This week many of us had the good fortune to head out on the highway, heavy metal thundah style, and travel to see loved ones.  As a child i always enjoyed seeing different parts of this country from the left rear window of my parents automobile du jour.  Without a doubt the highlight of those trips was when we hit a major or minor metropolitan city, especially ones that had a baseball or football stadium that I could see. The family spent a lot of time reflecting on good memories after Thanksgiving dinner and it was surprising to note how many of those memories centered on vacation or road trips for us.

Earlier this year I visited Chicago and Dallas for the first time.  Both were BIG, full of traffic, and full of sprawl.  It got me to thinking about the places Ive been over the years and which ones really left an impression on me.  The three most OBC-livable cities were Charleston, SC.....Nashville, TN....and Portland, OR.  (more on why in the comment section, perhaps) 

So what say you?  What cities have left a mark on you and why?  I think there should be some interesting viewpoints and opinions on this topic.  

(least favorite? LA. No contest.  But get around Venice/Santa Barbara and CA is pretty damn cool) 

 

Another SIS?  Re he eally?  Yup....Tis the season. 

As the site's resident sushi and burger aficianado it pleased me to see an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer today highlighting some of the best local burgers.  Then i read the article.  I havent been to ANY of those places, and I was perplexed at the burger fixins. Here's the link:

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081120/ENT01/811210311/1026

Personally I'm putting Tink's, Terry's Turf Club and Bard's Burgers atop the local rankings.  Slyders in Dayton is pretty damn delicious also. But this is really about where y'all think the best burgers are locally, or even nationwide.  What say you?

Earlier this month I was "spring cleaning" the house, albeit two seasons late. Hey, better late than never!!! I came across a couple envelopes with Reds tickets that Ive kept over the past three decades. I am missing a ton of ducats, obviously, but i decided to do a little research and see what the teams record was during those games, if anything of importance happened, etc.  Sadly I am missing the game ticket from Shea Stadium when Pete Rose either tied or broke the NL consecutive games hit record back in 78. I was there, baby! 

Reds Record:  15 W 14 L

They've won the last 7 games I've kept tickets from, after starting with a miserable 2-9 record. Amazingly 4 of those first nine losses were absorbed by one Frank Pastore.  I guess ol' Frank just didnt perform when lil obc was in attendance.

Ive seen Dusty Baker homer once.  The exact same number Ive seen Junya homer (irregardless of whether i kept the ticket or not).

 

May 15 1979 --- SD 2 Reds 1. Rollie Fingers WP, Frank Pastore LP, BS.  Tom Hume was the SP. 7 2/3 0ER!

June 24 1979  --- Reds 8 SF 7.   Doug Bair WP. Jack Clark homered, Willie McCovery caught stealing. G. Foster homered.  Bill Bonham SP. 

Aug 15 1979 --- PHI 3 Reds 2. Rose 0 for 5. Schmidt 0 for 3. Fred Norman took the lose. Espinosa pitched a complete game. Johnny Bench caught stealing.

Sept 13 1981 --- LA 4 Reds 2. B. Castillo WP, Pastore LP. DUSTY BAKER HR!!!! Oester HR.

Oct 3 1981 --- ATL 4 Reds 3. Rick Mahler WP, Seaver ND. Hume LP. Bob Horner homers twice off Seaver, Foster HR.

May 22 1982 --- Expos 4 Reds 2. S. Sanderson WP, Pastore LP. W. Cromartie HR, T. Raines SB!!!

June 27 1982 --- Braves 2 Reds 0.  G. Garber WP, Hume LP.  13 innings of 0-0 ball. Soto went 10 IP, 3H, 10K....games score of 95.  Dale Murphy goes 0 for 6.  ATL turns 7 DP.

Sep 18 1982 --- Braves 5 Reds 4.  P Niekro WP, Pastore LP. Oester 2 HR.

August 9 1984 --- Reds 8 Padres 0. J Russell WP, CG, 5H, shutout.  T. Lollar LP. Dave Parker GS.

June 21 1985 --- Braves 5 Reds 4.  R. Camp WP, J. Tibbs LP.  Dale Murphy HR.

July 21 1985 --- Reds 7 Phillies 6. J. Franco WP, D. Carman LP.  D. Parker and D. Billardello HR. M. Schmidt 0 for 4. Samuel, Schu, G. Wilson HR.

May 7 1986 --- an apparent rain out.

September 3 1989 ---- Reds 9 Dodgers 5.  R Rodriquez WP, R Seanez LP.  Quinones and J Richardson HR.

August 11 2001 --- Reds 7 Rockies 3. J Acevedo WP, Bohanon LP.  A. Boone and LaWhiff HR.

