OBSERVATIONS: Reds GM Krall trying to patch it up

By Hal McCoy

UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave awaiting the baseball trade deadline, wondering who goes and who stays and the big question, “Why?”

—Cincinnati Reds general manager Nick Krall deserves some credit for attempting to patch up his Les Miserables bullpen. . .even if it is with duct tape.

Nearly every contending team is searching for reliable relief pitching and the Reds are standing at the head of the line.

The Reds completed a deal after midnight Wednesday with the New York Yankees, acquiring relief pitchers Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson, a couple of journeymen.

The Reds are sending the most traded player in major league history to the Yankees, a player to be named later.

Mark De Rosa, host of MLB Central on the MLB network said of the deal, “I want to see more than a couple of ham ’n eggers for a player to be named later.”

The righthanded Cessa, 29, has been one of the Yankees better relief pitchers this season. He allowed 12 earned runs in 38 1/3 innings this season.

He allowed two home runs and struck out 31 in 29 appearances with four saves with q 3-1 record and a 2.82 earned run average.

Wilson, 33, not so good. The lefthander was 1-1 with a 7.50 earned run average in 21 appearances over 18 innings. And he has lost 34 games this season due to two stints on the injured list with a shoulder issue and a hamstring problem.

The Reds also made  a deal to obtain Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Mychal Givens, 3-2 with a 2.73 ERA in 31 appearances over 29 1/3 innings. Relief pitchers Edgar  Garcia and Josh Osich were removed from the 40-man roster.

As said before, at least Krall is trying.

Cessa and Wilson were available to pitch tonight (Wednesday) and Givens joins the team in New York tomorrow (Thursday).

“They’ll fit righrt in,” said manager David Bell. “Our bullpen’s culture is one of teamwork, helping each other out, picking each other up with a lot of communication. They’ll all pitch alot in important situations. Our best days are ahead of us as far as far as ow our bullpen in lined up to do.”

—QUOTE: From former Kansas City relief pitcher/comedian Dan Quisenberry: “A manager used a relief pitchers like a six-shooter. He fires until it’s empty, then takes the gun and throws it at the villain.” (If the pitcher is Amir Garrett, he throws the empty six-shooter at Javier Baez.)

—The Cleveland Indians will be no more after this season. Beginning next year they will be the Cleveland Guardians.

Not to me. For 80 years of my life they’ve been the Indians, not the Guardians. Somebody made this suggestion to me and it is a good one. “When you write about the team, refer to them as the Cleveland **dians.” Wonderful idea.

And It took this long to come up with that name, a name fans already hate, judging by social media? I already hate it.

As my dear friend Ray Snedegar points out, there are close to 22 verses in the Bible that refer to guardians, so there will be howls of protest from the religious front and they’ll have to rename them again

And Atlanta? They took the All-Star game away from you and next they are coming for your ‘Braves.’ nickname.

—Former Kansas City A’s/Oakland A’s owner Charlie Finley said this in 1975. Somehow, 46 years later, is rings even more true:

“I’ve never seen so many damned idiot owners in this sport. Baseball is headed for extinction if we don’t do something. Defense dominates everything. Pitching is 75 per cent of the game and that’s why it is so dull. How many times have you seen a fan napping in the middle of a game? Only one word explains why baseball hasn’t changed. Stupidity. The owners don’t want to rock the boat.”

They don’t nap much any more. They just stare at their cell phones throughout the games.

—QUOTE: From Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench talking about batting slumps: “They are like sleeping in a soft bed. They are easy to get into and hard to get out of.”

—Former MLB umpire Al Clark always called Sparky Anderson by his given name, George Anderson. Asked why, Clark said, “I refuse to call a 52-year-old man Sparky.”

Wonder if he called Sparky Lyle by his given name, Albert Lyle? Doubt it.

—It boggles the mind that the Cincinnati Reds are in second place after more than 100 games and their acknowledged best pitchers, Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray, have combined to win only five games.

—QUOTE: From Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Lemon: “Baseball is a kid’s game that grownups only tend to screw up.” (And to think he never knew Rob Manfred.)

—Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is small by NFL standards, but he does have a mighty arm.

Playing against the Baltimore Raven last December, Mayfield threw a Hail Mary pass that was measured as traveling 70.5 yards in the air. It was the longest pass in NFL recorded history. It had great exit velocity and a high launch angle. And the football had a high velocity spin rate.

Of course, it fell incomplete.
—When you die and are en route to heaven or hell, I’m convinced you have to change planes in Atlanta.

—They are always talking about finding a diamond in the rough. The only thing I ever found in the rough was my golf ball.

2 thoughts on “OBSERVATIONS: Reds GM Krall trying to patch it up”

  1. Another Great Article Mr. McCoy keep them coming Please. On Facebook I was hacked. I had to start up a whole new page. So if You would like to get with Me on F B ask to Be Friended. Bless You Mr. McCoy !!!

  2. Charley Finley was right about idiot owners (see the past several Reds’ owners, & current one). But it’s not just the owners. MLB as a whole is making the entire product a PC farce, & a “let’s make this a new rule” which is killing the game. Add to it the all or nothing trips to the plate by players more worried about their stats than winning a team game. Little League is now more fun to watch.

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