By HAL McCOY
UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave after getting my first taste of MOD pizza, which has been near my home for a year but I hadn’t partaken. Recommendation? A couple of thumbs up.
—If the Cincinnati Reds were serious about re-signing free agent pitcher Matt Harvey, they weren’t serious enough.
Harvey agreed to one-year deal Tuesday with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, a deal laced with incentives that could pay Harvey $14 million.
Money, of course, talks and speaks loudly. At the end of last season Harvey said, “I love Cincinnati, I love the guys in this clubhouse, I love pitching to Tucker Barnhart and I love the way fans have treated me here.”
But he also loves the chance to make $14 million, and the Reds didn’t love him that much.
So the Reds continue their hunt for starting pitchers and the hunt is getting tougher and tougher. At least 10 teams are seeking starting pitchers and that makes it more and more difficult for the Reds to spend all that extra cash they say is laying around.
And, oh yeah, they still need a center fielder.
—One of the classic lines from the movie ‘A League of Their Own,’ was Tom Hanks telling one of his female players, “Are you crying? There is no crying in baseball.”
There was, indeed, crying in baseball on Tuesday. Penny Marshall died. Known mostly for her portrayal of LaVerne in the TV show LaVerne & Shirley, Marshall’s masterpiece was as director of ‘A League of Their Own’ about the women’s professional baseball league. It is one of the best baseball flicks of all time.
—QUOTE: From former Ohio State football coach John Cooper: “There are two kinds of coaches, those that have been fired and those that are going to be fired.” (How does that fit with Marvin Lewis?)
—Ohio State’s basketball team, being made up of human beings, obviously thought its Tuesday night game against Youngstown State was an early Christmas present, easy pickings.
The Buckeyes knew YSU lost games like this: Akron, 98-69; Florida International 102-93; Robert Morris 76-56; West Virginia 108-72; Central Michigan 100-94.
So they tossed up the basketball and before they broke a sweat Youngstown State led the Buckeyes, 14-2. At halftime YSU led, 25-22. Ohio State was 1 for 11 from three.
OSU coach Chris Holtmann clearly grabbed the attention of his 15th-ranked Buckeyes during intermission and the inevitable happened. They grabbed their first lead of the game, 28-27 with 17 minutes left. They took off from there, prevailing, 75-56, their first win of the season when they trailed at halftime. They were 0-and-3, but rescued this one with a 53-point second half.
Ohio State’s Kaleb Wesson outscored YSU by himself, 13-7, to start the second half to build a 10-point lead. Clearly, the Penguins were doused with Wesson oil.
—QUOTE: From legendary Indiana coach Bob Knight: “What is the best thing you can do in a close game? Drive to the basket and put pressure on the defense, not jack up jump shots.” (Wonder if that’s what Chris Holtmann told his Buckeyes at halftime after going 1 for 11 from three?)
—Wright State did it the opposite way against Morehead State at the Nutter Center. The Raiders built a 13-point lead with five minutes left in the half. Incredibly, Morehead State outscored WSU in those final five minutes, 20-4, including a last second half-court heave the three points and a 34-31 lead.
Wonder if WSU coach Scott Nagy offered the same message at halftime as Holtmann. The Raiders took charge in the second half and pulled out a victory, 78-67, making certain that Morehead State still hasn’t won a road game this season.
Four Raiders scored in double figures, led by Man Mountain Loudon Love (ya gotta love that guy) with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds. Love limped off the court and was taken to the lockerroom late in the game with an ankle injury.
Cole Gentry scored 18 on seven of 10 shooting and 4 of 6 from the three-point line.
Wright State leveled its record to 6-6 and Morehead State, winless this year against Division I teams, is 3-and-8.
QUOTE: From former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal: “Our offense is like the Pythagorean Theory. There is no answer.” (Do you think Shaquille could spell Pythagorean, let alone pronounced it?)
Thats 3 players the Reds got zilch for, by not trading them. Cozart, Billy Hamilton and Now Harvey. A failure by the front office.
Harvey was good, but if the Angels are paying 14 million for him, they paid too much. The Reds are wise not to invest that kind of $$$ on him.
I think this could be a Avenue to sign Cuban players. MLB, Cuban Baseball Federation Reach Agreement On Posting System. Look for a CF from Cuba and pitching. This way you dont deal Trammel or Senzel.
Every GM knows another teams challenges. They will try to exact an extreme high price of prospects (suspects) for starting pitching. Reds challenges include empty seats, and multiple consecutive 90-loss seasons, and only 2-3 starting line up players that better teams would want. In other words, the Reds are NOT dealing from any strength’s. Heck of a problem they have there in the offices of GABP.
Seems to me their other business problem is called SOCCER.