SB Nation - Drew Sutton

The Rookies Who Aren't

TheJay — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:16 -0000

A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues; or (b) accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club or clubs during the period of 25-player limit (excluding time in the military service and time on the disabled list).

The first part of the definition of a rookie in Major League Baseball is straightforward. Once a player reaches 131 at bats or 50 1/3 innings pitched, he's no longer a rookie. The second part is a little trickier. After all, service time numbers are hard to find. They generally come out once each year, in team media guides. Add in the fact that you have to subtract time in the major leagues after September 1st and on the disabled list and it's even harder to figure out who is truly a rookie.

It has already been mentioned this offseason that Mat Gamel eclipsed 45 days of service time before September. Gamel was recalled from Nashville on May 14th and optioned back on July 20th, giving him 67 days on the active roster during the "period of 25-player limit." So, even though he sits at 130 career at bats, the same number Scott Rolen had going into his Rookie of the Year season, Gamel cannot win the Rookie of the Year award (though that might not stop him from getting votes).

Gamel isn't the only such little-used non-rookie in the Brewers organization. Raise your hand if you realized Hernan Iribarren has 48 days of major league service time, all before September 1. Iribarren spent 20 days on the major league roster in April and June 2008, picking up 14 at bats. He spent 28 days in the majors in 2009, batting a mere 13 times. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict he wasn't going to win the 2010 Rookie of the Year Award anyway.

New Brewer George Kottaras also enters 2010 off the list of rookie players. He spent all of 2009 in the majors with the Red Sox, playing in 45 games with 93 at bats. Though he spent the month of August on the disabled list, he gave up his 2010 rookie status in mid-May.

Gamel, Iribarren, and Kottaras are not the only little-used rookies. Follow the jump for a list of all such position players to appear in the majors in 2008 or 2009. Please note it is lengthy and full of guys who have no chance at winning an award anyway. I will post a list of pitchers in the next few days.

Non-Rookies with 130 or fewer career AB:

Mat Gamel, 130 career AB
Joaquin Arias, 129 AB
Argenis Reyes, 127 AB
Jose Morales, 122 AB
Ivan Ochoa*, 120 AB
Michel Hernandez, 118 AB
Curtis Thigpen*, 118 AB
Ramiro Pena, 115 AB
Josh Whitesell, 115 AB
Luke Carlin, 112 AB
Chris Gimenez, 111 AB
Tyler Greene, 108 AB
Sam Fuld, 103 AB
Reid Brignac, 100 AB
Francisco Cervelli, 99 AB
George Kottaras, 98 AB
Freddy Guzman, 95 AB
Robinson Cancel, 94 AB
Guillermo Rodriguez, 92 AB
Steve Holm, 91 AB
Justin Ruggiano*, 90 AB
Nathan Haynes*, 89 AB
Diory Hernandez, 85 AB
Don Kelly, 83 AB
Dane Sardinha, 80 AB
Luis Maza*, 79 AB
Paul Hoover, 78 AB
Edwin Maysonet, 76 AB
Dusty Ryan, 70 AB
Clint Sammons, 68 AB
Tug Hulett, 67 AB
Drew Sutton, 66 AB
J.R. House*, 60 AB
John Mayberry, 57 AB
Gregorio Petit, 54 AB
Brian Myrow*, 51 AB
Chris Stewart*, 48 AB
Justin Christian*, 40 AB
Travis Denker*, 37 AB
Gustavo Molina*, 34 AB
Hernan Iribarren, 27 AB
Ryan Budde, 23 AB

* - last appeared in the majors in 2008

I warned you. If I missed anyone or included someone who should not be on the list, let me know in the comments.

Justin Ruggiano Takes A Trip To The Swing Mechanic Jaime Cevallos

Tommy Rancel — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:48:27 -0000

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Jaime Cevallos is a well known man around these parts. As co-star of the Zobrist code, he is widely credited for being part of the process that turned Ben Zobrist into Zorilla. Well if Cevallos is as good as advertised, we should be hearing a lot more from the "swing mechanic." In addition to working with Arizona Fall League breakout, Nevin Ashley, Cevallos has added Rays outfielder Justin Ruggiano to his growing roster of clients.

