And Now Their Watch Has Ended

Major League Baseball's trading deadline was yesterday, July 31. In the days leading up to it, the Reds made two trades, divesting themselves of two free-agents-to-be, both pitchers, in Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake.

Cueto signed with the Reds out of the Dominican Republic when he was 18 years old. He came up to the big leagues in 2008 as a highly regarded prospect. The 2000s are often referred to by Reds fans as "the Lost Decade"--heralded by the return of prodigal son Ken Griffey, Jr. and with generally pretty decent offense around him, the team's powers-that-be failed to put together any decent pitching staffs during that team, leading to a string of losing seasons that all seemed to start with promise and then go nowhere fast.

Cueto's entrance to the big leagues was one part of the end of that trend. Looking at the box score for his debut, you'll see names like Griffey and Dunn in the lineup while young guys like Votto and Bruce were not; looking at the list of guys who pitched for the Reds that year, you can see the transition that was being made in that area. Cueto joined a staff consisting of guys like Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang that would help them break a 15-year playoff drought just two years later, in 2010.

I watch pretty much every Reds game that's televised, and it's been that way for as long as I've been interested in baseball (when I first got interested, games on TV were much less frequent than they are now, when just about every game is on). Needless to say, during the "Lost Decade," I saw a lot of losing baseball. So it's not just about watching them to see them win (although obviously I prefer when they do). I watch for a variety of reasons, not least of which is seeing young players perform and develop. I can say without hesitation that watching Johnny Cueto develop into one of the best pitchers in the game has been one of the great delights of being a Reds fan over the past seven years. Even last year, when the Reds fell out of the playoff race pretty much right after the All-Star break, Johnny provided a reason to watch as he strove to become the team's first 20-game winner since Danny Jackson in 1988; seeing him do it on the last game of the season wasn't as good as making the playoffs, but it was pretty damned exciting nonetheless.

In a perfect world, Cueto is a guy the Reds would love to keep around. Unfortunately, baseball's economic realities make him a luxury they can't afford. As a free agent this offseason, Johnny is going to command huge dollars. The money is one thing; the years are another. Chances are good that he'll be looking for (and probably receive) a five- or six-year deal. He'll also turn 30 this offseason, meaning that he'll pass the mid-30s mark toward the end of that deal, and whatever team signs him will be paying a premium for a pitcher whose best days are behind him (physically, at least; I feel like Johnny is such a smart pitcher and hard worker that he'll continue to be effective even as his stuff declines).

Cueto is a bigger loss in terms of pitching, but, while I hate to lose him, I have to say that the trade of Mike Leake makes me a bit sadder. Another cog in the Reds' pitching renaissance, Leake was drafted in the first round of the 2009 draft. He then made the team the following spring and made his Major League debut without ever pitching in the minor leagues, quite a rare feat. It fascinated me, and as it turned out, his first start coincided with a bit of a rough time in my own life. To distract myself, I decided to drive down to Cincinnati to catch his debut in person. It was a good decision, even if I did end up with a hellacious sunburn (it was a Sunday afternoon game, and I forgot to take sunscreen, a cardinal sin for someone with fair skin). So I've always had a little soft spot for Mike.

As the deadline got closer, I kept hoping against hope that they'd keep and re-sign him instead of trading him away. Sadly (for me), that didn't happen; he was traded in the wee hours of Friday morning. It didn't seem like such a stretch. He won't command nearly as much money as Cueto will, and, as he'll be just 28 after the season ends, a 5- or 6-year deal is less likely to be an albatross toward the end of it. Alas, the Reds' front office did not see it the same way I did.

Those were the only two trades the Reds made, although there was plenty of chatter about other possibilities. It sounded like they seriously entertained offers for outfielder Jay Bruce and hard-throwing pitching phenomenon Aroldis Chapman. I was actually a little disappointed they didn't trade Chapman, although I love watching him pitch, mostly because he could have commanded an awesome return. As big of an asset as he is, I feel like the Reds have mishandled his career--he's so dominant, he's wasted pitching fewer than 100 innings a year as the team's closer. He should have been developed as a starter, and with just one year remaining on his contract, that option almost certainly won't be explored with Cincinnati (and probably not anywhere else, either). I'd be a little surprised if they didn't continue to explore trading him in the offseason.

Bruce, on the other hand, I had mixed feelings about. The Reds have the makings of a pretty potent offense; what they really need is someone (or someones, ideally) who can get on base a ton and set the table for big bats like Votto, Frazier, and Mesoraco (assuming he comes back healthy next year, which I have no reason to believe he won't). The problem is that most of the starting position players are firmly entrenched, so even if you find a guy like that, there's nowhere to put him on the field. As of now, left field (currently manned by Marlon Byrd) is the only real possibility; trading Jay would have opened right field as well. Keeping him isn't a bad option, though. He's another of the big bats like the ones listed above, and while I'm not sure he's as reliable as those guys, the pop he provides can't be denied.

So the main drama for the rest of the Reds' regular season will likely be whether they can maintain their hold on fourth place in the National League Central Division or slip into last, it's certainly shaping up to be an interesting offseason. With these trades augmenting the talent they already have in their system, they have a ton of young pitchers vying to fill out next year's staff. I expect a trade or two to hopefully find that OBP machine they need, and I wouldn't mind seeing them find a crafty veteran to plug into the rotation as well, to mentor the young kids and take some innings load off the bullpen--coming off an injury, I'm not sure you can count on Homer Bailey, the one returning vet, to fill that role.

In the meantime, I'll be keeping an eye on Cueto (now with the Kansas City Royals) and Leake (San Francisco Giants--I expect him to thrive in the NL West) and pulling for them to do well with their new teams. Since the Reds aren't in it this year, it's nice to have a rooting interest in the pennant race (other than hoping the Cardinals get knocked out early in the most humiliating fashion possible).

Ouch

When I wrote in my last post that I wanted to write about the Reds' flawed lineup, I didn't mean it in a strictly literal sense. I was mostly just trying to illustrate that there were a lot of things I wanted to write about: some serious, and some definitely not.

Then came yesterday's news that Joey Votto needed knee surgery and would be out for up to a month.

Ouch.

The Reds' lineup was flawed before Votto's injury, and yet they found themselves in first place in the National League Central Division when he went down. Take the best pure hitter in baseball out of that lineup, and there's a chance for real trouble. Needless to say, the Reds are going to need to find a way to score runs without his clutch hitting and huge on-base percentage. That being the case, Ryan Ludwick needs to be in the lineup and on the field, and Drew Stubbs needs to be on the bench.

Meaningless though it is, here's how I would personally structure the lineup in Votto's absence:

1. Phillips 2B
2. Cozart SS
3. Frazier 1B
4. Ludwick LF
5. Bruce RF
6. Heisey CF
7. Rolen 3B
8. Hanigan/Mesoraco C
9. Pitcher

Of course, there are plenty of rumors about the Reds looking for a leadoff hitter on the trade market. I'd go ahead and get Juan Pierre from Philadelphia and not think twice about it. Playing him in centerfield and leadoff would slide Phillips down to the 2 spot and Cozart down to 7. I think that would be a pretty solid lineup. Then, when Votto gets back, Todd Frazier can go back to splitting time with Rolen at third base, or take over for him if Rolen isn't hitting by then (which hopefully he will be).

This is a crucial time for the Reds. If the pitching holds and the offense can score enough to keep them in first or close to it when Votto returns, you have to like their chances to make the playoffs. If, on the other hand, they fall behind and fail to make the playoffs, you have to imagine they'll go in a different direction next year, managerially speaking. Now, there are those who will argue that would be a good thing. I'm not completely among them. I'm not saying a managerial change would be a bad thing, but I'm far from convinced that it would be a good thing either. Here's hoping they win enough games to make it a moot point.

Reds Rant Revisited

It's been a week since I posted a response to the absurd rumor of a possible Joey Votto (+) trade for Jose Bautista between the Reds and Blue Jays. In that week, the "trade Joey Votto" drumbeat hasn't died down; if anything, it's intensified. And I still have things to say about it. Lucky you.

Okay, the rationale that some are proposing for such a trade goes like this: the Reds have Yonder Alonso ready to take over first base if Votto is traded. Votto is signed only through 2013, whereas Bautista is signed (essentially) through 2016 for what's considered a reasonable amount for a player of his recent caliber. When Votto's contract is up after 2013, the Reds are unlikely to be able to afford what he'll command on the open market. Trading him now allows them to get an elite player in return, whom they'll control longer, and it'll solve the gaping hole they have in left field without significantly harming them at first base.

Admittedly, it makes a certain amount of sense when you look at it in black and white. But it just doesn't hold up when you look at it closely. And here's why:

* First off, Joey Votto is not just the best player the Reds have; he's the best player they've had in years. Ken Griffey Jr. was, unfortunately, a shell of his former self for most of his years in Cincy. You'd have to go back to Barry Larkin or Eric Davis to find anyone who comes close. If you're serious about winning, you don't trade Joey Votto. You build around him and try to make the most of the years in which you have him.

