Red Reposter - Depth Charge

Maybe the umpire can rule a player out of the field of play. I bet it’s like a receiver catching a ball on the sidelines, except he doesn’t have to land in the field of play. You still have to jump from the field of play.

But I’d trust Bruce to hit better if he stuck around. It’s kind of a toss-up, but I think the edge goes to ditching Stubbs…

Without Stubbs, it’d be:

LF: Gomes, Dickerson, Nix, Francisco
CF: Heisey, Dickerson? (marginally worse defense, significantly improved offense)
RF: Bruce, Dickerson, Nix

Without Bruce:

LF: Gomes, Dickerson, Nix, Francisco
CF: Heisey, Dickerson, Stubbs
RF: Nix, Dickerson, Gomes?, Francisco? (worse defense, maybe similar offense)

This includes the outfield fence. I know this to be fact because I had a book on crazy calls in baseball as a young lad. Oh, but don’t try catching a ball with your hat, that is illegal.

I’ve been an advocate of that for a while, too.

But a lot can happen between now and when he is eligible (or healthy enough) to return. For example, Springer could be DL or even DFA by then. This just buys them more time. Typically, that is how the Reds like to make their roster moves. Delay manjor roster decisions as long possible.

Hunter and gold always look good together.

Including the red hats with black bills. Why? Because Barry wore ’em.

I hate black drop shadows. Have I mentioned that before?

I do however disagree with him and you. I find myself much more in line with Michael Rosenberg’s thoughts on the matter.

Yech, Pirates, wtf.

One of the colors is clear.

What Fleischer may not completely comprehend, though, is that the odds have become stacked against Pitino over the last couple of years since some guy named John Calipari moved 80 miles down the road in Lexington and took over the Kentucky program.

For Pitino, who turns 58 in September, winning hasn’t been this difficult since he took over the Louisville program in 2001. Or maybe even since he was with the Boston Celtics.

And the worst part: Pitino has nowhere to go.

He is stuck in Louisville.

Pitino can’t return to the NBA because, well, his track record in that league doesn’t justify a third go-around.

His last hurrah was a 3½-year, near-catastrophe in Boston.

Even the Sacramento Kings weren’t interested a year or so ago.

And even worse: The guy that won a national title with Kentucky in 1996 and has taken three different programs to the Final Four couldn’t land another big-time job in the college ranks these days.

So he will, in all likelihood, ride it out and conclude his career in Louisville.

Sure, it wasn’t all that long ago that Pitino had the Cardinals as the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

That was, believe it or not, less than two years ago.

But it seems like an eternity.

Since then, Pitino has been bashed by just about everyone from the general public to colleagues with negative recruiting — and he’s watched with jealous envy as Calipari continues to stockpile elite talent at the school where he was a legend back in the 1990s.

It’s so bad that Pitino even lost his top recruit, Marquis Teague — who just happens to be the son of one of his former players — to none other than Calipari.

Crushing.

It’s gotten to the point where the guy who didn’t want to deal with one-and-done players now has his sights set on Quincy Miller — a clear-cut, one-year loaner who is a virtual lock to leave college after the 2011-12 season.

Pitino would like nothing more than to get out of Louisville and get a fresh start.

But there are no viable options.

"It would be very difficult to hire him now," said one athletic director of a top-20 caliber program. "Not with everything that’s happened. He wouldn’t be on my radar."

"No chance," said another big-time AD. "He’s almost unhireable right now."

he leads the majors in ninth inning doubles in the month of August.

But I digress… keep him away.

Gamelog for 2009 I still think he will be good depth in case of injury/rest down the stretch.