Kuzul

It is almost time for the baseball awards to be announced. Many fans overlook the value of a good manager. You can look to teams like the Mets and the Marlins that have had turmoil with their managers and see why it is important to have someone who can take control of what is going on. There have been a few managers that have stood out this year.

The candidates include Padres manager Bud Black, Reds manager Dusty Baker, Giants manager Bruce Bochy and Braves manager Bobby Cox who will likely get some votes based on his lifetime achievements.

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On Wednesday, the San Francisco Giants will be taking the field against the Texas Rangers in the 106th edition of baseball’s World Series. The players will be trotting out to their respective positions, digging into the batter’s box and toeing the pitcher’s mound with only one thing on their minds: winning.

Yet 33 years ago, the starting center-fielder for the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers had a lot on his mind. Granted, it was Game 1 of the 1977 World Series. He was technically still a rookie, and was being touted as the Dodgers’ version of Willie Mays.

He was facing one of the most experienced World Series pitchers of all time in Don Gullet, and he was playing his first game ever in historic Yankee Stadium. 

Oh, and he was gay. 

Glenn Burke, still accepted around sports as the first and only player in the big four sports (NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA) to come out to his teammates while he was still playing, was in the majors for only four years before his lifestyle seemingly drove him out of the game. Three decades after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, Glenn Burke attempted to break the gay barrier, but sadly their paths were not parallel.

Burke, an Oakland native and Berkeley High two-sport star, was one of the best Bay Area athletes to come out of high school in the 1970s. Remember, this is a region and decade that also produced Rickey Henderson and Claudell Washington, who have played a combined 42 Major League seasons to Burke’s four. And according to them, Burke was still the best talent out of all three.

Burke may have had the talent and the star power personality to match, but when he began to reveal glimpses of his sexuality to his teammates and management, it started him down a slippery slope that was simply to steep to climb back up.

Out. The Glenn Burke Story is an exclusive Comcast SportsNet documentary that chronicles his descent from the World Series to being traded to the Athletics to a voluntary retirement and down into the abyss of drug abuse, homelessness, and AIDS that eventually took his life, and shows how much his story affected many people who have until now been silent. 

Featuring interviews with Dodger teammates Dusty Baker, Davey Lopes and Rick Monday, among others, as well as A’s teammates Claudell Washington, Mike Norris, and Shooty Babitt, Out gets into the nitty-gritty of Burke’s athletic and post-athletic career.

According to almost everyone interviewed, Burke was run out of baseball because he was gay. The Dodgers apparently offered to pay for his wedding and honeymoon if he got married, and when he refused, he was promptly traded to the Athletics. The situation was no better there with manager Billy Martin, and Burke took a leave of absence from the team to clear his head. 

When he decided to come back, it was starkly clear to him that, while he still loved baseball and obviously had the physical tools to play the game, there was no place for a gay man in professional baseball. Burke then took the celebrity that he did have and played it up, spending a majority of his time in San Francisco’s famed Castro District.

Yet his fame ran out, and his party lifestyle turned into one of drug abuse. The tragedy was compounded when Burke contracted AIDS in 1994. But in the last years of his life, the same game of baseball that abandoned him came back to support him in his greatest time of need. 

Out. is being premiered for a public screening at the Castro Theater on Wednesday, November 10, and will be replayed exclusively on Comcast SportsNet on Tuesday, November 16. Tickets for the screening are $5, with all proceeds benefitting Marty’s Place, which once provided a homeless Burke with shelter and care as he coped with the effects of AIDS/HIV. 

For more information, and for ticket sales, please visit Comcast SportsNet’s exclusive information page.

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The Cincinnati Reds had a rude welcome to the 2010 MLB playoffs.

The Phillies’ Roy Halladay threw an absolute gem. The Reds couldn’t even muster a hit off the leading candidate for NL Cy Young. He threw 104 pitches, with only 25 of those for balls.

That is incredible.

It didn’t matter what team Halladay was facing, he has a buzz-saw. So the Reds have to keep that in mind when Game 2 begins on Friday night.

Sure the Reds haven’t scored a run against the Phillies in 30 innings, all at Citizens Bank Park

Sure they have been shut out by the same team in three consecutive games for the first time since the Cubs did it in 1982.

But here is why the Reds can bounce back against the Phillies in Game 2.

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When it comes to describing the emotions of a middle-aged woman who witnessed Roy Halladay’s once-in-a-lifetime postseason feat, I simply don’t have the words.

My husband says, “Add that to the other things you don’t have: boobs and couth.”

That might be true, but he wasn’t disappointed the day I proved I didn’t have man-parts either.

Take that Lady Gaga. She thought she was the only person required to prove she’s all woman. Fortunately she confirmed that before she was photographed wearing her meat suit.

