I stumbled across this clip (I'm sorry if it has already been posted somewhere here) of Votto chatting with some Toronto something or other.  He talks about Rolen being a positive influence, but my favorite part was when he said that he is "perfectly happy wearing Red right now".  I wonder if Votto will ever end up in Toronto.  If he does, I just hope it's way down the road.  I believe Bubba has already decided Joey is going to spend his twilight MLB years as a DH in New York, though, so sorry Canada!

Again, nothing significant, but nice to hear from JV:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8EdxNW5udI

With J.J. Hardy spirited away to Minnesota and Zack Cozart in line for a season of ripening, Paul Janish currently sits atop the Reds depth chart at short stop. And you needn't take my word for it - Marty Brennaman bears witness to this very fact in his most recent Hot Stove League broadcast.  Prevailing opinion on this blog maintains that Janish's glovework makes him serviceable as the Reds lack funds needed to lasso a Marco Scutaro or Miguel Tejada. To boot, Tejada and Scutaro represent players for which the Reds would likely overpay, marking another ill-advised, prospect-blocking multiyear investment.

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While I sit around and wait for the ink to dry on RayMoan's contract, I am struck dumb by excitement that Hernandez's signing has caused especially at one of the places work. My secondary work place is full of about 25 blue collar guys from 28 - 67 yrs. of age. these guys are big time sports fans - they talk sports, they eat and drink sports...to a man they are excited and relieved that Hanigan will not be considered for the starter's job in 2010. When I attempt to discuss Hanigan's on base percentage and moving him up to the #2 spot in the line up I am literally shouted down. Now I know I'm right and they are wrong but I can see why the Red's management could be heavily swayed to give the fans what they want. In this case Hernandez. And that management probably agrees with them.

Interestingly these same guys have little use for Taveris, Jannish or Dickerson. They love the Rolen move, love BP, Bruce (to a point) and Votto too. Guys like Gomes, Ballentien and Nix are shrug offs, nobody thinks that they are 'The Real Thing' and that the Reds need a big stick in LF (these are same guys that really hated on Dunn). Also interestingly this group of sports addicts are high on Stubbs and Fransisco.

I see the nearly 25 guys I work with 2.5 days week (who are totally into Football and Basketball right now) as comprising the average fan. They believe that Castellini made millions off the team in 2009, that the the reason for a lower budget for 2010 is so that Big Bob can make even more money, that the price to go to a game is outrageous and that we should be trading away guys like Harang and (many say) Jay Bruce for a proven veteran LF. Yet, half of these guys don't know who Todd Frazier is, 75% don't know Chris Heisey. Arroyo is their favorite pitcher with Voltron  Homer and Lehr next on the list. Pretty much to a man they think Harang is washed up.

Phil Castellini probably has had the same interactions that I have in talking to fans...hell he probably agrees with them. He'll pay attention to what fans say they want in an attempt to fill the seats. My guess is that this translates into a pretty boring and mediocre season for 2010.

The hopes I hold to is that Walt will pull off something...to spice up the roster or that one of the young guys will have a breakout Spring Training.

Enough of this as I really need to get to work on Slyde's novel.....

Look, I have to do something I don't normally do, because I think it's important. 

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Just got the news from Todd myself this weekend at a nightclub...

I commented on this in another post, but i just thought id make a post for it since there is really no good reds news lately.


He informed me of his decision to stay home and rest his knee up so he can go into spring training at 100% and not risk further injury.  He didn't go into detail about his knee injury, but i assume it is minor, as he walked without a limp.

Doesn’t really matter if he plays or not, he is the future of the Reds along with Votto and Bruce. That trio of hitters is the key to us posting an above .500 year. Let’s hope he gets the call sooner rather than later because a kid like Todd produces no matter what level he plays at. He is a winner.

Well Gang ...no news on the Arbitration front, the FA front or anything regarding filling the missing holes in the Red's lineup for 2010. Sure its early but already the signs are prevalent: We go with what we got and hope against reality that somehow everything will come together and the Reds will be competitive...........

Meanwhile not a word from Slyde regarding my request to be his literary agent - Nothing from the Burgerfest gang about changing the nite to an evening when I can attend. .........

Justin talks of baseball suicide while Fat Vegas Alan reappears in the nick of time.........

Me...well I was pretty bored but after reading the recent posted commentary about the Reds having no money and the possibility of dumping BP and having Jannish as the starting SS...well that got my attention. Then again Spring Training is a ways off...who knows what may happen..............

More importantly we've UC Football 10 - 0 straining to break into the top 3 nationally. A good Xavier men's BB team, a good Xavier women's BB team, an interesting UC men's team and a less interesting UC women's team but a very interesting woman's new team coach. So a lot to keep us occupied until February. .............. Plus occasional installments of Slyde's novel are on the way. Really what more could you ask for in the middle of a severe and ongoing recession?

With forecasts of payroll cuts putting the Reds' 2010 outlay between $65-$70MM, it seems likely that a salary-dumping trade will be needed to balance the ledger and accomodate arbitration raises. The most likely candidates to be dealt are Francisco Cordero, Bronson Arroyo, Aaron Harang and Brandon Phillips. This state of affairs seems to make it all but certain that while the Reds may be able to top .500 without CoCo in the 'pen, they're not likely to sniff the playoffs again in 2010 - and have little hope of improving on last year if Harang, Arroyo or Phillips depart. Managment is becoming at least dimly aware of this fact as they aremore keenly aware of the state of the books in 2010, with an eye toward 2011 - that magical year when contract committments fall off in a big way.

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The Reds are cutting payroll:

Add the Reds to the list of teams that are slashing, rather than spending, this off-season.  Fanhouse's Ed Price and Jeff Fletcher are reporting that Cincinnati is looking to cut their payroll from $71MM in 2009 to between the $65-$70MM range next season.  While it may not sound like much of a reduction, Cot's Baseball Contracts lists the Reds as owing just under $66MM to just ten players for next season, leaving little room to fill out the rest of the roster.

Lagging attendance figures are to blame for the Reds' financial cutbacks.  Price and Fletcher noted that attendance at the Great American Ballpark dropped by more than 15 percent from 2008 to 2009.  General manager Walt Jocketty was quoted in the piece as saying, "We're going to probably have less to spend this year than we have in the past...It just depends on how [ticket] sales go this offseason."

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Wednesday November 10th 

time is negotiable, its Veteran's Day (bank holiday!) 

Tink's off Ludlow in Clifton's gaslight district (by the Esquire)  

Cost: $15 or so, it's Man Up time after the atrocious Mt Adams experience 

This is the place where sukr, several years ago, almost wept in sheer delight at the taste of a Kobe burger @ Tink's. He proclaimed it the best burger he had ever consumed (and my bet is my boy has eaten a mess of burgers in his day).  This proclamation was pretty much the origination of the Burger Tour. I'm not drinking beers at Tink's due to the cost but there might be a stop afterwards at one of the neighborhood pubs which serves more economical selections.  

I think this about the last burger in town that can seriously challenge TTC or Gordo's top ranking.  

Also, any thoughts to having a First Ever RR Xmas party?  I vote Opening Day due to its centralized location and extreme cost effectiveness.  I already have my white elephant gift selected.  

The Red today announced some minor roster changes. With an overstaffed Center-Field position, we knew someone had to go.

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