Kuzul

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Pardon my ignorance.

You can still be a “knowledgeable” baseball fan without knowing everything. Just ask me and I will tell you….that I don’t know it all.

Some things are done for a purpose, just like breathing for example. In some other things, their points of origin are not so easily decided.

Like road rage for example. It can turn an otherwise mild-mannered man into a junk yard dog in a heartbeat.

If you don’t believe me, the next time you are out, cut somebody off in a lane, or take their parking spot from them.

Baseball has some funny quirks if you stop and think about it. I will run a few by you and show you what I am talking about.

What are those chalk lines beside first and third base? I was told they are coaches boxes, but they are never occupied. Why is that?

Speaking of the chalk lines, how about the one that goes about half way and parallel to the first base line? C’mon tell me, what is it for?

Why are bases 90-feet apart? Why not 100? Ninety is a pretty strange number to decide upon, don’t you agree? How about 75? That would at least make a 100-yard dash for an inside the park home run, not 120.

Any reason why first base is not third base and vice versa? In other words why run counter-clockwise? This isn’t the Daytona 500 after all.

Why is a foul pole called a foul pole? Wouldn’t fair pole be more like it? I mean, seriously, if the ball hits the pole on a fly it is a home run, right? Just askin’.

What is the difference between a pop-out and a fly-out? You know, “He popped out to the catcher….he hit a fly-out to the third baseman.” How high does it have to go before it flies instead of pops?

What about the strip of dirt from the batting circle to the pitching mound? You know, like in Detroit, and many other old parks from days of yore?

It seems they were a bit wider to me, but what is the deal with them? Shouldn’t the catcher have to walk inside the path to talk to the pitcher?

How come a guy on the Disabled List still wears his uniform in the dugout? Does he not have street clothes packed or what?

What’s the deal? Football players don’t dress, neither do basketball guys (cagers, I like that word).

Why do baseball managers wear uniforms? Football head coaches, and basketball head coaches don’t. Football guys look cool with their “logo” shirts and khaki pants.

And the basketball coaches, they wear suits. Look at Rick Patino, the man is most
dapper. You couldn’t tell him from a Fortune 500 CEO in a lineup (as long as they were wearing their suits).

Where do the broken, splintered bats go to?  Just askin’.

How about all those balls that the pitcher didn’t like or the umpire thought was missing a stitch? Do they go to one of the farm teams of the home squad or what? Don’t tell me they throw them away.

Speaking of the balls, does the umpire academy have a course called Ball Inspection 101? What the hell are they looking for in a new ball? Don’t they know they were quality-control-inspected by an underpaid, overworked widow in Taiwan?

Why does Jay Bruce walk out of the batting circle after every pitch? Just askin’.

Where is the line that represents “too far out” to be considered for the infield fly rule? Ever wonder about that? I have seen it called at least 10 yards into the outfield grass, I know it has been further.

I have also seen it called on a ball that ended foul. If he dropped it would it still be an out or just a high strike?

How do they get the grass to look so cool on the new diamonds? Almost looks like they brought in the old guys that makes crop circles. The different patterns with light and darker grass, so cool, tell me so I can do it on my little yard.

Would you be able to switch your shortstop and pitcher to face a particular batter, without pulling your pitcher from the game?

Allow me to clarify. Mike Leake played SS as well as pitched in college. Let’s say Ronny Cedeno owns him. When he comes up could Leake play shortstop and Paul Janish pitch to him then return? Think about it?

Umpires are not really blind, people just say that. But did an umpire really say to a catcher about a Nolan Ryan fastball, “It sounded high to me”?

That’s all for now, answer any of these if you can, and I will submit for your perusal at another time.

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Ouch.

The tires are flat just a few days after the Reds bandwagon was getting full.

After holding a commanding 9-1 lead, the Reds end up losing 10-9 in stomach punching fashion to the Atlanta Braves.

The Reds jumped out to a eight run lead in the second inning and everything seemed juuuust fine. Rookie Mike Leake had his seventh quality start in eight appearances, going six innings giving up five hits and three runs (one earned).

Mike Lincoln breezed through two innings before manager Dusty Baker inexplicably left him in for the ninth. At 9-3, it didn’t seem like a big deal.

After getting into massive trouble Nick Masset was brought in for damage control in a 9-5 game. He walked a batter then was the victim of a Miguel Cairo error and was relieved by the 40-year old veteran Arthur Rhodes. He promptly struck out the Braves best hitter Jason Heyward (the guy that beat the Reds on Wednesday).

