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Last month, Lou Piniella told the Cubs he would be retiring at season’s end. Well apparently he got sick of watching the Cubs get beaten to a bloody pulp. Sunday’s 16-5 loss was his last game as a manger. He leaves as one of the greatest managers of all time. Unfortunately he went out on a bad note. The Cubs have been a major disappointment, and not even the legendary Piniella could save them. Sweet Lou should be in the Hall of Fame in five years.He cited the need to be with his ailing grandmother as the main reason for his early departure.

The other big news was about a former player. Roger Clemens might be going to jail! Did you just grin reading that statement? People from around the country (especially in Boston) have despised the egomaniac for years and this might be karma. He had plenty of opportunities for a plea bargain, but the stubborn Clemens thought he could beat it. Stay tuned, this story is just beginning to heat-up.

On the field the Reds are red hot, the Dodgers are dead, the Braves continue to fend of the pesky Phillies and the Twins take a firm grip on the A.L. Central. The dog days of summer are providing plenty of excitement and storylines.

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The Cincinnati Reds offense has been nothing short of spectacular this season. But it could be even better with one simple tweak.
 
The line-up has been excellent—first in the N.L. with 602 runs to be exact. It’s been a major factor in the Reds’ ’10 success.
 
Joey Votto, Scott Rolen, and Brandon Phillips have been the chief contributors. Ramon Hernandez, Miguel Cairo, Jay Bruce, Chris Heisey and recently Paul Janish have been solid if not extremely steady. Drew Stubbs as been up and down but he does have more RBI (57) than Derek Jeter, Jason Heyward, Ryan Ludwick, Lance Berkman, Chipper Jones, Jason Bay, and Jose Reyes.
 
But there is one part of the line-up that hasn’t been producing for quite a while now. LF Jonny Gomes started the year in a platoon situation with Laynce Nix. As both players split time throughout the first two months.
 
Gomes blasted out of the gate as fast as a jackrabbit. He separated himself by hitting .364 with 22 RBI in the month of May. Manager Dusty Baker decided that was enough production to hand the reigns to Gomes for virtually every start since.
 
Since then Gomes has fallen off in a big way. He hit a mere .244 in June, followed by a .288 OBP and a .240 clip the next month—while starting all but three games in July.
 
In his last 54 games he’s hitting a miserable .222 with four home runs and 19 RBI. Since the All-Star break (31 games) he has hit .218 with two homers and six RBI. He is one for his last 19.
 
Do these numbers look like starter material? I haven’t even mentioned his dreadful defense that is amongst the worst for outfielders.
 
Yet it’s not as if Gomes isn’t valuable to the team. He is a great presence in the clubhouse and keeps the team’s energy at a high level. But let’s face it: Gomes is a career .245 hitter and the back of his baseball card is starting to show.
 
Enter Nix.
 
He had a tortoise-like slow start to the season, but has been great in limited action of late.
 
Pinch-hitting is as tough as it gets for baseball players. Sit for eight innings while trying to stay mentally ready, grab a bat—while having sat for three hours—face the other teams top relievers and deliver in the clutch.
 
Nix has made it look easy. He’s 18 for his last 37 with seven starts over that period of time. He has raised his average 60 points since mid-July to .291.
 
His defense isn’t gold glove caliber, but it’s much better than Gomes. Nix has a cannon for an arm and has made his fair share of run saving catches.
 
So the question remains…why does Dusty keep neglecting post-May Nix? He deserves to be playing more—especially with Gomes struggling so much.
 
The Reds need to give Nix a shot at playing everyday again and see what happens. Imagine how much better the Reds offense would be with a guy NOT hitting .218 since the break? Imagine a stronger left field defensively?
 
If Gomes is the hare than Nix is the tortoise. We all know who wins the race in the end.

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The true test is here. The time to find out if the Cincinnati Reds are playoff material has arrived in the form of a nine-game West Coast pow-wow.
 
Recent history suggests the Reds are screwed. Over the last five seasons, the Reds have a 16-35 (.314) record on the Left Coast.
 
In ’06 they were tied for first before embarking on a 10-game stretch in the West Coast. A 2-8 trip later, they were six games behind and the season was essentially finished.
 
The time change will always screw up anybody flying from the East to the West—whether you’re playing a sport or filing TPS reports. But it’s not like every team struggles so mightily in the Pacific Time zone.
 
The good news is that only three players have endured this embarrassing slide. Brandon Phillips, Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang have been through it all.
 
Maybe the young guys have no idea about the poor West Coast play. There is also a greater veteran presence with players like Scott Rolen, Arthur Rhodes, and Orlando Cabrera who have been there before. This is also a team that hasn’t lost more than five straight all season and that was in April.
 
