Intersperse impatiens among the lantana, heliotrope, and alyssum. Maybe try Russian sage? Bees and hummingbirds love the stuff but deer think it stinks.
I totally agree about The Bear. The first two seasons were fantastic, and then the creators decided to believe all the (mostly deserved) hype. The reviewers constantly labeled it an "important" show. I hate when critics label movies or tv shows as "important." The first aim should be entertainment. Then, let its importance be evaluated by historians 50 years from now.
One of the reviews of this season that stuck with me was: "The central premise of the show has not been developed enough to support all this messing around. Storer seems more eager to show us what he can do on a technical level than he is in holding The Bear together as a cohesive, discrete series." (Vanity Fair)
TV suggestion: If you're looking for a reasonably mind-bending good time, check out Dark Matter on Apple TV. Yes, it plays into the multi-verse craze that somehow took over entertainment in the last 5 years, but at least it's an adult show without super heroes in stretch pants.
As for the Reds, I gave up over 15 years ago when Marty Brennaman was asked if he thought the Reds would ever win a series in his life time. He sadly and honestly said no. I still listen on the radio because it remains to be an entertaining pastime. And I have so many good childhood memories with the Reds. But I don't understand the notion of caring about a sports team that will never have any chance to win.
If Doc or anyone reads this ridiculously-long post, could someone explain why MLB will never have a true salary cap? I'm pretty ignorant of the inside strategies of baseball. I know the rich teams don't want a salary cap. I know it has something to do with TV contracts. I try to research it and get 8,000 different answers. As far as I'm concerned, it's a dying sport. America loves the NFL because, supposedly, every team has a chance to win it all every few years.
I used to love baseball until reality set in. Is it simply a matter that the Yankees and Dodgers won't allow a truly competitive league? Thanks in advance.
It is all about local TV contracts. The Yankees have the YES network that reaches many millions more than the Reds on Bally sports. Plus Bally sports is struggling financially. As I understand it, national TV contracts are shared equally but local contracts, all the money stays with that team. The local contracts have a huge disparity.
Also gate receipts, meaning actual attendance at the games makes a larger difference than you would imagine.
Being originally from northeast Ohio, I still follow and root for the Guardians. One thing the Guardians do better than most, is draft and develop pitchers.
The Reds seem to draft bats rather than pitchers, but lately have drafted more pitchers.
Jose Ramierez seems to have the Scott Rolen factor, which really helps a lot.
Liquid Fence concentrate diluted in a 1 gallon sprayer has worked for us for 8 summers now. Deep and rabbits walk right by after a whiff. It stinks for about 30 minutes to us, but works for a number of days with the critters . It’s not cheap, but better than replacing $6 individual impatiens.
The Reds really need to send Marte and Benson back to the minors for them to work the kinks out of their swings and gain back confidence. They are young and it's critical not to let them continue to fail and hurt the team. I really don't understand the trade of Young, a good LH short reliever with 1.15 ERA in the Ville for another 31 yr old outfielder hitting .200 (free agent at end of season). Noll and Wilson haven't pitched well lately so the need Young. Does anyone else thing the Reds need a new training and medical staff? They consistently have lots of injuries, many of which could be prevented with better stretching and training. Perhaps a new hitting coach would help. I definitely think it is time to move on from Bell. He's too worried about letting players regain their confidence rather than winning games.
We have three pits, so the deer and coyotes stay out of our yard. Moles are another issue, but aren't as bad this year so far.
Steve Miller had some great tunes. My favorite is 'Song for Our Ancestors' on the Sailor album. Do you think that 'Dime a Dance Romance' sounds a lot like 'Jumping Jack Flash'? We played a medley of the two in our band.
Was just saying this weekend about this data-ball the Deads want to play. There is very, ridiculously little data on these players upon which to make data decisions. I wouldn’t have run anyone- including a young Peter Edward in that situation. And not Elly. I still am amazed that Mike Brown has the Bengals competing (as long as Joe stays healthy) and the Castellini’s remain doing stupid things. Baseball will stay a broken albeit faster sport until there are incentives for small market teams. But of course the Deads are still in the wild card race, so what do I know?
