Loved the song! A nice pick me up with some family doggy downers going on.
Not so much in love with Reds today...painful games to watch. But just keep hanging on and on and on. Football "opener" a bust. Didn't waste much time on it. Just flipped back and forth to watch the Reds with a bust......busted!
I hope adding Arizona and maybe others will push a better media deal for the Big 12. A devoted Jayhawk, I am appalled at the poor quality of game coverage on the official network, ESPN+. When Twitter was worth following #kubball during a game (I think Twitter is dead) everyone was complaining that they had to find an alternate source for the game because the official network was so bad. Some of the media live tweeted, at least. Don't know if that will continue. I was pleased that the basic livestream KU Athletics provided for yesterday's exhibition in Puerto Rico was not fancy, but pretty decent quality. ESPN+ should be made to do better. While I am thrilled to see Jayhawks at Nippert in November, looks like I'll have to wait until NEXT year to see them at 5/3 arena. Thanks for your blog, Doc. I appreciate it.
The Reds were physically and psychologically bodied by the Cubs. Yikes! The Reds testosterone level was on par with the 80 and over water aerobics class at the Y. Weak, impotent, embarrassing.
Little rough on that aerobics group, maybe? Frankly, the Y aerobics class woulda knocked Maile all over the place and back down to Triple A, probably scared the Cubs some with their performance. Some guys on the Cubs can't even swim.
Fair point. Hats off to those who get in the cold pool for water aerobics. That is hard work and great for the body. I should have picked on a different group.
We now know what's worse than watching a position player giving up bombs...... watching a position player giving up bombs realizing he should protect his arm and then throwing even meatier meatballs for players to hit farther bombs.
I was kidding re my comment, in case that didn't come thru. I thought it was a little aegist on one level, but still pretty funny. My dry response must have fooled you.
What gets me is that most position players look at pitching as their one big opportunity to show what they got. After billions of snap throws to 2nd, and millions of other throws, is Maile really gonna hurt his arm throwing some pitches in the 70s and 80s? All that did was fire up the Cubs even more, loosen 'em up for the next game. It was like a candyland reward for the blow out. Asinine strategy by Bell, as usual. Next time, use Newman or 3-E Senzel. Tell 'em to bust it inside on some of those Cub jokers. Hit em. Knock em down. Tell em to stick it. Send a message that they aint gonna get to rub it in.
At first, I thought you were bugged by my idea of pitching inside. I wrote a long response. But after reading your comments, I think I see where you were going and what you were responding to.
As for going inside, to clarify, I'm talking about knocking guys off the plate and going tight on them with 70-80 mph stuff from a position player in a blow out, mind you, especially if they're laughing at you. I'm not talking 90 mph inside heaters from guys with big arms who are intentionally trying to take guys out. I'm against that retaliation. But if, in a blow out, a team still digs in too much on a position player and tries to jack HRs, like they were on Maile's 50 mph stuff, I have no issue coming inside a few times, even if it's coming in as high as 70-80 mph. Make 'em step lively, so to speak.
Re the 80 year olds in the pool, I agree, it wasn't the best analogy, especially since a lot of folks on this blog are aware that boat will be pulling into the harbor soon enough. But I saw some humor there, with the testosterone comment. I tried to add a humorous defense of the older folks, saying at least they can swim relative to some Cubs. Truth is, I give strong kudos to anyone in their 80s who gets up every day and goes to the pool for a workout. They have my respect. Life is what we make it at any age.
I, too am dry humor, so I get it. lol It takes a lot of energy to explain to people that don't get it, for sure. Then the humor falls aside and I don't get that. Age...I think of it as standing on the gangplank of the ship.
Maybe the house money on Greene, Lodolo , Antonne and whoever the phenom of the year might be, is bank. Make or break. I figured your girl band , for leaving, and a local reference, Manic Monday, Bangles.
A drop third strike - when's the last time the Reds would bust a game open on a drop-third strike? Is this not the most frustrating game in existence? Leave it to Weaver actualy deserved so much better than his catcher trying to back-hand a ball off of the ground instead of blocking it like they teach you to do in knothole. Actually felt for Weaver last night. Then everyone upset that he walked and nibbled at the next few batters, who just happened to be the guys personally responsible for those gaudy Cubs stats you posted.
