Self-Proclaimed Expert Baseball Analysts

The Expos got an early Christmas present today. The Reds might as well have mailed this one in. Absolutely pathetic.

* A first place team doesn't walk 10 guys.

* A first place team has guys who can spot start in the bullpen. They don't have to bring up some ham 'n egger from the minors for a cup of coffee.

* A first place team can score runs against a last place team.

* A first place team can rely on more than 2 guys in its bullpen.

* A first place team has a bench. Jacob Cruz has holes in his bats, or just no clue.

I'd have to say this is the low point of the season. After the last couple of weeks, a game like today is inexcusable.

Why Joe Valentine when Myette, Etherton, and Belisle have better AAA numbers? Why not just start Brian Reith and let the Expos pound him instead of bringing up a guy for the beating? At least Reith is used to losing.

Marty Brennaman says Dave Miley might as well be manager of the year right now, what with his nonexistent bench and unreliable bullpen, among other glaring flaws on this team. Marty is probably right.

But Miley and O'Brien and the rest of the Reds braintrust can defend the Valentine move all they want, but it proved to be a stupid move, and fans knew it before the first pitch.

Best record in the NL. Even Todd Jones got a save today. If the team can weather their upcoming injuries (and Carl Linder), they might have a legit shot. Of course, I've been fooled before.

Dave Miley for President!

The Reds have a .591 winning percentage.

This is the best winning percentage in the National League as of May 24 @ 9 p.m.

This is also better than every American League team other than Boston and Anaheim.

I'm stunned.

Hate is too strong a word for a baseball player other than Jim Edmonds. So with that in mind, we'll go with "strong dislike" here.

Lance Berkman is a Reds killer and I can't stand him. I think he has 7,000 career RBI and 2,000 homers against the Reds. He's also hitting 3.000.

Lance Berkman, you are strongly disliked.

A look at Reds after 40 games last season and this year (from the Cincinnati Post, May 21, 2004):


2003

•  Record: 21-19.

•  Standings: T-2nd with Astros, 2½ games back of the Cubs.

•  Streak: Won 8 of last 9.

•  Runs per game: 5.1.

•  Runs allowed per game: 6.1.

•  Next 40 games: 17-23.


2004

•  Record: 22-18.

•  Standings: 3rd, 2 games back of Astros.

•  Streak: Won 5 of last 6.

•  Runs per game: 4.6.

•  Runs allowed per game: 4.9.

•  Next 40 games: ???

There really is a totally different feeling this year, though. Pretty cool.

I still think the Reitsma trade was stupid though.

Randy's outing yesterday was pretty impressive but so was this one.

from retrosheet.org...

Cincinnati Reds 1, Los Angeles Dodgers 0

BATTING
Los Angeles Dodgers AB R H RBI BB K PO A
Griffin ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
Hatcher 1b 3 0 0 0 0 0 10 0
Gibson lf 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 0
Gonzalez lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Marshall rf 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Shelby cf 3 0 0 0 0 3 2 0
Hamilton 3b 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Dempsey c 3 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
Sax 2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 2
Belcher p 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 2
Woodson ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Totals 27 0 0 0 0 7 24 9


FIELDING -
E: Hamilton (12).


Cincinnati Reds AB R H RBI BB K PO A
Larkin ss 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 4
Sabo 3b 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 4
Daniels lf 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 0
Davis cf 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 0
O'Neill rf 3 0 0 0 0 1 4 0
Esasky 1b 3 0 0 0 0 1 10 1
Reed c 3 0 0 0 0 2 7 0
Oester 2b 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 1
Browning p 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
Totals 26 1 3 0 1 7 27 10


BATTING -
2B: Larkin (30,off Belcher).


PITCHING
Los Angeles Dodgers IP H HR R ER BB K
Belcher L(10-5) 8 3 0 1 0 1 7


Cincinnati Reds IP H HR R ER BB K
Browning W(16-5) 9 0 0 0 0 0 7



Umpires: Jim Quick, Mark Hirschbeck, John Kibler, Eric Gregg

Time of Game: 1:51 Attendance: 16591

The Reds swept the Dodgers?

Danny Graves leads the major leagues in saves?

Adam Dunn is in the top 10 in homers?

Javier Valentin leads all major league catchers in throwing out would-be base stealers?

What kind of Bizarro universe are we living in?

