A Contrast in Owner Attitudes...

Mike Brown of the Bengals farts and craps in the faces of Bengals fans and common decency, and idiot shill sheep like Alan Cutler rejoice. Let's compare the rather idiotarian thinking of Brown with this gesture by Bob Castellini of the Reds:

Dear Fans,

Thank you for your loyalty and support of the Cincinnati Reds. You are extremely vital to the success of the Reds, and it is important we share with you the thinking behind our recent personnel decisions.

Since taking ownership of this franchise, we have aggressively tried to improve our Major League roster for the purpose of restoring championship baseball to Cincinnati. We have sought and signed proven players. We have extended the contracts of select current players. We added Dusty Baker, a proven winning manager. And, we have capitalized on our burgeoning younger players like Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Johnny Cueto.

We had high expectations for the 2008 season. Unfortunately the team has not played up to our expectations and we have sustained injuries to key players within our starting lineup and rotation.

We opted to trade Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn at this time because we believe it provided the best outcome for the long-term success of the organization. By executing these inevitable changes now, we secured more players as part of our focus towards building a deeper, stronger inventory of young talent.

We are pleased that the trades allow Griffey and Dunn the opportunity to play for teams in tight division races. Both Ken and Adam made significant contributions to the Reds and we are extremely proud and grateful they wore the Reds uniform.

While the run production generated by these two veterans will not be quickly replaced, we chose to endure the short-term ramifications for the sake of building a strong, competitive team for 2009 and many seasons to come.

The vast majority of our 50 draft picks were signed, culminating last week with first-rounder Yonder Alonso and a pair of talented pitchers. Our expanded scouting operations also signed Juan Duran from the Dominican Republic and Yorman Rodriguez from Venezuela, who are arguably the best amateur free agent position players from their respective countries.

As we near September, we will continue to provide valuable playing time to our young players and new acquisitions who we feel can become significant contributors at the Major League level. We ask your continued trust and patience as we build the roster that will get us back on top. We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at the ballpark.

Now, I know I have been hard on the Castellinis and Jocketty for trading Jr. However, this at least shows they are listening to the fans, who want something more than platitudes. But, the truth will be on the field and in leadership, not in letters on message boards or dollar hot dog days or free tickets. But, at least they did not bring back a known thug who bought liquor for under age girls, like the Bengals did and which Alan Cutler approves of.

Griffey is Classy, Apologizes, Acts Better than TalkRadio Callers and Commenters

To those who personally maligned Ken Griffey, Jr., I say SHAME ON YOU! Ken Jr. showed his true class and integrity by saying goodbye to Reds fans in an honorable fashion that some of the cowards in talk radio land would never do or acknowledge (read Alan Cutler and Bill Cunningham):

I would like to thank the Cincinnati Reds organization for allowing me to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing for my hometown team. I will always value the lasting friendships I have with the Lindner, Castellini and Williams families.
While my nine seasons there were filled with personal highlights -- like hitting my 400th, 500th and 600th home runs in a Reds uniform -- and the negatives of having to fight through too many injuries, my biggest regret is that we were not able to win a world championship while I was there.

I also would like to thank my many teammates, managers, coaches and Reds employees for their help and support and to acknowledge the many friendly relationships I had with most of the members of the local media. I will miss the banter.

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank Reds fans for their support. I really do understand that the overwhelming majority of fans wanted so badly for me to succeed. Additionally, I would like to sincerely apologize to those fans offended by my wrongful actions last Saturday night. It was an overreaction on my part to what I felt was a series of public inaccurate and unfair remarks about me.

I wish nothing but success for the Reds both on and off the field.

Sincerely,
Ken Griffey Jr.

Now, Griffey could have maligned the Lindners, the Castellinis, the Allens, and the Bowdens for the lies fed him and the fans/hosts on talk radio...but he did not. He could have talked about how the Reds lied to him when they said they would spend money, that the fans blamed him for the Reds slide unfairly, but he didn't. He could have talked about how he worked hard in the community and tried to work hard but suffered injuries, but people didn't get it. He did the classy thing. As I said, I wish it all would have ended differently, but fans here don't hold ownership accountable. Instead, they give them new stadiums. I wish him and the White Sox the best and hope he goes far in the playoffs. Cowards like Cutler and Cunningham are some of the reasons people don't like this town.

