Miami won't play at UC
Enquirer

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UC recruit changes mind, re-opens recruiting
Enquirer

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Bruce 4 for 4 this afternoon in Game 1
2 doubles, HR(7), 2 runs, 2 rbi's...........16 for his last 26 going into Game 2 today...hitting .348
Update: He's 1 for 2 in game 2

 

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Thoughts and prayers
FSN Ohio's Chris Welsh's mother passed away last week.
Reds 3B coach Mark Berry’s father, Harvey, died early Saturday morning in Glendale, Arizona. He was 71.

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Who's hot?
From Jamie Ramsey of the Reds
IF Andy Phillips: current 13-game hitting streak (20-55, .364, 3hr, 14rbi, 9r, 2 2B) to lift batting average 39 points (.316).
OF Jay Bruce: 12 hits in last 22ab to lift batting average to .328 (3rd in International League)...his 43 hits rank T1st in the IL.
SS Paul Janish: 8 hits in last 16ab.
LHP Danny Herrera: has not allowed a run since his promotion to Louisville on 4/24 (7g, 11.1ip, 7h, 10k).
RHP Gary Majewski: 1-0-2, 0.75era over last 9g (9h, 1r, 1bb, 7k).
1b Tonys Gutierrez: has reached base safely in 19 straight (26-63, .413)...leads the Southern League with a .467obp...ranks 5th with a .336ba.
OF Cody Strait: current 9-game hitting streak (11-25, .440).
RHP Robert Manuel: 0 earned runs in 15 games split between Chattanooga and Sarasota (23.2ip, 31K).
LHP Ben Jukich: 2-1, 1.69era over last 4 starts (26.2ip, 5r, 18k, .206oba).
RHP Jordan Smith: 24.2ip, 3r, 1.09era over last 3 starts...1.45era ranks 4th in Florida State League.
3b Juan Francisco: current 6-game hitting streak (10-25, .400).
OF Denis Phipps: current 12-game hitting streak (21-47, .447), including a current 7-game multi-hit streak (15-29, .517)... .325 batting average ranks 6th in the Midwest League.
OF Keltavious Jones: current 7-game hitting streak (10-29, .345)....344 batting average ranks 4th in the Midwest League.

 

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Rules I'd change
1. If you bat out of order...it's two outs. One out for batter skipped, one for batter that hit in his spot.
2. A Fumble out of endzone goes BACK to offensive team.
I've never understood why a RB can be running to the endzone, fumble the ball, have it go out of the back of the endzone and possession go to the defense? What did the defense do? They didn't recover it. Why would they get it? I'm ok bringing the ball back out to the 20-yard line...but possession should return to the team that last had the ball.
3. NBA teams should NOT get to advance the ball after a TO.
It kills me to watch the end of NBA games. A team calls a timeout after a rebound or made basket and they get to advance the ball to midcourt. They should have to dribble the length of the court. Can you imagine if you could call a timeout in the NFL and advance the ball to inside midfield?

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Why can't the Bengals do this?
Colts.com
"We provide hundreds of free events for our fans every year," Colts Vice President of Sales and Marketing Tom Zupancic said. "The Make It Personal Tour is our way of giving back to our fans and to thank them for their continued support.
"We want our fans all across the state to be able to touch the Colts franchise in their own backyards."

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Guest update
Cyclones forward David Desharnais checks in around 4:30.

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I'd change the rule
Anyone else think the batting out of order penalty should change? Patterson gets credit for an out...and he didn't bat. Ross makes an out...but gets to hit again....and gets a hit? Huh? So Willie Randolph's reward for pointing out the mistake is to have Ross bat again, after already making on out? What if the Reds were down one run and he homered? That is not how the rules should work. If you bat out of order, and are called on it, I'd make it two outs. One out for the batter that was skipped. One out for the batter that actually batted. Heck, Dusty batted out of order once, got to bat again, and hit a 3-run HR.

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Show preview
Guests
Geoff Hobson, Bengals.com...Countdown To Georgetown
Topics
Reds: Retro Sheet has confirmed, my little league teams never batted out of order...from the Burger King A's to the Convenient A's and Wicks Good Food and Booze A's.
Clones: Did you go? What did you think?
Sports Jobs: Jim Kelch, voice of the AAA Bats, fills in on the Reds game Monday night. What sports job, other than playing, would you like to try for a year

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Season 1 done
We finished the first season of The Wire last night. 13 episodes. WOW. Outstanding.
Can't wait for season two. Loved the character development and storyline. Love McNulty, Daniels, Stringer....

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Bumbling Reds delay inevitable
NY Post"
That's the first time I've had it and this is my 23d year," home plate ump and crew chief Dale Scott said of the Reds batting out of order today

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Why can't the Bengals do this?
Former Arizona Cardinals cornerback Aeneas Williams will become the 13th person put into the team's Ring of Honor. The induction ceremony will come Nov. 10, during halftime of the "Monday Night Football" game against San Francisco. Williams, who spent 10 seasons with the Cardinals before finishing his career with the Rams, has 55 career interceptions, and is expected to be in the Hall of Fame discussion when he becomes eligible after the 2009 season.- East Valley Tribune

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Wow...read this about former Bengal Reggie Williams
NY Times
Lying in his hospital bed, Reggie Williams watched a flow of blood, four or five inches high, coming from his postsurgical knee.
"A fountain!" Williams called it.

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Amazing
I have no numbers to back this up....but it is amazing to see the so many balls drop in fron of or get past the Reds OF due to the lack of range. And, I bet there are not many teams that go first to third less than the Reds. They can't cover ground in the OF. They can't take the extra base on offense.

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Dusty seems to have forgotten this one
MLB.COM
Dusty's team batted out of order in 2004
"Baker apparently didn't communicate a double-switch to home plate umpire C.B. Bucknor, and the Cubs were accused of batting out of turn. The mistake did not hurt as the Cubs rallied for a dramatic, 11-10 win over the Cincinnati Reds."

And he seems to have forgotten this one
Giants bat out of order in 1998 with Dusty managing

Dusty did it as a hitter in 1980
Retro Sheet
Dusty Baker then hit into a force out leaving runners on first and third but had batted out of turn. Green came out and pointed out the fact that the proper batter had not hit. Thus Ron Cey was called out, the runners restored to their previous bases and Baker batted again. This time he hit a three-run homer to left

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What they are saying in Seattle about Jr
Seattle PI
The Mariners need two things - someone to get the fans' interest revved up after a horrid start to the season and someone to provide some power to a lineup devoid of many run-producers.

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What they are saying in New York
NY Daily News
"Obviously there was a little confusion there," Randolph said. "I was right on it, we were right on it, but we could have gotten two outs if Patterson had actually seen a pitch."

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Maxim Hometown Hottie
Careful opening