Ruggiano, 27, is pretty much at the same point in his career that Zobrist was when he and Cevallos connected. Never really a prospect, Ruggiano has accumulated nearly 100 unimpressive plate appearances with the Rays since 2007. He is mostly remembered for his fantastic game saving catch in late 2008 than anything at the plate.

A member of the Rays 40 man roster, Ruggiano, spent the entire 2009 season in the minors hitting .253/.330/.412. The .741 OPS is his lowest at any level (min .130 PA) since joining the Rays in 2006.With the urging of Zobrist, Ruggiano is hoping Cevallos can use his Mkanx system and get the most of out his stroke. "The difference between Jaime and other hitting coaches is that Jaime truly is a swing mechanic," said Ruggiano. "He has the ability to pick apart your swing and get you into the best possible hitting positions."

More on Ruggiano and The Swing Mechanic...

A unique aspect of this partnership, rooted in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in which both reside, is the accountability being taken by Cevallos. Although Cevallos wouldn't get into the specifics of the deal, he did say, "There are bonuses involved based on his performance. It holds me accountable, which is the way I like it."

The pair started working out earlier this month and looking at the roster construction, Ruggiano is facing an uphill battle. Beside incumbent starters Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton, the Rays outfield options include: Matt Joyce, Gabe Kapler, Fernando Perez and possibility, but less likely Desmond Jennings (at least early on). Zobrist could also be thrown in the mix if you like.

Many remain skeptical of Cevallos's success, but the only way to see if his teachings are the real deal or not is to increase the sample size. With Zobrist, Ashley, Ruggiano and Cincinnati Reds infielder, Drew Sutton, that size is slowly increasing. Time will tell if success will follow. Good luck to Justin and Jaime.

Astros Roster Breakdown: The 2008 Offseason

davoag — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:00:23 -0000

by Pat Sullivan - AP

Look, waaay in the back...It's Ed Wade!

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Let's start the week off by looking at what the Astros did before and during the 2009 season. No major trades went down, nor were there any major signings. In fact, it sounds much like I'm sure this offseason will. Please give me your own take on the moves in the comments and what grade you'd give to Ed Wade for last season.

Move One: Signed Mike Hampton - The lefty Rob Lowe came at a bargain, earning 2 million dollars with 2 million in performance bonuses. I'm not sure if he met those, though. Hampton proved to be just what we thought he'd be: a little below league average and not very durable. For the money, though? You're not going to get much more.

Move Two: Signed Ivan Rodriguez - As a catcher with the Astros, it's fair to say Pudge failed. He started enough to break the record, but was pretty terrible when he did play. His OPS+ of 75 seemed to belie what fans saw on the field. It appeared that Pudge was having a meaningful impact on games, though his stat showed differently. Look at his splits in close and late situations, though: .359/.388/.406. Go even deeper, and you can see his numbers in high leverage situations: .280/.313/.320. Of course, this was offset by the fact that Rodriguez struck out all three times before getting to the late innings. He was a frustrating player, but his signing wasn't terrible, just ill-conceived.

Move Three: Signed Jason Michaels - Another guy who should have been better than he was. His career average of .269 should have made the Astros bench stronger, but Michaels couldn't put it together and struggled for much of the season. It also didn't help that he wasn't the best defensive replacement as a fourth outfielder. Still, who else were you going to get for 750K?

Move Four: Signed Russ Ortiz - With Hampton, he formed the "Let's Hope the Old Pitchers Can Revive With Us...Oh, Wait, HGH and Steroids are Banned...We're Screwed" duo. It's not the catchiest of names, but it is effective.

Move Five: Re-signed Doug Brocail - Doug was a pleasant surprise in 2008, but injuries derailed him last season. Who'd have predicted that the 42-year old reliever would have injury trouble? They're usually so reliable...Considering Brocail had injury trouble two years before, the Astros did well by stocking up on relievers with minor league deals, just in case. Was it 2.75 million well spent? Probably not.

