WOW. September was my last post. That's slightly depressing, but I'm back! The problem is that I only felt compelled to write after Cincinnati's embarrassing loss to UCF on Sunday. I'll be honest, I didn't even watch the game. But only scoring 49 points? Sounds like a story from years' past. If you have followed this UC program over the past, oh I don't know, decade...you know offense has always been hard to come by, except for this year. Kyle Washington no doubt has ignited this offense from the start of the season. The depth of this year's team doesn't hurt either. Troy Caupain has had many an off night, but they'll pick up with a 20-point night from Jacob Evans. Or, maybe Jarrod Cumberland comes off the bench for a double digit performance. All this has helped lead the Cats to a 25-4 record thus far, and a residency in the Top 25 for the better part of the season. But again, 49 points?!?! Where is this coming from??? To take the words right out of Mick Cronin's mouth, they were awful offensively.

I guess the only silver lining is they held UCF to only 53 points, so at least the defense showed up. Yes, this loss is troubling, but the timing is even more troubling. We're heading into tournament time, and nobody wants to hit a cold streak come March. Despite recent losses to SMU and UCF, the Bearcats continue to win at home. Their 25-game winning streak at Fifth Third will be put to the test Thursday in their final home game against a tough Houston team. This also happens to be senior night, so I hope they can send Caupain, Johnson, and everyone's favorite, Tobler, out with a victory.

Before the loss to UCF, I believed the Bearcats could have made a push for a four seed in the big dance. Now, I'm not so sure that we won't be a six. Cronin needs to get this team back on track and get hot again before the AAC Conference gets underway. After Houston, the Cats travel to UConn for a noon game this Sunday which will also be another tough one away from home. If the Cats can win out, and SMU stumbles we could be looking at a No. 1 seed for the conference tournament, but at the very least we've secured the two seed. Because of our conference and non-conference schedule being weak compared to other Top 25 teams, a conference tournament victory would be a bold statement before Selection Sunday. We all know what happens to five and six seeds in the tourney...it's upset city. I don't want to see another first round knockout for these guys. Finally I feel like Cronin has a team that can score and make some noise in March, but they've got to step it up...quick.

Cueto gets Rocked, Reds Still Lose; Plus Thoughts on the Draft

Lets talk...Cueto's Return:

 
 Johnny Cueto made his return to Great American Ballpark last night as the starter for the San Fransisco Giants. Usually not someone you want to see as an opposing pitcher, but Cueto had a rough start to say the least. Although he was welcomed back graciously by fans and former teammates alike, the Reds didn't take it easy on their former All Star. Joey Votto hit a 425 foot bomb that plated 3 of the 6 runs the Redlegs scored in the third inning alone. Six runs; should be enough offense to win a game right? WRONG. Not with this bullpen anyway. True to fashion, the pen let another lead slip away, resulting in a 9-6 loss. If you can recall we had just snapped a six game losing streak on Sunday in extras over the Pirates. Now that we're on this home stand, I'd hope we could avoid another losing streak, but this team's relief is so god awful it's embarrassing.

Once again, I know this is a rebuilding year and that we aren't too expect the Reds to define the odds. But really, this team could have a winning record if not for the relief pitching. Half of last year's starters are still banged up on the DL. The ones that are starting are young, but for the most part have shown great promise. If you take out the dreadful series with the Cubs where we lost 13-0 and 9-0, our offense has been producing runs more than they have the past couple years. So we're left with the bullpen. Bryan Price being a former pitching coach, to me, should be able to MANAGE PITCHERS a little better. So glad Dusty Baker is out of here because he had no chance of getting us deep into the playoffs. Where's Dusty now you say? Oh just tearing it up with the Nationals this season. Yeah, but that's something that can't be changed. However; If I see Bryan Price looking dazed and confused as to why JJ Hoover is giving up run after run yet again I'm going to scream. The man has an ERA of 13.97!!!!! That's absurd. Send him down for the love of God. He can regain confidence in Triple A, but giving up runs every outing in the majors isn't going to do it.

