Reds Replace 3B Coach Steve Smith

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Many Reds' fans got their wish on Monday.

The Reds replace thirdbase coach Steve Smith on their coaching staff.  The rest of the coaching staff will return.

The Reds had more runnere thrown out at home (without being forcedd (28) than any other teajm and Smith took the blame.

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In September, Smith defended himself through the media but the Reds' front office, perhaps reacting to public presssure, announced that Smith will not return to the staff in 2015.

No replacement has been named at this time.

Mark Berrry had been the thirdbase coach from 1999 to 2013 when he was diagnosed with cancer in his lymph nodes.  Berry coached part time in 2013.  Chris Speier manned the coaching box when Berry was weak from treatment.  Berry remains with the organization as a roving minor league coach.

Smith approached the press in September and defended himself from the growing criticism.

Statistician Joel Luckhaupt spent hours reviewing all 27 outs and gave this breakdown.

11 outs were from the contact play.  Contact plays are managers decisions and predetermined based on the situation.

Four outs were clearly the runner making the decision on his own.

Two were off sacrifice flies which are runners reading the play, although the thirdbase coach can hold them.

10 were outs at home where a runner tried to score on a hit to the outfield.

Of those 10 three were close plays and two were close enough to be reviewed.

That leaves seven in which Smith played a part in the outcome.

Steve Smith questions numbers http://fullofschatz.blogspot.com/2014/09/reds-thirdbase-coach-steve-smith.html

Research On Smith

http://fullofschatz.blogspot.com/2014/09/research-reveals-steve-smith-numbers.html

LeBron James and David West Will Play At Cintas Center On Wednesday

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Local news teases aside, LeBron James will play against the Indiana Pacers at Xavier;s Cintas Center on Wednesday.

James is sitting out the exhibition contest in Milwaukee against the Bucks as he and his Cavalier teammates prepare for the season which opens against the New York Knicks on October 30.

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"There are no physical problems at all.  He's fine," Cavalier coach David Blatt told Chris Haynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.  "We are just trying to manage the preseason with the best possible way to get him ready."

The game in Milwaukee is a good one for James, the team's most recognized player.  Milwaukee is a Central Division rival and Cleveland will visit the city twice during the season.  Cincinnati is a different case.  The fans that the NBA wants to cultivate, will have this lone chance to see the league's biggest drawing card.

David West will return to the Cintas Center, where he played his collegiate basketball.  West has also been sitting out games to preserve his strength for the long season ahead.

Championship Baseball Coach Gary Yeatts Summarizes Reds' Season

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Two-time state champion baseball coach summarizes Reds' 2014 season.

Garry Yeatts won Ohio High School State Baseball Championships in 1985 and 1991 as the team's head coach.

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Now retired and livinng in Sedona, Arizona, Yeatts is one of Reds' owner Bob Castellini's assistance during the Reds' spring training in Goodyear, Arizona.

With a unique eye for the inner workings of baseball, Yeatts writes a summary of the Reds' 2014 season.







See Below...."There Is No Crying In Baseball"



​Try telling Reds fans that there is no crying in baseball. A disappointing season ends with a 76-86 record and no playoffs in sight. An unprecedented meltdown after the All-Star game and a total of 38 games lost by one run. Despite that, the Reds fans turned out in impressive numbers at GABP. Final attendance was 2,476,664 and that was second best in GABP history. You got to hand it to them for hanging in there.



Now, that I have your attention...let's look at this season. The Reds hit .238 on the year. Scoring runs was like my chances of meeting the girl in this picture. Nearly impossible. (Tell the truth Gary- OK- Totally Impossible and then there is the question of what I would do with her even if I met her.) Back to Baseball!  38 games were lost by one run. Enough to keep you watching and hoping but all too often going to be in a sleepless fit of lost opportunities and poor situational hitting. You can use whatever adjective your mind can project but for me, it was abysmal. Of course, offense was down throughout the MLB. Only 15 hitters were able to hit .300 and team batting average was about. .252. The Reds were next to last in all of baseball. When you add that to a bullpen that managed one win after the all-star game (Stop- LOOKING AT THE PICTURE!). Well, you know the result...no pennant race. No wild card game or playoffs for 2014. The last game of the season took a little sting away with Johnny Cueto winning his 20th. Quite an accomplishment with this team.     

  


Reds fans will simply watch the playoffs and root for whoever can beat the Cardinals. We have become all too good at that. So, what about this season? Writers at the Cincinnati Enquirer are having a field day examining what went wrong with the Reds. Some fans are already upset with the rehiring of Walt Jocketty and Bryan Price. My friend Hal McCoy describes Jocketty's effort as having to be monumental to turn around the Reds. Let's make it a little more simple. I'm good at simple. Sure some changes have to be made. At least 5-7 current players will not be Reds next year. To me the simplest fact for the Reds' decline was Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. 

