Reds news CINCINNATI - Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty today announced the hiring of former Anaheim Angels and Seattle Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi as a special assistant. Bavasi, 50, will advise and assist Jocketty in matters related to the front office, Major League field and support personnel and scouting. "We're excited Bill has joined our organization," Jocketty said. "Over his career of more than 30 years, he has worked in almost every facet of baseball operations. We will benefit from his experience and insights." Bavasi was the vice president/general manager for the Angels from 1994-99 and executive vice president and general manager of baseball operations for the Mariners from November 7, 2003 through June 15 of this season. Bavasi began his professional baseball career in 1974 with the San Diego Padres. He was named Angels general manager after 14 years in their player development department and helped lay the groundwork for that club's 2002 World Series championship. He spent the 2002-03 seasons as the Los Angeles Dodgers' director of player development before he was hired by the Mariners as their GM in November 2003. His father, Buzzie Bavasi, was general manager of the Angels and the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers and president of the Padres. His brother, Peter, was general manager of the Padres, founding president of the Toronto Blue Jays and president of the Cleveland Indians.
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Reds news RHP Aaron Harang (3-11, 4.76) is expected to come off the disabled list and pitch against the Astros on Sunday. RHP Edinson Volquez (13-5, 2.93) will pitch in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
BK on Mauk decision GoBearcats.com “I’m disappointed for Ben,” BK said. “But he’s a
pretty resilient kid. He was quite disappointed himself. He’s gone back to
Kenton, Ohio and is going to reassess his situation to see where he goes from
here. The things he has going for him are numerous. We’re going to see if we can
get him into a (NFL training) camp. He wants to continue to play football. That
will be our first job at hand – to see if we can get him into an NFL camp. There
was a lot of interest in him getting into some camps. If that doesn’t work out,
he’s got a Masters degree in criminal justice.”
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Clones news CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Cincinnati Cyclones announced this afternoon that they will be the ECHL affiliate for both the Montreal Canadiens (NHL) and Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL) for the 2008-09 season. These teams join Nashville (NHL) and Milwaukee (AHL) as affiliates of the Cyclones. “We are pleased to renew our affiliation with the Cincinnati Cyclones,” Julien Brisebois, Vice-President/Hockey Operations for the Canadiens, said. “We are very happy with the development of our prospects under Chuck Weber and Dean Stork. Our players have benefited from playing in a winning environment and we hope this affiliation will benefit both organizations for years to come.” “The Montreal Canadiens are one of the most storied franchises in all of sport,” Cyclones Head Coach Chuck Weber said. “They have been excellent to work with and have provided us with players that helped us win the Kelly Cup championship this summer. Being affiliated with Hamilton has driven our players to want to quickly develop to be part of their future. We are proud to be connected with both franchises.”
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My strangest Uniform Cameo
Jan. 20, 1984: Free-agent Rose signs a one-year contract with the Montreal
Expos.
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Events for a cause Please remember to check this section in our Forum for how you can help out area causes. Please post info for your event as well.
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"50-50" Alonso returns to Miami Miami Herald Alonso, a first-round pick whose contract negotiations with the Cincinnati Reds
has have a snag, told The Miami Herald on Thursday he has signed up for fall
classes at UM, and there is ''a 50-50 chance'' he will be playing first base
next year for the Canes.
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No Mauk CINCINNATI - The NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, consisting of five individuals from NCAA Division I conferences and institutions, upheld the NCAA staff’s May 1 final decision to deny the extension of eligibility request for University of Cincinnati quarterback Ben Mauk. The judgment to uphold the NCAA’s original decision was based upon case precedent, stating there was not sufficient medical documentation or any other objective supporting information to substantiate the claim that Mauk missed the 2003-04 season due to an incapacitating injury. The committee followed its procedures to review the appeal based on the submitted written materials and did not move to a telephonic review based on the issues involved. The committee felt the written submission was complete and that they could make a fair decision based on the facts presented. The appeal to the committee was the last action available for Mauk to gain the approval to play in games this upcoming season. “Obviously we were disappointed,” said UC head football coach Brian Kelly. “It’s unfortunate, but Ben will handle this with the same resilience he has shown as a football player. I know he is looking forward to the next chapter of his life whether it is playing football or pursuing a career in criminal justice.”
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What a treat last night Carl Erskine was the guest speaker at Green Diamond Gallery last night in Montgomery. Erskine pitched for the Brooklyn and LA Dodgers from 1948-59....with a record of 122-78. He won 20 games in 1953, and pitched in 5 World Series...winning a ring in 1955. He tossed two no-hitters. He's 81 years old and so kind and gracious. He's been married 61 years and still lives in Anderson, Indiana, where he was born. Among the highights of his talk: *His first no-hitter, against the Cubs in 1952, included playing bridge in the clubhouse through a 45-minute rain delay. Charles Goren, the world champion American bridge player called him a few days later in the clubhouse to ask about his hand of four hearts that day. *During his career, with just 8 NL teams, each team played the other 22 times a year. *In 1953 he won 20 games. He had made $18,000. He asked Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley for $30,000 the next year. O'Malley said he could only go as high as $28,500. To make up the difference, O'Malley agreed to cover the spring training expenses for Erskine's family to visit...and pay for Carl's dental work. Carl said his dentist in Anderson was so proud of the checks he got from the Dodgers with the team logo on them. *At one point the Dodgers had 26 minor league teams *He talked about the unwritten rule that a pitcher didn't make more than a position player in his day. DiMaggio, Williams and Musial were the first to make six figures....while Warren Spahn, the best pitcher at the time, made $55,000. *He spoke of the great respect he had for teammate Jackie Robinson. Branch Rickey told Jackie Robinson, "You can whip anyone...can you be strong enough not to fight?" Carl wrote about a book about what he learned from Jackie. *He talked about his son, Billy, born with Down's Syndrome in 1960. Doctors recommended Billy be put in an institution. The Erskine's refused....choosing to raising him at home. Billy is 48 years old and works at Applebee's in Anderson. *At the end of his talk last night, Carl was convinced to pull out his harmonica and play Take Me Out To The Ball Game. So cool! What a slice of baseball history served up last night.
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Show preview Guests Ron Borges, boxing writer, on new Ali DVD Topics Bengals Reds Uniform Cameos: He once wore WHAT uniform? Departure Heartbreak: Athletes that left your team for one reason or another and broke your heart.