God bless Ken Griffey, Jr. God bless America....and Adam Dunn simply stinks....Ken Griffey, Jr. is one of the best players ever, and watching him, even in decline, was something I will cherish. I will tell my grandkids and future generations of the greatest player I have ever seen. I will tell my grandkids about meeting him and talking with him about my sister missing out on meeting him, because she was in college, and Jr. said that she was better off in school than in skipping to "meet an old guy like me", and how much he appreciated us who came out to see him, and how much he loved the Reds and Joe Nuxhall (unlike Adam Dunn, who didn't even come in for the funeral)...and the Reds will still not get it until fans hold them accountable, until talk radio callers and hosts sing out and quit shilling the party line...and as long as Adam Dunn is on this team, the culture just won't change....and I won't spend my change to watch them....

And where is Chris Henry, Odell Thurman, and Chad Johnson's apologies for embarrassing and juvenile behavior? Cricket, cricket....

A Sad End to the Homecoming: Griffey to ChiSox for Fries and a packet of Ketchup

It never should have ended this way. It didn't have to end this way. Unfortunately for Griffey, for the Reds, for the fans; it did end this way:

Ken Griffey Jr. approved a trade to the White Sox on Thursday, according to a source.
A 20-year veteran who was in his ninth season with the Reds, Griffey held 10-and-5 rights that gave him the power to veto any potential trade. Following a three-run homer on Wednesday at Houston, in what was his final game for Cincinnati, he is batting .245 with 15 home runs and 53 RBIs. His 608 career home runs rank sixth on the all-time list.

The Reds will receive right-handed pitcher Nick Masset and second baseman Danny Richar, a source said.

Griffey, 38, is a likely free agent after the season. In the final year of a nine-year deal, the Reds held a $16.5 million club option for 2009, with a $4 million buyout.

The move comes less than a week after Junior vocalized a profanity and made a throat slashing gesture toward the radio broadcast booth after hitting a homerun this past Saturday. The FU and the slash were supposedly meant for Reds Radio Broadcaster Jeff Brantley, a former Red reliever who was critical of Griffey for lack of hustle on a fly ball hit to him earlier in the game.

This is very sad for me. Over the last few days, I, like Lance McAllister of 1530 HOMER AM radio, thought Junior should apologize for the act. Look, I don't care if Junior hates Brantley or walks up to him and does the stuff, but doing it in front of thousands of people, many children, as well as to a TV audience (cameras caught the stuff) is inexcusable. Also, Junior is 38, not 20, as the last time a gesture got him into trouble when he was with Seattle. Back then, former Big Red Machine manager Sparky Anderson refused to have Detroit's pitchers throw to the budding superstar, and when Griffey was walked and came around to score, he reportedly grabbed his crotch at Sparky Anderson. That could be forgiven as stupid youth. What Griffey did this past weekend was moronic and sad for a Hall of Famer. I could not imagine Willie Mays, to whom Jr. is often compared, ever doing such a thing. He should have issued an apology, not to Brantley, because that is personal, but to the fans.

Now, most Reds fans (not this one) are glad to see him go. I listened to talk radio, driving around from one of my jobs to another, listening to the bile and hate, some of it deserved for this latest run-in. However, the sad part was is that Junior has been a victim of others' lies, as have the fans of Cincinnati. It did not have to be this way.

When Jr. was brought here, he was told the Reds would spend money and build a team around him. The only real money they spent was on an aging captain (clubhouse cancer/captain Barry Larkin) who couldn't hack it at short anymore, and a questionable acquisition of Eric Milton. There was no opening of the pocketbooks. GM Jim Bowden continued to act more like a manic rotisserie baseball manager than a real major league gm, and decimated the Reds system as well as the spirit of the city. So, for those who say it is all Griff's fault, look a little further. Junior can't play left, pitch, field third, PITCH, as well as play his position, folks. We ALL were lied to. Unfortunately, because Junior had the weight of greatness and the hometown label, as well as the overinflated expectations ginned up by a caretaker owner just wanting to sell the team, he bore the brunt of it. And unfortunately, the fans never let him alone. They blamed him for all the struggles, quite unfairly.