* Jose Bautista has had an amazing season and a half, starting at the beginning of the 2010 season and running through this year's All-Star break. But he was in the league for six years before that and was a nobody. So who is this guy? You have to wonder where he came from, and where he's headed. He's not someone I'd feel comfortable paying the high price of Joey Votto for, I'll tell you that much. If you make that trade and get the pre-2010 Jose Bautista, you've made a terrible, terrible mistake. On top of that, he's going to be 31 before next season starts; not terribly old, but old enough that it's more likely his skills will decline instead of increase. Votto, who will be 28 next month, is just rounding into his prime.

* Sure, Yonder Alonso is ready to play first base for the Reds in the event that Votto is traded. But he looked absolutely dreadful in left field this past weekend in Chicago, and word is that he's below average defensively at first base as well. So was Votto when he came up, of course, and he's put in a ton of time and effort to get much better. Will Alonso do the same, and is he even capable of getting that much better? Question marks. Sure, it looks like he'd be a great bat to have in the lineup, but this isn't the American League, and he needs to be able to field a position.

* I might also mention that Alonso, if I've read his contract details correctly, can become a free agent after next season. So if you trade Votto because he's likely to leave after 2013 and go with Alonso as the first baseman, you have to deal with his contract even year sooner. And no, it's not going to take the same money to sign him that it would Votto, but still, there are no guarantees that the Reds could/would re-sign him.

Update: John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer informs me that Alonso is not, in fact, a free agent after 2012. However, the information I found online (here and here) says that he is. So that last paragraph may or may not be accurate; I'm not sure.

Personally, I don't think the "ZOMG, HE'S ONLY SIGNED THROUGH 2013!!!1!!" argument is all that compelling anyway. That's two full seasons AFTER this year. You want to tell me that in two years the Reds won't have some other kid knocking on the door to play first base in the event that Votto leaves?

Look, I understand the argument that if he's going to leave anyway you might as well get something in return. So if the Reds are having a crappy season in 2013 and trade him before the end of the year, so be it. But you don't trade one of the league's best players if you're serious about winning. Sure, try to get Bautista--or someone--but do it to complement Votto, not to replace him. That's how you're going to make the team better.

And really, if I can go off on a little tangent,, this whole situation demonstrates why baseball needs a salary cap/floor situation. All else being equal, there should be no reason why any Major League club should be unable to afford to keep a player if they are inclined to do so. Sure, sure, capitalism, the open market, I get it. But what baseball needs to realize is that the product it's selling isn't the individual teams; it's the competition between those teams. Franchises like Cincinnati, Kansas City, Oakland, and Pittsburgh are playing by different rules than New York (take your pick), Boston, and Philadelphia. Obviously, the smaller market teams can win on occasion, but rarely with consistency, and never with continuity. And there's no margin for error--one bad contract can cripple the team for years. It's not healthy for teams in those markets, and I don't think it's healthy for the game in general. But maybe that's just me.

Edited for clarification: What I mean is this...let's say that the market decides Joey Votto is worth $25 million per year when his contract is up. Team A says "Oh, $25 million...we could do it, but it would limit us being able to put a team around him";  Team B says "$25 million? Chump change. Sign here, Mr. Votto." Assuming neither team is saddled with ridiculous contracts elsewhere, that doesn't make for good, honest competition.

But getting back to the Reds...I feel like I should reiterate that there's no indication that the Reds have actually discussed trading Votto for Bautista or for anyone. And it's not a foregone conclusion that the Reds won't be able to sign him to an extension. It's sheer conjecture all the way around. I do think there are going to be some trades made this offseason, though. It'll be interesting to see who ends up coming and going.

And if they do happen to trade Votto...well, I'll be disappointed, sure, but part of me will also be excited to see how the new guys (whoever they may be) benefit the team. That's just how you have to roll with baseball. My wife Brandi watches most of the games with me, and a couple of years ago she was upset that they had traded a player she really liked, and she told me she was done with the Reds. My response? "Baby, you married the Reds."

Your 2011 Cincinnati Reds

I love the Reds. I watch 'em on TV just about every day, and try to listen to them on the radio on the rare occasions when I can't watch. I could write about them every day if I had a mind to, but I don't: over the course of such a long season, it just doesn't make sense to put too much stock into any single game.

Likewise, I try not to get worked up over any trades or player transactions they make, even when they involve players I like, because it's something I have no control over, and once it's done, it's done. There are plenty of Reds fans who even now want to rehash the Hamilton-for-Volquez trade, which happened in 2007. That's not me. However, with all the crazy rumors flying around this past weekend's trade deadline, I read one report of a possible trade that set me off--even though it didn't happen. Reigning National League Most Valuable Player Joey Votto--plus a prospect--to Toronto for Jose Bautista...are you kidding me?

Okay, first things first: there's absolutely zero evidence that the Reds and Blue Jays were actually discussing this trade; it's just hearsay and speculation. I think what really blew my mind is how many Reds fans seem to think that this would be a good trade for the Reds to make. What?

Look, I'm not opposed to blockbuster trades, again, even if I like the players leaving my team, but this is just dumb. Jose Bautista has been an amazing hitter for two seasons. Prior to that, he was completely pedestrian. Can he sustain what he's doing now? Who knows? Joey Votto, on the other hand, is an elite player (maybe I'm biased, but I'd say he's in the top 5 in all of baseball) who has been good to great since he came up. I realize there are contract differences which skew values, but still, you don't trade a guy like that for just one player, especially one who's questionable going forward like Bautista is.

Proponents of a potential Votto trade point to the fact that he's "only" signed through 2013 and hasn't indicated that he'd like to stay with the Reds beyond that point. So? Can you imagine the uproar if the Cardinals had traded Albert Pujols midway through the 2009 season because they may "only" have him for two and a half more seasons? And if they had only gotten one guy in return, and had to throw in a minor-leaguer to make it happen? That, friends and neighbors, would have blown up the Internet, and this Votto trade, had it happened, would have been just as ridiculous.

I also think it's amusing that so many Reds fans would be so quick to trade Votto when so many of them advocate for hanging onto Jay Bruce and Drew Stubbs at all costs. Sure, they're good players with plenty of potential to get better, but they're not in the same universe as Votto in terms of production or consistency. It boggles my mind that they'd want to get rid of the guy who's actually realizing his potential but not the guys who may or may not ever do the same. And I don't say that to dog Bruce or Stubbs. I like them both, but they're frustrating to watch sometimes. If it was either of their names in this proposed trade instead of Votto, I'd be way less irritated. I mean, sure, I'd love to have Bautista in the lineup, but not at the cost of Votto.

If Votto hasn't signed a contract extension by this point in the 2013 season, you can talk trade then; otherwise, if you're Reds GM Walt Jocketty, you hang up on anyone who mentions him. But that's just me. If it's true that trading him was an option (and again, this is just speculation), it could be an interesting offseason.

Anyway....

I wasn't terribly disappointed by the Reds' lack of activity by the recently passed trade deadline. I really would have liked for them to get Ubaldo Jimenez, but Cleveland ended up paying a deep price for him. I can only imagine who Colorado wanted from the Reds. There were a couple of other players who may have made nice additions (Michael Bourn, Hunter Pence), but they probably wouldn't have been game-changers. I was a little surprised they didn't trade Ramon Hernandez so they could bring up Devin Mesoraco, but it's hard to argue against keeping Razor Ramon for a possible stretch run.

It's been a weird year for the Reds. Finally coming into the season with some real expectations after winning the National League Central last year, they've been disappointing and frustrating. Last year, it seemed like a different player was coming through for them each night. This year, it seems like a different player or aspect of the game is letting them down each night. They have a huge task ahead of them if they're going to repeat as Central Division champions. It seems unlikely, but I'm not ready to abandon all hope just yet.

With all this in mind, here's what I'd like to see the Reds do between now and the beginning of next season:

* Pick up Brandon Phillips's option, or sign him to a longer-term deal. This is as close to a no-brainer as there is.

* Make Mesoraco the starting catcher. I really like Ramon, and I have no problem hanging onto him through the rest of this season if that's how it plays out. But Mesoraco is ready, and there's no reason why he should be in the minor leagues again next season.

* Put Aroldis Chapman in the starting rotation. He's been pitching lights-out lately, albeit in short relief outings. If he can translate that into success as a starter, he'd be a monster, a huge asset alongside Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake.

* Figure out what to do with the rest of the rotation. Between Bronson Arroyo, Homer Bailey, Edinson Volquez, and Travis Wood, there are plenty of candidates and plenty of question marks. I'm hoping Bronson will return to form; with his contract, he's going to be on the roster and likely in the rotation. Personally, I'd see what I could get in trade for Volquez and/or Bailey. I also wouldn't mind if they re-signed Dontrelle Willis, but I doubt that happens. And if they can make a deal for another top-of-the-line starter, they should. You can never have enough pitching.

* Find a closer. I don't know if they'll try to re-sign Francisco Cordero, but it seems unlikely to me that they'll be able to. A lot of baseball people think the "closer" role is overrated, but I remember what a shambles the Reds bullpen was in during the years when they didn't really have one. I don't think Nick Masset or Logan Ondrusek should go into this role, so they'll either need to see what else is on the free agent market or give the job to Brad Boxberger, who's I understand has been closing for the triple-A club. Chapman's a possibility, but I think that would be a waste of his talent. He needs to be a starter.