But what did he have to choose from? Mostly he had other “hacks” on bench who have had enough MLB at bats to tell us they aren’t competitive big leaguers.
I think all teams are IF teams when it comes to injuries. And not just baseball. As in, Joe Cool. As far as When guys, have to mention Stephenson and Fraley. Solid contributors. And the bullpen has been excellent. A shame they blew Hunter's great start.
Watching Marte last year, he sure looked like a star in the making. Then came the suspension. Then came his statement he didn't feel responsible for it. Then came his horrific start as a regular. What I wonder is how he's perceived in the clubhouse. His lack of remorse had to irritate some of the guys. I know I'd have a hard time gladly accepting him like nothing happened, without a big apology. But Bell keeps playing him. Maybe he clicks in, maybe not. Regardless, I'd have no problem offering him up in a trade. If he's performing.
Never a big Steve Miller fan, but probably because he was ALL OVER the radio. Many catchy tunes.
There are probably twenty songs I could tell you about. I'll stick to one, or maybe two(ish). Better yet, I'll list the locations and the artist.
1. Hambrock's basement. This is where John and Joel Hambrock and I talked about women (ok, girls), played pool and planned our lives. We listened to ELO, Starship, Billy Joel, ARS, Bob Welch, Earth, Wind and Fire and Wings. The basement is also where we drank peppermint schnaps BEFORE Christmas Eve church service in'78. This debacle is described in an earlier TML.
2. Disco dances at Concordia High School during my junior year in high school. Pick any Saturday Night Fever tune. I danced to the soundtrack in the cafeteria.
Of course, my favorite song of all time - Every Kinda People by Robert Palmer. Number 47 with a rocket in the Billboard chart of April 22, 1978. I don't have any recollections of the song in 1978. I do remember hearing the song in January of 2001, in all of its non-hifi glory on an AM radio station in Phoenix. Driving to Apache Junction to hike in Lost Dutchman State Park in the mid-afternoon sunshine. As we like to say here in TML-Land...sublime. Doc, no Tortilla Flats beers were had on this day.
As a stop over from my drive from FL to Lake Erie (for annual fishing trip with buddies) I decided to take in the game yesterday at GABP, to watch the team I’ve given my heart to since 1965. In witnessing the manhandling the Reds were given by the Tigers I was flabbergasted by one thing in particular. That is we had 2 starters that had BA’s were below .100. Additionally, 3 more that were below .200. That certainly is not representative of what serious MLB club should give their fans. David Bell can’t be blamed for players ineptness of this magnitude. Start by firing the hitting coach and then put Nick Kraull on a short leash, performance improvement plan. It’s a good thing the Reds have EDC to provide some hope for excitement. Otherwise the pack of wolves scratching at the door would be multiplied 10 fold.
share accountability for what is quickly becoming another lost season. But Bell is not throwing the ball. Better quality hitters to go along with better quality pitchers and you have a much better chance of becoming a CONSISTENTLY COMPETITIVE team?
I've said it before and I'll say it again. David Bell is the equivalent of a freakin' jonah. He brings bad luck with him. It's fact, not some mystical hoo-hah statement. The evidence keeps piling up, year after depressing year under his dull, inept leadership. All the bizarre injuries, the terrible play of free agents year after year, the lack of discipline when mental mistakes happen, the enabling of bad habits and lackadaisical play in the young players, the insane bullpen management, the baserunning idiocy, his stupid match-up system: this guy is Tim Conway in McHale's Navy and "The Carol Burnett Show". He's a total clown act, thru and thru, with his never-ending mouthful of mashed potato commentaries to the press that say nothing and mean nothing. Then there's the whole "we're a family" BS he keeps feeding us. If you're a family, Dave, you're a bunch of dysfunctinal losers. He's Wm. Macy in "The Cooler" (good movie, btw). He can cool a team off and send them into a long losing streak in a heartbeat. He's woefully inept at his job, but, because the Reds are owned by a woefully inept family of vegetable brained buffoons, he keeps his lousy job ad infinitum. It was so obvious Bell was a horrible choice from Day One, when he bragged about what a great communicator he was. Win games, you fool. That comes first.
