Red Reposter - 9/15/09 - Red Reporter

Red Reposter - 9/15/09

by ken on Sep 15, 2009 10:42 AM EDT Comment 29 comments

ROAR! Juan Francisco called up
"I didn't think I was coming up," said Francisco, who was assigned uniform No. 64. "After the game, he went to my locker and said, 'I have to talk to you before you leave.' [He said,] 'Congratulations you're going up.'"
Best of luck to Juan. With 3B blocked, the article states that the team may try him in LF over the winter. The ideal situation might be that Rolen starts out hot next year and we flip him for pitching or a shortstop, then slide Francisco or Frazier into third.
The Machine is here
The Machine is now in stores, and I expect my Amazon shipment shortly. In the link Poz lists his radio schedule. John Erardi has a very thorough review of the book from a Cincinnati perspective.
Basement Dwellers: The Reds and WAR - Best Pitcher Seasons (1900-2008)
Greg from ATL breaks down the top 15 Reds pitching seasons by WAR in the modern era. The cutoff is 6.4 WAR, which is a little higher than I thought it'd be. For comparison, Harang's best season by WAR is 5.4 (2006).
NJ teens sue over 'God Bless America' ejection
Three teenagers who say they were tossed from a New Jersey ballpark over their refusal to stand during the song "God Bless America" are suing the minor league Newark Bears. Damages seem a bit excessive. They should be glad they got out of Newark alive.
Reminder - Hal McCoy Night is tomorrow
The DDN is picking up half of the ticket prices when you buy online at this link. I have no idea how many seats remain, but for a mid-week game I imagine there's quite a few. (HT to Red Hot Mama)
Also, Hal tells the story when Aaron Boone encouraged him to stick with writing after he began losing his sight.

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Already bought my tickets for Hal McCoy night

Plenty of great seats available, I’m sure.

"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 Sep 15, 2009 10:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

A nice story from Hal

And a good story about Aaron Boone, too. It really is amazing that he’s back on the field at all. He doesn’t get remembered too much around here, but he was a classy player. I hadn’t really thought about how long he’d been gone til I read this:

Boone wasn’t in Monday’s lineup, but drank it all in and said, "It’s always awesome for me to come to Cincinnati, even though there are no players left with whom I played. It is always great to look around and see Cincinnati."

Anybody remember Bret Boone being in the booth when Aaron hit that home run for the Yankees. He didn’t really say anything, but there was a great look on his face that just seemed to say, “All right. Well done, little brother.” Cool moment.

by Brendanukkah on Sep 15, 2009 10:55 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

yeah it'll be cool to see Booney play again

he has to start one of these games, right? doesnt Cecil Cooper know he’s from here?

by Charlie Scrabbles on Sep 15, 2009 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hal wants him to catch his ceremonial first pitch

by Brendanukkah on Sep 15, 2009 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I remember that

It was so late everyone was asleep, except me and the cat. I think I probably woke some people up. :-)

Boonie was a favorite of mine even before he hit that walkoff. A class act.

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

by BubbaFan on Sep 15, 2009 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was depressed for a week after that HR.

Good thing for ’04.

by ben nevis on Sep 15, 2009 7:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

...and not being a Red Sox fan

by Brendanukkah on Sep 15, 2009 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i turned it back to the game just in time to see Francisco's AB

i thought he was alot bigger than that. it was great to see Bruce again too. it really made my day to see that.

and there is no way the Reds trade Scott Rolen if he starts next year on a tear. if he does that, he’ll get a 3-year extension.

by Charlie Scrabbles on Sep 15, 2009 10:55 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

True, on both END and Rolen

Add to that the fact that Rolen still has a no trade, and he really wants to be close to home. The only other place I could conceive of him accepting a trade is to a Chicago team.

I’m still not sold on Juan. I really hope he does well, but if he succeeds in the majors, it’ll be he and Vlad Guerrero who managed to be good major leaguers with basically no plate discipline. No one else has really ever done it.

Baseball must be a great game to survive the fools who run it.— Bill Terry

by nycredsfan on Sep 15, 2009 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

juan fransisco is the next vlad guerrero, nycredsfan said so!

I’m holding you to that, mister. :)

"I'm going to become rich and famous after I invent a device that allows you to stab people in the face over the internet"

by jch24 on Sep 15, 2009 11:30 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Sure, OK, but you can'

Baseball must be a great game to survive the fools who run it.— Bill Terry

by nycredsfan on Sep 15, 2009 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

ugh, you can't have my avatar!

Actually, what’s weird is when you look at Vlad’s minor league numbers he walked a bunch in the higher levels.

Baseball must be a great game to survive the fools who run it.— Bill Terry

by nycredsfan on Sep 15, 2009 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah ive been looking for a good avatar for you

when you eventually lose that bet. im just as scared as you are about the prospect, but Walt is just not that stupid. he CANT be, right?

by Charlie Scrabbles on Sep 15, 2009 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, that was definitely wishcasting on my part

I think I said the same thing about Taveras before this year. Maybe he starts off okay, we trade him and call up Stubbs! Everyone wins!

by ken on Sep 15, 2009 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

gosh youre an upbeat dude!

by Charlie Scrabbles on Sep 15, 2009 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not to start a flame war or anything but...

