Mr. Intangible Reports coming out of Cleveland indicate that Marlon Byrd has tested positive for PED. If they prove accurate, it will be Byrd’s second violation. He was suspended for 50 games in 2012. Byrd is hitting .270/.326/.452 for Cleveland. He played in three of the four games against the Reds, going 5-14, scoring 4 runs and knocking in 4 runs.
When the Reds made Marlon Byrd their big acquisition before the 2015 season, Walt Jocketty praised Byrd for the “way he played the game:”
“We looked at all the possibilities of type of players we identified – guys who were going to provide run production and leadership,” Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. “The one thing that kept coming back about Marlon Byrd was the way he played the game, the way he went about his business, his work ethic. We take a lot of stock in guys like that.“
Jocketty gave Byrd about as high as praise as he gets when it comes to intangibles.
“In some ways, it’s similar to when we brought Scott Rolen over,” Jocketty said. “(Byrd) plays the game the right way without a lot of hoopla. He practices like he plays.”
This reasoning was always transparent baloney. See Marlon Byrd, Gravity and Low Bars and More Jocketty Nonsense.
UPDATE: Byrd has been suspended for 162 games and will not appeal.
Today in Bullpen Artistry Washington Nationals relievers have allowed 43 runs. Cincinnati Reds relievers have allowed 42 home runs. (h/t Ryan Fagan)
#VoteZack Zack Cozart tied for the major league lead in Defensive Runs Saved in the month of May. He and outfielders Ender Inciarte and Yasiel Puig each had eight. (h/t Mark Simon) Cozart is deserving of being chosen for the NL All-Star team.
UPDATE: Cozart has the fifth most votes among NL shortstops according to the count released this afternoon. It might be unrealistic to think he can catch Addison Russell thanks to ballot-stuffing, but if he could finish second or third it would strengthen the case for his selection. Of course, he might not be playing for the Reds by then. Wait, oh sure he will. See next item …
Please, Do Not Disturb Walt Jocketty tells Mark Sheldon that the Reds haven’t been taking calls on possible trades yet. Jocketty says it’s too early.
Jocketty says his expectation is that trade chatter won’t really pick up until late June. “It’s really hard to say,” said Jocketty. “I don’t think anything will happen much until after the Draft. That’s usually when it starts to happen, a couple of weeks after the Draft.”
Friendly suggestion for new Reds infrastructure investment: Some of those new-fangled telephones that can make outgoing calls.
Jumpin’ Junior Ken Griffey Jr. writes about the best play he ever made.
“Just before I jumped, I still wasn’t sure whether it would hit the overhang, but I left my feet anyway. Jump and decide in the air. When I got to the height of my jump, I realized it wasn’t going to hit the overhang. So I threw my glove out there and it hit the very tip of my glove and rolled back into my palm.”