Griff also was a victim of that which made him truly the greatest player of the 2nd half of the 20th century: he did it all natural; no chemical enhancements. He was able to hit so many homers and do so many death defying catches while still being clean. All that pounding on astroturf in Seattle's Kingdome, all those car crashes into the walls of outfields, that catches up with you. Unfortunately for all of us, it caught up with Junior in Cincinnati. Junior wanted to come home to win, as his dad had won with Cincy. He wanted to bring good things to the fans, who had clamored for his return since he became a star in Seattle. Freak, nightmarish injuries like a torn from the bone hamstring limited his abilities to produce. Quite likely, if he would have stayed unhurt, he would be eclipsing Bonds. Or, the dirty little things some of the more pathetic Reds fans say, if only he would have juiced, we would have a pennant. However, I return to the original argument--can Griffey pitch? Can he manage a game? Can he make the throw from third to first?

Griffey also was a victim of his own personality. For all the adoration and the endorsements, and all the media perception of him as some gregarious overgrown kid, Junior was and is a very private man. He wants to be a good dad. He wants to go out and have fun. He wants to do what he wants and be left alone. I don't think, even growing up in the shadow of the Big Red Machine, that he ever understood that is not what athletes can do anymore. Those days are long gone. However, Junior tried to do things for the community. He didn't want press. He just wanted to do it out of his own heart. He forged great relationships with MAKE A WISH kids, with soldiers returning from the War on Terror, as well as other donations for causes we will never know. He wanted it out of the press, because it was "his business." However, this also soured fans on him. While guys like Barry Larkin, who are self serving press whores, did charitable causes and had them played on the media outlets over and over; endearing them to some, Junior just did his thing. Unfortunately, for the fans in Cincy, they never saw this side of Junior.

The fans are victims too. We were lied to by Bowden and Lindner, and we are continuing to be lied to by Castellini. This team stinks. There is no real commitment to winning because there is no plan. There has been no plan, but to make money. Have all the bobblehead days you want, have all the giveaways and dollar dog nights. You want to know why Reds tickets were hard to come by from the mid to late 80s until about 1995? They were winners! They were in contention! They worked hard and played hard. They didn't have the most talent, but they had a plan. They wanted to win. The ownership since the iconoclastic Marge Schott has been a pathetic display of multiple personality, delusional disorder. They give lip service to winning, but have no idea how. And rather than look hard at what they need to do, they go for publicity moves and quick fixes. Larkin should have never been signed. Dusty Baker should never have been made manager. However, some idiot on talk radio says its a good idea, or the fans momentarily whine that Larkin deserves whatever, and you all cave. Where is the leadership?

I was disappointed in Junior, but I am still a fan. I know in his heart Junior probably regrets what he did. Having met him at Redsfest this past year and seeing how he genuinely interacted with people young and old, you got a glimpse of the real Ken Griffey Jr., without the false blame put on him and the weight of others expectations. He was just a ballplayer, signing and talking with fans. It was great. He looked relaxed and just soaked it up. That is how Junior should have left Cincinnati, soaking up the praise of a town that understood--he was shafted as much as they were. However, the Reds, and their cronies, always made sure to mention Junior when the team was suffering. Somehow, it went from being about needing pitching to Junior isn't doing enough. I never understood that about Cincy fans and never will. Adam Dunn gets so many free passes it is pathetic. He hustles far less than Junior and will never be close to the player that Junior is now, even at 38. Yet, people here give the big, dumb, slow lummox the benefit of the doubt that Junior never got. Makes me wonder sometimes about the baseball IQ in this town.