* Left field. Will it be Chris Heisey or Dave Sappelt? I like Heisey a lot, but I'm starting to think he's best as a reserve outfielder, a pinch-hitter, defensive replacement, and spot starter. If it's Sappelt, he'll slide into the leadoff spot and move Drew Stubbs down in the order. I don't think Stubbs is a terrible option at leadoff, so I'd really rather the Reds find a slugger to play left field and bat cleanup. I just don't know who that would be. Carlos Beltran would fit, in a perfect world, but he's almost definitely going to be out of the Reds' price range.

* Get something for Yonder Alonso. I don't think he can be sent to the minor leagues again next year, and even if he can, he has nothing left to prove down there. His bat would be great in the Reds lineup, but he's a man without a position. He's not going to play first base for the Reds while Joey Votto is here, and he's not a major-league left fielder. I'm sure there are teams out there that need a first baseman or designated hitter, so use Alonso to get someone who solves the closer or left field/cleanup hitter issues.

* Replace Brook Jacoby (hitting coach) and Mark Berry (third base coach). Tons of people would like the Reds to replace manager Dusty Baker; I have much smaller aspirations. I don't think Dusty is anywhere near as bad as others seem to believe. He's okay by me. And really, I don't know nearly enough about the intricacies of coaching to know if Jacoby and Berry really need to go. I just know that the Reds offense is inconsistent despite plenty of talent, which might fall on Jacoby, and I've seen Berry make plenty of questionable decisions about sending or holding runners at third base. I also know that if the Reds finish with a losing record after winning the division last year, some changes in the coaching staff are likely. I don't see Dusty going anywhere, and I feel like pitching coach Brian Price is safe too.

That all seems like a lot, but I really don't think it is. I feel like the Reds are really close, not just to being good for the Central Division, but to being able to content for World Series championships. They have a lot of fantastic pieces in place; they just need to finish the puzzle. When I look into my crystal ball, I see them sticking with the status quo for the rest of this season in an effort to win the Central again. But I think it's going to be an incredibly interesting offseason.

Back on the Beam

You may have noticed that the Yawp has been maintaining radio silence for a while, with just a couple of posts since the beginning of the year. The truth is, I've been dealing with a personal issue for the past few months. I debated over writing a post to vent about it, but I've decided against it, mostly because it involves something stupid on my part and it's a little embarrassing. I finally put it all behind me this week, and after getting a massage today to help me come down from the stress that accumulated from it, it's time to leave it all in the past.

So! That being said, here are a few things that are actually worth commenting on:

* Baseball season. Glad it's back. Opening Day looked a little rough for a while but turned into an exhilarating win for the Reds. It looks, very early on, like they're going to be just as exciting this year as they were last year. I picked up an authentic Joey Votto jersey for myself last weekend, and I'll be rocking it throughout the season. I can't wait until the weather warms up so we can get down to a game.

* I'm really glad to see Butler and VCU in the Final Four; I just wish it had worked out so they didn't have to play each other at this point. I mean, on one hand it's great that one of them will definitely be in the championship game, but it would be great if they were split up and had a chance of meeting in the championship game. Either way, it's going to be great basketball. I'm pulling for Butler tonight (visit Hinkle Fieldhouse for a game if you ever have a chance; it's a basketball mecca), but whichever team wins, I'll be cheering for them to win the championship over either Kentucky or UConn on Monday night.

* Speaking of "the Beam," I was ecstatic to learn that another Stephen King Dark Tower project is becoming a reality, with The Wind Through the Keyhole coming in 2012. I've been reading the graphic novels from Marvel for my Tower fix lately, and while I enjoy them (particularly the artwork), they just don't have the depth of the novels. So it's good to know that there's at least one more in the offing.

Of course, I'm also looking forward to 11/22/63, which will be the next novel published by King. I have only a little taste for an occasional alternate history novel, but I am interested in the '60s and the Kennedy era, and King has already showed a deft touch for the '60s with Hearts in Atlantis.

* And speaking of graphic novels, let me take a moment to recommend Joe Hill's outstanding Locke & Key series. Even if graphic novels (or "comics," if you prefer) aren't your thing (they generally aren't mine, with some exceptions), these are worth reading. The storyline is fascinating, the characters are interesting, and the illustrations are great--in some places, they're breathtaking. Check 'em out.

* Right now I'm reading Catch-22, which I somehow missed in my high school and college lit classes. It's taking me kind of a long time to get through, for some reason, but I'm enjoying it. Coming up after I finish that I'm looking forward to a couple of Douglas Coupland novels I haven't read before (Generation A and Player One), and then a Truman Capote classic (Breakfast at Tiffany's, recommended to me by a couple of friends). I've not read Capote before; I'm looking forward to it.

* At some point in the near future I'll probably also pick up a brief overview of the American Revolution. I've recently started doing some freelance proofreading for a publication called Patriots of the American Revolution; I'm really enjoying the work, but all those history classes were a long time ago, and it's time for a refresher, just to give myself a stronger foundation. As for the magazine, it's extremely well done. If you're interested in American history and the Revolution in particular (it focuses on the American side, of course, but doesn't neglect the British side), give it a look.

The Passage of Time and Other Bitter Amusements

* Fifteen years ago at this time, I was just a couple weeks into my first quarter of college at Wright State University. In the span of time between then and now, I've graduated from college (not WSU, though), been through five different jobs, moved countless times, including back to my hometown, ended two relationships, gotten married, adopted a cat, and bought a house. That's a pretty significant chunk of life right there.

That fall, fifteen years ago, I watched the Cincinnati Reds fall to the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series. Last night I watched the Reds defeat the Houston Astros to clinch their first berth in the playoffs since then. It hasn't been easy to be a Reds fan these past fifteen years, but the exuberance of last night's victory makes it all worth it. Even the injury that comes along with it: in my postgame celebration I managed to slam my hand into the ceiling, and I've got a pretty painful set of bloody knuckles going on right now.

* As for the how the Reds will fare in the playoffs, well, it's anyone's guess. I'm not getting into the prediction business, not on this one. It's no secret that they haven't had a lot of success against the really good teams, the teams they'll be facing in the playoffs. That said, just the way this team is, I'm not counting them out of anything. Either way, I won't be terribly surprised. Of course I want them to go all the way to and win the World Series, but I'm not going to let myself be disappointed if that doesn't happen, even if they get swept out of the first round. This season has been so much fun already, and they've exceeded my expectations by winning the Central Division. Any success they have from here on out is just gravy.

I will say, though, that Joey Votto is pretty clearly the league MVP, and Dusty Baker should win the Manager of the Year award as well. I'd give Gold Gloves to Brandon Phillips, Scott Rolen, and Jay Bruce, although, in reality, I think only Phillips will win one.

* In addition to watching the playoffs, I've got a pretty busy month of October coming up. This Saturday is BGSU's homecoming, which Brandi and I are planning to attend. We'll be there for the football game and likely a night on the town in some of our old stomping grounds. Next week I'm scheduled for jury duty; I'll find out on Monday if I actually have to do it or not. I have mixed feelings about it - I hope I get to do it, but I also hope it doesn't take too long. That Friday is the Troy-Piqua football game, which is always a big deal around here. The first couple days of the following week I'll be traveling to Toledo for my monthly trip to the office (assuming I'm not still on jury duty, which would really screw things up). That weekend will be taken up with events surrounding my 15-year high school reunion. Then there's Halloween. I always enjoy handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, and I think Brandi and I are going to take up the mantle of hosting the annual Halloween party, a duty left to us by our friend Carly, the past hostess, when she absconded to Baltimore for grad school.

* For a fair portion of this summer, I was well on my way toward getting into the habit of walking and/or running a few times per week. Then I developed an injury in my lower left ankle area that I originally thought may be a stress fracture but that Brandi now thinks is some kind of tendon issue. Either way, the recommended treatment for either malady is rest. So I've been doing that for a couple of weeks now, and, along with some massages and the recent help of an ankle brace, the leg seems to be coming along nicely. It still twinges from time to time, but it's neither as constant nor as painful as it was before. That being the case, I'm seriously itching to get back on the horse, activity-wise. Part of it is because I was coming to enjoy the exercise, and I know that I need it, and part of it is just because this is the time of year that I want to be outside, like, all the time. But at the same time, I don't want to push it too soon and risk hurting it again. So I think I'm going to give it the rest of this week and see how it feels after that. I'll likely be on my feet quite a bit this weekend during our trip to Bowling Green, so if it feels pretty strong on Monday, I think I'll probably consider myself ready to at least start taking some long walks again.

#600!

600 Words for Junior

I'm not ashamed to admit that I got just the slightest bit teary last night when I watched Ken Griffey Jr. hit the 600th home run of his career, and again tonight while watching a short retrospective of his career milestones. His dad was one of my favorite players when I was a little kid, and Junior became another favorite when he started his career in Seattle in 1989, when I was 11. I've got his rookie cards, and a baseball signed by both him and his dad. I've been following him for 19 years, he's one of my favorite players playing for my favorite team, and last night I saw him do something that only five other people have done before in the long, storied history of Major League Baseball. Simply amazing.

