SB Nation User Blog: Rick House

Click here for a story about some of your favorite minor league players sharing their youth

Rick House — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:47:09 -0000

Hi, friends! It's been some time since we last saw each other. In that time, I've endured multiple corporate-wide layoffs and furloughs, and word has it more heads will fall next month. Owie! So far I've made it through unscathed, and I've even had the chance to do some Louisville Bats baseball writing!

I think a big hand is in order for Slyde and the gang. The current crew has done the most amazing job keeping fresh content up on the site, and they're great at writing funny and informative. I have a personal fondness for the Farmers Only feature, which BK has done splendidly, but everyone has helped make this a much richer community. I'm sure JD is thrilled with what these guys have made Red Reporter. I know I'm really proud.

But the reason I'm writing today is to direct you to a little feature I wrote for The Courier-Journal (The Curious One) about our friends Sam LeCure, Danny Dorn and Drew Stubbs, and their epic clash in the 2004 College World Series. (Our old buddy Justin Turner was there, too!) I had fun hearing those guys' stories. I hope you enjoy reading it!

Bats have powerful memories of College World Series

Reds Caravan feature

Rick House — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:58:54 -0000

Hello.

I haven't been around much, but I'm still kicking. I'm going to be doing some reporting for my paper, The Courier-Journal in Louisville, for the Reds' Triple-A franchise, the Bats. I'm not the beat reporter, but I'll be something like the backup beat reporter.

Anyhoo, I cut my teeth on the Reds Caravan yesterday. We ran a little item on our Page 3, which is sorta a quirky/interesting news page, so I wrote about some of the guys' favorite autographs that they've gotten. Space and time were limited, so I didn't get to ask/say everything I wanted, but I think it's got a little sauce.

You can read the story here.

Some other tidbits that didn't fit into the story/didn't make the cut:

George Grande once met Martin Luther King Jr. at an airport and had him talk to a youth team he was coaching.

The only pieces of memorabilia Grande admits to acquiring were scoops of dirt from Yankee Stadium -- where he did his first major leage broadcast -- and Shea Stadium -- where he saw former college teammate Tom Seaver make his Mets debut.

Yonder Alonso said he does practically nothing outside of baseball. Of his bat: "That's my girlfriend." Of her name: "Louisville."

Speaking of Louisville, Alonso stepped foot in the city for the first time yesterday. He loves the park -- "It's a hitter's park; the wind blows out" -- and said he wants to start the season here.
Alonso said he feels comfortable playing third base or either corner outfield spot and that "I'm a hitter." He said he hasn't spoken to Dusty about where he'll play once he's in Cincinnati but plans on having that conversation soon.
I caught the tail end of a conversation in which Dusty said he's proud of Jerry Hairston for figuring out he needed to stop trying to pull the ball and that Chris Dickerson just has to stay healthy to be successful.

So that's about that. I didn't get to ask a lot of the questions I wanted, but I'm not unhappy with what I came out with. Hope you don't hate it too much.

If someone offers to pick up my check, I immediately reach for my wallet. Because inside is a note that says, "Say thanks."

Rick House — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:27:20 -0000

It's T-Day, and as cliche as such a thing has become, it's still important to remember that there are things in life to be thankful for. Here's my list. I'd love to hear about yours.

Timely hits.
Title inspiration.
Women's T-shirts and tanks.
Day-long "A Christmas Story" marathons.
Fall and winter leagues.
Turkeys that can't fly.
Sexy hand flips.
Canada.
Extra storage space.
Young, live arms.
Bad girls.
Pitchers who are more than meets the eye.
Nearly perfect television shows.
Corey Patterson is a free agent. I think every fan of every team can be thankful for that.

Monday's links to think on

Rick House — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:11:25 -0000

Getty Images

You will surely be shocked to learn that Jim Bowden and the Nationals are after Adam Dunn. Just imagine Austin Kearns, Wily Mo Pena and Adam Dunn all in the outfield at the same time. Now imagine a fellow in leather pants tooling around foul territory on a Segway. Now stop imagining, because if you do it too much you'll go blind.
With the GM meetings under way, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick looks at 7 things to look for in the offseason. None of them, not surprisingly, include the Reds. The only player among its top 50 free agents that MLB Trade Rumors sees us getting iis Mark Kotsay.
The Florence Freedom hired former Reds second-rounder Toby Rumfield for their front office. Outside a 29-homer season with the Winston-Salem Spirits in '94, Rumfield never really panned out and never reached the majors. But if you don't remember him, maybe you can catch a glimpse in Florence, Y'all.
Anyone hoping for Mike Cameron can cross him off your list. He re-upped with the Brewers for 1 year, $10M.
The Reds selected David Bell to manage at Double-A Carolina. Chris Bosio (pitching coach) and Ryan Jackson (hitting coach) will be joining him.
If you haven't sen it yet, check out John Erardi's piece -- with help from our own Slyde -- on tweaking the Reds.

tRick or tReat

Rick House — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:13:41 -0000

Paul Connors/AP

I thought we'd celebrate All Hallows Eve with the scariest Red Reporter posts of the past 12 months. Please feel free to add your own.

