And show me an athlete, even in high school, who didn’t puke during an especially tough workout. When I was trying to drop pounds to make weight as a 105-pound wrestler, our manager would make me do grass drills (burpies, up-downs, whatever) in a 90-degree practice room, then roll me up in the mat so just my head was visible. He’d watch me sweat for a few minutes, making sure I didn’t lose consciousness. It wasn’t fun.
This didn’t happen, at least not that we’re aware of. Instead, we have an AD and coach who rarely spoke. We had players offer anonymous critiques of Brannen and enter the transfer portal. (Props to Cumberland for putting his name to his opinions.) We had a university soil a coach’s reputation without ever saying exactly why.
It’s possible a court scrum will reveal all sorts of heinous gripes against John Brannen. We don’t know that. We know only what has appeared publicly, most of it anonymously, none of it worthy of his dismissal after two winters.
Sad, avoidable stuff.
Now, then. . .
WATCHING THE REDS DELIVER A DRAB SHOW LAST NIGHT, the thought occurred:
This is who they are.
Not a terribly original opinion, I know. And it could be proven false. The Big 162 is good at revealing truth. Only 123 truths to go.
But I’ve misplaced my tarot cards and the Ouija board is in the shop. I can only go by what I’m seeing. What am I seeing?
In getting to 19-20, the Reds:
Have scored 208 runs, allowed 209.
Haven’t won more than two in a row since starting 6-1.
Have been at or below .500 since April 21.
Are 7-7 in May.
Have played the NL’s dregs 16 times – Colorado, Pittsburgh, Arizona are a combined 24 games under .500 – and gone 8-8.
They’re the working definition of OK , which is pretty much who we thought they’d be after losing Bauer and declining to bring back Iglesias, Bradley and DeSclafani and penny-hoarding at shortstop.
Roughly 25 percent into the season, the Reds don’t yet know who they are. They don’t have enough answers to essential questions:
Who’s the shortstop? The Suarez Experiment has bombed.
Who’s Nick Senzel? An everyday player without an everyday position.
Who’s Amir Garrett, considered a vital late-inning reliever? Who closes?
What happens if Castillo and Gray aren’t Castillo and Gray? They’re a combined 1-8 in 14 starts. The team’s record with them is 4-10. The Reds are 1-7 when Castillo pitches.
Generally a team needs solid, consistent starting pitching to reel off bursts of wins. Without the two studs at the top, the Reds can’t do that.
You look at other teams not named Pittsburgh in the division. They have more dependable parts. The Cardinals, for example: Arenado, Goldschmidt, Flaherty, Molina, promising young position players like Edman, Carlson, Bader and O’Neill, a deep bullpen.
The Brewers (21-20) are scufflin ’, but Yelich has played in just 10 games and they have young studs anchoring the rotation and Josh Hader wiping out the 9th.
The Cubs don’t make hearts skip a beat.
Very likely the Reds will have to win the Central to qualify for October. At the quarter-pole, they don’t look ready for that.
TRIP REPORT. . . An advantage to being old is if you don’t get fired, you accrue lots o’ vacation. Don’t hate me because I’m old.
Spent eight days at the palatial beach outpost in Bradenton. 86 and sunny is easy to take. One new trip: To Crystal River to hang out with the manatees. Always wanted to do it, never have. Better late than never. Fabulous.
Once you get an hour or so north of Tampa, Florida yawns and stretches out. And produces little gem-towns like Crystal River. We rented a double kayak for three hours and just. . . floated. The water is green and clean and perfect for swimming. And man, the manatees. Just lolling there beneath us. You’re not supposed to touch them, but occasionally, they’ll touch you. Gentle creatures that make you want to protect the planet.
You don’t need a wetsuit this time of year, just a mask and a snorkel.
Then we found by accident a dive restaurant on the water. The Crab Plant had unbroken waterfront views and medium-sized Maryland crabs for a ridiculously cheap $24.99 a dozen. As we feasted, manatees glided past.TML sez ckout the manatees.
COLUMBUS REDISCOVERED ITS SANITY and changed the name of its soccer team back to Crew, from Columbus SC. Which prompts me to suggest FC Cincinnati find itself a nickname.
I know it’s so very Euro to name you team FC or SC or City. It’s also awkward, overly precious, pretentious and unoriginal.
Teams need nicknames. Cincinnati isn’t Europe. Pro soccer is popular enough in America now, without copying the Old World. Drop the FC. Or, better, add a nickname. Columbus Crew SC isn’t bad. Cincinnati (Nickname) FC could be, too.
Think of the merchandising possibilities.
TUNE O’ THE DAY. . . Maybe my favorite Beatles torch tune that never gets air time.