Simple Pleasures

* One of my simplest pleasures - watching the Reds play - hasn't been all that much fun this week. They just got swept by the Dodgers in the first three games of a ten-game homestand, and the games weren't even good ones. The pitching staff, which has been overhauled so much lately, wasn't good in any phase of the game, and the offense, supposedly this team's strong point, just sucked. Inexplicably, manager Jerry Narron last night decided to rest Brandon Phillips, the one player who actually has been getting some hits lately. At any rate, I'm hoping the Reds just ran into a hot team and will right the ship shortly and aren't beginning a slide out of contention. It's been a lot of fun to pull for a team that's actually playing for something this long into the season for a change.

* Of course, if they are falling out of it, it isn't going to bother me for all that long. My absolute favorite time of year, the high school football season, begins exactly three weeks from today when my Troy Trojans play host to Dublin Coffman (the full schedule can be found in the right-hand column). From there it'll be a full-on descent into football madness for me. High school football is where it starts for me, but I love college and NFL as well. This season will include a trip to Cleveland Browns stadium for the first-ever Division I college game held there (my BGSU Falcons vs. the Wisconsin Badgers) as well as a trip to Cincinnati's Paul Brown Stadium for my first-ever NFL game (the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons).

* Brandi and I are planning on a nice, quiet weekend at home. With not much going on, I decided I'm going teach her how to play chess. It has been so long since I've played that a refresher was in order, so I checked Chess For Dummies out from the library. That wasn't a bad idea in any case, because all I really know about chess anyway is the very basics (i.e. how the board is set up and how the pieces move) and I'm interested in learning more about theory and strategy. Now, I love to read, but when it comes to non-fiction, I'm just like my friend Patrick - I can't get through it. This chess book has been different so far. I started looking through it last night, and even though I'm not terribly far into it, I've learned a lot already and I'm fascinated. So I'll probably be learning just as much this weekend as Brandi, who has never played chess at all and will be starting from scratch. I'm ready to break out my chess set (marble, and one of my prized possessions) and get to work.



* Speaking of Patrick and games, check out his new venture: Squid Games Studios. Patrick and I played games together a lot in our younger days - mainly video games, sure, but other types too. Solarquest is the board game that comes immediately to mind, and we also went through quite a period with the Star Wars Roleplaying Game (when it was published by West End Games as opposed to whatever company has taken it over and broken it in the meantime). I think the idea of Patrick designing new games is an awesome one. As a player, I'm sure he'll design games that are fun, and as an intellectual, I'm sure he'll design games that are challenging.

* For my own endeavors...I also requested from the library a book on Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop CS2 One-on-One. I've mentioned before that I have a basic knowledge of Photoshop, and just that basic knowledge lets me create some pretty cool stuff (click here for some examples) and have a lot of fun doing it. I know it can do a lot more, though, and I want to learn how. I want to do it mostly because I think it's fun, but I certainly wouldn't mind if I was able to perhaps go somewhere with it professionally. The Wood County library had to get the book from another library, but I hope it comes in today so I can start digging into it over the weekend.

* Once I tackle Photoshop a little bit, I think the next related hobby I'll dive into is digital photography. I'm fascinated by really good artistic photography, and it makes me want to take pictures like that myself. I do okay taking snapshots with my regular 5MP camera, which has a bunch of preset modes I play around with, but I would love to be able to adjust the settings myself and actually know what I was doing in order to achieve particular effects or whatever. If ever again I find myself with some discretionary income, a more powerful and sophisticated camera is pretty high on the wishlist.

Blockbuster

So, Mr. Krivsky...when I said I hoped you weren't done dealing to make the Reds better, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind.

For those who missed it, yesterday the Reds traded right fielder Austin Kearns, shortstop Felipe Lopez, and pitcher Ryan Wagner to the Washington Nationals for pitchers Gary Majewski, Bill Bray, and Daryl Thompson, shortstop Royce Clayton, and infielder Brendan Harris. This trade came as a complete shock to me when I found out about it yesterday afternoon, since the Reds were getting rid of two starters that played a key role in their success so far this season, as well as a young pitcher who has shown good potential. It was a big move, one that probably wouldn't have been made by Cincinnati in years past, under different general managers. Teams have been after Kearns in particular for years, and I always thought that it would take a big-name guy in return to finally pry him away from the Reds. I think that was what surprised me the most about this deal--the lack of any big names coming back to the Reds in return for a couple of key everyday players.

The more I think about this trade, though, the more I like it. It shows that the Reds, under new management, are making a serious push for the playoffs this year. They needed to upgrade the bullpen--a process they started with the acquisition of "Everyday" Eddie Guardado from Seattle--and Majewski and Bray will fit that bill. They also had issues with defense of the left side of the infield, and Clayton will be an improvement over Lopez in that regard, although he won't be quite as much of an asset offensively. This trade makes the team better. Sure, it'll totally change the offensive makeup of the team, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The lineup has definitely lost some power, but there are still plenty of guys in there capable of hitting the ball out of the yard. The problems the Reds have had offensively have been with getting clutch hits--when guys are on base, or when they're behind and need to start a rally--and it's hard to know how these changes will affect that until the lineup is set and these guys start playing together.

As far as the guys they're giving up, I'll say right off the top that I hate losing Kearns. I actually was in favor of trading him before the season started, when the Reds had a glut of outfielders, because he had struggled so much in recent years. But this year he was finally showing some of the potential everyone said he had, and was definitely one of the Reds' best all-around players. The other two I don't mind losing so much. Lopez is a defensive liability, and I was actually getting ready to advocate sitting him down anyway. Wagner is a bit of an unknown quantity--he showed great promise when he first came to the major leagues, but arm problems and recent struggles have left him as a question mark. He wasn't going to help the Reds this year, at any rate, so for the purposes of this trade, he was expendable.

With the league and division they're in, the Reds have primed themselves to make a run at the postseason. I still would like to see them try to swing a deal to upgrade their starting pitching, but the price may be prohibitive for someone who could actually help. Either way, this will make the second half of the season more interesting.

Catching Up

* So I've been building up items for this "notes" post in the several busy weeks since my last post, and I finally found the perfect time to sit down and actually write it (or at least get started). I found myself wide awake at 4:45 this morning, unable to go back to sleep. That's more than three hours before I normally wake up grudgingly, so I have no idea what's going on. I'm hoping I can catch at least a little bit more sleep before I have to go to work, but I'm not sure that's in the cards.

* Off the top, I want to give the e-finger to the Ohio BMV. I went into the license bureau here in BG recently, on one of the rare occasions when their limited hours permitted me to do so, to renew my vehicle registration. I was immediately confronted with a sign that informed me that they do not accept credit or debit cards. I, of course, never carry cash or a checkbook, so I was unable to conduct any business that day. What decade are we living in here? I have trouble viewing as legitimate any business or organization that doesn't maintain an updated Internet presence or accept credit cards. Of course, you can use a credit card to renew your registration if you do it online, but when I tried to do that I was informed that my address was invalidated because the BMV tried to send me some mail and it had been returned to them. Funny that I have gotten mail from them here in the past, and also that all my other mail seems to get through just fine.

* The fundamental things apply as time goes by. I still maintain that anyone who drives in the left-hand (passing) lane of the interstate for no apparent reason should face discipline from large men, bitter at the directions their lives have taken and armed with hammers. Why these morons insist on inhibiting the flow of traffic so pointlessly, I'll never understand.

* So my parents got a new dog about a month ago. She's a 7-month old yellow lab that my dad has named Jubal. No one told me about this--I got to find out on my own. I arrived home one day to find a dog bed in the living room, and dog food and water laid out in the kitchen. I then walked out into the backyard to discover Dad with the new addition to the family. She's really cool. She's very social and just wants to be around someone all the time. She's not very bright, but that's okay. Before it happened, I wasn't sure how I would feel about a new dog for a while, but I'm glad they got one. It's definitely fun to have her around. Brandi and I took her for a run at Duke Park in Troy while we were in town this weekend, and that was a lot of fun.

* A post that I recently began and then aborted included a note on how ecstatic I was that the Reds were playing so well as to be still in the race halfway through the season. Then they totally fell apart as the All-Star break approached, and while they're definitely still in the race, they've looked like a totally different team lately. They need some help. I was really pleased when they traded for "Everyday" Eddie Guardado, but hopefully Wayne Krivsky isn't done upgrading this team just yet. It would be great if they could make an addition to the starting staff. Of course, at this point I would be happy if manager Jerry Narron would just fix his lineup and stay with it for a few days in a row.

* Thus begins the end of my twenties. My 29th birthday was last week. I'm not entirely thrilled about being this old, but I suppose that doesn't really matter. I haven't really thought about it all that much, to be honest. Next year may be a different story. At any rate, as my birthday is on July 4, Brandi and I went to my parents' house for the annual cookout/family get-together. With all the wedding festivities that have been going on lately, I'm sure my family is getting pretty tired of seeing me. Don't worry, everybody--we can get back to our normal schedule now.

* I've been seriously out of my groove lately, in terms of reading and writing. I'll try to get back in here on a more regular basis. I'll also (hopefully) have some more interesting things to say. Anytime now.

