White Sox and Reds 2012 schedule highlights

Billy the Marlin looks forward to his new home for next year.

Seeing the release of the new MLB schedule is always an interesting moment. Mind you, it is not quite on par with the release of the NFL schedules, but it is always an interesting day nonetheless. Most of the intrigue lies with the scheduled interleague matchups and how they become more bizarre and disjointed year after year. However it is also a time for baseball fans to circle dates on their calendars in anticipation of seeing their favorite team on the road, myself included.

Usually when it comes to taking a gander at the new schedules, I look to see who the Sox are playing, along with the Reds. Unfortunately, the two do not meet each other at all next year, so here are some of the highlights from both teams. First, the Sox.

White Sox:

Paul Konerko could inch closer to Frank Thomas
on the all-time White Sox home run list next year.

Friday, April 6: Sox open with a three-game series on the road in Texas. They will head to Cleveland for another three-game series afterwards.

Friday, April 13: Sox host their home-opener against the reigning division champion Tigers.

Friday, May 18- Sunday, May 20: Sox @ Cubs. The Sox own a 45-39 all-time record against the Cubs (excluding the 1906 World Series) but unfortunately, they are just 20-22 at The Friendly Confines. Time to change that next year!

Friday, June 8- Sunday, June 10: Astros @ Sox. This will mark the first time the Astros have visited U.S. Cellular Field since 2007. Chicago lost two out of three to Houston that year, with Mark Buehrle winning the series finale to avoid the sweep. Chicago is 10-8 against Houston all-time (not counting the '05 World Series). Excluding the World Series, the Sox have not visited Houston for a regular-season series since 2000.

Tuesday, June 12- Thursday, June 14: Sox @ Cardinals. This will mark the first time the Sox have visited St. Louis since 2001, when the Redbirds swept them out of town. The Sox are 8-10 all-time against the Cardinals, and they own a dreadful 2-7 record in St. Louis.

Friday, June 15- Sunday, June 17: Sox @ Dodgers. For some inexplicable reason, this will mark the fourth time in the last five years the White Sox will play the Dodgers. Anyway, this will be the Sox's first visit to Dodger Stadium since 2008, where they took two of three from the playoff-bound Dodgers. The Pale Hose are 11-4 all-time against the Dodgers, including 4-2 in L.A.

Monday June 18- Wednesday, June 20: Cubs @ Sox. Nice move here by the schedule-makers placing this at the beginning of the week. Guaranteed sellouts on Monday through Wednesday are always a good thing to have. The Sox own the Cubs at home, with a 25-17 all-time record against them at U.S. Cellular.

Friday, June 22- Sunday, June 24: Brewers @ Sox. Chicago closes out their interleague schedule by hosting the Brewers for the first time since 2000. The Sox demolished the Brew Crew that year, sweeping them out of town and outscoring them 29-12 in the process. Since Milwaukee moved to the National League in 1998, the Sox are 10-5 against them, including a 4-2 mark at home.

Thursday, September 27- Sunday, September 30: Indians @ Sox, Rays @ Sox. Chicago wraps up the year with a seven-game homestand, featuring three with Cleveland before finishing things out with four against Joe Maddon's crew.

Perhaps the only thing that is puzzling about the Sox's schedule is why the schedule-makers continue to have them face the Dodgers. Is there something I'm missing here, other than it will mark 53 years since they last met in the World Series?

On another note, why do the schedule-makers have the Sox avoid the Mets like the plague? I know it's a random thought, but next year will be the 15th season of Interleague Play, and the Sox and Mets have squared off against each other just once, all the way back in 2002. The Mets visited the South Side that year and lost two of three to the Sox. The Pale Hose have yet to go to New York to play against the Mets in a series.

Anyway, let's take a look at some of the Reds' 2012 schedule highlights, shall we?

Cincinnati Reds:
Friday, April 6: Opening Day in Cincinnati against the Miami Marlins (yes, that will be the new name for the Fish upon moving into their new ballpark next year). What will be more odd for the Marlins is that they will open at home against the Cardinals for one game on April 4 before heading north to Cincinnati.

Monday, April 9- Wednesday, April 11: The Reds take on the hated St. Louis Cardinals for three at GABP. Will Pujols still be at first base for the Redbirds? We shall see.

