On the recent Why is Cincinnati So Racist post, the subject was raised of Pete Rose having closer friendships with the black and hispanic players than with the white players in the 60's.

It's true that he did. The following comes from the book Crosley Field by Rhodes and Erardi.

Rose loved (Frank) Robinson and his buddy, Vada Pinson, because the black fielders befriended him when the white players wouldn't; they were upset that Rose had taken (Don) Blasingame's job. Rose splashed on their brand of cologne, wore his baseball pants long and tight like them, warmed up with them on the field before the game. The Reds' front office told Rose to stop hanging around the blacks. "It's bad for your image," he was told. Rose ignored the advice, just as he ignored it when manager Fred Hutchinson passed along the same message from above. Johnny Temple said Hutchinson told him in 1964 to make sure of two things: that Rose didn't hang around with the black players and that Rose learned how to use a knife and fork when he ate.

Want a feel-good comeback win? Play the Reds. After last night's you've-got-to-be-kidding-me loss, I decided to look over the box scores and see just how bad our bullpen really is.

I can't believe this is true, but it is: We have had the lead in in the 5th inning or later in 22 of the 50 games we've lost.

Of the remaining 28 losses, we were tied in the 5th or later in five of them.

I have nothing more to say about this, except that I just noticed my Skyline tastes saltier than usual, because I'm crying in it.

The Braves have lost 9 in a row and are in last place. They are worse than the $15-million-payroll Fightin' Fish.

After 15 years -FINALLY- I can dance on the grave of the Braves dynasty.

Braves: How do I hate thee? Let me count the ways:

Continue reading this post »

[Thanks for putting this up jgoodfri! Much appreciated. - JD]

Tony LaRussa's St. Louis Cardinals: 45-25
vs.
Jerry Narron's Cincinnati Reds: 1-0

Pitching matchup: Mulder vs. Ortiz

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2078917

From the '73 NLCS, to the '99 playoff game, to their inability to win despite having a huge payroll,

I'VE NEVER LIKED THE METS.

Now that they've signed Grave Digger, I've got another reason. Let's hope they play Graves the next time we see them. It's payback time!

I don't expect to see another Reds championship in my lifetime, thanks to baseball's lack of revenue sharing and the franchise's own problems.

If the franchise is dead, the question is, on what day did it expire. I would suggest the following possibilities:

October 14, 1995:
The Braves defeat the Reds 6-0 to complete a NLCS sweep. In the series, the Reds score a total of 5 runs in 39 innings of play. This season marks the end of over a decade of consistently competitive play for the franchise.

February 10, 2000:
Coming off a good winning season, and with a new ballpark in the works, the Reds sign Ken Griffey, Jr. 'Nuff said.

May 2, 2005:
Returning home after a disasterous road trip, the Reds allow a 7 run comeback in the 9th against the Cardinals. The loss highlights all the Reds' problems in terms of indifferent play, bad attitudes, poor coaching, and questionable roster moves.

I invite your comments. Thanks. Joe