Belisle back to Louisville
From the Reds:  Today the Reds optioned to Class AAA Louisville RHP Matt Belisle and reinstated from the 15-day disabled list LHP Kent Mercker.  RHP Josh Fogg will start Saturday's game against the Braves.

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Reds keep winning....at home
Enquirer.com
Bronson Arroyo on short rest, a six-run first inning and the friendly confines of Great American Ball Park added up to a breeze of a win for the Reds on Wednesday night.  The Reds beat up on the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-1 before a crowd of 15,797 - plus about 8,000 Kid Glove ticket buyers - at Great American.

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As the Reds go for a record...so does Bruce
Enquirer.com
Jay Bruce's second game was not perfect, like his first, but he came close to tying a record for getting on base.  The 21-year-old center fielder walked in his first trip to the plate Wednesday night, becoming the first player since 1977 to reach base in his first six big-league plate appearances. He went 3-for-3 with two walks in his big-league debut Tuesday night, making him the 12th player since 1956 to reach base in his first five plate appearances.

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More on the records
From the Reds:  The Reds are 16-9 at home this season  (.640)...have won their last 9g at home, extending their Great American Ball Park record and their longest winning streak in the Queen City since a 9-game stretch from 7/20-8/8, 1980 at Riverfront Stadium...haven't won 10 straight games here since their last 10 home games of the 1978 season (9/9-10/1)...the club record for consecutive victories at home is 17, from 5/24-7/16, 1896 (1896 is correct, courtesy Elias Sports Bureau).

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Entourage Returns!!!
Really hoping we get to see more of "Sloan" in season 5....Known in real life as Emmanuelle Chriqui....she's just amazing.

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So you can't afford an accountant?
Enquirer.com
Disgruntled Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson, who wants out of Cincinnati, owes more than $13,000 in taxes on his Walnut Hills home.  According to tax records at the Hamilton County Auditor's Office, Johnson owes a total of $13,063.35. Of that, $12,780.30 is delinquent.  The latest taxes were due in February.

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Anyone else wonder?
How could someone who makes as much as Chad Johnson makes, and not have an accountant?  And at the very least, you'd think that Drew Rosenhaus would help him out...or at least keep Chad in line with that kind of thing.  He get's paid 3% of his contract....jeez.  Just another case of CJ thinking he's above the "law."

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Tonight you can touch history....
Beginning tonight, visitors to the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum can touch history in the form of the batting gloves worn by Adam Dunn when he hit the 252nd home run of his career, a blast that pushed him past Reds Hall of Famer Ted Kluszewski into first place on the franchise's all-time list for home runs hit by a lefthanded batter, and a game bat used by Kluszewski...fans can have their photos taken holding the batting gloves and bat...the hands-on exhibit will be available to fans through the remainder of the homestand...admission to the exhibit is free with a paid ticket to the Hall of Fame.

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Wanna bet??  Call the Hilton
Tonight's Cyclones vs. Wranglers Kelly Cup Finals game is officially on the books at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas.  It's the first time in Cyclones history and just the second time in ECHL history that a game has been "bettable" in Vegas.  The over/under for combined goals tonight is 5.

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Clones seek upper hand
Enquirer.com
Entering the Kelly Cup Finals, Cincinnati Cyclones coach Chuck Weber anticipated a drawn-out tug-of-war with the Las Vegas Wranglers. The teams seem to be on track for just that after splitting the first two games at U.S. Bank Arena.  Next in the best-of-seven series: Games 3, 4 and 5 in Las Vegas. Action resumes at 10:05 p.m. today when the Cyclones face the Wranglers at Orleans Arena.

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Odom fitting right in on the line
Enquirer.com
From his view in the middle of the violent scrum that is trench play in the NFL, Domata Peko saw a strange sight during offseason practices last week.  The Bengals defensive tackle noted Wednesday - when asked about the effect defensive end Antwan Odom could have on the team - that Odom and fellow end Robert Geathers are attracting additional attention from offensive linemen during spring field work.

