It's about a week away now and I haven't read about any plans for Opening Day or Game 2.. I know I am seldom seen around here anymore (don't have that 3rd child and change positions within your company), but I'd still like to be a part of this time honored Red Reporter tradition.

So, has there been any discussion of a meet up in Cincinnati for those not lucky (or rich) enough to get OD Tickets? Me and the family are (weather permitting) going to go downtown for the parade. This should be one of the most attended parades because CPS and many other schools are on spring break that week. But once the parade is over, I've been cleared to head out and meet up with my favorite RR's of old and new.

If you'd like to meet up, throw out some ideas of where to do so.. In the past we've frequented the B-Dubs in Rookwood, being centrally located and away from the downtown madness, but I'm open to anywhere..

And second, has there been a discussion for the traditional game two madness? Amazingly, OD and Game two bookend Mile's 1st birthday (April Fools baby) and I've managed to get the clearance to have a little Reds fun! We should probably put together another FanPost for a game two comments.. Anyone willing to put this together??

I hope to meet some new folks this year as well as seeing all of the old timers.

I renewed the Yahoo Fantasy Red Reporter Beer League for another season. This is the 5th season of our league. We are using the same parameters as previous years, here are the details:

If you have any questions, email me or comment and I'll check back in a couple of days.

Well, it came down to the last game for first place which put Oscar Gambles Fro (JakeTheSnake) and Heavy Duty (VWRedsFan?) firmly in kissing your sister territory. Yes, they tied with 84 points. Menace was only .5 points behind them and Ash with 82.5.. This was the closest season ever. After 6th place, there was a very steep drop off..

So, since we had a tie, I think we should have those two pick the NLCS and WS teams and WS winner. Give them 2/5/10 points for correct guesses.. I'll email them and get them on here or have them send me their picks and I'll post them.. Whomever doesn't reply by Friday looses.. If neither reply, I'm making Menace the official champion! Complete standings after the jump.

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This is the last call for the RR Beer League.. I was hoping to get us going this morning but we have an odd number of teams and I need ONE more person to jump in..  The link (that never seems to work for everyone) is http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/league/rrbl/2010 and the league number is 579057. Password is rrbl.

While I'm here... We are going to play-offs, but limit them to the top 4 teams and they will be played week 15 and 16 so chances are better that someones starters aren't on the sidelines resting for the real playoffs to begin. I'll check back shortly and as soon as there are 10 people, I'm flipping the switch..

Well, hello there!

  I was just thinking since I was the last manager, it was my duty to duplicate last years league on Yahoo.  This particular league for RR has been running for 5 years! I peaked at the FanPosts and didn't see one for FF, so here we are.. If you are interested in joining this year, the link is http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/league/rrbl and the password is rrbl.

  I think I will be tweaking the Playoffs situation. It has been frustrating to me that the (real) good teams going into the last 2 weeks of the season rest starters and therefore the good fantasy teams suffer with the lack of a solid quarterback for the fantasy playoffs. The last two years, the top seeded teams have lost first round games and it's been a lower seeded (7-7, 8-6) teams that have won the league. Ok, sure it's just FF, but Ash tore the league up the last two years and got knocked out in the first round, and I feel bad for her (though I probably shouldn't.) 

 Anyway, not sure what I am going to do, but I'm thinking of just nixing playoffs all together. Let me know what you think.. I'll try to stop back in a month or two to find out (just kidding..)

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New to Fantasy Baseball? Want to join a league that no one cares how terrible you are? Like to drink while selecting your rotation? Well then this league is for you.. We are going on our 4th season of Beer League Fantasy Baseball and hopefully this year will be just as exciting. Here are some of the details of the Beer League.

• Auto-drafting will begin March 28th. (or at least that is when I will set it Ready For Draft). We use auto-draft primarily because we don't pay enough attention to who's good and not good before the season. You can set a priority order before the draft begins.
• This is and AL Only league. We've always AL only because a. We don't want to root for anyone playing the Reds and b. we want to get familiar with plays on the Jr. circuit.
  
• Scoring is Rotisserie. It's hard not to pay attention to a team when you go head to head and easier to be lucky with rotisserie.
  
• Trades are allowed, although they are not very frequent. There are usually enough free agents to rotate around.
• There are maximums for innings pitches so you don't overload a pitching staff.
  

I somehow won the league last year after finishing almost last the year prior, so if I can win, so can you..I usually check it twice a week and set up a rotation for 4 or 5 days, but rarely change my fielders.

