Welcome To Tuesday....

Pete Rose says send Aaron Harang to the bullpen. Rose was one of my guests this past Sunday on 700 WLW Sunday Morning Sports Talk. Rose told me if the Cubs can do that with Carlos Zambrano (who incidentally tossed and inning and two thirds of relief in Monday night's Cubs win) then surely Harang can pull it off. Pete says it will give Harang a different view of the game, and maybe help him regain his confidence. Rose says Harang's big problem right now is he's not pitching with confidence, something every major league pitcher needs to be successful.

It's great to see that Ben Roethlisberger is acknowledging that being a lout in public (to say nothing about the way he's treating women) is a bad thing and is apologizing for his behavior in a Georgia bar. But honestly, I've heard that song and dance far too often from professional athletes. Roethlisberger needs to 'walk the walk'. And he needs to do that for a long time, like say the rest of his life. I believe he'll wind up with only a four game suspension, barring any other occurrence of sexual deviancy. I think that was commissioner Roger Goodell's plan all along, as the Steelers 'bye' after their fourth game this next season. Roethlisberger's rehabilitation aside, the issue for the team is finding a way to get through those four games without a complete disaster. The prospects of Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch running that offense should offer no comfort to any Steelers fan, not since the team refused to address its woeful offensive line in the latest draft. Nice first round pick. But this team needed to draft offensive line a lot more (just two picks total) than it did.

The NCAA will surely now expand from 65 to 68 teams. All it needs is the OK from its board of directors later this month. But here's the bigger issue: why even bother? All of that build up to the possibility of expansion and it's only three teams? That will solve nothing and certainly not end the debate about teams left out of the tournament. Once again, the answer to this question is the answer to every question in life: money. The NCAA got its television partners (CBS and TBS) to pony up a record $10.8 billion in a new 14 year agreement without losing the NIT, which the NCAA now operates. Had the tournament expanded to the rumored 96 teams, the NIT would have folded. Chances are, added more than three extra teams would not have significantly raised the rights fees. So the NCAA gets money on the front end of this deal from CBS and TBS and retains rights (and other TV fees) from the NIT. Win-Win for the NCAA, but for you and me? Not so much.

Read more about it in this article from the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Later today, I'll have my latest Broo View Podcast posted on www.kenbroo.com. I'll have that entire Pete Rose interview, among some other tidbits. It should be posted right after you get back from lunch.

Good Monday Morning!

You know, there are mercy rules all over the place. Mercy rules in softball. 10 run rules. Mercy rules in early knothole, every kid gets to play, even the kid who doesn’t know if a baseball is blown up or stuffed.

There are mercy rules in life. Guy wants to date a girl Girls says yes, but you got to get a date for my friend. Friend has a face like an anchor. Guy’s got to find her a date.

Mercy rules apply to women too. Yeah I’ll go out with you. My mom is friends with your mom and to get her off my back, I’ll go out with you Charlie. Just don’t call looking for a bonus round.

So how come there aren’t any mercy rules in major league baseball? Not for games,, for players. I’m watching Aaron Harang pitch the other night, multi tasking because the Bengals were on the other channel, playing their exhibition opener. Harang is working all sides of the plate, mixing pitches, confounding batters and doing everything you want a big league pitcher to do. He’s everything but perfect. And with this current group of players the Reds are running out there every night, if you’re not perfect, the chances of a Reds pitcher winning a game are about as good as getting Bernie Madoff to make reparations.

You can make an argument that the best trade the Reds have made in the last seven years was Jose Guillen to the Oakland A’s for Aaron Harang. Sure, Wily Mo Pena for Bronson Arroyo is right up there. So is the deal that got Brandon Phillips here. But when acting GM Brad Kuhlman pulled off Guillen for Harang, it was brilliance.

Too bad none of the current Reds got the memo.

The Reds are hitting .239 in games that Harang pitches. When anyone else not named Harang is on the mound, it jumps to a whopping .241. This team is constructed about as well as a condemned home. But I digress.

Harang has been everything you’d want a pitcher to be. He takes the ball every five days. He generally pitches deep into games. He has his stinkers. What pitcher doesn’t? But the dude never, as in ever, complains about his lack of run support. He’s a team guy. This is the same guy who Dusty sent out in relief at San Diego last season, pitched about four innings three days after a start and then took the ball three days later for his next start. Harang hasn’t been the same pitcher since. As a man named Stengel once said, you could look it up.

So there he was, on the mound Friday night trying to be what all of us can’t be: perfect. Harang allowed six hits, just two that hurt him, solo home runs. It was beyond a quality start. But, he got no runs from the everyday eight behind him. None. Zero. Nada. Zilch. It’s almost an every start ‘thing’ for Harang.

Aaron Harang needs the mercy rule.

The Reds should trade him to some team that actually has a pulse. Call it time off for good behavior. The Yankees would do. The Red Sox would be a good fit. The Dodgers would be the ultimate for the San Diego kid.