Sept 11 2003 --- Reds 3 Pirates 2.  Scott Randall wins in relief of Danny Serafini. D'Amico LP.

June 12 2004 --- Indians 8 Reds 7. Betancourt WP, Phil Norton LP.  LaWhiff HR. Matt Lawton HR. Graves BS.

July 3 2004 --- Reds 4 Indians 2.  P Wilson WP, S. Elarton LP. M Lawton HR, D. Jimenez HR.

Aug 28 2004 --- ARI 6 Reds 3. Fossum WP, Norton LP.

Sep 25 2005 --- PHI 6 Reds 3. C. Lidle WP, R. Keisler LP. EE HR, Rollins HR, Utley HR.

June 9 2005 --- Reds 14 TB 5. L Hudson WP, Fossum LP. Cruz and LaWhiff HR. Freel has 3 SB.

August 5 2005 --- FL 5 Reds 1. Vargas WP, Milton LP. Sea Bass HR. 

Apr 6 2006 --- Reds 6 Pirates 5. R White WP, M Gonzalez LP.  Dunn HR.

June 16 2006 ---- White Sox 12 Reds 4. F Garcia WP, B Claussen LP.  Kearns Aurilia HR.

July 22 2006 --- Reds 8 Brewers 7.  T. Coffey WP, G Gonzalez LP. Freel 2 HR, Hatte HR.  Joe Mays started, game score 29. Guardado SV.

July 6 2007 --- Reds 5 ARI 4. EE HR. Coutlangus WP, Pena LP.  Bailey and Webb were SP's.  Reds take the lead in the 8th. 

April 6 2008 --- Reds 6 ARI 5.  Affeldt WP, Lyon LP.  EE Walkoff HR. CPat and BP HR earlier in game.

 

May 7 2008 --- Reds 9 Cubs 0. Volquez WP, Lieber LP.  Reds hit 7 HR, Votto goes yard 3x.

May 31 2008 --- Reds 8 Braves 7 (10 innings) Cordero WP, Acosta LP. J Bruce 1st career HR 10th inning WALKOFF.  Junya's 599th. 

Sept 7 2008 --- Reds 4 Cubs 3. Cordero WP, K Wood LP, BS.  Reds score 3 in bottom of 9th to win.

Sept 20 2008 --- Reds 4 Brewers 3. Cueto WP, Sabathia LP, Cordero SV. Micah Owings PH game.

First, I'd like to congratulate Timmy for being selected to receive the 2008 Cy Young Award.  Second, I'd like to ackowledge that Drew Stubbs just might be a major league ballplayer after all...and i'd seriously like to see him start in center Opening Day.  Third, I usually play a stupid game on draft days.  I try to come up with whom I believe my favorite team should draft based on the players available at the time of their first round selection.  I'm pretty sure I could have outselected Mikey Brown (Steven Jackson, dammit!) but my results for the Reds might mediocre.  And I usually have NO idea who anyone is selected below the 2nd round, so this isnt a Bill Simmons style pimping for a GM job ovah here.  Here's my halfcrocked selections over the past several seasons:

 

2008:  Aaron Crow RHP Missouri (Alonso)

2007: Casey Weathers RHP Vanderbilt  (the HS catcher guy)

2006: Lincecum (Stubbs)

2005: Christopeher Volstad RHP HS.  I was hoping Cameron Maybin was gonna slip to Reds.  (Jay Bruce)

2004: Jered Weaver RHP. Boras be damned. (Homer Bailey.  But I was aligned with the pick as option 1a)

2003: Cant Remember. (Ryan Wagner)

2002: Prince Fielder 1B.  (Chris Gruler) 

 

Clearly this was a post to stall doing more housework.  Nothing like having work closed for business and the kiddos in school all day. Tough gig, right?  : )

 

Coming this weekend:  this offseason's first SIS, as promised to jch. 

 

Its pretty obvious Sparky is going to win this in a landslide.  I think Hutch would be 2nd, and Sweet Lou takes the bronze. 

Who else garnes some votes?  Pete had four 2nd place finishes in a row, didnt he? I miss those days.  McKeon got us to a one game playoff almost a decade ago, and Johnson had one postseason appearance(with a series win over the Dodgers).

Dusty aint gonna make the list, but he has to be the highest paid, isnt he? And he's gonna be here for a couple more years.

So.....if you could make the decision on the next Reds manager who would YOU select???

its totally nontraditional, but Im leaning towards Greg Vaughn.  I keep hearing how much of a leader he was in the clubhouse.

