that had to be so painfull to watch as a Braves fan.

They took tips from watching you guys the past two Septembers. :p

Miguel Cabrera graduates to best hitter in baseball this year. 2 HR, 4 RBI so far tonight. Everything he hits is a fucking rocket. God it's a pleasure to watch him every game.

I offered a guy in my fantasy league Cabrera for David Wright. He said he didn't want Cabrera and would rather do the deal but for Morneau instead :)

Wow. That is so awful.

BTW Brandon Inge has 3 HR now ... I must be dreaming.

Wake up? Hell, their best offensive move was to stand there & let the Braves bullpen throw.

LOL. I just saw those highlights. Did Brandon Lyon play dress up as a Braves RP?

I was thinking Chan Ho Park.

Eh wait fuck you. I want Jurrjens back.

lol @ the Yankees

Last years first round pick Ryan Perry is making his debut for Detroit. He has pitched all of 13 professional innings coming into this game, but he features a 100 mph FB and a mean streak.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present Mark "Tornado" Teixeira. At least I think that's his nickname; why else would I keep seeing "F5" in the scorebook?

Well played sir, well played.

As his owner in the FOFC Hardcore League, I'm perfectly happy with that :D

SI

I like that. Definitely better than any nickname from the First Letter of First Name + First Three Letters of Last Name camp

SI

Hey, making fun of teams you don't like makes you a troll!

I am not sure if you realize this, but Felipe Lopez is basically on pace for 75 HR .. I'll part with him for Miggy. I'm the one getting a raw deal here.

you just don't get it

Tempting...

SI

Soria is just filthy and a treat to watch. Same can be said about Zack who went 6+ of 3 hit ball. Juan Cruz with the 2 inning bridge work and the Royals are 1-1.

Before the last pitch, I told my wife "just drop the curve and everyone can go home". A couple seconds later, Dye was just shaking his head as he was a second ahead and a foot over it.

SI

I see the Pirates are kicking our butts again.

So tomorrow it's Porcello vs Romero, both first round picks making their MLB Debut. Apparently this is the first time since the 60's two 1st round picks are making their debuts vs one another. I am not sure the validity, the Tigs announcer didn't seem to certain when he said it tonight.

well, I now understand what you Angels fans have been saying about franky rodriguez.....he sure does like to make things interesting, but a save nonetheless.

I'll cut him some slack on that one. An epic fuckup by Delgado (even if it was a bad call) sure put him in a much worse situation.

I know I'm sorely out of touch with my Reds, but ummm...

Can someone tell me who these bozos are and what they did with the real Cincinnati Reds?

after spending the last 2 years watching the Reds I would take this team over them is a second.

You want Dunn, Coffee, Griffey Jr, Keppinger. Freel, etc... be my guest

no kidding, Jesus

You can keep the rest of them, but I'd definitely like Dunn and his 40 hr and .380 obp. It's going to be a long year with this offense.

I dunno, Dunn seems to miss in a lot of big spots from the games I watched. The HR numbers and RBI are nice, but I'm not a fan.

It was a good call. I rewound the DVR and frame-by-framed it on the behind the plate camera... and he just barely had pulled his foot by the time he had the ball.

Didn't end up affecting the outcome of the game, but I totally missed that live and also thought it was probably a bad call until I watched the replay a couple of times.

Jay Bruce was doing his best Dunn impression last night, falling down on the Schneider single to right, allowing 3 runs to score instead of 2. That could've made a huge difference in the outcome, that extra run.

Before that, Gonzalez scuffs the sure double play ball allowing a couple more runs.

I do believe our defense is much improved, but WOW the first 2 games have sucked pretty badly.

Too early to call the new Reds offense a washout. The first game they had 3 hits, but it was against freakin' Santana/Putz/K-Rod, so I give them a pass.

Today, they had 7 runs and threatened in the 9th, which with the Reds' pitching will win most games.

Honestly, I blame this on the coaching. No way Volquez should've been out there that long to give up those runs. His velocity was down 4-5 mph on his fastball, and he pitched to 3-4 more batters and gave up those runs. Granted, the D let him down a bit, but Masset should've been in earlier... Volquez is still struggling through his time away with the Dominican team and missing spring training.

Then, Mike Lincoln comes out and looks like crap... and then CONTINUES to look like crap and doesn't get pulled for Rhodes or Herrera, 2 lefties that apparently are unneeded in the bullpen. Those 4 runs in the 7th really killed the game for the Reds. Bad game all around.

But I'm with Lathum, I would rather have good, reliable pitching then have to score 9 runs every game to win. It'll work out more times than not if they can keep hitting. I really like this team, a lot more than the lackadaisical Reds teams of the past few years.