It is a Yahoo league and you can get to it here:  http://baseball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/league/rrbl

The league number is 505812 and the password is joeyvotto if the link above doesn't take you directly to it before signing in.

Let me know if you have any questions!!

Sorry if this is a shameless plug, but I am sure there are some folks out there that would be interested in some of the Reds Auction Items over at The Summit "Love Your School" auction. My kids currently go to school there, and I'd like to keep it that way. I don't get any direct money from the auctions, but the funds raised do help families that request financial aid (like mine.) And, OBC - there is even a Bat Boy/Girl for a day item for the Florence Freedom! I know you want in on that!

https://benefitevents.com/auctions/catalogL.asp?auctionid=6476

The 2009 Red Reporter Beer League Fantasy Football draft has been completed! Here are the teams for this year.

• Fabio Goes Butch
• Whee Doggies
• Sterling Cooper
• Plax's Prison Bitch
• Mangina
• Kyle's Killers
• Cincy Fo Shizz
• Stepdads
• Snohio Icecaps
• South Milwaukee
  

The games start on Thursday so get your lineup in order. Thanks for joining us this year!

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Eating burgers yesterday with the gang (and it was so nice seeing everyone - I missed you all) we talked about the Fantasy Football Leagues. Since I ran the Beer League (Auto Draft) one last year, it was pretty easy just to set it back up again this year. So that I have done and you can get to it here: http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/league/rrbl

The password is favre since he is beloved. I think I'll put him at the top of my pre-draft list.  I know we still have a few weeks until it begins, but go get signed up. There is a max of 14 teams and I think we had 12 last year.

I'll try not to be a stranger (when the Reds are good again), but my focus has been elsewhere this summer.

As I eluded to in a game thread last week, me and my family will be responsible for throwing out the first pitch for the Wednesday July 1st Reds game. My brother in law won a drawing and was going to have his son throw out the first pitch, but as luck would have it, his ex-wife is taking their children to Florida and leaving that day (to be fair the flights were purchased before the winning.) So Jereme offered them up to me to have Trey throw out the pitch to me. Unfortunately I fear that Trey's throw would be more errant than Malory's so Jereme will visit the mound with my wife and son to toss it to me.

Our seats are somewhere in the middle of the lower first base section, so that is where we will be.. If anyone would like to come on out to that game and hang out, let me know so I can be looking for you. If someone wants to photograph or video it, I would be most greatful. July is going to be an awesome month! First pitch, 9 days of vacation, hot pass at the Kentucky Truck Race. I'm pretty excited!

Ok, so this is the last call for folks heading to Pittsburgh for the Saturday May 2nd and Sunday May 3rd, Reds v. Pirates games. I've got Ash, 'than, XJJeep and myself heading to the Pitts Saturday around 11.. We are staying at the Marriott City Center (about 7 blocks from PNC Park.) If you are coming from Cincinnati, let me know.. I have a full car but we could still head down together..

We hope to get there by 5, go find some tickets and fill the bellies with food and alchohol. If you are going to meet us there, let me know and I'll pick up some tickets for you. If you haven't already done so, drop me an email and I'll shoot you my cell number to get a hold of us while we are there.

I really thought I'd have more to add here, but surprisingly not..Owell..

Ok, it was officially dumped into my lap that I put together all of the details for our first (that I am aware of) Official Red Reporter Road Trip - PNC Park Edition. 

Here are the details -The games are May 2rd at 7:05pm EST and May 3rd at 1:35 EST.

Well, that's about all of the firm details! I will be taking "a" vehicle to support either myself and 3 others or 5 others, depending on said vehicle I can procure. I'm pretty sure there is a car from DC heading there.

If you are interesting in joining us and have not already contacted me, please reply or better yet email me (or both even). I have created an event on Facebook so you can join us there as well. If possible I'd like to keep the majority of the discussion off of the site just because of the nature of these posts getting shuffled down after a few days..

Please let me know soon so we can figure out what we are doing in regards to travel, accommodations and game tickets.. If anyone has any connections in regards to tickets, or hotel client codes or anything let me know!

I am seriously looking forward to this road trip. It is going to be a lot of fun..

First off, that Ben for running the "normal" Fantasy League. Truthfully I would be absolutely lost in that league and a definate bottom feeder (who am I kidding I was a bottom feeder the BEER league.) Anyhow, I have taken over the helm for the Red Report Beer League fantasy baseball league. Here are the details:

It is a Yahoo league (226367) and the password is joeyvotto. (Sign Up Here)

You can go directly there at http://baseball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/league/rrbl.

