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!!!

Unlucky 13

Lets talk...how we got to extras:

Reds starting pitcher, Raisel Iglesias, only gave up three hits and one walk to the Royals through seven innings last night. Every game I've watched that he's pitched I've been impressed. He's got a streak going of 12 scoreless innings after last night's outing. Of course when we have a great pitching day, we can't score runs. The only offense produced through the ninth inning was a solo shot by Eugenio Suarez in the first. Oddly enough, the pitcher who gave up the Suarez homer was former Red, Edison Volquez. Volquez wasn't the only former Reds pitcher in attendance. Our beloved Johnny Cueto was in the dugout last night too. Unfortunately we will just miss seeing him on the mound. Then again, that may be fortunate for the Reds.

The game was tied after a home run ball given up by closer Aroldis Chapman. Yes, that's not an error on my part. Although Chapman has converted 56 consecutive saves at home, last night he made a mistake. The man is human. You have to reach way back for the last blown save of his at home back on September 7th of 2012. The Royals went on to win the game 3-1 after a single and a throwing error by Ryan Mattheus.

Lets talk highlight reel:

Lets not beat around the bush. I'm not going to act like the Reds are going to make the playoffs this year. Even if they did have a winning the record, the Central is killing it. So when I watch games, I'm mostly thinking about how close football season is, but I also like to see players who still make the extra effort. Billy Hamilton gets an A for effort after that diving catch and stop out at second. Throw Billy throw! He almost made the catch, but luckily stopped the ball from trailing into the outfield and threw out Alcides Escobar at second. Royal's manager, Ned Yost, didn't like the call so he opted for it to be reviewed. After review the call would stand, out at second. Yost, still not happy with the decision, came out to chat with the umpire. He ended up being ejected from the game in the 11th. Personally I think he just wanted an early shower. Unfortunately every great play can come with injury. Hamilton left the game early due to shoulder pain from the dive.

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!

So Long Johnny Beisbol

Lets talk...the inevitable:

To say that we all didn't see this coming would be a lie. Johnny Cueto was going to be eligible for free-agency at the end of the season. We don't have the money to pay him the kind of dough he deserves. We are in fourth place in the Central, with virtually no hope of making the playoffs. Last, but not least, the Royals who are very much contenders to get back to the World Series desperately needed to add an ace to their starting rotation. Of course, that doesn't make losing our ace hurt any less. I'm sure Cueto didn't appreciate the way the trade was handled either. For a player that has spent his whole career in the Reds' organization, he was treated like dirt. Michael Lorenzen telling Cueto before a start that he had been traded. Unacceptable. Cueto was a key ingredient in the Reds' success while he was in Cincinnati. The front office should be ashamed with the way they shoved him out the door. Just classless.

Lets talk...who we got:

As a fan, it's frustrating when we deal away our best starter for three guys who will not immediately be out on the big league field. It feels like we got cheated, but who's to say that these lefties won't be our next big aces. The Reds acquired  minor league left-handers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed.  Finnegan and Lamb were sent to Triple-A Louisville and Reed to Double-A in Pensacola. Only time will tell if they can help get this club back on track. Don't be surprised if more pitchers get the boot before the trade deadline. There have been talks about dealing starter Mike Leake and reliever Aroldis Chapman.

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.

Down to the Wire

Lets talk...the series at Wrigley:

It was a series full of close games. Unfortunately, three of those games did not play out in our favor. Say goodbye to the days of old when we used to beat up on the Cubbies. At a season-high seven games over .500, they are a young team here to play. Meanwhile, Cincinnati sadly sits at six games under. Starlin Castro has become the king of game-winning hits, at least against the Reds that is. In two straight games he has drove in the winning run. Last night particularly stung with Castro striking an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th to seal the deal. After a rough first inning, Anthony DeSclafani pitched a decent game going 6 2/3 innings and allowing only one run. It wasn't enough, we just didn't have the run support in the 2-1 loss.

Lets talk...Billy the kid:

FIVE STOLEN BASES! Billy Hamilton was insane last night with a career-high, and I'll say it again, FIVE STOLEN BASES that tied the Reds' record! Granted, Billy's base stealing didn't help in the run production category, but his ability to run is unmatched by any other player. He now leads the majors in the category with a total of 31.  Hamilton told the press, "I finally got on base to even get a chance to steal a couple of bases. Lately I haven't been getting on base. I haven't been doing my job at the plate," he continued, "If I get on base more, I'll have more opportunities to do this." He's exactly right. After last night's game his average bumped up slightly to .224, but we NEED our lead-off hitter to get on base more often.

Lets talk...Bearcat football commitments:

A great snag, LaSalle's star running back, Jeremy Larkin, commits to being a Cincinnati Bearcat. According to Rivals, Larkin was receiving offers from big name schools including Boston College and Northwestern. He helped the Lancers win the Ohio Division II state championship last year. Unfortunately, LaSalle had to defeat my alma mater, the Harrison Wildcats, on the road to their championship. But that's neither here nor there. In the championship game, Larkin rushed for an impressive 104 yards and two TDs. Needless to say, this hometown boy will be a great asset to the team. He tweeted the news out to the public on Sunday night with the picture below:

JEREMY LARKIN @Deuce__8              

I want to say that I am blessed to have officially committed to play football at the University of Cincinnati

Votto Joins Great Company with Three Home Run Game

Lets talk...the record books:

Joey Votto did something yesterday that the average player won't ever do; hit three home runs in a single game. This is the third game in which Votto has gone yard three times, matching Hall-of-Famer Johnny Bench. To be in a category with one of the most prolific players in Reds' history and one of the best catchers to play the game must be something special. Two of the historic homers came off of former Red, Aaron Harang. The final blast came off of relief pitcher, Dustin McGowan. Votto wasn't the only one digging the long ball last night. As a team, the Reds put up five home runs, a season high. Shockingly, Harang had only given up four total home runs all season before last night's game. Ironically, the last time he allowed four home runs in a single game was back in 2007 when he was pitching for Cincinnati.

Lets talk...Bearcats' baseball:

Congrats to Ian Happ! He became the highest draft pick in Bearcat history when he was selected ninth overall in the first round on Monday by the Chicago Cubs. Happ was named the 2015 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year. He finished his junior season with a .369 batting average. All the best to this young outfielder, even though he will be coming up in the Cubs' system ;)

Lets Talk...familiar faces:

TJ Houshmandzadeh joins the Bengals once again, but this time as a part of their coaching staff. Thanks to the Bill Walsh minority coaching program, Houshmandzadeh will serve as a coaching intern on the staff. You may remember him from his time as a wide receiver with the Bengals, although he was a quiet contributor compared to his counter wide-out, Chad Johnson. He was a great player for the Bengals, and I think he will be an asset to the coaching staff as well as the wide receivers.