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KTE: Better Red Than Dead

Johnny Dickshot Jul 12 2007 10:01 AM

FREDDY GET REDDY: ROCK STEADY The Reds have switched things up a little this year and instead of being a surprise contender at the All-Star Break doomed to a second-half collapse, they instead are the worst team in the National League hopeful of late-stage redemption. Their play in the week following the firing of manager Jerry Narron indicates that just might be possible, provided the fire-sale of players in the next few weeks doesn’t rob them of their momentum. While .500 is a longshot for the Resurgent Reds, a 4th place finish is hardly out of the question. The Reds were 20 games below .500 when Narron was fired and replaced on an interim basis by Pete Mackanin, who was the Expos’ everyday second baseman in 1975. He also managed the Pirates on an interim basis after they fired McClendon 2 years ago. The Reds are 5-1 in the Mack Era, and ride into Shea on a season-high 4-game winning streak including a sweep of the DBaggs in their last series. RED MEANS RUN, SON: NUMBERS ADD UP TO NOTHIN' NL Rank: 5th in scoring (4.75 rpg); 15th in pitching (5.16 rpg); 11th in defense (errors) Tonite: RHP Bronson Arroyo* (3-9. 4.84) v. El Duque -- Dreadlocked girl pitcher beat us twice last year but is having an inconsistent year I have conflicting reports on the Reds Friday/Saturday pitchers so let’s say: Friday, 7:10 RHP Matt Belisle (5-6, 5.28) or RHP Aaron Harang (9-2, 3.67) vs. Maine Saturday, 7:30 RHP Matt Belisle (5-6, 5.28) or RHP Aaron Harang (9-2, 3.67) vs. Glavine --Big difference. Belisle is a control artist and nondescript former reliever. Harang is a gigantic one-time Hot Prospect finally showing his stuff in his late 20s. Did you know he led the NL in strikeouts last year? I didn’t. Harang is the real thing. Sunday, 1:10 RHP Kyle Lohse* (5-10, 4.47) vs. Perez --Pronounced LOWSH. Capable of ripping off a good start now and then but hardly ever does. Known as a wall-puncher in Minnesota where he spent time in Ron Gardenhire’s doghouse. Has won 2 straight including his 2nd complete game of the year last time out vs. Arizona. The Phillies apparently have real interest in him. The one constant between last year and this year has been a lousy bullpen: The difference being this year they won't trade Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez to repair it with Gary Majewski (who subseqiently and currently, is out injured). The Indestructable David Weathers* is the closer these days and isn’t unaccustomed to going 2 innings to get a save. He’s backed up by other really old guys (Mike F. Stanton*, Kirk Sarloos*, Rheal Cormier*) or young/inexperienced guys (RHPs Todd Coffey and Jared Burton; LHPs Mike Gosling and Jon Cunnlilingus, I mean, Jon Coutlangus). Coutlangus is a converted outfielder whose been pretty effective against lefties. He revealed himself to be a Met-Lovin Big Shot in this MiLB.com interview: ]Question: Who did you idolize growing up? Coutlangus: I idolized Howard Johnson -- he played for the Mets. That's who I always looked up to and I had about 100 of his baseball cards. He was a hard-nosed baseball player and ran everything out. I tried to emulate his stance when I was playing. SON, LIFE IS SIMPLE. IT’S EITHER CHERRY RED, OR MIDNIGHT BLUE I’ve been looking forward to this series since I bought tixx to Sunday’s game back in February: It’s the first I will attend with young I.J. Dickshot, 14 months old today. Not sure whether he will participate in the Dyna-Mets dash (or whether they will let him). The Reds are like adoptive parents, a (George) Foster home if you will. They seem resigned to go for it with half the budget of the other guys so they’re always out there taking chances with whatever the rest of the league leaves behind or consigns to the scrap heap. Harang, Lohse, OF Josh Hamilton, 2B Brandon Phillips … all guys who were unwanted. Their lineup will look something like this: L/L Hamilton CF: Rule 5 pickup having a great year R/R Phillips 2B: A bit of a hot dog/hot head. Great talent, yet to have a great year L/L Griffey* RF: Comeback year. Dangerous. L/R Dunn* LF: Slugging .549, .650 vs. RHP L/R Hattieberg* // Conine* 1B R/R Encarnacion 3B: Inconsistent offensively & defensively R/R Gonzalez* SS: Good power for a SS, sucks at everything else R/R Ross // Valentin C: Ross has terrific power for a catcher and good plate skillz but is hitting less than .200 They also mix in Ryan Freel at CF and 3B, and often lead off with Hattieberg. On the bench are OF Norris Hopper R/R; INF Juan Castro* R/R; and our old friend Jeff Keppinger* R/R RED IS THE COLOR THAT WILL MAKE ME BLUE This is the first Mets-Reds game of the year and so marks the debut of the Reds new unis, with olde-timey serif lettering. I think they’re sharp, especially in home white. X-Met Reds: Keppinger, Stanton, Weathers. X-Red Mets: Feliciano, Schoeneweis, Williams. Enemy Coverage: [url]http://www.redszone.com/forums/index.php?s=[/url] [url]http://www.redreporter.com/[/url] [url]http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=SPT04[/url] *--Could be traded before series is over.

metirish Jul 12 2007 10:06 AM

Nice work son,looking forward to this series,a lot of people think the Cardinals have the best baseball unis,me I think the Reds have.