He's been an idiot throughout as a manager. The sooner he goes, the sooner the Reds might get better and all the weird injuries stop. His bizarre way of managing has players off balance and a half step out of rythym every day. He has singlehandedly taken a team full of promising talent and made them mediocre. That's his legacy. It's who he is. Mr Totally Mediocre.
Used to spend so much time bemoaning a cheap ownership that does't deserve to own such a coveted asset like our Reds, but the reality is that organizations Tampa, Milwaukee, Arizona and Cleveland prove it's more of an executive personnel problem than monetary. Sure it's a monetary problem the second we start discussing World Series rings instead of rosters capable of post-season advancement, but why would we be discussing those here?
I have this game I play where everytime I encounter new Reds front office personnel of which I'm unfamiliar, I google their resume. Brad Meador today, first time seeing his name. Based on the qualifications of the Reds President of Baseball Operations, Reds' General Manager and Reds' Director of Scouting, I could assume this was another executive whose only job in baseball is here in Cincinnati, his only proximity to MLB operations being the worst stretch of Reds baseball in franchise history. And wouldn't you know it, I won the pony, again. Another career Red who previously logged 10 years with UC's baseball program. Think his prized draft pick is Nick Senzel.
Want to be clear it's nothing personal. But it must be stated, must be emphasized, repeated ad nauseum that the people facilitating the Reds franchise are highly unqualified to be doing so, and the results seem logical, if not obvious. If you're local and loyal, you can reach the apex of Reds executive suite, because it's occupied by someone with no business being there either. The head of their amateur scouting department's only experience in baseball prior to working for the Cincinnati Reds was writing about baseball in some local rag. Yes, the architect responsible for assembling the Reds future that seemingly never arrives is no more qualified than Doc, and maybe less qualified considering Doc's experience and proximity to good Reds teams of the past.
On any given day this year, the Guardians have the best record in baseball. Their payroll is less than ours.
Brad Meador says to stay the course. Ok, sure. Why not? His guess is as good as yours, literally. Because he's never done this before, and nor have his peers. The Internnati Reds are a bunch of babies being shepparded by a 73-year Walt Jocketty who, bless his heart, is 73, and is hopefully spending the majority of his time with familiy instead of this.
i don’t disagree with anything you said there about the Reds, except this. Last season, it was obvious that the Reds finally had something…talent, a ton of it. McClain was the best. Steer is the most consistent everyday player in baseball. Friedl was a pure spark plug and Elly, well, he was ELLY! Fast forward to this year and no McClain and mostly no Friedl so, right there, you’re in “fill in” mode. The theres Benson, who K’s more than anybody and Marte, who steps away from the ball every damn time he swings and now cant field or throw. However, this season, you’ve finally got a PITCHING STAFF, a good one. in my mind, as frustrating as it sounds, we gotta wait for the pieces to fall together. Thus, no, i don’t think the Reds should be sellers.
Intersperse impatiens among the lantana, heliotrope, and alyssum. Maybe try Russian sage? Bees and hummingbirds love the stuff but deer think it stinks.
I totally agree about The Bear. The first two seasons were fantastic, and then the creators decided to believe all the (mostly deserved) hype. The reviewers constantly labeled it an "important" show. I hate when critics label movies or tv shows as "important." The first aim should be entertainment. Then, let its importance be evaluated by historians 50 years from now.
One of the reviews of this season that stuck with me was: "The central premise of the show has not been developed enough to support all this messing around. Storer seems more eager to show us what he can do on a technical level than he is in holding The Bear together as a cohesive, discrete series." (Vanity Fair)
TV suggestion: If you're looking for a reasonably mind-bending good time, check out Dark Matter on Apple TV. Yes, it plays into the multi-verse craze that somehow took over entertainment in the last 5 years, but at least it's an adult show without super heroes in stretch pants.
