Off Day Open Thread: All Star Representative Edition

Who’s the top story on Reds.com today.

And you aren’t imagining it. The off days are coming very frequently these days. I noticed it when I first looked over the schedule at the beginning of the season. (The Yanks’ schedule is very similar.) The end of May through June has almost every Monday off. A very noticeably empty block on the calendar.

I don’t like it. Mondays are rough enough; they don’t need to be baseball-less, too.

I spent this evening reading. Just finished “Baseball Great,” a children’s book about – believe it or not – baseball. It’s written by a former football player, Tim Green, but he obviously understands baseball, too. At least playing it. I’m not sure he understands how it works on the pro level.

It’s set in Syracuse. The hero is a 12-year-old boy who’s a star SS. The book starts with his dad, a former first round draft pick who never made it to the show, being released by the Chiefs. The author apparently changed his mind about whether dad was a relief pitcher or a position player. He’s described as a relief pitcher at one point, but later in the book, his batting average is touted. Whatever he is, he’s the team MVP. I find it kind of hard to believe the MVP would be released, even if he’s 31. And if he was, some other team would surely claim him.

The story revolves around the kid being put into a special baseball program and pressured to take steroids. Pretty predictable (it is a kid’s book). But I enjoyed the descriptions of the baseball games, and of Syracuse and its ballpark.

but I think it will be Cordero. Dude is the best well known and people love saves. Plus there’s always room for another pitcher.

On the other hand, who other than Utley in the National league deserves it over BP?
With his new plate approach and subsequently much better season, I hope he gets it.

He’splayed well and he played through pain when we needed him too. He’s got a good bat and a good glove. I’m sticking with the ocasionally insubordinate BP lol.

Has more than an outside chance and could get selected. I know he missed time but it was hard to ignore the way he was tearing the cover off the ball pre- and now post-DL. I won’t be shocked if he is out there, and really would like to see him.

If not him, maybe BP, but there are lots of worthy 2B-men this year. Cordero I don’t see making it. Would like to, but something tells me he’ll get passed over. Cueto has a great shot. Harang has none. If I had to pick one guy to be our rep, I’m going with Cueto.

but likely it will be Phillips