Red Reposter - A Vote For Votto is a Vote for America! And Canada!

Red Reposter's Fine Ham Abounds brought to you by the Canadian Fine Ham Association.  - One Bajillion - Times you should Vote Votto before Thursday's deadline. 

• We are all rightfully outraged by Joey Votto's All-Star Game snub
  but he's ok with it. That's just how cool this guy is. The prettiest girl in high school won't go out with him? No prob, 'cause he only dates college chicks. Who needs an All-Star game when he's gonna be the World Series MVP anyway? Early returns suggest he is leading the Final Vote by a narrow margin over the Nationals' 3B Ryan Zimmerman. Keep voting Votto. Right the Wrong.

• Billy Wagner has seen the writing on the wall
  "I won’t win the final vote," said Wagner, a six-time All-Star who is 0-for-2 on final vote ballot in 2005 and 2006. "I’m not a fan favorite. (A leading sports network of dubious reputation) is running promos for Joey Votto, what’s that tell you?" Keep voting Votto folks. Right the Wrong.

• Scott Rolen was calmer than Jerry Manuel about that controversial HBP call
  "Without a doubt, it hit me," Rolen said. "I knew something was wrong when the runners weren’t advancing. (Umpire Jerry Meals) said I swung and it was a foul tip. "I said, ‘if that’s your call, you got it wrong.’ I wasn’t going to yell and scream." The umpires met and changed the call to a hit by pitch, forcing in a run. "Looking at the replay, they got it right," Rolen said. "Good for them. That’s all you’re looking for." Manuel was ejected when he blew a gasket over the call. It led to a six-run inning and a Reds win.

• Aaron Harang was supposed to beat Mike Pelfrey last night
  but his back was a bit sore so he sat it out and let Travis Wood do it instead. Harang is trying to sleep it off in order to get out there and beat Johan Santana tonight, but it all depends on how he feels today. Matt Maloney is scheduled to start for the Bats, so I assume he'd be on an early flight to NYC if Harang needs a DL stint. If he just needs a few days, I would assume Micah Owings would get a spot-start.

• Sheldon sez Paul Janish is the first player to enter a game as a sub
  and go 4-4 with a homer since True Yankee Paul O'Neill pinch-hit for Rolando Roomes in the 3rd inning on April 18, 1990 (woo-hoo!). What's a guy gotta do to get some playing time around here?!

• Brandon Phillips has been leading-off for over a week now
  and he is hitting the lights out of the ball. It was supposed to be a temporary move, as Orlando Cabrera has been awful pretty much all season. "Second was temporary, too, (for BeeP)" Baker said. "Batting second, that’s when we really took off, when he started batting second and (Scott) Rolen moved to fourth." It seems that every lineup tweek Baker has made this season has come up roses. It also means that there is a logical place in the lineup for Stephen Drew when the Reds get him and Dan Haren from the DBacks.

• Make no mistake, the Reds are winning because they are crushing the ball
  They lead the NL in team wOBA with .a 347 mark. And it isn't all because they play at GABP, as they are 2nd in park adjusted offense too. David Golebiewski doesn't think it will last though, as seven of the Reds 8 regular starters are projected to cool off over the rest of the season. I figured going into the season that the offense was going to be the weak link, so this doesn't exactly elicit a reaction of surprise from me. I also am fully confident that the rotation and bullpen have under-performed about as much as the lineup has over-performed, so we are still going to the playoffs! Woo-hoo!

• Travis Wood and Chris Valaika have been named to the International League All-Star team
  Woody posted a 3.26 FIP over 102 innings for the Bats before being called up to the Reds last week. Valaika is kind of a head-scratcher, as his .293 batting average is kind of hollow. A .326 OBP and a .372 SLG do not an All-Star make (ask Omar Infante). His keystone mate Zack Cozart has performed better, playing a more difficult position while slugging 10 homers and 20 doubles. Regardless, congratulations are in order. Good work Travis and Chris!  hat tip to RLN

• Walt Jocketty cannot confirm nor disconfirm the team's interest in Ace-For-Hire Cliff Lee
  "We'll do whatever we can to improve the club," Jocketty told MLB.com on Monday. "It's going to have to be a significant improvement to disrupt what we've got -- the chemistry and so forth of the club." One expects that any deal for Lee would center around top prospect Yonder Alonso. The M's are looking for bats and Yonder is stuck behind some guy named Joey Votto. I don't know why, because I've never even heard of him. He never made an All-Star team, so how can he block a top-prospect? I just don't get this team sometimes.