As for the Reds, I gave up over 15 years ago when Marty Brennaman was asked if he thought the Reds would ever win a series in his life time. He sadly and honestly said no. I still listen on the radio because it remains to be an entertaining pastime. And I have so many good childhood memories with the Reds. But I don't understand the notion of caring about a sports team that will never have any chance to win.
If Doc or anyone reads this ridiculously-long post, could someone explain why MLB will never have a true salary cap? I'm pretty ignorant of the inside strategies of baseball. I know the rich teams don't want a salary cap. I know it has something to do with TV contracts. I try to research it and get 8,000 different answers. As far as I'm concerned, it's a dying sport. America loves the NFL because, supposedly, every team has a chance to win it all every few years.
I used to love baseball until reality set in. Is it simply a matter that the Yankees and Dodgers won't allow a truly competitive league? Thanks in advance.
Excellent post! No sal-cap because players union wouldn't allow it and there's no monstrous national TV deal to support it.
Wow - thanks for the feedback from you and Dwayne. I never considered the players union. Very informative. Thank you!
It is all about local TV contracts. The Yankees have the YES network that reaches many millions more than the Reds on Bally sports. Plus Bally sports is struggling financially. As I understand it, national TV contracts are shared equally but local contracts, all the money stays with that team. The local contracts have a huge disparity.
Also gate receipts, meaning actual attendance at the games makes a larger difference than you would imagine.
You're correct, but that doesn't explain the Brewers. Or the Guardians, both small-money teams that are good more often than not
Being originally from northeast Ohio, I still follow and root for the Guardians. One thing the Guardians do better than most, is draft and develop pitchers.
The Reds seem to draft bats rather than pitchers, but lately have drafted more pitchers.
Jose Ramierez seems to have the Scott Rolen factor, which really helps a lot.
Reds will go nowhere today or tomorrow. Minor league Manager, minor league players, and worst of all minor league owner.
https://a.co/d/0gzK6MtE
Liquid Fence concentrate diluted in a 1 gallon sprayer has worked for us for 8 summers now. Deep and rabbits walk right by after a whiff. It stinks for about 30 minutes to us, but works for a number of days with the critters . It’s not cheap, but better than replacing $6 individual impatiens.
Doc, I realize the Reds are all the sports you have to write about this time of year (no soccer at all, Olympics a long way off) but . . .
Your complaints about the Reds don't change. A rant on repeat. We get it. Let's move on.
I write to eyeballs. Nobody cares about the olys. I don’t especially get soccer. Sorry
I would call them objective observations, not complaints. And a good many of us appreciate them
Good. We don't need to agree. Everyone's opinion should be heard.
The Reds really need to send Marte and Benson back to the minors for them to work the kinks out of their swings and gain back confidence. They are young and it's critical not to let them continue to fail and hurt the team. I really don't understand the trade of Young, a good LH short reliever with 1.15 ERA in the Ville for another 31 yr old outfielder hitting .200 (free agent at end of season). Noll and Wilson haven't pitched well lately so the need Young. Does anyone else thing the Reds need a new training and medical staff? They consistently have lots of injuries, many of which could be prevented with better stretching and training. Perhaps a new hitting coach would help. I definitely think it is time to move on from Bell. He's too worried about letting players regain their confidence rather than winning games.
We have three pits, so the deer and coyotes stay out of our yard. Moles are another issue, but aren't as bad this year so far.
Steve Miller had some great tunes. My favorite is 'Song for Our Ancestors' on the Sailor album. Do you think that 'Dime a Dance Romance' sounds a lot like 'Jumping Jack Flash'? We played a medley of the two in our band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEig8O4KoIs&list=OLAK5uy_meNUoeZi2zOEDB17ECuiShoCD64Fd2JMk&index=10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KI-mrO0eNs&list=OLAK5uy_meNUoeZi2zOEDB17ECuiShoCD64Fd2JMk
Doc, do you think Marte is too Sax-y for his shirt? I fear so.