Wednesday, May 16- Sunday, May 20: Reds @ Mets, Reds @ Yankees. In a neat little scheduling quirk, the Reds will spend five days in the Big Apple in May, taking on the Mets for two in Queens before heading to the Bronx to square off against the Yankees for a weekend series. The Reds are 5-4 in the regular-season against the Yankees all-time, and this will be their first visit to the new Yankee Stadium. Cincinnati managed to take two of three from the Yankees in their last trip to the Bronx in 2008.

Friday, June 8- Sunday, June 10: Tigers @ Reds. This will be the first trip to Great American Ballpark for the Tigers. Their last visit to Cincinnati was in 2001, when the Reds lost two of three to Detroit at Cinergy Field. The Reds are 7-8 all-time against the Tigers (excluding the 1940 World Series) and are 2-4 at home against them. Another neat tidbit about the Tigers' visit to GABP: they will join the Yankees and White Sox as the only American League teams to ever face the Reds at Redland/Crosley Field, Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field and Great American Ballpark.

Tuesday, June 12- Thursday, June 14: Indians @ Reds. Cincinnati is 36-39 all-time against Cleveland, and are 18-18 at home against them.

Monday, June 18- Wednesday, June 20: Reds @ Indians. The Reds own an 18-21 road record against the Tribe.

All signs point to Johnny Cueto emerging
as the Reds' next ace, should he stay healthy.

Friday, June 22- Sunday, June 24: Twins @ Reds. For the first time since 2000, the Twins will finally stop in Cincinnati. This will be their first visit to Great American Ballpark, leaving only the Mariners and A's as the only American League teams that have yet to play a series there (Seattle and Oakland each visited Cinergy Field in 2002, however). Surprisingly enough, this will also be the first time Ron Gardenhire has managed against the Reds in his 11 year career at the helm of the Twins. The last time Minnesota faced the Reds was at the Metrodome in 2001, with Tom Kelly still leading the way for the Twins. The Reds are 7-8 all-time against the Twins, but own a 5-1 record at home, including sweeping them during their last visit over a decade ago.

Friday, September 14- Sunday, September 16: Reds @ Marlins. The Reds will make their first trip to the Marlins' new ballpark. Cincinnati owns a 39-35 all-time mark at Joe Robbie/Pro Player/Landshark/Dolphin/Whatever the hell it's called Stadium.

Tuesday, September 25- Sunday, September 30: Brewers @ Reds, Reds @ Pirates. The Reds finish out their 2012 home schedule with three against the Brewers before closing out the season for three in Pittsburgh.

The 2012 season could also potentially mark the end of an era. With all of the talk and rumors swirling about the Astros moving to the American League and an expanded postseason, this could be the last time we see the AL and NL as somewhat mutually exclusive leagues. Should the Astros move to the AL, we will have interleague play year-round, along with two extra teams added to the playoffs. Who knows, the Astros move could also usher in major realignment as well.

Make sure to take it all in next year, because 2013 could be radically different.

My wildly outrageous 2011 MLB Predictions

• With Opening Day quickly approaching, it's always fun to predict how the season will play itself out. Here's how I think the 2011 season will go down. It'll be more fun seeing how wrong I am at the end of the season, too. Let's go!
  
  Division Predictions (asterisk denotes Wild Card winner)
  
  AL East:
  
  1. Boston Red Sox (97-65). The new acquisitions of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and left fielder Carl Crawford will pay huge dividends to a team that is already very talented. Should everybody stay healthy, a division title is a certain lock for the Carmines.
  2. New York Yankees (88-74). Their lineup will still mash, but will their pitching be deep enough behind C.C. Sabathia to keep pace with the rest of the AL? My guess is that it won't be.
  3. Toronto Blue Jays (86-76). Much like the Yankees, the Jays will have a very formidable lineup, but there are still several question marks regarding their pitching. Also, will Jose Bautista have an encore performance at the plate this year? Chances are that he won't hit 54 home runs again, but he'll still be a very intimidating presence in their lineup.
  4. Tampa Bay Rays (79-83). The Rays may say that their pitching will still be good, but the losses of Carl Crawford, Rafael Soriano, Carlos Pena, Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza will just be too much for them to overcome.
  5. Baltimore Orioles (69-93). Their lineup looks better, and they have some young pitchers with the potential to be good, but I still think they're a year or two away from moving out of the AL East basement.
  
