Well, I expected my post-Cincy game to be considerably earlier than my latest entry.  It has been a long, long summer. 

19 July 2009 – Great Game – My first time in Cincinnati in 10 years, and my first game at Great American Ball Park.  The weather was great – Stayed cloudy outside, and the weather never approached 80 degrees.  Votto had two hits, Gomes got the game-winning HR, Phillips had a 2-RBI Double, and Weathers (gone) got the Win in Relief.  Hard to believe that this would be one of only eight wins for the month of July, and August would be terrible as well.  Things became so terrible, injuries, pathetic play, Etc., that the Reds briefly hit rock bottom in the N.L. Central on 23 August – barely one month after that great game in Cincy on 19 July.  Besides always being busy with helping to prepare trainees to become Soldiers, I just didn’t have it in me to write another negative column.  I really am tired of being negative towards the Reds, so I chose to take a break.  One week became two, two became four, and…

The Reds seemed to die for quite some time after that great July win.  For days and weeks after, I wondered if my appearance at GABP had jinxed the team.  Well, I don’t really believe in jinxes, unless you count what Reds Management has done to the team over the last decade. 

Hairston went on the Yankee-Land, and is now excited to be with a team who looks to be going to the Playoffs.  I have to say that, even though I was disappointed in Hairston’s season in Cincy, I’m happy that he’s on a winning team now.

I am grateful to see the Reds in a Winning Streak right now – 7 in a row.  Sorry for their injuríes and Votto’s continued SLUMP.  I’m NOT sad to see EE playing poorly for another team now – now – the underachieving Third Baseman is with the Blue Jays now, and is NOT missed.  Sorry, EE…

Right now, I’d say that Mr. Phillips is on his way to earning the overall MVP of the team right now, as Mr. Votto has been in a prolonged horrendous slump.  Heré are the numbers on Brandon Phillips, whose bat has been about as hot as the Reds recent winning and good pitching streak:

Before All-Star	Cincinnati Reds	81	301	46	81	15	3	14	60	144	31	34	12	6	.336	.478	.269
After All-Star	Cincinnati Reds	46	178	21	50	11	0	5	25	76	8	24	11	3	.317	.427	.281
Season Totals		Cincinnati Reds	127	479	67	131	26	3	19	85	220	39	58	23	9	.330	.459	.273
Next Splits >>

Phillips’ power is down a bit, but his average and speed is up. 

As for Votto, his .301 BA with 21 HR, 67 RBI looks great on the surface, when you figure his time out on the DL, Etc.  Unfortunately, Votto is a poor impersonation of himself  - to say the least – during the second half.  The numbers don’t lie:

Before All-Star	Cincinnati Reds	57	202	33	71	14	1	11	42	120	27	43	2	1	.433	.594	.351
After All-Star	Cincinnati Reds	47	174	29	42	8	0	10	25	80	27	46	2	0	.348	.460	.241
Season Totals		Cincinnati Reds	105	376	62	113	22	1	21	67	200	54	89	4	1	.393	.532	.301

Thus far, Votto has only 2 hits in 11 at-bats for September.  Wake up, Joey!  

So much more to write about – Yes, the Reds have Won 7 games in a row and 12 of the last 14.  Their record is now 63-73 – - Still, the team has to win 19 of their last 26 games to have, in my opinion, a successful season.  Anything less is not Winning, and Not successful.  Remember – Less than .500 means the 9th LOSING Season in a row. 

The Reds had a 3-1 lead over the Rockies today, but relief pitching blew the lead.  The Rockies now lead, 4-3 in the last of the 8th Inning. 

By the way, I had trouble uploading pictures for this, and the photos will hopefully be on this site ASAP.  Any suggestions on how to fit 3252 x 2027 (1.39 – 2.4 MB) photos on here?  Told you all I wasn’t computer lit!    Well, it was a memorable, and triumphant return to Cincy for me - 32 years removed from the last time I got to see the Original Big Red Machine play (July 1977). 

I’m hopeful that the Reds will pull out this win with the Rockies, and go on to a Winning 2009 – that would be Very Rewarding in light of the injuries, frustrations over the 2009 Season. 