The trip will start in Arizona to play the lowly Diamondbacks. They swept them at Chase Field last season, so that shouldn’t be an issue. Key word is shouldn’t. I’ll predict a series victory, as the Reds win two of three.
 
Then it’s off to L.A. Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine has treated the Reds like a punching bag. The Reds are an embarrassing 0-12 in the past four years in L.A.
 
Why is that? Are the Reds distracted by the tasty Dodger Dog? Does the late-arriving crowd divert them?

Sure, the Dodgers have been a superior team over the past four years, but it is absurd to say that Brandon Claussen is the last pitcher from the Reds to beat the Dodgers in L.A. It’s a quirky streak that needs to end in ’10.
 
So I will go out on the limb and predict that the Reds will take a game against the fading Dodgers.
 
The trip finishes with a visit to San Francisco. The final game is a 12:35 local start and the ninth game in nine days for the Redlegs. Needless to say I don’t expect a win in get-away day. So let’s say the Reds take one of the three against the Giants.
 
Add it all up and I see a 4-5 trip. Low expectations, eh? Considering the recent history of this team on the road, most fans would be satisfied with that mark. Tread water on the infamous West Coast swing and go home and continue to beat up on the N.L. Central dregs.
 
It’s a major hump the Reds need to leap over, and getting past this stretch, while keeping up the pace with the Cards, will go a long way in the Reds playoff aspirations.

It’s gut check time in Cincinnati as the dog days of summer roll on.

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A very eventful week around the majors. A brawl ensued in the Queen City after Reds 2B Brandon Phillips used some not-so-kind words to describe the rival Cardinals.

The pushing match that landed a seven game suspension for Johnny Cueto and a shouting match between both managers was pretty interesting considering  there are six former Reds on the Cards and five former Cards on the Reds.

And how would you like to be the Reds newly acquired OF Jim Edmonds? It’s the second game with your new team and you are asked to fight ex-teammates of yours that you’ve know for years. In the end the Cardinals bats awoke from a deep slumber as they swept the Reds on their home turf.

The Twins grabbed ahold of first place in the AL Central after taking two from the White Sox in Chicago.

The Padres showed why they have been in first all year as they dispatched the Giants two times in three days in their big weekend series.

All of these are small battles. The war has not been won.

Stats are a huge part of baseball and we have reached the point in the season when they really start to mean something. Players that got off to red-hot starts have cooled off and slow starters have regained form.

This week we’ll look at stats that can explain why your team is either doing well or looking forward to next year.

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“I’d play against these guys with one leg. We have to beat these guys. I hate the Cardinals. All they do is bitch and moan about everything, all of them, they’re little bitches, all of ‘em.

“I really hate the Cardinals. Compared to the Cardinals, I love the Chicago Cubs. Let me make this clear: I hate the Cardinals.”—Reds 2B Brandon Phillips prior to three-game set against the Cardinals this week.

First off, let me say that the comments uttered by Phillips are spot-on. The Cardinals complain about stupid little things like balls being rubbed differently and Bronson Arroyo’s hat. Manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan are whiners. The real problem is that they are whiners who are also winners.

Nobody likes the team that beats everyone in a game of basketball yet still complains that the opponents were fouling like crazy. Herein lies the problem Phillips has with the organization—they are complaining about things that don’t even affect the win and loss totals for the Cards. They are the divisional powerhouse and are still not satisfied.

So in that regard, Phillips is indeed correct. Many other players around baseball nodded their heads in agreement when they read his comments.

The part of all this I disagree with is the timing of it all. The veteran Cardinals have been on cruise control for most of the 2010 campaign. Why light a 20-foot fire the day you go in the forest? Why give them the motivation needed to beat the crap out of you? Baseball is all about being steady, not getting too up or too down.

That was not the case on Tuesday.

The brawl between the two clubs was a joy to watch—by far the best one of the season, as even the two managers were jawing at each other!

Former Cardinal turned Reds third baseman Scott Rolen was playing peacemaker until the uncalled-for comments of pitcher Chris Carpenter—directed towards Reds manager Dusty Baker—enraged Rolen. Next thing you knew, starting pitcher Johnny Cueto was pinned to the backstop kicking Cardinal players away just to avoid being trampled.

Cardinals catcher Jason LaRue was the only player to get hurt, but plenty of punches and pushes were thrown. I’d say the fight was a draw. And yes, Cardinal fans, you would start kicking people away too if you were pinned against a wall with 50 professional athletes getting shoved in your direction.

The problem is that now it looks as if Rolen and Cueto will be suspended. Carpenter might be the only one on the Cardinals’ side to be punished (and I’m sure they will complain about it). All of this stemmed from Phillips’ comments.

