Fanshots

Talking Reds with Brew Crew Ball

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I took some questions about the Reds for the Series Preview over at SBNation's Brewers' blog. I tried as hard as I could to hide my seething jealousy.

Somewhere, Buck O'Neil is smiling.

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Until recently finding stats for Negro League players was nearly impossible, that is finally beginning to change. The website SeamHeads.com has begun a project to compile statistics (including WAR, wOBA, and Win Shares) of the Negro Leagues. They are not yet finished, but they now have six full seasons of US Negro League stats (1916-1922), plus eight years of the racially integrated Cuban Winter League (1905-1913) available for your perusal. A big tip of the cap to the fine folks at Seam Heads for undertaking this long overdue project.

2012 Reds' schedule released

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Opening Day is on a Friday next year and not in March (April 6). The Reds will begin their season against the newly-municipal Miami Marlins. Interleague play is kinder this season: DET, CLE and MIN at home, Yankees and Indians away.

Jocko to the Cubs and Ramirez to the Reds?

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here is the quote from MLBTradeRumors in case you don't want to jump over to there ... The Reds will discuss the idea of signing third baseman Aramis Ramirez if he reaches free agency, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. I think signing Ramirez would really push the Reds' payroll to the limit, assuming they also pick up Brandon Phillips' club option. The Cubs must decide between Ramirez's $16MM club option and a $2MM buyout within five days of the end of the World Series, so the team's new GM may not yet be in place. After the Cubs decide, Ramirez has five days to make his choice on the option (declining would mean forfeiting the buyout). Ramirez wants to stay, but he recently told ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine he desires a two or three-year deal. One scenario raised during informal discussions (presumably ones including owner Tom Ricketts) has the Cubs hiring current Reds GM Walt Jocketty, which could then lead to the team snaring Tony La Russa to manage and Albert Pujols to play first base, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Jocketty declined to comment, saying that he's happy in Cincinnati, but also lavished praise on the Cubs job and noted that the team extending farm director Oneri Fleita "shouldn't be" a hindrance. Wittenmyer says the Cubs are gathering information on Andrew Friedman, Billy Beane, Dan Evans, and Ned Colletti so far. Ricketts has yet to ask permission to speak to any GM under contract, writes Levine. In a chat conducted yesterday, Levine guessed Rick Hahn would be the next Cubs' GM.

And here is that home run, off a ball on the lower inside corner of the zone. Juan Francisco's...

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And here is that home run, off a ball on the lower inside corner of the zone. Juan Francisco's Giant Splash Hit was the longest home run of the season to date, the second-longest HR in GABP history at a reputed 502 feet - and the only to clear the Moon Deck in the stadium's history. The distance was announced over the GABP pubic address system. As Slyde and Big League Stew notes, the 502 ft distance is disputed by ESPN's HR Tracker, which lists it at 482. That would bump it down to 6th longest in GABP history (though that list does not appear to have been updated since '08).

Elimination-mas imminent!

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Our elimination number is 2. At least the fans will get to experience the event at home! As Jay Bruce's Walk-Off HR became the defining memory of last year's team, what would be the most symbolic way for the 2011 Reds to lose this week to ensure they can all take a vacation to the Poconos in time for peak foilage?

Nyjer Morgan incites brawl after throwing tobacco at Chris Carpenter

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I know Carpenter is a persona non grata around these parts, but it's hard to see Tony Plush in any more charitable light here than a candidate in a "clothespin ballot" for NL Central's Most Petulant.

This never would've happened if Jonny Gomes wasn't traded.

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This never would've happened if Jonny Gomes wasn't traded.