Atlanta went for it. Cincinnati got Mychal Givens. No knock on Givens, he did fine here. But his acquisition looked more like a “let them eat cake’ ’ gesture to the fans than a genuine effort to make a run.
Of course the Reds should focus on scouting and developing. Good for them. The problem is, every good team does that. Then they spend money to fill in the gaps.
I wrote this last summer, and it held true: The Reds had the sort of good fortune that happens to teams that make the playoffs. They didn’t have crippling injuries. They had multiple players enjoy career years. They got unexpected juice from India, Farmer, Gutierrez and Santillan. They had a September schedule that begged them to win.
The stars aligned. The opportunity went begging.
My Ouija board still isn’t fixed, so I can’t say what ’22 will look like. Expecting Votto to reprise ’21 seems unfair. His last monster season, 2017, took so much out of him that he nose-dived in ’18: Thirty-six homers to 12, 100 BI to 67, an OPS that fell almost 200 points. And ’18 was his age 34 season. The next one will be his age 38 year.
More: Pitching coach Derek Johnson adds director of pitching title: What it means for the Reds
If they keep Wade Miley, will he win 12 games and make 15 quality starts, the way he did this year? Will Tyler Naquin drive in 70 runs in 411 at-bats?
ESPN.com summed it up:
They're on the books for $74 million in future payroll to two third basemen who hit a combined .201.
Top prospects Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo may be ready to contribute to the pitching staff, but losing Castellanos would be a big blow. There is something here, and if Greene and Lodolo develop, the future may be bright, but that's more 2023 than 2022.
Just what you wanted to hear, yeah?
For Barnhart, the Reds got a 24-year-old infielder who is the Tigers 31st-best prospect and last summer hit .196 with nine homers for the Tigers' Low-A affiliate in Lakeland, Fla. Awesome.
Now, then . . .
AARON RODGERS THINKS HE’S SPECIAL . As a QB, he’s right. As a human? Not exactly.
He tested positive for COVID-19. He never got vaccinated. “Immunized’’ was his term, meaning, well meaning whatever he wanted it to mean. ESPN.com:
According to ESPN's Rob Demovsky, Rodgers pursued an alternative treatment and then petitioned the NFL to recognize him as vaccinated. The NFL refused, citing the clear language of the NFL-NFLPA agreement reached this summer.
To which Rodgers said, “So?’’
He played, he interacted with teammates and the media, he attended position-group meetings, he didn’t wear a mask. Rodgers didn’t flat-out lie, I guess. One man’s “vaccinated’’ is another man’s “immunized.’’ But an attempt at a cute dodge is no substitute for accepting your responsibility as a teammate and member of an elite fraternity.
If you don’t want to play by the rules, friend, lobby to be the full-time host of Jeopardy! Meantime, consider apologizing to everyone with whom you’ve come in contact. And get the damned shot.
More: Paul Daugherty: In a world of endless noise, this is what Luke Fickell seeks from Bearcats
WELL AT LEAST WE LEAD THE CONVERSATION . . .
The fact remains, a 60-year-old country club golf professional has a better chance of qualifying for the US Open than UC does of qualifying for the college football playoff. The former has only to have an acceptable handicap and play out of his mind in Open qualifiers. The latter has to belong to the exclusive Power 5 Club, go 12-1, play a great schedule and hope the 13-member Association of ESPN Bootlickers and Friends of Alabama gives them a glance.
Here’s Gus Malzahn, to Yahoo!:
Malzahn is uniquely qualified to gauge elite teams, as he served eight seasons as Auburn’s head coach and annually matched up against juggernauts from Alabama, LSU and Georgia.
“I’ve played Georgia and Alabama every year,” Malzahn said. “I know exactly what it looks like. [Cincinnati is] right there. They’re a team that can win the whole thing.
“What surprised me more than anything is that Cincinnati played Georgia in the bowl game last year,” Malzahn said. “Georgia is the best team in college football. I don’t think that’s debatable. Both teams have pretty close to the same guys back. They played Georgia better than anyone. They should have won the game.”
Then there’s this, from College Football News:
Cincinnati has one great win – on the road over Notre Dame – and that’s it. There’s NOTHING else.
There’s only one other win over a team with a winning record, and UCF in that game was a shadow of its former self without QB Dillon Gabriel.
The team was so mediocre in wins over lousy Navy (2-6) and Tulane (1-7) teams, that College Football Playoff committee chair Gary Barta actually came out and said that the performances weren’t good enough for a team with a horrific strength-of-schedule.
AND NOW. . . It’s with a little sadness I tell you that Brien Master – aka FunMaster Brien – will be leaving us soon. Brien has been a true Man About Town, with a knack for finding interesting stuff to do every week, all over our area. We wish him the best.
So . . .
Does anyone among youse Mobsters want to assume the title?
Once a week, 200 words in by Thursday AM at 10. You know the drill. No pay, long hours, a-hole boss. But the worldwide recognition you’ll get from being a TML staff member and the satisfaction that comes with knowing you’re spreading a little joy to the masses.
If you’re interested, give me a shout with your credentials to pdoc53@gmail.com.
Meantime, Imbiber Dave discovers a new downtown restaurant.
Quite a fun week for the imbibe crew. We visited Chef Edward Lee’s restaurant Khora for the first time, and it was sublime.
Nestled in the newly created Kinley Hotel, this New American, Italian inspired menu was simple, light, and delicious. Although not typically enthusiastic about raw olives, these were the best I had ever eaten. Not sure if there is such a thing as a U3 scallop, but I’m pretty sure these suckers were bigger than a quarter pounder.
The Love Red Carignan Syrah blend was perfect with the beef tartare, and the Jezebel Oregon Pinot complemented the sea bass very well.
More: Daugherty: Twin sons of different mothers in NFL passion, misery
I am such a huge fan of a small menu focused around a specific and seasonal theme. If you know anything about Edward Lee, you know he is exceptionally creative and thoughtful about everything he does. If you don’t, grab a copy of his book Buttermilk Graffiti. This wonderful man has visited countless seemingly random towns across the US to sample ethic cuisine that you didn’t even know they had there. It shines through in his cooking.
A native New Yorker, Lee decided to relocate to Louisville and open a Southern Restaurant emboldened by his Korean heritage. Make a reservation at 610 Magnolia the next time you are there.
I’ve said it before, but our city continues to impress, and the people here make the culture that much better.
Cheers!
cincybeerguydave@gmail.com
TUNE O’ THE DAY. . . The finest practitioners of blue-eyed soul. Better than the Righteous Brothers, which is high praise. Love these guys, love this tune.
