Third Annual Redszone Postees Awards

[gm]

"Rooting for or against the Beavers against USC this weekend?"

You mean there's a college football game this weekend?

[M2]

Can we get a sticky on this?

Most Missed Poster - Old Red Guard, I fear he's gone for the saddest possible reason, but I consider us all lucky for the time he spent here. He's still what I want to be when I grow up. At the bottom of this post, I'll include the best thing ever written on this board, courtesy of ORG.

Best Tag Line - Hey TRF, I'll give you a tie with KYRedsFan's Dr. Evil quote.

Best Monicker - Though I don't believe this person has ever posted, I always chuckle whenever I see Poopy is reading the board.

Most Clever - Man, that's a tough one, but I'm going to cast my vote for princeton, who's been having some serious fun with Dan O'Brien's binder. And there was this gem in January, responding to the statement that gm had been the grandfather of the Boone 2B/Larson 3B idea, "I'll back you up, though I note that having ideas isn't the same as having GOOD ideas"

Of course I'd give gm runner up for this award, his response to princeton was "When it comes to GOOD ideas, apparently I'm in "bad" company (JimBo, BoBoone, etc). I never really know how to feel, about that..."

Best Armchair GM - Another tough one, but Red Storm's the person who laid what real investment in the farm system would look like. He also isn't satisfied with the current dynamic of 95% talk, 5% action coming from the front office.

Best Trademeister - Red Heeler, if only the Reds shared his commitment to retooling. Coco Crisp should be a Red.

Best Discussion - It wasn't much of a discussion, but SteelSD skewered MLB's current climate with his PayFlex post. It was nothing short of brilliant. If you're looking for a great thread, try "Introducing the New 2B of the Reds: Aaron Boone" in the archives. Must've been good. It ran in early January and I'm quoting it twice in December.

Funniest - Cast of thousands, but Johnny Footstool gets the nod.

Best Use of Statistics - We ought to retire this one or just call it the WOY Award to give someone else the chance. Quick, clean and incisive ... and never dogmatic.

Most Long-winded - geo j, I tend to believe he's not posting as much these days because of the mental, physical and spiritual rigors required to compose each one of his submissions.

Most Positive - TeamBoone, always rooting for the players on the Reds to do their best, even when the team traded her personal favorite.

Most Negative - malcontent, sometimes it's all in the name. Mind you, mal's not the least bit wrong in being unhappy.

Best Newcomer - We got to see a stellar rookie season thanks to Ravenlord.

Best Outsider - ramp101, 'nuff said.

Most Open-Minded - MWM, not too many people have the courage to think out loud. Never approaches a topic with any agenda other than looking to get at the truth. I've got all kinds of respect for that.

Most Valuable Poster - Thought about it and thought about it and I couldn't decided between Chip R and WOY. They both had immense years. They've always been top notch and in 2003 they both got better.

Best Post Ever - Old Red Guard

Might as well make my jaded commentary on this here thread which could be renamed "The Never Ending Story"

People who don't think we're watching the greatest athletes in baseball history are just wrong - Reds Faithful

