SB Nation User Blog: Blue

Crazy Ass Cubs Farm Hand Hurls Baseball into Fifth-Third Stands During On-Field Scrum

Blue — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:18:11 -0000

Story here:

http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/sports/pro/dragons/2008/07/24/ddn072508spdragonsweb.html

DAYTON — A first-inning four-run rally quickly escalated into a bench-clearing brawl between the Dayton Dragons and Peoria Chiefs tonight at Fifth Third Field that halted play for an hour and 9 minutes.

Several fights broke out behind home plate, and Castillo threw a ball that sailed into the stands behind the Dragons' dugout, hitting a fan who had to be taken to a hospital.

Castillo was arrested soon thereafter. The fan was at the game with his wife and kids.

Photos here (don't mess with Justin Reed):

http://www.daytondailynews.com/p/content/gen/sharedoh/photos_galleries/sports/pro-dragons/072508dragonsbrawl.html

Video here:

http://www.daytondailynews.com/m/content/oh/media/video/news/index.html?bcpid=1459469120&bclid=1459331347&bctid=1688297742

One of the uglier scenes on a baseball field in recent memory.

Team MEMO: Stop attempting stolen bases

Blue — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 04:34:24 -0000

One stat often overlooked when analyzing the Reds offense is how many times they've been caught stealing. Here are some facts...

Reds stats (Rank)

SB - 61 (8th)
CS - 31 (2nd most)
SB% - .66 (15th)

- The only NL team with more CS than the Reds (31) is Houston (32). Houston has 23 more SB than the Reds.

- The only NL team with a lower SB% than the Reds (66.3%) is Arizona (66.0%). Arizona has attempted 45 fewer steals than the Reds. (SABR guys will tell you that it takes a success rate of 75% for an attempt to be worth the risk.)

The bottom line is, guys are trying to steal bases who have no business trying to. Now, I think I know who is responsible for this, but I shall let him remain nameless.

I propose a few new team rules:

1. If your name isn't Brandon Phillips (19 SB/4 CS, 83%) or Jerry Hairston, Jr. (15 SB/3 CS, 83%), you are not allowed to attempt a steal unless the pitcher forgets what he's doing and goes from the full windup.

2. If you are the manager, you are not allowed to give the third base coach the steal sign unless the runner on first base is named Brandon Phillips (19 SB/4 CS, 83%) or Jerry Hairston, Jr. (15 SB/3 CS, 83%).

3. If you are the third base coach, you are not allowed to relay any steal sign given by the manager to any player who isn't named Brandon Phillips (19 SB/4 CS, 83%) or Jerry Hairston, Jr. (15 SB/3 CS, 83%).

4. If you are the first base coach and see that the third base coach has relayed a steal sign from the manager for anyone who isn't named Brandon Phillips (19 SB/4 CS, 83%) or Jerry Hairston, Jr. (15 SB/3 CS, 83%), you must whisper into the baserunner's ear "don't do it", or shout "HE'S GOING TO STEAL!!!" to encourage the sign to be taken off.

There you go. That's four layers of security to keep your team away from several unnecessary and wasted outs.

Thoughts?

Tracy Jones: Hamilton for Volquez trade is worst in Reds history

Blue — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:28:32 -0000

I really wish there was not a word minimum for each post, because I would just have the title and an empty post. Its all you really need to know.

At roughly 5:00 PM, Tracy Jones was for some reason allowed to be on WLW for a show he did on his own. He said something to this affect:

I have said in the past that I thought the Edinson Volquez for Josh Hamilton trade was a good trade and that I would do the trade again if it was offered now. I've changed my mind. Write this down, because I like being right and I'm right a lot: The Edinson Volquez for Josh Hamilton trade will go down as the worst trade in Reds history.

Now, you are surely reading this thinking to yourself, "He must be excepting the Frank Robinson trade." Nope. He followed:

Even worse than the Frank Robinson trade.

Ahh, the dim witted, lazy, out of shape, (just to complete the Adam Dunn trifecta,) Cincinnati media.

Fay: Dunn not "having even a mediocre year"

Blue — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:04:41 -0000

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008807130431

I don't know what he's thinking here, and the article doesn't make it any more clear.

Four of their highest-paid, most experienced players are having bad years. Among Griffey, Adam Dunn, Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo, none is having even a mediocre year.

Dusty, of course, quickly came to the defense of his players:

"That's a fair assessment," Baker said. "You pay attention to them because they're big guys. They're the highest-salary guys."

... wait a minute...

There's also this article from Fay that really deserves its own thread, if someone would be so kind. Wait until you read the explanation for having Homer swing away in the second inning. I can't believe Dusty actually says what he thinks sometimes. If that was my line of thinking, I'd just keep it to myself.

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080714/SPT04/807140377/1071

Alex Rodriguez Boinking Madonna

Blue — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:45:07 -0000

http://www.usmagazine.com/exclusive-ny-yankee-making-late-night-visits-to-madonnas-apartment

Us Weekly reports in its new issue, on newsstands tomorrow, that Madonna's seven-year marriage to Guy Ritchie has stalled out – and the singer has been hosting late-night visits from New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez at her Central Park West apartment in New York City.