Colorado took one from the Phillies yesterday, otherwise the entire NL West got swept at home this weekend. And not by particularly good teams either. The Reds swept LA. The Cubs (without Kerry Wood or Sammy yesterday) swept the Padres. The Pirates swept San Francisco and the Expos swept the D-Backs. Pitiful.

STAT of the Weekend: The Dodgers only scored four times in the entire Reds series. Neither Todd Van Poppel, John Reidling, Danny Graves or even Todd Jones allowed a run. Unfortunately, I won't count on that ever happening again this season.

I went to the Reds @ Dodgers game last night. Yeah, the final was 2-1 but sportingnews.com/foxsports.com needs to learn there is a huge difference between a "pitchers' duel" (as they called it) and an "inept hitters duel." Cincinnati stranded 15 runners. And LA left 9. That score should have been something like 7-4. The Reds left way too many guys on base and Wily Mo twice struck out on ball four. I really think he should join Jimmy Haynes in the unemployment line.


UPDATE: Since I first published this post, sportingnews.com/foxsports.com deleted their "pitchers' duel" headline. Somebody's been reading our blog. I didn't know we were so influential. With that in mind, to anyone else from Newscorp reading this: FIRE TIM MCCARVER! Never bring back that animated, talking baseball. Put as much time and talent into your baseball pregame shows as you do with football and NASCAR. And stop running those annoying lower-third animations to promote your crappy new shows during the games. Thanks.

In a related note, I'd like to beat Peter Gammons to the punch by pointing out how many stars have been injured already this year. This is as much of a staple of his columns in May as the "Ken Griffey is back and stronger than ever" story is in March.

I should go ahead and make out the All-Injured Stars team too. But I won't bore you with it. I'll leave that to Peter or Jim Caple.

I'm spending $170 on the Extra Innings package and it seems like the only team I've been watching is the Angels, who I could see for free most nights, anyway.

Man, that team is interesting. Troy Glaus (with the AL lead in homers) had to abandon the team in New York to return home for treatment to his shoulder and knees. So, now, every starting position player on Anaheim has had some sort of injury except Adam Kennedy. Yet they're still winnning because of their outstanding farm system. Amazing.

If they'd panicked and traded a few prospects for extra veterans during their pennant run two years ago, they'd be S.O.L. now. See, kids, this is what a team with a smart general manager looks like.

Maybe someday Cincinnati will come to their senses and finally hire John and me to run the team. Then the Reds could run away with their division too.

Reds Press Release:

The Reds today asked for unconditional release waivers on RHP Jimmy Haynes.

Haynes went 0-3, 9.60 in 4 starts and 1 relief appearance for the Reds this season and the last 2 seasons went 2-15, 6.75 in 22 starts and 1 relief appearance.

A corresponding roster move will be made prior to tomorrow night's game at San Diego.

--

Free at last! But whatever you do, don't compare Danny Graves' numbers and salary to Jimmy Haynes'. Your mind will melt.

I watched the last chunk of today's Dodgers/Pirates marathon. The Dodgers are an odd team. Their roster is built with guys who, at some early point in their careers, looked like they were going to be really good players but just never quite lived up to their potential. It's kind of strange.

Wilson Alvarez
Darren Dreifort (11.4M this year! The second-worst contract in the game)
Jose Lima
Hideo Nomo
Paul Shuey
Jeff Weaver
Todd Hundley ($7M this year! The worst contract in the game and L.A. gladly took it from the Cubs. Kids, this is why general managers get fired.)
Paul Lo Duca
Adrian Beltre
Robin Ventura
Shawn Green
Jose Hernandez
Juan Encarnacion

A few of those guys are at least putting it together this year and the team is off to a fluke start. They might even hold on to win the worst division in baseball. I still look at their roster as the prime example of why you shouldn't give huge, long-term contracts to guys after one decent season. Green, Dreifort, Hundley, Nomo, and Weaver combine to make more money than any of eleven different teams. And keep in mind that the Dodgers cut payroll this year.



For more information on Major League Contracts, the Library of Congress recommends the following web site.

Ryan Freel:

26-G 84-AB 10-R 22-H 3-2B 3-3B 1-HR 5-RBI 5-BB 18-SO 5-SB 2-CS .262-AVG .326OBP .415SLG .740OPS

D'Angelo Jiminez:

30-G 118-AB 18-R 25-H 6-2B 0-3B 3-HR 14-RBI 22-BB 24-SO 2-SB 2-CS .212-AVG .348OBP .351SLG .699OPS

One could make a case for Freel leading off and/or Jiminez batting lower in the order.

