Huggs and AK will get it on
Clarion Ledger

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Reds news
Aaron Harang threw from 70 feet without complaint.
Jerry Hairston began a running program without complaint.
Both will be examined again tomorrow.

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UC news
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Dan Hoard, the radio play-by-play voice of the University of Cincinnati football and men’s basketball broadcasts for the past nine years, will return to that role again this fall.
Hoard, who left his position in local television two years ago to become the radio voice of the Pawtucket (RI) Red Sox, will return to Cincinnati at the conclusion of this summer’s baseball season and resume his UC broadcasts on flagship station WLW-AM 700/XM Channel 173.
In addition to calling the action on the broadcasts, Hoard also hosts the weekly call-in radio shows featuring head coaches Brian Kelly and Mick Cronin. Hoard also will continue to write a weekly column on GoBEARCATS.com and will contribute his expertise in other areas of operations with the UC Department of Athletics.
“It is my joy and privilege to be the ‘Radio Voice of the Bearcats’ and there’s nothing more enjoyable as a broadcaster than describing the action for the team you root for,” said Hoard. “I am extremely grateful to Director of Athletics Mike Thomas, Senior Associate Director of Athletics Mike Waddell, Clear Channel’s President and Market Manager Chuck Fredrick, and Director of AM Operations Darryl Parks for the opportunity to continue broadcasting UC football and basketball, and hope to continue doing so for many years to come.
“In Brian Kelly and Mick Cronin, UC has two of the best coaches in the country, and I look forward to broadcasting the words, ‘The Bearcats are BIG EAST champions,’ in the near future.”

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Bengals news
The Bengals today signed rookie WR Mario Urrutia of Louisville to a four-year contract. Urrutia was a seventh-round Bengals selection in the 2008 draft.
Urrutia is the fourth of 10 Bengals 2008 draft pick to complete contract negotiations. Previously signed were DT Jason Shirley of Fresno State (fifth round), TE Matt Sherry of Villanova (sixth round) and LB Angelo Craig of the University of Cincinnati (seventh round).

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Congrats to Anderson coach
Jeff Giesting, head football coach at Anderson High School, was announced today as the 2007 season winner of the Paul Brown Excellence in Coaching Award. The award includes a $5000 donation by the Bengals to the Anderson High athletic department.

The award is given by the Bengals annually to an outstanding high school coach in the region. Last season, in his first year as Anderson head coach, Giesting led the program to the Ohio Division II state championship with a 13-2 record.

Giesting was an assistant coach at Anderson from 1988-2006 under highly successful head coach Vince Suriano, a former winner of the Paul Brown award. From 2000-06, Giesting was Anderson’s defensive coordinator.

A native of Oldenburg, Ind., Giesting attended Batesville (Ind.) High School and is a graduate of Franklin (Ind.) College. Before coming to Anderson, he was an assistant coach at South Putnam High School in Indiana, aiding that team’s drive to the 1986 Class A state championship.

Giesting and his wife, Susie, have two sons and two daughters.

Mike Brown, Bengals president, presented the award to Giesting today, during the team’s annual Pre-Training Camp Media Luncheon at Paul Brown Stadium.

“Anderson has a great football tradition, which Jeff was a part of as an assistant, and it was no surprise to those who know high school football that he was able to continue that success,” Brown said. “We are pleased to honor him as Anderson’s second winner of this award.”

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Mets announcers bothered by Larkin speech
NY Daily News
Whether they were looking to manufacture an excuse for Oliver Perez or a way to kill time, Keith Hernandez's and Gary Cohen's rant over Cincinnati delaying the start of Saturday night's game was condescending and petty.

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Stats figured
I got to thinking about Edwin E last night....he has 18 hr's....a career high (16 previous '07)...yet he has just 39 rbi's and is on pace for just 65. So I looked up his HR's.
15 of his 18 hr's have come with nobody on base. In fact...15 of his last 16 hr's have been solo shots.
I looked up Dunn. 18 of his 28 HR's have been solo shots...including 11 of his last 14.

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Stats of the day
I was curious about number of RBI chances each Reds hitter has had this season, how many total runner he's had a chance to drive in, and what percentage he has driven in?
From listener John in Hyde Park.
The breakdown is from Baseball Prospectus, free this week.

Plate appearances with runners on base
Phillips 210
Griffey 180
Edwin 162
Votto 154
Dunn 149
Bako 106
Keppinger 105
Bruce 90
Hairston 70
Runners on base during plate appearances
Phillips 294
Griffey 238
Dunn 223
Edwin 221
Votto 215
Bako 157
Keppinger 140
Bruce 128
Other runners batted in(other than self)
Phillips 46
Dunn/Griffey 35
Votto 30
Edwin/Keppiner 21
Hairston/Bako 20
Bruce 17
Highest percentage of runners driven in (other than self)
Hairston .20619
Dunn .15695
Phillips .15646
Keppinger .1500
Griffey .14706
Votto .139553
Bruce .13281
Bako .12739
Edwin .09502

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Mike and Marvin speak
C Trent's blog
On Chris Henry....."I'm not interested," Lewis said. "It's not productive for our football team. You have to be a productive part to be an NFL player. There are responsibilities of being an NFL football player. It's not a right."