But it’s probably not going to happen. Harang is due $12.5 million next season and it jumps to $14.5 in 2011 if he’s traded before then. That’s a lot of loot for any pitcher, even more so for a guy who’s probably going to lead the league in losses for a second year in a row. As good as Harang could be with run support, how do you sell that to your fans?

I’ve always been a firm believer that a team never gets better by trading its best player. Losers do that. Winners find a way to build their team around their best player. Bad as his record is, Aaron Harang is the best starting pitcher the Reds have. Johnny Cueto throws too many pitches. Bronson Arroyo has eleven wins, but you never know from start to start what you’re going to get from him. And in day games, feg-gedda-boud-it. Edinson Volquez has an elbow with stitching that would make Frankenstein’s monster proud.

Harang has gone through his swoon. He’s back on his game. He takes the ball every five days, gets little run support, never moans about it and even gave you that above and beyond (and frankly stupid) relief game in San Diego last year. He deserves his own mercy rule.

Give the guy a break. Trade him. With the way the rest of your team plays when he’s on the mound, you don’t deserve him.

Good Tuesday Morning!

We saw another reason why the Reds, as currently comprised, can't contend for a playoff berth. It occurred Monday night, when Aaron Harang pitched terrific baseball for seven innings, and the Reds lost in 14. They had ample opportunities to beat the Marlins. But they could not come up with any 'situational' hits. Plain and simply, this team lacks a veteran bat in its line up that will make an opposing pitcher work, giving it's younger players like Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips better pitches to hit.

You can talk all you want about this current Reds team being 'hungrier' or 'more focused' than the 2008 Reds. What you're really saying is, you're glad Griffey, Jr. and Dunn are gone. But you don't account for what their presence (yes even an aging Griffey, Jr.) in the batting order did to the opposing pitcher. And Dunn's 100 rbi, which he consistently put up while in a Reds uniform, have yet to be replaced. Last night's game was crying for a long ball from the Reds. It wasn't there. And another terrific pitching performance was wasted. Dusty Baker emptied his bullpen, with the exception of closer Francisco Cordero. He was down to Danny Herrera, the last guy Baker wanted to see on the mound. Herrera faltered. The Reds lost a game they should have been able to win, long before the 14th inning. I think you're going to see a lot of game like this, unfortunately.

This is clearly the most controversial and the most intriguing Bengals draft pick. When the Bengals selected running back Bernard Scott from Abilene Christian, they appeared to have had a flashback to 2006, when they seemed to average an arrest a week. Here's a good video put together by draftguys.com.

It doesn't matter how good Scott is, or can be. What matters is whether or not he can stay out of trouble. This guy would be better served on a team with some solid veteran leadership. That's something the Bengals don't have.

Check back later today...and follow me on twitter!

The brains behind the BCS and Division 1-A football strike again. There apparently will be NO playoff until at least the 2015 season. Why? Remember, the answer to all of your questions in life is 'money'. Read more about it in this espn.com story.

I watched Aaron Harang pitch another terrific game today in St. Louis, only to be done in by poor run support. Sure, Harang allowed three runs and he didn't have his best stuff. But there aren't many teams winning in MLB these days by scoring only two runs. Just when you thought the Reds were over their hitting trouble....

In his six starts, Reds batters have failed to give Harang more than three runs.

If Bob Castellini wants to do the right thing, he'll bring Barry Larkin back to the Reds organization. There's no reason he should be working for Jim Bowden in DC. But the Washington Post has a nice story on how Larkin is spreading the baseball gospel in the far east.

I'm just guessing. But I think Matt Belisle has one more start to prove to the Reds he really belongs in Major League Baseball. Because, if he fails to do that this Saturday night in Atlanta, Homer Bailey will be up here, pronto.

More with Mike Florio, from profootballtalk.com. Here's his 'take' on the Pacman Jones trade to the Cowboys.

T.O and Pacman on the same team. Jerry Jones should be more careful for what he hopes for.

Over 8,000 people can't be wrong. You too can download my latest "Broo View Podcast" from my web site: http://www.kenbroo.com/. Oh, what the heck: here' a link. Let me know what you think with a comment here, or at ken@kenbroo.com.

See you tonight at 6 & 11pm on Cincinnati's channel 5!

Random thoughts from Opening Day in Cincinnati (my 19th as a paid journalist).....Brandon Webb is one of the best pitchers in the Majors. But the Reds have dragged a disturbing trend from 2007 into 2008: the inability to move base runners along and the lack of big inning rallies. To be sure, they'll face easier pitchers than Webb. But I wanted to see more today....Corey Patterson will cover a lot of turf in centerfield. But Junior saved him big time on a catch off Stephen Drew....Patterson must have a great percentage of successful stolen bases, as infrequently has he gets on case. He had 82 the last two seasons, while in Baltimore....The entire Reds team wearing Joe Nuxhall's number 41 for pre game introductions was one of the best tributes I've ever seen. Whoever came up with that idea needs a pay raise, immediately....I talked with the Diamonbacks' Erick Byrnes after the game. He says the goal, everytime Webb pitches, is to score three runs. Three is plenty for Webb, says the DBacks' outfielder...Bronson Arroyo will have a much easier time of it on Wednesday night in game two of this series than Aaron Harang had today. Harang was good, good enough to win. But the rain delay didn't help him and neither did the annual distractions of Opening Day. He's a pro and needs to deal with those things and he did. But Arroyo will benefit from the typical second game of the season start Wednesday.

