HERE, WE GET LOCAL SCAM ARTISTS POLITCIANS
In Japan, they get Mariah Carey to throw out the first pitch.

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YAWN.
Pete Rose bet on baseball. In case you had forgotten.

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JOSH HAMILTON IN SI

58 RBI. Freaking amazing. Check out the article here.

During the 2007 season Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips grumbled to a reporter that there was more focus on Hamilton than on winning. Hamilton acknowledges that he sensed some resentment in the locker room from three or four players and says, "I didn't care. I went about my business, spending time with the fans, doing stuff that I was supposed to be doing and getting some [media] attention. They blamed what they were pissed off about on [Narron]. I think they were just jealous they weren't getting the attention."

To avoid a similar occurrence in Texas, Daniels asked a few clubhouse leaders, including Kinsler, shortstop Michael Young and third baseman Hank Blalock how they thought players would react to having Narron around. "Basically what we told J.D. was, 'If this guy is going to help us win baseball games,' " says Kinsler, " 'we don't care.'

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WONDER WHAT DRUNKS DO IN COLUMBUS DURING OSU OFFSEASON?
They go to Columbus Crew games.
(Thanks to The Big Lead)

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ELISABETH HASSELBECK IS 31 TODAY
Now you know.

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JAY BRUCE: THE DEAL.
This is pretty cool piece from my favorite baseball blog.

The last thing in the world I ever expected to see was Bruce, before the biggest game of his life; signing one autograph after the other. But it just goes to show that is what this guy is. There's no Hollywood involved with 'The Deal'. He is a down to earth country boy who can simply hit a baseball much better than you or I. That is all.

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SCOTT HATTEBERG MIGHT HAVE SOME INTEREST FROM THE METS
Poor guy.

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CHINA BANS NBA GAMES FOR BEING TOO ENTERTAINING
Note it says nothing here about WNBA games being off limits.

WHAT HAPPENED TO JUST SPITTING IN YOUR HAND?

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THANK YOU MARK MADDEN!
Thanks to you, I will no longer be the dumbest sports talk host to ever speak into a microphone!

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette quoted Madden as saying that he had hoped Sen. Edward Kennedy "would live long enough to be assassinated." The Massachusetts Democrat has a malignant brain tumor.

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STUFF TO PONDER WHILE WONDERING WHEN THIS BLOG BEGAN TO SUCK
-Wow.

-From e-mailer Michael....

Remember Lebron's performance last year when Cleveland adopted the "witness" slogan? That's how I feel tonight. We witnessed greatness in person.

That was legitimately one of the greatest nights I've ever spent at the ballpark. I can watch this the rest of the year, regardless of the record. Just f'n amazing.

-17,000+ in the park. Years from now, how many people will have said they were there? If you didn't go, and you've been yelling for Jay Bruce for months, why didn't you go?

-There are 110 games to go. Can Jay Bruce catapult them to wins in 105 of them? Is his presence enough to make this team count this year?

-This is weak.

-I yell and scream until I'm blue in the face that more people should be watching the NBA, then they offer up that crap in San Antonio last night.

-The first day on your job wasn't as cool as Jay Bruce's and your Memorial Day wasn't as cool as this.

TUESDAY TOPICS. ALLITERATION!
-The Reds are calling up an outfielder from AAA. Discuss.
*You going? I am.
*Is it enough to make the Reds relevant this year?
*Is this the Reds most ballyhooed debut ever? Is the most anticipated Reds home game since Junior's debut?
*Are we at least seeing the laying out of a plan?
*Are we putting undue pressure on Jay Bruce?
*Who becomes the guy we now whine about not being here?
*If Jay's coming, who should go? The correct answer is Scott Hatteberg.

-For the love of God, someone explain how a Major League team employs Matt Belisle to pitch. Is it ok to root against him by now?

-Danica Patrick is a joke.

-Would your wife/girlfriend sit through an 18 inning game?

-Cyclones. Fad?

-Should a girl be kicked off a boys team because she's too good?

-Movies involve a suspension of reality. But not to the extent they ask you to suspend it in the latest "Indiana Jones." And where was Short-round?

-WTF?

-This woman is gonna pose for Playboy.

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THIS IS JUST UNREAL
Some guy name Mutt was married to Shania Twain.  He left her for the woman on the right.

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E-MAIL ME WHAT YOU PLAN ON DOING AT WORK TODAY
Since I have to tell you what I'm going to do.
-The Reds. Not a very good baseball team. They gave up four homers and 14 hits to a team with a collective batting average of .236

-Please tell me you heard George Grande say this..."When Dick Pole is in your face its rough"

-So, we're getting a Sprint Cup race. You going?

-We have a good hockey team. You going? Is the success of the Cyclones one of Cincinnati's best sports turnarounds?

-I like the girl in the Mercury ads.

YEAR TWO. DAY ONE. THIS IS WHAT I'LL DAZZLE YOU WITH?
-Why is Marvin Lewis forcing his support for the National Organization for Women on his players?

-Is the Bengals "window" open, closing, or closed?

-This may seem harsh....

"His grandmother's been buried for quite a while,"Lewis said. “Don’t get into his whole family structure. He has not played football in two years. And we have people who will be better for our football team.”

“We’ve been patient enough with Odell, and he’s no longer here. No big deal.”

....but is it the sign of the tougher, less tolerant Marvin we've been begging for?

-If you didn’t watch it/listen to it, did it really happen?? Can we just pretend that whatever happens west of the Mississippi doesn’t really count for anything? I feel like taking a really long Reds nap and when I wake up they will have won 6 games in a row.

-There are reports this morning, right now unsubstantiated of Cyclones fans spray painting Cyclones logos on public property. Backwards. You act like a loon after you win the championship. Or is this symbolic of the fact the we are so starved for winning we've forgotten to behave? If you want your team taken seriously, can you have your fans acting like that?

-Please explain why the WWE has a steroids policy.

-My streak of never having watched American Idol after the freak stage is in tact, but apparently, Carrie Underwood was tremendous last night.

-Our golf outing is tomorrow (you're playing, right?). I'm the worst golfer on the planet, but I enjoy playing. What are the best things that you can enjoy while completely sucking at it?

-I have tickets for Tuesday night, therefore I want John Fay to be right.

I'm saying with prediction that Bruce gets the call when the Reds return home. Again, that's just a hunch.

If that happens, is it enough to get you to go out to ball games? And, more importantly, what will Reds fans pine for once Bruce is here? At least when we lose one game, everyone can roll with the “AHHHH where’s Jay Bruce?? Jay doesn’t let this stuff happen!!”