Anything Else

I hate bitching about money, and I feel uncomfortable leaving my last post at the top of the page for any longer than absolutely necessary. So let's see what I can come up with to push it down the page.

* Fall is definitely my favorite season (due mostly to the beginning of football season), but spring is a good one as well. The weather isn't consistently warm just yet, but there have been some really nice days here and there. There's nowhere better in the world than Bowling Green in the spring. One night last week Brandi and I took a nice long walk out to Doyt Perry Stadium, where we sat and talked for a while in the bleachers before walking back home. Also, I've been able to eat lunch outside two days in a row.

* I met up with Brandi and some of her friends at BW3 on Wednesday night after they got out of class. It happened to be karaoke night, which is generally a good time and, being in a college town full of music majors, probably better than karaoke at most other places. However, at least the early portion of this week's event was largely taken over by a family with a number of children who were allowed to sing. It was not a good scene, for a number of reasons. Sure, the restaurant side is separate from the bar side, but BW3 the bar atmosphere permeates the place, and it's just weird and vaguely wrong for kids to be there. Also, none of them could sing at all (and believe me, I have experience with people who can't sing, being, unfortunately, one of them myself). That's not a big deal in and of itself, as there are always people at karaoke who can't sing, and that's part of the fun. Some of these kids, though, didn't even seem to know the songs they were singing, mostly just mumbling into the microphone. Beyond that, the songs they chose (or that were chosen for them) seemed mildly inappropriate for kids their age. For instance, one kid (probably around 8) took the male part of the song "Pictures" by Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow--which isn't the worst thing in the world, but it seemed a little strange to have a little kid sing the part of the guy with the drinking problem. On the bright side, we were only there for a little while, in which Brandi got to sing a couple of songs and absolutely brought the house down with one of them ("All That Jazz").

* Last week I had to give a presentation at work dealing with grammar and conventions for data entry. The idea was to cut down on the number of corrections I have to make, which create more work for the graphics department. I'm generally not very comfortable speaking in front of people (hence the reason I went into writing), so imagine my surprise when more people showed up for the meeting than I was expecting. I thought it went pretty well, though. I had prepared a detailed handout with all the topics I went over, including examples, and I basically just ran through that, making sure it was clear to everyone. There were a few questions throughout and at the end, and I left feeling like it had been a big help. Based on extremely early returns, though, not so much. Hopefully it'll get better as it has time to sink in and as I start to see more material created since the meeting took place.

* Most of our wedding invitations went out last weekend, with just a few still waiting for addresses. Included with each one was a pretty decent (I think so, anyway) map which was a real pain to create. Brandi and I spent most of our Friday night putting those together. Unlike the experience with my city tax return, the post office was extremely efficient in this case, as we're already starting to get RSVPs. While it shouldn't affect too many people on my side of the guest list, I'm a little concerned with how some people will react when they learn that children under 17 are not invited. I guess there has already been one freak-out in Brandi's family. In one respect, it would have been much easier if we could have included the kids, but due to limited space, that would have meant we would have left out other people. I just hope we can get through this part of the process with a minimum of hurt feelings.

* You know what drives me crazy? Animated advertisements that appear on top of a web page you're viewing, especially when the "Close" button (if there even is one) doesn't actually close the ad but just takes you to the site as if you had clicked on any other part of the ad. Whoever came up with this idea should be beaten severely and then set on fire.

* Seriously, the Reds traded Sean Casey for this? I've seen Dave Williams pitch twice now, and he has sucked out loud both times. It's such a disappointment to give up one of the team's best and most popular players in exchange for a pitcher who gets blown up whenever he takes the mound. I realize it was a cost-cutting move, as Williams makes $4-5 million less than Casey, but come on...you get what you pay for, right? If they didn't want to pay Casey (who was actually worth what he was making), they should have just released him as opposed to taking on this guy, who looks to be a liability rather than an asset. Hopefully they'll find someone else to take his next turn in the rotation.

Notes

* After being sick for over a week now, I finally feel like I'm starting to get on top of it. I'm not 100%, with some remaining sniffles, congestion, and coughing, but today is the first day since last Sunday that I've felt more or less "normal." It's about time, too, since I was beginning to seriously consider going to the doctor. That's a pretty big deal for me. I'm not one of these guys with a big fear of/aversion to doctors, but I'm not someone who goes for every little cough and cold, either. It just has to be something serious. I don't even have a doctor right now--I haven't been to one in a very long time, since before I moved to this area. The last doctor I went to (for one visit) has since retired, and the doctor I went to before that is now dead. That guy was my pediatrician. At any rate, it looks like I won't have to find one this time around, unless this stupid thing hangs around for a few more days. I would hate to go to the doctor for just a cold, especially one that's so clearly on the decline, but it really has been hanging in there for a while.

* Of course, being sick over the weekend meant that I had to miss all the St. Patrick's Day festivities, including a Neon Black show. I was pretty irritated about that. Their shows are an awesome time, and they only play here in BG once a month. Their next date here in town is Tax Day, April 15. I'll be there for that one, I don't care if I'm sick again. On the bright side, I did get to watch a little more of the NCAA basketball tournament than I would have otherwise, since I took Thursday and Friday off work. I thought my boss would be suspicious of that, but she wasn't, probably because I was obviously still sick when I went back in on Monday.

* I talked to my mom on Sunday afternoon, and I found out that she and my dad hosted a dog on an in-home recruiting visit last week. They ended up not taking this particular dog (a black lab who apparently spazzed out and didn't want anything to do with either one of them), but it's clear that they're looking. I have kind of mixed feelings about my parents getting a new dog. I realize, first of all, that I have no say in the matter, since I don't live there anymore and am lucky to make it home once a month, and I know that my dad especially would like to have a dog around since he's retired and spends a pretty fair amount of time at home by himself. It'll just be weird for me to have a dog there that isn't my dog the way Cupid was. Since Cupid was there for several years before I moved out as well as when I was home for extended periods of time for college breaks, she was as close to me as she was Mom and Dad. She was blissed out when I came home for weekends or whatever. For a new dog, I would just be a stranger to get used to--maybe one who's around a little more than others, but still not someone who "lives" there. Still, I love dogs, and it'll be great to have one around the house again, since I'm not yet in a position where I can have one of my own. And animals generally like me a lot (I've known several animals who have liked me better than their "masters," even on short acquaintance), so a new dog probably won't take very long to get to know me. I guess I really just wish I was around so I could help them pick one out.

* The BGSU men's basketball team has lost another player, with backup point guard Perrick "Moon" Robinson declaring that he will transfer to a school to be determined. I like Coach Dakich a lot, but it can't be denied that the team has lost a lot of players over the past few seasons, and the lack of continuity is taking its toll on the program. Moon isn't necessarily a great loss in and of himself, although he was a contributor and could have progressed even more, but it really hurts when guys are leaving year in and year out. Hopefully he's the only one we'll lose this offseason, and Coach Dakich will be able to effect a turnaround from this year's 9-21 record. If not, with Paul Krebs leaving for the University of New Mexico and a new Athletic Director on the horizon, it's likely that BG will be looking for a new coach next year at this time. I think BG will have a decent year next year, though. Coach Dakich's best teams are always the ones that have a lot of seniors, and there will be four next year (as opposed to just one this year). Whether or not it will be enough to earn him a contract extension remains to be seen, and whether or not it should be is up for debate.

* The Reds made a trade this week, sending outfielder Wily Mo Peña to Boston for right-handed starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo. This was GM Wayne Krivsky's first major trade for the Reds, and I confess myself disappointed. Peña is a young guy with a lot of potential. Sure, he strikes out a lot, but his power is prodigious. He hits the kind of home runs that people come to the park early to watch batting practice for. If the Reds were going to trade him, they should have gotten a #1 or at least a solid #2 starter for him, instead of a guy who went 14-10 last year (decent, but not great) and will probably end up as the #3 guy in the Reds' rotation, which isn't exactly strong. This move means that Adam Dunn will revert to left field (after moving to first base following the Sean Casey trade, which was even weaker and more disappointing than this one) and Scott Hatteberg will take over first base. It'll be interesting to see how things shake out for the Reds this season. Despite them getting rid of two of my favorite players, I'm excited for the start of the season--Opening Day is April 3 against the Cubs.

* I'm still planning a post on my first strip club visit. I haven't forgotten, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Look for it this weekend at the latest.

Two Sports Notes

* The sports media will spend the next week dropping to their collective knees in front of Kobe Bryant in celebration of his obscene 81-point game on Sunday night. Needless to say, I do not share in their enthusiasm. I think anyone scoring 81 points in one game is an utter abortion of sportsmanship. He took 46 shots to score those 81 points, and had only 2 assists. I was under the crazy impression that basketball was a team game, but the rest of the team combined only took 42 shots. If I had been one of Bryant's teammates, I would have stopped expending the energy running back down to the offensive end. Why bother? Obviously they weren't being included, and if the opposing team wasn't sending all five defenders at Bryant anyway, then they weren't paying attention.

