RANDOM THOUGHTS FOR A RANDOM TUESDAY

How many games do you think the Reds will win this year scoring just two runs?  They won a grand total of eight last season, scoring just two or fewer (I guess that'd be one, wouldn't it) runs.   Eight out of 97 total wins.   Just sayin....

I have a sneaking suspicion that Walt Jocketty and his smart guys at GABP have already begun the process of finding an everyday left fielder by trade.  He'd be crazy not to be looking right now.  It may be too early to deal, but not too early to trade.   With no offensive production coming from left, or right field, shortstop or catcher, it makes it very tough to string together wins against the better teams in the league.  The Marlins and Cubs are awful and give the Reds credit for dealing with them in the last homestand.  But the true test for the Reds will be, as always, how they do against the better teams in the league and on the road.  So far, not so good.....

Now, I like this from Andy Dalton....but talk is really cheap at this time of the year....

Happy 80th birthday today to a true American legend and hero, Willie Nelson.   Patsy Cline sang this song and made it a mega hit.  But Willie Nelson wrote it.  And it might be the greatest country music song ever....

I'll never forget Willie's annual 4th of July "picnics" and the one that he brought to Tulsa when I lived there.  It was July 3, 1977 and one of Willie's guests was Lynard Skynard, just months before the devastating plane crash that decimated that band.

So UC's new conference is debating where to hold it's men's and women's college basketball tournaments and one of the sites is Cincinnati.  Hmmmm.   But a competing site is a casino in Connecticut.  Hmmmm.  Don't see Cincinnati winning that one....

Here's the deal on any NFL team's draft:  no one, not you, me or even the guys in front offices know for sure how well a team did.  The Bengals appear to have done well.   In particular, I like there second, second round pick, SMU defensive end, Margus Hunt.  Take a look

He's another big 'wingspan' guy, cut from the same mold as current Bengals Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson.  Their first round pick, Tyler Eifert, the tight end from Notre Dame appears to be solid too.  And I really like the Bengals second round pick, North Carolina running  back Giovani Bernard.  Look...

But in truth, any of them could be an early draft bust (see David Klingler, Akili Smith, Chris Perry) or a late round steal (see Tim Krumrie, TJ Houshmandzadeh or Jonathan Fanene.  But you can't deny this:  the Bengals have done a better job drafting players in the last three seasons.  As Sports Illustrated's Peter King wrote this week:  "Be careful Cincinnati, or we'll start to think you know how to draft"

 Song I just can't get out of my head today.   

Song written by Sedaka with lyrics by Phil Cody and although you don't hear it on this version, a very distinctive sax solo by Jim Horn.  It hit #1 in February of 1975, spawned by the album "Sedaka Is Back".
Danny Kortchmar is on guitar, a guy who did his best work, IMHO with Carole King (on Tapestry in particular) and with Don Henley.

Ah Choo!

So along about, what? 5:00 yesterday afternoon, you were ranting over how dumb it was for the Reds to  either a: trade for Shin Soo Choo or at least b:  put him in centerfield.  As if Drew Stubbs was some cherished jewel that was traded for a box of pliers.  Choo had a couple of adventures in centerfield that suggested it was his first day in long pants.  A Stubbs, he is now.  And as Marvin Lewis would say, that’s a good thing.
Choo is on this team for one reason and one reason only:  he can get on base.  Stubbs is not on this team for several reasons.  But the biggest reason Stubbs is not on this team is he can not get on base.   Defensively, Stubbs probably saves 9-12 wins per season.  But offensively, he probably costs is team twice that number through his inability to get on base, or drive in runs or do anything with a bat that furthers a team’s cause.
Choo certainly won’t cost the Reds 18-24 wins a season because he’s not the defender Stubbs is.  In truth, he’s better than adequate as a centerfielder.    But his ability to get on base (at a .400  clip last season vs right handed pitching) is a complete game changer.  Joey Votto had 18 home runs before he hurt his knee in late June.  He also had just 47 RBI.  The disparity in that production should tell you how few runners were on base when Votto knocked the ball over the fence.  And with a runner on base when Votto is batting, other things happen that would benefit Votto.  The pitcher will have to pitch out of the stretch.  He’ll be distracted somewhat by the runner.  And because of all that, Votto (and Phillips and Bruce and Frazier after him) will have a significant advantage over the pitcher.  That’s what Choo offers, and what Stubbs could not.

Heard this on the radio today and now I can't get the song out of my head..HELP!
Joey Levine of Ohio Express (Yummy Yummy and Chewy Chewy) is the voice. The song, which might be one of the first 'rap' songs (and I use the term loosely) was penned by Paul DiFranco and Norman Dolph. DiFranco wrote the melody and Dolph the 'rap'