A FEW MO THINGS, 8/29/12 EDITION

There are times I wish Tony LaRussa still managed the Cardinals.  They include when his catcher gets trucked on a (clean) play at the plate just I could hear him whine about it.

-Programming Notes: We've got a radio show today at 3:04 on ESPN1530.  This week's weekly chat has been moved to tomorrow.

-While Yadi was picking pieces of himself off the PNC Park turf, the Reds won their 79th game last night.  The best record in baseball, with just over five weeks to go, is their's.

Maybe the Cy Young Award is Johnny Cueto's. 

With 17 wins he now leads in both that category and in ERA.  He's the staff ace on the best team in the Bigs, and he's got a bona fide shot at winning 20.

But what about The Missile?

The most compelling debate down the stretch could be which Red wins the hardware.  Do voters follow tradition and simply give it to a starter, or do they look at the historic season Chapman is having and give it to MLB's most dominant starter?

What Johnny Cueto is doing is great.  What Aroldis Chapman is doing is historic.

He's on pace for the highest strikeout per nine in the history of the game.  He's got a chance to set the record for lowest batting average-against.  He's got a legit chance to have 100 more whiffs than hits allowed.  And he's been the best pitcher on what's often been considered the best bullpen in the sport.

And his presence looms every night.

You feel it whenever the Reds have a lead in the middle innings, that sense of urgency by the opposition that they must score now because the game will be over if the Reds get to the ninth holding a lead.  Aroldis might not pitch every game, but his presence is felt damn near close to every game.

Johnny Cueto is awesome, and I certainly wouldn't gripe if he won the award.  The fact that this argument could conceivably come down to two Reds pitchers is very, very, cool.  But given the season that Aroldis Chapman is having, and the fact that nine other relief pitchers have won the Cy Young award, I'd give the nod to The Missile.

-I watched SportsCenter for an hour this morning.  There was no mention of the fact that Dez Wells will not be facing any charges.

I watched SportsCenter last Tuesday.  There were mentions of Dez Wells getting expelled.

Do we still think that his reputation hasn't suffered irreparable damage?

Don't make this about basketball.  Don't make this about rooting allegiance.  This about someone's life.  It's about someone's reputation.  And it's about someone's future. It transcends sports.

Imagine this is your kid.  He/she has been cleared of any wrongdoing by authorities and yet their life has been drastically altered because a school has expelled them.  Wouldn't you want the institution to give the case another look?

Thought so.

-A short and sweet blog today.  More later, including today's radio show.  Here's blog favorite Arianny Celeste....