I'd appreciate it if y'all would click on the link below and vote for "Stronger", written by my longtime friend Jason Phelps.  Its a long story but he is EXTREMELY talented and this really could be a HUUUUUUUUUUGE break, one of the nicest guys you would ever meet. He is the singer for "The Reds Are On The Radio" bump on Reds broadcasts.  

Thanks gang, I appreciate it...  

 

 

Local Songwriters Are "American Idol" Finalists

 

More than a year ago, Jason Phelps and Mendy Shaw wrote a song called "Stronger," inspired by the difficulty in breaking into the music business. Now "Stronger" could be their big break.

"Stronger" is one of 20 finalists in the "American Idol" songwriting competition. It was chosen from "thousands" of online entries, though "Idol" publicists won’t say exactly how many.

Shaw, a 1987 Little Miami High School graduate from Lebanon, and Phelps, a 1991 Sycamore High School graduate and Blue Ash native, have been collaborating for about six years. You might recognize Phelps from his days as the WLW-AM production director (1998-2002), or as the singer for Pay The Girl (had a Billboard top 20 hit with "Freeze" played heavily on Q102), or as a solo act in clubs around town. Two years ago, he moved to Atlanta to become music director for the Clear Channel creative services group. Shaw's full-time job is selling pharmaceuticals.

Anyway, they need your support to win the contest. Here’s what you need to know:
--It's not a quick process.
--You can vote just once per email address at http://songwriter.americanidol.com/
--You have to register first, then be sent an email by Fox to be able to vote.
--You're not just voting for one song. You're rating the songs (1-10), with 10 the highest rating.
--You must listen to at least 20 seconds of a song before you rate it.
--You won't see the names of Jason Phelps, Mendy Shaw or any of the composers. You'll just see song titles. (Remember: "Stronger!")

Online voting closes April 23. The winning song will be performed by the two "American Idol" finalists on Tuesday, May 20, the last night of competition, and again by the winner on Wednesday, May 21. Last year over 2 million online votes were cast for "This Is My Now," written by Jeff Peadoby and Scott Krippayne. It was the first hit on Jordin Sparks' debut album.

Shaw isn’t quitting her day job just yet.

"You try not to get too excited in case nothing happens," says Shaw, who has made frequent trips to Nashville to pitch and record her songs. "You try a lot of things to get your foot in the door. I've been really close at times to getting my song on a record, and close to a record contract. We feel very fortunate to be chosen for the top 20, because there are a lot of great songs out there. If this is all that happens, that's OK too."

Just getting this thing posted is going to be about the extent of my contribution. I officially recommend eating something prior to attending a Reds game with the RR crowd, I have regret for being so eager to mock Slyde for hustling off early in the game for "food". 

 

So let the good times roll, lets help obc remember the evening. 

Lets keep a running tally of beers consumed this season, or at least for Opening Day.  I am willing to give everyone a head start, since I am at work today and have the kids this evening.  Right now I am putting the current leaders at, roughly, 6(sukr) and 5(ash).  I am wagering that Ash takes over the lead before the end of the day. 

 

What's in your wallet?

This time is short and its sweet, it doesnt pertain to his impact on the community or the fact i believe he is the best interview on the team. (although Im proud of Brandon Phillips for stepping it up a notch the past year or so)

Here is the kicker, courtesy of Jason Stark.

Ugly bullpen numbers blow up entire teams.

When your bullpen is a mess, said Reds starter Bronson Arroyo, "There's just a cloud hanging over you. You know how teams like the Red Sox feel like they're always in a game, because when it gets late, they feel like that's their point in the game? Well, when you have a club that kind of feels the opposite, you're thinking, 'Uh-oh. We're up by five, but can we hold it?' And that's a bad feeling. Once you feel like you can't get the job done at that end of the game, you never feel confident."

And Arroyo ought to know. He had more quality starts last year (22) than Johan Santana, Roy Oswalt or Josh Beckett -- and still wound up 9-16. Part of that was due to five blown saves. But just as much was due to one of the pitching profession's most dreaded afflictions -- Fear of Leaving the Game Disease.

"When you've got 105 pitches and you've thrown six [innings]," Arroyo said, "and you feel like, 'All right. I've got the game where I want it, but maybe I don't have enough stuff right now' ... the last two years, I felt like I still had to take the ball because we had so many problems in the seventh and eighth innings. ... Now, hopefully, I'll be confident enough to come out after six innings, maybe being a little tired, and hand the ball over to the bullpen, instead of trying to muster up an extra inning."

Think it's some kind of accident that Arroyo and Aaron Harang have thrown more innings over the past two years (451 1/3 and 466, respectively) than any two teammates in baseball? Yeah, sure it is. In the same kind of way it's an accident the sun sets in the west every night.