Okay. I don't care about this at all. It does explain her presence at Yankee Stadium during the Reds recent trip. I imagine some pretty good "A-Rod" jokes can come from this. A-Rod. haha!

Sale, Sale, Sale! Everything must go!

Blue — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:03:34 -0000

With the Reds current roster riddled with more holes than Baby Face Nelson and the claims that 2009 is the Reds year to compete appearing less and less likely, its time for a good old fashioned fire sale to take place between now and July 31st.

Trade everyone not named Bailey, Cueto, Volquez, Bruce, and Votto. Fill the holes. We're in for another five year plan. Hopefully the Reds will be able to build a winning team around Bruce, and unlike Dunn, his consistent offensive performance will not be wasted for 7 years.

We've just come to a point where we're not going to lose anymore." -- Bob Castellini. Make it so, Mr. Castellini.

Blue — Fri, 23 May 2008 04:45:39 -0000

These were the words of Mr. Castellini after firing GM Wayne Krivsky. Well, we're still losing Mr. Castellini, and anyone with a brain can see that though this team is really bad, they're substantially better than the manager allows them to be.

Dusty Baker not only gives Corey Patterson at-bats, he puts him in a postition in the lineup to get extra at-bats.

Got a light hitting young SS? Bat him second, because everyone knows the CFer leads off and the SS bats second.

Have an old Griffey? He's got to hit third. He's Griffey.

Adam Dunn? Seventh if he's only striking out and clogging the bases.

And while we're at it, lets start Paul Bako, PAUL BAKO, at catcher against LHP.

Have the worst RFer in baseball? Double-switch out an average LFer and leave the RFer in during close games. Oh, by the way, that LFer is the best hitter on the team and the guy coming off the bench is a guaranteed out.

Have a stud CF prospect? Make up some garbage about chronic leg injuries so you can justify keeping him in the minor leagues until there is a corner OF spot available.

Have young stud pitchers? Leave them in for 118 pitches in a 9-0 game.

Have a power hitter at the plate and the game on the line? BUNT!

We're paying him $10.5 million for this! If any one of us made mistakes like these at our jobs, we'd be fired.

And so should he.

Walt Jocketty said that "Dusty and I won't stand for losing." Well, Dusty is not only standing for it, he's doing his part to make it more likely every game. Walt should go to Mr. Castellini in an effort to not make a liar out of himself and get this clown canned immediately. Pretty much any available manager would be better than this guy.

The time has already come. Twenty percent of the way through his contract, its time to cut your losses, Mr. Castellini. You fired Wayne Krivsky in a move that I didn't agree with at the time. In retrospect, this team really does stink, and you made the right move. You fired him because the team wasn't winning, and the fact that he had the overall organization in better shape than when he took over did not matter. Dusty Baker cannot claim the same accomplishment. He has not given this team the best chance to win day in and day out, and we are now in worse shape manager-wise than we were with Jerry Narron, Dave Miley, and *GULP* Bob Boone. He's not winning, and no matter how well Jocketty constructs the roster, the team will have a lesser chance of winning because of his mismanagement.

Dusty was a bad hire, Mr. Castellini. You don't even have to admit that you made a mistake. Just fire him, and move on to pretty much anyone else. If you want another big name manager, you can definitely find one better than Dusty Baker. If you have truly the desire to bring winning baseball back to Cincinnati, its a move you must make.

Dusty hearts Attila the Hun

Blue — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:27:23 -0000

An avid reader, Baker's office shelf is filled with leadership and motivational books written by the likes of John Wooden and Bill Walsh. Asked about his collection, Baker pulled out a book about Attila the Hun.

"Everybody will think I'm crazy for liking him," Baker said. "Attila the Hun is one of the best leaders of all time. I don't think I could cut off hands and arms or something like that if you don't do what I tell you. I liked that his people were all nationalities, all different languages, a lot of stuff."

from Reds.com

Is Norris Hopper a slick dude?

Blue — Mon, 28 May 2007 21:07:25 -0000

According to Trent, the Pirates players are claiming that Freel dropped the ball after he slammed against the ground, and that Norris Hopper put the ball back in Freel's glove while he was laying on the warning track apparently unconcsious. It seems the Reds players aren't denying it.

Okay, so the question is, who cares about getting that out more? 1) Freel, who collided with Hopper trying to catch it, or 2) Hopper who picked up the ball and placed it into the glove of an unconscious teammate before motioning for medical personnel?

I hope there is video of this. It could be classic.

Milton to DL, Burton reactivated

Blue — Wed, 09 May 2007 21:16:58 -0000

per Josh Katzowitz, filling in for C. Trent Rosecrans:

"BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eric Milton has been placed on the 15-day DL with a left elbow strain. Jared Burton is on his way up from Louisville to take his place. Will have more from Wayne in a few minutes."

It sure will be interesting to see who, if anyone, takes Milton's place in the rotation.
Josh has comments from Krivsky: http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/spring/