This is one of the biggest reasons why the NBA can't hold college basketball's jock as far as I'm concerned. Win or lose, it's a total team effort, night in and night out. You rarely see one guy at the college level turn the spotlight on himself like that. Most guys are good about spreading the ball around and getting their teammates involved. Otherwise, the team isn't going to win. Sure, the NBA will give you more "wow" plays, due to the superior athleticism of the players (and let's be fair, NBA guys are probably the best athletes in the world), but college basketball is the way to go for fundamentals and actual five-on-five competition.

Granted, I'm a little biased because I don't like the Lakers or Bryant anyway (although I was pretty neutral toward him until he first showed his selfishness by forcing Shaquille O'Neal and Phil Jackson out of L.A.--I have a real problem with guys who think they're bigger than their team or sport; for further reference, see Manning, Eli), and I will give him credit for a) shooting a decent percentage, and b) the fact that his team won. I still think taking that many shots is inexcusable unless you're hitting on even a higher percentage than he was.

* Last week, ownership of the Cincinnati Reds changed hands, going from Carl Lindner to Bob Castellini. The new owner came in saying all the right things, promising to do everything it takes to bring championship baseball to Cincinnati. That sounds good, but I have to admit that I was skeptical after I heard that the payroll for this coming year would stay around where it was last year. The Reds annually have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, which means they have a hard time competing with teams with higher payrolls and more talented players. So it just sounded to me like "meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

Now, though, it looks like Castellini really is going to shake things up. Whether that leads to championships remains to be seen, but at least he isn't going to be satisfied with the status quo. On Monday he fired general manager Dan O'Brien, who had been with the club for two full seasons. He also expressed an interest in bringing former manager Lou Piniella back to town. Piniella declined to take a job with the Reds organization, saying he wanted to take a year away from baseball, but I wouldn't feel too secure if I was Reds' manager Jerry Narron. While Narron did a decent job after taking over last season (after Dave Miley was fired), the jury is still very much out on him. We'll see what he does starting from a clean slate. Personally, I would love for Piniella to come back to Cincinnati, and I doubt there would be too many Reds fans who would disagree with me. Sweet Lou was the manager of the Reds the last time they went to and won the World Series, all the way back in 1990.

The Reds will look to get a new general manager in place by the time spring training begins, which happens on February 16. It'll be interesting to see who they bring in. I just hope the new GM's first move is to trade pitcher Dave Williams to Pittsburgh for first baseman Sean Casey. That's not going to happen, so I guess I'm really just saying that it would have been nice if O'Brien could have been fired before he traded Casey away in the first place.

Good Things, Bad Things

Yesterday was shaping up to be an awesome day. At work, I had a good review and received a raise, and beyond that I had a busy day and the time went pretty quickly. When I got home, I found that my iPod had indeed arrived, at long last. I opened it up and plugged it into the laptop so it could update, and then I went to the gym. I had a good workout and then came back home, and that's when things came back down to Earth.

First off, my iPod still won't work. It's been sent out for repair twice, and I've been without it for nearly two full months. It's doing exactly the same thing it's been doing the whole time--I plug it in, and iTunes says it's updating, but when it says it's finished, there are no songs on the iPod. I'm totally pissed off at this point. I think Brandi is going to take it back to the store this time, since she's the one who actually bought it and paid extra for the extended protection plan. If they won't replace the iPod, she's going to try to get back the money she spent on the protection plan. Then we can send it back to Apple (since it's still under the basic one-year warranty as well) and have done with it. That has turned out to be a much better option: Brandi had some trouble with her iPod recently, and so contacted Apple. They sent her a box in which to ship it back to them, and within three days they sent her a brand-new iPod. That's a lot more satisfactory than the crap I've been going through with this thing.

So while I was waiting for my iPod to not update, I was doing some casual web surfing and learned that the Cincinnati Reds traded first baseman Sean Casey to Pittsburgh for left-handed pitcher Dave Williams. Now, granted, the Reds need pitching help badly. I'm just not sure that trading one of their best and most popular players for a pitcher with a losing record and a history of arm problems was the best move they could have made. Who the hell is Dave Williams? Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa was quoted as saying he's the best left-handed pitcher in the league, but I don't buy it. If so, why the losing record? And why weren't the Cardinals trying to get this guy? I think the Reds could have gotten something better in return if they absolutely had their heart set on trading Casey, which they probably did. It will allow them to clear up their crowded outfield situation by moving Adam Dunn to first base full-time and allowing Austin Kearns and Wily Mo Peña to start in right and left field, respectively. Still, I think the situation would have been better solved by trading Kearns, who reportedly has a ton of potential but has shown next to none of it in his Major League career thus far. That potential, though, means that they likely could have gotten more for him than they could have and did for Casey. I think that would been the better option because Casey is just a more valuable player for the Reds, both on and off the field. I'm upset because Casey is one of my favorite players and I hate to see him move on, especially since the Reds got so little in return. I'm ready to give the new guy a chance, and hopefully he'll turn out to be a great addition. He'll have to be pretty phenomenal, though, to come close to equalling the contributions that Casey made to the club.

More Notes

First and foremost, the cable is fixed, at least temporarily. Apparently the problem arose from the fact that they're currently re-wiring the building in which I live. Personally, I think it might have been nice for them to inform the residents that issues may be forthcoming, but I've never pretended to be an expert on customer service. At any rate, Brandi got off work early on Wednesday, and she finally managed to get someone out here to look at and fix our problem. It may or may not recur as the re-wiring project continues, but we'll hope for the best. I'm most hopeful that our refound connectivity will allow things to return to normal here at the Yawp.

This past Wednesday was Brandi's 24th birthday. Happy birthday, sweetheart!

So after my rant about the Reds the other day, they really shook things up, firing their manager (Dave Miley) and pitching coach (Don Gullett). They're 3-0 since the move, which I have some mixed feelings about. I wanted to like Miley, but I wasn't impressed by his managerial style. Still, most "baseball people" have a lot of respect for him. It's the same with Gullett. He was known as one of the best pitching coaches in the game, yet the Reds haven't had decent starting pitching for a long time. Some of that comes from the players that upper management signed to be on his staff, but it just didn't seem like they developed. Anyway, I'm interested to see where the Reds go from here. It's too late for there to be any real hope for this season, so it'll be interesting to see what sort of moves they make in preparation for next year.

Last Friday I started re-reading The Stand by Stephen King. I had resolved that I wasn't going to start anything else until I finished The Dark Tower and Revenge of the Sith, but I picked up my well-worn paperback copy in a moment of weakness. I'm glad I did. The Stand is perhaps my favorite book of all-time, but I hadn't read it for a while. I had, however, watched the DVD of the barely acceptable made-for-TV miniseries/movie several times in the meantime. As such, I had forgotten many of the nuances and subtleties of the book. The movie is around six hours long, but that is still not enough time to include enough to make it a worthy adaptation. The characters are little more than one-dimensional shadows of their literary counterparts. I still enjoy it, but reading the book is a much richer and more fulfilling experience.

I'm still working my way through The Dark Tower, even while I read The Stand. It occurred to me while I was reading recently what an interesting time this is for me. I recently saw for the first time Revenge of the Sith, which is (ostensibly, at least) the final Star Wars film. Star Wars has always been a part of my life. I'll shortly be finishing The Dark Tower, concluding a series of novels that I first picked up when I was about twelve, nearly sixteen years ago. I think it will be strange to be without the feelings of anticipation for the continuation of these stories that I've grown up with and which have been such a large part of my life and have played such a major role in shaping the person I've become. I will miss it. The Star Wars story will continue to expand, of course, through novels, television series, etc., although it won't be nearly the same experience as attending the films in theaters. The Dark Tower series, though... not only will it not continue, but I'm not entirely sure that Mr. King is going to continue to publish at all now that he has finished his epic. I suppose I'll have to find new obsessions.

Speaking of Revenge of the Sith, I went out for my fifth viewing earlier this evening (late Friday night, this was). It's still good stuff. I'm picking out a lot of parallels with the original trilogy, and I'm digging it a lot more with each viewing.

When I came out of the theater, the moon, just beginning to wane, was a deep shade of orange. How cool is that? It was a beautiful night overall. I kept the windows rolled down for the drive home, with my left arm stuck out into the warm night wind, singing along with the tunes at the top of my lungs. Summer is here, and isn't it grand?

Fortnight

Some things that have crossed my mind over the course of the fourteen days since my last real post:

More Internet woes have cropped up. I've found a temporary fix, but it's highly inconvenient--whenever I want to use the Internet, I have to unhook the cable that runs into the splitter that provides a signal to my televisions and to my modem, and plug that cable directly into the back of the modem. Therefore, the cable Internet and cable television do not work at the same time. It's not a huge deal, but it's highly irritating, since they're supposed to work at the same time. That's the main selling point, right? Switching the cables out all the time is a huge pain in the ass. Unfortunately, Time Warner Cable runs an ass-backwards customer service department. The local office is only open while I'm at work, and even if you call the local number during those hours, you're directed to a non-local call center. They only offer service appointments during the time I'm at work. I've been able to talk the local office into bending that, but I obviously can't do that if I can't talk to them. So I'm not sure how I'm going to solve my problem, short of firebombing the local office and finding an alternative ISP. Unfortunately, we don't have a phone line here at the apartment, so switching to DSL isn't a viable option (and I'd shoot myself if I had to return to the stone ages of dial-up connectivity). The only real option is just to get it up and running regularly again, as soon as I can find a way to get their freakin' attention.