Then Dusty brought in closer Francisco Cordero to finish of Atlanta and those pesky Braves once and for all. Yet another questionable call if you ask me. Well, guess what happened? Pinch hitter Brooks Conrad hits a grand slam, and the Braves complete the epic comeback.

This one hurts bad. Really bad. Giving up a lead like that might stick with the club for awhile. It’s a loss that could be looked at in September as one of the reason the Reds just didn’t cut the mustard in ’10. Losing two games in a row via the walk-off has given the Reds a taste of their own medicine.

The Cardinals have regained first place, and now the Reds are playing catch-up again. This isn’t a “the sky is falling” article, but holy crap this is a tough one to swallow. The best thing the Reds can do now is completely erase it from their collective memories, and beat the living daylights out of the Cleveland Indians.

There are now legit concerns regarding the $12M closer, Francisco Cordero. He has blown three saves already, he only had four of last year! He is 35, and clearly not quite the pitcher he once was. He might be getting over worked by Dusty, but either way something aint right. Simply put, he is having trouble throwing strikes. Oh, and the set-up man Masset blew the game before.

As a strength for most of the year, the bullpen is now becoming a startling problem for the Reds.

It’s not the end of the world, but this next week will be very telling about the resolve of this young Reds team. This is the time when veterans such as Scott Rolen and Orlando Cabrera need to lead by example, and make sure the team doesn’t unravel. Sure it’s still May but the Red Legs need to put a hurting on their Ohio rivals to regain the swagger they had built up over the past week. 

Follow Eric on Twitter

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Entering the 2010 baseball season, the Cincinnati Reds and their fans had lofty expectation for the starting staff. Bronson Arroyo, Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto, Aaron Harang, and Mike Leake have gone way above and beyond those expectations since, on April 24, manager Dusty Baker went “Bull Durham” on the entire team.

Yesterday Craig Simpson wrote an article titled, “Dusty Baker Goes Bull Durham, Cincinnati Reds Respond.”  Simpson explained that Baker chastised his team for it’s lackadaisical play.

The old curiosity peaked and an investigation was in order.  

Knowing that the starters were pitching better than they were at the beginning of their dismal excuse for a season, a team of experts was sent to delve deeper.

The findings are mind blowing.

Collectively, over the last 21 games, the starters are 12-3, with an ERA of 3.11, and a 1.11 WHIP.

The “quality start” stat used to be looked at as a joke. In recent years, it has become a pretty decent indicator of a staff’s success, or lack thereof. In their last 21 games Reds’ starters have amassed 15 quality starts. Boys and girls, that’s a 71 percent clip.

From April 25 until yesterday, May 18, their ERA has dropped almost two full points—from 6.49 to a 4.55 spot.

Before the meeting only one starter, Leake, had an ERA under four.

Small sample sizes, yes. Bailey is the only guy with five starts—all others have four. 

However, since the meeting Arroyo’s ERA has dropped 2.65 points, Bailey’s 2.26 points, Cueto is down from 5.33 to 3.67 (a difference of 1.66 points), Harang has seen his dip 2.29 points, and even Leake now sports a 3.09 ERA, 0.83 points better than before. 

WHIPs since Dusty went Durham: Cueto 0.88, Leake 0.92, Arroyo 1.14, Bailey 1.16, with his 1.37 WHIP, Harang is looking like the chump of the bunch. But his ERA during the run is 4.01—very respectable. 

The Reds have played 12 home games and nine away. 

Great American Ball Park is a notorious home run stadium—that’s putting it kindly.

During the three-plus week stretch the staff is letting only 1.03 balls leave the yard per nine innings.

The numbers go on-and-on: a 7.6 K/9 ratio, while allowing only 2.27 batters to reach via walk per nine. 

How are they doing it?

Throw strikes, baby…Throw strikes! Getting ahead in counts while making hitters work down in the count allows the starter to work deeper into the ballgames.

In 19 of the last 21 games, the starting pitcher has thrown at least six full. Just once during the span has a starter been removed before completing five innings, and only once more before the pitching six full.  

So Dusty must be abusing his starters again, right? Nope. Well, maybe.

Twice Baker has allowed a starter to throw more than 120 pitches. Both Bailey and Harang threw 121 in a start.

Cueto has thrown 113 and 118—that may be a bit distressing. He also needed 102 in his complete game, one-hit shutout. 