Maile had a disastrous 3 games in a row, didn't he? He also left about 100 runners on base last night, was slow on throws to 2nd on steals, was sloppy behind the plate, and looked like the low level journeyman catcher he really is. If he's gonna be the fill-in, blow out reliever, could he at least put a little more effort into it? He looked absolutely idiotic on the mound.
Another question; why is Casali still on the roster? He and Maile are both never-made-it guys, perfect clones of each other. Cut one of them today, Bell! And why is Votto, hitting around .200, guaranteed a spot in the lineup? His HRs don't make up for all the Ks and outs he makes. The Reds were much better before he came back. Bell's dummazz sentimentality thing is partly what makes him such a ridiculously horrible manager. He'd rather be liked than win games. And why did he take out Williamson a couple nights ago, who was pitching decently, with 73 pitches and go to an exhausted BP? That was insane and utterly stupid. He is the stupidest manager in Reds history, bar none. Just a complete, bone-headed num nut. Marvin Lewis II. Gets a 3 year contract extension for mediocrity...no playoff wins, either. Just like Marvin.
Time to dump the acronym Run-DLC. The new one is RunDLC-Back to the Minors. My new name for him is Billy Ham De LaQuino. You can't steal 1st base. Just what we needed, the 2nd coming of Adam Dunn/Aristedes Aquino. His K/AB ratio is 2nd worst in the entire majors the last 5 weeks. And we thought Aquino was bad at making contact. EDLC needs to go back down to the Ville and figure out how to swing level and stop trying to jerk dirt balls over the lighttowers. As I said a thousand times, all his hype was insanely premature.
Greg, this rant speaks to me. I was yelling last night at my TV. I yelled almost everything you wrote, called him a coward, for no reason, didn't even make sense. I'm not inhumane either. I can empathize. When it's not your night, literally the game can just find you, every big moment. It had to have been immensely painful. But it's as you pointed out - it's been several games in a row, for a career .210 hitter. My tolerance for a .210 hitter doing what he did last night is non-existent. And it extends my overwhelming disappointment to the ones responsible for his presence here, on what was a first place team, on August 3rd. A back up to two other catchers, whose presence I also may no longer miss if and when they move on as well. The catching unit on this team has broken my spirits, and last night, in a pivotal game, it really was - Luke Weaver giving everything he has in his soul to keep it 1-1, gets the K, inning over, but it's not because Luke Maile props the door open that Weaver had just slammed shut, for the Cubs' heart of the order to bat with runners on and break the game. Just...infuriating....this while half the fanbase wants us to celebrate the first place standing (that was), understand "this team was early," and just enjoy what's going to be an unnecessarily bumpy ride to the finish. Symptoms of a poverty franchise.
Weaver also got squeezed real bad. Two pitches were inside the strike zone that would have ended the inning, but the dinkelbock behind the plate decided they were balls. Weaver has actually had 3 decent outings in a row, but they've been marred by some very bad luck.
Last week, Maile was weaving back and forth outside the strike zone left to right as the pitchers were delivering the pitch. Most of the game. HUH!!?? That's a horrible way to set a target. Then he would finally put up his glove outside the strike zone!!! It was hideously bad. I'm screaming at the TV;, "Stop the frikking weaving and set a flippin' target, you idiot." These were on full counts, 2 and 2, etc, not waste pitches. It's just sloppy, like his blocking last night. And Stephenson's throws to 2nd are not nailing anybody, either. His arm has deteriorated, as has his technique. Catching has been problematical all year. Casali calls good games, but is totally washed up at the plate. It's maddening how bad it has gotten.
And it will be interesting to see how the Atlanta Braves handle the Cubbies over the weekend. Prediction - It won't look anything like the Reds-Cubs spectacle we just witnessed.
Interesting Reds analogy but they live in a house paid for by taxpayers.
There is zero need for the owner group to spend money on player acquisition now that city stitch-heads have fallen for yet another fortuitous Reds false flag team. Keep buying those tickets, rosey-glassed reds rooters. You are part of the problem.
I loathe the boredom of baseball but even I, a mere college football caveman, can see the Reds blind squirrel mini-season will have them finish no better than 3rd and probably 4th.