Yep. Just about all the players from the 30s wouldn't do squat if they were transplanted into today's game as is. 20 year olds looked about 30, bodies were smaller overall, no one weight trained (Lord forbid that makes you musclebound don't you know). The most popular diet supplement was liquid malt barley in one form or 'nuther. Juiced meant a guy played better drunk, you slept on clanking, rocking, creaking trains and spent weeks on the road, living in pullman's and hotel rooms. Nutritional theory was the more fatty red meat the better and exercise was generally considered only in spring training if you weren't smart enough to get out of it then. If you pulled a muscle or tweaked a hammy you rubbed some homemade balm into it, gritted your teeth, shut your fool mouth and played the game. There was some kid playing out in the cornbelt who was hellbent to take your job and your boss was hellbent to give it to him if you faltered for a second. After all you were making 5 grand a year and he could pay that kid 1200 and a train ticket to do the same thing. You might be better but not if you're hurt - why give the kid any chance at showing his stuff. Keep playing. Sanitation was nonexistent. Well, okay, most guys washed their face once a day and a few bathed more than once a week, but only a few. Uniforms were worn until they could play the game by themselves. Don't tear it either - get a needle and darn it up - if the club has to buy another one for you before midpoint they'd deduct it from your check. Heck that's about 6 bottles of whiskey and a night with a Philly hooker! Players would have made good footballers though with all that weight. Wool uniforms full of sweat and 3 pounds of fermented dirt, heavy leather shoes with razored steel cleats, cotton unders and a patch of leather on your off-ham and you were playing with 20 pounds of itchy, scratchy, buggy, sometimes soggy, baggy mucilaginous fiber clinging to your every move. Compare that to today's featherweight outfits and shoes that weigh 6 ounces! Training equipment consisted of medicine balls, a big field and for pitchers, a wall to throw against. Knocking bottles off posts was a favorite way for kids to practice control, pitching off a concrete stoop and catching the rebounds, tossing at birds or rabbits and hitting rocks as far as you could were other disciplines of rigorous training. Stickball WAS great - it taught incredible bat control and concentration. You try hitting a small ball with a broomstick and see how well you do. Stickball in the streets is overlooked as a way to teach youngsters today. I'm seriuos. That's how I always coached my kids when I was involved in Pony baseball. I'd start out with stickball games and oven mitts for gloves. Bragging now but in twelve years coaching tykes we never once failed to win twice as many as we lost and a ton of my boys made allstar teams every year. Nothing special I did - just the stickball and oven mitts. Catch with an oven mitt and by gosh you WILL use 2 hands. Swing with a broomstick at a little rubber ball half the sizer of a baseball and by the time we played with real bats and balls and gloves the kids hardly missed anything. Easier to straighten out swings when they're hefting a broomstick, too. Helps them select the right weight bat, too. Most kids try to swing way too heavy. Anyway, drifting - back to former athletes.
Today's players are far better athletes. Work regimens are religiously adhered to, scientific principles are utilized, professionals in kinesiology, nutrition, conditioning for specific functions, flexibility, even psychology are employed to help players train. In the 30s and 40s you were too busy at your 2nd job during the offseason to train much. During the season some guys main exercise consisted of bouncin a different Betty in every town you visited and brawling in saloons. There were lots of "good" guys, too, that had families and religion. They loafed around the hotel reading, writing letters and playing cards. Not every player was a hell-raiser but the ripsnorts probably got more exercise viz less sleep. Top it off with the fact that communicable diseases were widespread, nutrition from the cradle to grave was sometimes good but inconsistent. Food followed the economy - lots of people ate thin soup and litle else when times were slow. For lots of kids times was always slow. Then as now the greatest weapon against poverty was hard work but then as now there were lots of folk who ignored that fact. There was no foodstamps, no unemployment checks, no welfare boards to take up the slack for the children. If your parents were unlucky, or bums, or down and out, then you didn't eat much. You spent your hours in the streets, playing stickball, pitching against