There was this ghoulish FanPost back in March that led to months of fun in center field. Corey Patterson might not have been much of a power hitter. He might not have been much of a contact hitter. He might not have been much of a baserunner. He might not have been much in the field. But.

It's been a while, but there was a time when we thought Jeff Keppinger's knee injury might have been a serious blow to the Reds' playoff chances. Still, that was definitely a nasty little injury, if for no other reason than I've always seen kneecaps as particularly vulnerable body parts and consider their injuries quite icky.

This post was so scary it might make you cry.

In the scariest moment I've ever read about on a baseball diamond, one of our minor league squads got into a squabble with some idiot Cubs farmhands, one of whom pelted an innocent fan with a fastball. Thankfully, that dolt is being brought to justice.

Sometimes the writing by local writers is downright scary. ...

... and sometimes boyish good looks just make people frightened. Plus, "His commercials make me sick to my sotmach."

Finally, despite what the ads say, change isn't always embraced by the masses. SBN scared the shit outta y'all.

What posts/threads remind you guys of the Halloween spirit?

World Series Game 5 Thread, Continued. 2-2, middle of the sixth

Rick House — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:50:51 -0000

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2008 - Grant Balfour	6-2	1.54	0.90	82	24

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2008 - Ryan Madson	4-2	3.05	1.24	67	23

This game is supposed to get back under way at 8:37, just after Barack Obama's half-hour national ad. The Phillies lead the series 3-1. There's still the possibility of the game being postponed again -- by rain or by snow.

99 problems but a pitch ain't one: The Reds' 10 best starts of 2008

Rick House — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 07:15:07 -0000

Associated Press photo/Tom Uhlman

As you await with bated breath the thrilling conclusion to Game 5 of the World Series, tonight or whenever it decides to stop raining in Philadelphia, here's a look at the top 10 Reds pitching performances of the year, sorted (by Slyde) by game score. I also added links back to the original RedReporter threads, so you can remember where you were when these gems took place. You might not remember, for instance, that most of us never saw the best game on the mound this season.

10. Edinson Volquez, August 17, GS 71: The first of several appearances by Edinson on this list, on this night Volquez beat former Red Kyle Lohse and the St. Louis Cardinals. It was a typical late-season performance for Volquez, with only 4 strikeouts and 4 walks, but he only gave up 3 hits and fanned Rick Ankiel twice. RR

9. Aaron Harang, June 13, GS 72: This was a fun night on several fronts: The Reds beat the World Champion Red Sox, Jay Bruce and Adam Dunn homered and the Harang struck out 7 for his first win in 6 appearances. The Reds were already in last place at that point, but hey, a win over the Red Sox is a win over the Red Sox. RR

8. Volquez, May 7, GS 73: This game was over when the Reds smacked three home runs in the second inning off the Cubs' Jon Lieber, but Edinson made sure by striking out 10 for the second of 6 times (!) on the season. He walked a season-high 6 but got his ERA down to 1.06, which it would never be again. Also remembered as that time Joey Votto had three home runs. The Reds were already in last. RR

7. Volquez, May 23 ,GS 74: Three starts later, Edinson struck out 12 but got a no-decision. The Reds needed some late heroics -- a 9th-inning home run by Adam Dunn off Trevor Hoffman -- to pull it off. The Reds were still in last. RR

6. Bronson Arroyo, August 26, GS 74: Just days after Marty and Thom Brennaman railed on the radio that the Reds hadn't secured a complete game all year, Bronson came through with a solid if not flashy nine-inning, one-run game against the Astros to dig the Reds out of the cellar for good. Way to go, Bronson. RR

5. Arroyo, May 10, GS 77: The Bender was working as Bronson struck out 9 Mets to salvage a split of a day-night doubleheader. Then again, he was pitching on 6 days' rest after allowing 7 runs in 1.1 innings his previous start. RR

4. Harang, April 20, GS 78: The greatest moment of the season couldn't have happened had Harang not struck out 8 and allowed just 1 run in 8 innings to get the Reds to extras. Probably the most over-shadowed start of the season. RR

3. Volquez, June 4, GS 79: Edinson struck out 8 and allowed just 2 hits in 7 innings as the Reds beat the Phillies on just 3 hits. Approaching midseason, Volquez's ERA was still just 1.32 -- but it was about to go up in 8 of his next 9 starts. This game was pretty much the end of the Cy Young season. RR

