Alright ladies & gentlemen, stoners & boozehounds....this is what you've always waited for. The Kentucky Kid's 1st official post.
Let me start off by saying that tonight I am going to do something out of the ordinary. Typically, I like to focus on whatever sport is in season; however, after Kentucky's disappointing loss to Ole Miss (yeah, Ole Miss), I'd like to take my mind off of this horrendous loss and this freezing weather and talk a little baseball. Spring Training is less than a month away anyway, so it's not too early.
As a Cincinnati Reds fan, I feel like my team has been building for the future since '99. But, this season I have a new hope, and rightfully so. For the 1st time since who knows when (1990?), the Reds have a legitimate pitching staff. Last year's All Star Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, Aaron Harang-atang & Pretty Boy Bronson Arroyo are 4 solid starters who will, without a doubt, be the key to the 2009 season for the Redlegs.
Former St. Louis GM Walt Jocketty is now in Cincinnati, and I like what he is assembling. He has been in pursuit of a big time right handed hitter to fill the void in left field created when Adam "Donkey" Dunn was traded to Arizona last July. So why not go after Manny Ramirez? He fits everything that the Reds are lacking (which is a power hitting right handed hitter & a left fielder.)
In addition, the Reds have a great core of Dominican players. The aforementioned Volquez & Cueto are both Dominican, as is Edwin Encarnacion & Francisco Cordero. Manny is also Dominican. Not that it really matters, just something that I found interesting.
So, how does a small market team come up with the money to sign Manny? What the Reds need to do is get rid of Francisco Cordero. He's making close to $12 million this year, and a self-proclaimed small market club like Cincinnati cannot afford to invest that type of money into a closer. For those of you who are not baseball enthusiasts, I will go ahead and tell you that Saves are the most overrated statistic in baseball - unless it's fantasy baseball. Take the $$$ that we've saved by trading away Dunn, Griffey & Cordero (hopefully), and go after Manny Ramirez.
After all, he did hit .396 with 17 HR and 53 RBI for the Dodgers last year in a whopping 53 games. Can you imagine him spending an entire season in the NL? Here's hoping it's for the Cincinnati Reds.
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2 years ago
i think cincy deserves a pro hockey team
ReplyDeleteclubhouse chemistry. thats the dominican roots for ya.
ReplyDeletebut i disagree w/ saves being worthless. i bet the phillies weren't thinkin it was worthless when brad lidge helped seal the NLeast and took 'em to a series victory.
but yeah, cordero is too expensive and, as long as he is wearing a reds uniform, worthless.
Having somebody capable of closing out the game is not worthless. But the saves statistic is the most overrated stat in all of baseball.
ReplyDeleteTypically the closer pitches 1 inning and comes in with nobody on base. All they have to do is get 3 outs, and we're paying him $12 million? Give me a break. Jared Burton could be a very effective closer.
Manny probably wants to go to a club where he could be a little more insulated in the lineup. As much as I like them, but the protection he would get for batting around Jay Bruce and Joey Votto would be next to nothing.
ReplyDeleteHe'd be batting in front of a guy named Brandon Phillips.
ReplyDeleteImagine this lineup:
SS - Jerry Hairston
RF - Jay Bruce
LF - Manny Ramirez
2B - Brandon Phillips
1B - Joey Votto
3B - Edwin Encarnacion
C - Ramon Hernandez / Ryan Hanigan
CF - Wily Taveras
That's a lot of speed, and you have Jeff Keppinger & Alex Gonzalez as utility men.
In other news, the Cincinatti Reds blow..
ReplyDelete