As we cruise into the weekend, just a thought about Reds pitcher Kyle Lohse, maybe the most infuriating pitcher on the entire staff. He was absolutely 'aces' Friday night, taking a one hitter into the 9th inning before settling for an 8-1 win over the Diamondbacks. It was a complete game win. But look at his record. Lohse is only 5-10 on this season.

That's because, Lohse has been nothing but inconsistent. One game, like Friday, he pitches like a 'number one' on a staff. The next time out, he'll pitch like he belongs in "A" ball. Lohse is making $4 million this season. He's free agent eligible, which means even with a below '500' record, he'll be in line for a pay raise. The Reds can afford to pay a pitcher in the $6 million range, they're already doing that with Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang. But they can't afford to do it with Lohse. Inconsistent is something the Reds must put in their wake, on the road to becoming a contender.

Just hours away from July 1, you wonder how long it will be before the Reds fire sale begins. It's no secret, for the right price, you can have anyone on the roster, with the exception of Homer Bailey and Aaron Harang. Here are my odds for who goes first:

Scott Hatteberg 1-2
Jeff Conine 2-1
David Weathers 3-1
Adam Dunn 8-1
Bronson Arroyo 10-1
Ken Griffey, Jr 15-1

I think Hatteberg is the right price, is hitting as well as he's ever hit in his career and is a left hander who hits for average. The Yankees are interested, I'm hearing. Conine fits the same suit, from the right handed side of the plate.

Weathers would be a perfect set up guy for the Yankees, Mets and Phillies. Dunn's salary and the fact he can terminate his option year of $13 million in 2008 makes trading him problematic. But the Reds may so inclined to deal him, to get out from under that deal. Arroyo is throwing better than he did in May. But he appears to have a 'tired arm'. Still, I'm told at least one contending team inquired about Arroyo right around opening day this year. The Reds weren't interested in dealing him then. They would be now.

As for Griffey, Jr, I'm hearing he's close to being untouchable. The Reds are said to be less interested in dealing him, as Junior is a local guy, chasing a milestone (600 career HR's) and is a box office attraction. As the Reds aren't expected to be good in 2008, Junior can be counted on to sell tickets.

The big question in all of this, is what can the Reds legitimately expect in return for any of their players. The answer, as you'd expect at this time of the year, is not much. You normally get prospects for 'stars' in mid season. That's what the Reds got from their fire sale in 2003. Eventually, like Harang in '03, you'll get a nice payoff for a mid season sale. But it's a payday that's years away.

We're on the verge of some big, big college basketball games this weekend. Xavier plays Saturday night at George Washington. The emerging landscape in the Atlantic 10 would suggest that Xavier needs to win this game if it wants to win the conference champioship. "GW" is just a game behind the Muskies and Rhode Island, who are both just a half game out of first

Indiana and Ohio State will both make the Tournament. But it's all about seeding. Ohio State has a Saturday game against Purdue....Indiana plays Illinois. And Kentucky's Saturday night game at Rupp against Florida will give the Wildcats a good indication if their recent solid play is for real. UK could play Florida three times this season, counting the SEC Tournament.

Finally at .500, Miami plays Ball State in Oxford and UC is trying to finish with dignity, having lost ten of its last eleven. The Bearcats are at Rutgers.

And there's an intriguing game in Athens, where the Ohio Bobcats take on Northern Illnois. Ohio is two games back of Akron in the MAC East. Akron has lost once in conference play, to Ohio. Northern Illinois is dead last in the MAC West, 5-17 overall.

A wild week for the Reds ended Friday without a wimper. But on Tuesday and Thursday, the Reds were spending freely. Between Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo, the Reds have invested $71 million over the next four years. Four year deals for pitchers can be dicey (see Eric Milton who only signed for three). But for quality arms, it's the price of doing business these days.

The Reds are paying a little more now, to avoid paying a lot more later. Harang still had two more years before becoming a free agent. But his arbitration salary could have increased to the nine million dollar range next off season. Arroyo still had two years to go before his current contract expired. He too, could be in that seven to nine million dollar range. As scarce as quality pitching is, and with the Reds trolling for even more, these deals make a lot of sense. But get this: the Reds payroll was just a little under $61 million in 2006. In 2007, six players, Ken Griffey, Jr, Eric Milton, Adam Dunn, Kyle Lohse, Harang and Arroyo will earn a total of $45.5 million.

If you're scoring at home, or just lonely, pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota one week from tomorrow. The first workout is Monday, February 19.