that stoop, playing burnout with your buddies and breathing, sleeping, dreaming baseball. Then you're 16 and good - you play on a town team or maybe a factory boss pays you 3 bucks a game to play on their team and gives your old man a job to boot. You learn the game the hard way against guys who'll spike you, crash into you, trip you and rag you unmercifully -nothing sacred, mothers not spared. You small and young and facing a hulk of a pitcher who throws 85 ( fast enough back then) and spits tobacco with every pitch. He's dug a rut 6 inches in front of the rubber, too and pitches from there - the umps are scared of him so who's going to stop him? You know you can't pull him so you slap at the ball and poke it into left with a bit of spin - the ball caroms off into foul gorund after striking fair and you run like a jackrabbit, skipping over the first baseman's extended foot, ducking the elbow aimed at your ribs the 2nd sacker points your way and you slide into third with your spikes up and slashing. Not trying to hurt the guy, just keeping him from getting close enough to stomp on you when he sweeps the tag.
A couple years of this and a scout sees you and signs you for a ticket and fifty bucks and sends you to Red Oak, Iowa to play. You're 18 and weigh 140 sopping wet. Your face is drawn and you look 30 by today's standards but everyone in Red Oak calls you Cheeks because they think you have a "babyface". You're scrawny, undernourished, wiry strong but no one today would call you an athlete. Didn't then, either - you are a ballplayer. Big difference. Athletes are born - ballplayers are forged from runny gruel, concrete stoops, bouncing balls, broomsticks and hard knocks. You know all the dirty tricks - better known as essential survival techniques. At 21, you make the show. You do well, you're a 2nd baseman. You get on base any way you can, you holler at the pitcher, you steal when you can but only when its necessary. Go the other way, bunt, squeeze, and you've learned to swing from the heels when the pitcher is predictable. You use whatever you've been given, and you learn everything you can, every nuance possible. You are successful and your twetnies are golden years. Then you're 30. Within 2 or 3 years your career will be over. Your joints hurt, you've lost a couple of steps. You've played through aches and strains, and punished yourself for a decade to fend off the stream of prospects trying to unseat you. And now it happens. You're traded for no one inparticular to a terrible team. You play a couple years, your numbers aren't that bad but thwe little things are gone. You can't steal anymore, triples are doubles and doubles are singles and that kid up from Tuscaloosa that throws 92 just blows it by you. You retire at 33. You are old, ancient by baseball standards. You've never touched a weight set, never taken a vitamin or mineral supplement, never even heard of yoga or yogurt, never had a personal or team trainer, you have the beginnings of gout, and have had chicken pox, measles, mumps, rubella, and a variety of flus during your career. Mostly you played through it all and let your natural vitality cure it. You have a permanently bent finger from the time you broke it on a ball that jammed it, then you taped it, grimaced and played on. You have hammer toe because you played in second hand shoes for all those early years and the toe was too tight. You don't even know its why you couldn't run worth a damn anymore when you were just 30. You were a ballplayer. Now you're 33 and you're nothing. No job, no other skills, no player's association to write you a check. You take a job as a coach. You'll teach the same misguided theories and scoff at new advances in nutrition and training for years, delaying major advances in your sport until the mid to late 60s when rising salaries and advancing knowledge begins to change the way athletes take care of themselves and baseball begins to scout athletes for their potential instead of ballplayers for their skills. The theory is you can teach skills but you can't teach speed or genetics. In the back of my mind, this old man realizes they are right, but I miss the pure ballplayers. The ones who raised hell and tripped guys as they rounded second. The ones who took whatever you gave em and used it against you. When I was a child I watched ordinary men with extraordinary skills playing a game I loved. Today, I watch demi-gods of athleticism with lithe, muscular bodies play my beloved sport. The hope for the everyday joe, who works hard, who hones his skills fanatically, to play at the highest level, is almost gone. Yes, today's athletes are incredible and outclass their counterparts of yesteryear. They are not nearly as much fun to watch or follow.