Edgy DC Jul 12 2007 10:10 AM

Well done. Feliciano never played for the Reds, just marked time waiting to fulfill his Metly destiny. It seems they've switched to a smokier red. At least, it doesn't look quite right to me. Reds red should glare at you like a polished firetruck.

Benjamin Grimm Jul 12 2007 10:14 AM

I really want to see the Mets get a good start to the second half, winning 3 or 4 games against the Reds. It's time to start opening up a big lead in the NL East, and a four-game series, at home, against a last-place team with a .409 winning percentage is an opportunity not to be wasted. Incidentally, the Mets and Reds are the only NL Teams playing today. The rest of the league gets a four-day All Star break. This modern schedule is too darn quirky.

DocTee Jul 12 2007 10:15 AM

The "new" unis also feature Mr. RedLegs on the sleeve-- a nice touch.

Edgy DC Jul 12 2007 10:27 AM

I'm not so sure. I think the thing about mascots is that it's their lot to always be left out of the game, somehow representing the yearning of the crowd, that, despite our clumsiness, silliness, and entirely inappropirate shapes, we'd love to get our hacks in the name of our home cities. But the players are pros and will always keep the idiot masoct out of the action. The mascot, like us, should identify with the players. The players should not identify with the mascot. It's kind of bush.

Benjamin Grimm Jul 12 2007 10:35 AM

I don't think I care for the fancier font either. There was nothing at all wrong with the uniforms, both home and away, that the Big Red Machine wore. If I were a Reds fan, those would be the uniforms I'd want to see.

metirish Jul 12 2007 10:37 AM

Saturday night is Ralph Kiner Night,Seaver,Berra and Feller are expected to attend.

Edgy DC Jul 12 2007 10:44 AM

Are Ralph and Feller friends? Ralph played his last season with Cleveland in 1955, and that should have been Feller's as well (he tried one more go in '56), but that's not the best connection. It's too late to suggest, but I'd have a player representative on hand from each of the 45 Mets teams.

smg58 Jul 12 2007 10:47 AM

Arroyo was rock solid his first nine starts this year, but in the ninth Narron let him throw 129 pitches and allowed him to walk in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth after loading the bases with no out. He hasn't been right since.

Edgy DC Jul 12 2007 10:48 AM

Good point. smg58, like Ray Searage, is batting 1.000.

metirish Jul 12 2007 10:51 AM

I would think Kiner and Feller must be friends,I can't imagine Feller at his age coming to NY to pay tribute otherwise.All those years going to the HOF too. From Mets.com ] Seaver, along with Yogi Berra, Bob Feller and a cast of Mets legends will help honor Kiner before the game with the Reds. On-field ceremonies start at 7 p.m. ET, with the game pushed back to 7:30 to accommodate the tribute. The first 25,000 fans in attendance will receive a commemorative Kiner photo, courtesy of Mets-Steiner Collectibles.

seawolf17 Jul 12 2007 11:01 AM Re: KTE: Better Red Than Dead

="Johnny Dickshot"]Coutlangus is a converted outfielder whose been pretty effective against lefties. He revealed himself to be a Met-Lovin Big Shot in this MiLB.com interview: ]Question: Who did you idolize growing up? Coutlangus: I idolized Howard Johnson -- he played for the Mets. That's who I always looked up to and I had about 100 of his baseball cards. He was a hard-nosed baseball player and ran everything out. I tried to emulate his stance when I was playing. Plus, he features the brilliant Christopher Walken:

DocTee Jul 12 2007 12:49 PM

]I'm not so sure. I think the thing about mascots is that it's their lot to always be left out of the game, somehow representing the yearning of the crowd, that, despite our clumsiness, silliness, and entirely inappropirate shapes, we'd love to get our hacks in the name of our home cities. But the players are pros and will always keep the idiot masoct out of the action. The mascot, like us, should identify with the players. The players should not identify with the mascot. It's kind of bush. I dunno-- it's Mr. Redlegs, after all, a nineteenth century throwback, and not some Johnny come lately like the Rox mascot. An arm patch commemrating Mr. Met wouldn't be too bad, either.