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Uniform Cameos We did this May 15, 2007....and I figure the Favre story makes it the perfect time to bring it back. Guys that just never looked right in another uniform...or guys you forgot even wore a certain team's uniform during their career.
Accoring to TMZ 3,200 Brett Favre jerseys had been sold as of Thursday afternoon. That sets a single day sales record and single day, single player jersey sales record. Favre's Green Bay jersey is the top selling jersey of all time.
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Remember when the Reds actually beat Oswalt? Roy Oswalt is now a staggering 21-1 lifetime vs the Reds. Listener Steven Sharp looked up the game the Reds beat him....April 28, 2006. Brandon Claussen got the win and drove in what proved to be the winning run. The only RBI of his Red's career.
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Stat of the night Houston Chronicle Oswalt was in trouble early, needing 27 pitches to escape a bases-loaded jam in the first inning. He was able to get out of the mess by striking out Edwin Encarnacion looking. Oswalt threw only 26 pitches in the next three innings combined and had a four-inning stretch from the third through sixth where he threw an incredibly efficient 28 pitches.
A view from the outside Hal McCoy, Dayton Daily News A man I have known a long time, a scout for years and years who has watched the Cincinnati Reds, asked me a question before Thursday's game: **Have you ever seen a Reds team so lifeless, so dead, so disinterested?" *On Phillips...... "Nice talent, but I can't stand the guy. Don't like his attitude. He does things to make the other team mad. And I couldn't believe the stuff he said last week about wanting to be the face of the team, the captain, the leader. Very next game he didn't run out a ground ball. Some leader *"On Homer: I saw Homer Bailey three years ago and thought good things about him. Iee him now and there is no fire, no consistency and no sense of confidence. He used to have the hammer - a big, breaking curve. That's gone. The last time he pitched he threw it for one strike. One. *"On Dunn: Now that Ken Griffey Jr. is gone, if they let him go those same people are going to whine about it," he said. "They better keep him. They need his power and they need him because they have so many young players."
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Slogans for the Reds Cut Man had listeners calling in with words and phrases to describe the Reds. I dug up the list of Bumper Sticker/T-Shirt Slogans we created last season....see them below: Reds Bumper Sticker/T-Shirt Baseball Ideas: "Gather the kindling, it's fire sale time" "It's the little things...." "Got any more bobblehead ideas?" Red's Baseball, it's fundaMENTAL Red's Baseball, Managing to Lose Since ‘00 Bengals Training Camp: C You There! "GOT COFFEY?" "I'M SORRY" "Reds Baseball.....Delaying the inevitable & denying the reality!" Wasn't Spring Training Great? E - Manager It's Chris Henry's fault. Reds Fever - You've been vaccinated "This team's gonna hit....Rock Bottom." Reds Baseball: "Comedy Central...tonight at 7:05"..come and join the laughter ".... "And this one belongs to the _______(fill in the blank w/ name of opposing team)! Remember the Big Red Machine? Weren't they great? 2007 Reds baseball: Just three more years before the anniversary of our last World Series team Bobbleheads and $1 hot dog nights....what more could you ask for? "Retired Jerseys to Retired Batters ratio is still in our favor. For now." "Reds Baseball: Putting The Slap in Slapstick." "Reds baseball is dead baseball." "Rounding 3rd and Heading for Bengals Season"
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10 Olympic events you don't want to miss Indy Star It can get to be a blur, from archery to wrestling. But some moments should not be missed. Here are 10 of them.
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Question of the day Is there any doubt this team played a better brand of baseball under Pete Mackanin?
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Big Shirley's big chance Bengals.com "A 10-year career. Nice house, beautiful family. That's something I want," Shirley says. "He helps me with the little things on and off the field. I look at him not only as a veteran out on the field, but as an older man."
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How about this former Bearcat?! Now 4-2 3.09 with 72 k's and 7 walks in 53 innings at Rookie Ball for the Twins. He attended Colerain and UC. He was drafted in the 7th round this year.
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Heartbreak for Packer fans USA Today "Everybody just kind of got all quiet," Aguilar said Thursday morning as he helped refurbish a house adjacent to Lambeau Field. "Nobody really knew what to say. I guess that's when it really hit us - you know, that he really is gone and he's not coming back." Which athletes departure by trade, release or retirement impacted you the most?
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Bearcat practice: Day 6 GoBearcats.com "We had a good day," Kelly said. "The players had a lot of energy and I was pleased with what I saw on both sides of the ball. We really grinded with the running game for the first time, both offensively and defensively."
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Fans tackle new tailgate rules Chicago Tribune The NFL announced Wednesday that no tailgating would be permitted in parking lots during games unless the tailgaters had a game ticket. Fans still can party in the lots before and after games, and season-ticket holders are essentially unaffected. "It sucks," said Bob Kocur, 50, of South Holland, holding a cigar stub in his left hand shortly after being reminded by a man in a Bears Fan Services T-shirt that the game was about to start. "I think each year they make it harder to be a Bears fan. What harm does it do to have people standing here? This is part of the tradition-they're taking part of the tradition away."
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Christmas in July at Georgetown Ludwig At Large "Bryce waved at him and Chad waved him down (onto the field). Then Chad said, ‘I want to take him with me to work out.' "
Hanigan wins it for Bats Louisville Courier Journal "He battled," Sweet said. "Same thing he's been doing. He's our best hitter working deep counts, making the pitcher work. The deeper you get a lot of times, the more pitches you see, the better chance you have of getting a base hit. He finally got a pitch he could handle."
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"24" returns with changes RedOrbit.com Admired, lionized, and copied since it bowed in the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11, "24" was attacked, belittled, and -- worst -- nearly dismissed by fans and critics last season. So what'll one of television's truly groundbreaking series do for an encore this fall? In a word, change.
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Yonder going back to Miami?? Miami Herald Negotiations between the Cincinnati Reds and Alonso (who was taken 7th overall) are not going well and there is a chance the star slugger could elect to return to the Canes for his senior year.
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What happens if Yonder Alonso goes back to school?
Teams that fail to sign a first-round pick no longer receive an extra pick after the first round as compensation, but instead a virtually identical pick the following year; for example, a team that fails to sign the No. 5 pick one year will receive the No. 6 pick the next, rather than one in the 30s or 40s. The same compensation also now exists for unsigned second-round picks, while a team that fails to sign a third-round pick will receive a sandwich pick between the third and fourth rounds.-Baseball America
What if UC and X play on same night? What will FSN Ohio do? "We're going to do our best to schedule games so they don't conflict. If that becomes unavoidable, we'll handle those situations on a case by case basis"-Steve Pawlowski, Communications Manager FSN Ohio
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Congrats Cincinnati Steam They defeated the Columbus All-Americans 4-2 this afternoon to advance to the Championship! They will either face Lima, Stark County, or Columbus tomorrow at 1:00.
