Blue Collar Baseball

Bob Costas for Commissioner of Baseball

2009-11-10T23:33:00.003-05:00

I'm currently watching Bob Costas' interview of Bud Selig on the MLB Network and he's giving the commissioner hell! If you've got the MLB Network on your cable system, check the schedule and plan to watch it next time it's on. You regular readers know my views about Selig. Costas, I like. He's a traditionalist and I'd love to see him as baseball's next commissioner. Costas' book, Fair Ball (2001), is a little outdated now but it's still a great read. Costas lends a well thought out discussion of how he would protect and promote the game.

Lee and Pedro bring inspiration

2009-10-29T20:04:00.008-04:00

I'm back. Part of the reason that I haven't posted in over a month is that I've found it difficult to get inspired. The last few weeks of the regular season and the first couple of rounds of the playoffs didn't really light a fire under me. This year's World Series between the Phillies and Yankees seems to be a great matchup on paper but, to be honest, I don't like either team so I wasn't sure I'd find anything to write about. I hate what the Yankees symbolize. That coupled with the fact that I'm a small-market fan means that I can't root for them. I do, however, have a great deal of respect for Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera. They're classy guys, they play the game the right way, and they all came up as Yankees. This means they stayed in New York for the money but they didn't go there for it like some other players.

To cut to the chase, Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez are my inspiration for throwing up a post for the first time since September 18. How can you not get fired up about Lee's performance in game 1? The guy is so fun to watch. He works quick, he's focused, and you know he's loving every minute of being out there. World Series nerves didn't seem to phase him at all as he mowed down the Yanks last night. If anything Lee came across as more loose than usual. Especially as he nonchalantly stuck his glove out for that pop-up to the mound with Jeter on first. Then again when he caught a liner with his glove behind his back. Judging from his reaction afterwards you knew he was as nonplussed as his teammates on the bench and Phillie fans at home.

Pedro, who is pitching as I type, has gained a lot of my respect during his short stint in Philadelphia. The guy is a competitor and you can tell that he's sparing nothing to help his team win. There was a game near the end of the regular season where Pedro had thrown something like 130 pitches. He worked himself into trouble, convinced Charlie Manuel to leave him in, and proceeded to retire the remaining batters. Pedro gained a fan there. I wish him and the Phillies the best tonight.

Aaron Harang Giveth

2009-09-18T09:00:00.003-04:00

If you watched the Reds game on FS Ohio last night you may have heard George Grande and Chris Welsh talking about what Aaron Harang did to show his appreciation for the hard-working Reds clubhouse staff. Harang bought Rick Stowe and his staff a primo 6-seat golf cart to use while running errands around the ballpark. It's a top-of-the-line $6,500 cart. Harang said last night that it is road ready on streets up to 35mph. Here is Mark Sheldon's post. Hat tip to Redleg Nation for the link.

Ernie's farewell

2009-09-17T11:47:00.002-04:00

Few people get a chance to give a farewell speech or see how much they've touched other peoples lives but if anyone deserves that chance it's Ernie Harwell. Here is his farewell address to Tigers fans.

Big League Stew's post.

Ernie's farewell to his media colleagues.

Harwell's diagnosis is incurable

2009-09-04T08:16:00.007-04:00

Sorry folks for not posting much lately. I've been extremely busy.

I just wanted to share this piece of news about long-time Detroit Tigers radio broadcaster, Ernie Harwell. Unfortunately, Harwell has been diagnosed with an incurable cancer. Harwell is one of baseball's great voices and I highly recommend listening to one of his old broadcasts if you get the chance.

The Detroit Free Press store sells a few of Harwell's books as well as an audio scrapbook. I'm continually enthralled by some of the stories that Harwell tells on the 4-CD audio scrapbook, like getting Babe Ruth to autograph his shoe and his interview with Ty Cobb.

Read this article and some of the comments. I especially like what one commenter had to say:

If you open the dictionary to the definition of........
Compassionate
Thoughtful
Inspiring
God fearing
Mentor
Student
Leader
Loving
Moral
Giving
Baseball.........and countless others. You will find a picture of Ernie Harwell.

Adam Dunn, Good Guy

2009-08-17T13:40:00.006-04:00

I've been critical of Adam Dunn's effort (or seemingly lack of) in the past, however, he really is a good guy. Here's a great Dunner story via Hal McCoy.

ALL YE haters of Adam Dunn, check this out.
A large group of people was gathered outside the media elevators after Saturday’s game and Nationals first baseman Adam Dunn was among them.

He was chatting with a man in a wheelchair diagnosed with terminal cancer. Dunn posed for pictures and signed autographs, then said to the entire group, “Would like to come back to Sunday’s game”

The group said, “Of course,” and Dunn said, “There will be 10 tickets for you at will call. Come and watch us kick the Reds’ butts.”

Ballplayers are universally criticized for being greedy, selfish jerks. Some are. Most, though, do things behind the scenes that never get out in the media. I just happened to stumble upon the Dunn scenario as I was leaving the park last night.

The Hal McCoy era is over

2009-08-07T10:18:00.008-04:00

Hal McCoy, Hall of Fame beat writer for the Cincinnati Reds, will be calling it quits at the end of the 2009 season. The economic times have caused the Dayton Daily News to severely cut back on their coverage of the Reds. With television and internet surpassing radio and print media as the primary forms of communication beat writers have seemed to go out of style; Hal has not. Hal McCoy is the best of the best, the Vin Scully of the printed page. He is nothing but class and his insight and stories about the Cincinnati Reds are unparalleled. You will be missed, Hal.

Read Hal's goodbye post.

Update 8/8/09:
Hal clarifies that he was not fired and thanks fans. Again, nothing but class.

Lehr reminds us why baseball is the greatest game in the world

2009-08-06T09:03:00.006-04:00

This stuff just doesn't happen in other major sports. In professional football or basketball an athlete just can't hang on for years in a minor league system and eventually get his or her shot. You make it when you're young or you don't and find another career. Last night Justin Lehr reminded us why baseball is the greatest game in the world.

Justin Lehr, a 32-year old journeyman pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, threw a 4-hit complete game shutout against the Chicago Cubs last night. It was Lehr's second start in his brief major league career and his only shutout at any level. Lehr's performance lifted the spirits of a Reds team (and Reds fans) that had lost 8 straight and 14 out of their last 15 games. But how couldn't this story lift your spirits?

Lehr was in the Reds system last year but left to pitch in Korea. Earlier this season, he pitched for the Phillies Triple-A club, Lehigh Valley, and then was moved back into the Reds system in a cash trade. He went 8-1 with a 2.51 ERA for Triple-A Louisville. You can just tell by this series of events that Lehr was just trying to hang onto a dream for a little while longer.

It was easy to see that Lehr was emotional in his post-game interview even with a few layers of shaving cream pie on face. He said that he was going to go call his wife and kids. Upon hearing this I was instantly reminded of the scene from The Rookie where Jimmy Morris calls his wife and kids to tell them that he is finally going to pitch in the majors.

Rose could get a shot at the Hall of Fame

2009-07-27T15:46:00.005-04:00

Pete Rose, baseball's hit king, could finally get a shot at the Hall of Fame. After some lobbying by Hank Aaron and other Hall of Famers, Bud Selig is considering lifting Rose's lifetime ban from baseball. I've been very critical of Selig in the past but this could be one of the best things he's ever done. Pete doesn't deserve to be a part of a major league organization but he should be enshrined in Cooperstown.

Phillips sits, Blue Collar Baseball smiles

2009-07-22T09:25:00.007-04:00

Reds manager Dusty Baker sat Brandon Phillips for last night's game after his lack of hustle took the wind out of the sails of an important rally on Monday night. Believing that his pop-up would be caught by the Dodgers right fielder, Phillips trotted to first with his head down. When the ball hit the turf Brandon tried to recover but was easily thrown out at second.

Dusty should have taken out Phillips right then and there. That would have sent a message. Instead Baker held a 20-minute open door conversation with Phillips and let him ride the pine for the following game. His replacement at second base was fitting -- Adam Rosales -- a player who Hal McCoy says, "... runs hard on every play, runs hard to first on a walk, runs hard to his position and probably runs to the bathroom even if it isn’t an emergency."

I hope this changes Phillips' lackadaisical play but I highly doubt it. I listened to Vin Scully's broadcast last night and he had the same opinion. Getting a player of any level (little league, high school, college, minor or major league) to hustle on every play is hard to do if not continually enforced and rewarded. Sitting a player on the bench for one game is not a way to begin to change that behavior but at least it's a start.

Ichiro pays his respects to Sisler

2009-07-16T16:22:00.005-04:00

While in St. Louis for the All-Star Game, Ichiro Suzuki took the opportunity to pay his respects to George Sisler by visiting his grave at Des Peres Presbyterian Church Cemetery. Ichiro broke Sisler's single-season hits record of 257 in 2004.

"I wanted to do that for a grand upperclassman of the baseball world," Ichiro told MLB.com.

"I think it's only natural for someone to want to do that, to express my feelings in that way." "There's not many chances to come to St. Louis," Ichiro said, according to the Seattle Times. "In 2004, it was the first time I crossed paths with him, and his family generously came all the way to Seattle."

What a classy move by Ichiro. I hope to see him inducted into the Hall of Fame one day.

A few major league sluggers haven't forgotten where they came from

2009-07-14T09:39:00.005-04:00

Joe Mauer invited his old high school coach, Jimmy O'Neill, to be his pitcher in last night's Home Run Derby. Josh Hamilton did something similar in last year's derby when he invited Clay Council a mentor/coach/sandlot legend from his hometown of Raleigh, NC to lob him balls in Yankee Stadium.

What a superb gesture by both Mauer and Hamilton to show their appreciation for people that got them where they are today. Sure major league coaches have helped them too but they get much more recognition. Major league coaches also get to put on a uniform, go to work in a big league stadium, and be around major league players on a daily basis. Folks like O'Neill and Council do not. They're regular guys. For them to get the chance to toss baseballs off a mound in front of a national audience and in the presence of an All-Star cast of major league players is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Players like Mauer and Hamilton chose to give that experience to a deserving individual from their past.

Ryan Braun, on the other hand, selected his agent to pitch to him in last year's Home Run Derby. Braun's agent does have a story, so it isn't all bad. It just doesn't seem to convey the same message to the public.

Matt Holliday asking his brother, Josh, pitch to him in 2007 was also a classy move.

Blue Collar Vote: The final spots for the 2009 All Star Game

2009-07-06T16:43:00.007-04:00

Fans have the final say in who will be the remaining members of the National League and American League All Star teams. I'm voting for Shane Victorino and Brandon Inge.

I was extremely impressed with Victorino during this past postseason. He's a very versatile outfielder goes all-out in the field. The guy is the epitome of hustle and grit. Carson of More Hardball and We Should be GMs likened Victorino to football's Troy Polamalu in a comment to this post.

Brandon Inge is definitely a throwback kind of player. Inge is a long-tenured Tiger, loved by the Detroit community, and can play just about every position well. I know that he's played the position of catcher, centerfield, and thirdbase all in the same major league season which illustrates what a great athlete (and team player) he is. Inge is a deserving member of the AL squad. Here's a little ditty I found on YouTube. I don't know why it's 10 minutes long.

Click here to vote.

Pet Peeves: Frontrunners

2009-07-05T23:08:00.007-04:00

Here is a picture of some fans at the Friday, July 3 game in Cincinnati. The Reds were playing the Cardinals and these six guys were just a small sampling of the Albert Pujols fans in attendance. I have absolutely no problem with people rooting for Pujols. He's the best player in the game today and exhibits nothing but class on and off the field. The problem is, these fans are nothing but frontrunners. 'U' guy (second from left) is wearing a Boston Red Sox hat -- turned around backwards of course. 'L' guy (second from right) is proudly displaying a Phillies hat while simultaneously supporting the Cardinals first baseman.

Pet Peeves: Fans that don't come to watch the game

2009-06-26T13:44:00.007-04:00

When I go to a baseball game, I'm there to watch the game. I make sure that I'm there early to see batting practice, take in the ambiance of the stadium, and get my scorecard ready. I also like to get any food or beverages that I may want before the game starts just so I don't have to get up. Depending on how many beverages I have, this may or may not happen. Recently, I've had some experiences with annoying fans. Folks that were at the game to do other things besides watch the game. Here are a few examples:

1. The fan who comes to get free stuff to sell on e-Bay: If you attended the June 20 Civil Rights game in Cincinnati and weren't one of the 20,000 people who received a 1964 Frank Robinson throwback jersey, you might have one of these folks to blame. I got to the park early as usual. Behind me waiting in line at the gates was a group of four people. Not one person in the group was dressed in any Reds or White Sox apparel/ colors. Each of the four "fans" had a stack of at least 10 tickets in their hands. I watched these people go in and out of the stadium gates throwing 40+ free jerseys into the tote bags that they brought from home for just this occasion. I gave them some pretty dirty looks and if one of them would have made eye contact with me, I would have told them what I thought. Hey, I'm all for free market economics but there's a point where it just turns to greed. At least 36 more people could have had a jersey if it wasn't for these people and I'm sure a few of those 36 would have been kids. I just checked on e-Bay and thankfully the jerseys aren't going for very much.

2. The fan who comes to dance and play all of the scoreboard games: True story from Toledo, Ohio... A teenage girl (probably about 14 or 15) sits in front of me. During the innings she does nothing but send text messages (I hope she gets carpel tunnel of the thumbs when she grows up) and proclaiming to her mom that this is the "worst day ever" because she's sweating in the 85 degree sun. Between innings she screams at the scoreboard games, "The ball is under hat number 2! It's number 2! Mom, it's under number 2! ... I got it! ... It was under number 2, Mom!" She also stands up and dances to any sort of music that is being played between innings. I saw her churn butter and twirl her lasso. She doesn't dance while the game is being played because that would distract her from her texting. This leads me to a third fan type.

3. The fan who comes to send text messages: I realize that I'm old before my time but people who do this annoy me to no end, no matter what the setting. I've sent maybe 15-20 text messages in my life and most of those have been to one person. That person is a friend who will probably read this post. Even if I did send more, I wouldn't do it at a baseball game because, like I said, I'm there for the game. Another true story... 50-ish soccer mom with trendy glasses sits in front of me with two women who are probably her sisters. The two sisters seem to be out of towners visiting and sit quietly to watch the game. They seem annoyed on several occasions because their "sister" just can't put her phone/keyboard thingy away. She does close it for a few seconds here and there to save precious battery life but usually gets fidgety when the lapse in thumb-typing lasts longer than 30 seconds. "I have to tell [so-and-so] that Michael Jackson died," she says. "Look at the baby pictures that [so-and-so] just sent me," she says. I knew this was going to get off to a good start soon after she arrived and threw a fit because an usher wasn't there to wipe off her seat.

I'm sure that you've had some experience with fans like this. Are there any other fan types that you would like to add to the list?

The True Golden Age of Baseball, 1988-1992

2009-06-18T15:49:00.010-04:00

I just read this great piece by Bill Simmons in ESPN The Magazine. Simmons challenges prior assumptions about baseball's "Golden Age" arguing that the five-year period, 1988-1992, was the most pure in baseball history.

Simmons' reasoning is before 1959 there were no or too few minority players in the major leagues to constitute any era known as the Golden Age. Baseball between 1960 and 1987 had too much tinkering: lowering the mound, addition of the designated hitter, a "juiced" ball in '87. The years following 1993 will inevitably be known to later generations as the "Steroid Era" - statistically pure, the game was not. I think this is coming to an end but we still don't know about the full effects of HGH on the game.

This leaves 1988-1992. An era that is close to my heart and probably why I like Simmons' article so much. This was the era when I really fell in love with the game. I had watched baseball before, emulated batting stances, collected cards, but really didn't fully understand the game until this time frame. Being a bit of a baseball history nut, I had always thought of the 1950s and 60s as a golden age in the game's past. You know... scenes of Willie, Mickey, and the Duke. Simmons' Golden Age, however, places the scrappy 1990 Reds in the center of the age and credits Sid Bream's slide to win the 1992 NLCS as "the last great, completely untainted I-can't-come-up-with-a-single-way-to-denigrate-this baseball moment." BREAM!!!

Simmons goes into much more detail so be sure to read the full article.

Pittsburgh trip filled with bits of history

2009-06-16T11:27:00.028-04:00

A view of PNC Park from the Renaissance Hotel. Normally I can't afford this kind of indulgence but I got an awesome deal on Hotwire.com. I thought we'd look and feel a little out of place staying at the hotel but there were A LOT of baseball fans there, although the majority of them were Tigers fans.

You can't beat the view of the best ballpark in the majors and the Roberto Clemente bridge. The picture above was taken on Friday, June 12 just before walking over to the ballpark. You can see folks already on the Clemente Bridge. We could also see the Pirates taking BP from our hotel room window which was very cool. Notice the "Let's Go Penguins" sign on the bridge. This was the night of game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Following the Pirates game we watched the third period of the final game from the hotel bar. A nice mixture of Pens and Red Wings fans were there.

A picture of me getting Andy Van Slyke's autograph before the game.

The Parrot playing around with Curtis Granderson. I know being an old-school baseball guy I should be appalled by mascots, but I love watching the Parrot. He/She is one heck of an entertainer.

We took a tour of PNC Park on Saturday morning, an excellent experience. Although I've been to the park numerous times, I had never taking the tour. Our tour guide, Jim, was great! He was a retired teacher and very passionate about what he was doing. I was very impressed with how the Pirates have incorporated their history into the facilities. Quotes by Roberto Clemente (above) and a list of past Pirates batting champions in the cages serve to give the players a since of history and pride.

Afterwards we walked across the street to The Pittsburgh Fan and bought Stanley Cup Champions T-shirts.

We went to lunch at Primanti Brothers on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers' Nate Robertson and Adam Everett came in to eat. After eating they signed autographs for some kids and took pictures with a couple of families of Tigers fans in the restaurant. Very cool!

Another tribute to the proud winning history of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Before Saturday night's game the team invited members of the 1960, 1971, and 1979 championship teams to throw out the first pitches. Current Pirates players were catching - a symbolic connection between past and present.
Sunset from the upper deck on Saturday. Just one reason why this is the best ballpark out there.
Sunday afternoon was turn-back-the-clock day at PNC Park. The team was commemorating the 1909 World Series between Honus Wagner's Pirates and Ty Cobb's Tigers. Teams wore replica uniforms from 1909 and the electronic scoreboards were turned off for the game. The jumbotron (below) was made to look like an old hand operated scoreboard. It was a great atmosphere with the PA announcer giving only very basic player introductions and scoring changes. Also notice there was no 'h' at the end of the city's name in 1909.

Fans could meet the players in various places around the ballpark before the game. Here is a young fan getting his picture taken with Andrew McCutchen and Jesse Chavez. It was great to see the players and the throwback uniforms up close. I had my picture taken with my favorite Pirate, Jack Wilson. I guess this just comes with the territory of being a Pirates fan but I kept thinking that Jack would probably be traded before the season is over. I thought the same thing about Freddy Sanchez when the team announced earlier in the series that Sanchez #12 jersey T-shirts were going to be on sale at the gift shops all weekend.

Players warming up before Sunday's game. If the teams were going for complete historical accuracy, the players wouldn't have been wearing numbers on uniforms in 1909 - Raise the Jolly Roger picked up on this too. They also wouldn't have been carrying High School Musical backpacks out to the bullpen (see the player walking next to #29 Nate Robertson).

Also if we were going for complete historical accuracy, guys like Dontrelle Willis and Andrew McCutchen would not have been allowed on the field. On this note, I'll be at the Civil Rights game in Cincinnati this coming weekend.

One more piece of history, Sidney Crosby carrying the Stanley Cup. Here is a video of the Penguins' introductions concluding with Bill Guerin's ceremonial first pitch [hat tip to Mondesi's House]. FYI, the initial first pitch was thrown by the great-granddaughter of Honus Wagner.

Krauss drafted by Diamondbacks

2009-06-10T17:09:00.004-04:00

Marc Krauss of Ohio University (my Alma mater) was drafted 64th overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Krauss was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and named the 2009 MAC Player of the Year. He started all 53 games for the Bobcats this season and broke OU's single-season homerun record by crushing 27 roundtrippers. Krauss grew up in Deshler, Ohio.

Good luck Marc! I home your career follows the path of another fellow OU baseball alum, Michael Jack Schmidt.

No Way to Die

2009-06-05T22:09:00.002-04:00

Tiger Stadium died on September 27, 1999. That’s when she took her last breath as the last game was played on her grounds and paying fans filed out her gates for the final time. She hung on. Her paint peeled and faded. Her seats sold. Tiger Stadium became shadow on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull.

Demolition began last summer. Fans visited to say what they thought were last goodbyes. Then it stopped. The stadium was left with a crumbling facade ranging only from dugout to dugout to tough out the harsh, grey Detroit winter. Today, demolition relaunched. Fans took pictures and said goodbye again. In two hours it was halted.

Baseball stadiums are more than just structures of concrete and steel. They are cathedrals from which fans order their lives. Stadiums are places where we create our national, regional, local, and individual identities.

This is no way for such an important place to be put to rest. Tiger Stadium is one of the most sacred places in baseball. Opened the same year as Fenway Park (1912), Tiger Stadium has not received her due respect. The Corner should have her dignity. Let fans say their goodbyes and let her go quickly. To use one of Roger Angell’s terms, let her live on in our Interior Stadium, our memories and recollections.

Nothing is accomplished by letting her stand this way. We can’t remember Tiger Stadium for what she was because of what she has become.

"You're not good enough to get guys out"

2009-06-05T15:12:00.008-04:00

"You're not good enough to get guys out." That's exactly what Atanta Braves general manager Frank Wren told Tom Glavine. Are you serious!? For one, I guarantee that Tom Glavine is MUCH better than a lot of other lefties out there that somehow get the chance to pitch in the major leagues. Secondly, show this guy a little respect. He has been an icon of your organization. I don't blame Glavine for feeling cheated - he didn't get to take his final victory lap as an Atlanta Brave. I hope a NL team picks him up and Tom channels those emotions into a nice final season.

John Smoltz speaks out in support of his friend.

Lost Ballparks and Old Landmarks; Team Names; 300 for Johnson

2009-06-04T20:00:00.001-04:00

Jim Caple lists 10 "Lost Ballparks and Old Landmarks" that every fan of the game and its history should make pilgrimage to.

MLB Homerun reminds us how MLB teams got their names.

Randy Johnson recorded win number 300 in the baseball history books. For a guy that really didn't start his career until he was age 25 and has had trouble with back injuries, the feat is even more impressive. Johnson will probably end up averaging 14-15 wins a year over the course of a 22+ year career. I rank Johnson right up there with Greg Maddux as one of the best pitchers of a generation.

McCutchen's first AB kicks off big first inning

2009-06-04T13:05:00.011-04:00

Andrew McCutchen has been major league ready for a while. The Pirates prospect just needed the right opportunity, and a little bit of luck, to take his rightful position in centerfield at PNC Park. The shocking trade of Nate McLouth to the Braves yesterday provided that opportunity and sprinkle of luck. In his first major league at-bat, McCutchen singled up the middle after falling 0-2 in the count against the Mets Mike Pelfrey. He also got a chance to show his blistering speed on the basepaths, going first to third on a Nyjer Morgan hit. The Pirates eventually tallied 6 hits and 4 runs in McCutchen's first inning in Pittsburgh.

A few thoughts on Nate McLouth -- I really hate to see Nate McLouth go and on top of that going the way of Bream... BREAM!!! Nate wasn't a great player but he was the type of player that you loved to watch and root for. He could do a bit of everything: hit, run, field. He worked himself into a major league starter, All-Star, and Gold Glover. Nate also was a class act, nice guy, and really seemed to be at home in the small-market that is Pittsburgh. McLouth's hair made him look California, but he grew up in a small town in Michigan and acted the part of a humble, low-key, Midwesterner. He also seemed to understand the pain of being a Pirates fan. I heard him say in an off-season interview that he knew the pain of losing, he has been a Detroit Lions fan his whole life. McLouth came up through the Pirates organization and I really thought that he could be around when the Bucs finally achieve a winning season again.