[backbencher]

I have a hard time distinguishing between the many posters I enjoy so much. So, with apologies to Harry Blackmun,

It is a century and a quarter since the New York Nine defeated the Knickerbockers 23 to 1 on Hoboken's [407 U.S. 258, 261] Elysian Fields June 19, 1846, with Alexander Jay Cartwright as the instigator and the umpire. The teams were amateur, but the contest marked a significant date in baseball's beginnings. That early game led ultimately to the development of professional baseball and its tightly organized structure.

The Cincinnati Red Stockings came into existence in 1869 upon an outpouring of local pride. With only one Cincinnatian on the payroll, this professional team traveled over 11,000 miles that summer, winning 56 games and tying one. Shortly thereafter, on St. Patrick's Day in 1871, the National Association of Professional Baseball Players was founded and the professional league was born.

The ensuing colorful days are well known. The ardent follower and the student of baseball know of General Abner Doubleday; the formation of the National League in 1876; Chicago's supremacy in the first year's competition under the leadership of Al Spalding and with Cap Anson at third base; the formation of the American Association and then of the Union Association in the 1880's; the introduction of Sunday baseball; interleague warfare with cut-rate admission prices and player raiding; the development of the reserve "clause"; the emergence in 1885 of the Brotherhood of Professional Ball Players, and in 1890 of the Players League; the appearance of the American League, or "junior circuit," in 1901, rising from the minor Western Association; the first World [407 U.S. 258, 262] Series in 1903, disruption in 1904, and the Series' resumption in 1905; the short-lived Federal League on the majors' scene during World War I years; the troublesome and discouraging episode of the 1919 Series; the home run ball; the shifting of franchises; the expansion of the leagues; the installation in 1965 of the major league draft of potential new players; and the formation of the Major League Baseball Players Association in 1966.

Then there are the many names, celebrated for one reason or another, that have sparked the diamond and its environs and that have provided tinder for recaptured thrills, for reminiscence and comparisons, and for conversation and anticipation in-season and off-season: Steve4192, princeton, woy, guernsey, jax, chili, steel, jcooper, redstorm, 15fan, Chip, M2, BCubb, LGJ, RFS62, FCB, PuffyPig, remdog, ramp, Kc, Randy, JohnnyF, Crash, Raisor, Creek and the Teams, Bill, clemson, Biitner, ]sava, Santo. The list seems endless.*

*These are names only from earlier years. By mentioning some, one risks unintended omission of others equally appreciated.


For the original:

Flood v. Kuhn

[TRF]

Thanks M2, but i had forgotten the Dr. Evil quote, and defer the title to KYRedsFan. But by god, I'm second.

now for one hundred billion dollars, where did i get my line?

and my nominations are:

Most Clever: Raisor. guy gives me a run for my money in the sarcasm department. Beware Phil, a quick wit is a double edged sword. just ask my wife. :mad:

Most long winded: Redstorm, but i do so enjoy reeding his posts.

Most Valuable Poster: I'll give the nod here to savafan, who singlehandedly kept the board going through sheer force of will, and around 100000 posts in 2 months.

Best Outsider: ramp was great, but MattyMo was here first. Combined with Beergut, we got polite conversation from fans of a division rival. props also to AstroFan, CubFan, and others i am to braindead and lazy to look up.

Man this is a great site.

[RFS62]

Originally posted by TRF

now for one hundred billion dollars, where did i get my line?

Why, from the Far Side, of course.

Cha-CHING!!!!!

Woo hoo.... I'm rich!!!!

[TRF]

newman. ah well... cash or check?

[RFS62]

Most Positive - Team Casey and Team Boone. Unless you cross them.

Most Negative – Redread

Most Missed – Old Red Guard. I loved that guy. Thanks so much, M2, for finding and posting that incredible passage. I agree, it’s the best thing ever posted here.

Most Controversial - Redsfaithful. We don’t agree on much over on the non-baseball forum, but he definitely stirs the pot in his neverending efforts to poke Phoenix, GAC, and a few others with a stick.

Best Moderator – Chip, but hey, I like them all.

Best Use of Stats – WOY, which is tall praise among a pretty smart bunch of sabr-heads we’ve assembled here. Raisor, Cooper, Steel, Chili, Crash, and all the other James devotees deserve a lot of credit for making their case in face of scorn and derision. I admire anyone who truly wants to understand baseball on a higher level, even when they’re wrong. :evilgrin:

Most Clever – BCubb. His Random Thoughts are one of my favorite things around here.

Nicest - MWM. Seems to me like a thoroughly decent man. This one is impossible to narrow down though, as there are so many people here whom I consider friends.

Best Armchair GM – Gotta go with Cincinnati Chili. I sure hope he makes it into a front office someday. A great balanced knowledge of the game and the business of baseball. M2, Princeton and Red Storm would be excellent choices too. And LGJ is impressing everyone with her broad grasp of the game.

Best Outsider - Ramp. The dude was true blue even when it looked like they were a terrible team.

Best Discussion - My personal favorite was the Moneyball discussion we had this summer. I got to test out a lot of my long standing beliefs through those threads.

Most Passionate - Team Prozac... uh, I mean Edskin. If we could only find a way to pry our buddy out of his shell and get him to make a declaration or pronouncement every now and then. Hey, Ed....we kid because we care.