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Clones ink Weber CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Cincinnati Cyclones, 2008 Kelly Cup champions, announced that Chuck Weber has signed a multi-year contract with the club. Terms of the deal were not released. He has also been promoted to the position of Head Coach / Vice President of Hockey Operations, after having served the past two seasons as Head Coach / Director of Hockey Operations. Weber, 35, directed the Cyclones to a 55-12-1-4 record (.799 winning percentage), the North Division regular season and playoff championships, the American Conference regular season and playoff championship, the Brabham Cup (ECHL regular season best record) and Kelly Cup championships last season. Chuck was also selected as the John Brophy Award winner, the ECHL’s Coach of the Year Award—that is voted on by the other coaches in the league. “This is a great opportunity for me to continue with the Cincinnati Cyclones,” Weber said. “To know that the club has made this commitment to keep me here for a while speaks volumes for their desire to continue a level of success. The championship last season will put a big target on us and we welcome that challenge.”
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UC news Cincinnati - FSN Ohio and the University of Cincinnati have reached a new, multi-year agreement that will make FSN Ohio the exclusive regional cable home of UC football and men's and women's basketball. The announcement was made today by Steve Liverani, Senior Vice President and General Manager, FSN Ohio, and Mike Thomas, Director of Athletics, University of Cincinnati. UC programming in 2008-09 will include a minimum of 12 men's basketball games; two women's basketball games; preseason and postseason specials for football and basketball; season-long football and basketball coaches' shows; plus an extensive schedule of BIG EAST football and basketball games. Additional future programming will be crafted as well, including the airing of classic UC games and other special event broadcasts to be determined at a later date. The new relationship will begin Aug. 20 at 6 pm with a half-hour preseason look Inside Bearcats Football 2008. The show will be taped at the Bearcat's preseason home at Camp Higher Ground in West Harrison, IN and will feature in-depth interviews with Brian Kelly and the UC student-athletes. The new coaches' shows, which will be titled Bearcats Sports Weekly with Brian Kelly and Bearcats Sports Weekly with Mick Cronin - will air Wednesday nights beginning Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m. Additional replays will also be scheduled around FSN programming on Thursday, Friday plus other days throughout the week. BSW will also be linked nationwide through the FCS (FOX College Sports) Network. A magazine-formatted show, Bearcats Sports Weekly will be hosted by UC's Tom Gelehrter, who is the Bearcats' radio sideline reporter for football and director of new media for the department of athletics, along with student-athlete hosts from the sports which are in-season. Gelehrter will also handle play-by-play duties on the Bearcats women's basketball telecasts. He will work with former ESPN anchor and current local sports anchor Betsy Ross on the games.
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Another manager that benches guys for not hustling MLB.COM When it comes down to individual effort, it takes absolutely zero talent -- zero -- to try hard and play hard every day," Maddon said. "I'm OK with physical mistakes, with mental mistakes; I'm accepting of all that. The part that I'm not accepting of is the part that you can control. And that's your effort."
UPDATE Show preview Guest Chuck Weber, Cyclones coach with big news Topics Bengals: Who do you consider the team to beat in AFC North? Fan Code of Conduct: Great reaction from you guys yesterday Reds: What do you do with Homer? start, bullpen, AAA? Bronson Comments: What do you make of what he said about the personality of the team and who could be a leader? Athletes lives off the field: We will look at the changing media coverage of athletes and the impact of sites like The Big Lead, Dead Spin and Sports By Brooks. Do you check those out? Worst Sports Trades All-Time. See stories below. Name Game: Best names in sports...see below
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The All-Name College Football Team is out IRVINE, Calif., July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Marshall wide receiver Darius Passmore, Southern Mississippi punter Britt Barefoot and Duke quarterback Zack Asack are among the players nominated for the 2008 College Football All-Name Team(TM) as selected by the panel at http://www.all-nameteam.com. Some 700 NCAA Division I-A football players have been picked for further voting, after an extensive review of the more than 5,700 projected starters and backups for the nation's 119 Bowl Championship Subdivision teams. All-Name Team: Gavin Ketchum, WR, UCLA Darius Passmore, WR Marshall Josh Droppers, LG, Western Michigan SirVincent Rogers, RT, Houston Zack Asack, QB, Duke Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia Ziggy Hood, DT, Missouri Tommy Mama, CB, Central Michigan Marlon Lucky, RB, Northern Illinois Britt Barefoot, P, Southern Mississippi
Favre/Jets stat of the day Since September 27, 1992: Quarterbacks to start the 253 regular-season games for the Green Bay Packers -- (1) Brett Favre Quarterbacks to start the 253 regular-season games for the New York Jets -- (15) Browning Nagle, Ken O'Brien, Boomer Esiason, Jack Trudeau, Bubby Brister, Neil O'Donnell, Frank Reich, Glenn Foley, Vinny Testaverde, Rick Mirer, Ray Lucas, Chad Pennington, Quincy Carter, Brooks Bollinger, and Kellen Clemens (From listener Steven Sharp)
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Hmmmm I didn't realize FB Lorenzo Neal is without a team. Tampa Bay is considering signing him because starter BJ Askew (Colerain) has been bothered by an ankle injury.
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The numbers game Career completion percentage Favre 61.4 Pennington 65.6 Career QB rating Favre 85.7 Pennington 88.9 Career yards per attempt Favre 7.0 Pennington 7.2
(The Sporting News)
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Myth buster: Duke doesn't get the calls Gary Parrish, CBS Sports Duke was 35th in foul differential two years ago at minus-2.3 -- nestled between other famous call-getters Portland State (minus-2.2) and Eastern Washington (minus-2.4) -- and the reality is that in the past six seasons the Blue Devils have only once ranked in the top 10 in foul differential. That came in 2005-06, when they ranked sixth, and it followed years of them ranking 66th (in 2002-03), 45th (in 2003-04) and 30th (in 2004-05).
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NFL as moral authority?, since when? Ray Ratto, CBS Sports The NFL, which has been in embarrassing, illegal and downright creepy situations on an almost steady basis for years now, is basically telling you your behavior isn't up to their lofty standards.