Junior, I wish you the very best of luck with the Sox and the pursuit of a ring. I hope you win it all. I am sorry your stay here was punctuated with false promises, injury, and not enough understanding and appreciation by the fans. I am sorry that your leaving comes on the heels of such a stupid and sad event. To the fans of Cincinnati, maybe now you will actually have to take a hard look at the b.s. that has been thrown at you and me for the past decade and realize, Junior didn't make the moves. He was lied to, too. The past two owners of this team have fed us a line, and we need to stand up and say no more. Maybe without Griffey to kick around, more fans will realize that maybe the change needs to come from the top down. Maybe, the fans will realize it wasn't all about Griffey. Maybe, but who knows? This town is funny sometimes. I, for one, will not pay for another Reds ticket until there is A REAL PLAN in place. I, for one, will not pay for another Reds ticket until we have players who actually know how blessed they are to be playing pro ball. I, for one, will not pay for another Reds ticket until there is a new culture with this team. The Griffey move should not be the end, but the beginning. And fans have to come together and wake up and quit drinking the Castellini Kool Aid. This team and organization, quite simply, suck.

Now, Junior will become a hired gun. The Reds get two guys who will be players to be named later in a future deal, who will never sniff the bigs. Junior will go on and retire and be ushered into the Hall of a Fame as a Mariner, as he should be. However, I doubt he will ever deign to return to his childhood home again, or view us with the love some of us still have for him. I doubt we will see him return for a Griffey Day, or his enshrinement in the Reds Hall of Fame (he has the numbers, esp. when you factor in his injuries, related to other Reds inductees). No, Jim Bowden, Carl Lindner, and Bob Castellini all let him be the scapegoat and continue to play us off against the players. And some of us still fall for it.

It could have been so different. If only the Reds would have tried. If only the fans would have held those who were in control accountable. If only Junior would have let us in a little more. If only we could have understood his greatness and appreciated it a little more. If only we had a decent pitching staff and defenseive fundamentals. If only....

More Joe.....Joe Nuxhall Weekend Continues

I never, ever thought I would agree with Keith Olbermann on anything. After all, the man is an ignorant slimeball who never should have left sports journalism catchphrase calling on Sportscenter. However, he rated Joe one of the nicest people he had ever met.




I have been ticked at ESPN's lack of coverage. It just shows they have no class. They give a little blurb here and there about him being the youngest player ever, but they really don't go into his career or his impact. Well, fine. Screw them. They are the ones missing out. They don't have a clue anyway. Let them engage in self-examination and bloviating over Barry the ScumBag Bonds. Let them wallow in SteroidGate. Me, I want to remember the greats. True giants, not those who simply wore a uniform with it on the chest. ESPN is nothing more than the great Enabler and Backstabber. It creates stars and then smashes them, but cares nothing for the Great People in the sports field. ESPN has shown that it truly sucks and is nothing more than self-important gas bags no better than the spoiled brat man child athletes they cover, that they would not even devote B story time to such a man who influenced 60 years of baseball fans, and generations of players in the Reds system. So, to ESPN, I will refrain from any more insulting, as Joe would get mad at me. But shame on you...you missed the call, real bad.

Some outlets get it. Even the New York Times had a moment of clarity in that Joe's obit led off their section yesterday or today, in the printed edition. Here is the link.

Major League Baseball has a nice story up by a former Reds beat writer.

The usually bland and pathetic Liberal Cincinnati Emptyquirer even has a nice spot, opening up comment to us, the fans.

And for those of us who think Joe was just some humdrum pitcher, think again. 83 complete games, 20 shutouts. A lifetime 3.90 ERA. Look at his numbers. If he were a pitcher today, a man who never made more than 25,000 in his era, today he would probably be pulling down 5-10 million dollars. And this was in an era when pitchers were hard workers. When 6 innings was a bare start, when 9 innings was expected. That he could go longer and still have the career he did, on some of the teams he did, says a lot. He was not just some shadowy hanger on. He had talent, and was a two time all star in an era that saw the Drysdales, the Koufaxes, the Marichals, etc. Today Joe would be a big money pitcher, and a big money lefty at that. He was a very good pitcher, on some lousy teams, but again, most importantly, he was A GREAT MAN. The reason we don't think about Joe the athlete is that Joe the MAN overshadows him. It is not often that the off the field endeavors overshadow an athlete's career. But what Joe did as a man and the way he treated people do just that.