  
  AL Central:
  
  1. Chicago White Sox (93-69). With the new acquisition of 1B/DH Adam Dunn, Chicago's lineup will easily be the toughest in the division. Their pitching, while not overwhelming, will be good enough for them to capture their fourth division title since 2000.
  2. *Minnesota Twins (91-71). Even though they did not do much to improve themselves in the off-season, the Twins usually still find a way to get things done, and this year won't be any different, as they will capture the American League Wild Card.
  3. Detroit Tigers (87-75). They will certainly improve on last year's mediocre performance, but will their starting rotation be deep enough behind Verlander to propel them to the postseason. My guess is that they will be good, but not good enough.
  4. Kansas City Royals (68-94). Apparently they have the best farm system in baseball, so their days of misery may not last for too much longer. However, they won't be good at all this year.
  5. Cleveland Indians (61-101). Their bullpen improved last year, but that still doesn't make up for a dreadful starting rotation, and a lineup that has a steep talent drop off once you look past Shin Soo-Choo and Grady Sizemore.
  
  
  AL West:
  
  1. Texas Rangers (88-74). A strong lineup coupled with some solid pitching will vault the defending American League Champions back into the playoffs.
  2. Oakland A's (87-75). Oakland will put up a fight, as they will boast the best starting rotation in the American League for the second year in a row. However, their lack of offense will get the best of them.
  3. Los Angeles Angels (78-84). Losing out in the free agent sweepstakes will definitely cost the Angels this year, as their lineup continues to age.
  4. Seattle Mariners (65-97). At least they have Ichiro and Felix Hernandez to keep people interested.
  
  
  NL East:
  
  1. Philadelphia Phillies (102-60). The Phillies will roll to a fifth consecutive division crown behind the best rotation in baseball and a very strong lineup.
  2. Atlanta Braves (86-76). The Braves will be solid, but will they be good enough to reach the postseason again? With the multitude of deep teams in the NL, I don't think Atlanta quite stacks up to the rest of the pack. Besides, if it wasn't for San Diego's September collapse last year, the Braves would not have reached the postseason.
  3. Florida Marlins (81-81). They always seem to be stuck in gear. They are the MLB poster-child for "average."
  4. New York Mets (77-85). They could potentially be better, but we've been saying that for the last couple of years. I'll let them prove it to me before I put them ahead of the Marlins.
  5. Washington Nationals (67-95). DC's lineup should be okay, but their pitching will be wretched, especially without Strasburg.
  
  
  NL Central:
  
  1. Milwaukee Brewers (95-67). The Brew Crew are going "all in" this year, and with the additions of Zack Greinke and Shawn Marcum to their starting rotation, the Crew will have their best season since 1982.
  2. *Cincinnati Reds (93-69). Their lineup will be great again, but their pitching should be even better than last year, as their young arms will certainly improve.
  3. St. Louis Cardinals (84-78). Losing Adam Wainwright for the season will really, really hurt the Cards. Plus, an erratic lineup behind Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday certainly won't help matters.
  4. Chicago Cubs (82-80). They won't be as dreadful as they were last year, but any improvements they make this year will be only marginal.
  5. Houston Astros (70-92). Not much to say about the Astros, other than they aren't all that great.
  6. Pittsburgh Pirates (65-97). The Bucs will be dreadful, but they won't lose 100 games again. Their lineup will be stronger than most people expect, but their pitching will easily be the worst in baseball.
  
  
  NL West:
  
  1. Colorado Rockies (91-71). In a very competitive division, the Rockies will march to their first division title in team history behind a strong lineup and some solid pitching.
  2. Los Angeles Dodgers (90-72). LA will narrowly miss the playoffs, but they will hang tough into the final week of the season behind a decent offense and a deep rotation.
  3. San Francisco Giants (80-82). The defending World Champions will experience a lay over, as their offense won't be nearly as clutch as they were last year.
  4. San Diego Padres (73-89). Last year was a fluke, trust me. They'll get a good year out of Mat Latos however, as he will settle in even more to become the unquestioned staff ace.
  5. Arizona Diamondbacks (68-94). They'll improve marginally, but they still won't be that good.
  
  
  Postseason
  
  American League Division Series:
  Boston Red Sox over Minnesota Twins 3-2. The Twins will finally win a playoff game, and not only that, they'll push Boston to a fifth and deciding game before the Red Sox take care of business at home.
  
  Chicago White Sox over Texas Rangers 3-0. Chicago will make easy work of the defending American League Champions, sweeping them out of the playoffs.
  
  National League Division Series:
  Philadelphia Phillies over Cincinnati Reds 3-1. Bad luck will strike the Reds again in the form of facing the formidable Philadelphia Phillies, but they won't get swept this time though.
  