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Bearcat practice update GoBearcats.com "The best way I would describe them is experienced and really fast," BK said. "We are faster as a unit than we were last year. Now, we have to stay healthy and the right guys have to be on the field."
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Quote of the day Chick Ludwig, Dayton Daily News Rookie wide receiver Jerome Simpson decelerated after making a nice catch and had the ball stripped away by strong safety Dexter Jackson. Wide receivers coach Mike Sheppard ripped Simpson for not running hard after the catch. "You did that at Coastal (Carolina)! You don't do that here!" Sheppard screamed.
Bengals hope Rivers is LB that sticks Lexington Herald Leader There were high expectations for Odell Thurman. He was the Bengals' second-round pick out of Georgia the same year as his college teammate Pollack. Thurman rocked as a rookie, only to hit the personal rocks thereafter. Suspended for 2006 and 2007, Thurman was re-instated, cut, suspended again. There were high hopes for Kevin Hardy and Landon Johnson and Ahmad Brooks and Caleb Miller, all promising linebackers to play for Lewis in Cincinnati, all without approaching the same success Ray Lewis experienced under Lewis in Baltimore.
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A-10 looking for more attention ESPN The television contract is not good. The A-10 has no regular home on television where you know you'll find a game. The conference has to do a much better job of promoting the elite teams in this conference, especially Xavier, Saint Joseph's, Temple and UMass in the near future.
Former Toledo hoops player charged in point shaving USA Today Sammy Villegas, who played basketball for four years at Toledo and has followed that with a professional career in his native Puerto Rico, is accused of shaving points in games during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons.
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More on NFL Fan Code of Conduct USA Today "Here's the standard: Enjoy yourself, come root for your team - but don't infringe on the enjoyment of another fan," said Eric Grubman, NFL executive vice president. "If you want to come root for another team, that's OK. But we don't want somebody pouring a beer over your head," he said.
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AFL2 team to Northern Kentucky? Les Crooks, General Manager of the the Bank of Kentucky Center, told me Wednesday night he has had "talks" with officials of the Arena Football League 2 franchise in Louisville about relocating the franchise. The city of Louisville is pursuing an AFL team. If that were to happen, the existing AFL2 Louisville Fire could move to Northern Kentucky. At this time Les places odds of relocation to Bank of Kentucky Center at "50-50". The AFL2 season begins in March. Details to follow.
Xavier basketball news The Xavier University Musketeers, coming off a record-setting 30-7 season that culminated in the 2008 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, join 2008 National Runner-up Memphis in the eight-team field for this November's O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The brackets, which were announced today, pit Xavier against Missouri in first round play on Thursday, November 20 at 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU. XU will play either Virginia Tech or Fairfield on Friday, November 21 at either 10:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU and could face off against Memphis on Sunday, November 23 on either ESPNU or ESPN2. Eight conferences will be represented in one of the most diverse lineups of the college basketball season when ESPN Regional Television (ERT) and ESPNU present the 2008 O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off in November. The tournament, presented in conjunction with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, will feature 12 games at the state-of-the-art Coliseo de Puerto Rico, in the cosmopolitan Hato Rey district of San Juan. All 12 games of the Tip-Off will be shown on ESPN2 or ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network. The 2008 field includes Xavier (Atlantic 10), Virginia Tech (ACC), USC (Pac-10), Missouri (Big 12), Seton Hall (Big East), Fairfield (MAAC), UT-Chattanooga (Southern) and Memphis (Conference USA). Four of the teams in the lineup participated in postseason play, including three 2008 NCAA tournament teams: Memphis, Xavier and USC, and one NIT team, Virginia Tech.
Bengals news The Bengals today waived rookie WR Travis Brown of New Mexico, with an injury settlement (hamstring). Brown was acquired by Cincinnati on waivers from Seattle on May 6.
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Who wants golfers? Time to do a PGA golf pool. This weeks' prize is a round of golf for four players at The Vineyard Golf Course on Nordyke Rd. in Cincinnati. (Vineyard golf pro Sam Arnold is competing in the PGA Championship) I will send you a trio of golfers to follow. If one of them wins, you win.
Guest update Two time Indy 500 and Dancing With The Stars champ Helio Castroneves will check in around 3:45 to preview the Saturday Ky Speedway Meijer 300.
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Sad news Joyce Battle, Wake Forest Associate Coach Jeff Battle’s wife, had been battling lung cancer successfully for many years, passed away today. Jeff was an assistant for Skip Prosser at Xavier from 1995-2001 and has been at Wake Forest since 2002. He coached under Skip for 14 seasons, at three different schools (Loyola, MD). Thoughts and prayers to the family.
Show preview Topics A River runs through Georgetown: Keith Rivers in the fold Bengals: Why is training camp attendance down 50%? AFC North: Who is the team to beat? Why? Fan Code of Conduct: What do you think of the new policy? Got a story about bad fan behavior at a sporting event? Athletes off the field: How much do you want/need to know? See the series of stories below about the changing media.
Jr: White Sox "my kind of team" USA Today "It was time for me to go," said Griffey, who spent the last 8 ½ years with the Cincinnati Reds. "It's a dream come true to play on a championship-type team.
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Cool scene last night
Jr gets standing ovation in debut at Comiskey Park in Chicago (Chris Sweda/Sun-Times) "I can count probably four other times that it's been like this," he said. "Going back to Seattle. Five-hundred [homers], 600, things like that and now here. And Cincinnati the first time."
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Holy Crap! We are nearing the end of season three of The Wire. Episode 11 was perhaps the best the show has had. I saw it coming. Hoped it wouldn't. It did. Dang. Can't wait to wrap it up tonight. What a show......from storylines to writing to character development.
Bats fastest to 70 wins in franchise history Louisville Courier Journal "Quite frankly, we're just trying to stay focused on playing good baseball," manager Rick Sweet said. "If we play good baseball, good things will happen. (The 70-victory mark is) a nice accomplishment. It makes me smile because these guys have worked very hard. This is a fun group of guys."
Gotta love the pro athlete Cleveland Plain Dealer Cribbs feels he has already ex- ceeded the six- year deal he signed before his Pro Bowl season last year. That contract, which has five years to go, was for about $6 million, in cluding a $2 million signing bonus.