Now let’s talk about actual play on the field.

In a nutshell, the Cards have crushed the Reds over the past three days. A two-game lead for the Reds has turned into a one-game lead for St. Louis. The Cardinals have been playing extremely angrily, and the Redlegs weren’t ready for the boost in intensity.

There is no way to judge how much of an impact Phillips’ comments had on the Cardinals’ performance. ESPN analyst Al Leiter places all the blame on Phillips for the brawl. So is this whole disaster of a series his fault?

No, not at all. Is it his fault that the Reds’ pitching has been horrendous? Is it his fault the outfield has looked like there were three Adam Dunns out there? Sure, he only collected two hits in the series, but there were plenty of other problems that could be blamed for this debacle.

But this is not a “ship has sailed” moment either. It’s only three of 162 games. There are 50-plus games to go. The two teams play each other one more time in St. Louis in early September. The Reds have the easiest remaining schedule in all of baseball. The NL Central dregs are all still on the slate.

Don’t take this series as anything more than what it was. The Reds have shown they aren’t ready to take down the older brother just yet—but let’s see if they can a month down the road.

Chalk this up as a learning experience for the young Reds. Pennant fever is getting hotter and hotter.

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The list of former Cardinals turned Reds grew again today. Cincinnati sent OF Chris Dickerson to the Brewers for the 40-year-old Jim Edmonds.

Former Cardinals and current Reds GM Walt Jocketty has acquired Scott Rolen, Jason Isringhausen, Russ Springer, and Miguel Cairo in the past year—all Cardinals at one point or another.

The big question: Does Edmonds have anything left in the tank?

In 217 plate appearances he is hitting .286, but only has eight homers and 20 RBI after sitting out the entire ’09 season. He’s a left-handed stick, and has been hitting pretty consistently since the break (.333).

The majority of his time has been spent in CF, and that’s where he will be starting for the Reds on Monday night. Can you guess whom they are playing?

The Cardinals come to town for the biggest home series in 10 years for the Reds. There are two games separating them, and Jocketty has obviously acknowledged the importance of winning this series.

Edmonds has played in the postseason seven different times. He is a .285 career hitter that will bring a great deal of veteran leadership to the club. He has accumulated eight gold gloves over his career. He can tell a guy like Jay Bruce what it’s like to play in meaningful September and October games.

I don’t think this move was a great idea, but giving up Dickerson isn’t the end of the world. He’s a guy that never seemed to fit into the Reds plans and he just coudn’t get over the hump.

Dickerson has been consistently injured. He has been hurt for three months—just like last year. He was hitting just .205 in 44 at-bats with the Reds this season. Since his return, though, he’s been hot while batting .442 with three homers and six steals in his first 13 games at AAA Louisville.

So, while I’m not a huge fan of Edmonds, it’s not as if the Reds gave up a five-tool prospect. But I think there is a subliminal reason for Reds’ fans to not like Edmonds.

He used to be one of the most disliked players when he was a Cardinal. Remember when there was a report that Ken Griffey Jr. called ESPN to complain that Edmonds was making it on “Top Plays” more than Junior? The rumor said that Griffey was jealous and wanted ESPN to do something about it.

That report really pissed me off. The guy was already a Reds killer on the field (like many of the top N.L. central hitters of the 2000’s), and now some stupid fake rumor like this was floating around? I’m sure Edmonds had nothing to do with it, but it angered me just the same.

Well, now it’s 2010 and Reds fans have to root for the guy. It was a low-risk move that might have its most profound effects outside of the box-score. If he’s still able to play a decent CF and continue to hit in the .280’s, well done Jocketty.

If not, he will certainly have a short lease with me. But then again, the starter for most of the year (Drew Stubbs) is still hovering below .240.

A move had to be made and Jocketty went with a familiar face. We will know very quickly if it was the right move.

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Todd Helton returned to the Rockies lineup Tuesday after missing a month with back stiffness. The question is: Are Rox fans excited about this?

Helton has been the face of the franchise for the past decade. He has been around for the dark ages of the early 2000s, all the way through the magical World Series appearance in ’07, and the surprise return to the playoffs in ’09.

But the honeymoon is finished. Helton is batting a career worst .247. He has a mere 16 RBI in 251 ABs. Helton has only hit two homers and 10 doubles. His slugging percentage (.311) and OPS (.649) are career lows. Oh and did I mention he is getting paid $17.75 million this season?

The Rockies were unable to make any deadline moves because money was tight. Imagine the type of player that could have been acquired for HALF that amount.

I’m not here to completely bash Helton. He is 36, an age where plenty of stars begin to see a decline in performance. He still has a great approach at the plate—raising the pitch count of the opposition in the process.