Move Six: Re-signed LaTroy Hawkins - As I mentioned in my reliever rundown, Hawkins proved to be a reliable reliever for a second straight year. Whether this was due to the league he was in or to some sort of mechanical adjustment, the Astros have more than reaped the reward for a 3.5 million dollar contract.

Move Seven: Claimed Jeff Fulchino - Waiver claims like this show just good your advance scouts and major league scouts have to be. Fulchino provided a nice addition to the bullpen when Backe and Brocail both got hurt. Plus, Fulchino came much, much cheaper than either Hawkins, Valverde or Brocail. Oh, by the way, according to FanGraphs, he was also worth 3.4 million, which is more than all three of those relievers combined.

Move Eight: Signed Aaron Boone - I won't be glib here, since Boone had to go through too much this season. I respect the hell out of him for coming back and playing late in the season, but the Astros had to have wanted more out of him on the left side of the infield than they got. Still, here's hoping Boone continues to be in good health and can be a productive player, if he so chooses.

Midseason moves

Move Nine: Claimed Chris Coste - The former Phillie probably wishes he were in the World Series right now instead of the unemployment line. He should have been a lefty specialist off the bench, but hit worse against lefties than righties. Coste also didn't provide the pop the Astros needed when Berkman went down with an injury. Would they have been better served calling up Mark Saccomanno?

Move Ten: Traded away Ivan Rodriguez for Jose Vallejo and Matt Nevarez - This trade would have looked even better if the Rangers had made the playoffs and had to throw in another player. Still, the Astros basically paid 1.5 million for these two prospects. Not too shabby...

Move Eleven: Traded Drew Sutton for Jeff Keppinger - Boone's heart condition probably necessitated this trade to shore up the left side of the infield. As one of the commenters pointed out in the Mackanin post last week, Keppinger was only played at short after Mackanin put him there. Kepp did an okay job filling in for both Tejada and Blum. This trade happened before Chris Johnson broke his hand, but was certainly fortuitous. The Astros really didn't have anyone who could fill in for Blum on a regular basis.

Move Twelve: Claimed German Duran - This was a move for next season. We'll have to wait to see if Duran can contribute before passing judgement on it.

Overall, it was a mixed bag for GM Ed Wade. He made all the moves he could with no budget, tinkering around the margins and getting somewhat solid players. In both trades, it appears he got value, as Kepp is a good bench player and Drew Sutton didn't make much of an impact in Cincy, getting 66 big-league at-bats with an OPS+ of 68.

The Pudge signing was mandated by Drayton (I think), but give Wade credit for standing up to his owner enough to flip Rodriguez for some value. As disappointing as 2009 was in so many ways, Wade hasn't been among them. He's proven he can let Bobby Heck work his magic in the draft and can make those little moves that Gerry Hunsicker used to make so well.

Overall grade: B

The Farmies, part 2

nycredsfan — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:00:28 -0000

No, it's the FarMIES...but they're all welcome anyway

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Welcome to day two of the Farmies. Yesterday brought us some major power, defense, and rising prospects. Today we celebrate the real cream of the crop of the Reds minor league system.

Comeback Player of the Year

Homer Bailey

Let's review:

2007-Bailey makes his debut to delirious fan support and is anointed the Great Hope. He proceeds to struggle a bit the rest of the year.

2008-He's beaten out for a rotation spot by Johnny Cueto and has a very rough year between AAA and the bigs. In the offseason he almost gets traded straight up for Jermaine Dye.

2009-He learns a bit of humility, a bit of control, and the split-finger and dominates AAA. He comes up to Cincinnati and has a positively Arroyo-like end to the season. His last 9 starts he goes 6-1 with a 1.70 ERA, striking out 53 in 58 innings and holding opponents to a .631 OPS against.

Last offseason many had given up on him. As of this minute he might be our second best starter. Welcome, GoodHomer. We hope you're here to stay.

Honorable Mention:

This goes to Justin Lehr for two reasons: 1) He was pitching in Korea last year, and this year posted a 2.51 ERA and .89 WHIP in 75 AAA innings, and 2) Teaching Homer the splitter. Big ups, Justin. I wish you the best of luck, just not with the Cincinnati Reds.