At times in the past, the lack of a reliable Internet connection would have been little more than a minor inconvenience. Those days are past. I now depend on the Internet to manage my finances and pay my bills. It's also my connection to the rest of the world, as my means of communicating and having news delivered. Sure, in the absence of Internet, I could use my (cellular) phone to call friends and family, but I don't. More importantly, they, having no way of knowing my Internet connection is down, generally won't do the same. For instance, during a rare period of connectivity the other day, I received a message with the subject line "New Phone Number." Now, had I not gotten that e-mail, and tried to call that particular friend, guess what. I would have been unable to reach her, because I wouldn't have had her new number. She, of course, didn't think to call me to tell me her new number, because I have the Internet. Right? I mean, this is the 21st century. Everyone has the Internet.

Really, it's gotten to the point where an Internet connection is only slightly less vital than electricity. It just has to be there. For customer service to be so spotty for an important service such as this shows a concentrated lack of intelligence and concern on the part of Time Warner.

Unfortunately, my Internet problems are not the only technological issues I've been faced with recently. About a week and a half ago, my car's "check engine" light came on as I was on my way to the gym after work. I stopped to have it looked at, and was told they would need me to leave it with them so they could test the engine while it was cold. I managed to drop it off and leave it the next day while I was at work (which turned into an experience unto itself). Luckily, they were able to find a problem and take care of it for a relatively reasonable price. Not so luckily, I was told when I went to pick it up that the car would have a "low idle" for a while as the engine grew accustomed to its new circumstances.

Apparently, a "low idle" means that the car will have trouble starting, and then will threaten to stall anytime I take my foot off the accelerator for any reason. I've gotten used to braking with my left foot since then, because stalling at intersections and while turning corners makes for a less than optimal situation. I've been pondering exactly how long I should give the engine to recover before I return the car to the shop for further investigations. Fortunately, it started acting a little more normal this afternoon.

Still, trouble with my car's engine gives me cause for concern. The car itself isn't that old--it's a 2000 model--but I've driven it a lot. It has about 117,000 miles on it right now. I take decent care of it--oil changes every 3,000 miles and all that--but still, that's not a low number of miles. If something catastrophic happens anytime soon, it's going to mean real trouble for me. I have been looking around at information on different types of vehicles, though, so that when the time comes I'll be at least mildly prepared. If my beloved Neon can keep itself together for just a few more months, I should be on a more solid financial footing to purchase a new car.

I definitely need to get my car into decent working order before I try to trade it in, but I also need to get it to a point where it's reliable for my own use. My favorite time of year, football season (and, more specificially, high school football season) is inching its way closer each day, and I'll be spending a fair amount of time on the road each weekend. Sure, summer doesn't even start until tomorrow, but the season begins just shortly over two months from now.

I was all set to get a high school football fix a couple of weekends ago. There was an alumni game between my own Troy Trojans and the hated Piqua Indians the first weekend of June. I was all set to go, and I was really looking forward to seeing some of the guys from the past step onto the field once again. It was flag football, of course, instead of full contact, but it still would have been a lot of fun. Most notably, it would have been another chance to see Ryan Brewer play. Brewer was the best high school football player I've ever seen (and I've seen quite a few), winning Ohio's Mr. Football award his senior year (playing the entire season with a broken hand, I might add) and going on to play at the University of South Carolina. He was always electrifying to watch, and he's probably the main reason I'm as big of a football fan as I am today.

At any rate, we didn't make it to the game. Brandi had her heart set on going out with her friends Cricket and Adam, so I acquiesced and stayed here in town. They plan on trying to make this alumni contest an annual thing, so hopefully I'll get a chance to attend in the future. Oh, and the Trojans won, and that's always a good thing.

As much as I love the Reds, lately they've been almost physically painful to watch. What the hell is going on down there? This team has some good players, and they shouldn't be this bad. They're just wildly inconsistent. It's almost easier to watch a game when they get behind early, so I can cling to the hope that they can come back. If they get ahead early, I have to sit there and get really frustrated as they find ways to let the other team get back into it. All hopes for doing anything important this season are gone, but it would be nice if they could at least find their way into mediocrity. Watching them suck this bad is too much to take. Still, Brandi and I have tickets to attend a game in Cincinnati during the July 4th weekend, and I'm looking forward to it. Good team or bad, there are few things as nice as a day at the ballpark.

We had a picnic today at work. Well, it wasn't really a picnic, because we didn't eat outside, but the company president and controller brought in some ribs and chicken for everyone, and they even paid us through our lunch break. That was nice. I have to give the company credit for doing nice stuff like this for employees every now and then and really trying to make it a friendly place to work. I ended up sitting with my boss, the company president, the controller, and the HR manager. I'm not sure how that happened, but it was a nice time, and the food was awesome.

It's Been a While

It's been quite some time since I've posted a column of notes, but I think I've finally worked up enough stray thoughts to pound one out.

Even with all the excitement over Revenge of the Sith, I haven't lost sight of the fact that there are plenty of other movies coming out this summer. I'm really looking forward to War of the Worlds, and I'm becoming more and more intrigued by Batman Begins. Recent trailers I've seen have piqued at least some interest in Fantastic Four and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I'm also looking forward to the latest Mike Judge project, 3001, which is supposed to come out in August. There's also some mild interest in Madagascar, The Wedding Crashers, and The Longest Yard. I know I won't get around to seeing all of these in theaters, but I'll probably catch most of them at some point.

Here's a preliminary order I've worked out for Star Wars novels I want to read after I finish Revenge of the Sith. First comes The Unifying Force, which is the final New Jedi Order novel. Then comes Survivor's Quest, which is the novel that follows the NJO series (I think), and is written by Timothy Zahn, who writes incredible Star Wars novels. After that will be Labyrinth of Evil, which is the book that leads directly into the events of Episode III. Once I finish that one, I'll have to sit down and figure out what else is out there. I know there are plenty, but right now I'm so far behind that I don't even know of all of them. The one I'm really looking forward to is Outbound Flight, which is another Zahn novel. The story of it was mentioned briefly in his Thrawn trilogy, which was the first series of books to begin expanding the Star Wars universe.

Before I get too deeply into the Star Wars novels, I want to finish up a couple of other books I've been working on for quite some time. I'm nearly finished with War and Remembrance, but I still have a ways to go on The Dark Tower. That one has sort of gone on hiatus, but I want to get back into it and finish it up in the near future.

I do intend to eventually stop talking about Star Wars quite so much. Right now I'm geeking out and loving every minute of it, so you'll just have to deal for a little bit longer.

Brandi and I watched Pulp Fiction on DVD earlier this evening. Brandi bought it for me for Christmas, and we hadn't gotten around to watching it yet. She hadn't seen it before at all, actually. It's one of my favorite movies of all time, but I don't think she liked it very much. When I think back, though, I don't think I liked it all that much the first time I saw it, either. It's a movie that requires a little bit of thought. Maybe she'll come around; maybe not.

For some unknown reason, the person in charge of the satellite radio at my office has made the change from our usual classic rock station to an eighties station. I like the classic rock, but it has definitely made for a nice change. Eighties tunes are the tunes I grew up on, so it has definitely been bringing back some memories. Strangely enough, the memories it has brought back most strongly have been of being in a bowling league with my cousin Rachel when I was younger. We were at the bowling alley every weekend, and most of these tunes were playing on the jukebox. Good stuff.

It's been an interesting week at work. I've gotten quite backed up, owing to a 28-page flyer that was given to me for proofreading late last week. While I went through that, other stuff has been building up. Today, someone finally got around to telling me that we're doing two 48-page catalogs this month, in addition to the 28-pager and some other various projects. It's our wonderful communication system in action once again. I also have to invest some time in my graphics responsibilities, as the other guy who does it has gotten quite backed up with his other responsibilities. I'm finding that I don't mind at all. I'm keeping very busy this way, and it makes the time pass by so much more quickly. I just wish that they would keep me advised on how much work is coming my way--it makes it so much easier to prioritize and make sure everything gets done on time.

The Reds have made some roster moves this week, parting ways with second baseman D'Angelo Jiminez and relief pitcher Danny Graves. They've been doing well since then, having won the last three games and sweeping a series with the Washington Nationals. I was a little surprised by the movies, but overall pretty pleased. Jiminez had been playing poorly all season, and hopefully this will give Ryan Freel a chance to play every day. I was more surprised they let go of Graves. He wasn't doing a very good job in the closer's role, but I just figured he'd be given a different role in the bullpen until he got himself back on track. He didn't endear himself to anyone by giving grief to the fans over the past couple of weeks, though, so it's probably better for all concerned that he's gone. It looks like the closer's role has been given to David Weathers, but I would like to see Ryan Wagner get a shot at it. Still, as long as they keep playing well and getting wins, I'm not going to complain much.