Don’t sasser me, dude!
Was just saying this weekend about this data-ball the Deads want to play. There is very, ridiculously little data on these players upon which to make data decisions. I wouldn’t have run anyone- including a young Peter Edward in that situation. And not Elly. I still am amazed that Mike Brown has the Bengals competing (as long as Joe stays healthy) and the Castellini’s remain doing stupid things. Baseball will stay a broken albeit faster sport until there are incentives for small market teams. But of course the Deads are still in the wild card race, so what do I know?
But what did he have to choose from? Mostly he had other “hacks” on bench who have had enough MLB at bats to tell us they aren’t competitive big leaguers.
I think all teams are IF teams when it comes to injuries. And not just baseball. As in, Joe Cool. As far as When guys, have to mention Stephenson and Fraley. Solid contributors. And the bullpen has been excellent. A shame they blew Hunter's great start.
Watching Marte last year, he sure looked like a star in the making. Then came the suspension. Then came his statement he didn't feel responsible for it. Then came his horrific start as a regular. What I wonder is how he's perceived in the clubhouse. His lack of remorse had to irritate some of the guys. I know I'd have a hard time gladly accepting him like nothing happened, without a big apology. But Bell keeps playing him. Maybe he clicks in, maybe not. Regardless, I'd have no problem offering him up in a trade. If he's performing.
Never a big Steve Miller fan, but probably because he was ALL OVER the radio. Many catchy tunes.
And now, back to the Countdown...
https://top40weekly.com/us-top-40-singles-week-ending-april-22nd-1978/
There are probably twenty songs I could tell you about. I'll stick to one, or maybe two(ish). Better yet, I'll list the locations and the artist.
1. Hambrock's basement. This is where John and Joel Hambrock and I talked about women (ok, girls), played pool and planned our lives. We listened to ELO, Starship, Billy Joel, ARS, Bob Welch, Earth, Wind and Fire and Wings. The basement is also where we drank peppermint schnaps BEFORE Christmas Eve church service in'78. This debacle is described in an earlier TML.
2. Disco dances at Concordia High School during my junior year in high school. Pick any Saturday Night Fever tune. I danced to the soundtrack in the cafeteria.
Of course, my favorite song of all time - Every Kinda People by Robert Palmer. Number 47 with a rocket in the Billboard chart of April 22, 1978. I don't have any recollections of the song in 1978. I do remember hearing the song in January of 2001, in all of its non-hifi glory on an AM radio station in Phoenix. Driving to Apache Junction to hike in Lost Dutchman State Park in the mid-afternoon sunshine. As we like to say here in TML-Land...sublime. Doc, no Tortilla Flats beers were had on this day.
As a stop over from my drive from FL to Lake Erie (for annual fishing trip with buddies) I decided to take in the game yesterday at GABP, to watch the team I’ve given my heart to since 1965. In witnessing the manhandling the Reds were given by the Tigers I was flabbergasted by one thing in particular. That is we had 2 starters that had BA’s were below .100. Additionally, 3 more that were below .200. That certainly is not representative of what serious MLB club should give their fans. David Bell can’t be blamed for players ineptness of this magnitude. Start by firing the hitting coach and then put Nick Kraull on a short leash, performance improvement plan. It’s a good thing the Reds have EDC to provide some hope for excitement. Otherwise the pack of wolves scratching at the door would be multiplied 10 fold.
Yeah, I noticed that Hunter Greene pitched seven shut out innings. Then the bullpen gave up five runs. Somebody does not know his pitching staff.
Agree, pitching staff deserves their
share accountability for what is quickly becoming another lost season. But Bell is not throwing the ball. Better quality hitters to go along with better quality pitchers and you have a much better chance of becoming a CONSISTENTLY COMPETITIVE team?
Bell made out the lineup, correct?