Funniest - Redsland is one seriously funny guy. Kind of a Far Side sense of humor which I love. Biitner Pill can also write some funny stuff when he wants to.

Best Moniker – Spitball and Corked Bat always cracked me up.

Best Historian - RedsBaron. He should teach a class. You make a historical reference of any kind, and he’s on it with excellent research that you can depend on. An incredible resource for the board.

Best Trademeister – The old slobberknocker himself, Krusty

Best Poster - There are so many people here that I search out and read every single thing I can from them. The two guys I find myself agreeing with the most are probably Guernsey and Cincinnati Chili. I love M2, WOY and LGJ for their excellent insight and relentless passion. GAC, Remdog, CQ, Creek, Geo J, Team Clark, BCubb, Team Casey and Team Boone, WVRedsfan, Larkin Fan, GM, FCB, Chip, 15fan, Santo, VR, Randy, Coop, Johnny Footstool, Bucksfan, Roy Tucker, Crash, Raisor, Steel, Spitball, Krusty, Biitner Pill, RedsBaron, MikeS21, Bob B, Edskin, SC Red, Backbencher, RFA66 .... and many more, are all like old friends to me. I love talking baseball and life with all you guys.

But the best poster, IMO, has to be RedStorm. Even when we disagree, I feel like I come away smarter for the discussion. I’ve never encountered anyone with broader grasp of all aspects of the game.

Man, I’m thankful for this site. At times it drives me crazy, but when I look over this thread I think about how many truly outstanding people I’ve met here, and for that I’m very thankful.

[cincinnati chili]

m2- thanks a million for bringing back that thread from Old Red Guard. At the time, I thought it was so good that it had to be plaigarized. I guess it's not, or someone would have said so by now. An unforgettably vivid and hilarious post.

[Raisor]

Originally posted by TRF
Most Clever: Raisor. guy gives me a run for my money in the sarcasm department. Beware Phil, a quick wit is a double edged sword. just ask my wife. :mad:

Damnit, I wanted Best Looking!

[SteelSD]

Most Missed Poster: SCR? Where art thou? Get back here and I hope things are going well for you and your family.

Nicest Poster: GAC. Heck, anyone who can put up with me has the goods. You'll be the first guy I call up when I make my next trip to Cinci.

Best Trademeister: Bittner. The vast majority of message board "trades" don't make sense. Yet, somehow, BP always ends up making some.

Most Eloquent: M2...no doubt. Even in cases where I might disagree, I marvel at the grammar and syntax. Produces absolutely classic prose and much is tagline-worthy.

Best Discussion: Laura Cover Movie Titles. Folks, if you don't frequent chat during games, you missed out this summer. I'm sure there was a game going on. Yet, this now infamous chat session made everyone forget about it.

Best Newcomer: Ravenlord. Period. I'd expand on that, but I think the reasons are apparent. Exceptionally perceptive, driven, and intelligent.

Most Effort: Savfan. Almost single-handedly driving the board at times this offseason. If no one else has thanked you, please accept my appreciation.

Most Annoying Thread: Adam Dunn sucks version xxx.x. The next version of this thread should just be stickied and Raisor can stop by to post his "If we can all agree that a double is better than a single..." calling card every two or three days.

Poster I'd Like to See More Posts From: Boss Hogg. Articulate and insightful whenever he posts. Best sense of true balance I've seen on the board and adds to any conversation he enters. I'd like to see more, time permitting.

Most Annoying: SteelSD. Hell, he annoys himself. How could he not annoy others. But he'll call 'em like he sees 'em, even though the stat geek does tend to speak about himself in third person.

Best Insult: "Snide cuss"- attributed to backbencher. Makes me laugh and think of old people. I dunno why.

Best Poster: EVERYONE. Communities don't survive in vacuums. Without the folks you don't like, no progress gets made. Even the most intellectual and advanced get into heated debates while furthering their knowledge base. The trick is that, when you come out the other side, shake hands and thank the opponent for the learning produced by the conflict. Otherwise, you're just namecalling.