Did you see where she placed her t-boner?

Where was I?

Oh yeah, the surreal world of Roy Halladay.

Nary a week has passed since my sweaty thighs slid off my season-ticket seat in my favorite steamy ballpark. Now on a cold, rainy night, with the tiny cast of William Penn looking on from atop the highest building in a city that’s delivered four straight division wins, Roy Halladay was haunted by the Ghosts of Torontos past and stayed the course on his career vision.

Two things were obvious: (1) he’s a man on a World Series mission and (2) I used the word “nary” and you didn’t even suspect that I’m British.

My husband says, “Nor did they suspect you’re funny.”

In any case, you might have noticed that the TBS commentators were not seasoned Phillies’ fans, especially when Brian Anderson referred to the rally towels as “white hankies.”

Like 46,411 fans suspected there’d be no toilet paper on hand.

I think at one point Brian even called the Phillies’ second baseman, Chase Ugly.

They obviously haven’t examined Chase’s backside through binoculars like me—from row three.

But TBS is what I was stuck with on that chilly Monday. As I sat cozy in the Jayson Werth blanket I received for the Mother’s Day giveaway in 2009, my son stood at my feet and asked to join me. I said, “Nothing comes between me and Jayson Werth.”

Literally. I was stripped clean underneath.

Okay, so clean underneath is an oxymoron. But my mind refuses to accept that the Phillies Phantasy Camp is not the Make-a-Wish Foundation for middle-aged women.

And a fantasy without Phillies is like a marriage without beer.

Early in the evening it was evident Roy brought his A-game while Edinson Volquez found a bargain basement deal on the jitters. After Shane Victorino’s second hit in as many innings, Volquez mouthed his frustration with the Spanish word that means, “I love you long time.”

Okay, maybe he threw the f-bomb.

Hey, is that Australian for beer?

Wait. I got that wrong. I think Foster’s is Australian for “I love you long time.” And if that’s the case, then by the transitive property that makes beer Australian for love.

I think beer actually means love in any language.

My husband says, “Beer is Australian for ‘I love you long time,’ especially when you fool a girl into proving she doesn’t have man-parts.”

Now that’s what I call “too much information.”

With Carlos Ruiz crouched down to catch, Men of a Certain Age all over the diamond, and me—the self-proclaimed winner of the best Phillies Phantasy, I feel honored to have been distracted from the softness of my Jayson Werth wrap by the phenomenon that helped win Game 1.

In the end, many things were evident:

I’d do Roy Halladay.

This morning the statue of William Penn was draped in a No. 34 jersey but was mysteriously missing his pants.

Sometime last night Roy Halladay was kissed by a teammate.

I swiped the tears of joy from my face with my “white hankie.”

And my husband wishes I was more like the cat—with an obsession for tending to a certain body part.

Now I’d love to read the Philadelphia Inquirer coverage of Roy’s gem but someone stole this morning’s edition. That’s okay. I imagine the paper will have one of those not-so-glamorous pitcher photos that show Roy with a contorted look on his face and his jersey swollen in the most embarrassing spots.

A lot like me on my honeymoon.

Although Roy’s postseason photo op was 11 years in the making, I’ll be honest—I wouldn’t spend more than a decade of my life preparing to eliminate the possibility of scoring altogether.

That’s what marriage is for.

But in that time, he developed the focus of a warrior. The Reds tried everything to throw him off: stepping out of the box, drawing pitches, coming at him early, and I think I saw one guy wink. But Doc operated like a pitching machine.

I heard Dusty Baker wants him checked for bionic parts.

So we celebrate one Roy and anticipate the game two start of the other, hoping they perform like clones. But like those twins in college, I bet I could find a way to tell them apart.

Did you know when the Braves clinched the National League wild card spot, REO Speedwagon played the postgame show at Turner Field? Why didn’t Citizens Bank Park ever book them? I’ll have to do something about this and flashing someone at a high level is not out of the question. I just hope they have their binoculars handy.

I wonder if they make actual boob-enhancing glasses.

My husband says, “Yeah, it’s called beer.”

Well, he would know.

See you at the ballpark.

Copyright 2010 Flattish Poe all rights reserved.
Catch life one-liner at a time on Twitter.

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The 2010 NLDS has arrived and it has pitted David against Goliath.
 
It’s the mighty Philadelphia Phillies against the “happy to be here” Cincinnati Reds.
 
Going from 78 wins to 91 is an outstanding achievement. The Queen city enjoyed quite the celebration when the team went out to Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati to celebrate the teams’ first postseason appearance since 1995 on Monday.
 
But is that it? Are you satisfied Reds fans?
 
The media has given the Reds a minuscule chance of beating the mighty Phillies—the same team that has gone to back-to-back World Series, winning one of them.
 