I was never good at apartment living. Fix it up....still you get nothing back..short term gratification. On vaca, fine until Thursday , then have to start clearing out the fridge and thinking about packing up again😏
"JUST BECAUSE LUKE MAILE HAS earned himself a spot in the back end of the Reds bullpen is no reason to panic." I'm still laughing PDoc, i said to a buddy yesterday, any word on Maile's availability tonight. I will say, he is no Davidson.
I hear you on vacations. Spent an amazing weekend in NYC last weekend and i am still thinking about it. I say be glad for the fortune of the experience and remember it's only 357 more days until next year.
There is nothing more exhilarating than being on the right side of conference realignment and there is nothing more demoralizing than being on the wrong side of it. It is terrible for the sport but it isn't stopping anytime soon and feels good that our Bearcats finally got a lifeboat. I am a big college sports fan and have mixed feelings on the NIL/Transfer Portal but you can't make a case against it if universities and conferences are constantly chasing "the bag." Sad day for a lot of programs. The fact that Rutgers is somehow in the Big 10 tells you all that you need to know about the state of affairs.
Always appreciate David and Michelle - with two little kids, I am always looking for 2-3 hour events to get us out the house preferably one where I can have an IPA.
Doc - I keep on looking out for your take on Issue 1. Seems to be a very polarizing topic with decent arguments on both sides. Any thoughts?
Dang Doc I never had you pegged as a closet Belinda Carlisle fan. But it’s cool- we all have our dark playlist secrets - we all have a few songs on our playlist that we turn up, all alone with the windows up….haha
I like the apartment analogy. I’m still not sure where I stand on it all but I do feel confident in this- the Little Red Machine is neither the team that got worked over this week nor the team that won 12 in a row. As you often do, you brought perspective during that Streak and again today it’s also got a lot to do with who/when you play.
...now located in the irregular bargain basement....
Great tune of the day. No need to be ashamed about a great pop melody. Feelgood music.
Loved the song! A nice pick me up with some family doggy downers going on.
Not so much in love with Reds today...painful games to watch. But just keep hanging on and on and on. Football "opener" a bust. Didn't waste much time on it. Just flipped back and forth to watch the Reds with a bust......busted!
Right now it’s Braves 7 Cubbies 0. Meditate on that.
I hope adding Arizona and maybe others will push a better media deal for the Big 12. A devoted Jayhawk, I am appalled at the poor quality of game coverage on the official network, ESPN+. When Twitter was worth following #kubball during a game (I think Twitter is dead) everyone was complaining that they had to find an alternate source for the game because the official network was so bad. Some of the media live tweeted, at least. Don't know if that will continue. I was pleased that the basic livestream KU Athletics provided for yesterday's exhibition in Puerto Rico was not fancy, but pretty decent quality. ESPN+ should be made to do better. While I am thrilled to see Jayhawks at Nippert in November, looks like I'll have to wait until NEXT year to see them at 5/3 arena. Thanks for your blog, Doc. I appreciate it.
College sports has lost their allure..just cigar smoking boardroom dollar chasing megalomaniacs
The Reds were physically and psychologically bodied by the Cubs. Yikes! The Reds testosterone level was on par with the 80 and over water aerobics class at the Y. Weak, impotent, embarrassing.
Little rough on that aerobics group, maybe? Frankly, the Y aerobics class woulda knocked Maile all over the place and back down to Triple A, probably scared the Cubs some with their performance. Some guys on the Cubs can't even swim.
My sentiments exactly! I was going to try to defend the 80's and over...but I'm not quite there yet and can hardly stand to think about it!
Fair point. Hats off to those who get in the cold pool for water aerobics. That is hard work and great for the body. I should have picked on a different group.
We now know what's worse than watching a position player giving up bombs...... watching a position player giving up bombs realizing he should protect his arm and then throwing even meatier meatballs for players to hit farther bombs.
Apology accepted by an almost 80.
I was kidding re my comment, in case that didn't come thru. I thought it was a little aegist on one level, but still pretty funny. My dry response must have fooled you.
