Lots going on, so let's get to it.
-- According to Forbes the Reds are fifth in all of baseball in the category of Operating Income. Operating Income is a company's "pre-tax, pre-interest profit". So the Reds profits last year, again according to Forbes, was 22.6 million dollars. This is why the payroll went up.
-- The blog network I'm a part of, SportsBLOGS, now has a central hub site that you can view here. SportsBLOGS was also featurd in the New York Times yesterday. (If you don't want to register for the NYT, then go here.)
-- B.J. Szymanski is hurt.
Also Monday, Dr. Kremchek removed two, not just one, bone chips from outfielder B.J. Szymanski's right knee. Szymanski was supposed to miss 2-4 weeks. It's now 4-6 weeks.
Rob Stratton is also hurt:
Tomorrow morning, Louisville OF/DH Rob Stratton will have surgery to repair a torn left Achilles tendon. He suffered the injury running prior to yesterday's game at Richmond.
Reds medical director Dr. Timothy Kremchek will perform the procedure.
Stratton possibly could play again before the end of the season.
And finally, and this won't be a surprise to anyone I don't think, Ty Howington is also injured:
Ty Howington, the oft-injured No. 1 pick, had surgery last week to loosen a shoulder capsule.Howington was having recurring tightness in his left shoulder as he tried to come back from May shoulder surgery.
"We're hoping this is the last little tweak to get him back on his rehab," O'Brien said.
-- Brandon Claussen gets the start today, and he'll be the last player in all of baseball who was on an Opening Day roster to play in a game. All of baseball. Why did the Reds go with 12 pitchers? The Reds are playing decently and all, but it couldn't hurt to have another bat on the bench instead of a pitcher who never pitches. Good luck to Claussen today, a sweep would be huge.
-- Here's a great article on Todd Coffey:
A two-lane road leads into Todd Coffey's small hometown of Forest City, N.C. One way in, one way out.In the spring of 1998, most professional baseball scouts couldn't wait to take the lane out of town. Sure, this 17-year-old Coffey kid was mowing down high school batters with an 88 mph fastball. But he also weighed 305 pounds and looked as if he should be playing offensive tackle somewhere.
Cincinnati Reds scout Steve Kring kept driving back to Forest City, however. He saw something more than just a lively right arm in Coffey. He saw confidence.
Not many 41st round draft picks ever become major leaguers. Kudos to Todd.
-- Rich Aurilia watch: .194/.219/.258 for a .477 OPS in 31 at bats. He's taken one walk so far this season. Rich has also only managed two extra base hits.
So no power, no patience, no hitting for average, and mediocre defense. Tons and tons of "veteran presence" though.
I will admit that his blooper to left last night was exciting. The bad thing is that it probably bought him a few more weeks as a starter.