Bronson's Red's Debut: Game Thread for 3/25 vs. the Twinkies

[Caveat Emperor]

Kent Mercker takes the hill. Ryan Freel takes over for Austin Kearns in Right Field. Freel's Scrappiness over Replacement Player is +40, so this is an improvement on the whole.

1.) Tolbert up first. Marty points out that Kent Mercker hates his own first name. The official rule is "Never trust a man with 2 first names" but, in Kent's case, he's got two last names...which really confuses me as to how I should treat him. I like Kent, so I'm going to choose to trust him and hope that he has good trade value by the deadline. Count goes full. More chatter about Kent being mistakne as "Ken", which is a source of amusement. I know, personally, I laugh when I see "Kent Broo" on TV. Mercifully, the AB ends with a walk. 1 on, 0 out.

2.) Kobol, or one of his 13 colonies, hits a double all the way to the wall, advancing the runner to 3rd. 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. The cast and crew of Battlestar Galactica applaud politely in the crowd. 2nd and 3rd, 0 out.

3.) Hart hits a high fly ball into left field, played by Dunn. The runner tags and scores, the other runner advances to third. Fundamental baseball, baby. Nothing more exciting. Twinks 7, Reds 5. 3rd with 1 out.

4.) Tiffey grounds shaprly to Womack, who drops the ball, but still manages to hold the runner at 3rd and make the out. You know what they say about broken clocks. 3rd with 2 outs.

5.) Rabe up next, foaming at the mouth for a chance to hit off Mercker. Apparently, too eager, as he swings through a breaking ball.

It's stretch time, Twinks 7-5 leaders.

[Reds Nd2]

You sure?

Yes.

[Reds Nd2]

If it's beneficial for Milton to throw from the 1B side of the rubber, why does Mercker pitch from the 3B side?

[Caveat Emperor]

The home half of the 7th starts with the lefty Darryl May on the mound (I'm just trusting Steve on this one)...

1.) Ryan Freel up at the plate. A "SCRAP-EEE" chant erupts around the assembled massses. Freel continues his hot spring with a strikeout...but a scrappy strikeout neverthless.

2.) Javier Valentin drives a ball to deep center, carried by the wind into the wall. Javy motors into second for a double. Krivsky continues to scream from the owners box: "TRADE VALUE! TRADE VALUE! Yeah baby!" Man on 2nd, 1 out.

3.) Tony Womack (Hisss! Boo!) with a basehit up the middle, driving Valentin in from first. Womack mugs for the crowd and twirls his mustach in a truly villianous manner, making him all the more unlikeable. He steals a lollypop from a young fan on his way to first as well. Reds still trail 7-6, 1 out, man on 1st.

4.) Felipe Lopez at the bat. Marty complains something about a young whippersnapper with a bad attitude in the NCAA tournment. Lopez flies out.

5.) With Griffey batting, Tony Womack steals a base. We can only hope the authorities have been contacted and that his prison sentence extends beyond the start of the season. Kent Griffey Jr. hits an infield popup for the 3rd out, stranding Womack on 2nd.

After 7, reds still trail 7-6.

[PTBNL]

:deadhorse

That's the best icon I have ever seen on a board!

Hey, did anyone see this:
Dewayne Wise probably will be sidelined through the start of the season with the sprained ankle he suffered Friday.
from Rotoworld

[blumj]

grounding into a Casey Play

Just for the day, if you'd like to make Bronson feel more at home, you might want to call that a "Renteria".

[Caveat Emperor]

Into the 8th, the ageless Chris Hammond takes the hill, with a scoreless inning streak on the line. Matt Kata enters the game at short, Aaron Holbert in at 2nd. It's like playing one of those baseball video games where they don't get an MBLPA license and your forced to use random names.

1.) Sean Wooten apparently in the game now. Speaking of Woot, woot.com is a fun site that gets great deals on electronics occasionally. Definately worth checking out. Wooten flies out. Woot.

2.) Bartlet issues an executive order, smacking the ball down the line for a double. Chris Hammond, starstruck, shakes his hand but admits that he voted for Ritchie in the last election. Bartlet trots back to the West Wing and Jason Pridey? in to run.

3.) Maza into pinch hit, and smack a double out left that Dunn can't get to. Bronson Arroyo jumps in to note -- but is cut off and smacked by the entire Reds team. 1 run score, Boston goes up 8-6.

4.) Another base hit by Tyner on a bad defensive play by Kata. Runner advances to third.

5.) Tolbert with a hit to third, the runner at 2nd is thrown out on a fielders choice. Maza scores from third, Twinks go up 9-6. I love spring training baseball.

6.) Fly ball to center field ends the inning. I'd tell you who hit the ball, but Marty was just blathering about Sarasota and Arizona and I missed who was batting. Fun times. I'll bet he gets cut next week anyway.

After 8.5, Reds still in the hole by 3.

[Caveat Emperor]

The good guys come up to bat. Ryan Glenn takes the mound for the Twins. The twins make some defensive alignment changes, but I was busy staring at a strange spot on my carpet when Marty was talking about it.

1.) Easy E at the dish for the Reds takes a free pass to first. Tony Womack calls out from the dugout to remind him the OBP is overrated and to swing the bat, rook. Frank Mena-Mena-Mena-Not gonna be here next week takes over running for Edwin.

2.) Adam Dunn steps in, making mortals tremble in his wake. He then lives up to his reputation and JACKS THE BALL for another Home Run. Adam Dunn :notworthy 9-8 Twinks, but the Reds charging like Seabiscuit baby!!

3.) Hatteberg up to bat and hits a line drive for a base hit. Bronson Arroyo points out that Big Papi would've sent the baseball to Mars. He then resumes icing his arm and his ego. 1 on, 0 out.

4.) Matt Kata stikes out swinging on a bad cut. Nothing funny about that. He'll have good stories for his kids someday, though.

5.) Ryan Freel comes to bat to the tune "Don't Fear the Reaper" -- Don't Fear the Scrapper, more like it (The Ceasers do a fantastic cover of this song, incidentally). Freel hits a soft, scrappy line drive through the infield, moving Hatteberg to 2nd. Rally caps are passed throughout the dugout. 2 on, 1 out.

6.) Valentin hits a screamer that the 2nd baseman knocks down but cannot do anything with. The bags are now loaded, and Jacob Cruz comes up to bat as a pinch hitter. I can feel the excitement through my radio.

7.) Jacob Cruz hits a line drive into center field that is caught, with no ability for any runners to advance. He's now 0-9 as a pinch hitter in spring training, and he's probably about to be victimized by Quentin McCracken for a roster spot. Bases juiced, 2 outs.

8.) Andy Abad bats for the pitcher, Hammond. Abad takes a free pass to get the easiest RBI he'll have all spring.

9.) I got a phone call and missed what happened, but apparently Griffey got a base hit that drove 2 runs in, Abad advances to 3rd. The good guys now in charge 11-9! Griff is, indeed the man.

10.) Frank Mena-Mena-Not gonna be here next week up now and grounds out to end the inning, but it doesn't matter, because the Reds are winning. There's no "I" in team, Frank, you gotta learn that if you wanna make the show!

11-9, the Good Guys BACK ON TOP!

[Matt700wlw]

:dunn:

[Reds Nd2]

Long stick goes boom for the second time today!

[TeamCasey]

Bases Loaded!

[TeamCasey]

C'mon Abad!

[Gallen5862]

Let's get a Rally going Reds.

[Matt700wlw]

:griffey:

Reds lead!

[vaticanplum]

gah!