Rubber-armed Arroyo has pitched 100-plus (never hitting 110) in three of his four starts. 

Rookie sensation, Mike Leake, has been allowed over the 100-mark in just one of his last four starts.

Besides Dusty’s Durham speech, much of the credit must be given to first-year pitching coach, Bryan Price. 

Price has twice been named the Major League’s Pitching Coach of the Year—once with Seattle by USA Today Baseball Weekly, and again in Arizona by Baseball America.

No doubt, it has been a promising three-week run for the Cincy starters. 

One that has The Queen City and it’s surrounding regions all ready buzzing with a long forgotten playoff vibe. 

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WhatIfSports.com utilizes its award-winning baseball simulation engine to present the most comprehensive and unbiased ranking possible of all 30 teams in baseball each Monday during the regular season.

To come up with the rankings, using only their statistical performance to date this season, each team is simulated against every other team 100 times (50 at home and 50 away) so that all five pitchers in the current rotation start ten times at each location.

(Note: If a pitcher who was in the rotation was recently put on the DL, he will not be included in the simulations.

Teams Ranked by Winning Percentage
(everyone plays everyone 100 times)

The Cincinnati Reds have been on fire over the last three weeks. They have now jumped from 22nd to 16th in WIS Power Rankings. After taking two of three against the Cardinals over the weekend, the Reds are now in sole possession of first place in the NL Central.

Taking a look at the stats, Cincinnati’s pitching has really led the charge up the standings after slipping out of the gate in early April. The Reds’ team ERA has dropped from 5.41 last month to 3.54 in May.

“Everybody has been clicking on all cylinders,” starting pitcher Homer Bailey told Whatifsports.com. “That’s what a lot of people didn’t see {in April}, was how bad we were playing as a team. We have started to get into our rhythm and we’re right there.”

The Cincinnati Reds are 9-5 in the month of May and have won 14 out of their last 20 games dating back to the end of April. The team’s bats have awoken from a spring slumber too. Jay Bruce is hitting .364 over the last seven days and is realizing his team can erupt at anytime.

“We’ve been playing good baseball,” Bruce told Whatifsports.com. “The tough losses have given us more character and a resiliency to know we are never out of games.”

Great American Ballpark, the Reds home field, has experienced a jolt in attendance numbers thanks to the team’s hot play.

“This is a baseball town when it’s going right,” Bruce said.

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The month of May has been good to the Cincinnati Reds. They have gone 7-4 through a Cardinals, Cubs, Mets and Pirates slate.

The hitting is coming around, currently ranked fifth in the N.L. with 158 runs scored. But the major turn-around as been courtesy of the starting pitching.

After a magical one-hit complete game shut-out by Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey followed suit. He gave up a whopping five hits over a complete game shut-out. The legendary Dayton Daily News beat writer Hal McCoy sums it up best:

“Reds pitchers gave up one run over 27 innings. The Pirates third base coach was as lonely as a cop directing traffic in the Arctic Circle”

Bailey (1-2) needed only 90 pitches—73 for strikes—to close out the Reds’ fifth straight win. He did not go to a three-ball count the whole game and only went to a two-ball count four times.

“That’s the epitome of pitch conservation right there,” manager Dusty Baker said. “He followed Johnny Cueto’s lead right there. That’s the most well-pitched two days that I’ve seen in a long time.”

Cueto and Bailey become the first pair of Reds pitchers to fire back-to-back complete-game shutouts since Jose Rijo  and Tom Browning accomplished the feat on June 9 & 10, 1989 at Los Angeles.

Bailey loves the Pirates—he has a 5-0 record lifetime against the AAAA club. Sure he got rocked against the Cubs last week, but he seems to have found out how to conserve his pitches better than in the past. He is still a work in progress, but the 23 year-old is finally learning from previous mistakes.

Couple the terrific past two days with a seemingly revived Aaron Harang, a steady Bronson Arroyo a phenom in the making in rookie Mike “who needs the minors” Leake, and the Reds suddenly have one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball.

Sure the ERA and wins, loss records aren’t there. Yet after a rocky month of April the Reds hold 16 quality starts—sixth in the N.L.

Sure it’s only May, there is plenty of games to be played (128 to be exact), but the season is over 20 percent complete.

Still too early to declare 2010 “the year”, last season the club was 26-20 at one point. But this team has the right chemistry. No more aging stars with ego’s too big for the clubhouse. No Corey Patterson’s or Willy Taveras’. Just a lot of youngsters that are enjoying the ride that is being a Major League baseball player.

