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- Reds win! The win stretches the Reds lead in the central to 11.5 games. J.J. Hoover recorded his first career MLB save. J Edgar has been tremendous this year, often overshadowed in a Reds' bullpen full of studs. He's struck out 28 hitters in 26 innings pitched while posting an ERA just over 2.
- The 2013 MLB schedule was released yesterday. Opening Day has been moved back to a Monday and the Reds will open at home against the Angels. That series will be the first ever inter-league opening series in MLB history.
- Fay breaks down the schedule. The "Ohio Cup" rivalry gets a bit of a makeover next year, as the Reds will play just 4 games against the Indians. Other series of interests include 3 games with the Rangers in Texas and 4 games (2 home. 2 away) with Oakland.
- C. Trent Rosecrans: "What Makes a Good manager?" Writing a guest piece at Baseball Prospectus, C. Trent explores the various traits of a good manager. The article has quotes from several Reds players/employees. Ryan Hanigan calls Dusty a "chameleon," referring to his ability to relate to all types of people. I think many of us who fancy ourselves as "stat guys," often discount a manager's ability to connect with players on a personal level. While he may have some difficulty filling out a lineup card, Dusty seems to be one of the best in the business when it comes to managing personalities.
- Fangraphs takes a stab at the "Chapman fatigue" issue. Their basic conclusion is that there is no need to panic.
- Valdez has been in the lineup a lot recently, but Cozart is making progress. The hope is to have him fully healthy by the time the playoffs start. At this point, there's no need to rush it.
- The Reds head to Miami to face the Marlins. Arroyo will take the hill in the opener hoping to continue the roll his been on. He has posted 6 consecutive quality starts, reducing his ERA from 4.05 to 3.66 during that span.