I’ve always found the singing of God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch to be, uh, offensive. I’ve written this here before but I want to make clear that I love my country and appreciate the feelings of nationalism that many of our more vocal brethren may have, but I often find such displays to be empty, patronizing rituals. My feeling of national pride stems precisely from my ability to choose not to partake in such displays and my stance has absolutely nothing to do with our service people nor foreign policy. I simply find that suggested en masse displays to be meaningless precisely because they are suggested en mass displays. Complex feelings about one’s country or religion seem, to me, to be instantly ridiculed and demonized by the smiling faces of many whom promote two dimensional idealism without cognitive reasoning. I mean no offense to those who have an emotional connection to the song or believe that showing your gratitude and love for your nation is nicely displayed by its singing, I simply wish that a thoughtful stance on the matter would be treated with some courtesy, such as the boys in Jersey and Yankee Stadium did not receive. Thank you for your time.

Wear something sexy to my funeral.

by Pops Daniels on Sep 15, 2009 12:49 PM EDT reply actions 6 recs

burn in hell you commie bastard! raaaawwwrrrr!

"I'm going to become rich and famous after I invent a device that allows you to stab people in the face over the internet"

by jch24 on Sep 15, 2009 2:08 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Amen

My fantasy football team this year? Lippincott's Shorts

by cesarhernandez on Sep 15, 2009 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Uh that's Amen to Pops Daniels

not to the “burn in hell” post….:)

My fantasy football team this year? Lippincott's Shorts

by cesarhernandez on Sep 15, 2009 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

you just wrote my sentinments on the whole singing of God Bless America

I would rec you 10 times if I could.

The Reds need a new manager, one like Putin.

by justin007000 on Sep 15, 2009 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I would guess

That most Yankee fans agree with you. (We’re commies here in the Blue States.)

There are even some who blame the lack of WS rings since 2000 on the Curse of GBA.

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

by BubbaFan on Sep 15, 2009 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I find the song God Bless America

offensive as both an American and a Christian.

Everybody's a jerk. You. Me. This jerk.

by andromache on Sep 15, 2009 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If you're going to a bookstore today to pick up The Machine

Be warned!

Today is also the day that “The Lost Symbol” – the new book by Dan Brown – comes out. You may remember Brown from such shitty Tom Hanks movies as The DaVinci Code and Angels & Demons. It’s gonna be a big seller.

by Brendanukkah on Sep 15, 2009 4:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Funny story.

I survived on rice alone for 2.5 days so I’d be going to get groceries today (the grocery store is next to a Borders) and

a. they had only ordered one copy.
b. that copy was gone
c. they couldn’t tell me whether or not someone had actually bought it, because their inventory doesn’t update when a purchase was made.

SO I DIDN’T GET IT. I’M SO ANGRY. IN AN UNRELATED NOTE, I THINK MY CAPSLOCK IS ON THE FRITZ.

(Oh, well, they had 10 copies of Dustin Pedroia’s 100% ghostwritten vanity book, I could’ve just read that right?)

Everybody's a jerk. You. Me. This jerk.

by andromache on Sep 15, 2009 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I sincerely hope you're talking about The Machine and not The Lost Symbol

"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 Sep 15, 2009 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jesus, yes, the Machine.

I think Twilight is more subtle than most Dan Brown books.

Everybody's a jerk. You. Me. This jerk.

by andromache on Sep 15, 2009 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs

Rolen

He has only been here around a month, doing well and you idiots want to trade him already?!? Trade Bruce and Bailey if you want to get rid of useless players. Add Tavaras, Janish, Stubbs, Sutton, Dickerson and McDonald . None of these players ar quality starters. they are all mediocre utility players.

by dragon43078 on Sep 16, 2009 6:16 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Bruce and Bailey are each a decade younger than Scott Rolen.

And they make a fraction of what he will make next year.

The idea is not that Scott Rolen is useless – just that he has trade value, unlike any of the other players you named. Bruce and Bailey are also in the middle of struggles – the idea is to sell high on players. Scott Rolen makes this team better, but not good enough to win. He’s also one of the few players with enough trade value to get us the pieces we need. Of course, trading Scott Rolen would only be part of what we would need to do – to actually compete next year, we’d probably have to sell on some of our better prospects, too. Maybe Bruce or Bailey – they do have potential that GMs might take a risk on, but the goal shouldn’t be to trade them.

Agreed on Taveras and McDonald – but who would want them? To get rid of them, we’re just going to have to release them.

Everybody's a jerk. You. Me. This jerk.

by andromache on Sep 16, 2009 8:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Glad to see that you joined to call everyone here idiots

but I’m really not seeing any logical consistency in your comment.

What does the length of time Rolen’s been here have to do with whether he should be traded? It seems to me that if a trade can make the team better (using whatever definition of that you prefer), you make it. I’m not seeing the relevance of length of service. Do you suggest that we only trade players who have been with the Reds for a full season?

As for the other trades you propose, andromache already made the point that a trade requires two partners. Nobody would give up anything of value for those guys, so no, we can’t really trade them to improve the team. We could, of course, release Taveras and improve the team, but that’s a different issue…

Let me write out a formal proof for you.

by Gray on Sep 16, 2009 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs