It fascinates me the way people talk about how strong our starting rotation is and the impressive field of candidates for the No. 5 spot in the rotation – when Opening Day starter Aaron Harang is 12-31 over the past two seasons.

And yes, I’m well aware that Harang finished fourth in Cy Young voting in 2007. But put into perspective just how badly he struggled in 2008 and 2009.

Harang had a .261 winning percentage in 2008 (45th out of 45 National League starters who pitched at least 162 innings) followed by .300 in 2009 (46th out of 46 NL starters who pitched at least 162 innings). That’s pretty incredible to finish dead last among NL starters (with the minimum 1 inning pitched per game played by his team) in consecutive seasons.

He’s got by far the worst winning percentage among that group of “workhorse starters” over the two seasons combined.

And he was only two losses away from becoming the first since 1979-1980 to lead his league in losses in consecutive seasons.

And he’s not just part of our rotation … he’s our Opening Day starter!

Hard luck, you say? The Reds don’t give him any run support?

Then explain these numbers …

2006: 3.76 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 9.3 H/9, 8.3 K/9, 1.1 HR/9, 2.2 BB/9
2007: 3.73 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 8.3 H/9, 8.5 K/9, 1.1 HR/9, 2.0 BB/9
2008: 4.78 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 10.0 H/9, 7.5 K/9, 1.7 HR/9, 2.4 BB/9
2009: 4.21 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 10.3 H/9, 7.9 K/9, 1.3 HR/9, 2.4 BB/9

In 2008, just once did he leave the game in position for a win but the game was blown by the bullpen. (In comparison, that happened to Johan Santana seven times that season.) In 2009, it happened again to Harang – once.

I’d love to know what the worst previous-season record was for ANY Opening Day starter – which not even baseball-reference.com can tell you.

But as far as the Reds are concerned, Harang’s win-loss is as bad as it’s been.

In 2004, Cory Lidle was coming off a 12-15 season. In 2002, Joey Hamilton was coming off a 6-10 year (between the Blue Jays and Reds). Those are the worst going all the way back to the Big Red Machine; Mario Soto was coming off a 12-15 season when he started in ‘86, but his ERA in 1985 was a respectable 3.58.

Finally, to the question posed in the subject of the post …

Harang had great 2006 and 2007 campaigns after making Opening Day starts both years. But in 2008 he led the National League in losses with 17 (accompanied by just six wins) and he followed that up with 6-14 in 2009.

Split decision. But before Harang, there’s no denying that getting an Opening Day start for the Reds hasn’t done any hurler any good for quite some time.

2005 Opening Day starter Paul Wilson went 1-5 that season, his worst – and last – as a Major Leaguer.

2004 Opening Day starter Cory Lidle was 7-10 with the Reds that season before getting traded to Philadelphia (where he finished strong – 5-2, 3.90 ERA – of course).

2003 Opening Day starter Jimmy Haynes went 2-12 in ‘03. In ‘02, Joey Hamilton went on to go 4-10.

2001 Opening Day starter Pete Harnisch went 1-3 in seven starts, never pitching in the Majors again.

In ‘99, Brett Tomko was 5-7 in his final season as a Red. In ‘98, Mike Remlinger was 8-15.

In ‘97, John Smiley was 9-10 as a Red and then 2-4 as an Indian … and then he, too, was done in the Majors.

In ‘96, Pete Schourek went 4-5 (a year after finishing second in NL Cy Young voting at 18-7).

It’s impressive, really: You have to go all the way back to Jose Rijo’s four-year string of Opening Day starts from ‘92 to ‘95 (and even Rijo only went 5-4 in ‘95 before calling it quits for the first time) to find a Reds Opening Day starter who didn’t struggle badly during one of the seasons in which he had made the Opening Day start. But they are all pitchers who had performed well enough for a year or two before that managers felt they were deserving of Opening Day starts.

It’s uncanny the way many of these guys went on to suffer the worst year of their careers after opening the season for the Reds.

Go back any further, by the way, and the jinx doesn’t apply, because you run into names like Browning, Soto, Seaver, Billingham, Gullett, et al.

I realize Bronson Arroyo reportedly turned down the opportunity to start on Opening Day, but I still find it somewhat mind-boggling that the Reds are giving Harang the start again in spite of his struggles over the past two seasons – regardless of what you blame them on (pitching four innings of relief on two days rest in the 18-inning loss to the Padres in May of ‘08, coming out after the 2-hour rain delay last season … or whatever excuse).

Has Harang – who will make his fifth Opening Day start – fared particularly well ON Opening Day itself? No, he’s 1-3 (though they’ve lost 2-1 and 4-2 the past two years).

I hope Harang turns it around and has a great year as much as the next Reds fan … just one of those things that make you wonder.

But for now, we can gank a friend’s season ticket package for a little photo session. See, the 2010 Reds season ticket design includes Topps baseball cards designs from past and present. Great… something else to collect, right? Gladly.

The Reds broke the news last week with a little preview of the design and like you, we’ve been curious to see whose cards are included. Today we got a look at the ticket book and we must say it’s pretty cool to see them all together. Topps designs diggin’ all the way back to 1954 are in full-color on each ticket. It’s a great look back at baseball card design as well as the great history of our very own Reds.

Now, this isn’t the first time that we’ve seen baseball cards on a season ticket. We caught a game Tigers game at Comerica Park in 2008 and picked up a ticket featuring a 2008 Topps card of Pudge Rodriguez. We’re not sure if any of the other Tigers tickets featured vintage designs, though.

With the exclusive contract Topps has with MLB now, this has to be another cog in the marketing machine that just kicking into gear for 2010. Even the Topps Million Card Giveaway is gaining some serious traction in the market. How do I know this? My parents are even jacked up about it after hearing about it on the radio – haha.

Back to the Reds… 24 cards are featured in the 81-ticket booklet. Well, 84 if you count the three extras at the end of the book.

Here is a full list of cards, listed in the order they appear during the season:

2010 Francisco Cordero
1957 Ted Kluszewski
1986 Mario Soto
1965 Joe Nuxhall
2007 Brandon Phillips
1972 Tony Perez
1977 Johnny Bench
1959 Frank Robinson
2008 Johnny Cueto
1980 Joe Morgan
1986 Tom Browning
2010 Joey Votto
1989 Barry Larkin
2010 Scott Rolen
1965 Jim O’Toole
1969 Lee May
2008 Homer Bailey
1961 Gus Bell
1964 Jim Maloney
1954 Chuck Harmon*
2010 Bronson Arroyo
1986 Eric Davis
1967 Chico Cardenas
2009 Jay Bruce

1954 Topps Chuck Harmon

If you’re a fan that has season tickets, or goes to a lot of games ON someone/someplace that has season tickets, it can be fun to follow a season ticket design throughout the season. For example, some great seasons to get Reds tickets from are 2002 (the last season at Riverfront Stadium) and 2008 (the 50th Anniversary of the Reds Hall of Fame).

Here’s a great little video from Corey Brinn, who works for the Reds single A affiliate Dayton Dragons. Apparently, the sprinkler system went off during batting practice at one of the Reds’ minor league practice fields out in Goodyear. Great stuff.

Speaking of video – Corey has some footage of Bronson Arroyo from Thursday night’s Woodjock. Check it out.

If you’re not, make sure you follow Corey’s personal blog as well as the Dayton Dragon’s Inside the Clubhouse. They are both great looks into minor league baseball and the Dayton Dragons.

It’s a shame we missed this before. If you need a refresher, or you want to re-live the excitment of the orginal J.T.M. productions, just click it.

The Beer is a Delight... the package design? Meh.

A good excuse to go grab a six-pack, eh? The commemorative cans will be available April 2nd, just in time for your opening day tailgater.