2010 Breakout Candidate

Devin Mesoraco

Wait a minute, you say. How do you give it to a guy who hit .228 in high-A this season? Here's why: His BB rate, LD% and ISO all improved dramatically, and his average was weighed down by a .276 BABIP despite the high line drive rate. AND he was only 20/21 playing in the FSL, which makes everyone not named Jay Bruce look bad the first time round. Minorleaguesplits.com's luck factor says he should've put up a line of .279/.356/.452. I'd take that from my catcher. Most importantly, perhaps, his defense behind the plate is reported to be much improved. Next year will be his 3^rd full pro season, and I could see him cruising through Carolina and being a late season call-up to AAA, with people debating whether to make him or Ramon Hernandez the starter in 2011.

Honorable Mention:

Juan Duran-Next year you can start to judge him by his stats, which I'm guessing will be much better.

Minor League Manager of the Year

Rick Sweet

Last year's IL manager of the year is this year's RR Manager of the Year. I can't imagine how hard it is to manage a AAA team with so much personnel change during a season, but Sweet kept the Bats rolling all year to an 84-58 record and the organization's only playoff berth. He owns a 387-330 record in 5 seasons as the Bats manager. The Reds record over that span is 377-433. Draw your own conclusions.

Honorable Mention

Joe Ayrault-Do you have any idea which team he manages? Didn't think so. His team was terrible, but I thought he deserved a little love anyway. His Wikipedia page has a couple fun facts.

Minor League Hitter of the Year

Juan Francisco

.296/.328/.523, 29 HR, 32 doubles, 93 RBI. Would you take that line from your third baseman? How about your left fielder? That's the line El Nino Destructor put up over two levels (AA-AAA) this season. You can talk all you want about walks and strikeouts, E.N.D. won't listen. He crushed AA as a 21 year old, turned 22, decided he was a man amongst boys, and proceeded to own AAA. Then, when called up to the big club in September, as the team's youngest player (2 months younger than Bruce), he put up an OPS of 1.139 in 25 plate appearances. In that short time he was worth .5 WAR, which was more than Willy Taveras, Alex Gonzalez, Edwin Encarnacion, Adam Rosales, Darnell McDonald, and Drew Sutton, and equaled the value of Jerry Hairston Jr. and Ramon Hernandez......ROAR.

(Thanks to BubbaFan for the amazingly awesome pic)

Honorable Mention:

Always a bridesmaid but never a bride, Chris Heisey had this award wrapped up in late June, scuffled a bit in AAA, but still put together a good campaign. He was pipped at the post by Francisco's August and September. Final line-.319/.386/.523

Todd Frazier had another very, very solid season. If you like walks (I gaze into their eyes at night) it was tempting to give him this award. Final line-.292/.353/.474

Minor League Pitcher of the Year

Travis Wood

This one's a no brainer. Over two levels (AA-AAA) Wood posted a 13-5 record. He must be good right? In addition to the all-important W-L record, Wood sported a 7.15 K/9 rate and lowered his BB/9 rate to 2.86, by far his best rate in 4 professional seasons. These two solid peripherals, combined with a low BABIP, meant that his WHIP was a sparkling 1.04. Oh, and he only gave up 6 homers all year in 176 IP. Yes, but wasn't he supported by good defenses in Carolina and Louisville? Perhaps, but his FIP was a very solid 3.28. Did I mention the kid is only 22? Stop your arguing, the kid can pitch.

Honorable Mention:

Zach (sniff, sniff) Stewart

Justin Lehr had a great year in Louisville, and taught Homer that splitter. If he had any prospect value he'd be on stage crying and thanking his agent right now.

That's all, folks. Thanks for joining us tonight, don't forget to tip your waiters, and we'll see you again next year.

The only people not slacking around here are the Reds. They win, 4-1.

Brendanukkah — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:46:23 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

More fans than runs. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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Sorry for the delay. I don't have internet at my house, or reliable stand-ins (a-HEM). Anyway...

