MSP Reds Annual Article Review #1

"Sustainable Farming" by Geoffrey Taylor 

I'm reading the Annual Articles out of sequential order. This article was the first one i flipped to and began reading in the MSPRA. It begins by describing a game at Wrigley Field from August 8, 2010.  Oddly, I was at that game and a pic I shot with the camera phone from roughly the Bartman Seat is my drooooooooid background.  Travis Wood pitched a great game, 6.1 IP, END started at 3B and struggled greatly just getting infield practice throws on target to the 1B. But Geoffrey points out that 7 of the 9 positional players in the starting lineup were homegrown, a fact that I must admit I didnt pick up on despite being at the game myself.  Here is the game thread from that game.  (Buy the annual to learn what seven players that day were homegrown.  Or just look it up on Retrosheet, I guess) 

The rest of the article details homegrown players on last years Rangers and Phillies ballclubs and transitions into much greater detail on the homegrown talent on the 1975, 1976, 1979, 1990 and 1995 divisional championship Reds ballclubs.  Overall a very interesting and informative read, the bar for the MSPRA has been set high. 

Best photo:  The Great Eight pictured lining up on the third base line before a game.  The order was Rose, Morgan, Bench, Perez, Foster, Concepcion, Griffey and Geronimo.  Davey sixth? And ahead of Griffey?  The elder Griffey had OBPs of .391 and .401 in 75/76, i had no idea he batted 7th at any point of those seasons.  

Favorite photo: Mike Leake from the 2010 Civil Rights Game.  I love the clean lines of this jersey and the color scheme of the Reds insignia.  I'd love for this jersey to be the regular Reds home jersey.  Also, this was one of the best games of the season.  Phenomenal ending.  OCAB! Got $500?

My Editorial Constructive Criticism:  The term "homegrown" was used 11 times in the first two pages.  

Unexpected Flashback:  a Mike LaCoss reference, sadly as the Reds' 2nd best starting pitcher in 1979 and the only one not named Seaver to pitch 200IP.   Methinks I would have lost a bet to someone who stated that Mike LaCoss (whom i vividly remember) was ever the Reds 2nd best SP or that he ever threw 200 IP in a season.  

Spoiler Alert: there is a photo of Juan Francisco on the last page of the article.  Ugh.