Critics look at the ridiculous rotation of H2O: Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels and think the Reds are screwed. They see All-Stars Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Jason Werth, and Shane Victorino and think the Reds young pitching staff is screwed.
 
Not so fast my friend.
 
Led by Dusty Baker, managing his fifth postseason with his third different team, the unproven Red have to show poise and maturity when they take the field against a weathered Phillies team.
 
They also have absolutely nothing to lose. All the pressure is on the home team.
 
With 22 wins in their last at-bat in ‘10, the Reds are very familiar to playing the underdog role. Sure ESPN radio host Colin Cowerd has called the Reds “frauds” all year. Sure they have an awful record against the other three NL teams in the postseason, 10-19 to be exact. Sure there starting pitcher doesn’t feature a single “ace”.
 
But think about all the times this club has been doubted throughout the “big 162”. They were picked to finish third in the majority of preseason predictions. A .500 or better record was the bar that was set.
 
After an embarrassing home loss to the Padres in mid-April, the Reds seemed destined for yet another long season.
 
As the season rolled on most expected the St. Louis Cardinals to eventually catch the Reds after they captured first place in May. After being swept in a four game set at Philly to end the first half, the doubters again emerged.
 
The brawl series had everyone more than convinced that the little team that could ran out of steam.
 
Well here they are, predicted by none and given no respect by all. Now the Reds once again find themselves facing the same scenario. So how can this miracle upset occur?
 
Cincinnati committed just 72 errors this season. That’s the third-fewest in the National League, and their fielding percentage of .988 was second best in the NL. The Phillies committed 83 errors.
 
The Reds were the highest-scoring team in all of the NL. If a game comes down to one swing, there are few better to have on your side then soon-to-be MVP Joey Votto, whose 37 homers and 113 RBI beat the numbers of any Phillies player this season.
 
The Reds had six players with at least 18 home runs (the Phillies had five). They hit more homers than the Phillies 188-166 and had a significantly higher team average (.272-.260).
 
And if the Phillies’ pitchers have a weakness, it’s the home run, their 131 homers allowed is tied for second in all of baseball.
 
If the Reds starting pitching can hold the potent Phils lineup to three or four runs a start, the Reds power can do the rest.
 
But that is certainly a big IF.
 
Walks will destroy you and Reds pitchers walked 108 more batters than the Phillies in 2010. That was a large factor in Philadelphia’s notably better ERA (3.66 to 4.03).
 
Should rookie Travis Wood be in the rotation? He is the only Reds lefty starter and had a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Phils in July.
 
Problem is, the Philies line-up was banged up, it was their first time seeing Wood, and he has only pitched in the majors since June. So there is no need to second-guess Baker. Look for Wood to be the first one out of the ‘pen if a starter falters early.
 
Bronson Arroyo has been rocked by the lefty-latent Phillies line-up. Edinson Volquez was pitching in Single A ball last month. Johnny Cueto has been known to get overly emotional in big moments.
 
These are legit concerns and what everyone is looking at. It’s obvious: Phillies three-man rotation> the Reds three-man rotation.
 
The Phillies are finally healthy after being banged up for most of the season. All of the mashers have returned.
 
So you can see why most think the Reds are going to get eliminated very quickly.
 
The Red Legs must rely on their potent line-up filled with power, stellar defense around the diamond and the bullpen to carry them. Aroldis Chapman will be used to lock-up the lefties in big moments. Arthur Rhodes and Nick Masset are some of the best middle-relievers out there.
 
The Philies bullpen is not nearly as intimidating as the starters. Getting to the ‘pen early will be a huge advantage for the Reds. Hanging tough with the Phils through the first six innings will be the key. A tie game in the seventh is a big Reds advantage.
 
The Reds will have to dig deep to pull it off, especially with the weight of 15 losing seasons in a row on their collective backs.
 
On paper this series should be a breeze for the Phillies…but that’s why they play the game…

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Defense wins championships. It may be old hat, but it still rings a ton of truth. Cincinnati has improved in most, if not all categories this year, which has allowed the Reds to put themselves in better position to win games.

You can tout a better offense, game strategy, veteran leadership, and more focused pitching. Although, for my money, I would have to say the Reds can point to their defense as the biggest reason as to why they will find themselves in Philadelphia Wednesday night gladly shaking off their numb limbs in the chilly October air eager to play some postseason baseball.

The Reds may not have overpowered every team this season, but they did keep the possibility of a victory close to their chest by simply doing what they are supposed to do.

Cincinnati committed just 72 errors this season in 162 games. That’s the third-fewest in the National League, and their fielding percentage of .988 was second best in the NL.

The stat that might surprise you the most is the fact that Cincinnati had 106 errorless games in 2010. That mark is a new team record. The previous mark of 99 error-free contests was set in 1992.