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Former RedHawk now a Bengal
Dayton Daily News - Chick Ludwig
The Cincinnati Bengals' roster just got spiced with a little local flavor.  Rookie cornerback Jerrid Gaines, a former prep star at Springfield South High School, was signed by the Bengals on Thursday, May 29.  Gaines, a 5-foot-11, 189-pounder from Miami of Ohio, went undrafted in April. He was originally signed by the Cleveland Browns as college free agent, but got released by the Browns on May 4.

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THANK YOU!
Thanks to everyone who checked out my Stanley Cup Finals blog last night.  It was a great game and now we have ourselves a good old fashioned good series.  I have to run the Reds game on Saturday so I won't be blogging on Saturday for game 4...but I WILL be getting up the game 5 in Detroit on Monday.

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TGIT....Cheerleader of the Week
Brianna - UCLA

Name: Brianna
School: UCLA
Birth Date: June, 1988
Hometown: Sunnyvale, Calif.
Year: Sophomore
Major: Undeclared

1. I love UCLA but I almost went to: Santa Clara University (Good thing I didn't!).

2. My favorite class is: Communication Studies courses.

3. Movies I can't live without: Pretty Woman, The Notebook, and P.S. I Love You.

4. Music I can't live without: R&B, Country, Hip Hop and Pop.

5. TV shows I can't live without: Brothers and Sisters.

6. What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you during a game? In the beginning of the year it was hard to remember all the dances so I messed up on some of them pretty badly.

7. My favorite sport is: That's tough, I really enjoy three-football, basketball, and baseball. I couldn't pick a favorite.

8. My favorite professional sports teams are: The Green Bay Packers and The Oakland A's.

9. My one Guilty Pleasure is: Diddy Riese cookies. I couldn't live without them.

10. My best physical feature: My hair.

11. Strange and unusual fact about me: I wore leg braces for three years when I was little.

12. My friends would be surprised to know that I: Nothing, I tell my friends everything.

13. Favorite Foods: Sushi, pasta, and of course, cookies.

14. Five People I'd Like To Have Dinner With (Living or Dead): John Wooden, Jessica Simpson, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Julia Roberts.

15. Three People who annoy me: Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie and Janice Dickinson.

16. Next Risk I Want To Take: Finding a job when I graduate.

17. If your life had a theme song, what would it be? Dreams by Gavin DeGraw.

18. What reality show would you do best on and why? Deal or No Deal, because I'm lucky.

19. If I won the lottery, the first thing I'd buy is: A Blackberry. I'm dying to have one.

20. Describe the worst date you ever went on: My boyfriend has a problem watching other people eat. On our first date, he watched the TV behind me the whole time!

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This kid did what we all wanted to do at some point in our little league days...

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Looks like Mark Mallory is off the hook 

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Best  mirror pep talks
Maxim

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You gotta be some kinda screwed up...
Yahoo News
A woman told Cincinnati police that she heard a noise and then felt something cold on her feet. Police said a man crawled under a table at a University of Cincinnati library and used a syringe to spray saltwater onto the woman's shoes.

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6:45 PM
Made it to Melon Arena (aka The Igloo) with plenty of time to set up shop before the game.  Pittsburgh smells.  I don't like it.  But, for an old building, Melon Arena isn't too too bad...they had some cool gameday entertainment, showing old Penguins games on a huge jumbotron hung outside.

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7:58 PM
Teams have come and gone for warmups...the last 30 minutes has been spent trying to figure out how to get internet in this old barn...finally got it working obviously.  In the meantime, I went downstairs to the media area underneath the facility, where all the big shots were....ran into Barry Melrose and his major mullet, plus Steve Levy...they were doing their ESPN live shot.  Just a bunch of people pretending to work....like me.

Here's a shot of where I'll be blogging from...not exactly prime location, but it's still a pretty damn good view.  Plus, let's be honest, I get to be at the Stanley Cup Finals....that's worth it.

