Cincinattitude
Youkilis stung by criticism, Valentine apologizes
(Getty Images)
What Youkilis told ESPN Boston about Cincinnati in August of last year:
"If I were to go anywhere, I would want to go to Cincinnati and play in front of my parents at home," Youkilis said. "I think it would be really cool for my dad and my mom, but especially for my dad, growing up in Cincinnati, that would be a real cool thing."
Brewers top 2-million tickets sold
Remember him?
A listener asked me the whereabouts of David Espinosa. He was a first round pick (23rd overall) of the Reds in 2000. Espinosa is now 30-years old. He spent two years in the Reds organization, at Low-A Dayton and High-A Stockton, playing SS/2B.
He was traded to Detroit in exchange for RHP Brian Moehler, 3B Matt Boone and cash in July 23 2002. Espinosa topped out at Triple-A Toledo with the Tigers in 2007. He's been playing mostly Independent League baseball since 2008. He did spend part of the 2009 season at Double-A with West Tennessee (Seattle).
He is currently playing for the Atlantic League Maryland Blue Crabs after being acquired in a trade from the Grand Prairie Air Hogs.
How about this four year run of draft picks by GM Jim Bowden?
2000: SS David Espinosa
2001: LHP Jeremy Sowers
2002: RHP Chris Gruler
2003: RHP Ryan Wagner
Votto delivers in the 11th, Reds avoid sweep
Dynamic pricing update
The Sunday Cardinals-Cubs LF/RF box tickets listed for $66.75 on Thursday night when we did topic were posted at $40 Sunday.
Last 5 games Reds vs Nationals
8/28/11 at Cin./Reds win, 5-4 in 14 innings
4/12/12 at Wsh/Nationals win, 3-2 in 10 innings
4/13/12 at Wsh/Nationals win, 2-1 in 13 innings
4/14/12 at Wsh/Nationals win, 4-1 in 9 innings
4/15/12 at Wsh/Nationals win, 6-5 in 11 innings
Must read
(Getty Images)
Joey Votto: The legend begins
Toronto Sun
He now lives with his girlfriend, Jeanne Paulus, on Mount Adams overlooking the city, 10 minutes east of the downtown core.
“Some visiting players come in, say the city is ugly,” Votto said. “I look out and all I see is the green of Ohio and Kentucky, a beautiful view.
Votto can see the Civil War battle fields.
Ohio was a free state, while across the Ohio River in Covington and Newport, Kentucky was with the South during the Civil War. The Underground Railroad Freedom Center is in Cincinnati, where slaves made their way north.
“Cincinnati is a prettier city than people give it credit for, I like it here, like the people,” Votto said. “They’re so polite.”
Locking up players risky business
Chicago Tribune
Conspicuously absent from this activity are the teams that best can afford to make financial mistakes — the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies. They can let their guys reach free agency before reaching out to them. The Phillies did that with Jimmy Rollins and seem willing to play that game again with Cole Hamels next winter.
But those teams are the exceptions. Most teams are rolling the dice on future performance. But that's a risky practice that hits home when you consider some of the deals teams would love to get out from under — like those for Alfonso Soriano, Vernon Wells, Alex Rios, Carlos Lee and Barry Zito, among many others.
***
(Getty Images)
African Americans in MLB: 8%, lowest since integration
USA Today
"Baseball likes to say things are getting better,'' says former 20-game winner and front-office executive Dave Stewart, who's now an agent. "It's not getting better. It's only getting worse. We've been in a downward spiral for a long time, and the numbers just keep declining.''
