Despite the sound and fury, the roster remains intact
According to Jocketty, Phillips is available for the Cubs this weekend, while Nix is day-to-day and will not be listed disabled. Walt also thinks it unlikely that the team will add a reliever in advance of September 1st. Looks like the plan is to limp along until rosters expand. With the Central lead swollen to 4.0 games and Phillips still in possession of two un-broken wrists, things look much better than they did a mere 24 hours a go. The org's reluctant use of the DL can be vexing, but here it seems defensible so close to September, if not entirely wise. Wlad has been killing it at Louisville, but he's both out of options and without a 40 man spot, so the alternative is adding Francisco 5 days early and losing Nix for 14.
John Erardi has some follow-up on his wonderful article on Chapman's ascendancy
In case you missed it, Erardi wrote an in-depth snapshot of Chapman last weekend in the Enquirer, which was also translated al Espanol. Erardi offers some afterglow from the article, peppering in the Spanish Cormac McCarthy-style. Apparently the Reds have a policy of not making the Buena Wrist-a Crucial Sub (what are we calling him now? help me out) available for interviews after games in which he did not appear.
There isn't a better voice out there on Chapman, nor on the opportunity to embrace multiculturalism in Cincinnati through sports:
I hope that when the Reds lay out the red carpet for him that it will be a bilingual one.
And I hope the Reds will relent and let the Cuban Missile tell his story - his whole human-interest story. We promise to tell it in both languages.
Cincinnati is increasingly a cosmopolitan town. Our baseball team should showcase it.
OMGreds really cranked it into high gear during the off day
priming the Chapman rumor mill. I'm sure you've already read it in the tabs, but Aroldis was sighted out at ultra-posh hotspot, Kenwoode Towne Centre . Along with Erardi, hopes against hope that Chapman could be up before the 1st, but it seems pretty unlikely. Aside from Jocketty explicitly saying September is the ETA, there would have been some serious milking ahead of the weekend serious if Chapman were truly on the way.
OMGreds, they are really on the spot, I must say
With a full run-down weekend appearances by real live Reds players, including:
JOEY VOTTO
Sunday, August 29, 6-7 PM ET
Joey Votto will sign autographs and meet fans at the Newport Remke bigg’s store.
Gracing the cover of SI doesn't mean Joey's only going to sign organic photos at Whole Foods. He's a man of the people.
One more from those prolific superfans at OMGReds
This year's Hall of Fame class appeared in Montgomery, OH, did good work, ate ribs. OMGReds has a thorough treatment. I'm glad I don't have to do any real reporting.
Reds have the third largest attendance jump from 2009
It may be a low bar, but the winning = more ticket sales formula has held up to scrutiny.
Owings accepts assignment to AAA
He was sorta already there before, but now he's not on the "list." Liberating, right? Hope Micah doesn't feel do bad about not being claimed - I think the off-season arbitration raise probably scared off any team that might have considered him for next season. Owings could be a critical piece to the Bats playoff run, though he will almost certainly be non-tendered in the offseason (unless I'm mistaken about how all this works, in which case ignore this entire post).
ESPN's interupts its coverage of Manny Ramirez's contract rider to talk about the Reds (sp??) and Cards
Oklahoma City's Scott makes a point I pretty well agree with, especially witnessing the Reds' young arms hit a wall lately: If the Reds don't make the playoffs it won't be because they couldn't match Pujols and Holliday. It will be because their starting pitching faltered. Rob Neyer talks past Scott here a little, and I'm not sure how much sense it makes to talk about sustainability this late in the season, but this is refreshingly well-considered funditry:
I'm not sure that we can expect an offense that performed so miserably just one year ago to continue performing so brilliantly this year. I think the true Cincinnati offense isn't quite this good, and that we'll see a small tick downward in September. Whether the Cardinals are good enough and lucky enough to take advantage ... Well, that's something nobody can know. Which is why we watch.
MLBTradeRumors takes a look at Votto's prospects for an extension
Just give him whatever he wants. And stop sending him to Biggs. Unless he likes it.
From the Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum and Are Leading the Blind to Slaughter Dept.
Pete Rose has some advice for Roger Clemens.
From Fangraphs: "Baseball Nicknames Useta Be Way Better"
Maybe so. But from the Reds angle, things get inane when you start arguing Dummy and Noodles > Gookie and Pokey.