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8:11 PM
Lights out at Mellon Arena as they are introducing the Penguins starting lineup and getting ready to drop the puck....very cool scene as the entire place is wearing white.  White-out conditions tonight.  Gonna be a loud....and the Penguins need all the help they can get down 2-0.

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8:20 PM
Puck drops...we're underway

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8:21 PM
Detoit gets the first penalty as Franzen gets whisleted down.  At home, the Penguins could really use their first goal of the series.  0-0, 18:56 left 1st.

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8:24 PM
Pittsburgh negates what was left of their power play an Detroit will go on the man advantage...although Pittsburgh is looking MUCH faster tonight than in their previous 2 games.  Still 0-0.

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8:34 PM
First media timeout...Penguins look very strong for a change...much, much more composed than in games 1 and 2.  Even still, they NEED the first goal or this one could get ugly.  Still 0-0, 11:35 left 1st.

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8:42 PM
Penguins took another penalty, Sergei Gonchar gets a hooking call...Detroit back on the PP with 7:53 left in first...still 0-0.

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8:52 PM
The shutout streak is over....Sidney Crosby scores after Detroit turns the puck over in their own zone....It's Pittsburgh's first goal of the series....over 130 minutes of shutout hockey before their first goal.  1-0 Pittsburgh, 2:25 left 1st.

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8:57 PM
End of the first period...certainly well controlled by the Penguins.  Detroit also got a penalty towards the end of the frame that will give Pittsburgh a 1:19 PP when the 2nd period begins.  Detroit looks back on their heels for sure.  End 1st....1-0 Pittsburgh.

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9:18 PM
2nd period begins,...Penguins kill off what was left and now have a PP of their own as Niklas Kronwall gets a penalty.....and within 30 seconds of that call...Crosby gets his 2nd goal of the night smacking home a rebound.  BIG goal...2-0 Pittsburgh, 17:26 left 2nd.

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9:24 PM
First media timeout of the 2nd period...and wow....Pittsburgh is dominating through the first 6 minutes.  Detroit needs a goal...badly.

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9:36 PM
It's amazing what home ice advantage will do for you.  The Penguins look like a completely different team tonight than they did in their first two....Another media timeout, and the Wings have had very little success in the Pittsburgh zone.  Even with a power play.  Still 2-0 Pittsburgh, 8:33 left 2nd.

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9:45 PM
HUGE goal by Detroit and it all starts by crashing the net.  Johan Franzen takes the puck past 2 defenders and smashes is past Fleury to pull within 1.  2-1 Pittsburgh, 5:12 left 2nd.

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9:55 PM
Detroit turned it on late in the frame, but Pittsburgh still leads 2-1 at the end of the 2nd Period.

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10:13 PM
Period 3 is about to start....the Penguins need to be careful in the first 3 / 4 minutes of the period since the Wings were buzzing late in the 2nd.

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10:23 PM
Both teams really throwing their weight around to start the third period...but after a bad scramble in front of the Detroit net, the Penguins found a way to put the puck behind Osgood to regain a 2-goal lead....that will be a hard lead to overcome.  3-1 Penguins, 12:32 left 3rd.

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10:30 PM
Doesn't look good for Detroit...Pittsburgh isn't allowing any stuff from in front of the net, which is where the Wings are very dangerous.  They're doing a good job of playing keep-away hockey...which could mean a 2-1 series in about 6:39.

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10:33 PM
Just when I said it may be out of reach...Mikael Samuleson scores a goal over Fleury's shoulder.  3-2 PIttsburgh, 6:14 left 3rd.

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10:40 PM
Not a great time for a Penguins penalty.  Although they're still up 1, they will spend half the remaining time in regulation killing off a hooking call to Evgeni Malkin...against the NHL's best power play.  Should be fun.....3-2 Pittsburgh, 4:18 left 3rd.

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10:48 PM
Detroit pulled the goalie but were unable to score, this guarantees at least a fifth game in Mo-town on Monday.  PIttsburgh wins 3-2....Detroit leads the series 2-1.