The Reds swept the Pirates, which they also did the last time the two teams played. Bronson Arroyo pitched a gem, going seven innings and only allowing five hits and one run. He got his team high 14th win and brought his ERA down to a nice 3.95. The Reds got all of their runs in the third inning, with doubles from Drew Sutton and Joey Votto pacing the team. Brandon Phillips got his 95th RBI of the season, and Francisco Cordero recorded his 39th save. Some nice round numbers seem in reach for both of those gentlemen, and while personal accomplishments seem to be the only thing left to play for, the team has actually gone 21-10 since falling behind the Pirates. Too little, too late certainly, but what a fun way to close out the season.

The Pirates claimed 15,892 tickets were sold, but with two crappy teams and the G-20 summit in town, the actual body count of people in attendance was closer to 3,000.

Which means...

DC United played host to Marathon (Honduras) in their CONCACAF Champions League match last night, and drew 5,280 fans. A small crowd, but it was the envy of PNC Park on this day. United had been enduring a terrible run of form in both the Champions League and the regular MLS season. They had just finished a brutal stretch of schedule that saw them play 10 matches in 31 days. That last match was a 1-0 win in Champions League over San Juan Jabloteh (Trinidad & Tobago) which, coupled with a nine day break, gave them hope for their flagging season. Marathon, conversely, was not at all rested or buoyant. They had lost to Toluca (Mexico), 7-0 in their previous Champions League game, then political strife in Honduras caused their domestic league to be suspended and all airports closed. To even get to Washington, DC, they had to take a six hour bus ride to El Salvador, wait four hours, fly to Miami, and then connect to DC. They arrived about 19 hours before kickoff.

Still, they gamely played the hosts to a standstill in the opening half. United's striker and Designated Player (a la David Beckham), Luciano Emilio, had several chances but found his final touch woefully lacking as he could not muster a dangerous shot. But in the second half, following the insertion of all-time MLS scoring leader Jaime Moreno, United finally began to break down their beleaguered guests. In the 47th minute, defender Avery John sent a beautiful cross into the box that found Emilio slotted between two defenders. The Brazilian rose up and nodded the ball into the side netting, giving United the lead.

Emilio continued to run rampant in the second half, making a dangerous run down the right flank and sending a cross into the box. Marathon's defense failed to secure it, and it fell to Santino Quaranta who gently slid the ball back to Moreno. Two quick touches and the Bolivian marksman scored to double the lead. United needed two goals to go ahead of Marathon on goal differential, but added a third as canny veteran Ben Olsen made a nifty outside of the foot pass to spring Emilio. Emilio beat the offsides trap, took two loping strides, and fired the ball past the keeper and into the net for United's third goal. DC then held on as Marathon tenaciously searched for an important away goal, but the defense was stalwart. DC won, its largest margin of victory this season, and moved into second place in their group, putting them in position to move on to the quarterfinals. Each team has two games remaining.

Danilo Noel Diron Memorial Honorary Man of the Match

Luciano Emilio. Emilio was dangerous all night, and despite flubbing some great chances in the first half, scored two great goals that secured United's spot in the top two. Heroes were plentiful on the night as United played some of the best soccer they've played all season.

Turns out 5 days is one too many. Reds blow lead in the 9th and lose 4-3.

Slyde — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 02:33:12 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

Hit the showers, Coco. I guess we should be happy that it took so long for the Reds to lose a game that they led going into the 9th.

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Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Homer Bailey. 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K. Seriously, who else should it be? Dude deserved the win.

Key Plays

With two outs in the 3rd inning, Drew Stubbs singled and stole 2nd base. Drew Sutton followed with a single to drive in Stubbs, which drew applause from the crowd.
Other than that, the game was quiet until the Reds 8th inning. Sutton led off the inning with a triple and the scored on a base hit by Joey Votto, giving the Reds a 2-0 lead.
Dusty Baker felt it wise to bring in Francisco Cordero for the 5th day in a row. Not surprisingly, it wasn't. Chris Coghlan led off the inning with a low line drive to left field that Wladimir Balentien lost in the lights, allowing Coghlan to reach first. After a Nick Johnson line out, Hanley Ramirez singled and Jorge Cantu doubled, scoring Coghlan. A ground out by Dan Uggla pushed the tying run across the plate with 2 outs.
The bleeding didn't stop though. John Baker singled to drive in Cantu. Cody Ross followed with another bloop single and Cordero's night was mercifully over. Brett Carroll doubled off of Jared Burton to drive in the 4th run of the inning, a run that ended up being the most important one.
Juan Francisco ate his first major league sized child with his first career home run in the 9th inning, but the Reds went meekly in the 9th after that as Kevin Barker and Jay Bruce both struck out and Drew Stubbs lined out to right field.

via FanGraphs

I hate graphs that look like that.