What gets me is that most position players look at pitching as their one big opportunity to show what they got. After billions of snap throws to 2nd, and millions of other throws, is Maile really gonna hurt his arm throwing some pitches in the 70s and 80s? All that did was fire up the Cubs even more, loosen 'em up for the next game. It was like a candyland reward for the blow out. Asinine strategy by Bell, as usual. Next time, use Newman or 3-E Senzel. Tell 'em to bust it inside on some of those Cub jokers. Hit em. Knock em down. Tell em to stick it. Send a message that they aint gonna get to rub it in.
At first, I thought you were bugged by my idea of pitching inside. I wrote a long response. But after reading your comments, I think I see where you were going and what you were responding to.
As for going inside, to clarify, I'm talking about knocking guys off the plate and going tight on them with 70-80 mph stuff from a position player in a blow out, mind you, especially if they're laughing at you. I'm not talking 90 mph inside heaters from guys with big arms who are intentionally trying to take guys out. I'm against that retaliation. But if, in a blow out, a team still digs in too much on a position player and tries to jack HRs, like they were on Maile's 50 mph stuff, I have no issue coming inside a few times, even if it's coming in as high as 70-80 mph. Make 'em step lively, so to speak.
Re the 80 year olds in the pool, I agree, it wasn't the best analogy, especially since a lot of folks on this blog are aware that boat will be pulling into the harbor soon enough. But I saw some humor there, with the testosterone comment. I tried to add a humorous defense of the older folks, saying at least they can swim relative to some Cubs. Truth is, I give strong kudos to anyone in their 80s who gets up every day and goes to the pool for a workout. They have my respect. Life is what we make it at any age.
I, too am dry humor, so I get it. lol It takes a lot of energy to explain to people that don't get it, for sure. Then the humor falls aside and I don't get that. Age...I think of it as standing on the gangplank of the ship.
Maybe the house money on Greene, Lodolo , Antonne and whoever the phenom of the year might be, is bank. Make or break. I figured your girl band , for leaving, and a local reference, Manic Monday, Bangles.
A drop third strike - when's the last time the Reds would bust a game open on a drop-third strike? Is this not the most frustrating game in existence? Leave it to Weaver actualy deserved so much better than his catcher trying to back-hand a ball off of the ground instead of blocking it like they teach you to do in knothole. Actually felt for Weaver last night. Then everyone upset that he walked and nibbled at the next few batters, who just happened to be the guys personally responsible for those gaudy Cubs stats you posted.
Maile had a disastrous 3 games in a row, didn't he? He also left about 100 runners on base last night, was slow on throws to 2nd on steals, was sloppy behind the plate, and looked like the low level journeyman catcher he really is. If he's gonna be the fill-in, blow out reliever, could he at least put a little more effort into it? He looked absolutely idiotic on the mound.
Another question; why is Casali still on the roster? He and Maile are both never-made-it guys, perfect clones of each other. Cut one of them today, Bell! And why is Votto, hitting around .200, guaranteed a spot in the lineup? His HRs don't make up for all the Ks and outs he makes. The Reds were much better before he came back. Bell's dummazz sentimentality thing is partly what makes him such a ridiculously horrible manager. He'd rather be liked than win games. And why did he take out Williamson a couple nights ago, who was pitching decently, with 73 pitches and go to an exhausted BP? That was insane and utterly stupid. He is the stupidest manager in Reds history, bar none. Just a complete, bone-headed num nut. Marvin Lewis II. Gets a 3 year contract extension for mediocrity...no playoff wins, either. Just like Marvin.
Time to dump the acronym Run-DLC. The new one is RunDLC-Back to the Minors. My new name for him is Billy Ham De LaQuino. You can't steal 1st base. Just what we needed, the 2nd coming of Adam Dunn/Aristedes Aquino. His K/AB ratio is 2nd worst in the entire majors the last 5 weeks. And we thought Aquino was bad at making contact. EDLC needs to go back down to the Ville and figure out how to swing level and stop trying to jerk dirt balls over the lighttowers. As I said a thousand times, all his hype was insanely premature.
I was proud of him for actually getting a walk...finally...after swatting at wayward flies.
