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Slyde linked to this in the game thread late last night
but it definitely deserves front page treatment. Here's what Hall o' Famer Hal (God bless that man) has to say about Willy Taveras:
"Pinch-hitter Freddie Lewis hit a ball to dead center. As he has done so often this year, center fielder Willy Taveras broke poorly on the ball, running laterally to his left before realizing the ball was over his head. It fell for a double. He doesn’t get on base. When he does he doesn’t steal when it is needed. He was brought in to be a leadoff hitter and couldn’t do it and is now batting second. And he is below average in the field. What can Taveras do? He has a nice stereo set in the clubhouse that plays loud, headache-inducing salsa music.
And holy cahooties. Taveras just hit a ground ball to the mound and trotted toward first base. Didn’t run. Jogged. Stopped before he got to the bag. Manager Dusty Baker immediately yanked him from the lineup, replacing him with Laynce Nix. The Reds later announced that Taveras has a strained right quadriceps muscle. I don’t question the injury, but it was awfully convenient. As far as I’m concerned, and many other fans are concerned, Taveras can rot on the bench the rest of the season. I’ve seen nothing to merit the millions the Reds have flushed down the toilet when they brought this guy in. Baker said Taveras hurt himself early in the game when he bunted and dove head first into the first-base bag as the ball rolled foul. He stayed in and couldn’t run the next at-bat. "I knew something was wrong when I saw him not run, because that’s not Willy," said Baker."
Woah. -
Brewers GM Doug Melvin says he'll likely have a deal in place to move Bill Hall before Friday
And the Reds are at the eye of the storm on this thing. Adam McCalvy of MLB.com says the Reds have both Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo, who they've been trying to deal for some time. He says the Reds may be in for a contract swap. -
Dugout Central thinks the Reds would only be continuing their pattern of nonsense
if they pulled the trigger on this proposed salary swap of Bronson Arroyo for Bill Hall. I'm not sure how this rumor came about, but it just sounds far too ridiculous to be true. I mean, the Reds could just wait a few days and pick up Hall for the league minimum. Why would they give up a perfectly serviceable (if overpaid) pitcher for him? This is just crazy talk, right? -
When pondering Walt Jocketty's Plan, remember that Jim Bowden had a plan all the back in 1998
(hat tip: Mo Egger) -
Another outing, another almost-quality start for Homer Bailey
After sailing through 5 2/3 innings, it came unraveling for him in the 6th. "Sixth inning, two outs," Bailey said. "I tried everything I could. It didn’t work." I like the progress I've seen from Homer this season, but he's gotta get it right soon. There's less than a month and a half left in the season, and if he doesnt prove he's a major-league quality pitcher in this stretch of time, then the Reds have a serious decision to make. Homer will not have any options left next season, so if he doesnt get it right by then he will likely be trying to get it right with another team. -
Brandon Phillips is all right by me
BP's wrist is still sore, but he's gonna soldier on and finish the season. "It hurts," Phillips said. "But if I can play with a broken thumb, if I can play with an injured finger, I can play with an injured wrist." -
Hal says he thinks Mike Leake and Brad Boxberger will be on the fast track to the big leagues
"They are quality pitchers from quality college programs (Arizona State, Southern California) and they should be able to move up quickly," said Jocketty.
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