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Reds news CINCINNATI - Approximately 400 Great American Ball Park Diamond Club tickets have been illegally obtained from the Cincinnati Reds and are being promoted and resold through unauthorized web sites and third party listings. Only resold Diamond Club tickets using print-at-home delivery are affected. Fans who purchased resold tickets to the Diamond Club are advised to contact their source of purchase, because these resold ticket tickets will not be honored for admission to games at Great American Ball Park. The Reds have turned the investigation over to law enforcement officials, and the club will continue to cooperate in the investigation. Online ticket purchases made via reds.com or StubHub, the official fan-to-fan ticket marketplace of the Reds, are not affected. Fans are encouraged to continue to use these authorized means of purchasing tickets online, but the Reds have temporarily disabled the print-at-home option. Tickets purchased online can be picked up at the Reds' ticket kiosks, or the tickets can be mailed. Fans with questions regarding the validity of a ticket purchase can contact the Reds' ticket office at (513) 765-7400.
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Is he tired....or is he Jack Armstrong? Edinson Volquez innings pitched '03 27 '04 127.1 '05 141 '06 154 '07 178.2 '08 143...on pace for 193 innings in '08 regular season ('08 ....+8.2 Dominican Winter League innings, +13 Spring Training innings)
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"Marty, this team is gonna hit" Tuesday night was the 36th time this season the Reds have scored fewer than three runs in a game....36 of 104 games (35%). They are 1-35 in such games. They scored fewer than three runs 40 times (25%) in 2007....going 7-33.
My stat of the night: The streak is over! Edwin Encarnacion's 1st inning RBI single to score Jeff Keppinger snapped a streak of 18 consecutive games without the Reds scoring in the 1st inning. Prior to Tuesday night, the last time the Reds scored in the 1st inning was Saturday, July 12 vs Milwaukee when Adam Dunn homered. Also.... The Reds are now 34-11 when they score first and 18-51 when the opponent scores first.
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Breaking down the AFC North
Bengals: Offensive woes being addressed in camp Steelers: New offensive philosophy focus of camp Browns: Browns need to resolve some issues to meet expectations
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NFL implements fan code of conduct Sun Times The NFL implemented a new code of fan conduct Tuesday, warning that spectators who misbehave will be ejected from stadiums and barred from coming back.
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Ohhh, ohhhh, ohhhhh Did you see Prince Fielder crush that fastball from Nick Massett after two pitches up and in? Good golly.
Transaction noticed July 29: Right-hander Tom Shearn was signed to a free-agent contract. He started the season with Triple-A Louisville and went 6-2 with a 4.53 earned-run average before being sold to a team in Korea.
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The most overrated position in sports ESPN The save is the only situation in which a manager makes his decisions based on a statistic rather than what makes the most competitive sense for his team.
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LeBron to Europe for 50-mill a year? ESPN A person close to James said Tuesday that the Cavaliers' superstar would strongly consider playing overseas if he was offered a salary of "around $50 million a year."
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It's IU vs ND Indiana will take on long-time rival Notre Dame in the first round of the EA Sports Maui Invitational as pairings were announced today for one of the nation's premier early-season college basketball tournament. The game will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. Eastern and will be shown on ESPN2. Marking its milestone 25th year, the eight-team competition will return to Maui's ocean-front Lahaina Civic Center Nov.24-26. The Hoosiers who captured the 2002 championship, will be making its fifth appearance in the event. The Hoosiers also competed in the tournament in 1990, 1994 and 1998. This will be the first meeting between IU and Notre Dame since December of 2004. The Hoosiers have a 47-20 edge in the series and have won eight of the last nine matchups.
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Training camp attendance down 50% Mark Curnutte's blog Georgetown College officials say overall attendance is Bengals training camp is down about 50 percent from last year, based on the count of vehicles paying to park.
Gotta love the pro athlete Cleveland Plain Dealer Cribbs feels he has already ex- ceeded the six- year deal he signed before his Pro Bowl season last year. That contract, which has five years to go, was for about $6 million, in cluding a $2 million signing bonus.
Dragons news Dayton, Ohio—The Dayton Dragons announced the following roster move today: Right-handed pitcher Kyle Lotzkar has been placed on the disabled list. Lotzkar suffered a fracture of the right ulna (elbow bone) on Sunday at Quad Cities. He has made 10 starts this season and is 2-3 with a 3.58 earned run average.
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UK gives QB the boot ESPN Pulley was arrested on traffic charges last month in Hardin County. In June, he
also received a citation for marijuana possession in Louisville. Pulley missed
last season because of academic reasons.
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5th starter for the Reds?
Casey sizes up his first pitch last night at the Freedom game. Thanks to listener Phil W. for the picture.
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Tom Browning is scheduled to call-in this afternoon from Rookie Ball in Billings This is the "Mr Perfect" bobblehead the Reds will give away to the first 30,000 fans Tuesday, September 16 vs St Louis. It honors the 20 year anniversary of his perfect game.
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UPDATED Show preview Guests Howard Griffith, Big 10 Network, they feature OSU tonight Tom Browning, Billings pitching coach Jim Kelch, voice of Bats Topics Bengals Reds Positional Greatness
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Thanks What a great time Monday night at the Florence Freedom Game. We had over 100 listeners. Thanks to everyone that showed up, from Buckeye Mike to the Mayor of Union. Thanks to Freedom Owner Clint Brown , GM Kari Rumfield, Director of Fun Kevin Schwab and everyone with the organization for having us. Cool story, Kari's husband is the manager of the opponent, River City, and her son was the bat boy for them. Players sign autographs right up to game time. They toss foul balls to kids. Manager Jamie Keefe even came over between innings and apologized for missing his 3:45 call-in with me today! Monday's theme was "Are You Ready For Some Football?". Fans wearing a football jersey could register for Bengals tickets. Clint was rockin' the James Hardy IU jersey, Kari wore a Randy Moss Vikings. I continue to insist Freedom baseball is the best bang for your buck in the area. All seats under $10. VIP seats, behind home plate, with waiter service, are only $9.50. Cool play area and games for the kids. Between innings entertainment throughout the game. And there is no question the Patriot Burger is the best in the area. Casey fired a one bounce fastball to the plate for his first pitch. The kids had a blast climbing up in the dugout in the 8th to draw raffle ticket winners for footballs and tickets to Bengals vs Lions.
Best wishes Best of luck to Steve Pawlowski, Communications Managers for FSN Ohio. Steve and his wife are moving to Phoenix, Arizona. Steve will be teaching at Arizona St. Steve lined up countless guests for me over the years involved with FSN Ohio and Fox Sports. I'll miss his help and will always appreciate his suport.
