TV
34 years ago today: Video of the "Turkey's Away" episode on WKRP in Cincinnati.
The episode delivered the greatest line in TV history: "As God as my witness, I thought turkey's could fly". Thanks John Kiesewetter, Enquirer, for the heads up!
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Reds
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Show preview
Guest
Brett Kostoff, 7:05
Topics
Reds
Bengals
Storm watch
Latest photos and videos from Hurricane Sandy
Bengals Line
Thanks to Terence Newman and Armon Binns for joining us for Bengals Line Monday night. We also had two special guest join us on the stage: Casey and Peyton.
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Ever give up on your team?
Remember this guy?
Brett Kotstoff was a Bengals season ticket holder for five years. Following the 4-12 season of 2010, he decided he was done with the team. He gave up on the Bengals. He sold his allegiance on eBay and found a new team. He joined Steeler Nation as a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Brett contacted me last week after the Steelers vs Bengals game. He will join me tonight on Sports Talk. Have you ever give up on your team and moved onto another team? Brett talked to Doc about his decision as well.
Chargers losing fans as quickly as games
San Diego Union Tribune
It's one thing for his customers to be mad, livid, enraged – you get the idea. It's another situation when they go apathetic. And that's the sense at various water coolers and watering holes in wake of the Chargers' latest zombie act.
Many Chargers boosters are saying “who cares” instead of “who goes” and that's a slippery slope no business owner wants to encourage. And don't forget the thousands of people not renewing their season tickets this year. View the vast sections of empty seats on Thursday, although with it likely being blacked out, that could be a challenge.
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MLB/Reds
Hot Stove Primer: Key dates, top free agents to know
What if Reds can't resign Ryan Ludwick?
We know Ryan Ludwick will decline a $5M mutal option to return to the Reds in 2013.
We know the Reds are interested in re-signing Ludwick. How many years and how much money can the Reds afford to spend on Ludwick? If he leaves who replaces him? Ludwick will turn 35-years old on July 13. After struggling with the Pirates and Padres in 2011 he resurrected his career in 2012. But the Reds are not in a position to reward past performances. They must be paying for future production. What future production can they get from Ludwick?
2012
.275/.346/.531/.877 with 26 HR and 80 RBI.
2011
.237/.310/.363/.674 with 13 HR and 75 RBI.
He enjoyed hitting in GABP, but he was just as good on the road in 2012:
GABP: .268/.341/.555/.896, 16 HR, 46 RBI in 247 plate appearances.
Road: .282/.351/.505/.856, 10 HR, 34 RBI in 225 plate appearances.
w/RISP: .296/.396/.520/.916
vs RHP: .280/.340/.513/.853
vs LHP: .263/.360/.576/.937 (SLG/OPS best on team)
He struggled in April (.190) and May (.224). He carried the Reds in July (.333-7-19) and August (.327-7-19).
From the St Louis Post Dispatch (October 1)
Cincinnati was without former MVP Joey Votto from July 16 to Sept. 4, and during that time Ludwick hit .340, clubbed 12 homers and drove in 36 runs. The only player in the majors to have a better slugging percentage than Ludwick's .647 during that span was Angels first baseman Albert Pujols, at .677.
During the time Votto was on the DL, only six players in the majors had a better batting average than Ludwick, only four NL hitters had more RBIs, and only two in the NL hit more homers. One was his teammate Bruce, with 13. The Reds went 29-15 in that stretch and distanced themselves from the second-place Cardinals.
"I don't think it's a stretch to say he carried us," outfielder Jay Bruce said. "It was like 2008 when he had such a big year (for the Cardinals). He's doing pretty much the same thing now that he was doing then. He came here to win."......
Ludwick's presence in the clubhouse grew. He "found his niche here," Bruce said.
2013 Free Agents
(MLBTradeRumors)
Left fielders
Bobby Abreu (39), Travis Buck (29), Melky Cabrera (28), Johnny Damon (39)
Mark DeRosa (38), Matt Diaz (35), Kosuke Fukudome (36), Jonny Gomes (32)
Scott Hairston (33), Josh Hamilton (32), Raul Ibanez (41), Reed Johnson (36)
Andruw Jones (36), Austin Kearns (33), Darnell McDonald (34), Xavier Nady (34)
Juan Pierre (35), Juan Rivera (34), Cody Ross (32), Drew Sutton (30), Shane Victorino (32), Delmon Young (27)
Center fielders
Rick Ankiel (33), Michael Bourn (30), Josh Hamilton (32), Reed Johnson (36)
Mitch Maier (31), Angel Pagan (31), Grady Sizemore (30), B.J. Upton (28)
Shane Victorino (32)
Right fielders
Jeff Baker (32), Brian Bixler (30), Travis Buck (29), Mark DeRosa (38)
Kosuke Fukudome (36), Scott Hairston (33), Torii Hunter (37), Reed Johnson (36)
Andruw Jones (36), Xavier Nady (34), Juan Rivera (34), Cody Ross (32)
Ichiro Suzuki (39), Nick Swisher (32)
By trade...........
