Good morning. Doc's on vacation this week, back next week. I'd like to explain why I'm convinced Nick Castellanos gives Cincinnati Reds' fans good reason to show support for and be excited about the team's chances during the second half of this season.
You can find plenty of opinions about the Reds' bullpen on Twitter. Personally, I've been pleasantly surprised for the most part given the injuries they've had to some of their best relievers. Every 'pen has its ups and downs, but it's crazy to think that injuries to Michael Lorenzen, Tejay Antone and Lucas Sims - who will all hopefully be back soon - haven't hurt them. The fact that this 'pen has kept them in many games - especially as of late - without those guys is impressive.
Back to Castellanos. His post-game interview Sunday with Jim Day on Bally Sports Ohio was not the first time he's indicated that he's all-in with this team - far from it. But the guy clearly was unhappy with something that someone had said on TV about the Reds' bullpen. Did we ever find out who? The Brewers' pregame show might've been on in the Reds' clubhouse. Nick Swisher said on FOX after Saturday night's game that the Reds have great offense but no pitching.
No pitching, Nick? That's an awful take that could have been prevented with less than five minutes of baseball-reference.com research. Miley should be an All-Star. Castillo has been one of the league's best since the beginning of June. Sonny Gray's ERA is 3.19. Mahle has been impressive. Outstanding stats, too, from several relievers - Antone, Warren and Osich among them.
Some players would bite their tongue - even when hearing their teammates receive undeserved criticism - because it's easier. And, like Twitter, many opt to ignore bad takes and trolls because responding to them just seems to fuel their fire.
Castellanos spoke up. And he said more than just something along the lines of "your ill-informed opinion about the Reds' pitching makes you sound like a clown." He made a statement that he's team-first, and he's not going to stand for any clown who should know better to talk s--- about his teammates.
"We have a very talented group of individuals, and we are slowly learning how to play together as a team and win," Castellanos said Monday in Denver. "I don't like playing baseball for collecting statistics. I think it's boring and stressful and not the right way to play."
Taking three of four in Milwaukee - and cutting the Brewers' lead in the Central to four games - was HUGE. And Castellanos - leading the league in batting average, doubles and total bases - has put the team on his back at times. But the team-first statement he made after that last game before the break also was kind of a big deal, and it's exactly the type of thing I want to hear if I'm a fan looking for signs of everyone on my team pulling in the same direction.
CASTELLANOS BROUGHT UP SOME GOOD POINTS during his availability on All-Star Media Day, when asked what MLB might do to incentivize players selected for the All-Star Game to play in it instead of opting for rest.
"I came because I knew how special this memory would be for my son, my mom, my dad, my friends and family back home," Castellanos said. "Everybody that put time and effort into making me the baseball player I am today - I want them to be able to experience this. As far as what they can do to make it a more attractive thing, I don't have the answer to that, you know, but I also - if I'm going to say that I'm not a little bit bummed that I don't have four unbothered days to be a dad and a husband and a brother and a father, I'd be lying. Because with our schedule and especially with the protocols, you know, things that everybody gets to do and thinks is normal, we miss out on that. So I can't fault those guys for wanting to take advantage of maximizing their time away from the field. Because when we do take the uniform off, we're just a normal civilian. (The schedule for an All-Star) is very busy. ... I'm all for (making the All-Star break longer), but that's not my decision to make."
BOSTON GLOBE'S BEN VOLIN, LIKE SWISHER, isn't a big believer in if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. I saw some defense of Volin on Twitter. Paraphrasing:
Take it easy - he's not a travel writer. He obviously hasn't spent much time in Cincinnati or NKY and doesn't know the area well but might love it if he lived here.
Why the cheap shots then? Stay in Covington to cross Kentucky off your list of states visited? Downtown Cincinnati has not much going on? Bengals games are rarely exciting? Bengals fans and Cincinnati residents are not supposed to have any reaction to that? Uh, Ok.
ADDING PRE-1982 SACKS to Pro Football Reference gets former Bengals lineman Coy Bacon's remarkable 1976 campaign some well-deserved love.
HOW COOL WAS IT to see Junior taking photos of Shohei Ohtani during the HR Derby?
And to see "El Niño meets The Kid."
TUNE O' THE DAY:
"Heat of the Moment" is the Asia song you're most likely to hear on the radio, but I always liked "Only Time Will Tell":
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