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Ouch, that's a shot Ravens 24x7 As bad as the Cincinnati Bengals are at finding talented players who can stay out of police line-ups coupled with how cheap they are when it comes to investing money in scouting, you'd think that they might know a little something about this former Bearcat from the University of Cincinnati. But then again, they are the Bengals
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Thought of the day As my family enjoyed the Florence Freedom last night, I was thinking about my building frustration with Bob Castellini and the doubts creeping in about Dusty Baker. And it hit me. Where do the pro teams stack up in this town compared to the high school, college and minor league teams/programs? Consider this in terms of success, confidence in front office, coaches, managers and teams, direction, vision, enjoyment and bang for your buck. The Bengals and Reds are at the bottom.....right? Stack up the success/entertainment value of the Reds and Bengals in the last 5-10 years to Xavier basketball, UC football and basketball, Cyclones hockey, HS sports etc. Stack up the cost of attending HS, college and minor league sports to pro sports. Compare the likes of Brian Kelly, Mike Bobinski, Sean Miller, Mike Thomas, Steve Specht, Chuck Weber to what we get from the pro teams. Are you more of a high school/college/minor league fan or a pro fan? Has it changed any over the years? Are you looking at options and finding more enjoyment beyond the pro teams? Just a thought to ponder. PS Dang, great minds think alike...Bill Koch wrote this for his blog
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Positional Greatness I read this paragraph in Scott Priestle's story in the Columbus Dispatch Sunday and thought about making it a topic.
"For more than 50 years, shortstop was the most stable position in the organization, transitioning with few hiccups from Roy McMillan (1952-1960) to Leo Cardenas (1962-1968) to Dave Concepcion (1970-1985) to Larkin (1987-2004). Combined, they played in 27 All-Star Games and won 12 Gold Gloves. Since late in the 2004 season, when then-general manager Dan O'Brien and manager Dave Miley decided it was time to audition for Larkin's replacement, the Reds have used 13 different starters at shortstop, including five this season."
Let's call the topic Positional Greatness. I think we started something like this years ago. What franchise has produced the best set of players at a given position over the last 50 years? Example: The franchise with the greatest catchers through the years is _______? We can go by position and include starting staff, bullpen and manager.
Here are mine: With some of the players at the position over the years. C- Dodgers: Martin, Lo Duca, Pizza, Scioscia, Yeager, Roseboro,(Campanella misses the '58 cutoff by a year) 1B-Cardinals: Pujols, McGwire, Clark, Hernandez, Clark, Cepeda, White, Musial 2B-Reds: Temple, Helms, Rose, Morgan, Oester, Boone, Reese, Doran, Phillips SS-Reds: McMillan, Cardenas, Concepcion, Larkin 3B-Braves: Matthews, Boyer, Evans, Horner, Pendleton, Jones LF-Red Sox: Williams, Yaz, Rice, Greenwell, Manny CF-Williams, Rivers, Henderson, Damon, Pepitone, Washington, Cabrera, Murcer, Mantle RF-Yankees: Maris, Jackson, Winfield, O'Neill, Mondesi, Sheffield, Abreu SP-Dodgers: Koufax, Drysdale, Sutton, Hershiser, Reuss, Welch, Hooton, John, Osteen, Messersmith, Fernando CL-Dodgers: Saito, Gagne, Shaw, Worrell, Howell, Neidenfuer, Howe, Marshall, Peranowski, Brewer MGR-Yankees: Torre, Martin, Green, Stengel, Piniella, Berra
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Best not in Hall of Fame: Kenny Anderson #10 Here is full version of the feature I played yesterday
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Events for a cause Clickhere for info on events for a cause.....and post your own event info
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When teammates fight
(The Enquirer/Al Behrman) How about Manny Para and Prince Fielder of the Brewers duking it out last night? They join the growing list of fighting teammates: *Carolina WR Steve Smith breaks the nose of teammate Ken Lucas *Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez and 1B Kevin Youkilis got into it in the dugout Can you think of any other fighting teammates over the years?
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UC waits patiently on Jones Bill Koch, Enquirer "He's all over the place," said UC coach Brian Kelly. "He's a little better, but not to the level we want him to be. It's a work in progress.
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Chad predicts "best year ever" Ludwig At Large I haven't seen Chad this excited, this fired up, this ‘amped' in a long time.
Wanna feel old? Happy Birthday Lonnie Anderson: 62 I had this poster on my wall
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How to use August and September? Dayton Daily News Asked if it isn't about time to think about next year and tinker with things, Baker said, "Not for me. Most of the guys who are pretty close to being major-league players are here already and have been most of the year. It isn't like we have 10 prospects at Triple-A who are ready to take a job up here.
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AFC North stuff
Quinn could play for half Thursday Steelers look to solidify the middle Ravens rookie WR's will be tested
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BK reels in another Cleveland Plain Dealer "I feel good about my decision," said Cook, who plans on majoring in education.
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Reds observations *I've seen Joe Morgan, Ron Oester, Brett Boone and Pokey Reese play 2B for the Reds. I'm not so sure Brandon Phillips isn't the best defensive 2B I've seen. *Jay Bruce's opposite field power is kind of stunning.
(Louisville Courier Journal) "I felt like I could get in a rhythm," said Harang, who added that he didn't feel any discomfort. "It was nice to get back out there and pitch."
(AP photo) They told him to sit down, Dusty Baker and Walt Jocketty and Bob Castellini, the Cincinnati Reds' brass. They apologized for interrupting his lunch. They had something to tell him. They wanted to trade him to the Chicago White Sox. They needed to know if he would approve.
Xavier news Xavier University's impressive 2008 Athletic Hall of Fame induction class includes former volleyball star Sara E. Bachus (Xavier '02), former Athletic Director Jeffrey H. Fogelson and basketball standout James M. Posey (Xavier '99), a key member of the NBA Champion Boston Celtics. The latest three inductees bring to 102 the number of individuals that are honored in the P. Douglas O'Keefe Athletic Hall of Fame at Cintas Center. The 2008 Xavier University Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will take place this year on Friday, September 12 at the Duff Banquet Center at Cintas Center. The reception begins at 7 p.m. The dinner and inductee ceremony begin at 8 p.m. Interested parties can call the Xavier Office of Special Events at 745-3571 for reservation information.