It may have not been a good year for Reds baseball, but IMHO, it was an exceptional year for Redszone. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to furthering my enjoyment and education.

SteelSD
Snide Cuss

[savafan]

Okay, here are my nominations:

Most missed poster

creek, without a doubt

Funniest

Wetzel (or Johnny Vander M to the uneducated)



Most Clever

Gotta agree with BCubb

Best Armchair GM

Princeton



Best Trademeister

gonna listen to my heart and nominate Krusty on this one

Best Discussion

The OPS thread. I went into that knowing nothing, and SteelSD and a few others showed me what I wasn't seeing.

Best Use of Statistics

I could easily choose WOY of Steel for this one, but Ravenlord is the only person I know of who has actually invented his own stats so I'm gonna go with him.

Most Positive

TeamBoone and TeamCasey...and for those of you who haven't met them in person with a few drinks in them, let me tell ya, they can get a lot more positive :evilgrin:

Nicest

Tough call, but I'm gonna go with GAC. Again, my personal introduction to him helped influence this a bit, but he also takes the time to answer a lot of questions I have had via e-mail.

Best Moderator

How do you choose? The ones I don't pick might ban me! I'm going to go with CQ and Chip. Again, met them both, and they're both unbelievably nice guys. Chip even gave me a cigar as a bribe for this one day, but I can't leave CQ out. They both respond in a timely fashion to PM's and do an excellent job at keeping trouble from breaking out on the board...something we haven't had to worry about in quite a while thank God!



Best Newcomer

Ravenlord. In a short time, he's made quite an impact on this board. I've been here 3 years longer than he has, and he has almost as many posts as I do! I'd say that at least 80% of his posts serve a good purpose in discussions, which isn't a bad amount when you really think about it.

Best Outsider

Ramp. He was my second choice for best newcomer. Came over to our board from the Marlin board when the Brad Penny trade rumor came out, and he's been here ever since, offering insightful baseball discussion and a passion for his team that I really admire. Also, he went to prom with a really hot chick.

Most Valuable Poster

The two posters that I always read, are LarkinFan and Team Clark. Both don't post as much anymore, but when they do it's always worth taking the time to read. I nominate them both for this award.

Comeback Poster of the Year

Red Storm. Always has been one of my favorite posters, and I missed him during his absence. It's great to see him back posting again.

Backbone of the Board Nominees

Kinda like a lifetime achievement award. I nominate these two guys for their contributions to this board since I've been here. RFS62 and Guernsey. These two definately belong in the Redszone Hall of Fame.

[MWM]

I just read ORG's post. I guess I didn't read it when it was originally posted, because I certainly would have remembered.

Hands down best thing ever posted on this site or any site I've ever been to. I almost got tears in my eyes. What an amazing person ORG must be. I bet we could all sit and listen to him tell stories all day long.

As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever read anything from any baseball writer or historian that stirs the baseball passion as much as what ORG wrote above. It's like it came right out of field of dreams. What a vivid picture it created of baseball and it's rich heritage. I'm glad I read it. Thanks for posting it M2.

[Redsland]

The Aaron Boone Award: savafan - Swings at every topic under the sun, and connects on occasion, too.

The Barry Larkin Award: red-in-la – He pulls the “C” off his uniform from time to time, but he’s a Reds fan through and through.

The Bernie Stowe Award: RFS62 – Wisdom can have a profound effect on those whippersnappers willing to absorb it. Thanks for sharing yours. And no, I’m not about to hand you the keys to a Mercedes.

The Bob Boone Award: Krusty – He’ll try anything, when it comes to trades. And that’s meant as a compliment.

The Bob Howsom Award: princeton – I have no doubt you would make an outstanding general manager, and actually crossed my fingers that your name was in the running when we recently had an opening.

The Chris Sabo Award: Ravenlord – Formerly the Rookie of the Year Award. Your posts are prolific without being gratuitous. But where are the goggles?

The Dmitri Young Award: gm – Switch-hitter? Outfielder? Infielder? gm seems to know a bit about everything. That opens him up to occasional jabs to the soft underbelly, but he’s part of every meaningful discussion.

