one to believe in both the quantifiable and the non-quantifiable you know…

Any way, Dickerson’s OBP is 30 points higher than his minor league OBP. Sure it is possible that his plate discipline has improved, but I am inclined to believe he will come back closer to that number (.361) with an extended number of at-bats. With an OBP closer to his minor league career average he lacks any other useful offensive skill, having little power, a high strikeout rate, and rather mediocre base running abilities. Still a useful player, but one I would hardly waste time championing. He may well prove to be a competent league average outfielder; in my opinion there just is not much supporting that conclusion.

by Bill Doran on Jun 20, 2009 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i agree with you to an extent

the thing is though, if Dickerson were to OBP around .360 AND play excellent CF defense, he would be a pretty valuable player. maybe not an all-star, but certainly a guy worth having in the lineup against righties.

You're so 2000 and late

by Charlie Scrabbles on Jun 22, 2009 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Eye Witness Report:

Well I went down to the old ballpark last night. As the Reds were taking the field a fat tub of shit was walking through my aisle holding two large cokes and two nachos, and he was holding them up against his chest. I get up to let him pass, Well he gets in front of me stops, drops one nachos, and kinda looks at me, than the other nachos feel to the ground, than the first coke and the second coke. He just fucking stares at me. I start to bitch him out, well he is retarded (I don’t mean that in a derogatory way, from his speech patterns, and facial expressions he was actually retarded. There isn’t a PC way to put what he is.). Well I look to the woman he is with, and she is retarded too, so there isn’t even somebody there to take care of them.

So they are upset that they dropped $12.50 worth of food, so they get up, I go an bitch to the usher that I don’t want them near me (not because they are retarded, but because I’m seethign mad and I don’t care what their mental state is, they ruined my short and my shoes and I just want them moved away.) But they are gone, so I figure they ran away for the game. Well they come back in the top of third, with 2 nachos and large cokes.

The whole area reeks of peppers, and my mom (i’m there with my parents) has a lung condition, which is already aggregated by the humidity, and the pepper fumes started to get to her. She decides to go to the first aid station, to get an inhaler to help her breath. (The Reds have first class in ballpark medical facilities, it is like a mini emergency room ward, with oxygen, one doctor, a nurse for every station, and paramedics for every station, I was impressed.) She gets treatment and feels better, and the nurse says to tell the usher to move us.

The ushers were useless, because of my complaint they sent an undercover security guard in to watch the couple in question. Which was worthless, these people weren’t rowdy drunks, just people I was pissed about, and in retrospect going to the usher was worthless, but I was seething mad. But I mean probably the best thing to do would be to resat us or them, and they resat us, and we finished out the game.

The fireworks were the ultimate caper to the strange evening. First we had a speech by Sugar Ray Lennard, which was going on in the 20 minutes between the final pitch and the first firework. He told us we can all be winners, even if we don’t have gold medals. Then there were the civil rights themed fireworks. Which included songs with famous civil rights speeches dubbed over them. They even had played Imagine, which started with quiet fireworks, before big boom (there goes John).

I think the Civil Rights movement is important, but I feel like have a “civil rights game”, is kind of demeaning to the whole thing. We have all these empty gestures and ceremonies in lue of any real progress. Like they had pictures and little biographies of famous civil rights leaders on the scoreboard between innings (when they didn’t have the mr. reds race). It just felt like an empty gesture. I feel like if I were Black, I would be annoyed by the Civil Rights game, seeing it as an act of appeasement, rather than real progress.

Bloop

by justin007000 on Jun 20, 2009 10:52 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I hear you, but...

I agree that it is a lot of sound and fury, but then again, most people don’t have our level of education. To us, it’s an oversimplification that leaves out any analysis. But you also have to think about the kids in the stands, and if these events have a chance of affecting anyone, it’s going to a kid. If just one or two kids come away from the game with a better awareness of what came before us, then it’s a success in my book. Perhaps they will be inspired to learn about what needs to be done.

My view is that the chance to learn about something important at a regular ballgame is somewhere around -5. I can’t begrudge the Reds or MLB for pushing it up to +1 a couple times a year. Of course this doesn’t replace or even offer a passable simulacrum of improving our education system, but as long as those in charge recognize that real progress and nice gestures like this aren’t mutually exclusive, the gestures make a small contribution.

by teb7 on Jun 20, 2009 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

to your credit

most people when spinning personal narratives have an instinct to cast themselves in somewhat of a positive light which you have boldly resisted in this charming tale.

by davidmac84 on Jun 20, 2009 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs

i feel like i had a normal reaction

i mean i understand that the guy didn’t understand what he did, but I mean it impedes on my ability to enjoy a game when i have somebody drop nachos on me, and my arm and shoes are covered in cheese, while my shorts are covered in salsa sauce. It wasn’t like I verbally abused the guy for the whole game, I didn’t even say much to him after it happened, and I realized that he was mentally handicapped. I mostly wanted to be away for them for fear of when the decided to get snow cones.

Bloop

by justin007000 on Jun 20, 2009 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

At least on some level, acting to appease is progress.

Yes, it’s pretty clear that the Reds are holding the Civil Rights game as a PR move, but publicizing the issue and celebrating the history is still a nice thing, even if it probably won’t result in any “real progress”. I think, at this point, the game of baseball is doing pretty well in terms of putting people of all races and genders and ages at the same level. There could still be more minorities in front office jobs, but I think we’re still moving in that direction and I sincerely doubt that black candidates for GM jobs aren’t being hired because they’re black. All in all, while the meaning of the weekend may be a little empty for some, it should resonate for others, and the Reds made an absolutely brilliant business decision to bring it to Cincinnati.

On another note, ushers at GABP are almost universally useless in my experience. They’re old, surly, and have no desire to help anyone (or at least anyone younger than Mads). Fuck ’em.

by Geki on Jun 20, 2009 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hmmm - This game could become an important rallying point for all kinds of civil rights

So I don’t see it as an act of appeasement but rather an attempt to reinforce awareness of how things were, how they have changed and how far we all have yet to go.

I think I would know Nora's fart anywhere. I think I could pick hers out in a roomful of farting women.

About his wife, Nora; James Joyce

by Madville on Jun 20, 2009 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

BTW - The ushers have absolutely no use for ol' Mads

those fucking old pricks need to be replaced with young high energy attractive women. And while we’re at lets get rid of the fucking wimpy ball boys and get us some big time lesbian softballers…women who can catch the ball and wing it right back to the catcher…