He's here
Today the Reds recalled from Class AAA Louisville OF Jay Bruce and designated for assignment 1B Scott Hatteberg.  For clarification, Bruce's contract was selected from Louisville. He was not on the 40-man roster.

FROM THE REDS: Bruce, 21, has been rated the top prospect in the minor leagues...he has  spent the season at Louisville, where in 49g he hit .364 with 9 doubles, 5 triples, 10hr, 37rbi and 8 stolen bases...when  promoted he led the International League in hitting and hits (67) and ranked among the IL leaders in slugging percentage  (.630, 3rd), runs scored (34, 4th), extra-base hits (24, T4th) and RBI (T5th)...in his last 20g for the Bats he produced 13  multi-hit games and hit .456 to raise BA from .284 to .364 (6 2b, 2 3b, 5hr, 16rbi, 18r)...he will wear uniform #32. 

Perfect time for a little buzz....Griffey is 2 HR shy of 600 while Bruce's promotion has been anticipated and called for since Opening Day.

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Here's Jay
Enquirer.com
The Reds will make the move every Reds fan from Zanesville to Addyston has been calling for:  Uber-prospect Jay Bruce will be promoted to the big club in time for today's opener of the three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The corresponding move was not announced.

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To make room for Bruce...Hatteberg is out
Dayton Daily News
The Cincinnati Reds designated for assignment first baseman Scott Hatteberg today, May 27. The move was made in order to make room for outfielder Jay Bruce, who was called up from Triple-A Louisville.  Hatteberg played in 34 games this season for the Reds, batting just .173. He was 9-for-52 at the plate with seven RBIs. The 38-year-old became expendable when Joey Votto showed he could handle everyday duties at first base.

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Meet the Bengals "Rudy"
Dayton Daily News
Just as Notre Dame had long-shot legend Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, Ohio State had one of its own in Tyler "Tank" Whaley.  And now "Tank" is a Cincinnati Bengal - of the non-drafted college free agent variety - ready to bulldoze his way onto the field and into the hearts of Bengals fans, who are going to love this kid.

 

Baseball Tonight gang weigh in on Bruce
ESPN

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Drew Rosenhaus must not have been offered money by ABC....
SI.com
Fresh off his first sitcom role, Terrell Owens is ready to take on more television jobs. Just don't look for one of them to be on Dancing With The Stars.  "They asked me to do that last year and I graciously declined," Owens said. "I don't need to get on national TV to show people I can dance. I do that 16, 17 weeks out of the year. I've been doing it all my career."

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Supernatural
SI.com
Josh Hamilton is at peace now, at peace even when he sleeps. "I used to have dreams all the time," he says. "They were so real, I'd wake up and take a real deep breath in, like I was hitting the crack pipe."

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Who got the better deal
SI.com
Two thoughts came to mind at the time: 1) Why would the Reds, after rescuing Hamilton from his troubled past, surrender one of baseball's best talents, not to mention one of its best stories? And 2) Why would the pitching-poor Rangers trade a top pitching prospect for such a question mark?  Those questions seem worthless today as both players are flourishing in their new locales, beyond anyone's expectations, and that goes for the two GMs who signed off on the trade.

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NFL teams won't punish players for previous problems
Fox Sports
The NFL's personal conduct policy is about to get stricter - but not before every team is allowed to start with a clean slate.  FOXSports.com has learned new league rules resulting in fines for clubs whose players are suspended for off-field violations begin June 1. But the NFL is pardoning franchises whose players' legal problems occurred before then. 

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Stanley Cup Finals
What a great time at the Joe Louis Arena last night in Detroit for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals.  I'll be in Pittsburgh tomorrow night to do it all over again for Game 3.  I'll be at my computer pretty much all night long tomorrow...so if you're watching / following along on the blog, feel free to send me some messages or email me.

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Speaking of hockey....
I don't think the Stanley Cup will have this fate when it is raised sometime in the next 10 days...love the reaction.

7:08 PM
Made it to the Joe Louis Arena without any problems...although I saw plenty of cops on my way up.  I'm trying to work it out so I can take pictures....but that'll be an effort that continues as we get closer to game time....the gameday atmosphere, as you would expect is pretty sweet.....lots going on around the building and on the way in.  More on the way as we get closer, and hopefully pictures!

