In case you missed it at Redleg Nation … since last Friday:
Billy Hamilton was Topic A this week, with Richard Fitch analyzing the Reds lead-off hitter’s enigmatic start to the season. Guest columnist Ben Rubin offered a strong defense for Hamilton batting ninth in Bryan Price’s lineup.
Steve Mancuso wrote an essay on whether we may be witnessing Brandon Phillips locked in a losing struggle with Father Time. Jason Linden followed up with his own thought’s on BP’s decline curve as well as looking at Joey Votto’s evolution as a hitter through the lens of aging.
Mike Maffie crunched the numbers and reached the conclusion that if we’re witnessing the Age of the Pitcher due to rising fastball velocity, it’s the bullpen arms that deserve the credit.
Nick Kirby summarized the NL Central race in much detail. And Bill and Chad recorded another Redleg Nation Radio podcast, discussing Johnny Cueto, Devin Mesoraco’s recent injury and what to think about the 2014 Reds after one month.
Regarding minor leagues and prospects, Tom Diesman highlighted a player for each of the Reds’ affiliate teams. Doug Gray offered a comprehensive look at Neftali Soto, the Reds’ utility infielder who saw unexpected playing time this week at third base when Todd Frazier was held out for an injury.
The Reds played baseball games, too. We reported on the Reds’ wipe-out in Atlanta. Here was Greg Dafler’s Braves series preview. And the recaps for loss #1 (injuries, oh no), loss #2 (no hitting) and loss #3 (still no hitting). Bryan Price’s team limped home to face the Cubs. Dafler Cubs series preview. The first game was lost due to rain. But the good guys prevailed amidst rain delays and coffee shop interviews last night.