Let's crack open a cold one, guys!

UPDATE: Photo posted above! Here’s a shot of the Hudy Delight Commemorative 12-pack. We’re excited about the promo, but a bit underwhelmed by the design.

Here’s the full run-down of the impending Hudy release…

CINCINNATI (MARCH 11, 2010) – Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Co. and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum announced the release of limited-edition Hudy Delight and Hudy 14-K Cincinnati Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Cans, featuring Chris Sabo, Pedro Borbon, and Tony Mullane of the Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2010.

“We are pleased to continue the Hudepohl tradition of commemorating great occasions with special graphics on our Hudy Delight and Hudy 14-K cans,” said Greg Hardman, President and CEO of Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Co.

Third baseman Sabo and pitchers Borbon and the late Mullane will be honored on Saturday, July 17th during on-field ceremonies at Great American Ball Park prior to the Reds vs. Colorado Rockies game and at the Hall’s star-studded Induction Gala on Sunday, July 18th at the Duke Energy Convention Center.

Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Co. has a long-standing tradition with Cincinnati baseball. In 1975 and 1976, the Hudepohl Brewing Co. released limited-edition commemorative cans honoring the Cincinnati Reds World Series teams.

The limited-edition cans come at a time of celebration for the brewing industry. 2010 marks the 75th anniversary of the beer can. The first steel beer can made its way to the market in 1935, by the Krueger Brewing Co. of New Jersey followed shortly thereafter by the Burger Brewing Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Commemorative cans will be available in specially marked Hudy Delight and Hudy 14-K 12 pack can packages at participating retailers.

For more information, visit:
www.HUDYDELIGHT.com
www.HUDY14K.com
www.reds.com/HOF

UN. REAL.

UPDATE: Looks like the scout that reported the 102 was nowhere to be found, but it still stands that Aroldis was tossing gas today.

We’re not much for rockin’ the tank tops, but flip this into a tee and we’re buyin’. Or, just put it on a Snuggie.

2010 Topps Heritage Awesomeness

Vintage Artillery

How ’bout some Bruce & Votto in the same pack of cards? It’s an omen. A good one.

(Easy for me to say, I realize, after he went 1 1/3 and gave up four runs on seven hits.)

2) Dusty’s quote:

“I think there was some nerves and jitters with this new ballpark,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

Jitters? For Spring Training? In front of 4,631 fans? REALLY?

3) Kind of a rough day for our man Sam LeCure, unfortunately. He gave up a three-run bomb to Tribe prospect Nick Weglarz, a Canadian who probably wants to kick my ace for my tongue-in-cheek Votto post from the other day. Unearned runs, though … Sam should’ve been out of the inning. And we’ve still got Sam making the roster out of Spring Training AND being named Fans Choice Bobblehead for the July 31 game against Atlanta. Go Sam!

4) Even worse day, you could argue, for Yonder Alonso. 0-for-2 with 2 Ks … and 2 errors. Ouch.

5) I know I already mentioned it in No. 2, but is anyone else surprised that the Reds’ first Spring Training game ever at Goodyear Stadium only drew 4,631. It holds 10,300.

Also, Will Leitch’s Reds preview on Deadspin.com is entertaining and worth a read. He’s a huge Cardinals fan who acknowledges that “no team in the division scares me as much as the Reds do.” Interesting.

You could certainly make an argument that Jocketty should rate higher given his great success with the St. Louis Cardinals, the best team in the National League last decade. Given how much of that success came down to Albert Pujols’ reign of terror, the presence of all-time great manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan’s ability to nurse terrific performances out of incredibly sketchy pitching talent, though, there’s only so much credit to go around.

I may have glossed over it, but I don’t see any mention of “Cincinnati” or “Reds” in that explanation. Nor any player on the Reds or deal he’s made. Do you? Did I miss it? He HAS already made some moves as a general manager here, hasn’t he?