Lets talk...Bengals draft picks:

With the 24th pick of the 2016 NFL draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select...William Jackson III, cornerback, Houston. Ok, I like the help in the defensive secondary which we will need with the loss of Reggie Nelson at safety. We'll also have to address the more than likely loss of free agent, Leon Hall, at the cornerback position. He will come into a young team of cornerbacks with the exception of veteran Adam Jones, who clearly still has some maturing to do  after last season. Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard will be mentoring the rookie and Kirkpatrick has strong thoughts on Jackson starting day one. He believes Jackson needs major development and it will take time to adjust into his role on the roster. We'll see, but I'd definitely like to see our first round draft pick making an impact sooner rather than later.

I think the Bengals came away with decent WRs too. They didn't reach in the first round when most of the top receivers had already gone off the board. They picked up Tyler Boyd out of Pittsburgh and Cody Core out of SEC powerhouse Ole Miss. These two will cushion the blow of losing Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu to free agency this off-season. Lets not forget, our offense is still quite strong. We have an elite WR in A.J. Green still, a standout TE in Tyler Eifert, and a great duo in the backfield with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard. Also, a lot of the experts are saying we got a steal in Andrew Billings, defensive tackle out of Baylor. Billings already has a chip on his shoulder from falling so far in the draft, so hopefully he can use that to the team's advantage.

Opening Day FOMO

Lets talk...the festivities:

As I'm sitting here watching the parade, I'm thinking back to last year's Opening Day. It was about the same temperature, maybe a little warmer, and I had a delicious adult beverage in my hand. I was most likely intoxicated, if not well on my there :) Oh how I wish I was doing the same thing right about now. It's awesome that most work places allow you to dress in your Reds gear, and have the parade on TV, but I want to be there!!! I'm suffering from some serious FOMO right now, (fear of missing out for those of you who don't know). Nothing gets you in the spirit of baseball season more than Opening Day in Cincinnati. The Banks is a huge part of the celebration. It's like being surrounded by thousands of your drunk best friends because everyone is a Reds fan. And it's the first game of the season, therefore nobody is disappointed...yet.

Lets talk...the team:

I will admit that I'm not as pumped for the team that will take the field today against the Phillies. Mostly because I've never seen half of them play. Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but Frazier is gone from third. The Cuban Missile is with the Yanks. Yes, we still have our staple players: Bruce, Votto, and Phillips. However; if Bruce continues to hit like he has the past couple seasons, so what if he's been here his whole career. He's got to step it up, become the power hitter he has the ability to be. If he's not going to jack out homers, than at least consistently be a threat of getting on base. Again, I'm going to try to maintain a positive attitude as the season gets underway, but with half of our starting pitching on the DL, I reserve the right to be skeptical.

A.J. Green Will Stay in Stripes

Lets talk...contract extension:

By far A.J. Green is the Bengals biggest offensive weapon, and now he's going to be paid like it. Sources are saying that Green and the Bengals have reached a deal that will span four years for $60 million. Despite the injuries that plagued him last season, Green has shown that he is the go-to guy for Dalton. The Pro Bowl receiver and the organization were anxious to get this deal done before the season opener at Oakland.

Finally this guy gets the money he deserves. Just to give you some perspective; according to ESPN, only Randy Moss, Torry Holt, and Jerry Rice have had more receiving yards in their first four seasons. The elite receivers in this league, (Julio Jones, Dez Bryant, etc.), have all signed monster deals close to $70 million in the recent past. I believe A.J. is right there in the conversation with these guys.  Another thing I admire about Green is that he keeps his head down and does his job. He's not the type of player that is making negative headlines in the media and killing you with ignorant substance abuse suspensions. I respect a player that can fly below the radar in this day and age. And with the Bengals making history being the only team with four straight playoff appearances with zero wins, maybe Green will have the peace of mind to get the rest of the team ready for a playoff victory.

Lets talk...season opener:

Speaking of Jerry Rice, a rookie receiver in Oakland is being named by some "the next Rice". His name...Amari Cooper. The Bengals secondary is really going to have to step up their game against this kid. He is quick and he is smart. I know college doesn't always translate to the NFL, but I watched Cooper extensively during his days at Alabama and he's got something special. I also have him starting on my Fantasy team so I hope I'm not wrong about him. Don't get it twisted! I will be rooting on my beloved Bengals full force on Sunday, as I also have Mr. Jeremy Hill on my Fantasy roster. But, if Cooper could go off and Cincy still gets the victory, I'm all for that too. Kickoff starts
at 4:25 on Sunday, WHO-DEY!!!