2. Harang, September 17, GS 79: The Reds handed the Cardinals their 7th straight loss -- some consolation on a lost season -- and saw Harang get back into ace form, allowing 6 hits in a complete-game shutout. Hard to believe this was 1 of only 6 wins all season for the big man. RR

1. Johnny Cueto, April 3, GS 81: When Game 3 is the high point of your season, you probably root for the Cincinnati Reds. For many of us this was the first look at the sick movement on Johnny's Cueto's fastball, and Little Pedro seemed like a distinct possibility. Cueto struck out 10 Diamondbacks in 7 innings, taking a no-hitter into the 6th until Justin Upton's solo homer. Still, it was the only blemish on one of the best performances by any pitcher in the majors all year -- and it put the Reds in first place in the NL Central for the only time all season. Remember being in first? It happened. Not that many of us actually got to see it happen. RR

World Series Game 3 Thread

Rick House — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 22:37:36 -0000

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2008 - Matt Garza	11-9	3.70	1.24	128	59

	W-L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2008 - Jamie Moyer	16-7	3.71	1.33	123	62

This series is tied up, but don't count on necessarily seeing any baseball tonight. Rain has descended upon Philadelphia, and there's a 90 percent chance of rain throughout the night. Rays manager Joe Maddon said it best:

From what I understand, it’s not going to start on time, but possibly relatively close. The proverbial window is like a 9:30 or so window, although this sounds like it may be a big bay window, where you actually could play a baseball game. They’re saying after this weather clears out, it should be good for the rest of the night.

So there you have it.

Great moments in 2008

Rick House — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:34:58 -0000

Associated Press photo/David Kohl

This photo was taken on Sept. 19 after Jay Hova homered twice in an 11-2 rout of the Brewers. Jay's season was a disappointment considering his amazing first week, but a success considering, hey, it was his first year in the bigs.

Use this thread to discuss your fondest Jay Bruce moment, the World Series, your Halloween plans or your favorite billionaire.

The curious case of Micah Owings

Rick House — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:02:00 -0000

AP photo/Matt York

When the Reds traded Adam Dunn to the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 11, they didn't exactly get a king's ransom -- Dallas Buck, Wilkin Castillo and Micah Owings. But any haul that includes Owings has promise, because even if he fails as a pitcher, he's got a mighty bat to fall back on.

Most poo-poo the idea of moving Owings to the outfield, saying his primary effectiveness is as a pitcher. Among th naysayers: Mark Sheldon of reds.com:

Where do the Reds envision Micah Owings playing for the upcoming season? Is he going to be a starting pitcher, or do they have any thoughts of turning him into an outfielder or first baseman to get him more playing time?
-- Kimberly K., Phoenix, Ariz.

Being from Arizona and watching him with the Diamondbacks, you've likely seen firsthand that Owings is a good hitter as far as pitchers go. But that's just his side job. His main gig is, and should remain, as a pitcher. It's not that easy to just switch him to regularly playing as a position guy. Rick Ankiel is the exception to the rule, not what usually happens. Owings had a hot start in 2008 and ran into a slump and a shoulder injury. It's far from being the end of the line for him as a pitcher. He will likely compete for the fifth starter's spot next spring, and I'd make him the early favorite to get it.

In his time in Cincinnati, Owings had four pinch-hit opportunities -- with two game-winning hits -- and didn't throw a single pitch due to that lingering shoulder injury. "It's crazy, isn't it? I've enjoyed it," Owings said at the end of the season.

So why should Owings' 'main gig' necessarily remain as a pitcher?

Why does everyone dismiss Owings' ability to hit? In 116 major league at-bats, he has an OPS of .907 and 5 homers, in scattered appearances and without concentrating much on his swing. In the minors he held his own with a .354/.368/.492/.860 line in just 65 at bats.

As a junior back in Tulane, Owings went 12-4 with a 3.26 ERA in the rotation, then hit in the cleanup spot everyday, clubbing 18 home runs and throwing up a .355/.470/.719/1.189 line as a designated hitter. He was nearly as effective as a sophomore at Georgia Tech, hitting 15 homers while going 9-3.

So someone explain it to me. I get that most guys can't hit and pitch. But guess what: Some guys can. His big league pitching numbers are good (a 1.28 WHIP last year and about 7 K, 3 BB/game), but I doubt he develops into more than a No. 5 starter.

Not that that's bad. A good No. 5 is hard to find, and I hope he gets his shoulder healthy and has his best year as a pitcher yet, helping to solidify our rotation. He certainly has more room to catch on there in years to come than in left field, thanks to the corner-infield logjam created by Edwin Encarnacion, Joey Votto and Yonder Alonso. But I'm growing a little tired of the lack of creativity in the minds of baseball folks regarding Owings' hitting. No one is born a pitcher or hitter. His bat might still need some testing in the majors, but Owings certainly has the talent to play the game from either side of the plate.