They showed it frozen on SNY: ball in his glove, foot barely touching the base.

I could argue that it's the same thing as any catch and throw at second, but it's not important. What is important: Brandon Phillips is a fuckin moron.

Did they ever change that to an error instead of a double? What a joke if they didn't.

I just start giggling when Soria enters the game. You're pretty much guaranteed to see at least one batter end up looking like a fat guy striking out in a slow-pitch softball game.

Greinke was extremely impressive. He makes it look SO easy. I especially enjoyed the two exchanges between Greinke and Carlos Quentin. In the first at-bat, Greinke threw a fastball high and tight to push Quentin off the plate. Quentin gave Greinke a 'do you know who you're throwing at?' look. Very next at-bat, Greinke threw a first ball fastball that hit Quentin right in the back. Greinke turned with no emotion and headed back to the rosin bag while Quentin glared at him. Business as usual. :D

Well, granted I'm watching the Reds broadcast, and obviously they were more than happy to move on past that play with minimal replays. But it WAS very close.

I agree about Phillips at times.

This is the main thing that keeps me from getting back into baseball.

Teams like the Reds seem to have a revolving door for players, while teams like the Yankees pick and choose from the ones who are too expensive for the Reds to re-sign when contracts expire.

Then you have a team the next season that has few familiar faces, and for me, its hard to get into that. I feel like I am watching a local low-level minor league team where a few guys are just stuck playing low level ball and others are there for a year or part of a year, and then gone.

Guys like Cueto and Volquez will be gone within a few seasons too, I would be willing to bet. If they pitch to their abilities, they will be too expensive for the Reds, and they will probably want to play for a team with a better shot at a title anyway.

I feel more optimistic about the Bengals chances at a title than I do the Reds, and that says something I think.

To believe that any Reds team will ever be able to compete for a title again for more than a year or two at a time would be dreaming, IMO.

QFT. Though Dunn is a better fit for a team that has a DH spot.

Over the course of the season the Reds will have serious offensive problems. By my count at least four positions will be below average(LF, CF, SS, C) with nobody so far above average to make up for even one of them. Add in Dusty and I'd be shocked if they win more that 82-83 games.

I really think Dickerson is going to be better than people give him credit for in left. And Taveras came off the bench with a triple last night. I think both OF spots aside from Bruce are getting the shaft from people analyzing the team. Even Hernandez I don't think will be below average... they showed a stat last night that over the last 3 years he has the 3rd most home runs in baseball among catchers.

If the Reds can get 4-5 runs a game, they should honestly be fine. I have extreme confidence in the staff, and a bit more confidence than you in the offense.

That is NOT to say I have totally bought into this offense. Gonzalez and Hernandez could be complete crap... Dickerson could regress into his minor-league numbers, and Taveras could come up with his lovely .300 OBP number this year. Hell, even Edwin Encarnacion could fall into a slump he can't climb out of. All that happens, the Reds will be lucky to get 70 wins. I think we'll know a lot more about the individual players by the middle of May or so.

Nick Adenhart of the Angels was apparently killed by a hit and run driver after the game last night.

Angels Starting Pitcher Killed After Ball Game - TMZ.com

:(

I'll take Paul Coffey based on what I've seen from him. 95-96 MPH with good sink.

He blames the Reds for making trying to make him use the 4-seam fastball instead of his sinker.

Not sure why anybody would want to mess around with that sinker. He'll make a nice middle reliever for the Brewers this year. Definitely miscast as a closer in Cincy.

Damn, that's terrible.

That's awful.... why do people have to drive like idiots?

Yeah I just heard that, really sucks, guy was promising. Very sad story for his family.

It really is a shame. And right after Adenhart had a great pitching performance.

Let's look at some career numbers:

Hernandez has career numbers below league average in avg, obp, and slg.

Tavarez has career numbers below league average in obp and slg(by 100 points!)

Gonzalez has career numbers below average in avg, obp, and slg

Phillips has career numbers below league average in avg, obp, and slg(even in Cincy he's only had one year with an ops at or above league average)

Even if you project Dickerson to match his career minor league numbers he'd be below league average in avg and slg.

It's possible many of these guys will have career years and the offense will be fine, however, it's much more likely that they'll play near their career averages and the Reds' offense will suck.

I usually expect the worst, but for some reason this year with this team, I am hoping for the best. Like I said, we'll see what happens. I think at least SOME of the players you mentioned will play up to the potential that the club sees in them. Dickerson hit over .300 in September last year. At any rate, we'll know a lot more in about 6 weeks.

Granted I'm only listening to the radio feed, but it seems like he showed evidence of this again today. With Reyes on 1st, Phillips allowed a Dan Murphy pop-up to drop. Murphy hustled down the line and beat the throw to 1st, and Reyes came very close to beating the throw to 2nd on the tag play.

