Whelp, it's Friday again. Time to kick back with a couple of Laserdiscs of my favorite Jay Leno episodes and call up TGI Friday's to see if anything's changed on their menu before I come in for the early bird.
The Yankees are close to landing Cliff Lee
And according to Ken Davidoff of Newsday (h/t MLBTR), "The Mariners have told many interested teams that they're out of the Lee sweepstakes." Looks like the writing is on the wall. Ohio sports fans, brace yourself to have your team passed over again. In fact, just stay permanently braced. Acquiring Cliff Lee was always an outside possibility for the Reds, especially considering the money left on his contract. Aside from bemoaning what appears to be another big get for the Yankees, the AL East was probably the best place, other than Cincinnati, for the oft-traded ace to end up from the Reds' perspective. Any real concern about him beating the Reds will also mean they've made it to the World Series.
Staying positive though, Joey Votto won the Final Vote for the All Star Game!! The people united will never be defeated!
Votto has no truck with Charlie Manuel
Maybe the tune would have been different if Joey hadn't gotten in on a fan vote, but never let it be said that Joey doesn't have class. More class in his pinky finger than some self-aggrandizing professional basketball players I could name (end obligatory Lebron sour grapes). The man is a profeisscionale - if you look it up the fake Italian dictionary, you'll see a holograph of Joey crushing a homer in Citizen's Bank Park.
CNATI has a photo gallery from last night's Benny Hill-inspired game
Pratfalls, lead-changes, constables chasing roustabouts.
The catching situation is getting dire
Jocketty is still wavering on whether to DL Hernandez: "Hernandez could return three days after the All-Star Break if they DL him now. The problem may be they have no one to replace him. Ryan Hanigan reportedly left the Louisville game with a stiff neck." Might Paul Janish finally get some regular playing time? I ain't got no problem seeing that fu manchu for another week or so, but this is getting a little silly. The Reds management of recent history have a balky trigger finger on the DL gun.