Reds media relations guru Jamie Ramsey blogged about how manager Dusty Baker took the team out to dinner Sunday night. Baker seems to genuinely like this team:

“He gave a heartfelt post-dinner speech to the guys in which he called the group “special” and told the guys to believe they can win this season.  It was nice and the team responded to it.  There was a nice energy in the room”

Dusty picked up the check for the whole team too!

On the offensive side, the veterans (Scott Rolen, Brandon Phillips, Orlando Cabrera, Johnny Gomes) are starting to put up numbers usually expected when looking at the back of their respectiveve baseball cards. Joey Votto is on his way to the All-Star game, and even Jay Bruce has righted the ship.

“He’s been much better,” Baker said. “We try to give him some theories and philosophies. We have talk to left-handers who can hit left-handers.”

Baker has had Bruce talk to Luis Gonzalez and Raul Ibanez.

Bruce’s splits are pretty even this year, quite the opposite of ’09. He went into Wednesday hitting .250 off left-handers and .273 off right-handers. He has two homers off LHs and two off RHs, even though he had 49 more at-bats vs. righties.

He is second on the team with 16 walks and seems to not fall for the garbage in the dirt as much over the past few weeks.

So all is well in Red Leg land, but a larger question still remains. Can this team compete with the division leading St. Louis Cardinals? Beating the Pirates is one thing, but getting Albert Pujols out consistently is a whole different beast.

Nobody likes to throw the term “must win series” out in May, but the Reds need to take two of three to let themselves know it’s not just a one team race in the N.L. Central. The Reds sit only one game out of first, but it feels like the gap is much wider. This weekend the Reds can prove that’s not the case.

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In April 2006, two American League first basemen, both in their second year in the Show, had similar smokin’-hot starts:

Player A 

10 homers, knocked in 24 runs, a .313 average and a .404 on-base percentage.

Player B 

10 dingers and supported a .404 OBP, with 20 RBI and batting .326.

Although both players were highly regarded by their respective organizations, many critics did not believe either would continue their early-season dominance into the summer.

By the end of ’06, Player A would finish with 35 HRs and 95 RBI.

Player B, on the other hand, would conclude the season in the minors.

And the identity of the masked men? The former would be Nick Swisher , and the latter Chris “Big Red” Shelton.

The reason I tell this tale? After 30 or so games into 2010, there appear to be a handful of young guns posting statistical anomalies that are making fantasy owners go, “Uh what?”

The list includes Austin Jackson (leading the American League with a .371 batting average,) Ike Davis (.316 BA, .437 OBP,) Jamie Garcia (1.18 ERA in six starts,) Colby Rasmus (.304 with 20 runs,) and Starlin Castro (six RBI in MLB debut.)

Oh, and some guy for Atlanta named Jason Heyward is doing alright (.291 BA/eight HR/26 RBI/.410 OBP) as well.

I wish I could channel my inner Miss Cleo and prognosticate which of these players will continue to perform and which will fall by the wayside. However, I can tell you what to do if you’re lucky enough to own one of the aforementioned athletes.

Trade them.

For reasons not fully explained, there exists a certain phenomenon in fantasy sports where managers take a little too much pride in owning a breakout star.

It’s almost as if a sentiment of fantasy hubris exists, and the success of a rookie or gamble draft pick fulfills our self-fulfilling prophecy of sports expertise.

ANYONE can draft Pujols— it takes a man with some brass ones to pick Heyward a few rounds earlier than projected. (By the way, that’s the sound of me patting myself on the back for pulling the trig on Heyward in the eigth round.) To some extent, it’s akin to parents living vicariously through their children.

The case can also be made that following a rookie/young gun is exponentially more exciting than trekking a good-but-not-great player.

For instance, along with Heyward, I have Marlon Byrd and Magglio Ordonez in my outfield, both who are off to spectacular starts. But guess whose box score I check first in the morning? Exactly.

Yet, if the ultimate goal of fantasy is to win, you can enhance your chances by dealing these prospects while they’re hot in return for a proven commodity.

Chances are Jackson won’t be heading into August with an average above .335 or Garcia with a sub-3.00 ERA, so it would be behoove you to move them while demand is high.

Sure, you won’t be able to bask in the glory of your prospects accomplishments, but you’ll be closer in your quest to bring home fantasy gold.

Start ’em

Nick Swisher, Yankees.