Brandon, you have a 3 run lead in the 7th inning. Get a god damn out and stop trying to kill your team. Reds fans, does this guy have any baseball intelligence? Is it possible I've seen his only 3 huge mental fuckups (2 of which have come in the first 3 games of this season)?

Oh see, I meant I'm *REALLY* out of touch. Think 1990 when considering my position on Cincinnati baseball =)

These guys are inept and it appears the coaching staff is worse. Whats worse, I dunno who to blame. I don't recognize any of them.

Indians starting pitching looks AWFULLY shaky - Lee was terrible, Carmona wasn't much better, and Pavano should have claimed another buttocks injury instead of taking the mound today - 1 IP, 9 ER. And then there's the 4th and 5th starters, who are considered the weak links of the rotation!

I'm a little late on this but it was great to see the reception Burrell got yesterday when they handed out the rings (who would have guessed that about 4 years ago).

Same with the reception for Adam Eaton!

Francisco Cordero blows away the Mets with 3 K's in the 9th. Nice to see, as he had an AWFUL spring.

Not sure if I should be excited about the Reds potential offense, or if the Mets should be concerned by the number of walks they handed out in this series. Very close, enjoyable series, all 3 games could've gone either way.

Carpenter, 7 IP, 1 H..

Bases loaded, Pujols due up next and they send Molina home on a short pop fly... :banghead:

Minnesota is going to run away with the Central. I swear all these teams are just terrible.

Honestly- what about Minnesota makes you say "Ooh- that team is better than mediocre"?

EDIT:And that question is for anyone. I've never quite gotten the infatuation they're getting with the press this season. Liriano is nice, of course, but he's coming off an injury. Anyone else from 2-5 in that rotation do anything for you? Similarly, the middle of their lineup is good but there's a lot of crap there.

SI

Nothing.

It's the other four make me look at Minnesota and say this average team is better then these terrible teams.

Minnesota has the pitching, who else does?

To expand ..

Cleveland needs a repeat from Cliff Lee, and the rest of their starters to be solid, plus Hafner to be healthy.

White Sox have some arms, but they need a repeat from Gavin Floyd, plus Carlos Quentin to deliever again.

Detroit has a question mark with every pitcher.

KC has Meche, Soria, Grenkie, but still a lot of blah, and will be relying on kids within a month.

Minnesota has a bunch of guys who throw strikes, and a D that makes plays. They'll be consistent, the others I don't think will.

Dear White Sox:

Please figure out to hit the fucking ball, kthx.

3 great pitching performances by Gil, Zack, and Hiram. And now... it's Sir Sidney and Horacio Ramirez to start against the Yankees. Oof...

SI

Only two teams undefeated.

I think we can safely assume a Rangers/Marlins World Series at this point.

But what about the ratings? It will be the W0RST wORLD SeRIES EVAR!!!! ;)

SI

Thats just Perez.

In my 30+ years of watching baseball he is by far the most frustrating pitcher I have ever watched.

Unfortunately, their offense blows giant chunks.

Miguel Cabrera Grand Slam. 424 foot bomb. He is 10/16 with 3 HR and 8 RBI three + games in.

Nothing like a Kris Benson start to bring the Rangers' good feelings about the beginning of the season to a screeching halt.

My fantasy team once again thanks him ;)

SI

Cabrera doubles in 2 more runs. Unreal.

And I continue to relish in the fact I was going to trade him for David Wright and the guy I was trading with wanted Justin Morneau instead of Cabrera.

Yeah that is just absurd.

I love having Miggy Cabrera on my squad. I will love it even more when I get ARod back.

Heh, Derek Lowe looks like he's channeling Greg Maddux or something. 4 strikeouts in the first couple of innings.

3-1 Braves, 6 k's by Lowe through 3.1 ... and a downpour ensues.

Nice job by the grounds crew though, tarp in place in roughly 90 seconds after the signal to pull 'em.

edit to add: And now we get a Cheers re-run during the rain delay. It's Carla-returns-to-find-Frasier-in-bed-with-Rebecca episode.:popcorn:

All this talking up of the Marlins, and now Derek Lowe.. Come on guys.. They're playing the Nationals. :)

Lowe actually looked better against the Phillies though.

You have to forgive me, there hasn't been much to enjoy watching with the Braves in a couple of years.

Need to do a little work with the lights at Turner Field.

Earlier a simple pop up dropped between Zimmerman & Guzman a good 15 feet from either of them. Now Matt Diaz apparently lost one in the lights to turn out number one into a leadoff double (and the tying run) in the ninth.

