Reds Hot Stove on WLW

I’m not suggesting that anyone call in tonight at 6 P.M. and bitch about the Willy signing or quote reliable data that shows that he is a Patterson-esque player, but if you have some constructive criticism for the Reds….

Local (513) 749-7000

Out of Town (800) The Big 1, (800) 843-2441

and all-knowing Jeff Brantley (the guy who said EdE wasn’t clutch) will be on with Mo Egger

No MLB-N For Insight Customers

Shysterball had a posting a few days ago about how Insight Communications customers will not be getting the new Major League Baseball Network that launches January 1.

Hopefully this won’t mean missing out on big games during the season.

Since I don’t have regular access to the NFL Network, I really don’t have much to compare it to but I would love to see what the MLB-N has to offer, especially since our boy Barry Larkin will be a game or studio analyst.

While Baseball Tonight is clearly ESPN’s best show, it trends toward the bigger market clubs and I was hoping to get some non-Yankee/Red Sox/Cubs/Mets news from a new source.

It will be interesting to see what happens when Fox ends their contract for Saturday afternoon baseball, the All-Star Game,  and World Series games in 2013.  I say they need to give those games/events to NBC so that Al Michels can work his magic instead of the insufferable Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

So this Taveras thing..

I have been taking a few sick days over the past week or so so please forgive the tardiness of the post.

I’m not at all excited about this acqusition after looking at Justin’s numbers.  I can’t wait for Marty and Jeff to hammer home the fact that Willy is a hustler, and works hard at…uh…bunting.

Please tell me that something bigger is on the way.  Please tell me that Bob C. has a big splash up his sleeve since he is such a dedicated Reds fan.

Since they clearly aren’t going after Adam Dunn, may I suggest Manny Ramirez?  His stock seems to be headed in a negative direction ever since the signing of Mark Teixeria.

Someone call up the Hot Stove Report radio show and give Marty crap about Willy’s .308 OBP last season.  And then have Marty blow another gasket telling listeners that numbers don’t matter and how Willy will be a “run-producer” or how “he’s paid to get on-base”.

Blah.

Mr. Patterson Goes to Washington

Oh boy.

From MLBTradeRumors.com

According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, the Nationals signed Corey Patterson and Jorge Sosa to minor league deals.  Patterson gets $800K, while Sosa gets $850K.

Patterson, 29, was awful this year with a .205/.238/.344 line in 392 plate appearances.  He was above average defensively though.  The Nationals were an odd choice for him given their crowded outfield.

Mr. Leatherpants really does have a fetish with former Reds.

Remember.  The Reds paid him $3MM last season.

Winter Caravan Stop in Louisville

Greg Galiette, assistant GM and Director of Marketing for the Louisville Bats, just announced that the Reds Winter Caravan stop in Louisville will be at Louisville Slugger Field (not the Museum and Factory) on Thursday January 22nd starting at 4:30 PM.

Another RedsFest Note

Just a final note to wrap-up RedsFest and the weekend.

I talked to Joe Zerhusen, the PA announcer at GABP and Reds on Radio affiliatte manager, face to face on Saturday at the Duke Energy Center.

He was a very nice man and told me that he had recieved my letter about the problems we’ve been having in Louisville over the broadcast here the past few seasons.

Zerhusen told me that it really is a matter of not having an alternative station to the only sports station in town (WKRD) to use as an affiliate here in Louisville.  For now, Reds broadcasts will be on 1450 AM, which drops significantly at night right around the 8PM hour.

He acknowldeged the problem and said that he would even consider making the trek down to Louisville in order to check on the signal at night at different parts around town in hopes of improving the situation.

I really want to thank him for his sincerity and helpfulness during this whole ordeal and he really is trying to do his best to remedy the situation.

Hopefully something can be resovled soon and they can have an announcement during the winter caravan tour to Louisville in late January.

RedsFest Wrap

After attending my first RedsFest on Saturday, I came home very impressed.

RedsFest is a very professional operation that ran smoothly.  From the autograph and photo booths to the memorabilia show, and the main stage events, everything was very well put together, each of the different aspects of the event kept me at the Duke Energy Center far longer than I originally thought I would would be there.

If you were at the “Hot Stove Report” with Dusty, Jocketty, and some of the front office staff, I was the one who asked the question about statistics and how the Reds use them in evaluating players.  The moderator holding the microphone didn’t know what sabermetrics was.

My question was: “Most major league teams are now dedicating specific departments for statistical analysis, how are the Reds using sabermetrics and statistical analysis now, and in the future?”  Jocketty and the rest of the brain trust gave a pretty standard answer of “Good scouting [ie. more eyeballs on a player the better] is primary and stats are used as back-up”.  He also noted that there is a lot you can do with statistics, and with comptuers holding so much information, it should be used in conjunction with scouting.

I guess I was looking for something more like the Mariners are now doing under their new GM, but I guess Jocketty is too old school for such newfangled technology and forward thinking.

I didn’t get anything signed since I didn’t have season tickets (they had a season ticket holder only line) nor was I a kid (they also had a ‘kids only’ line) and I didn’t want to stand in line for an hour in the other lines to have someone sign a ball.  It almost felt like watching the line for Santa Claus on “A Christmas Story”.  The players only sign for an hour and there is no guarantee that you get your one item signed.  Hopefully someone cool comes to our Reds Winter Caravan stop in January.

The “kids only press conference” was a riot and “Reds Idol” was pretty good as well.  Brandon Phillips is goofy. Chris Dickerson is a cool cat.

There were also a lot of former Reds. Eric Davis, Lee May, George Foster, Jack Billingham were in attendance.  New Red Ramon Hernandez (acquired from Baltimore for Ryan Freel) also showed up and introduced himself to the crowd.

The only “personality” I saw at the event other than Marty, Jeff B., Chris Welch, and George Grande was C. Trent Rosecrans. He had a dry erase board with “C. Trent Rosecrans Live-Blogging”.  It was quite funny.

All-in-all, RedsFest was definitely worth the short drive from Louisville on a rather dreary Saturday morning and made me only slightly less depressed about the upcoming season.  I would definitely go back next year.

Off To Reds Fest

Today I head up to the ‘Nati and the Duke Energy Center for my first Reds Fest.

Hopefully I’ll have some photos to share later on when I return.

Nuxy Snubbed by Hall Again

Tony Kubeck, MLB on NBC announcer and former Yankee wins the Ford C. Frick award and is offically inducted into the broadcasters wing of the Hall of Fame.

I don’t understand how Nuxhall doesn’t fit into the criteria for winning this award.

Voters were asked to base selections on a broadcaster’s longevity

37 years

continuity with a club

Always with the Reds

honors including national assignments such as the World Series and All-Star Games

Maybe this is his weakness?

and popularity with fans.

Definitely.

Freel-Hernandez Deal Almost Done

Ryan Freel will be sent to Baltimore for catcher Ramon Hernandez plus potentially $1MIL.

John Fay said just a few moments ago on Lance McAlister’s show on 1530 Homer that the deal is on Bud Selig’s desk.

This makes sense.  It gives the Reds a back-up for Ryan Hanigan and gives Freel a chance to play more often than he would in Cincinnati.

Do the Reds need a third catcher?