The Eric Davis Award: Red Storm – A Comeback Player of the Year who left for a while, but whose presence always generates excitement.

The Francis Dale Award: REDREAD – Named for the owner who paid for the construction of the Big Red Machine. No one wants the Reds to build a winner more than REDREAD does. Call him negative if you want, but every word he’s written is true.

The John Allen Award: JaxRed – The official keeper of the numbers, but a bit rough in front of the microphone. Your site and you insights are invaluable.

The Jose Rijo Award: M2 – Among the very best ever, when he opens his mouth you had better pay attention.

The Marty Brennamen Award: Chip R – Formerly the Best Moderator Award, this one goes to the person most likely to point a finger at posters who aren’t playing right.

The Nuxhall Award: CougarQuest – The ying to Marty’s yang. 15fan was a strong candidate, but I had to throw the tie to the cop. (Karma points and all.)

The Pete Harnisch Award: Johnny Footstool – Think naked jumping jacks and Dawn Patrol call-ins. My only gripe is that The Spitter should be a daily. Others getting serious consideration: Chip R, 15fan.

The Pete Rose Award: guernsey – RedsZone’s Post Count King, and I can’t remember a single one that was frivolous or unwelcome.

The Ray Knight Award: Raisor – Hey, cut me some slack; Ray’s defensive charts are the closest nod this organization gives to statistical analysis. They’ve even helped on occasion, too. (SteelSD and cincinnati chili also deserve this award.)

The Rick Stowe Award: westofyou – Gives people the tools they need, from raw stats to analysis to insight.

The Rosie Reds Award: TB, TC, Kitty, creek, and letsgojunior – Yes, I know it’s a bit of a cop-out to lump the women together, but I’ve got a theme going here, and I suspect none of you wants to win The Marge Schott Award.

The are others I want to recognize, like Biitner, MWM, remdog, FCB, Santo, Steve4192, MikeS21, ramp, Roy, and on and on and on. Everyone here adds something to RedsZone. I look forward to sharing another year with all of you.

[Stormy]

Good Lord...

That is the most picturesque and heartfelt stream-of-consciousness account of the life of "the ballplayer" I believe I've ever had the privilege of reading. It's literally saturated with the passion and humanity of the game. Thanks for the re-post, as I have certainly never encountered that gem before. Absolutely beautiful.

Thanks, and well wishes, to ORG, wherever he may be, for sharing that personal perspective.

[WVRedsFan]

Man, isn't it December? I mean, it's over two months until Spring Training and we all have the baseball on our minds. I love it!

Many thanks to Red Storm and RFS62 for mentioning me in their posts and a big thanks to Boss and the whole gang. I don't what I did without RedsZone before it existed. Believe it or not, I enjoy everyone's posts because you are all Reds fans and the Reds have been part of my life since before birth. Thanks to all of you. I have a few nominations...

Most Positive - If TeamBoone doesn
t win this one there is no justice. I wish I could be that "glass half full." Bravo

Most Negative - All of us at times. I may rank in the Top 10 this year. I'm reformed, however, and look forward to 2004.

Most Missed - Red Storm this year. His posts are much anticipated and his comments in game threads are priceless. Honorable mention to Team Clark. And Creek lately. Where are you?

Best Mod - CougarQuest - Level headed and fair, he must be a good cop.

Best use of stats - Without a doubt RFS62. He always makes sense.

Best Outsider - Tie between MattyMo and Ramp. Both guys are class acts who come on here and do not talk smack. I respect that.

Best Discussion - Was it this year we discussed if Jesus would drive an SUV? If so, that was just the best. In fact, I copied it to my hard drive. Brilliant.

Funniest - BCubb hands down.

Best moniker - Falls City Beer. Reminds me of too many nights in college when that was all I could afford. That and Black Label.

Best Poster - Wow! RedStorm, of course and RFS62, but there are many others who brighten my day. The knowledge on this board amazes me. So many times, you have led me to change my mind and be more sensible. You are the best!