This was a case of  Blue J's for the Redlegs. Look at their major league average to date. JV .310avg..79 rbi's, and 23 Hrs. JB- .251 avg., 78 rbi's and 26 Hrs. BUT in 2014 they combined .229 avg., 89 rbi's and 24 Hrs. That's 22 million $$$$$$dollars  of payroll for those anemic numbers. There is not a team in the league that can have their two superstars put up those kind of numbers and compete for a championship. I am not criticizing either guy. Sure there were injuries. But facts are facts. You lose 25 Hrs. and 68 rbis on the average and the result is 38 one run games that you lose. One can only wonder if these two fine gentlemen had had their normal years with the emergence of Mesoraco, Frazier, and Hamilton. I know there are 25 guys on a team and everyone accepts part of the blame for this season, but this is where you have to start.

So what about 2015? Is McCoy right about the monumental task for Mr. Jocketty? If Votto and Bruce are healthy and return to form, the Reds can again be a contender. A BIG IF but not unreasonable. The Opening Day lineup was together for only 12 games this year. Nine of the top 12 teams in starting pitching in MLB made the playoffs. The Reds have starting pitching. They are exceptionally strong up the middle of the diamond. They have some team speed.They are still relatively young. They can bounce back but not without Votto and Bruce. Make all the trades and changes you want, but Votto and Bruce have to  produce.

Another cogent fact for future Reds' improvement is the Central Division. The Reds play 76 division games, almost half of a season. They posted winning records against everyone but the Cardinals going 40-36. To accomplish that while having such a poor overall year shows that the Reds can compete against the competition.  I will wait for Goodyear to return to examine 2015 more closely. As I sat with Mr. Castellini and Mr. Wyler in September at GABP, their disappointment was palpable. Their determination was unmistakable. Cincinnati is so fortunate to have their leadership. Attendance at Reds games shows how the city feels about their baseball team. It's a great facility and downtown area.

Many thanks to all of those who read my musings.  On a side note... while I was in Cincy , I had the privilege to visit the MIRACLE FIELD to view firsthand what Kim Nuxhall and his team have done with the MIRACLE FIELD program in Fairfield. If you ever get the chance to stop by and watchthose children. Ir will Rock your world!!!

​

It is impossible not to cry when you see what the facility has accomplished for challenged children. So there is crying in Baseball after all. For all of the right reasons!!



Enjoy the playoffs. YIB-G   Go Reds in 2015    (38 one run losses-get some rest Bryan Price- you deserve it!)

Reds Have A New Owner

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Steve Watkins of the Business Courier broke the story of the Reds new owner.  The Louise Nippert trust one of the minority owners sold her share of the team.

See Watkins report by clicking below.....

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http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/10/07/exclusive-nippert-trust-sells-its-stake-in.html?ana=e_du_pub&s=article_du&ed=2014-10-07&u=qh2D49n7Wo2P/JYC9y8Xi26DvVy&t=1412791248

Bearcats Get The Memphis Blues

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In Marc Cohn's blues hit Walking in Memphis, he refers to the ghost of Elvis walking around Beal Street.  Apparently, he was accompanied by the University of Cincinnati defense that suffered through a 41-14 loss.

Gunner Kiel threw an 80-yard touchdown, his 15th of the season, to Mekale McKay on the first play from scrimmage.  That was the highlight of the night for Tommy Tuberville and the 22,000 plus fans which dwindle to the lower triple digits when the Memphis offense took the air out.

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Memphis came into the game with a 2-2 record.  Their wins were 63-0 over Austin Peay and 36-17 over Middle Tennessee State.   Their two losses were 42-35 at the Rose Bowl against number 11 UCLA and 24-3 at number 10 Mississippi.

The Tigers were aware that Cincinnati was picked to win the American Athletic Conference and wanted to make a statement.

The statement included 610 yards of offense after spotting UC an early 7-0 lead.

The UC defense gave up over 700 yards of offense last week to Ohio State. 

“It’s not good,” Tuberville said. “We haven’t stopped anybody. This is not new, now.”

Quaterback Paxton Lynch threw for 311 yards and two touchdowns.  He ran for two more.  Sophomore Sam Craft, who is listed as a wide receiver, carried the ball 38 times for 175 yards.  Memphis ran for 299 yards in all.

The Bearcats struggled on offense.

After the first play, Kiel threw for 136 yards on 10 completions with one interception.  The Bearcats also lost a fumble and were stopped on downs on another occasion.

Kiel was injured near the end of the half.  He was hit while throwing a pass and had X-rays taken of his chest.  He was unable to play the second half.

“Gunner’s probably going to be down for a while,” coach Tommy Tuberville said. “He’s having a pretty tough time.”

Munchie Legaux, who made a magnificent recovery from a badly torn knee, finished the game.  Legaux completed five passes for 39 yards.  He rushed for 20 yards on three carries.

"We built this game up all week and they responded," said Memphis coach Justin Fuentes.  "When one side of the ball struggled the other stepped up.  That's what good teams do."

The Tigers had a chip on their shoulders.

"We were talking all week about making a statement," Lynch said.  "They were picked to win the conference. It shows we can control our own destiny. We knew we had to respond after their first play.  We just marched down the field.  We had a lot of plays installed for this defense.  We knew we had to take the momentum back. This gives us confidence. We believe that we can win every game."