The Wild, Wild West

Lets talk...west coast probs:

I'd venture to guess that the Reds are happy to be heading home after an abysmal road trip out west. They only took one game from each series against the Diamondbacks, Padres and Dodgers; yikes. For as long as I can remember, the Reds have struggled on the West coast. It's nothing new to fans that when they hit that long road trip out to the other side of the country, it's probably going to end in disappointment. This whole season has been quite the disappointment really. After the past couple years of being in contention, sitting at the bottom of the Central is not something we've grown accustomed to. It feels like the world has turned upside down, with the exception of the Cardinals who always seem to find their way to the top. But the Pirates and Cubs battling for playoff spots?! If you told me that at the beginning of the season I would've laughed in your face.

Lets talk...the Central division:

Never in my life would I have thought I would envy the Chicago Cubs, but I found myself watching the SportsCenter Featured on Joe Maddon this morning oozing with it. The Cubs, so young and so dominant and Maddon having just the right mix of passion and quirkiness to make an awesome manager. They showed his press conference from when he was officially hired as Cubs' manager and he said that next year they would be in the playoff race. Again, I laughed. I swallow my laughter painfully now as the Cubs stand atop the Reds in the Central.

Watching Maddon's life story on SC made me like him even more, and it got me thinking, what qualities do I enjoy about Bryan Price? The answer is, not many. We don't have a leader at the helm of our ship. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Price is the reason for our less-than-stellar season, but I don't think he is going to lead us back to the winner's circle. We need a guy like Maddon with experience and pizazz, but most of all we need a guy with a winning attitude!

Lets talk...football: 

Football is back! The Bengals with the W this past Friday against the Giants. Yes, I know it's only pre-season, but that doesn't make me any less excited. I saw exactly what I wanted to see from this football team. The starters, including Dalton, came out on that first drive and took care of business. They put points on the board which is what you expect from your first team.
The starters weren't the only stars of the show, a lot of defensive guys looking to earn a spot showed they have what it takes.

In other news, the next time you find yourself at Paul Brown Stadium, there will be a few upgrades you'll notice. They have finally upgraded those outdated video scoreboards. The food in the concession stands has been revamped along with the décor. For you upper-class ticket holders, there will be all new furniture in the club seat lounges. And if you were accustomed to visiting the Pigskin Pub during a game, it will now be the Queen City Tap Room. Who Dey!

The Todd Father is Crowned in the Queen City

Lets talk...Todd Frazier:

Well obviously he's the highlight of this post! From last year's runner-up, to this year's Derby champ, it was a heck of a night for the Reds' third basemen. I have never heard such an electric crowd down at Great American Ballpark, and I was watching on TV! Man, the love for Frazier in this town is unmatched. It's been an amazing journey starting all the way at the beginning of the all-star voting process. From the fans rallying behind him and boosting him past all the other candidates, to cheering on louder than ever to push him to a victory in the Home Run Derby! You couldn't ask for a better ending, and we still have the All-Star Game to look forward to tonight.

Lets talk...round by round:

Frazier's first round opponent was no easy task; two-time Derby champ Prince Fielder. Fielder smashed out 13 bombs with ease, and nonchalantly chomped on some cotton candy during his timeout. I was nervous for Todd, and although they would never admit it, so was the hometown crowd. Heck, even Todd was worried! "Once he had 13," Frazier said with a sigh afterward, "I said, 'Oh man.'" (ESPN.com). It was a slow start, but eventually he got going and blasted his 14th long ball out of the park just as time expired to propel him past Fielder. On a side note, with Fielder no longer a contender, Ken Griffey Jr. is still the only player to win three Derby titles.

Next up, Toronto Blue Jay, Josh Donaldson. Donaldson looking to become the first Blue Jays' player to win the title, and Frazier slams that door shut! In a low scoring second round, Frazier fell behind early. He only hit two deep in his first 12 swings, (thank god for the new format, right?). It looked like he wasn't going to be able to pull it off. Down one, he hits the ball 424 feet. To seal the deal, he lasers one 444 feet at the buzzer again!

