Lil Red Machine

Starters

Johnny Cueto: Has been in a tailspin lately. He started off looking like a very likely all star candidate. His numbers at the break are still good–8-6/3.62 ERA, but he has looked like a fatigued pitcher lately. Mechanically, he’s falling off towards 1st base when he releases the ball. Also, he’s been doing more throwing as opposed to pitching. I think in the end, he’ll be alright, as he’s too talented to continue to pitch as poorly as he has been the past month
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C-Ramon Hernandez-Ramon has a very nice start to the season, faded badly, and then bounced back somewhat to close off the first half. Really, to get .253/5 home runs/36 RBI out of the catcher spot isn’t the end of the world. Him and Ryan Hanigan make a nice tandem. I’d take that duo over a lot of the ones in the NL.
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I’m a little late commenting on this. Been on vacation. However, the Cavaliers certainly haven’t been. The Cavaliers added a major piece to the puzzle by acquiring future hall of famer Shaquille O’Neal last week. How much does Shaq have left in the tank, how will he fit with LeBron James, and can he stay healthy?
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No Pirates or Nationals to feast on this month. The Reds have their work cut out for them. Starting Friday, the Reds host St. Louis, a team whom they are competing with at the top of the NL Central standings. Read more »

The Reds play in a division in which is up for grabs. No team is dominant. As the trade deadline approaches, the Reds have to ask themselves if they have a team capable of making a push in this division. As currently constructed, the Reds are pretty average. They have a way of doing things such as winning 3 out of 4 (or something similar). Once you think they can get on a roll, they come right back down to earth again.
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Here are the likely candidates, as of this point:

2b Brandon Phillips: He is having a very nice season. Chase Utley has the starting spot on lockdown, as he is clearly the best second baseman in the NL, which is reflected in fan voting. As of June 17th, Phillips is batting .282 with 10 homers and 43 RBI’s. He’s had his ups and downs this season, but has been the leader of the offense in the absence of Joey Votto. What I like is that .351 OBP. Noone will ever mistake Phillips for being a selective hitter, but all of last season (141 games), he had 39 walks. In 57 this year, he has 23.
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Some people don’t really like the “hey, it could be worse” scenarios, because it can glorify a current state of mediocrity, and doesn’t offer a solution to change the current problem..

With that said, hey, it could be worse.
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Anytime you put together a 66-win season together, and the end result is NOT a championship, there are a multitude of reasons to be disappointed. However, I’m going to attempt to put it all into perspective. To lose Saturday night was a tremendous disappointment. I emotionally invested myself into this team, rode the highs, survived the disappointments of the team being ravaged by injuries, and overall, I enjoyed watching the team come together. Read more »

Is this a real rivalry? Not really. From first hand experience, having attended this matchup at both parks at various times over the years, it’s nothing more than a geographic rivalry. I think most fans consider the other team to be their favorite in the other league. I know I do. The Indians are an easy team to root for. Read more »

Hedo Turkoglu did his part to put a serious damper on the Cavaliers’ season, but in the end, in a video highlight that will be show for decades to come, he played the part of Craig Ehlo as LeBron James buried a 25-foot dagger over the turkish star that Cleveland fans will forever remember.
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