SUNDAY, 19 JULY 2009 – REDS WIN 5-3

Box Score Recap Courtesy of http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN200907190.shtml

Milwaukee Brewers            AB   R   H RBI   BB  SO    BA   OPS  Pit  Str   PO   A  Details
C Counsell 2B                 4   0   1   0    1   2  .280  .758   18   11    4   2   CS
M Cameron CF                  4   0   1   0    0   0  .264  .842   13    9    2   0
R Braun LF                    4   1   0   0    0   2  .306  .910   21   12    1   0
P Fielder 1B                  4   2   3   2    0   1  .314 1.062   16   13    6   0   HR,2B
C Hart RF                     3   0   1   0    0   1  .261  .756   14    8    2   0   HBP,GDP
M Gamel 3B                    4   0   1   0    0   2  .239  .743   14   10    0   1
J Hardy SS                    4   0   0   1    0   1  .229  .675   17    9    1   2
J Kendall C                   4   0   2   0    0   0  .244  .616   17   11    8   2
Y Gallardo P                  2   0   1   0    0   1  .147  .495   11    9    0   1   SH
  S McClung P                 0   0   0   0    0   0  .000  .000              0   0
  F Catalanotto PH            1   0   0   0    0   0  .255  .671    1    1    0   0
Totals                       34   3  10   3    1  10              142   93   24   8

Cincinnati Reds              AB   R   H RBI   BB  SO    BA   OPS  Pit  Str   PO   A  Details
W Taveras CF                  4   1   2   0    1   1  .250  .592   22   16    0   0   SB
J Hairston SS                 5   1   1   0    0   2  .252  .694   21   14    1   2   2B
J Votto 1B                    4   1   2   0    0   1  .347 1.019   17   11    7   0
B Phillips 2B                 4   0   1   2    0   0  .265  .795    9    8    4   2
E Encarnacion 3B              2   0   0   0    2   0  .217  .733   22    9    1   4
C Dickerson LF-RF             3   1   1   0    1   1  .272  .745   15    9    3   0
J Gomes RF                    4   1   2   3    0   1  .310  .962   18   12    0   0   HR
  F Cordero P                 0   0   0   0    0   0                          0   0
R Hanigan C                   4   0   1   0    0   2  .327  .808   15   12   10   2
J Cueto P                     1   0   0   0    1   0  .125  .325    9    4    0   1   SH
  N Masset P                  0   0   0   0    0   0                          0   0
  D Weathers P                0   0   0   0    0   0                          0   0
  L Nix PH-LF                 1   0   0   0    0   0  .250  .780    3    3    1   0
Totals                       32   5  10   5    5   8              151   98   27  11

Milwaukee Brewers             IP     H   R  ER   BB  SO  HR    ERA   BF  Pit-Str  Ct·Sw·Lk   GB·FB·LD· ?   GmSc  IR-IS   LevI    WPA
Y Gallardo                     6     7   3   3    4   7   0   3.28   29  113-72   38·10·24    6·12· 8· 0     49    -     1.25   0.05
S McClung, L (3-3)             2     3   2   2    1   1   1   4.79    9   38-26   18· 3· 5    3· 4· 3· 0          0-0    1.15  -0.22
Totals                         8    10   5   5    5   8   1          38  151-98   56·13·29    9·16·11· 0           -  

Cincinnati Reds               IP     H   R  ER   BB  SO  HR    ERA   BF  Pit-Str  Ct·Sw·Lk   GB·FB·LD· ?   GmSc  IR-IS   LevI    WPA
J Cueto                        6    10   3   3    1   5   1   3.67   28  108-68   39· 7·22   12· 9· 5· 0     44    -     1.25   0.05
N Masset                       1     0   0   0    0   2   0   2.37    3   13-11    6· 4· 1    1· 0· 0· 0          0-0    1.17   0.09
D Weathers, W (2-2)            1     0   0   0    0   2   0   3.16    3   13-8     3· 2· 3    0· 1· 0· 0          0-0    1.44   0.11
F Cordero, S (22)              1     0   0   0    0   1   0   1.66    3    8-6     2· 0· 4    1· 1· 0· 0          0-0    1.04   0.08
Totals                         9    10   3   3    1  10   1          37  142-93   50·13·30   14·11· 5· 0           -