Speaking of Swisher, in his last eight games, No. 33 has batted .438 with five HRs and 13 RBI.

Most fantasy owners had concerns about Swisher’s possible lack of playing time coming into the season, but Swisher has appeared in 29 of New York’s 30 games.

Sit ’em

Pablo Sandoval , Giants.

San Fran sits a half game back of San Diego in the West, which is a minor miracle considering the lack of production from their three-hole hitter Sandoval.

The Kung Fu Panda is hitting .081 in the month of May with just one RBI.

Fantasy Flashback

1894 Hugh Duffy .

The original Duff-man had quite the campaign in 1894, winning the Triple Crown with 18 bombs, 145 RBI and a .440 batting average that still remains the single-season BA record.

Duffy also posted a .502 OBP to go along with 48 stolen bases.

On a side note, Duffy logged his service with the Boston Beaneaters , who rank beside the Houston Colt 45s as possessing the sweetest team name in baseball history. Last on the list—the Cleveland Infants .

Waiver Wire Watch

Jon Garland , Padres.

The former White Sox/Diamondback/Dodger has been unhittable in his last four starts, surrendering just two earned runs in 27 innings of work.

Garland is owned by only 34 percent of fantasy users, so pick him up while he’s still available.

Rookie Review Mike Leake, Reds.

Heading into Spring Training, the major buzz surrounding the Reds rotation centered on Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, but it has been Leake who has shined in the 2010 season.

The 2009 First round pick out of Arizona State has validated Cincinnati’s selection thus far, compiling a 3-0 record though six games with a 3.10 ERA in 40.2 innings.

Related random rant—why do pitchers always rock the best facial hair in sports? This marvel has confounded me for years.

In theory, you’d think the football world would produce some kickass whiskers, but save for Jared Allen’s Fu Manchu, nothing impressive comes to mind.

Granted, hockey has the tradition of renouncing the razor come playoff time, but that’s only for two months of the year.

Yet, America’s pastime continually gives us the unintentional awesomeness of handlebar mustaches, muttonchops, dyed-goatees, and lumberjack beards. Go figure.

This week in Jonathon Broxton

Up and down week for the Ox.

Big 51 blew a save opportunity against Milwaukee on May 6th, yet was still credited with the win thanks to Andre Ethier ‘s grand slam in the ninth.

Broxton did bounce back by slamming the door against division foe Colorado on Friday and Sunday, bringing his save total to a whooping three on the season.

Trade Talk

Anytime a constant statistical discrepancy (i.e. lack of HRs, Ks) bears its face, owners will always look for a possible trade to enrich their roster.

While this approach is practical, owners who have low save totals should remain calm. A common blunder in fantasy is upgrading one’s bullpen to improve less than stellar stats.

Saves are fairly easy to come by, and the last thing you want to do is trade a valuable contributor for an unproven closer off to a hot start (yes, I’m looking at you Matt Capps. )

Instead, look to pick up a set-up man for a team whose regular closer is struggling.

Big League Chew Player of the Week Goes To

Vladimir Guerrero , Rangers.

Guerrero has proved skeptics wrong who claimed the slugger had nothing left in the tank.

In a series sweep over Kansas City, Vlad went 5-for-13 with three HRs and seven RBI.

On the season, the Vladiator has driven in 26 runs to go along with a .339 average.

Spit Your Tobacco at

Josh Beckett , Red Sox.

Beckett’s performance as of late hasn’t merited the $68 million extension he signed in early April.

Through seven games, Beckett is sporting an astronomical 7.46 ERA. His latest train wreck came against the Bronx Bombers, who tagged Beckett for nine earned runs in 5.1 innings.

That’s it for this week.

Enjoy the Padres-Giants, Twins-Yanks, and Indians-Orioles.

Class dismissed.

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Joey Votto is beginning to show that he is a complete baseball player. The man has tools.

In yesterday’s come-from- behind win over the Chicago Cubs, Votto sent a 439′ rocket into the right field seats. It was a two out, three-run shot that gave Mike Leake his third win of the season.

The win gave the Reds the series at two games to one. It was a successful home stand as they had just finished winning a set against the New York Mets 2-1 as well.

Leake probably pitched his best game of the season yesterday. He was in complete command of the Cubs, shutting them out with one hit through six innings. He actually had a no-hitter working through five.

In the top of the seventh, Marlon Byrd hit a two-out double giving the Cubs just their second hit of the day. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez reached first on an infield hit that moved Byrd to third.