  Milwaukee Brewers over Colorado Rockies 3-1. Milwaukee will finish off the Rockies in an easy four games.
  
  American League Championship Series:
  Chicago White Sox over Boston Red Sox 4-3. The White Sox, in shocking fashion, will take down the heavily-favored Boston Red Sox in seven games.
  
  National League Championship Series: Philadelphia Phillies over Milwaukee Brewers 4-2. The Phillies will reach the World Series again for the third time in four years, but not without a fight, as Milwaukee will give them fits.
  
  World Series
  Philadelphia Phillies over Chicago White Sox 4-1. The Phillies are just too strong for Chicago, dispatching them in a quick and easy five games to take home their third title in team history. I'm not completely drinking the kool-aid right now.
  
  Awards
  
  AL MVP: Carl Crawford, Boston Red Sox.
  
  NL MVP: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers.
  
  AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers.
  
  NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies.
  
  AL Rookie of the Year: Kyle Drabek, Toronto Blue Jays.
  
  NL Rookie of the Year: Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds.
  
  AL Manager of the Year: Bob Geren, Oakland A's.
  
  NL Manager of the Year: Ron Roenicke, Milwaukee Brewers.
  
  Other wild and ridiculous predictions:


• Joey Votto will not repeat as a MVP winner, but he'll become the first Reds player in 38 years to win a batting title, hitting .347.


• Adam Dunn will have a field day in Chicago, becoming the first player in White Sox history to hit over 50 home runs. He'll finish with 53.
  


• There will be four 20-game winners in baseball this year, with two of them coming from the Phillies (Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee). John Danks of the White Sox and Justin Verlander of the Tigers will be the others.
  


• Verlander will have the best year of his career by far, as he will become the first pitcher since 2002 to strike out 300 batters in a season.
  


• The National League will win the All-Star Game once again, securing home field advantage in the World Series for the second year in a row.
  


• After 32 years of managing and after a disappointing third-place finish, the Cardinals' Tony LaRussa will announce his retirement at season's end.
  


• Even though the Nationals insist that this won't happen, star prospect Bryce Harper will be called up to the big leagues in September.

As I already mentioned at the beginning of this post, I may be completely wrong at the end of the year when I go back and look at this. However, it's always fun to make predictions on how the year will turn out, then looking back to see how right or how wrong you are!

The 30 Team/30 Day Report Cards: Day 25- Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds
Record: 91-71 (NL Central Champions, six games ahead of St. Louis)

Batting Leaders
Batting Average: Joey Votto (.324)
Home Runs: Joey Votto (37)
RBIs: Joey Votto (113)
On-base Percentage: Joey Votto (.424)

Pitching Leaders
Wins: Bronson Arroyo (17)
Strikeouts: Johnny Cueto (138)
Innings Pitched: Bronson Arroyo (215.2)
ERA: Johnny Cueto (3.64). Bullpen- Arthur Rhodes (2.29)
WHIP: Bronson Arroyo (1.15). Bullpen- Arthur Rhodes (1.02)
Saves: Francisco Cordero (40)

Highlight of the Year: On September 28, Jay Bruce drilled a walk-off homer off of Astros reliever Tim Byrdak to send the Reds to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years.

Lowlight of the Year: Pretty much the entire NLDS against Philadelphia. The Reds became the first team to get no-hit in a postseason game in 54 years in Game 1, committed four errors in Game 2 that led to a 7-4 loss, and were shut out at home in Game 3.

The Lowdown:
The Reds arrived in the postseason a little bit ahead of schedule in 2010, as many prognosticators believed that they were a couple of years away from contention entering the season. Their young talent came to fruition, as Joey Votto put together an MVP season, Drew Stubbs emerged as a capable center fielder, and Jay Bruce settled in after a rocky 2009. Their pitching also solidified itself, as rookies Mike Leake and Travis Wood emerged to strengthen a rotation that already featured veteran Bronson Arroyo, as well as fireballers Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez, the latter of which came back from Tommy John surgery in the second half to provide more depth to their rotation.