One more round to go, and the crowd is behind him with full force. The last opponent, Joc Pederson, a young rookie from Los Angeles. If Pederson were to win he'd be the youngest player in Derby history to hold the title. He wasn't going down without a fight. After stepping over Albert Pujols to make it to the finals, Pederson had a short break before he was back in the batter's box. That youth prevailed because he didn't need much rest, blasting out an insane 14 homers and all of them were bombs. This kid has got power for days, averaging the longest home-run distance this year in the majors. Frazier had his hands full, but come on, it's All-Star Week in the Queen City! We got this.

With the Jersey boy's favorite Frank Sinatra song playing throughout the stadium, it was shaping up to be a storybook ending. Again, he was off to another slow start, down seven with only 1:30 left on the clock. But just like the last two rounds, he fired off four dingers in five swings. Two more colossal swats and it's tied! Alright, bonus time. If he can just muster up enough energy for one more, the place would erupt. Seriously, it couldn't have played out better. First swing in bonus and that baby was outta there! My boyfriend, (an Indians fan), sound asleep in the bed awakes after I jump out of the bed with excitement. He'll get over it because the Hometown Hero did it!

Lets talk...this new format:

I'll admit, when they revealed the new rules for the Derby this year I was less than thrilled. Timed rounds, bracket match ups? C'mon lets keep it the way it is. Well, I stand corrected. That was one of the most exciting derbies I have ever seen. This format keeps things moving much more quickly which keeps the fans interested. The only thing I could do without is the bonus round. I'm pretty sure every player got the bonus in every round, I mean they are in the Home Run Derby for a reason. They can obviously jack the ball out of the park, so the distance bonus would be my only revision for the future. Either give them an additional 30 seconds in the regular round, or be done with it altogether. All in all, well done MLB.

Reds Rally around Rookie

Lets talk...Rasiel Iglesias:

You may remember Rasiel Iglesias from his first start back in April. He went five innings and gave up three earned runs and five hits in a 5-7 loss. The Reds sent him down after his performance against the Cardinals, but that is not the same young man we saw last night. The Cuban native was DEALING. In only his second career start, the 25-year-old rookie pitched eight solid innings, only allowing two hits the whole game. Almost every hitter he faced he would get ahead of them 0-2. Iglesias admitted that it was a good thing for him to head back down to AAA, and it helped him gain the confidence he needed for his second start in the majors. One of the best moments of the night was seeing Iglesias' reaction when the Reds got the W.

Lets talk...the dilemma:

When Bailey went out for the season for Tommy John surgery, I admit, I was frightened for our starting rotation. The only experienced pitchers we had left were Cueto and Leake, but now we've got a different problem on our hands. A good problem to have, mind you, but now we've got one too many pitchers and not enough roster spots open.  Manager Bryan Price does seem optimistic though saying, "There is a scenario that he (Iglesias) can stay with us," he continued, "he has a better understanding of where he needs to go with his pitches than most pitchers his age". After last night's performance I don't know how you could send him down again. There's talks of Iglesias and Lorenzen, (who's also only made a handful of starts), switching between the starting rotation. Both would work out of the bullpen when they were not starting. We'll see what the front office decides to do.

Lets talk...what's next:

After the win last night, we are once again sitting at .500. There are worse places to be, just ask the Braves. Todd Frazier continues to crank out the homers. He's now tied for the lead with none other than Bryce Harper of the Nationals for most HRs in the NL.  Now, we've got the Giants coming into town for a four-game series. Cueto takes the mound at 7:10 tonight, looking to improve his 3-3 record. Go Redlegs!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Lets talk...the good:

Devin Mesoraco will be making the trip to St. Louis after missing the Chicago series with a left hip injury. Another catcher is also coming to St. Louie. Standout Triple-A stud, Tucker Barnhart, hitched a ride but was not told if he is officially called up or not; we shall see.

Cueto will be on the mound! Although he is currently sitting at 0-1, both of Cueto's outings thus far this year have been above average.  We're going to need another strong showing from him if we want to start this series off on the right foot. If we can have Cueto pitch through seven solid innings, AND have some run support, the bullpen will hopefully come to play tonight.