Other Notes

The loss is the first loss by the Reds this season in a game in which they took the lead into the 9th inning. They were previously 57-0 in those games.
The loss ended the Reds 8-game home winning streak and 4-game overall winning streak.
You can use vinegar and baking soda to get that musty smell out of towels. Don't use laundry detergent or fabric softener.
Juan Francisco is the 7th Reds player to hit his first major league home run this season. Name the other six.
The Reds reach 80 losses for the 9th consecutive season. They must win 13 of their last 14 to not have their 9th straight losing season.
This was Homer Bailey's 6th straight start with 114 or more pitches.

Just Like They Drew It Up. Reds Win 7-5 to Break 5-game Losing Streak.

Slyde — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:01:24 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

Yer a....GULP....mmmmmm.

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Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Drew Sutton. Sutton only saw three pitches all day, but that was enough as his 2-run pinch hit double in the 9th inning was the difference for the winning squad.

Key Plays

The story of the day today was base runners, as in the Reds had 21 of them when you add up the 10 hits, 8 walks, and 3 errors by the Cubs. Thankfully, they managed to get some hits today with runners on base, going 5 for 13 with runners in scoring position.

The Reds put their first two runs on the board due to the Cubs fielding incompetence. Three errors in the 3rd inning allowed the Reds to load up the bases and score a run before Brandon Phillips singled in a second run to put the team up 2-0.
The Reds added 3 more runs in the 4th inning after Adam Rosales and Drew Stubbs singles put runners at 1st and 3rd. Darnell McDonald followed with one of his two hits on the day to drive in Rosales. Joey Votto did the same to drive in Stubbs. Consecutive walks to Phillips and Scott Rolen put another run on the board and the Reds led 5-0.
While all of this was happening, Johnny Cueto was cruising right along, allowing just 1 hit and 2 walks through the first 5 innings. He ran into trouble in the 6th though, walking lead-off hitter Ryan Theriot and back-to-back singles Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez, the latter scoring Theriot. Geovany Soto ended Cueto's day with a double that plated Lee and moved Ramirez to third base.
Daniel Ray Herrera relieved Cueto but allowed a sacrifice fly to score Ramirez and a walk and was replaced with Ramon Ramirez who induced a flyout from Jeff Baker to end the inning.
The Cubs rallied again in the 7th a walks to Kosuke Fukudome and Lee put runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. Nick Masset came to the game to face Aramis Ramirez who promptly singled to load the bases. Masset struck Milton Bradley out, but then gave up another double to Geovanny Soto. Both Fukudome and Lee scored, but a nice relay from Stubbs to Paul Janish to Corky Miller nailed Ramirez at the plate, preserving a 5-5 tie.
The 8th inning was quiet on both sides, and it looked like the Reds would stall out in the 9th as Rolen grounded into a double play after a Phillips single. However, 2-out walks to Jonny Gomes and Kevin Barker left the door open for Drew Sutton to be a hero, and Sutton didn't disappoint. His double into right field plated both runners and gave the Reds a 7-5 lead.
Francisco Cordero made quick work of the Cubs in the 9th, throwing just 9 pitches in a 1-2-3 inning.

via www.fangraphs.com

Other Notes

The win today still leaves open the possibility that the Reds could finish this road trip with a split. As bad as they played during the 5-game losing streak, a split would feel like a freaking miracle.
The Reds had 10 different players reach base via a hit or a walk.

The Tale Of The Season: Cubs Defense, Marmol Fail In 7-5 Loss To Reds

Al — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:00:56 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

"If only you guys had played better defense, I could still be in this game!"

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Even I, the eternal optimist, have to admit that the task of making a baseball miracle and getting this Cubs team into the playoffs is probably impossible now.

