Reds Tidbits (2009 season)

[Honor&Glory]

Originally Posted by Dryden

I really hate Karl Ravech and the ESPN baseball crew. The fixation with Sox/Yankees aside, they rarely say anything related to the Reds beyond a passing comment when announcing the box score.

Last night, the Reds staff threw it's sixth shutout of the year. What does Ravech ask Tim Kurkjian after showing highlights of the game? He asks about how good the Marlins pitching staff has been!

Or take this poll for the best of April:

ESPN: SportsNation Polling - 3829 - SportsNation

Joey Votto isn't even on it.

That is why I stopped watching 'Baseball Tonight' on ESPN...the other show on the MLB Network is far superior.

[brodybuck21]

Originally Posted by Honor&Glory

That is why I stopped watching 'Baseball Tonight' on ESPN...the other show on the MLB Network is far superior.

man i wish insight carried the MLB network....

[Dryden]

Good 'ole Dusty!

Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati Cincinnati Reds | Cincinnati.Com

Dusty Baker knows that a lot of people in fan land would like to see Laynce Nix in left field.

"But the fans don't make out the lineup," Baker said. "Nix is going to play. Fans didn't even know who Nix was when we got him. You're not going to play him over Jay Bruce or Willy Taveras. That leaves left field. Who's got more talent than Chris Dickerson? Last year, Dickerson was the fair-haired boy. People wanted me to play him every day against right- and left-handers."

It's a small sample but Nix has outplayed Dickerson so far. Nix is hitting .333 with a home run and three RBI in 30 at-bats. He's 4-for-his-last-7 and has scored a run in his last five appearances. Dickerson is hitting .204 with a home home run and five RBI in 49 at-bats. Nix has no errors, Dickerson has three.

Baker tends to stick with players longer than fans would like. He won't take a position away based on a small sample.

"I ain't no front-runner," he said.

Cont'd ...

If Nix is indeed 'back' from his troubles after losing that collision with the outfield wall in Arlington back in '05, he could really fill a void in the lineup. Of course, you can't make too much of Nix's performance thus far given the small sample size and the fact that every bum under the sun has been given a cup of coffee with the Reds over the past ten seasons and looked like an All-Star in April.

I'm in the camp that would like to see Nix get more PT in LF. It couldn't hurt.

FWIW, Heisey is tearing it up in AA now, not that this Reds line-up could benefit from a right handed bat with a 1.314 OPS vs southpaws though.

[Honor&Glory]

Originally Posted by brodybuck21

man i wish insight carried the MLB network....

it is pretty good if you're a baseball fan. The show starts at 4:30 in the afternoon on game days and runs until the last out of the last game. They have their own cameras installed in all the ball parks and when a situation comes up in tight game they do live look-ins on all the games. Their "30 teams in 30 days" pre-season previews were about as good as it gets.

[brodybuck21]

Originally Posted by Honor&Glory

it is pretty good if you're a baseball fan. The show starts at 4:30 in the afternoon on game days and runs until the last out of the last game. They have their own cameras installed in all the ball parks and when a situation comes up in tight game they do live look-ins on all the games. Their "30 teams in 30 days" pre-season previews were about as good as it gets.

you had me at pretty good....dammit i want this channel

[jlb1705]

Baker tends to stick with players longer than fans would like. He won't take a position away based on a small sample.

"I ain't no front-runner," he said.

Power of Tradition.

[Dryden]

Originally Posted by jlb1705

Power of Tradition.

I like the comment on not taking away playing time based on a small sample, despite the fact that Dickerson is a career minor leaguer with a .260 AVG and .775 OPS, who just happened to enjoy a one month call-up to the big show where he unfathomably posted a .304 AVG, .413 OBP, and .608 SLG.

Then again, Nix's career numbers aren't so hot either, although his were actually amassed at the MLB level.

Which is the bigger statistical aberration, Dickerson's Sep '08 or Nix's Apr '09?

[Honor&Glory]

to me, the answer is a right handed hitting left field that got sent to AAA...

Gomes may not 'wow' anyone, but he's right handed and has pop in his bat. Why he is in Louisville and McDonald is here is a [censored]ing crime.

[Honor&Glory]

Originally Posted by brodybuck21

you had me at pretty good....dammit i want this channel

I switched to DirecTV two years ago to get the BTN that Time Warner refused to get...and I haven't looked back. Actually, I am shocked that TWC actually has the MLBN and Insight does not...

not to grow your envy, but you also get Thursday and Saturday night games on MLBN and this past winter they showed the Carribean WS which was pretty cool...plus Harold Reynolds is their top studio analyst...sexual harrasment suits or not, he was excellent on Baseball Tonight on ESPiN.

[brodybuck21]

Originally Posted by Honor&Glory

I switched to DirecTV two years ago to get the BTN that Time Warner refused to get...and I haven't looked back. Actually, I am shocked that TWC actually has the MLBN and Insight does not...

not to grow your envy, but you also get Thursday and Saturday night games on MLBN and this past winter they showed the Carribean WS which was pretty cool...plus Harold Reynolds is their top studio analyst...sexual harrasment suits or not, he was excellent on Baseball Tonight on ESPiN.

damn damn damn it sounds wonderful

[Dryden]

ESPN must be listening to me, I got my wish: Finally, a good story about Cinci's resurgent pitching. Oh no, wait a minute, that picture of the Reds pitcher on the front page of the MLB section is to go with the story about Aaron Harang's complete inability to turn on a fastball.

Jerry Crasnick: Starting 9 -- Worst hitting pitchers - ESPN

#3 Aaron Harang, Reds (.088 BA, three extra-base hits in 365 AB)
Harang qualifies for this list by default. Dunn and Austin Kearns, who played with Harang in Cincinnati, recall that he took endless rounds of hitting in the cage. Harang has lots of different bats and gloves in his collection, and he genuinely strives to be good.

The only thing holding him back is a lack of talent. When a hitter can't get around on a fastball, scouts like to say he has a "slider-speed bat." In Harang's case, they might have to invent a new frame of reference.

"He swings underwater," Dunn said. "His bat is below [Tim] Wakefield's knuckler speed."

No pitching staff in the majors has a more diverse collection of hitters than Cincinnati's. Micah Owings has a .546 career slugging percentage, and Bronson Arroyo has four career homers. At the other end of the offensive spectrum you'll find Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez, who are a combined 10-for-125 (.080) in the majors.

While Dunn never tires of needling pitchers for their offensive shortcomings, he roots for Harang because of his former teammate's sincere efforts to improve. Dunn still recalls Harang's proudly chugging into second base after smoking a double off the Padres' David Wells several years ago.

"He was really digging himself," Dunn said. "In my opinion, he would rather go 3-for-3 than throw a complete-game shutout. He works so hard at it. I'm telling you, he's going to hit .350 one of these years. Watch out."

[Buckeye Chris]

Im excited. I get to go to my first reds game in june, and its an away game haha. Me and my cousin are driving to Progressive field to watch the final game in the battle of ohio.

[DGADBTWSOM]

9-0 in the 2nd. I love this team.

[BuckStocksHere]

My brewers are putting an ass whooping on the reds tonight....Ryan Braun with the grand salami!

[Dryden]

*THUD*

Arroyo must've thought he was in Toronto.