I know Joe is probably looking down shaking his head at all the fuss, since he never asked for any accolades all his life, he only asked that people treat each other kindly, and that pitchers get that bunt down, and that people try hard. All he ever wanted was to make life a little better for us all. For that, Joe, mission accomplished.

He has now gotten the ultimate call-up and has slipped the surly bonds of earth and thrown a nice inside heater to the Man upstairs.

I think they should name the field after him. Joe Nuxhall Field at the Great American Ball Park. I think it has a good ring to it. What do you think?

And to those of us left behind, I think he will simply tell us what he told many of those Reds pitchers he shared memories and knowledge and encouragement with....
HANG WITH EM.

God bless you Joe. Godspeed. And thanks for the memories, the long summer nights, and winks and nods and autographs and handshakes...Thanks for you, Joe, thanks for you.

More Joe Nuxhall Remembrances...From Jim Borgman

Go and check out these two cartoons. One is simply titled "Home" and ran today;
and the other is one from Jim's archives that will be run again this weekend.


Joe was a great man and he would want us to enjoy these cartoons and enjoy telling each other stories about when we met him, and sharing Joe's flubs and foibles. He would want us to be happy. After all, God has called him up....
Godspeed, Joe.

By the way, public memorial will be Tuesday from 4-8pm at the Fairfield High School auditeria, I believe....Double check that to make sure. In Lieu of flowers, the family would like donations made to the Joe Nuxhall Character Education fund.

Safe at Home....Godspeed, Joe Nuxhall

Truly, the end of an era happened this morning.





Joe Nuxhall, former Cincinnati Reds pitcher and one of the voices of the Reds to many generations of sports fans, passed away this morning. He was 79. He was in the hospital battling complications from pneumonia, as well as awaiting surgery to implant a pacemaker. He was also battling cancer for the 3rd time.

According to his family, despite all this, he rallied up til the very end. Sadly, his friend and broadcast partner for 30+years, Marty Brennaman, was on a cruise in the Pacific when he found out. You can see the Reds Press Conference on Nuxhall here, by following the link provided on the page.

Joe Nuxhall was known as the Ol' Lefthander, and was often the grandfatherly figure many of us Reds fans saw and got autographs from when we made it down to Riverfront/Cinergy Field, or to the Great American Ballpark. He always had a kind word, a sparkle in his eye, and a love for children. Once, I met Joe at a show and showed him a picture taken of us when I was a kid, and he said, "Wow, is that you?" and then proceeded to ask about my life and when it was all said and done said, well, "you turned out all right, I see." The man was a Cincinnati institution.

Was he the greatest pitcher in Reds history? There is only a slight argument. Was he the greatest ballplayer? Certainly not. However, what he was, he was everyman. He was all of us, living the dream. He was Hamilton Joe, the 15 year old who got to pitch for the Reds and made a career out of it. He was our eyes and ears, bringing the game home to us. Who cares if he sometimes said that Sabo hit it to left center right field, it was Joe. He was our link. He was our link not only to the Reds and baseball of the current era, but more importantly, to a simpler era, when players wanted the love of the fans, when they wanted to be in the community. As Marty Brennaman said, there is no bigger personality in Reds history than Joe Nuxhall. He was Cincinnati Reds baseball for over six decades.

You know, you can judge a man, ulitmately, by his fruits, the Bible tells us. Joe Nuxhall leaves behind a family that is wonderful, including a son Kim who teaches in Fairfield, and who helped develop the Joe Nuxhall Character fund. Joe was always reaching out to kids, and he helped many people during his years. I have yet to run into anyone who had anything unkind to say about Joe Nuxhall, Bill Cunningham's stupid shtick not withstanding. His character fund has helped out many, and lending his name and time to charities has led to thousands having it a little better during the holidays. God bless Hamilton Joe.

Joe Nuxhall represented a last link to that bygone time when ballplayers really were one of us, when you could see them at the corner store or at the diner. In fact, Joe often went around the Hamilton/Fairfield area and ate breakfast with the people. It is not known how much he actually ate because typically he was besieged by autograph seekers and fans. He never turned them down, not once.