Just a Few Notes

Forget about Groundhog Day. The surest sign that spring is on the way is the opening of baseball's spring training, which happened earlier this week. In today's Dayton Daily News, I got my first dose of news from the Reds camp. I'm pretty stoked about the opening of the season. Although football and basketball have surpassed it, baseball was the first sport I really enjoyed, and the Reds were the first sports team I followed with any real interest.

The Reds have made some decent acquisitions this offseason, so I'm really looking forward to the coming season and hoping they can compete in the National League Central Division. It'll be interesting to see how the outfield situation will play out, if Ken Griffey Jr. can stay healthy. With him, Adam Dunn, Wily Mo Peña, and Austin Kearns, there are four potentially great starters for three spots. One way or another, I hope they find a way to get Peña plenty of at-bats. He's going to be incredible. I believe Reds tickets go on sale this Saturday, so I'll have to hop online and get some.

Last weekend I heard the new Rob Thomas single, "Lonely No More," for the first time. I think I like it, but it'll probably take a few more listens before I'm totally sure. It's a pretty different sound from what he's done with Matchbox Twenty. Maybe it's more a matter of just getting used to it than making sure I like it. I don't know why he's embarked on a solo career, but I hope it doesn't mean the end of the band. At their best, they had a dark sound that I liked a whole lot.

Speaking of music, how brainless are people who listen to Top-40 radio? The station that's constantly playing in our office at work (which I have no control over, just for the record), at the end of each hour, plays "the hour's most-requested song." Either they lie about that or the people who listen have no imagination, because the songs that are played are the same damned songs that are played about ten other times throughout the course of the day. It's been a really, really long time since I've called a radio station to request a song, but if I was ever going to do it again, I would request something I hadn't heard for a while. I would not request something I could hear at least once an hour without any effort.

It seems like I always have more things I intend to put into these "notes" posts, but I can never remember all of them when the time finally comes to make the post. I need to start carrying a notepad or something.

Emptying the Holiday Notebook

A few things that have thus far escaped the attention of my blog over the past few days...

My blogging schedule, and indeed my internet usage in general, has been knocked for a loop over the past week or so by the fact that Brandi's laptop is currently down for the count. In order to get online, I now have to sequester myself in the computer room, whereas I had grown accustomed to doing it in the living room, on the couch, in front of the television. I'm fairly proficient with computers, but her laptop is broken beyond my ability to fix. Of course, it doesn't help that Dell doesn't include a copy of the operating system CD when it sends out a computer, so any repair work would technically require the unit to be sent back to them. I'm hoping one of my friends can do something with it, though.

My blogging habits have been bad, but my e-mail habits have been worse. I have to sit down sometime exceptionally soon and pound out some messages to people who have been waiting on them for longer than they should have to. I don't know why I've gotten so bad about this, but I feel terrible about it. I hope it's a temporary thing.

I had a brush with fame yesterday. Actress Katie Holmes is originally from Toledo, and she works out at the same gym that I do (and where Brandi works) when she's in town. She was in there yesterday when I was. I must say, she's rather average-looking when seen in person--I almost didn't even recognize her. Still, it's not every day that you see a famous person, so I thought it merited a mention.

I meant to write about this at the time, but I didn't get a chance to. Last Wednesday I watched the Bowling Green Falcons football team beat the Memphis Tigers in the GMAC Bowl. This is the second straight year that the Falcons have earned a bowl bid and a bowl victory, after beating Northwestern in last year's Motor City Bowl. Considering the sad state the program was in when I first started coming to games here, that's pretty significant. I never thought then that I would see the level of success this team has come to enjoy. It certainly has been fun to watch. Now we turn our attention to next year. There will be holes to fill, as the team will suffer the loss of such leaders and players as Cole Magner, Keon Newson, and Jovon Burkes. However, there's also a lot coming back, most notably MAC Offensive Player of the Year Omar Jacobs at quarterback, and his primary targets in Chuck Sharon and Steve Sanders. The defense needs some work, but the offense is in good hands.

I was incredibly glad to hear the news that the Reds have signed pitcher Eric Milton to a 3-year contract. He's a very good left-handed starter, and starting pitching has been a weakness for the Reds for some time. It's been a while since the Reds made a move in the offseason that made me feel like they were serious about winning. They actually spent some money on this guy, which I think is a great sign. They've also plugged the hole at third base, signing Joe Randa to play there. He may not be a superstar, but he'll be solid there. I'm starting to get excited about this team. They've definitely got some offense, and the pitching looks to be coming together. They just may be able to make a run in the dysfunctional National League Central.

On the topic of professional sports, the Cincinnati Bengals have a decent chance of finishing 8-8 for the second season in a row. They play Philadelphia this weekend, but the Eagles likely won't play their starters for any length of time so as to keep them healthy for the playoffs. Given the Bengals' recent history, two consecutive non-losing seasons signifies good progress. Now it's time to step it up to the next level. There are a lot of pieces in place. Carson Palmer has a full year at quarterback under his belt, and he needs to continue to progress. Rudi Johnson, Chad Johnson, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are all offensive playmakers, and Peter Warrick should be healthy next season as well. The defense still needs some help, but the secondary has shown some promise. I hope the Bengals follow the Reds' lead of making some good moves in the coming offseason, and I'm hopeful that they can make a run at the playoffs next year.

At some point this week I really need to get the oil changed in my car. I was hoping to do it on a relatively warm day so I could get my car washed at the same time and without the water freezing my doors shut. Today was supposed to be a day like that, but the forecast has changed. Tomorrow may be a better option, as it's supposed to be in the 40s all day.

Speaking of my car, I'll soon be breaking the 110,000-mile barrier in terms of mileage. That'll probably happen tomorrow, in fact. I really, really need to start making some sort of preparation for getting a new car sometime in the not-too-distant future. My beloved Neon has been performing like a champion lately, but with that many miles, you just never know when something is going to go catastrophically wrong.

Purging the Notebook

I don't know what was going on today, but all of the fast food restaurants were packed during my lunch break. I didn't even get food until 12:30, at which point my break was halfway over and I had approximately twenty minutes to eat if I wanted to be back at the office on time. I'm a notoriously slow eater, and that's not a lot of time for me.

I'm going to try tonight to catch some of the vice-presidential debate. This one may turn out to be more even, since Mr. Cheney seems to be a little higher on the food chain, intellectually, than his boss, but I really hope that John Edwards disassembles him the same way that Kerry did Bush. It occurs to me that Dick Cheney reminds me a lot of my high school biology teacher, who in turn always reminded me of the prototypical mad scientist.

I caught a little bit of Real Time With Bill Maher last night on HBO. I like Maher--his Politically Incorrect show on ABC was brilliant before it went off the air--but I must admit the main reason I tuned in was because George Carlin was one of his guests. I love George Carlin. Sure, he's a comedian, but he's a sharp guy. I didn't get to watch very much of the show, but one of the topics they talked about was the ludicrous role that religion plays in American politics. I was pretty interested, so I recorded a later showing of the same program so I can watch it tonight.

I would love a nap right now, followed by a grilled cheese sandwich.

Baseball's regular season is now done, as, perhaps, is Barry Larkin's career in Cincinnati. That's very sad if it turns out to be the case. After playing for so many years with the Reds, under no circumstances should he have to finish his career elsewhere. If he wants to play again, I say GM Dan O'Brien should sign him up. It's not like there's another clear choice to play shortstop next year, unless they're going to bring someone in from outside the organization. Given the Reds' history, I'd say that's unlikely.

I wish Reds' owner Carl Lindner would invest some money into putting a good team in the new ballpark in Cincinnati. His vast wealth indicates that he has some business sense in his other ventures; I don't see why he lets this particular investment languish the way it has for the past several years. Cincinnati is a good baseball town. If Mr. Lindner would lay out some money to bring in a couple of good players to surround the quality core the Reds already have, the team would be able to compete, and he would be rewarded with a packed stadium (hence a much larger revenue stream). I'm not a big fan of George Steinbrenner's mercenary tactics of fielding an entire team of carpetbaggers, but getting some help for the guys we have only makes sense. It's the only way the Reds are ever going to compete.

Speaking of baseball, the playoffs start today. I don't really care about any of the teams involved (and in fact actively dislike most of them), but I'll probably watch anyway. I can't help it. I was a baseball fan first on my road to becoming the sports fanatic you now see before you, and I love the postseason no matter who is involved. I'd really like to see St. Louis and Anaheim make it to the World Series most of all, although I must say that seeing Boston win it all(although I don't like the Red Sox) would be pretty cool.

I took a lot of pleasure in watching Ohio State lose to Northwestern this weekend. I still try to like Ohio State, but I fail most of the time. Maybe that will change next year when Troy's Todd Denlinger plays for them.

I watched some pretty interesting television on Sunday evening. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I caught Desperate Housewives (I was at a friend's place) and found it to be quirky and amusing. I'm not promising that I won't watch it again. I also watched an episode of The X-Files. I've only seen a couple of episodes of that show, and it's probably a good thing. I could easily see myself being hooked. However, I missed Listen Up last night, for the second week in a row. I haven't seen it since the series premiere. That makes me sad, because I really hope the show does well. All in all, though, I really can't be too disappointed in my inability to watch television.