Red Reposter's Fake World Cup Primer, brought to you by the Childrens Museum of Indianapolis, curator of the largest collection of kid skeletons in the world. The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis: a museum of children (not recommended for children under the age of 13). - 6 - Games Chris Heisey has started in his month-and-a-half long big league career. In his very limited exposure to major league pitching, he has iced their cupcakes to the tune of a .480 wOBA. Drew Stubbs' .327 wOBA is right at league-average, so it's not like he deserves a benching. Jonny Gomes' .376 and Jay Bruce's .355 are also very strong, giving the Reds 4 OFs who deserve to start. With ~18 starts a week available in the OF, you'd like to see a bit more balance. Something like Bruce - 6, Gomes - 5, Stubbs/Heisey - 3/4. Luckily the Reds have 6 straight games with a DH coming up, so hopefully Heisey starts at least 5 of those games. I have a feeling if he gets a solid week on the field he will make it impossible for Dusty to sit him. It's definitely a good problem to have.
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Helluva win yesterday, huh?
"We needed that badly," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "That’s the epitome of a getaway day right there." The 7 innings of 1-run pitching tell me Goodroyo showed up, but the 6 walks make me want to check the birth certificate to make sure. Though he walked the world, he also got 3 double plays, all of the 3-6-1 variety. Dusty said, "I don’t think I’ve ever seen three 3-6-1 double plays like that. It shows Bronson’s athletic ability."
Also from this article, Orlando Cabrera says he's been hobbled by a sprained ankle for a few weeks. "Every day it’s a struggle, but I can still play...I’m just old. We’re in first place, that’s all that matters." His .298 wOBA and replacement-level total production tell me that he is not only old, but perhaps too old. Imagine what this offense could do without a black hole in the lead off spot (woah, deja vu). I'm not one to believe Paul Janish is The Answer, but I have to believe he could do better than this. I believe more than a few of you out there in Internet Land could do better. -
Wednesday's game was a tough loss
I feel much better after Goodroyo drove the boat over the Dodgers yesterday, but Wednesday's game was the kind that sticks in your craw. The game didn't hinge on it, but Scott Rolen's strike out/ejection was a big play. "I thought it was a little low," Rolen said. "He (umpire Hunter Wendelstedt) didn’t think it was low. We had a slight misunderstanding there...He said, ‘Why don’t you go in and sit in the cold tub and get ready for (Thursday’s) day game?’ I said, ‘That’d be great.’" I'm not certain, but I think Rolen is fibbing a bit here. From the pics I've seen, he appears to have not been as cordial as he presents himself here. -
CNATI has a nice gallery of photos from Wednesday's stinker
There is a really great shot of Dusty tossing his crackers at Wendelstedt. -
Awwwwwwwww, Dusty is in truuuuh-ble!
His mom totally caught him cursing IN PUBLIC! "I’ll hear from my Mom," Baker said (regarding is ejection on Wednesday) "Cursing in public … she doesn’t like that." I heard he's gonna be grounded for THREE WHOLE MONTHS!! It's so unfair! Melissa says he can hopefully talk her into letting him go to the Springtime Pumpkin Dance, but if she won't let him she'll have to go by herself! Barf-olla!! -
Has the pitching suffered since Ryan Hanigan landed on the DL?
Chris Garber at Redleg Nation asks us to consider the question. Turns out the rotation has been demonstrably worse in the games Ramon Hernandez calls. Is it a sampling issue? Probably. It could also be a bit of a selection bias, as Hernandez usually catches certain pitchers. Whatever the case may be, I still miss my boy Hanigan. -
Chris Dickerson's wrist is progressing slowly, but surely
"It's going pretty well," Dickerson said of hitting. "I don't feel like the power is even close. But it's getting close to where it's pain free. It's just a matter of time. Hopefully, by Sunday, I will be taking light batting practice. I might even try acupuncture to see if anything can loosen up the tightness in my forearm." I would be surprised if we see him before August, if ever again. Kid just can't stay healthy. With all the options emerging in the outfield, he may be squeezed to Louisville or off the roster entirely. -
Ever wonder why managers bat replacements in the same spot as starters?
Me too. Joe Pawlikowski doesn't have an answer, but he stretches out his rhetorical lobes for some fruitless exercise. When Miguel Cairo is subbing for Joey Votto or Scott Rolen, he always hits at the top of the lineup. Last year when Paul Janish was more or less handed the SS position he most often hit in the 2 spot, where the SS hit pretty much all season regardless of name or skill. Is it just creative laziness? Is it about not upsetting the feng shui? That's something I really would like to know. Next RedsFest imma get to the bottom of this! -
Mark Hulet checks in with the first-round picks from last season
We know our boy Mike Leake's got a real cool hand: "Like Strasburg, Leake is currently pitching in a big league starting rotation. What’s more impressive, though, is that he’s done it since the beginning of the 2010 season and never did pitch in the minors. Leake is nowhere near as dominating as the first overall pick, but he has a nice ground-ball rate of 51% and a respectable xFIP at 4.28." -
JinAZ's BtB Power Rankings have the Reds holding steady at #11
That's good for the "On Paper" Wild Card! Take heart, loyal readers! Though they have been struggling of late, they still look like one of the best teams in the NL. wOOt!!
Happy birthday, Mrs. Scrabbles!