Just had a few not-so-random thoughts and questions for a Friday afternoon…
–I didn’t get to watch or listen to yesterday’s thriller (had to be in court, you know), but … what a satisfying win that was. Wednesday morning, it felt like the Reds were on the brink of just collapsing. They were playing poorly, losing games they could’ve won, making mental mistakes again. Then, just as quickly, they pull off another mini-miracle.
–Dusty Baker is infuriating, but he deserves a share of the credit for the fact that this team continues to bounce back when things get tough.
–I’ve had a blast watching this team over the last month and a half. It’s been a long time since the Reds were actually fun to watch.
–Only my dislike of Kobe Bryant has brought me to the point where I’d actually root for the Celtics (I’m a Sixers fan). Still, I feel dirty.
–I know the Reds have a history of collapsing after promising early-season performances…but I’m just savoring the fact that we’re 1.5 games ahead of the stupid Cardinals right now. All is right with the world.
–Why does Dusty Baker hate Paul Janish? I mean…really, why? All he does is play superlative defense, and he had even hit some this year. I’ve never seen a player get buried on the bench like Janish has been. Bizarre.
–Homer Bailey needs to be placed back in the rotation when he returns, but Sam LeCure needs to be kept on the major league roster, in the bullpen. I would also bring up Matt Maloney and put him in the pen. Something has to be done to fix this disaster.
–I loved The A-Team as a kid, but that movie version looks unwatchable.
—Vote Votto. While you’re at it, Vote Rolen and Gomes and Bruce, too.
–Arthur Rhodes is a ten-foot tall beast man who showers in vodka, and feeds his baby shrimp scampi.
–I never thought I’d say this, but I love Brandon Phillips in the leadoff spot. Here’s a prediction, though: BP will not hit leadoff a single time during the rest of 2010. Bet the ranch on it.
–I’m pretty excited for Mike Leake’s next start. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to his first bad outing in the majors. Needless to say, I’m pretty confident in the young guy.
–As bad as Dusty is sometimes, on his worst day, he isn’t as bad at managing a team as Bob Boone or Ray Knight. Those guys were the worst I’ve ever seen.
–I just had LASIK surgery last week. I scheduled the surgery for a Reds off-day, because I have a Reds-addiction problem. When the surgeon asked why I finally decided to have the surgery, I told her that I wanted to be able to see Corky Miller’s mustache in all its glory.
–Okay, I’m headed to Florida for a week; taking the kids to Disney World. Don’t burn the place down while I’m gone.