… get caught licking nacho cheese off their fingers.
They also tuck it in.
Check the standings, fellas:
And yes, the one dude is chanting “Bran-don,” and the other is chanting “Phil-lips.” I always find it particularly insulting when opposing fans chant my name. Way to really get into his head. Good job, guys.
Unconfirmed reports that this dude is a Cardinals fan too:
CBS Sportsline’s Gregg Doyel gives some love to his hometown Reds, but couldn’t resist including this gem in his column …
I watched Leake in the Reds’ clubhouse for 20 seconds before the game Wednesday, and in those 20 seconds he slapped the naked ass of Reds executive and Hall of Famer Joe Morgan and playfully goosed a (dressed) teammate with a bat handle.
Wha?
Anyone else notice that a Braves fan (or at least a dude wearing a Heyward shersy) had Votto’s huge 8th inning homer to tie the game bounce off his hands?
Also:
• Apparently with the lack of run support the Reds have given Mike Leake (particularly earlier in the season) we’re not only going to keep him from winning the National League Rookie of the Year award but we’re also going to help Jason Heyward win it. In three games against the Reds, that’s the second time he’s beaten us (you may recall he beat us with a walk-off double May 19 in Atlanta.)
• Was I the only one pulling hair out knowing ahead of time exactly what Jay Bruce was going to do against the lefty reliever in the 8th. Gotta pinch-hit for him there.
• Uh-oh. Is that a closer in a non-save opp? I DO not like the looks of this.
• Anyone else almost shart a little when Brooks Conrad – who memorably victimized Coco Cordero earlier this season – almost did it again? Great catch by Heisey. I know this seems really knee-jerkish and I fully realize that Heisey has had his share of struggles against lefties too but I can’t help but think I’d like to see Heisey in the starting lineup a little more often and Bruce in there a little less often … he just needs more rest than he’s getting.
Gotta give props to Jim Day for pointing out during “Reds Live” on FSN that Charlie Manuel did (not Jim’s word, ours) us not once (duh, dissing 19) but twice by not getting Arthur Rhodes into the All-Star Game. Jim’s words:
Arthur Rhodes … Alright, I gotta get something off my chest. Alright 40 years old … he waits so long to get to the All-Star Game, he makes it to the All-Star Game and he doesn’t get in the game. Now I’m not sure if Charlie Manuel knew the story of his son who passed away a few years back and every time Arthur Rhodes hits the mound he writes his son’s initials in the dirt. Now how special would it have been had he written those intials on the mound on the All-Star Game. He said he went to the All-Star Game, he did it for his son. He was emotional when he talked about it and doggone it, he didn’t get a chance to pitch. I think the National League [read: Manuel] swung and missed on that.
Thank you, JD. Couldn’t agree more. Another turd move by Manuel. Anyone else kinda hope we meet the Phils in the playoffs so we can boo Charlie and avenge the sweep before the break?
I’m not usually a huge boo-er, but I do think Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel deserves to get booed mercilessly the next time he’s introduced at a Reds game for his questionable HOMER selection of Ryan Howard to the National League All-Star squad – even though our man Joey Votto has better numbers – in addition to, as pointed out by Jeff Passan of Yahoo!, his inexplicable selection of Omar Infante instead of Votto.
Votto – .313, 19 HR, 57 RBI, 53 runs, 7 SB, .988 OPS (leads NL)
Howard – .296, 15 HR, 58 RBI, 52 runs, 0 SB, .859 OPS
A. Gonzalez (players’ pick) – .295, 16 HR, 51 RBI, 43 runs, 0 SB, .902 OPS
Infante – .311, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 23 runs, 3 SB, .721 OPS
Unfortunately, the Phillies don’t return to Great American Ball Park this season. They were just here last week, and what I wouldn’t give to turn back time, go back to the game I attended last week (which, unfortunately, was the one we lost in extra innings after none other than VOTTO himself hit a 3-run homer to tie it in the bottom of the ninth against Manuel and the Phils) and boo the crap out of him. Thanks for not holding a grudge though, Charlie; I’m sure it tore you up that you didn’t get as much beauty sleep after Votto extended the game an extra half-hour or so.
Anyway, here’s what we’re going to need. For those Reds fans who will be lucky enough to be in attendance in Philly when we play the Phillies this week (Thursday through Sunday), we’re going to need you to let Charlie hear it. But you may need to be a little discrete about it because some Philly fans are pretty crazy and might puke on you if they hear you booing their skipper.
The rest of us will have to boo our TV sets. And wait for next year’s schedule to come out to see when the Phillies will be here. IF Manuel even makes it to next year with the team. (I mean, they could be back to a .500 team after we sweep them this week, and they have big expectations in Philly.) And vote for Votto, of course.
Note: “Operation: Manuel Override” – Gotta give credit, where credit is due.
We’ll never look at Mt. Adams the same again.
Don't let fashion get ya down
What started off as a solid uniform set has gone in the toilet over the past few seasons, while hitting a couple of odd bumps in the road. Maybe they just should start over.
Did anyone else get fired up when “IN THE BULLPEN: JONNY GOMES RHP” showed up on the TV screen while Cordero was warming up during tonight’s TV broadcast?
Jonny Gomes – one of two Reds to get on base four times tonight (granted, it wasn’t as pretty as Votto’s homer, triple and two singles, but it’s still getting on base four times) – pitching the bottom of the 9th? Hellyeah! Cordero did get the job done – which the bullpen did throughout the last four innings of the game (more on that later) – but we’re pretty sure Gomes would’ve struck out the side on nine pitches. The guy proved once again tonight that he is CLUTCH! He had a gorgeous outfield assist in the first to get former Red Felipe Lopez at the plate and then a HUGE hit in the top of the 7th to drive in Votto and tie the game at 8.
Look, Votto going 4-for-5 after a six-game absence and Rolen somehow hitting another two home runs, adding a third hit and driving in four were VERY impressive and both had a lot to do (along with the bullpen) with lifting the Reds to the 9-8 win. All we’re saying is don’t overlook the role Gomes had, not only in this win but the role he’s had in helping the Reds to first place in the NL Central. All the guy did in May was hit .364 (2nd in the National League for the month for players with a minimum of 3.1 plate appearances per team game) with 22 RBIs (tied for second, along with Rolen, in the NL for the month). His slugging percentage was .636 in May (2nd only to Corey Hart, who hit 10 home runs in May).
When the Reds were 12-12 and 4 games back on May 1, Gomes was only hitting .217. Now he’s hitting .307 and they’re 31-22 and 1 game up on the Cards.
BIG night for the bullpen too. It wasn’t an easy 7th for Arthur Rhodes, but the guy got a couple of huge strikeouts of David Freese and pinch-hitter Nick Stavinoha (to end the inning) to extend his scoreless streak to 19 2/3 innings.
Also impressive was Masset getting Colby Rasmus (who was 3-for-4 on the night entering the at-bat) on strikes with two on and two out in the bottom of the eighth.
Yowzah!
h/t: @AmyPerry04