The Reds were not quite your typical playoff team, though. Even though they featured one of the best offenses in the National League, the Reds were largely unsuccessful facing teams with winning records. In fact, the Reds did not record a winning record against any team that finished above .500 (including going a dismal 6-12 against division-rival St. Louis). However, the Reds made up for this by absolutely decimating the sub-.500 teams, including finishing 12-4 against Chicago, 11-3 against Milwaukee, 10-5 against Houston, 10-6 against Pittsburgh, and a combined 10-4 against Florida and Arizona. While some criticized the Reds for their inefficiency against the "big boys," they gained ground in the division by laying waste to the teams they needed to beat, which is what good teams are supposed to do. Their season may have ended on a disappointing note in the playoffs, but their core will remain together for the next couple of years at the very least, meaning that they will be right back in contention this year should everyone stay healthy.

Offense:
Cincinnati finished fourth in the majors in runs (790), fourth in batting average (.272), fourth in home runs (188), fourth in slugging (.436) and fifth in on-base percentage (.338). The body and soul of this lineup was without question, Joey Votto, who led the Reds in just about all of their major offensive categories. He not only was the Reds' best hitter, but he was also one of the elite hitters in the National League last year, finishing second in batting average, third in home runs, third in RBIs and first in on-base and slugging. His remarkable all-around performance resulted in him being named the National League MVP in a vote that was nearly unanimous.

Votto wasn't the only run producer in this lineup though, as Scott Rolen, Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips and Drew Stubbs contributed to making this lineup a formidable one. Rolen had a renaissance year at age 35, hitting .285 with 20 home runs and 83 RBIs, easily his best season since he helped guide St. Louis to a World Championship in 2006. Brandon Phillips also continued to show that he is one of the elite second basemen at the plate in the National League, finishing with 18 home runs and 59 RBIs. Even though his power totals dipped a bit, this was likely the result of him not having to be the main power hitter in the lineup anymore after the emergence of Votto and Bruce.

Jay Bruce was able to bounce back from a rough 2009 campaign, as he raised his batting average by 48 points to .281 while hitting a career-high 25 home runs and 70 RBIs. Center fielder Drew Stubbs also gave the lineup some considerable balance by having decent power and good speed, hitting 22 home runs while stealing a team-high 30 bases. Left fielder Jonny Gomes gave the Reds some extra power in the outfield as well, hitting 18 home runs while driving in 86.

This lineup had a lot of great hitters up and down their order, and they were unquestionably one of the best in all of baseball.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
What was once a weakness for many years with the Reds finally became a strength in 2010, as they featured a deep rotation with several arms capable of putting the team in good position to win. The staff was led by veteran Bronson Arroyo, who continued to show off his rubber arm by logging the most innings on the staff with 215.2, while recording the most wins with 17.

Johnny Cueto proved to be very reliable last year as well, finishing with a 12-7 record with a team-best 3.64 ERA and 138 strikeouts. The Reds were also able to find reliability from two rookies, as Mike Leake and Travis Wood provided stability in the back of their rotation. Leake got off to a blistering start in the first half before cooling off, as he began the season with a 5-0 record with a 2.22 ERA before finishing 8-4 with a 4.23 ERA. Lefty Travis Wood however, was able to pick up where Leake left off in the second half, finishing 5-4 with a 3.51 ERA and a WHIP of 1.08 in just 102.2 innings.

Also giving the rotation a boost was Edinson Volquez returning from Tommy John surgery in the second half of the season to add more depth to the rotation. Although his numbers were fairly average (4-3 record, 4.31 ERA), his addition to the rotation during the second half eliminated the need for the Reds to go after a starting pitcher at the trade deadline.

In addition to the starting rotation, the bullpen was very effective for the second year in a row, finishing 15th in the majors in ERA at 3.97. The top arm out of the Reds' bullpen last year was without question, Arthur Rhodes, as his 2.29 ERA and 1.02 WHIP led all Reds relievers with at least 30-plus appearances. Nick Masset also proved to be pretty reliable last year as well, leading the team in appearances with 82 while finishing with a 3.40 ERA. Meanwhile, Francisco Cordero had a lot of heartburn-inducing moments in the closer's role last year (his eight blown saves tied for second-most in MLB behind only Washington's Tyler Clippard), but he still finished with 40 saves, third most in the National League.

The bullpen also received a boost late in the season with the September call-up of lefty Aroldis Chapman, who dazzled fans with his electric fastball, one which was clocked as high as 105 MPH on occasion. Although he only appeared in 15 games, he made the most of his appearances, striking out 19 in just 13.1 innings while recording a 2.03 ERA.

