7/4/07 - Reds vs. Giants Happy 4th of July

[Tom Servo]

From Trent:

Here's the Reds lineup, I'll get you the Giants in a sec, all I know so far is that certain player with an extraordinarily large cranium is not in the lineup

For the Redlegs:
Hatteberg 1b
Phillips 2b
Griffey rf
Dunn lf
Encarnacion 3b
Hamilton cf
Valentin c
Castro ss
Belisle p

Pete said he was going to use Valentin to catch much more, because his bat is needed in the lineup. "He's an untapped resource that we're not using enough," Mackanin said.

Pete was great before the game, very funny and entertaining. He started off by saying it was part of his contract that he wasn't supposed to manage a day game after a night game.

[Matt700wlw]

He's using Castro...

[Chip R]

He's using Castro...

Strike 1.

[membengal]

eh...at least he's batting him 8th. And I am liking his sense of humor.

[Chip R]

eh...at least he's batting him 8th. And I am liking his sense of humor.

Well, it's a joke that Castro's starting.

[Ltlabner]

Castro and Javy. Yuck.

Hopefully it's to rest Gonzos' hammy or so he can get a look at them in action with his own two eyes.

[mbgrayson]

Pre-game prediction: Dunn has a good day today.

Dunn splits:
Day games: 78 ABs, .360/.435/.867 for an OPS of 1.302
Night games: 214 ABs, .229/.324/.453 for an OPS of .777

Also we are facing a right-hander, Matt Cain, who has been pretty good this year.

Dunn Righty/Lefty splits:
Right-handers: .281/.369/.659 for an OPS of 1.028
Left-handers: .231/.322/.385 for an OPS of .707

One last Dunn split: GABP vs. Road
GABP: .308/.407/.664 for an OPS of 1.071
Road: .219/.297/.459 for an OPS of .756

So today should be the 'perfect storm' for Dunn: a day game, at home, against a right handed pitcher. Now watch him K four times....LOL.

[Stormy]

He's obviously punishing Gonzo for not running out a pop fly last night. I love the move, it's just too bad that Castro is our only backup SS. If we see Castro again in less than a week, then I'd say 'strike 1' on Pete. Otherwise, nice accountability for a completely unacceptable move by Gonzo, one which could have had Gonzo yanked on the spot.

[mbgrayson]

Bonds not starting today....Guess they want the big one to come in St. Louis or at home.

[penantboundreds]

This season is over. If Gonzo did not run out a fly ball, do not yank him on the spot to show him up, simply show the club its untolerable the next day. If that is the reason that I'm extatic because someone finally gets how to discipline a team.

[Matt700wlw]

This season is over. If Gonzo did not run out a fly ball, do not yank him on the spot to show him up, simply show the club its untolerable the next day. If that is the reason that I'm extatic because someone finally gets how to discipline a team.

If that's the reason, then it's all good, and should be that way....don't hustle, don't play hard, sit down...but the only problem is, with Castro being on the roster, MacKanin has to use him in these situations.

Narron used him to get him some playing time, when he didn't deserve it (he liked to do that)...maybe MacKanin is also, who knows?

Please Wayne, move on without Castro - he serves no purpose playing baseball anymore.

[Matt700wlw]

Bonds not starting today....Guess they want the big one to come in St. Louis or at home.

Day game after night game...I don't think Barry ever starts those anymore, does he?

[mbgrayson]

Day game after night game...I don't think Barry ever starts those anymore, does he?

I think you are right.

[LINEDRIVER]

I guess Mackanin will have to see for himself that Valentin should not be appearing in a game as a catcher.

[Stormy]

This season is over. If Gonzo did not run out a fly ball, do not yank him on the spot to show him up, simply show the club its untolerable the next day. If that is the reason that I'm extatic because someone finally gets how to discipline a team.

Agreed. And, frankly, Gonzalez has seemed to be running on auto-pilot for a while now, so maybe this will send him (and others) the proper message. The downside is that it leaves you playing Castro, and his 408OPS. I wish Jerry would find us a suitable backup SS, to remove that problematic aspect of sitting down a middle infielder. Castro is nearing 100ABs flushed down the toilet, and that's just unacceptable.