OBSERVATIONS: Whipping a dead horse (Raisel Iglesias)

By HAL McCOY

UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave while watching the Colorado-Colorado State football game at midnight. I’ll watch anything played with a ball but bowling because I could never pick up the 2-7 split.

—Sonny Gray is 10-and-6 with a 2.80 earned run average and wonders what he did to tick off his bullpen. Five times he turned leads over to the bullpen and the bullpen blew it. He could be 15-and-6 and be in consideration for the NL Cy Young Award.

Is there a Sigh Young Award? Gray might win it. And you hate to beat dead horses, many of which I have placed wagers on at the race track.

But baseball’s dead horse these days is Cincinnati Reds closer Raisel Iglesias, the guy who has blown several saves for Gray. And he has lost 11 games, unheard of for a so-called closer.

Iglesias blew one for Gray Saturday, turning a 2-1 lead into a 3-2 walk-off defeat.

Question? With the way the Reds are using analytics, isn’t the computer telling manager David Bell to quit using Iglesias? Why do managers stick to the old method that they have to use their closer in the ninth inning, no matter what?

On Saturday Michael Lorenzen breezed through the eighth inning, 1-2-3 with two strikeouts. And it was the middle of the St. Louis lineup. But Bell brought in Iglesias to face the bottom of the order and he didn’t record a single out, three up and three on.

Remember when Iglesias complained about how he was being used? Time to let him complain about not being used at all.

—QUOTE: From baseball pitching legend Satchell Paige: “My pitching philosophy is simple — keep the ball away from the bat.” Maybe Raisel Iglesias needs to have the umpires check the opposing team’s bats to see if they contain baseball magnets.

—The Kansas City Royals sold last week for one billion dollars (that’s billion with ‘b’). And they say baseball isn’t making money? My bid of $2,500, my baseball card collection that doesn’t include Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays, my old Kent State baseball jersey, two Ken Griffey Jr. hats always worn backwards and my letter inviting me to a Philadelphia Phillies tryout camp was turned down.

And I thought I overbid for that dismal franchise.

—QUOTE: From former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, talking about Darryl Strawberry: “He is not a dog. A dog is loyal and chases balls.”

—What to make of Ohio State. In the first six minutes against Florida Atlantic they scored 21 points. At the end of the first quarter they led, 28-0, and looked as if they could beat another Florida team, the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins.

But they had to play three more quarters and FAU outscored the Buckeyes, 21-17. That forced new coach Ryan Day to play his regular offense most of the way.

Was it relaxation after a 28-0 lead? Or was that the early awe of FAU playing in front of 100,000 red-clad fanatics. For sure, transfer quarterback Justin Fields looks for real.

Next week is a different story. Former Ohio State interim coach Luke Fickell bring his University of Cincinnati Bearcats into the horseshoe, fresh off an upset of UCLA. Bucks beware.

—It seems as if half the Division I football programs are playing with a transfer quarterback. The Transfer Portal is a joke. It is turning college players into baseball-like free agents. Quarterbacks are nothing more than mercenaries.

—QUOTE: From ESPN’s national recruiting director Tom Luginbill: “Transfer protocol could create huge chaos. Think about it, I’m saying this on the extreme end of the spectrum, but theoretically say a coach leaves or gets fired and they hire a new coach and he comes in and there are 40 players missing (by transferring). What the heck is he supposed to do?” Could Mexico State coach Doug Martin lure the entire Alabama team to Las Cruces? Please.

—Why, Kirk, why? Former Ohio State/Centerville football star turned broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit has twin sons playing college football. And where do Jake and Tyler play? Clemson. What? Yeah, Clemson.

Both Jake, a cornerback, and Tyler, a wide receiver, are freshmen preferred walk-ons at Clemson. Well, at least it isn’t Alabama or Michigan.

—Some unusual and unique high school nicknames: New Berlin (Ill.) Pretzels (now there’s a twist), Ridgefield (Wash.) Spudders (one potato, two potato), Poca (W.Va.) Poca Dots (love to see their uniforms), Polo (Ill.) Polo Marcos (isn’t that Marco Polo?), Teuopolis (Ill) Wooden Shoes (a Dutch treat), West Plain (Mo.) Zizzers (couldn’t they spell scissors?).

Williamsport (Pa.) Millionaires (they got rich from the Little League World Series), Benson (Neb.) Mighty Bunnies (Do they wear rabbit ears and bunny tales on their uniforms?), Yuba City (Cal.) Honkers (stay clear when they blow their noses), Frankfort (Ind.) Hot Dogs (what else?), Laurel Hill (Fla.) Hoboes (what do they wear to the Senior Prom?) Blooming Prairie (Minn.) Awesome Blossoms (now that’s flower power), Annapolis Key (Md.) Obezags (huh?).

—QUOTE: From Hall of Fame pitcher/manager Bob Lemon: “I never took a game home with me. I always left it in some bar.” What? He didn’t drink lemonade?

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