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UC hoops 11th best all-time MSNBC Few college basketball programs have hit Cincinnati's highs. Multiple national titles and Final Fours, legendary players and a bevy of conference crowns make the Bearcats among the all-time elite.
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Quotes from the weekend for us to discuss I'm not down on Dusty. I think he and Walt Jocketty will spend the winter with the broom and the wrecking ball. They will start assembling a team more in their images. Judging both should begin next season. But the manager has disappointed in one area within his control: He hasn't provided strong leadership.-Paul Daugherty, Enquirer
"I have never wanted to win more than I do right here, and I will, but this is Wayne Krivsky's team, not Walt Jocketty's and not mine. I just hope there is enough out there after the season that we can get to help us." - Dusty Baker in Dayton Daily News
Until the Reds show they at least know Adam Dunn's agent's phone number, there's no use writing and talking about him as part of the Reds' future.-John Fay, Enquirer
Lewis downplayed the absence of first-round pick Keith Rivers, the projected starting outside linebacker. "Keith is missing some time. But I'm not going to make a big deal out of it,"-Marvin Lewis in Enquirer
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Show preview Guests John Erardi, Enquirer Mike DeCourcy, The Sporting News C. Trent checks in from Georgetown Topics Bengals Reds: How do you improve the defense? Favre College hoops
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Hope to see you tonight Freedom Outing Tonight...7:05 Mention Homer and get $1 off an $8 reserved seat.... $1 hot dogs, popcorn and 12oz soda and $2 for 24-oz beers all night! Call 859.594.HITS (4487) and press ext. 30 for the Box Office. When the staff answers, mention Homer Outing, Box Office Manager Sarah Straughn and her staff will do the rest. Tickets can be purchased the night of the game as well. Freedom outing update Casey will throw out the first pitch Monday night. Drop me an email if you plan to atttend...our list is growing. See ya Monday! Monday's game is themed "Are You Ready for Some Football?" Wear your favorite football jersey and you will be eligible to register during the game for 4 first row, mid-field club level seats to the first Bengals exhibition game
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If you haven't checked it out The new daily on-line edition of The Sporting News is pretty cool. The daily content is amazing. Today Mike DeCourcy writes about UC's new recruit. There is a feature on OSU LB James Laurinaitis. NFL notes on every team. They cover all sports. Best parts: It's free...and they email it to you each morning.
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Mick reels in 7-foot-2 Reik Enquirer "John has worlds of talent as a shot blocker," said Dave Telep, recruiting analyst for Scout.com. "There's enough tools there to work with offensively but he's got to get his body ready to play in the NBA."
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My stat of the day When was the last time the Reds scored a run in the first inning? I looked it up: Saturday July 12 vs Milwaukee. Dunn hit a 3-run HR in the first as the Reds won 8-2 that day. So the Reds have not scored in the first inning in 17 consecutive games. During that span the Reds have been outscored a combined 18-0 in the first inning. The Reds record is 5-11 in this stretch...(pending Sunday's outcome) Record this season: When Reds score first: 33-11 When opponent scores first: 18-49
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Things heard from fans this weekend -"They need to fire Dusty...now" -"They should hire Pete Rose" -"You guys ran Jr out of town, how many games have they won since the trade?" -If they get rid of Dunn, I'm done, I'll never go to another game"
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Reese still flashing smile and glove Columbus Dispatch "I live day to day," Reese said. "What's in the past is in the past. You can't live on the past. My mother keeps me strong. The heavenly Father keeps me strong. I have no reason to be down. I'm playing the game I love. It's not where I want to be, the minors, but hey, I'm back at it, and who knows, maybe I'll get a chance again."
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Steam ends regular season in style The Cincinnati Steam were able to get their 30th win of the season defeating the Anderson Servants 8-4 on Friday night. A back and forth contest until the bottom of the sixth inning, the Steam put together a string of runs to put this one on the back burner. The Steam set a franchise best with 30 wins and an 18-2 home record heading to the playoffs in Xenia.
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Is football the official sport of Indiana? Indy Star Kerry Coombs "begged" for Indianapolis and southern Indiana as part of his recruiting area when he joined the University of Cincinnati coaching staff a year ago after a successful run at Colerain High School in Cincinnati. "I said, 'We're going to make a living in Indy,' "Coombs said recently. "Purdue, Indiana and Notre Dame are in there, but we really didn't run into that many schools in our recruiting. That will change. I think you're going to see more schools on a national stage recruiting Indy. Football at the high school level is just growing by leaps and bounds."
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Does it take an act of Congress to get Chris Dickerson up? They Reds are 51-61...season done. It's all about 2009. So why the heck don't the Reds call-up AAA CF Chris Dickerson to at least see what he can do? Take the time to answer a question now. He was 3 for 5 last night, batting .279 with a .381 OBP, 11 hr's, 49 rbi's and 25 sb's. Same with AAA all-star catcher Ryan Hanigan....hitting .311 and a .381 OBP. Can they play? I have no idea. That is the point. If you see they can't, cross them off the list. I got news for you, fans realize the season is over. It's not throwing in the towel....it's extended spring training.
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Medical alert Dragons starting pitcher Kyle Lotzkar left the game with an undisclosed arm injury in the third inning. He was the 53rd overall pick in the supplemental 1st round of the 2007 draft. He's 2-3 3.86 this year with 48 k's in 35 innings.
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Bengals and Rivers "far apart" ESPN The two sides remain in constant negotiations. The source added that talks could improve dramatically at any time, but as of Sunday afternoon the team was not close to striking a deal with Rivers.
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Things I think I know (To borrow a page from Peter King) No MLB team that hopes to contend will have the following in 2009 Encarnacion starting at 3B Keppinger or Hairston starting at SS Hairston or Freel starting in CF Bako, Ross or Valentin as their starting C Things I don't know, but wonder about Edwin in LF......or 1B Votto in LF Phillips in CF Things I know Phillips would be a heck of a SS
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Reds offensive woes Sunday was the 35th time this season the Reds have scored fewer than three runs in a game. 35 of 102 (34%). They are 1-34 in such games. They scored fewer than three runs 40 times (25%) in 2007.....going 7-33 in those games.
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Improving the Reds defense Enquirer The priorities for the Reds are acquiring 1.) a go-get-'em center fielder, 2.) a better shortstop and 3.) a catcher.