Overall, the Reds staff finished 12th in ERA, 11th in "batting average against" (.254), 13th in WHIP (1.33) and 10th in home runs allowed (158). While collectively the rotation seems average, Reds fans have been looking for merely average from their rotation for a long time.
Final Grade: B-

Wild Card: Fielding
The Reds committed only 72 errors last year, which tied San Diego for the least in the National League, and their .988 fielding percentage tied for the best in baseball. Cincinnati's outstanding defense didn't go unnoticed during awards season either, as Brandon Phillips, Scott Rolen and Bronson Arroyo all took home Gold Glove Awards at their respective positions.
Final Grade: A+

Overall:
The only thing keeping me from giving the Reds an A+ is their poor showing in the Division Series against the Phillies. Otherwise, there aren't too many things that you can find wrong with last year's Reds.
Final Grade: A

Check back soon for the report card on the San Francisco Giants!

Interview with Reds beat writer John Fay

We finally have our first podcast up from our show "Breakfast and Baseball!" Here's our interview with Cincinnati Enquirer Reds beat writer, John Fay.

Original air date: 10/21/10.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

NL MVP candidates: who gets your vote?

Just a few days ago, we took a look at the American League MVP candidates, and who I thought would win it and why. Today, we'll take a look at the MVP candidates in the National League, and who I think is most deserving of the award.

Here are the top three candidates:

Stats are as of September 17:



3.) Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
.306 batting average, 39 home runs, 105 RBIs, .402 OBP

As usual, Albert Pujols is in the discussion for National League MVP. However, the recent slide of the Cardinals will leave his chances for winning the award very slim. His numbers are still incredible, as he is in the top ten in just about every major statistical offensive category. Unfortunately for him, the team's recent struggles will probably deny him the chance of winning his fourth MVP award.


2.) Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies
.341 batting average, 32 home runs, 106 RBIs, .378 OBP

If the Rockies continue their hot streak and make the postseason, there could be a very good chance that Gonzalez can capture the trophy. It's no coincidence that when he began to heat up in late August, so did the team. Gonzalez leads the NL in batting average and RBIs, and is tied for fourth in home runs with Arizona's Mark Reynolds. He has also accumulated many of his monster numbers since the All-Star break, as his .385 average, 15 home runs and 46 RBIs should suggest. The only argument against him seems to be his ridiculous home and away splits, which look like this:

Home: .392 average, 25 homers, 72 RBIs, .439 OBP
Away: .288 average, 7 homers, 34 RBIs, .310 OBP.

Is he a product of Coors Field? The stats certainly suggest that label. Will the voters be willing to overlook that flaw in Gonzalez's season? If the Rockies make the playoffs, more than a few writers might be swayed to vote in favor of "CarGo."


1.) Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
.320 batting average, 34 home runs, 104 RBIs, .419 OBP

Right now, Joey Votto is my pick for MVP, if only for the fact that if the season ended today, the Reds would be in the postseason, and the Rockies would be on the outside looking in. Votto has been the leader of an offense this year that has been dismantling National League pitching, as the team's National League-leading 720 runs would suggest. Not only is Votto becoming a more feared hitter at the plate this year (he's third in the NL in walks with 83), but he is also showing off his capabilities of being a complete hitter. Votto is third in the NL in batting average, third in home runs, third in RBIs, and first in on-base percentage. Should the races continue as they are, I believe that Joey Votto will without question be the Reds' first MVP in 15 years.

Check back soon for the American League Cy Young Award candidates!

Welcome Back!

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to welcome you back to this blog. I would like to offer you my sincere apologies for my prolonged absence from here, mainly because school nearly had me in a choke hold over during April, May, and part of June. Now that school has been out for over a month, I can get back to offering you my opinions on the world of baseball, with special attention to the Sox.

A lot has happened since I was last here with you. There have been a whopping five no-hitters, two of which were perfect games. We have also witnessed one of the most agonizing near-misses in the history of no-hitters/perfect games, when Armando Galarraga came within inches of perfection, only to have it snatched from his hands by an errant call from first base umpire Jim Joyce.

In addition to the rash of no-hitters that have been thrown this year, there have also been remarkable stand-outs in the world of pitching. Ubaldo Jimenez of the Colorado Rockies, despite slowing down in recent weeks, has still been one of the best pitchers in baseball, as he continues to sport a 16-2 record, with a 2.67 ERA. Josh Johnson has also been right on Jimenez's heels in the National League Cy Young race, as he is featuring a 10-3 record and a major league-best 1.72 ERA. Other major league pitchers that are having standout seasons include Adam Wainwright and Jaime Garcia of the St. Louis Cardinals, David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays, Cliff Lee of the Texas Rangers and Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Also, who could forget about the dynamic debut of Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals? Before he went on the DL yesterday with shoulder stiffness, he has been rock solid in his rookie year, going 5-2 with a 2.32 ERA and with an excellent strikeout-to-walk ratio of 75-15 in 54.1 innings. You could almost make the case that what Bob Costas said during his first start was correct: the performance has exceeded the hype.