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7:37 PM
The teams are on the ice warming up for game 2 of the series.  Before the warmups began, I went downstairs to check out the food...not a bad spread....but it was cool seeing some of the old hockey players that used to play for Detroit or Pittsburgh just hanging around.  Saw former Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman, player Vladimir Konstantinov, Jari Kuri, and Tie Domi chilling in suits that probably cost more than I'll ever make....ah well. 

The fans are already starting the "Let's Go Wings" chant...very cool

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8:00 PM
Still trying to figure out how to get pics from my cell phone up on the blog....but to describe the scene, we're inside 10 minutes to puck drop and they have lit the entire ice in a purple glow....their mascot is a purple octopus....hence the purple ice.  Damn colors are confusing.

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8:09 PM
Teams are on the ice for the starting lineups and the puck drop....this place is going nuts.  They had an amazing pregame presentation with an HD projector that showed images of each player projected onto the full length of the ice....they know how to do it right here in Detroit.

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8:15 PM
Puck Drops.....I'll say again....Could be the loudest pro building I've ever been in....this is nuts.

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8:23 PM
First media timeout...the Red Wings have controlled the play...outshooting the Penguins 5-0 as there is 13:59 left in the 1st period.....0-0

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8:27 PM
Huge blast from the right circle by Brad Stuart gets past Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury...Red Wings 1, Penguins 0....12:27 left 1st....by the way, the Wings are 11-1 these playoffs when they score first.

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8:35 PM
A miscue behind the net allows probably one of the most dangerous Red Wings to get the puck in front of the net, Tomas Holmstrom feeds it to Henrik Zetterberg and pushes it past Fleury....Red Wings 2, Penguins 0....8:27 left 1st

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8:42 PM
Penguins penalty on Ryan Malone....2 minutes for interference...Red Wings on a power play 4:46 left 1st.

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8:47 PM
As the Red Wings power play expires, the Penguins will get a chance with man advantage as Dan Cleary gets a hooking call....2:11 left 1st.

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8:50 PM
As the first period ends, the Penguins get another penalty....Gary Roberts gets a roughing call and will give the Wings a power play when the second period begins....Red Wings 2, Penguins 0....End 1st

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9:08 PM
2nd period begins with Detroit on the power play

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9:15 PM
The ice still seems in favor of Detroit at this point....Pittsburgh looks very sloppy in their own zone, which has allowed the Wings to get some chances.  They'll have to tighten up if they want to score....still Red Wings 2, Penguins 0.....11:03 left 2nd

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9:27 PM
Things starting to get a little chippy behind the play....if I'm Pittsburgh, I see why....they haven't scored in over 105 minutes....still Red Wings 2, Penguins 0....6:05 left 2nd

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9:35 PM
Just seems to be that kind of day for the Penguins...perhaps their best chance to score from point blank range and the puck bounces off a skate and wide....still Red Wings 2, Penguins 0....4:05 left 2nd

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9:39 PM
After a few good flurry's by the Penguins, they'll go shorthanded again as Ryan Malone gets another penalty for slashing...giving the Wings a power play late in the second period....2:24 left...still 2-0 Detroit.

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10:02 PM
After going into the dressing room up 2-0, they've resumed play in the third period and the Wings are already on another PP.  They failed in their last chance with the man advantage.  Detroit is 12-0 when they're up after 2 periods.

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10:13 PM
No power play goal for Detroit on their last try...still 2-0 Detroit, 13:41 left 3rd

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10:16 PM
Could be do or die time for the Penguins...they'll have a power play after Dallas Drake gets called for tripping.  2-0 Detroit, 12:11 left 3rd.

So much for that....Ryan Malone gets a penalty too...just 11 seconds later....even strength.

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10:20 PM
And that, my friends, could be the finisher....after getting the puck at center ice....Valeri Flippula made a terrific deke past the defender and put the puck past Fleury....even strength goal....3-0 Detroit, 11:00 left 3rd.