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Worst TV camera angles in sports (Compiled with the input of TV game crews) 1. Nationals Park behind home plate camera 2. Oklahoma St basketball overhead camera 3. Cameron Indoor Stadium 4. UD Arena (a director's nightmare)
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Reds stuff
Pitch count Pitches thrown in first inning of last four games: 30 Cueto, Sunday 24 Fogg, Saturday 31 Bailey, Friday 21 Volquez, Wed
Sure glad the Reds had a players only meeting I shudder to think how they would have come out Sunday without one. 4 run allowed in the first. Error on Dunn. Phillips picked off.
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Training camp postcard: Bengals CNNSI The search for a No. 3 receiver to replace Chris Henry, released in the offseason because of misconduct issues, could end with Antonio Chatman.
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Camp fun for kids, not so much for players MSNBC The romance is seeing those boys lined up for autographs twice a day in Mequon, and the kids in Green Bay loaning their bikes to Packers players to ride to and from practice. It's probably why even after sweating through two-plus hours of body slamming, most players willingly stand there forever signing every bit of memorabilia shoved in their faces even though they trudge off that practice field exhausted after two-a-days.
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Bengals looking to move on after chaotic offseason ESPN The Bengals need Johnson to perform this year if they want to be a playoff team, so his happiness is important. Along those lines, the team reportedly recently agreed to revisit his contract status in 2009, which should cease the constant infighting between Johnson and the organization.
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Those classy Steeler fans Dayton Daily News A Pittsburgh fan, in a black truck with an inflatable Steelers mascot in the truck bed, surfaced on the hillsides near both ends of the stadium at different intervals on Friday and Saturday, laying on the truck horn in an attempt to interrupt the proceedings.
Ken Griffey Jr says thanks and apologizes Jr released the following statement Saturday evening: I would like to thank the Cincinnati Reds organization for allowing me to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing for my hometown team. I will always value the lasting friendships I have with the Lindner, Castellini and Williams families. While my nine seasons there were filled with personal highlights - like hitting my 400th, 500th and 600th home runs in a Reds uniform - and the negatives of having to fight through too many injuries, my biggest regret is that we were not able to win a world championship while I was there. I also would like to thank my many teammates, managers, coaches and Reds employees for their help and support and to acknowledge the many friendly relationships I had with most of the members of the local media. I will miss the banter. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank Reds fans for their support. I really do understand that the overwhelming majority of fans wanted so badly for me to succeed. Additionally, I would like to sincerely apologize to those fans offended by my wrongful actions last Saturday night. It was an overreaction on my part to what I felt was a series of public inaccurate and unfair remarks about me. I wish nothing but success for the Reds both on and off the field.
Sincerely,
Ken Griffey Jr.
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UK announces basketball schedule "We're extremely excited about this year's very challenging schedule," said UK head coach Billy Gillispie. "It should prepare us for anything we could see over the entirety of the season. We're particularly excited about our home schedule, which will be very demanding and exciting for our fans. We can't wait to get started."
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How about this Dragon tale? Dayton, Ohio--Randy Ruiz was 23-years-old when he belted 20 home runs for the Dayton Dragons in 2001. Since that season, Ruiz has played in 11 minor league cities in seven organizations, but on Friday, he was promoted to the major leagues for the first time by the Minnesota Twins at the age of 30. Ruiz becomes the 28th former Dragons player to reach the major leagues. He was the designated hitter and went 1 for 3 in the Twins win over the Cleveland Indians on Friday night. Ruiz had spent the first four months of the 2008 season, his 10th year in professional baseball, with the Twins' Triple-A affiliate, Rochester. He batted .320 with 17 home runs and 68 runs batted in while playing in 111 games. Ruiz, from Bronx, New York, reached the Dragons in his third professional season in 2001, when his manager was current Dragons manager Donnie Scott for a team that reached the Midwest League semi-finals. Ruiz returned to Dayton in 2002 and hit eight more home runs while batting .302 in a half season of action, earning a promotion to Stockton. He was released by the Reds the following spring. Since 2002, Ruiz has played in the Orioles, Phillies, Royals, Yankees, Pirates, Giants, and Twins organizations. He has played in the California League, the South Atlantic League, the Carolina League, the Texas League, the Eastern League, the International League, and now, the American League. Ruiz has hit at least 20 home runs in four different seasons in his career. In 2007, he had the ultimate nomadic experience when he played for four different clubs including three different teams in the same league, appearing with Altoona, Reading, and Connecticut of the Eastern League.
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Must see TV ESPN Classic is running a Muhammad Ali Marathon today. UNREAL. I just watched the 1964 Heavyweight Title Fight between 19-0 Cassius Clay and the 36-1 champion Sonny Liston in Miami Beach. Liston was an 8 to 1 favorite. The footage is incredible. Joe Lewis is the ringside commentator. Clay's hands and speed is unreal. Angelo Dundee, Clay's trainer; is probably 40 years old, with black hair. This is the fight where Clay gets a substance in his eye, that almost blinds him for two rounds. Some speculated the ointment was placed on Liston's glove between rounds. Clay wins in 7 when Liston did not answer the bell with a shoulder injury. Some thought Liston gave up. The post fight was incredible.....Clay was screamin...."I am the greatest....I'm so pretty.....I shook up the world.....I'm a bad man." Lewis called it the greatest upset in heavyweight boxing history during the post fight.. Dundee said, "This guy is the greatest thing that could have happened to boxing". The next day Clay announced he was changing his name to Muhammad Ali. Later today they will replay the Rumble in The Jungle, The Thrilla in Manila and other bouts.
A Royal debut for Jr Chicago Tribune What came from the addition of Griffey -- at least in his first Sox game -- was a left-handed swing that looks like art, and a presence that can make opposing pitchers gnaw their nails between innings. ''If we're going to have all this media because we have Griffey, we're going to send his **** back to Cincinnati,'' Guillen said after the game. ''He was part of three of the four runs we scored, he's going to make everyone better, but if Javy didn't have the game he did and [closer] Bobby [Jenks], we don't win.''
(Chicago Tribune Photo)
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Nakamura uses hard work, instincts USA Today "Haruki is like a magnet with the ball," secondary coach Chuck Pagano said. "He's very instinctive. You've seen the way he can play the ball, his nickname is: Johnny on the spot."
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Hey Homer The Washington Nationals entered action Friday night as the worst hitting team in MLB vs right handed pitching....hitting .233. That was just below the Reds at .242. The Nationals had scored the fewest runs, 275, of any team in MLB vs right handed pitching......18 fewer than the Padres.