Plus, there have been many compelling division races in baseball through this point of the season. There have been many surprises in the National League, including the outstanding performances put on by the San Diego Padres and the Cincinnati Reds, who are both leading their respective divisions as of July 30. Also, the Atlanta Braves have returned to their perch atop the National League East, as they continue to lead their division by two and a half over Philadelphia.

There has been just as many surprises in the American League as well. The Chicago White Sox, who trailed the Minnesota Twins by a whopping nine and a half games on June 8, have stormed back to take the division lead, as they are up by a game and a half entering tonight's play. The Texas Rangers, after acquiring ace pitcher Cliff Lee in a trade with the Seattle Mariners, have plowed ahead of the Angels and A's, leading the West by eight and a half entering tonight. In addition to those races, the Rays and Yankees are continuing their battle atop the AL East, as the Yankees lead by two games over Tampa entering tonight.

Also, who can forget about the trade deadline tomorrow? There has already been a flurry of activity, as we have already seen Roy Oswalt get dealt from Houston to Philly, Edwin Jackson get dealt from Arizona to the South Side of Chicago and Matt Capps get dealt from Washington to Minnesota in just the last couple of days. With tomorrow's 4 pm deadline still looming, we should not be surprised to see more big trades go down in the next several hours.

It has been an absolute blast following baseball this summer (as it always is), and it has been even more of a blast watching the Sox make an incredible comeback to take over first place in the Central. With two months left before the postseason, you can all but gurarantee that there will be a lot more fun surprises headed our way in MLB. Rest assured, that whenever those surprises occur, I'll try to give you my thoughts on at least some of them! Once again, I would like to offer you my most sincere apologies for my prolonged absence, and you will definitely hear back from me soon!

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 12- Cincinnati Reds

We are now Queen City bound for the 12th day of our report cards. Today's team will be the Cincinnati Reds. Let's look at their record and their team leaders:

Cincinnati Reds:
Record: 78-84 (Fourth place in the NL Central, 13 games behind St. Louis).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Joey Votto (.322)
Home Runs: Joey Votto (25)
RBIs: Brandon Phillips (98)
On-base Percentage: Joey Votto (.414)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Bronson Arroyo (15)
ERA: Bronson Arroyo (3.84). Bullpen- Francisco Cordero (2.16).
Strikeouts: Aaron Harang (142)
Innings Pitched: Bronson Arroyo (220.1)
WHIP: Bronson Arroyo (1.27)
Saves: Francisco Cordero (39)

Highlight of the Season: A nice 13-4 stretch between September 12-30.

Lowlight of the Season: An embarrassing 22-1 loss in Philadelphia on July 6.

The Lowdown:
For most of the decade, the Cincinnati Reds were all about the longball. The team has hit at least 190 homers in a season five times in this decade (2000, 2004-2007), peaking at 222 in 2005. However, 2009 proved to be the exact opposite for the Reds, as their starting pitching improved, and their bats went suspiciously silent in the power department. Their lack of offense was mostly attributed to inconsistency, as well as having Jay Bruce and Joey Votto each spend an extended amount of time on the disabled list. Despite their collective inconsistencies, the Reds proved themselves to be much more adept at holding leads late in the ballgame, thanks to a greatly improved bullpen. Let's see what made this team tick in '09, beginning with their offense.

Offense:
Despite their lack of power, the Redlegs still featured four hitters who thumped at least 20 homers in 2009: Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips and Jonny Gomes. However, the two cornerstones of the lineup in '09 were Votto and Bruce. Even though Phillips had a potent bat of his own, the fortunes of the lineup were basically riding on the shoulders of those two, who each had to continue to show improvement at the plate in their second full big league seasons. When the two were healthy and on the field, they did not disappoint; Votto socked 25 homers to go along with 84 RBIs and a brilliant .322 batting average, while Bruce drilled 22 homers of his own. Both players did this on limited time though, as they each spent time on the disabled list. Bruce missed over two months in the second half with a broken wrist, while Votto missed 21 games due to depression-related issues. There is little doubt that if the two did not spend any time on the DL, they would have each hit over 30 homers.