The Reds' offense is the shining light in this young season. Joey Votto finally looks like he's back to performing at MVP level. "The Todd Father" has been swinging the bat exceptionally well, and even Zack Cozart, who I admit is usually frustrating to watch at the plate, is hitting .389 in the last five games. He's 6 for 14 with a double and a triple against Cardinals' pitcher Michael Wacha, who just so happens to be on the mound tonight.

Lets talk...the bad:

After Wednesday's 5-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs, the Reds are looking to avoid their fifth loss in six games. I know it's still early, but how early was it when everyone was hooting and hollering about sweeping the Pirates in the first series? You can't win a pennant in April, but you sure can lose it.

Kevin Gregg. The name is now synonymous in my head with the word bad. Giving up two, two-run home runs in his appearances, I'm hoping we don't see him AT ALL this series. Sorry Kevin.

Lets talk...the ugly:

It's no secret that the Reds have had their struggles against the Cardinals in the past. It's even more well known that they can't get it done in Busch Stadium, "where they've dropped eight straight series and 20 of the last 22," (espn.go.com). The last time the Reds have won a series in St. Louis, it was in September of 2011, OUCH! Lets hope that stat changes this weekend. First pitch goes out at 8:15 tonight. GO REDLEGS!

Goodbye Latos, Hello DeSclafani

Lets talk...DeSclafani:

Like me, I'm sure many of you were unfamiliar with the name Anthony DeSclafani before he killed it on the mound last night. The Reds acquired DeSclafani from the Miami Marlins in a trade for starter Mat Latos. The twenty-four-year-old righty from New Jersey had his stuff working against the Cubs. Sure, it's his first start, but have you seen what Latos has done thus far this young season? It hasn't been pretty. Not to mention him dogging our whole team publicly. I say good riddance to Latos and his poor attitude, (and ERA), especially if DeSclafani can continue to give the Reds solid outings. I remember watching and thinking, "Man, this kid has thrown 44 pitches and he's through the fourth already". I put a lot of emphasis on pitch count, especially with these young kids who are out there trying to give you seven or eight good innings each night, and throwing hard in the mid 90s.

Lets talk...bullpen:

Kevin Gregg replaced DeSclafani in the eighth and gave the same kind of performance we saw from him the last time he came in for relief. Another two-run home-run to cut the Reds' lead to one. So far, I'm not overly impressed with anyone in our bullpen except for Aroldis Chapman. The Cuban Missile Crisis did give up a lead-off single and a walk, but managed to get his third save of the year! Reds won 3-2, ending a three game losing streak.

Lets talk...Brandon Phillips:

Moving up in the batting order, Brandon's bat has been connecting more in this series with the Cubs. Of course when his offense starts heating up, the injury cloud looms. Phillips' was running to third as the Cubs' defender crashed into him. Brandon left in the fifth inning after he started feeling light headed. He has passed the concussion test though, so hopefully he'll be back in the line-up today.

Check out the highlights, courtesy of espn.go.com:

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12692844

Reds Suffer First Loss of the Season

Lets talk...offense:

Well, there wasn't much. Todd Frazier's solo shot to left field came in the bottom of the first, (on his bobblehead day), and that was all the excitement fans got from the Reds' bats. The Reds left five runners stranded in scoring position, twice we had a man on third! The top of the order has had the hot streak. As for hitters four through eight, they are hitting .200 or less (espn.go.com). I can't wrap my head around Phillips hitting so low in the batting order. We need dat dude's bat!

Lets talk...pitching:

Johnny Cueto took the mound again today after a spectacular opening day performance. Another tough one to stomach for our ace. Other than a home run by Matt Adams in the fourth, Cueto did not give up an earned run in seven innings pitched. His record is now 0-1 on the season.

Lets talk...what's next:

The great weather we had today brought a sell-out crowd to Great American Ballpark. With sun and warm temperatures in the forecast for Sunday, it should be another big attendance day. Raisel Iglesias is the probable starter for tomorrow's match-up. He'll go up against Carlos Martinez, who will take the mound for St. Louis. We've got a chance to win two and take the series against the Cardinals tomorrow, and we all know that doesn't happen often! A win will put the Reds at 5-2, and sustain their spot atop the Central Division. 

Here's a link to deals for Sunday games that may come in handy for you:

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/cin/ticketing/family_fun.jsp