Gonzalez was bailed out there, one more out please.

Alas, not to be :(

edit: Kelly Johnson the hero with a single to right in the bottom of the 10th, just a couple of minutes short of 6 hours after the first pitch.

Giving up 14 hits and 7 walks to the Nationals is a bit much but a win is a win.

You have to forgive me, the best record the Nationals have had is 81-81 :)

Good tribute to Adenhart at the game last night for the Angels, and then they went out and beat the Red Sox. That's a good way to get the healing started.

Pujols is a BEAST. Two HR's today and 7 RBI.

Fun game with the Sox yesterday. Lots of back and forth.

Came down to a surprisingly shaky Papelbon in the ninth. He allowed an inning opening jack to Torii to start the inning and then loaded the bases up with two outs. Proceeded to throw 11 pitches to Howie K, with the first two going for no-swing called strikes, and then Kendrick fouling off eight straight in a great matchup a pitcher with terrific stuff and control versus a hitter with a great eye and bat control. Kendrick finally drove a sharp liner to right, but Baldelli was well placed to slide over and catch it to end the game.

P.S. Sciosc, you are undeniably one of the, if not the best, managers in the game, but if you have a guy on your team who not once, but twice, in one game, swings his bat, cracks the ball hard and then immediately flips his bat to the ground to start his HR trot before the ball even reaches its peak in the air, okay, really, you need to start that guy more than two freakin' times in a week, especially when your team is notorious for not being power rich. His name is Mike Napoli, go introduce yourself.

Oh, the Sox were up two, so after Hunter's dinger, Angels were down just a run when the bases loaded battle between Kendrick and Paps happened.

To be fair to Scioscia, Napoli is coming off an injury, and missed most of Spring Training. So they are easing him back into the lineup.

If the Extra Innings free preview is still going on, anyone who has it should put on Mets-Marlins for Santana/Josh Johnson. Santana gave up 2 unearned runs on a Murphy error, has 8 Ks through 3.2, and Johnson has retired 12 in a row following Reyes reaching on an error to start the game.

It's on TBS as well.

Even better.

Matt Diaz with a double on a ground ball up the middle. The Nationals should have considered acquiring a centerfielder in the offseason.

Dukes would be in RF but the Nats are trying to raise Kerns' trade value by showing everyone how bad he is.

In the American League, we have something called the DH. ;)

Napoli is as worthy of an at bat or two there as Rivera at this point.

Phenomenal pitching matchup in the Marlins, Mets game. Santana struck out 13 in 7 innings, but his day is done as the Mets come to bat with him due up 4th. Wasn't for Murphy dropping a routine flyball, it would be 0-0, but the Marlins are up 2-0 in the 8th. This Josh Johnson kid for the Marlins sure can bring it, still hitting 96 in the 8th.

Kevin Millwood spins a gem. 7 IP shutout, then the Rangers go to the pen and the Tigs score 4 runs to tie it up 4-4. Elvus Andrus made an awful play trying to get two when he could've taken an easy one on a soft liner. He tried catching it off his shoe tops and throwing out Everett at first but it went under his glove. Then Polanco doubles to make it 4-2. Magglio K, Miggy IBB and a Guillen 2 run double got it to 4-4, with runners on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out.

And Brandon Inge knocks in two to make it 6-4. He lead off this inning with a HR to start the comeback.

I've always assumed that a shoulder injury affects swinging the bat too :D

I think the Rangers bullpen needs to be "DetoxRox'd", or "fired"

Inge...seems like every time his name is mentioned, Tigers fans go into a fit of despair, but he just seems to be a gamer. I always stop short of picking him up in fantasy leagues because of this even though he hits 20+ homeruns every year, is usually eligible at 2-3 different positions, and seems to find his way onto the field.

Am I missing something?

mmmm angels v. red sox easter game - one of these teams will end the day at .500 !!!

He is a career .237 hitter. He has pop but up until this year he has been adament to never change his swing. He finally admitted he was being a baby and is taking advice.

He is the most polarizing figure in Detroit sports, even ahead of Osgood.

He was upset when we got Pudge and he lost his Catching job, and when we got Miggy and he lost his 3B job.

He has amazing range and routinely makes spectacular plays but also makes routine plays a chore considering how much talent he has.

If he just shut his mouth and played I'd be fine with him, but he thinks he is better then he is.

So far this year has been a bit of strange one for Inge so far. He's a career 85 OPS+ hitter, with a career .302 OBP. When he's a Catcher that's not as bad (though it is pretty bad) as would be for a 3B.

In comparison, the first week of the season (not counting this game), he has a 213 OPS+ and an OBP of .440 (to go with a SLG of .789).

So... it can't last.