Outfielder Jonny Gomes managed to step up in Bruce's absence, performing very well during the season's second half. Altogether, his efforts garnered him his third career 20-homer season (hitting 20 on the nose), to go along with 51 RBIs. Second baseman Brandon Phillips also put together a decent year, hitting 20 homers himself to go along with a team-high 25 steals. Overall, this lineup was sorely crippled by their low batting average, hitting only .247 as a team. This was the second-lowest batting average in MLB, next to San Diego. Having such a low batting average creates a domino effect throughout the lineup, as the team only scored 673 runs (24th in MLB). Also, Dusty Baker's disdain for the "on-base percentage" statistic is painfully obvious with this team, as they do not draw many walks; their .318 OBP was the third-worst in baseball, trailing only Seattle and San Francisco. What was once a strength for the team just one year ago has become a weakness that the front office needs to address.
Final Grade: C-

Pitching:
While the starting pitching improved for Cincinnati this season, it was their bullpen that was the foundation of the pitching staff in 2009. Francisco Cordero, Arthur Rhodes, Nick Masset and Daniel Ray Herrera were the four major arms in the 'pen that provided stability during the end of games, putting together numbers that rival some of the better bullpens in baseball. Cordero, Masset and Rhodes all finished with ERAs under three, and Herrera just barely finished over that threshold with a 3.06 ERA. Closer Cordero was lights out once again, going 39 for 43 in saves, and finishing second in the National League in saves to San Diego's Heath Bell. Rhodes and Masset also split time as set-up men for Cordero, and they did not disappoint, as they combined for 45 holds this season. A fantastic year by the relief corps certainly made life a lot easier for the starting pitchers.

To go along with the bullpen's success, the starting pitching continued to improve as a whole in 2009. Bronson Arroyo quietly put together another solid season for the Reds, going 15-13 with a 3.84 ERA in a whopping 220.1 innings. That innings total was good enough for 10th in MLB, and fourth in the National League. While it is nice to have a good bullpen, it is also nice to have an innings-eater on the staff that can give the 'pen a rest every now and then.

Perhaps the biggest thing that crippled this rotation was the elbow injury of righty Edinson Volquez. He only started in nine games this year, and put together a 4-2 record, to go along with a modest 4.32 ERA. His elbow troubles continued to nag him throughout those starts, and he was eventually shut down in June, needing Tommy John surgery to fix the elbow. Having your staff ace missing for the majority of the season will hurt any staff, and it certainly affected the Reds a great deal.

Another thing that hurt the Reds was the disappearance of Aaron Harang. During 2006 and 2007, he went a combined 28-17, while putting up ERAs under four both seasons. He also finished among the National League leaders in strikeouts both years, fanning over 200 both times. Since 2008 though, he has been anything but a staff ace. In the last two seasons, he has gone a combined 12-31, with an ERA of 4.52 in that time span. What has happened to him that would cause such a dramatic decline in his numbers? Was the Harang of 2006 and 2007 the "real" Harang, or was it just a fluke? Are the numbers he has been compiling during the last two years just a fluke, or is it the "real" Harang? Next year will be a telling year for him.

Despite the aforementioned two, there is nothing to really complain about with the starting rotation here in Cincy. If you remember the dark ages of Eric Milton and Paul Wilson, you'll welcome this bunch any day of the week. While Johnny Cueto had a mediocre year (11-11, 4.41 ERA), he is still just 23 years old. There is plenty of time for improvement with him. Homer Bailey even started to show some flashes of his potential during the end of the season as well. Their overall staff ERA was 4.18, good for ninth in the majors. In 2008, it was 4.55; in '07, 4.94. This staff has come a mighty long way, my friends.
Final Grade: B-

Wild Card: Bullpen
The bullpen ERA was 3.53, good for third in the National League. Pretty damn good, I'd say.
Final Grade: A

Overall:
During the last couple of seasons, the Reds have moved from being a really bad team overall, to becoming just an average team, which isn't a horrible thing necessarily. Any sort of improvement is a good thing with this team. Key injuries during the season to Volquez, Bruce and Votto really hurt this them, though. While they may not have contended with those three healthy, the team would have likely finished with their first winning record since 2000, which is obviously a step in the right direction. This team, when healthy, is not as bad as they appear.
Final Grade: C

Check back later for the report card on the Chicago White Sox!