Leake threw a wild pitch to Tyler Colvin, ruining the shutout as Byrd came home from third base, and Ramirez advanced to second. Colvin then brought Ramirez home with his fourth home run of the season, giving the Cubs their first and only lead of the game at 3-2.

In the home half of the seventh, Ramon Hernandez led off with a double off the left field wall. With the pitcher due up next, this provided a challenge to T-Pick (my new moniker for Dusty Baker). Would he let Leake bat for himself or send up a pinch hitter?

Leake batted for himself and placed a bunt that dropped about five feet from the plate allowing catcher Koyie Hill to gun down Hernandez at third, spoiling the sacrifice attempt by Leake.

Orlando Cabrera singled to right, moving Leake into scoring position at second.

T-Pick then put rookie Chris Heisey in to run for Leake, ending his night and leaving him hanging with a would-be loss.

Brandon Phillips hit into a fielder’s choice that sent Heisey to third and forced the O.C out at second.

With two out and runners on the corners, the stage was set for Votto.

Nick Masset relieved Leake in the eighth inning and allowed a hit to Ryan Theriot, but prevented any further damage in the inning.

Coco Cordero finished the Cubs off, in three up and three down fashion in the ninth to register his 10th save of the young season.

Hernandez went 2-3 with one RBI as he raised his average to .279.

Jonny Gomes knocked in a run with a wall banger in the second, lifting his team-leading total to 19, until Votto drove in his 20th in the seventh.

The St. Louis Cardinals win over the Pittsburgh Pirates left the Reds 3.5 games back in the NL Central Division. Milwaukee also kept pace with the Reds and remain a game behind them in third place.
 
The Reds go to PNC  Field on Monday for a brief three game road trip against the Pirates. The first game of the series will pit Bronson Arroyo (1-2) against Ross Ohlendorf (0-0) who will make just his second start of the season.

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The most impressive play, or non-play, of the Mother’s Day game at Great American Ball Park came immediately after Cincinnati Reds’ rookie sensation, Mike Leake allowed his first legitimate hit in the top of the seventh—a two-out double to Cubs’ outfielder Marlon Byrd.

After pitching hitless baseball through the front five, Leake gave up an infield single.  If the official score keeper were a cool dude or dudette they would have ruled it an error.  In reality, the hot grounder off the bat of Starlin Castro was a single.

But still—c’mon score keep, it’s was Mother’s Day.  What?  Do you not love your momma or something?

Unfazed, Leake retired the next five.  Which brings us to the two-out double in the seventh.

The ball was hammered.  Thus, relieving the official score keeper of a multitude of death threats.

The best part of the play came immediately afterwards.

Leake barked at Brandon Phillips and Orlando Cabrera while they were yukking it up over at second base with Byrd. 

Both Phillips and Cabrera were probably joking with the Cubs’ outfielder that they had saved the score keeper a multitude of death threats—if they were witty and clever enough.

Mind you, this is a two-run ballgame.  The tying run is now at the plate. 

Is this really the appropriate time to be fraternizing with an opponent who had just gotten the Cubs first legit hit?

Who knows what Leake barked? 

Probably something to the tune of, “Get back into position, I am trying to pitch a winning baseball game for OUR team.  You clowns are impeding me from doing me from doing so.”

Last week Eric Ball wrote an outstanding article titled, “Brandon Phillips Will Never Be the Leader the Cincinnati Reds Need .”

Exhibit-A should include a photo of the 22-year old rookie barking, none too kindly, at his 28-year old, multi-million dollar second baseman to get back to work.

In Ball’s piece he states, “Unfortunately, he (Phillips) simply doesn’t lead by example on the field.”

True.  True.  True.

Mike Leake does lead by example, and Brandon Phillips needs to start taking some notes.

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A couple of weeks ago if you mentioned the name Aroldis Chapman, in any common fantasy circle, there probably would’ve have been a distinct buzz. In the same vein, if you mentioned the name Mike Leake, there were probably nothing more than those uncomfortable crickets’ sounds filling the blank air.
Well, move over Chapman because Cincy is “leaking”, and your turns may have to wait a little longer.

Mike Leake has not only been a pleasant surprise for the Reds and fantasy owners, but he is proving to be one of the biggest successful risks of the 2010 season.

Today I want to take look at five reasons why you should grab Leake now, for the interim as well as the long-term before he is completely snatched up, leaving you and your roster in the rear view mirror.

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