The Cubs lost to the Reds 7-5 on another sun-kissed September afternoon that reminded all of us of the summer we missed, both baseball-wise and weatherwise. That wasn't the entire story, of course; the Cubs made a stirring comeback from a 5-0 deficit to tie the game in the bottom of the 7th, only to lose.

Wasn't that about the story of the entire season? We got teased from time to time, the team making us think they were about to make an extended run and get back into the race, only to fall back and have reality set in.

Today, the Cubs gave the Reds six outs in the third inning and no team can expect to overcome bad play like that. They were, in fact, lucky to get out of that inning with only two runs scoring. One of the three Cub errors in that inning was an unlucky one -- Aramis Ramirez couldn't have aimed the throw on Drew Stubbs' grounder better than he actually threw it. The ball hit Corky Miller in the helmet and ricocheted at least 100 feet away into about the fifth row behind the Cubs dugout. A run scored and runners wound up on second and third. This was after Derrek Lee, as sure-handed a fielder as the Cubs have, fumbled a bunt attempt by pitcher Johnny Cueto, which should have been an automatic out.

Even after that, the Cubs could have gotten out of the inning with no runs scoring. Darnell McDonald hit a ball to Ryan Theriot, who threw home to get Cueto. That left runners on first and third with one out, and Randy Wells got the tough Joey Votto to hit a grounder right to Lee for what should have been an inning-ending double play. Unfortunately, Theriot dropped the ball, and Brandon Phillips' subsequent single scored the second run of the inning.

Both of those runs were unearned due to the errors, and the three runs that scored in the third should have been unearned, too; Votto's ball that glanced off Lee's glove was scored a hit, but should have also been an error. That could have been a double play, too, and then even after a pair of walks Jonny Gomes' grounder would have ended the inning with no runs scoring.

Randy Wells deserved better, and the bullpen did a good job of keeping the Reds at five runs while the Cubs were hurriedly catching up; Geovany Soto, whose bat has come alive in this series, hit doubles in the sixth and seventh innings, driving in three of the five runs the Cubs scored to come back and tie. Ramirez was thrown out at the plate -- I would have sent him too, with two out and the tying run already in. It took a perfect throw and relay to get him.

But then, Carlos Marmol came in. Marmol has been very good since being anointed closer, but this was not a save situation and Marmol pitched like the old, bad, pre-closer Marmol. Even after a slick DP got him to two out and no one on, he walked a pair and gave up a two-run double to a .176 hitter, Drew Sutton. (Can you tell the difference between Drew Stubbs and Drew Sutton? I can't.) How can you do that? In any case, Angel Guzman should have been in this game instead of Marmol, but apparently, Guzman is deep in Lou's doghouse after the two had words the other day in Pittsburgh when Guzman didn't agree with Lou's decision to yank him.

That simply can't happen. Guzman was wrong to do that, but at a certain point, the manager has to put the guy in the game who has the best chance of doing the job at hand. In this case, in a tie game in the ninth inning, it was Guzman's role, not Marmol's.

So at this point, what to do? Play guys who have a chance to be contributors next year. Bobby Scales, thank you for your moment in the sun, but you're not going to be a Cub in 2010. Jake Fox should be in LF every day while Alfonso Soriano is on the shelf, in order to either determine his role in 2010 or increase his trade value. Same for Andres Blanco; he should be playing SS every day, particularly since Theriot is hitting .211 since August 15. Let's find out whether Blanco is someone who could be the primary backup infielder next year. And let's not put Aaron Miles into any more games, please.

I'll have lots more to say about 2010 once this season has finally ended. It's been difficult -- as you all well know -- in many ways. Until then, try to enjoy the rest of the season; perhaps there will be a thrilling comeback win, or a great individual performance to enjoy. It's still baseball, and we all love the game, or at least I hope you do. We'll miss it when winter comes. And next year will bring new ownership and new hope. Keep the faith; someday, the Cubs WILL win the World Series. In the meantime, I'm off to the U2 concert tonight at Soldier Field; maybe I'll see you there.

Dozens thrill to the adventure! Reds win a wild one, 4-3.