He was always available. He always threw batting practice, up until the late 1990s, I believe. He played in many old timers games, and was always in charity golf events. He was always out promoting Reds baseball and good community service. He was a legend, not just for what he did, but for WHO HE WAS.

Joe was always willing to laugh at himself. His Kroger TV and Radio Commercials with Marty Brennaman are some of the funniest things you will see. He and Marty were the ultimate team, with Marty the hard edged voice of the critic and Joe the ever soothing Homer who just wanted to see the boys play hard. It is fitting somehow, that his last public appearance was one in levity. He led the annual Chicken Dance at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, having fun and making people happy, as he did for six decades.

Joe hadn't been a fulltime Reds broadcaster since 2005. However, whenever he came in to do a game it was a treat. Even if he mispronounced names, or miscalled balls initially, he still had the same spark that called Pete Rose's 4192nd hit, the joy for the game that called the 1990 series. He was our Joe. And finally, sadly for us, he has rounded third and been ruled safe at home. Well done, Joe. Godspeed.

The Reds have put up a makeshift memorial next to his statue outside Great American BallPark, and a black ribbon hangs from his Reds HOF plaque in the museum. Tonight, all the Ballpark lights will be turned off except the ones that illuminate his farewell catchphrase, "rounding third and heading for home." Local Channel 12 will be running a special at 4:30pm on the life and times of Joe Nuxhall. Well done, Joe. Godspeed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Joe's Many Friends and Family.

Do your part for the old lefthander. Get him considered for the Ford Frick award. The man deserves it. He needs to be in that Hall. If he isn't, then it isn't quite worth going to see. He and Marty were a team. If one is in, they both need to be in.

More Joe Links:
Lance McAllister, 1530 HOMER Radio Show Host, Reds Fan
WCPO coverage
WLWT Coverage
WKRC local 12 Coverage

Bad News for Reds Fans...They Named a New Manager...

And it isn't Joe Girardi.

Nope. In fact, this decision will save ME lots of money next year.

According to what I just saw on ESPNNews, the Reds on Monday will officially hire Dusty Baker as their next manager. Some people out there might say, gosh, he has won 1100 games, he went to a World Series, muliple manager of the year. Why are you so ticked, Mark?

OK, here goes:
1. He doesn't play young ballplayers and overfavors veterans in the lineup--So, Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, grab some pine. Say hello to more Scott Hatteberg (who I like) and Jorge Cantu (oh boy).

2. He allows star players to elevate themselves above everyone else, creating a class divide in the clubhouse--see Bonds, Barry; Kent, Jeff; Sosa, Sammy.

3. Wherever he goes, steroids follow...again, see Sosa, Sammy; Bonds, Barry.

4. He kills young pitchers....see Wood, Kerry; Prior, Mark...both of whom had multiple +140 pitch games during his regime, and both have never been the same since Baker was their manager.

5. He sucks at game management. Ask the Giants and Cubs in their World Series and playoff runs. He can't manage a pitching staff or the flow of a game.

6. He is a racist. He once said darker skinned blacks were better conditioned than whites to handle long summer days.

7. He is a Dodger. To those of you who don't know, Reds fans hate Dodgers. Even though the rivalry has faded with realignment, Reds fans old enough to remember the old National League West hate the Dodgers and always will.

Really, the most important reasons are 1-4 for me. The Reds are a young team, they have young pitchers coming up, and they need to start playing the young guys. Also, this team already has supertars with bad attitudes (see fatass Adam Dunn and his parents), they don't need Dusty Baker ruining Brandon Phillips and the other guys by creating a clubhouse divide.

And if I were Homer Bailey, I am hoping for a trade. I really do want to have a career someday, and Dusty Baker is a career killer if you are a young pitcher.