League rules are the same as the last two years. This is a AL ONLY - Auto Draft league because we have no clue what we're doing anyway. (Well, some of us.)

The league is open to ALL. There is room for 12 teams total and it is a Rotisserie scoring league.

DRAFTING STARTS SOON. The first game is scheduled for April 5th so I am going to flip the "Draft Switch" on April 2nd!

Good luck to all and hope to see the regulars and new folks join our draft..

Has anyone been catching the 30 Clubs in 30 Days programming on MLB Network? I've watched a couple and I think they do a pretty good job of breaking down the teams preseason. They do decent interviews and it is nice to see some of the other teams.

The Reds are coming up on March 5th. You can check MLB's site for the schedule: http://mlb.mlb.com/network/schedule/. It will be fun watching "The Mayor's"  take on the 09 Reds. Casey isn't doing every one, but I'm sure they will have him on the desk for the Reds.

Well, it's been a season all right. Sorry it has been over for a week and I haven't posted the results, but I am still a bit bitter.  I nearly went wire to wire during the regular season, only giving up my lead after the last game to Ash and her two ties.(and points).

The post season was brutal on the top three with us all loosing in the first round of the playoffs. Ash and I then went on to loose the second round in the playoffs and ended up 7th and 8th overall and Caleb (3rd regular season) taking 5th. 

Jacob Brumfield pulled of a couple of upsets and took the overall win! TN RiverRails and Smack of Ham taking 2nd and 3rd.

Congrats to the winners and better luck next year to us loosers. The complete standings after the jump..

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I was listening to Mike and Mike this morning on the way to work and Greenie starts talking about an article written by Paul "Doherty" in the USA Today this morning which was really "our own" Paul Daugherty. His article Baseball's disconnect with fans was reprinted in USA Today apparently. (I can understand the mis-pronunciation of his last name, Brad Daugherty is pronounced Doherty.) 

Anyway, Greenie is basically reading the column which goes on and on about the disparity between real world economics and baseball economics and how Daugherty feels that CC shouldn't take all of that money. Golic was like "So what - what is baseball supposed to do? What are the owners supposed to do? What is the point of the article."

I just thought it was amusing for Golic to rip on him for writings a worthless piece of fluff with a question and no answer. I guess he got some national exposure out of it. Maybe other markets will see what media we have to deal with on a regular basis in this city.

Ok, so now it is decided who will be playing, an nobody will be watching, except the faithful RR bunch.

Now we need to decide when to have the WS gathering and where. I included on the poll all of the first four games since it is possible to be wrapped up by then. All games start at 8pm (supposedly), so they should be wrapped up by the time the bars close.

I would imagine that some folks would prefer to meet in Kentucky this year due to the fact that cigarettes KILL and people in KY just don't care about personal health (or appearance for that matter) (JK.)

So, vote and reply and come out and meet your fellow RRs for a WS game.

Despite the confusion on the serious RR Fantasy Football league, we are still running the lazy persons, otherwise known as the Beer League, at Yahoo! We are currently at 9 including RM, but he mentioned dropping out, leaving 8.

We have room for 5/6 more teams, so if you missed out on the other league you are welcome to join us in the den, just bring a case for us all to enjoy for being tardy.

Here's the Info:

Name: Red Reporter Beer League
League ID #: 554710
Password: cincy

Thanks RM for getting it set up for us, and thanks for nothing for making me the commish.

I am putting all of the details together for the Family Picnic / Wiffleball game and that was the date I am shooting is Sunday August 24th in the afternoon (thinking 11/noon until 3/4 or something).

It will be held at McDonald Park in Madeira and the Wiffleball game time will depend on if there are any soccer games going on at that time, but they do have 3 nice baseball fields there. I'd like to start the game around 2 (if we start at noon.) There is a small and a large covered shelter, two sizes of playgrounds and lots of space.  It will be a pot-luck lunch - we can work out those details as plans come together.

I was thinking of starting the wiffleball game at a set time like 1 or 2 so if anyone with out kids / family would feel uncomfortable (or just hates kids) then they could show up a little later. By all means though, don't think we don't want you  to come early!

Here is what I need to know. Who will think they can attend and if you are bringing your family. What time should we start the picnic. What time should we start the wiffle ball game? When should we all go home.  Reply with this info if you would like to attend as well as any questions.

I need to get head count and times soon so I can put in the request for the shelter.

A few of us have been talking about doing this for more than a year so lets get it in action and have fun!

