Here's my little buddy- Decked out in the Heckler's Hockey Gear

I believe it was last week, I compared Aarron Harang's numbers to that of NOLAN RYAN, today- I do the same with Edinson Volquez.


NOLAN RYAN's best season (cy young award 2nd place) 
 Year Ag Tm  Lg  W   L   G   GS  CG SHOGF SV  IP     H     R      ER   HR   BB   SO  HBP  WP  BFP  IBB  BK  ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP
1973 26 CAL AL  21  16  41  39  26   4   2  1  326.0  238  113  104  18  162  383   7  15  1355   2   0  2.87  3.52  122 1.227 MVP-17,CYA-2,AS

Edinson Volquez
 
 Year Ag Tm  Lg   W   L   G GS CGSHOGF SV  IP     H    R   ER   HR BB  SO  HBP WP BFP  IBBBK ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP
2008 24 CIN NL   5   1   7   7   0   0   0  0   42.3   28    6    5   1   24   52   1   2   174   0   0  1.06  4.40  414 1.228

Strikeout's per inning
NOLAN RYAN- 1.17 strikeouts per inning
EDINSON VOLQUEZ- 1.22 strikeouts per inning

Hits per inning
NOLAN RYAN- .73 hits per inning
EDINSON VOLQUEZ- .66 hits per inning

ERA- 
NOLAN RYAN- 2.87
EDINSON VOLQUEZ- 1.06

NOTE:

Nolan Ryan started 39 games in 1973 and had 26 COMPLETE GAMES!!! That's 2 complete games out of every 3 starts! Volquez to date has 7 STARTS and 0 Complete Games. In order to catch that number of complete games, Volquez would have to start 32 more games, and all but 6 of them would have to be complete games.ONE OF RYAN'S OUTINGS WAS ALSO A 12 INNING COMPLETE GAME- AGAINST DETROIT, ON MAY 2ND, 1973.The Angels won the game 4-1, Ryan faced 54 batters! Volquez has gone a max of 7 innings, he threw 118 pitches in his last victory facing 30 batters.

INTERESTING STATS HUH?

Jr's comment that the Reds have not given up or quit makes me frustrated and here's why:

I have to say that I don't think that the Reds have QUIT... but that they haven't shown me that they even started.

I used to go to the games to watch the team play hard...the mentality where you don't run out ground balls just doesn't show me that they want to win games.

I know that 99-100 times they are going to get thrown out anyway, but please even if just for one night, RUN OUT GROUND BALLS...Do NOT admire your fly balls that might be homers... Until that ball is over the fence, RUN. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE play some fundamentally sound baseball...Take extra BP, like I heard happened for a couple of the guys earlier this week- take some extra infield- take some extra fly balls- WORK TO GET BETTER!

And, I'm not asking for you to sign every freaking autograph request but, at least let the kids know that you see them there...tell them that you can't sign but freaking say HI!

"But we're not role models." BULL CRAP! kids look up to players in this league- and in other professional leagues because we as a society have put athletes on this PLATFORM that is up above all others. It's our fault for allowing things to get this way but, it is the responsibility of every player in the Majors, and the Minors for that matter to play the game, and live their lives with integrity and RESPECT! My son is 3 and he already wants to play sports when he grows up and I've noto pushed him into liking them at all but he's a boy who likes to throw, catch, kick, hit a ball with a bat, or a puck with a stick.

When the Reds show me that they want to win, not because of the check but for the love of the game, I'll go buy a ticket...until then...I refuse to waste my money on a team that doesn't show respect for the way that the game is meant to be played in my mind.

I'm frustrated with Major League Baseball as a whole. Ken Griffey Jr. has been my favorite player for years...but over the last couple of years, his injuries and lack of hustle at times, doesn't make him seem like the same player that I enjoyed watching years ago. I still believe that he has a couple of solid years left in his career if he stays healthy, but I would like to see the "kid" who used to run out grounders and just play hard night in and night out.

While I think that 600 homeruns is an incredible milestone, i also believe that if he hits his 600th homerun in a loss, it's going to mean less to him than if he hits it in a win.

It's an I BELIEVE WEDNESDAY:

I believe that Cincinnati is still a baseball town

------------ the Cylcones deserve to have more fan support.

------------ the NBA can be fun to watch during the playoffs because teams play defense

------------ the Bengals could go 8-8 this year, miss the playoffs and most people would think it was an okay season.

------------ if the Reds went .500, we as a city still wouldn't be happy. The fans here were spoiled by the 1975 (ish) teams being so good.

----------- Barry Larkin should be a part of this organization in some way shape or form.

----------- I'm starting the new diet tomorrow, combined with a more strenuous work out program in order to get into playing shape again. I think I have one or 2 more good years left in this body.

----------- my son deserves to see players play for the love of the game

----------- while free agency was great for the players, it makes it hard to become a fan of one player.
----------- the product that the ECHL currently has is much better than it was when the Cyclones organization game to be in 1990

----------- the countdown to Georgetown does NOT have me excited at all...it makes me sad that the Reds have only played 33 games and we are looking forward to Bengals football.

The Cincinnati Cyclones and the Reading Royals battle it out tonight in game 7 of the ECHL Division Finals.  The Cyclones were able to come back and win game 6, 4-2 after loosing game 5 in Cincinnati 1-0 last Thursday Night.

Take a quick look at this link and read about our referee for this evening's 'Titanic Struggle'.

Tonight's Referee- Jason Nissen

This just made me dread the fact that I spent $20 on my tickets for the evening but, I'm confident that the Cyclones can make the needed adjustments to win tonight. Here's to a win and another round of playoff hockey here in the Queen City! 

I know it's a Monday night but I'm really hoping that there is a good turn out for tonight. For those of you that haven't been down to a game this season, tonight would be a great night to show up!  Yes I know that the Reds play @ 7:10, and the Clones game doesn't start until 7:30 but look at it this way, if you go to the Reds game tonight, and they are getting blown out, you've already paid to park so come over and check the Clones out.

Tonight could be one of the hardest, grind it out, minor league games that has ever been played.  Both of these teams want to win this one tonight...the loser goes home. It'd be nice to see USBA packed tonight- a sell out would be amazing!!! The team record is 9,000 (ish) filling the entire lower bowl...@ $10 a ticket, it's time to fill that place up!  Cyclones attendance is up 30% this season, which is a great thing, let's see if it can go up even more throughout the playoffs!

If you aren't a big hockey fan, or don't know much about the game...and would like to know, I'll be in section 140, Row C-  come down and say Hi, and we can talk throughout the game and we'll talk;)

THIS SHOULD BE A HOMER OUTING! :)

1530Homer The Sports Animal - Listen live!

After an amazing regular season the Cincinnati Cyclones, of the ECHL, are one game away from elimation in the Kelly Cup Playoffs.  The Reading Royals came into game five with a chip on their shoulder and goaltender Danny Taylor made 43 saves on his way to the Shutout victory.

The Cyclones were unable to ammount any offense and have continued to struggle on the power play going 0-16 in the last two home games.  With a total of 32 penalty minutes in last night's contest only Reading was able to capatize on the powerplay with a goal from right winger Brock Hooton with 4:12 left in the 3rd period.

Both teams played well into the third quarter where the Cyclones were simply out skated by the Royals in the last 10 minutes of the game.