Brendanukkah — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:13:04 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

Don't touch me. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

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Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Drew Stubbs. The rookie went 2-4 with a home run, two runs scored and a stolen base.

Key Plays

Drew Stubbs hit a home run in the bottom of the first inning, Cincinnati's first leadoff home run of the season.
Kip Wells made sure the lead did not hold up long. In the bottom of the second, he walked Lastings Milledge with two outs, hit Ronny Cedeno with a pitch, then gave up back to back singles to Jason Jaramillo and Daniel McCutchen. The Reds were down, 2-1.
The Drew Crew helped put the Reds back on top in the third. With one out, Drew Stubbs singled and stole second. Drew Sutton then singled to drive him in, and took second base on the throw. After moving to third on Joey Votto's grounder, Sutton scored when Scott Rolen singled. 3-2, Reds.
Carlos Fisher relieved Kip Wells in the seventh, and immediately gave up a triple to Ronny Cedeno, and a single to Jaramillo. The game was tied, and extras loomed.
Opening Day centerfielder Darnell McDonald wouldn't let that happen. He singled with one out in the ninth, moved to second on Craig Tatum's hit, and advanced to third on a fly ball by Paul Janish. Then, with JNMHSotG Drew Stubbs at the plate, Pirates pitcher Jesse Chavez uncorked a wild pitch, and McDonald scored the winning run.

via FanGraphs

Other Notes

Official attendance was 13,051. Estimates put the actual body count between 1,500 and 2,000.
This game was a make up game for one that was rained out on April 10. Only Ryan Doumit and ~~Adam~~ Andy LaRoche were left from the Pirates lineup. I can't find a lineup for the Reds from that day, but of the starting lineup this afternoon, only Joey Votto was with the Reds on April 10.
Johnny Cueto was the scheduled pitcher on April 10. He will start tonight's game.
There have only been two major league baseball players with the last name of McCutchen. They both played for the Pirates today.

Reds can't catch grounders, breaks. Lose to the Dodgers, 3-2 in 12 innings.

Brendanukkah — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:25:56 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that's about it. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

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Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Matt Kemp. He hit a home run and the game-winning sacrifice fly.

Key Plays

In the second inning, Scott Rolen singled, and Darnell McDonald hit his first major league home run. The Reds led 2-0, and would not score again for the next ten innings.
Bronson was cruising until he hiccupped in the fifth inning. He allowed a leadoff home run to Matt Kemp, and then a single to Casey Blake. He got the next two outs, but then Orlando Hudson and Clayton Kershaw hit balls to Paul Janish that went for hits, and Blake scored to tie the game.
Dusty used three pitchers (Arroyo, Rhodes, Masset) to get through the 8th inning.
Drew Stubbs and Paul Janish singled in the 8th inning with one out, but Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips were unable to drive them in.
In the eleventh inning, Scott Rolen singled with two outs. Drew Sutton came in to pinch hit for Jared Burton, and then Rolen was caught in a rundown.
Francisco Cordero came in to pitch the twelfth inning - not a save situation. He walked Manny Ramirez, and with one out, Juan Castro doubled. After an intentional walk to Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp hit a fly ball to the warning track for the game winning sacrifice fly.
The Reds did manage to get two baserunners in the bottom half of the inning before Wladimir Balentien and Drew Stubbs both struck out.

via Fangraphs

Other Notes

After being called "our smartest baserunner" by Dusty Baker, Scott Rolen was caught twice on the basepaths.
The Reds struck out 20 times. It was the most strikeouts for the Dodger pitching staff in 37 years (they struck out 22 on Aug. 8, 1972, also against the Reds. Took 'em 19 innings, though.). Joey Votto struck out four times, and Drew Stubbs and Darnell McDonald each struck out three times.
The Dodgers are now 22-4 against the Reds since 2006.
For the second game in a row, someone hit their first major league home run.
Francisco Cordero has pitched on five of the last six days. There is a doubleheader tomorrow.

Final - 8.30.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	R	H	E
Los Angeles Dodgers	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	11	0
Cincinnati Reds	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	8	0
WP: James McDonald (4 - 3) SV: Jonathan Broxton (29) LP: Francisco Cordero (2 - 4)

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