From the Fay:
"I couldn't even see him in the cage. I just heard the sound of the bat," Baker said. "I said, `Who's that kid?' They said he's a 50th-round draft choice. He's a filler. I don't go for that. I said, `What's your name, son?' "Marvin L. Benard, sir. You know what initials are? MLB. I was meant to play baseball.' From that day on, he was MLB."

Ugh, really more with the ears. I hope Dustbin has the best ears in baseball..

And my son's initials are MLB so he must have been meant to play in the big league.. I am so set..

It took me long enough to find this, so I thought I would post a link out here for you folks..

2008 FSN Ohio (Cincinnati) Schedule

And the Reds press release here.

FSN Ohio will telecast more games than ever before in crystal clear high definition during the 2008 Reds season. See the schedule below for the complete HD line-up

Great! 71 games in HD.. Glad I upgraded to DirecTV to get those in HD..

But wait - what? Opening Day is not in HD? WTF. Nor is Boston or Cleveland? I guess that is the next thing they are going - all high demand games you have to go to in person to see "high definition" I guess. Guess I am just a TV snob to expect all the good games to be in HD, well all the games.. 71 is better than last year I guess.

based on the media reports and Dustbin quotes:

I just had a few observations I thought were interesting and a little humorous..

1. We probably all saw C.Trent's Dustbin post game quotes. With the chaw and all. Regarding Jerry Gil - "I saw good things," Dusty Baker said. "Jerry Gil looked good."  Maybe he will change his mind when seeing the photo by Enquirer Photographer Jeff Swinger.
2. On Adam Dunn and clubhouse presence: This article from The Fay (take it with a grain of salt) and everything else we hear about Dunn and Griff about keeping the clubhouse "light", I think he really is a good roll model for kids (Bruce, Votto) coming up. He is veteran enough to have been through a lot with the pressures put upon him to "save the franchise" and just growing up in the Reds system but not too old to not relate to those young guns and really seems to do a good job with passing that on while keeping it fun..
3. Does there have to be a 3? Umm. There isn't.. Sorry..

Alright, sorry for the shameless promotion, well it isn't really, but every year (for the past two) I try to host a golf outing with my friends. Since I'd like to consider the folks around here that, especially the ones I have met in person, I am sending out this open invite to join me this year!

Here are some of the details:

I think that is about it. If you are interested, reply here and / or visit http://duffersopen.org/.

Thanks. Oh and Go Reds. :)

Am I allowed to start a S.I.S. diary?  

In light of the Ryan Freel concussion, and I know it  is old news but I just read jch24's post and it got me thinking about it:

How many (if any) times have you been knocked out - suffered a concussion.  

How did you suffer that (those) concussions?

What do you remember?  

Ok.. I think those from the Cincinnati area need to start planning our trip to Pittsburgh. We probably should make some tentative plans. Due to the cost of petrol these days we should try to pack as many in as possible and split the gas. So here's some questions to get answered in the next few weeks.

1. Who's going.
2. What games do we want to attend?
3. Where do we want to stay?

I'll repost this with updates every couple weeks or so in order to keep it fresh. I'm doing this a little early but I would like to nail down the hotel options and seat locations sooner than later.

Alright, I guess when I invest my time in a game, especially a west coast game and force myself to stay awake til one, I feel the need to have a few words the next morning.

The Good:

1. Arroyo looked pretty good again.
   
2. Narron sticking with Arroyo. Who else is he going to use?

1. Back to back 10 hit nights - 3 runs on 20 hits.
   
2. Walk off walks are worse than ties.
   
3. Two errors.

    Well, I guess it is possible that the bullpen blew another game and they didn't even throw a pitch. That is pretty sad. You know if Weathers hadn't pitched three innings yesterday he would have been in there for the 9th. I guess you can pin this one on Krivsky.

So, ok.. To be positive - lets go sweep Cleveland. At least win the series and get back home.

Ok, so I am somewhat of a bandwagon fan. I participate in the going ons much more frequently when the Reds are doing well. That isn't my only reason for my absense from RR over the past few weeks. Work has been unbearably busy and I just haven't been able to spend my 2 hours a day surfing. :) Plus with spring here, working outside and inside.. blah blah blah..

But really I have a hard time reading Reds news when they frustrate me. This has to be one of the most frustrating teams I've seen in some time. The 9 to 2 games when they win anger me just as much. Milton pitching decently and not having a win due to lack of production his turn around or the gas spewing bull pen losing it for him. It is all just too much!

Anyway, all is well, hope to have some more time when it gets to hot to spend time outdoors. (I hate the summer heat..)