Ramblings on McCutchen-related matters -- McCutchen dawned his #22 Pirates uniform for the first time at PNC Park this afternoon. I like it! That's the number that I always asked to wear while in little league, buddy-league basketball, what have you. Why? Well... when I was 8, 9, 10 years old, Will Clark was my favorite player. I wasn't a San Francisco Giants fan, I just liked Will Clark. Since Will "The Thrill" went to Mississippi State, I even started this weird obsession of following players from there: Jeff Brantley, Rafael Palmeiro, Paul Maholm, Jonathon Papelbon also went there but I couldn't care less about him. When I was looking at grad schools, I came within a hair of going to Mississippi State.

Another thing that I'm thinking about related to McCutchen in Pittsburgh is the speed that he and Nyjer Morgan bring to the top of the lineup. It's really something special. If both or either of those guys get on in the first inning, it can really disrupt the opposing pitcher and result in those much coveted early runs. Although I think M&M would be more effective hitting 1 and 2 in the lineup, I'm wondering when Doumit comes back, if John Russell would consider doing the Tony La Russa thing again and bat the pitcher eighth while moving Morgan to the ninth spot.

As you can imagine there are a lot of thoughts out there about the McLouth trade:
[Bucs Dugout]
[Raise the Jolly Roger]
[WHYGAVS]
[MLB Fanhouse]
[Mondesi's House]
[Hyzdu Headquarters]
[The Green Weenie]
[North Side Notch]

PBC Blog has a nice pic of McLouth's banner coming down.

The New Attitude in Cincinnati

2009-05-29T17:14:00.004-04:00

In case you haven't noticed there's a new attitude in Cincinnati. It's marked by confident, hard-working, young talent bearing the names of Votto, Bruce, Volquez, and Cueto, complemented by quality veteran leadership like Hernandez, Harang, and Arroyo. Don't forget Nix, Rosales, and Owings who have stepped up in clutch situations and are worth every penny on the price of a ticket to watch. There's also Brandon Phillips the reining Gold Glove winner at second and the man who has pounded the ball and basepaths in May. Of course I'm leaving a few names out but you get the point, everyone is contributing. Jay Bruce says that when the Reds come back from their roadtrip to Milwaukee and St. Louis, they plan on being in first place. That's confidence that Reds fans haven't heard in the LONG time!

In my eyes the number one reason for this new attitude is the emergence of young leaders like Bruce and Votto. They're confident in their role as major leaguers and have taken ownership over their team. This wouldn't have happened without the exit of two veteran mainstays (you know who I'm talking about).

Hal McCoy is giving Dusty Baker a lot of the credit. That could be some of it, I suppose. Dusty has always managed veteran teams and it's hard to put your brand on that type of team. Maybe this is what Baker brand baseball in its purist form looks like. Whatever it is, the players are having fun, confident, and playing their butts off.

Weiters Should Be Making Pirates Debut Tonight

2009-05-29T10:12:00.007-04:00

The baseball world is on the edge of its seat awaiting tonight's major league debut of Baltimore Orioles prospect Matt Wieters. The guy seems to have it all, "a real life version of The Natural." I just can't help but think that he should be making his debut in a Pirates uniform. No offense to Ryan Doumit but THIS is the type of player that you build a franchise around. You just can't pass up on a player like Wieters due to what who is agent is or what type of money he might command. Heck, Pittsburgh took Pedro Alvarez a year later. Why couldn't they step up to the table a little sooner?

I wish Wieters success and I hope he helps restore a once proud Baltmore Orioles franchise to glory.

Tattoo Swap

2009-05-22T17:12:00.005-04:00

Thank goodness! The Reds have DFA'd Darnell McDonald. Yeah, that's the guy who starting in centerfield on Opening Day and pictured below with the nifty neck tattoo.

Jonny Gomes has been called up from Triple-A Louisville. Gomes is a big Pete Rose fan and has much better taste in tats.