Homer: The Best Name for a Pitcher

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Y'know, I was in Wilmington, Delaware - just South of Philadelphia - on that fateful October evening in 2010 when Roy Halladay did his thing by not allowing the Reds to do their thing even once. In town for a wedding, I sat surrounded by friends and family that were die-hard Phillies fans at the height of their prowess, shunned to the corner to witness their glee at my expense. To say it was embarrassing and painful would be the understatement of the century.

This evening I picked up a few of those folks from the airport in Denver since they're in town to visit us for the 4th of July weekend, and lo and behold, Homer stepped right up and let me have my moment. Homer tossed the last no-hitter of 2012 against the team that currently possesses the best record in baseball, and he followed it up by tossing the first no-hitter of 2013 against the reigning World Series champions. Homer was a 7th inning walk to Gregor Blanco away from being the first Reds' pitcher to throw a perfect game since Tom Browning, but no matter.

Brandon Phillips hit a 2 run HR and Joey Votto hit a sac fly in the 1st, but c'mon now...Homer. Just, just Homer.

Key Plays

• The Giants stepped to the plate in the Top of the 1st, and they didn't get a hit.
• The Reds got a leadoff HR/Ground-rule-double/HR/Ground-rule double from Shin-Soo Choo in the Bottom of the 1st, and he scored 2 batters later on a sac fly from Joey Votto. Reds led, 1-0.
• The Giants stepped to the plate in the Top of the 2nd, and they didn't get a hit.
• The Giants stepped to the plate in the Top of the 3rd, and they didn't get a hit.
• The Giants stepped to the plate in the Top of the 4th, the Top of the 5th, and the Top of the 6th, and they didn't get a hit.
• In the Bottom of the 6th, Votto hit a single to center, and Brandon Phillips followed with a line-shot HR that just cleared the wall in left field. Reds led, 3-0.
• In the Top of the 7th, the Giants tried to get a hit, got a walk from Greg White, but ultimately did not get a hit.
• They tried for a hit in the Top of the 8th, but that didn't happen, either.
  
• Like the quality baseball team that they are, the Giants did their damnedest to get a hit in the 9th, but nope, that wasn't in the plans today. Homer got a soft grounder to third, and that was all she wrote. Reds 3, Giants 0!

FanGraph That Should Be Framed, Printed off, and Signed by Homer

<iframe src="http://www.fangraphs.com/graphframe.aspx?config=0&static=0&type=livewins&num=0&h=450&w=450&date=2013-07-02&team=Reds&dh=0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" height="450" width = "450" style="border:1px solid black;"></iframe><br /><span style="font-size:9pt;">Source: <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2013-07-02&team=Reds&dh=0&season=2013">FanGraphs</a></span>

Other Notes

• Homer Bailey became the first pitcher since fellow Texan Nolan Ryan in the mid 1970's to throw MLB's back to back editions of near-perfection.
• Homer Bailey, y'all.
• Remember when I proposed, like, 3 days ago that the Reds should trade Homer Bailey for Pablo Sandoval this offseason? No? Good. I don't remember that either.
• I'm not going to say that this completely alleviates the pain from watching that Buster Posey grand slam that never actually happened, but it almost does...doesn't...does.
• Homer, you're my hero. Seriously. I just drew an arrow tattoo on my forearm with a Sharpie. No I didn't.
• One time. Two times.