Reds

Who takes the ball in Game 1?
Two years ago Dusty Baker went with the hot hand and started Edinson Volquez in Game 1 of the NLDS vs the Phillies. Volquez had been dominant down the stretch.
His final four regular season starts: 27.2 IN, 17 H, 31 K, 0 HR, 1.95 ERA.
But that didn't work out so well. Volquez last just 1.2 IN, allowing 4 H, 2 BB and 4 runs. So, who does Baker tab in Game 1 this year? A month ago this would not have been a question. Johnny Cueto was rolling, and appeared to be on track to win the Cy Young. But Cueto has has dropped three straight decision. His last three starts: 15.1 IN, allowing 26 H and 14 ER. He's gone just 4.0 and 4.1 innings in back to back starts. He has not won since August 28. That opens the door to debate.
Things to consider:
*As of today, Game 1 would be on the road and at San Francisco.
*Games 1, 2 at AT&T Park. Game 3, and if needed, 4 & 5 are at GABP.
*The Game 1 starter could pitch Game 5 on normal rest.
*Dusty likes to split up hard throwers and softer throwers.
*Cueto is their best pitcher at GABP.
*Can Cueto work out issues in next two starts?
*Bailey is a much better pitcher on the road.
*Bailey 1.55 in four September starts: 1,2,1,1 runs. 29 IN, 18 H, 26 K, 6 BB.
*Latos has been dominant vs Giants, in '12, at AT&T and in his career.
*Latos pitched a complete game at AT&T Park on June 30, allowing 2 hits and 1 run.
*Latos is 24-years old and an emotional pitcher. Can he handle the pressure of  Game 1 and a potential Game 5? He pitched well for Padres on final day of '10 season with division on line vs Giants: 6 IN, 2 R in loss.
*Arroyo has 11 postseason appearances and pitched well in Game 2 vs Phillies in 2010: 5.1 IN, 1 ER.
*Leake outdueled Matt Cain and tossed a complete game on June 29, allowing 9 hits and 1 run.
Splits
2012:   Home/Road
Cueto:   2.80/3.02
Latos:    3.53/4.07
Arroyo:   4.13/3.49
Bailey:   5.05/2.75
Leake:   5.54/3.74
ERA/starts vs Giants:   

Phillips won't concede to Barney: Gold Glove should be mine
Comcast Sports
Phillips said he wishes Barney the best, but, no, he hadn’t heard about the streak.
“Honestly, I don’t even know,” Phillips said. “What, he has one or something? ... Oh, really, that’s cool. That’s nice. Honestly, I’ve been too busy winning.
“You know what I’m saying? I’ve just been too busy winning. I worry about myself and I worry about this team. If they don’t play for the Reds, I don’t really worry about you, honestly, unless you’re like my homeboy or something like that.”
Phillips – who has committed five errors this season – wanted to make a broader point about how you should think about defense.

Phillips and Barney in Gold Glove showcase
ESPNChicago
“I think they're very different second basemen,” Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. “Obviously we all know how flashy Phillips is and what goes along with that flash is he backs it up and he does a great job at second base. Barney is more of a traditional, fundamental, not as flashy but obviously gets the job done as well as anybody ever has in a single season.”

Bengals

ESPN Power Rankings

APPro32 comments on Bengals

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Stuff

Kiesewetter: Our fond salute to WKRP in Cincinnati

Ohio State

Weak schedule takes heat out of demand for OSU tickets
Bob Hunter, Columbus Dispatch
What makes this intriguing is that OSU fans are used to being fed a diet of bland, tasteless nonconference games, and until last season always gobbled them up. Maybe some prospective customers have figured out that it isn’t really all that exciting to watch the Buckeyes crush the likes of Toledo or Akron, not when tickets are $70 and the stadium is September hot.

Growing pains accompanied the 23 years since UAB started football as club team
Todd Jones, Columbus Dispatch
Consider how the Blazers didn’t even have a locker room in 1989, making it necessary for players to take home their uniforms to wash after losing the school’s first football game 6-0 to Samford.“The next day, the athletic director called me in and said, ‘Well, we’ve got a problem,’ ” Hilyer said. “I said, ‘Oh, I’ve got a lot of problems. What are you talking about?’ He said, ‘Some of your players got arrested. After the game, they went into a bar in the Birmingham area and caused some problems.’
“I said, ‘How do you know they were UAB football players?’ He said, ‘They wore their uniforms.’ ”

Xavier

Father of Xavier recruit hires attorney to battle NCAA
ZagsBlog
“We have retained a law firm to see if could do something about this decision by the NCAA,” Davis said. “This firm has dealt with issues in the past against the NCAA and they feel that there be a chance to change the ruling.”

Jerry Jones says kneel-down is 'not a good play'
Dallas Morning News
“I don’t like it,” Jones said. “Lamar Hunt tried several times to introduce a rule to have it voted on that you couldn’t kneel down, you had to run a play. Unless you were trying to advance the ball, then you got a penalty and the time didn’t run off the clock. It’s not a good play.”

Bengals

  Bengals CB Adam Jones today was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week by the NFL.
            Jones returned three punts for 90 yards (30.0-yard average) in the Bengals’ 34-27 home win vs. Cleveland on Sunday, including an 81-yarder for a touchdown on the game’s opening punt, putting the Bengals ahead, 7-0. The touchdown and extra point in a sense provided the winning score, as the Bengals won 34-27 and it was the only score on special teams or defense in the game.
            It was the first punt return TD as a Bengal for Jones, but he now has five for his career. He had a 63-yard return for the Bengals last season.
            Through Week 2, Jones ranks second in the NFL in punt return average (30.0), trailing only Buffalo’s Leodis McKelvin (31.3).
            The last Bengal to win an AFC Player of the Week award was WR Brandon Tate, who won the special teams award in Week 8 of last season, when his 186 kick return yards at Seattle included a 56-yard punt return for a TD and a 45-yard kickoff return.

The Reds will face former UK Wildcat Chris Rusin (pronounced Russ-in) tonight. The 25-yr old LHP was a 4th round pick of the Cubs in 2009. He's 1-2 5.06 in four ML starts this season.