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10:35 PM
3-0 Wings win...big fight at the end of the game...should be a very interesting game 3 in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.  I'll be blogging LIVE there too!

Happy Memorial Day! 
Be sure to take a moment today to remember what it's all about and be thankful for the great stuff we have thanks to our troops....past and present!

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18 freaking innings
A few observations:

- Anyone else just feel completely jipped after losing an 18 inning marathon in San Diego??  Kind of confused how San Diego didn't have to use their starters in extra innings, yet we managed to use Harang and Volquez. 

- It's time to part ways with David Weathers....just like you can count on Dunn for 40 HR and 100 RBI, you can count on Stormy for average pitching and plenty of long-balls allowed.  Is there a word for the opposite of clutch...that would describe his play.

- Where the hell was Johnny Cueto?  If you have to burn a starting pitcher, I'd throw Cueto out there waaay before Volquez...and because he gave up the home run in the 18th, he suffered the loss.

- From what I hear, Harang went to Dusty and said basically "if you need me, I'm ready to go."

- Let's not get mad at Cordero...he's 10 for 12 in save chances....I know he's expensive, but 2 blown saves are fine as long as you can count on him for a bunch of connected saves...he'll get you there.

-  17 men left on base....are you kidding me?

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Their flight will be shorter
Enquirer.com
Let's just start by saying it was one long, odd game.  And heartbreaking.  The Reds went 18 innings Sunday afternoon before falling to the San Diego Padres 12-9 on Adrian Gonzalez's two-out, three-run homer. It came on a 3-2 changeup from Edinson Volquez, the Reds' 10th pitcher of the day.

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Blogging LIVE at the Stanley Cup Finals!!
I'll be at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit tonight for game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals....I'll post updates/pictures/video as I get it later this afternoon and this evening.  The Red Wings are up 1-0 in the series and go for 2 in a row tonight!

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Vegas ties the series with Cyclones
Adam Miller's fourth goal of the postseason with 4:20 to play in the third period was the lone score in a 1-0 win for Las Vegas over the Cincinnati Cyclones on Sunday night.  The triumph by the Wranglers knots the series at one win apiece as the next three games are played in Las Vegas.  Kevin Lalande stopped all 27 shots to collect his second shutout of the playoffs.  Cedrick Desjardins turned in a 20 saves in the defeat.  This was the second game of the best of seven Kelly Cup Finals.  The third game will be held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Thursday night at 10:05pm (ET).  It is the first time in 35 years that a Cincinnati pro hockey team has competed in it's league finals.  The last team to compete for a championship was the 1973 Cincinnati Swords, which captured the AHL's Calder Cup in five games over Nova Scotia.

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Did Matt Belisle lose his starting spot?
Enquirer.com
Matt Belisle had a chance to solidify his spot in the rotation with a good start Sunday.  He was coming off his best start of the year. He went six innings, allowing three runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday - not great, but something to build on.  But Sunday he was back to struggling. He went 4 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits. The Reds' comeback got him off the hook for a loss. But his ERA is 7.28 after six starts, and he's given up 47 hits in 292/3 innings.

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Misery loves lots of company
Dayton Daily News - Hal McCoy
Some days it just doesn't pay to flip back the covers and plop the ol' tootsies on to the cold morning floor.  That's the way I feel right now after a long, long Sunday and I'm certain that's the way guys like Matt Belisle, David Weathers, Francisco Cordero, Bill Bray, Corey Patterson, Edwin Encarnacion and Joey Votto feel right now as they board a charter flight home.

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Tennis star posing for Playboy
SI.com
A lot of people are going to be seeing a lot more of Ashley Harkleroad this year.  The 61st-ranked American lost to Serena Williams 6-2, 6-1 Sunday in the first round of the French Open. After the match, she said she has posed for the August edition of Playboy magazine.

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Anyone else catch the Spurs / Lakers game yesterday?  WOW!  Could be the beginning of a back and forth series.