Cincinnati Reds Links 5/21/15

For the past week, the most interesting thing about the Reds to the national baseball-following populace, I mean, other than the fact that everyone thinks we should trade every player on the team, was that we kind of, sort of set our own ballpark on fire, that is, more on fire that it was supposed to be. Yesterday, the Reds concluded that the fire was caused by a bad firework, but in my view, I think it really showed  a lack of leadership in the Reds clubhouse. The Reds have not made any announcement on whether or not Walt Jocketty is the pope now. The smokestacks should be back in being-on-fire-but-not-too-on-fire business for our home game on Monday.

Hal McCoy is lauding the Reds baserunning this season - especially their mark of 43 stolen bases vs. 6 (now 7) times caught stealing. It really is a pretty remarkable number - and certainly places us in the "not running like idiots" category (Dodgers. WTF.). The only non-catcher position player on the roster without a stolen base is Skip Schumaker. Both Todd Frazier and Joey Votto give Bryan Price credit for encouraging smart aggressiveness on the basepaths, and preparation by both players and coaches. In addition to the fact that the Reds are good at stealing bases, McCoy also notes that stealing bases creates offense, and that the Reds have not created offense this year, which, apparently there are no logical conflicts raised, there.

Here's a brief piece on the newest-ish Red, Ryan Mattheus, who has so far, allowed 2 runs and 4 hits in 3 1/3 innings for the Reds. From the Article:

Mattheus underwent Tommy John surgery in 2009 and has suffered a series of what he called "quirky" injuries that have slowed his development. The most notable was in 2013 when he suffered a right hand injury when he slammed his glove into a locker after allowing five runs in an inning in San Diego.

I hate to break it into you, Ryan, but that is not a quirky injury. I mean, it doesn't sound at all like something Zooey Deschanel would do, so...

You want to drink Reds All Star Game Wine, don't you? I can't imagine why you wouldn't. Read more here, for some kind of hilarious discussion on the venn diagram between baseball-watchers and wine-drinkers.

Also, Macklemore and Snoop Dogg will be in the ASG celebrity softball game. So. Yay.