Greg, this rant speaks to me. I was yelling last night at my TV. I yelled almost everything you wrote, called him a coward, for no reason, didn't even make sense. I'm not inhumane either. I can empathize. When it's not your night, literally the game can just find you, every big moment. It had to have been immensely painful. But it's as you pointed out - it's been several games in a row, for a career .210 hitter. My tolerance for a .210 hitter doing what he did last night is non-existent. And it extends my overwhelming disappointment to the ones responsible for his presence here, on what was a first place team, on August 3rd. A back up to two other catchers, whose presence I also may no longer miss if and when they move on as well. The catching unit on this team has broken my spirits, and last night, in a pivotal game, it really was - Luke Weaver giving everything he has in his soul to keep it 1-1, gets the K, inning over, but it's not because Luke Maile props the door open that Weaver had just slammed shut, for the Cubs' heart of the order to bat with runners on and break the game. Just...infuriating....this while half the fanbase wants us to celebrate the first place standing (that was), understand "this team was early," and just enjoy what's going to be an unnecessarily bumpy ride to the finish. Symptoms of a poverty franchise.
Weaver also got squeezed real bad. Two pitches were inside the strike zone that would have ended the inning, but the dinkelbock behind the plate decided they were balls. Weaver has actually had 3 decent outings in a row, but they've been marred by some very bad luck.
Last week, Maile was weaving back and forth outside the strike zone left to right as the pitchers were delivering the pitch. Most of the game. HUH!!?? That's a horrible way to set a target. Then he would finally put up his glove outside the strike zone!!! It was hideously bad. I'm screaming at the TV;, "Stop the frikking weaving and set a flippin' target, you idiot." These were on full counts, 2 and 2, etc, not waste pitches. It's just sloppy, like his blocking last night. And Stephenson's throws to 2nd are not nailing anybody, either. His arm has deteriorated, as has his technique. Catching has been problematical all year. Casali calls good games, but is totally washed up at the plate. It's maddening how bad it has gotten.
And it will be interesting to see how the Atlanta Braves handle the Cubbies over the weekend. Prediction - It won't look anything like the Reds-Cubs spectacle we just witnessed.
Interesting Reds analogy but they live in a house paid for by taxpayers.
There is zero need for the owner group to spend money on player acquisition now that city stitch-heads have fallen for yet another fortuitous Reds false flag team. Keep buying those tickets, rosey-glassed reds rooters. You are part of the problem.
I loathe the boredom of baseball but even I, a mere college football caveman, can see the Reds blind squirrel mini-season will have them finish no better than 3rd and probably 4th.
Spot on about the B12, PD.
"Small Mercies" was one of the best books I have read this year. Definitely a must read!
I was never good at apartment living. Fix it up....still you get nothing back..short term gratification. On vaca, fine until Thursday , then have to start clearing out the fridge and thinking about packing up again😏
"JUST BECAUSE LUKE MAILE HAS earned himself a spot in the back end of the Reds bullpen is no reason to panic." I'm still laughing PDoc, i said to a buddy yesterday, any word on Maile's availability tonight. I will say, he is no Davidson.
I hear you on vacations. Spent an amazing weekend in NYC last weekend and i am still thinking about it. I say be glad for the fortune of the experience and remember it's only 357 more days until next year.
"only" 357 days..."only" if I'd taken one this year and "only" if I live that long....show some compassion....
There is nothing more exhilarating than being on the right side of conference realignment and there is nothing more demoralizing than being on the wrong side of it. It is terrible for the sport but it isn't stopping anytime soon and feels good that our Bearcats finally got a lifeboat. I am a big college sports fan and have mixed feelings on the NIL/Transfer Portal but you can't make a case against it if universities and conferences are constantly chasing "the bag." Sad day for a lot of programs. The fact that Rutgers is somehow in the Big 10 tells you all that you need to know about the state of affairs.
Always appreciate David and Michelle - with two little kids, I am always looking for 2-3 hour events to get us out the house preferably one where I can have an IPA.
Doc - I keep on looking out for your take on Issue 1. Seems to be a very polarizing topic with decent arguments on both sides. Any thoughts?
Dang Doc I never had you pegged as a closet Belinda Carlisle fan. But it’s cool- we all have our dark playlist secrets - we all have a few songs on our playlist that we turn up, all alone with the windows up….haha
I like the apartment analogy. I’m still not sure where I stand on it all but I do feel confident in this- the Little Red Machine is neither the team that got worked over this week nor the team that won 12 in a row. As you often do, you brought perspective during that Streak and again today it’s also got a lot to do with who/when you play.