Justin Upton
Age: 25, RH, '12 salary: $6.75M, RF
2012: .280/.355/.430/.785
Career: .278/.357/.475/.832
'12 17 HR, 67 RBI, 18 SB, 63 BB
K totals: 121, 126, 152, 137
2012
Home: .313/.390/.534/.924
Road: .252/.326/.344/.670
Contract status: '13 9.7M, '14 $14.2M, '15 $14.5M
Career stats
Ken Rosenthal on dealing Upton
Free agent........
Nick Swisher
Age: 31, switch-hitter, '12 salary: $10.25M
Free agent, RF
Born in Columbus, OH, attended OSU
2012: .272/.364/.474/.837, 36 2B, 24 HR, 943 RBI, 77 BB, 141 K
Career: .256/.361/.467/.828
46 postseason games: .169, 4 HR, 8 RBI, never had more than 1 RBI in any of 11 postseason series.
HR totals: 29, 29, 25, 24
RBI totals: 82, 89, 85, 93
Walk totals: 95, 89, 85, 97, 100
As Buster Olney says: incredibly consistent in his regular-season production in recent years, generating a high on-base percentage through patient at-bats, and he can play first base as well as the outfield.
Career stats
Roll of the dice: Melky Cabrera
From the NY Post
Cabrera is one of the most interesting free-agent cases this offseason. One NL official summed it up this way: “He was a pretty good player with the Yankees, fat and terrible for Atlanta, very good last year [for Kansas City] and unbelievable this year. Who is the real guy? I saw him in the minors and I thought he was an extra outfielder. I have hard time going out of my way to reward a guy trying to break the system as badly as this guy did.
“Real Melky was a fourth outfielder, fake Melky was the All-Star MVP. Maybe we are going to have to find if there is more nuance to that.”
Cabrera gone but not forgotten
USA Today
Cabrera, a free agent, will not be invited back to San Francisco next season. He might have cost himself as much as $50 million on the free-agent market, with no team expected to offer him more than a one-year, $5 million deal, wondering how much of his success the last 11/2 years was chemically induced.
Odds to win the 2013 World Series
Courtesy of Bovada, (www.Bovada.lv, Twitter: @BovadaLV)
Detroit Tigers 6/1
New York Yankees 7/1
San Francisco Giants 10/1
Texas Rangers 12/1
Washington Nationals 12/1
Los Angeles Angels 12/1
Philadelphia Phillies 14/1
St. Louis Cardinals 14/1
Cincinnati Reds 14/1
Atlanta Braves 14/1
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Blast from the past
Here is the CBS introduction for Bengals vs 49ers on December 6, 1981. The Bengals lost the game 21-3 at Riverfront Stadium. Thanks to listener Jeremy in Fairfield.
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College basketball
Big East preview
Mike DeCourcy, The Sporting News
Mick Cronin isn’t getting enough credit. When hired at Cincinnati, he essentially had no roster. In six years, he got the Bearcats into the Big East Tournament final and the NCAA Sweet 16. It’s one of the most impressive coaching achievements of the past decade—and who has noticed?
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Stuff
Last-minute Halloween ideas for kids
Moeller Basketball Youth Coaches Clinic
The 21st Annual Moeller Basketball Youth Coaches Clinic is designed specifically for Coaches of teams for Boys & Girls Grades 3-8
Saturday, November 3 9:00- 12:00pm
Moeller High School 9001 Montgomery Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45242 513-791-1680
2012 Featured Speakers:
John Miller - Father of Sean & Archie Miller
Other Coaches to be announced.
Cost includes lunch, refreshments, t-shirt, gift bags for the first 200 through the door, and door prizes
Click HERE for more info
Need a basketball fix?
The Chosen Ones: The Team That Beat LeBron tells the untold story of struggle and triumph, of setback and success, of tragedy and redemption, of the only Ohio prep basketball team to ever beat LeBron James. With honesty and humanity, first-time author Tony Meale reveals how a group of teammates, driven by their coach, forged a brotherhood and fearlessness that produced one of the most inspiring underdog stories the sports world has ever witnessed. Order HERE.
Also available through Amazon
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10 years ago today
10 years after
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Check it out
From listener Jeff Mock: My 8th grade little brother ripped off an insane run.
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Listener photos
From listener Chuck: Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.
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Did you see it?
David Letterman did an audience-free show last night. The show canceled the audience because of Hurricane Sandy, but taped a segment with Denzel Washington.
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