I've said it before and I'll say it again. David Bell is the equivalent of a freakin' jonah. He brings bad luck with him. It's fact, not some mystical hoo-hah statement. The evidence keeps piling up, year after depressing year under his dull, inept leadership. All the bizarre injuries, the terrible play of free agents year after year, the lack of discipline when mental mistakes happen, the enabling of bad habits and lackadaisical play in the young players, the insane bullpen management, the baserunning idiocy, his stupid match-up system: this guy is Tim Conway in McHale's Navy and "The Carol Burnett Show". He's a total clown act, thru and thru, with his never-ending mouthful of mashed potato commentaries to the press that say nothing and mean nothing. Then there's the whole "we're a family" BS he keeps feeding us. If you're a family, Dave, you're a bunch of dysfunctinal losers. He's Wm. Macy in "The Cooler" (good movie, btw). He can cool a team off and send them into a long losing streak in a heartbeat. He's woefully inept at his job, but, because the Reds are owned by a woefully inept family of vegetable brained buffoons, he keeps his lousy job ad infinitum. It was so obvious Bell was a horrible choice from Day One, when he bragged about what a great communicator he was. Win games, you fool. That comes first.
He's been an idiot throughout as a manager. The sooner he goes, the sooner the Reds might get better and all the weird injuries stop. His bizarre way of managing has players off balance and a half step out of rythym every day. He has singlehandedly taken a team full of promising talent and made them mediocre. That's his legacy. It's who he is. Mr Totally Mediocre.
Other than that, he’s a great guy
Used to spend so much time bemoaning a cheap ownership that does't deserve to own such a coveted asset like our Reds, but the reality is that organizations Tampa, Milwaukee, Arizona and Cleveland prove it's more of an executive personnel problem than monetary. Sure it's a monetary problem the second we start discussing World Series rings instead of rosters capable of post-season advancement, but why would we be discussing those here?
I have this game I play where everytime I encounter new Reds front office personnel of which I'm unfamiliar, I google their resume. Brad Meador today, first time seeing his name. Based on the qualifications of the Reds President of Baseball Operations, Reds' General Manager and Reds' Director of Scouting, I could assume this was another executive whose only job in baseball is here in Cincinnati, his only proximity to MLB operations being the worst stretch of Reds baseball in franchise history. And wouldn't you know it, I won the pony, again. Another career Red who previously logged 10 years with UC's baseball program. Think his prized draft pick is Nick Senzel.
Want to be clear it's nothing personal. But it must be stated, must be emphasized, repeated ad nauseum that the people facilitating the Reds franchise are highly unqualified to be doing so, and the results seem logical, if not obvious. If you're local and loyal, you can reach the apex of Reds executive suite, because it's occupied by someone with no business being there either. The head of their amateur scouting department's only experience in baseball prior to working for the Cincinnati Reds was writing about baseball in some local rag. Yes, the architect responsible for assembling the Reds future that seemingly never arrives is no more qualified than Doc, and maybe less qualified considering Doc's experience and proximity to good Reds teams of the past.
On any given day this year, the Guardians have the best record in baseball. Their payroll is less than ours.
Brad Meador says to stay the course. Ok, sure. Why not? His guess is as good as yours, literally. Because he's never done this before, and nor have his peers. The Internnati Reds are a bunch of babies being shepparded by a 73-year Walt Jocketty who, bless his heart, is 73, and is hopefully spending the majority of his time with familiy instead of this.
i don’t disagree with anything you said there about the Reds, except this. Last season, it was obvious that the Reds finally had something…talent, a ton of it. McClain was the best. Steer is the most consistent everyday player in baseball. Friedl was a pure spark plug and Elly, well, he was ELLY! Fast forward to this year and no McClain and mostly no Friedl so, right there, you’re in “fill in” mode. The theres Benson, who K’s more than anybody and Marte, who steps away from the ball every damn time he swings and now cant field or throw. However, this season, you’ve finally got a PITCHING STAFF, a good one. in my mind, as frustrating as it sounds, we gotta wait for the pieces to fall together. Thus, no, i don’t think the Reds should be sellers.