He is the leader of the clubhouse; this guy has been a Rockie since 1997! He does a great job of making the rookies feel comfortable with his laid back personality, and he still plays a decent first-base.

But the fact remains: Helton hasn’t had over 20 home runs since ’04, which was also the last time he knocked in 100 RBIs. The one part of Todd’s game that could always be counted on was his great overall batting average. So when you see a .247 mark next to his name, you begin to worry.

The worst part of Helton coming back is the fact that Jonathan Herrera had to be sent down to AAA. Herrera played well for the Rockies in his time in the bigs, as he hit .278 and his versatility/ability to handle the bat in action situations—bunts, hit-and-runs, etc. was impressive.

Herrera will be back in September, if not sooner, according to manager Jim Tracy.

As time moves forward, the Rockies and Helton are going to be in an awkward situation. What to do with the aging slugger that provided so many positive memories? Certainly this isn’t the first time this situation has risen, but it is the first time for the Rockies.

Obviously the Rockies can’t cut the face of the franchise. They can’t trade a contract that large either. There is no graceful ending in sight. Management is left just crossing their fingers and hoping for the young Todd Helton to return.

Fat chance.

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The Reds are starting to get to the end of the bat stub with their starting center fielder. Drew Stubbs is currently going through the worst stretch of his short major league career.  In his last 36 at bats, he has just one hit and 17 strike-outs.  Ewww…

That’s a monster-sized slump that can’t be tolerated on a team in a pennant race. Going back even further, in 52 games since June 1st, he’s sporting these numbers: .222 BA/.271 OBP/.634 OPS with seven HR, 24 RBI and 58 K.

Bottom line, a .229 overall batting average is not going to cut it for a team 12 games above .500.

But it’s not as if Stubbs is completely useless. He plays a great center field and has 18 stolen bases. Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman called him the fastest player he’s seen in his 20 years covering the game.

The speedster has pop as well. Stubbs has 13 home-runs and 49 RBI. Hitting out of the seven-hole, 49 RBI isn’t shabby.

The problem? There is another option down in the farm system. His name? Chris Dickerson.

Dickerson is on fire at AAA. He collected three more hits last night. He’s hitting .421 in 12 games on his rehab assignment. He’s drawing walks (.511 OBP) and stealing bases (five of six). Remember, he was the guy patrolling CF on Opening Day.

His wrist is healed and he is ready to go. What’s the harm in sending Stubbs down to AAA for a few weeks and letting him get his stroke/confidence back? A fresh Dickerson, along with Chris Heisey, can man the CF spot for the next month and allow Stubbs a chance to clear his head.

Normally, the Reds wouldn’t touch Stubbs during this time of year. “Give the young guy reps” is always the mantra when a team is well out of the play-off race.

This year is different. The margin for error is very slim when the competition (St. Louis) is much more experience in a pennant race. The Reds can’t afford the young Stubbs time to work out the kinks in his swing.

For now, why not roll the dice and see what Dickerson can do in pressure ABs? The oft-injured California kid has never had this opportunity in three big league seasons. If he doesn’t work out, Stubbs can be vaulted right back up to the Reds line-up.

But for now, Dusty Baker needs to do something. Shake up the order a bit and let Stubbs figure his swing out at the AAA level, not for a team trying to make the post-season for the first time since ’95.

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The trade deadline has passed and rosters are starting to become finalized as the calendar turns to August. Plenty of waiver-wire transactions will be made, but rosters are mostly set.

Teams like the Angels and Dodgers decided that .500 baseball is not an option. Both long-shots made big improvements to their rosters.

The Phillies received Roy Oswalt, an excellent pickup that makes them championship contenders again. The Yankees picked up the ‘Stros other star in Lance Berkman. The Rangers added Jorge Cantu, while the Twins added Matt Capps. In other words…the rich got richer.

Not all teams felt the need to make a move. The Rays, Reds, Mets and Giants all feel comfortable with that they’ve got. Was that the best idea considering the weak market? Stay tuned.

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The trade deadline has finally arrived and the rumors are swirling everywhere. Dan Haren landed with the Angels on Sunday, but the main prize is still there for the taking.

Roy Oswalt has been discussed by just about every contending team. The three leaders look to be Philadelphia, St. Louis, and the Dodgers.

Plenty of other players will be on the move. The Tigers will need to make multiple trades to supplement all of their recent injuries.

The Padres need to add a bat to their glaring weakness (offense). Having a slugger like Adam Dunn would do wonders for the White Sox offense.

Yet this is also a time for teams 21-30 to rebuild their respective franchises. Plenty of superstars started off as just another prospect in a trade. This is a big week for every team in baseball…enjoy!

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