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 Depressing thought of the day
Not only are the Reds 11 games back of first place Chicago........they trail Milwaukee and St Louis by 9 games.

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Tuesday
Topics
Reds: How aggravating was that?
Most over/underrated QB's of all-time
Vanishing Act
Chris Henry?: Did I miss something while I was gone? Fans actually want the Bengals to bring him back? Henry isn't capable of functioning in society...let alone on a football team.
Things I really can't cycle through again today: Carson...OSU-USC

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Things I'm told
Jared Lorenzen has been invited to Colts training camp

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Money, money, money
The Reds have 13 free agents after this season. What about some of the guys they owe in 2009?
Jr: 16.5 mill or a buyout of 4-mill
Cordero: 12-mill
Gonzalez: 5.375-mill
Arroyo: 9.5 mill
Freel: 4-mill
That's at least 34.875 mill owed, assuming they buyout Jr
The killer of Freel being done for the season is he makes this team in 2009. No way they can trade him.

 

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Love for Kenny Anderson
Most underrated QB's all-time
Most overrated QB's all-time

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TV ratings
Ratings for Sunday's British Open final round were down 15% from a year ago.
Why? No Tiger? Tiger finished T-12th last year as Padraig Harrington beat Sergio Garcia in a four hole playoff. Did Greg Norman draw you to the TV Sunday?

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Composer of Leave It To Beaver theme dies at 98
Variety
Friends remember him as soft-spoken and modest -- when he composed the "Leave It to Beaver" theme song, he simply remarked, "This will work."

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Sandlot baseball lost to the past
(AP)
Sandlot baseball, a slice of American life enjoyed for decades by boys from coast to coast, appears on the verge of extinction.

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Maxim Hometown Hottie
Careful opening

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Thought of the day
I will always believe this....fans aren't bothered by players/coaches of other teams as much as they are bothered by the fans of those teams. Fans give programs the bad name and image that is discussed. It's not jealousy. It's how you carry yourself that bothers others.

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Livingston rehabs at AAA
Louisville Courier Journal
"It's just the whole matter of getting back in pitching shape and midseason form," Livingston said. " ... In spring training you kind of get your body prepared for the season; it seems like I'm doing all of that in the middle of the season."

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Why they laughed
I guess we are seeing more and more why the rest of baseball laughed at the signing of Cordero. What non/marginal-contender with 8th inning woes gives a 32-year old reliever a 4-year 46-million dollar deal? And does it with Bray, Burton and Roenicke waiting in the wings.
And does it when the previous closer had saved 33 of 39 chances in '07. And forfiets their 2nd round draft pick. To think I was drinking the cool-aid over the signing. Ugggg.

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Reds observations
*Coco Joke-O
6 blown saves by Cordero.....6 of 26 chances.
David Weathers had 6 blown saves in 39 chances in all of 2007.
I liked the signing. But welcome to a contract with three more years and 36-million owed.
And an option for 12-mill in 2012 with a 1-mill buyout.
He has a no trade clause for the first two seasons...and a limited no-trade the remainder of the deal.
*How 'bout Stormy?
David Weathers gets out of a jam and holds the lead in the 8th. He was pitching in his third straight game and for the 8th time in the last 9 games. ERA over last 9 appearances: 0.88. ERA over last 18 appearances: 2.04. Only 2 of 12 inherited runners allowed to score all season. Sure glad I'm not part of the "he's terrible" club.
*Who was that guy?
Nice effort by Homer Bailey in his 14th major league start. Looks like a different pitcher. He had his fastball and offspeed pitches working. The 5th innings was spectacular. He seemed to have SD hitters off balance much of the night. I'll take it. Sure glad I wasn't part of the "he's terrible, trade him" club. He did hurt himself in the 1st. I would not have sent him back out for the 7th. Poor guy....thanks to Cordero he's still winless since April 30.
*Jr's HR
Anyone know the girl who caught the HR? What a catch! Tell her I'd like to talk to her on the show.
Anyone know the family of the little boy that got Jr's helmet? I'd like to talk to the dad on the show.

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Events for a cause
Click here to find out about events for a cause and how to help out

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"24" Season 7 preview
Check it out here

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Legendary baseball writer/historian dies
I had the honored of having him as a guest on my TV show in Chicago a couple of times.
Oh the stories he could tell of the things he saw in the game of baseball.

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TV stuff
*Ever check out "Happy Hour"...5pm Fox Business? It's a look at the business world live from the Waldorf-Astoria hotela restaurant in New York. Kind of like a business version of PTI in a Cheers setting. Rebecca Gomez is the co-host. One of their reporters is Sandra Smith. She's simply stunning....blonde, with a Rebecca De Mornay look to her.
*Cash Cab, Discovery Channel, weekdays 6pm: "Unassuming people enter the "Cash Cab" as simple passengers taking a normal taxi ride, only to be shocked when they discover that they're instant contestants on Discovery Channel's innovative game show"
*Deadliest Catch Marathon starts Tuesday at 9am

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