So, I am done. The Reds will get no money out of me next year. They will get no viewership on TV from me, either. I will not step foot into GABP as long as the stench of Dusty Baker remains with this team. I would have rather they kept Pete McKanin. But no, let's hire some washed up manager who can't even broadcast on ESPN. Let's hire the guy who destroyed two of the most promising young pitchers of the 1990s, Kerry Wood and Mark Prior. Let's hire the guy who allowed Barry Bonds to become even more of an egomaniac, and who turned a blind eye to Bonds and Sosa.

Color me disappointed in Castellini and Krivsky. I find it disturbing that a team that said it would bring championship baseball back brings a guy known for choking as a manager. And over 2/3 of Reds fans surveyed on various sites on the internet said they did not want Baker. So, thanks for listening, arseholes. Take your joke of an organization and sell it to a winner, like Mark Cuban.

This reeks of stupid thinking. I bet the Reds thought, hey look at the Bengals. They hired a black guy. He got them to .500 and the place is selling out. If we hire a black guy, then we will sell the place out, too....Give me a freakin' break. I just threw up.

This team will go backwards, not forwards, in the long term. Young arms will be destroyed, the young talent shipped off, and we will be left with garbage....The Reds are an embarrassment.
EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS STORY WILL STAY AT THE TOP ALL DAY....IN MEMORY OF THE CINCINNATI REDS BASEBALL CLUB, AND HOMER BAILEY'S ARM...originally posted @11:05pm, 10/13/07

Reds GM Wayne Krivsky Goes to the RINOvich School

Hey, Wayne, haven't you heard? There's no crying in baseball! I'm sure that you had quite a relationship with Jerry Narron, but good Lord, be professional.

"Sometimes you make a change for the sake of making a change, but this change has a reason behind it." Uhh...which is it, Wayne?

"Pete has extensive manging experience." Oh really??? His resume includes managing the Pirates for about 25 days...that's the extent of his MLB resume.

The coaching staff may not stick around...that's some news. I've not been a fan of Mark Berry at third base coach...he could go and I wouldn't mind...

I'm not buying any of this...and the crying man routine doesn't impress me.

Jerry Narron FIRED; RINOvich to Follow?

AP News Alert:

CINCINNATI (AP) Manager Jerry Narron has been fired by the Cincinnati Reds.

News conference tomorrow at noon... This is a day which will be LONG remembered... Reaction from the Reds blogosphere here.

Will RINOvich get fired too? You the People have the Power...yours is the Voice that matters...

Bananas for Terror Update

In May of 2004, we did a post on this Chiquita pay-off to the Columbian terrorists. At the time this is what I had to say:

The article seems to suggest that Chiquita paid off terrorists groups in Columbia to prevent attacks on employees and facilities in that country.
...
All that aside, supporting ANY terrorist organization is bad news and somebody apparently knew that what they were doing was not right and should face justice on that issue.

It has now been confirmed that Chiquita has been charged with paying off terrorists in Columbia and has been fined $25 million for doing so.

In court documents filed Wednesday, federal prosecutors said the Cincinnati-based company and several unnamed high-ranking corporate officers paid about $1.7 million between 1997 and 2004 to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, known as AUC for its Spanish initials.

The AUC has been responsible for some of the worst massacres in Colombia's civil conflict and for a sizable percentage of the country's cocaine exports. The U.S. government designated the right-wing militia a terrorist organization in September 2001.

The worst part is that company lawyers issued a memo indicating that the payments were not proper and should not be made.

Final Analysis: So, instead of a quality starting pitcher for the Reds, Uncle Carl paid off some terrorists in Columbia...

He Asked. I Answered

Go over and read Matt Dole's post on his picks for the All-Time Defensive Team. Note the entry for catcher...and note the update...

Matt says:

Alright. He’s right. I did ask. And that’s ok. I am sure Carlton sleeps just fine having moved past Bench’s career HR mark, and leading in all-time total bases. (that’s right, I broke out the total bases statistic). Fine, Pudge didn’t have the gold glove that Bench had. But, purely out of spite I am thinking about changing my vote to Ivan Rodriguez…]

My response: Of course, we're talking about DEFENSE here right??? And how many rings do either Pudge (the second best catcher of all time, by the way) or Fisk have???

This Reds fan has plenty of dignity left... The Power of Tradition and all...