Freel has better speed, comparable or better numbers than Jiminez in nearly 40 fewer ABs, fewer strikeouts, and more steals. Who's the better leadoff batter? Who would you rather see hitting ahead of Larkin and Casey in the first inning and beyond?

Hal McCoy's Farm report:

"Matt Belisle (3-3) started Thursday for the Class AAA Louisville Bats and held Durham (Tampa Bay) to two runs and five hits in seven innings, with no walks and five strikeouts."

Meanwhile, Jimmy Haynes and Todd Van Poppel continue to exist.

"Third baseman Tim Hummel has hit safely in 10 of 11 games (17-44, .386)."

Meanwhile, Brandon Larson continues to field with hands of stone and swing a bat made of rubber.

We here at Self-Proclaimed Expert Baseball Analysts wish to apologize. We spoke too soon.

It's aliiiiiiive!!!!

As of right now, before today's games, the entire NL Central is at .500 or better. Without doing any research, I'd bet that this has to be the latest in the season that has ever happened (at least since Bud moved the Brewers to the NL).

John, you forgot to mention that the team still employs the ghosts of Barry Larkin and Ken Griffey, Jr. Five years ago they were certain Hall of Famers. Then they became teammates and somehow lost their powers. They still look the same. But their production certainly ins't. They seem, somehow, more fragile- barely lifelike. Almost as if the real players were replaced by ghosts!



That cover came out five years ago this month. Eight months after it hit newstands Junior moved to Cincinnati to be closer to his family in Orlando. Needless to say, SI hasn't published a follow-up bragging about their prediction.

Most major league teams do charity work, but no team goes to the extent the Reds go. With Dan O'Brien at the helm and Dave Miley in step, the Reds have managed to prolong the careers of 11 major league players who might've been cut loose by every other team in the majors by now. Hurray for the Reds, for taking that chance, and for not judging a guy by simple, really bad numbers — for seeing up close why no other team would keep these guys on a major league roster.

Jimmy Haynes. Todd Van Poppel. Brian Reith. Todd Jones. Phil Norton. These are immortals, folks. No other pitching staff can give up more home runs and in turn, more leads and potential Reds victories, than these fellas.

And what of Jason Romano or Jacob Cruz? The Reds picked these guys over actual, experienced major leaguers like Bubba Trammell and Eric Owens. What tenacity!

What of Javier Valentin or Corky Miller, who together still don't equal one solid catcher?

Where would the Reds be without the roster-spot-eating, bench-warming, home-plate-dirt-stirring, warning track power of Wily Mo Pena? With Wily Mo's versatility, Dave Miley can count on errors in all three outfield positions, and ensure that no matter where he places Wily Mo in the lineup, the opposing pitcher is sure to record a strikeout.

Need we omit the shellshocked and inexperienced, yet awesomely overrated Ryan Wagner? He's ready to be the closer, just as soon as he figures out how to get guys out again.

Many thanks to the Reds organization for giving these guys the chance to play major league baseball, showing fans that no matter how high the ERA or how low the batting average, these guys are major league players, by gum, and that's where they belong, and the Reds are going to make sure these guys stay in the game. If that's not charity, if that's not sacrifice, I don't know what is.

Why is Todd Jones still in the major leagues?

I mean really, why WOULD you put John Reidling into the game when the score is fairly close. Why not put Todd Van Poppel and his 6.00 ERA in, let him give up a couple runs, and then put Brian Reith in, who couldn't get Little Leaguers out right now, and let Reith stay in long enough for the Astros to blow the game wide open? Who needs effective relief with Van Poppel and Reith?

Hey, sweet. Now Phil Norton is pitching with his 9.45 ERA.

Meanwhile, Jesus Sanchez, Mike Matthews, Jung Keun Bong, and Brandon Claussen continue to pitch well at AAA.

I know John has subtly hinted that he hated the Reitsma trade but Jung-Keun Bong
threw 8 scoreless innings with 8K for Louisville on Thursday. He'll be in Cincinnati's rotation by Mother's Day.

On the contrary John, Wagner might be better off throwing basketballs. It's pretty hard to hit a basketball that far.

Jacob Cruz stat of the night... LOB: 8

EIGHT?!?