The past two Dusty Baker led Reds squads had a penchant for booting the ball. Cincinnati had 89 flubs in 2009 and a depressing 114 in 2008 and their record showed their lack of a defensive prowess. If you are counting, that’s 42 fewer errors than just two years ago… 42!!

What would the Reds say is the reason for the change?

Left fielder Jonny Gomes explained to Yahoo! Sports, “I think this team has really responded to Dusty’s style of baseball, Dusty’s style of managing. I think this is actually the first year where this it’s his group of guys. He was able to catch them for the first day of spring and establish the style of ball he wanted to play.”

I’ve heard all the comments from the Dusty Baker haters out there and I’m not about to disagree with them or defend Dusty in anyway. I can see their point, but I would also have to say that Baker took the Giants, the Cubs, and the Reds to the playoffs in a relatively short time with each of those teams.

That has to count for something, even if the following years with the Giants and the Cubs were not the greatest. Those teams did get the chance to experience success and taste the playoffs under Baker’s direction.

The Reds are doing just that this year. Cincinnati got rid of the some cancers that attributed to their bad play and poor baseball in the past and returned to basics with a group of guys who truly believed in playing winning baseball.

The result is 91 wins, a division title and date with the almighty Phillies at 5:07 p.m. Eastern Standard Time in the city of brotherly love on Wednesday in the National League Division Series.

Reds fans, where ever it is you take in the game on Wednesday, take the time to raise a glass and toast the fact that October baseball has finally returned to Cincinnati. If needed, toast a second time to hoping that we can experience a repeat performance in 2011.

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The season is almost over, bones and hearts have been broken, while arms and dreams have been restored.  We have come a long way since April, but for Cincinnati, the fun is only beginning. 

This 2010 edition of the Reds was picked by most to finish fourth or worse in the NL Central this year.  Not enough offense, not enough pitching, not enough experience, and on and on and on.

The Reds didn’t get the memo.

This team played spoiler all year long.  The Reds, who weren’t quite ready, showed early on they were here to stay.  Joey Votto had the best year of his young career and very well could end up with the NL MVP award.  He threatened for a triple crown and somehow, SOMEHOW, almost missed being an All-Star. (Charlie Manuel better hope Votto doesn’t hold a grudge.)

Rolen, Cabrera, Rhodes, Cairo, the Reds were too old, and wouldn’t be able to stay healthy.  Sorry wrong again.  Rolen and Rhodes were All-Stars, Cairo was clutch all year and Cabrera added stability at SS, which had been a revolving door of failed experiments since 11 left town.  These guys were winners, and the funny thing is, winners win. 

Phillips took heat for starting the Cardinal Clash by saying what we all were thinking, but he continued flashing that gold leather again all year.  He hit lead-off, hit second, hit fourth, Brandon did whatever Dusty needed.  Reds fans want to trade Phillips for his Ocho Cinco-ness, but ask the Reds’ starting rotation if they appreciate him being up the middle. Psst….I bet the say yes!

Hanigan, Ramon and Fu Manchu himself, Corky Miller were more than any of us could have hoped for behind the plate.  They all brought their big bats and were big behind the plate.  Those three guys have done wonders for this pitching staff all year. 

The outfield wowed us with their bats before the All-Star break.  Gomes was unstoppable, Stubbs ran on everyone, and no one ran on Jay Bruce.  Jay was under the gun.  Many said this was his put up or shut up year, very unfairly by my accounts, but Bruuuuuce put up in a big way.

You mean you didn’t hear?  Bruce crushed a walk-off home run to clinch the NL Central for Cincinnati.  I saw grown men do things I couldn’t have imagined.  They hugged, they cried, they rolled around on the beer stained, peanut littered concourse at Great American, all because Jay saved the day.

The pitching was great all year, Leake was too cool for the minors and pitched great.  Our favorite hamburger jingle writer, Arroyo won 17 games.  Travis Wood stood toe to toe with Roy Halladay.  The list goes on and on.

We have to give some credit to Dusty too.  The guy who couldn’t win with young players, the guy who burned up young arms.  He flipped the right switches all year and did something not one other Reds manager had done since 1995: make the playoffs.  So Dusty, even though we scratched our heads sometimes, here’s to you.

All that is nice, but will it matter?  Can Cincinnati make it a Reds October?  I believe in these guys, and I know they believe in each other.  I’m going to keep my Gomes-esque ski goggles ready for when these Cincinnati Reds crash the postseason party.

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The Cincinnati Reds are the 2010 NL Central division champions.
 
I’ll repeat: The Cincinnati Reds are the 2010 NL Central division champions.
 
Who in their right mind could have predicted this back in March? The Reds’ goal was to play over .500. Progress was the key.
 
Well, the team that never quits sped up the progress tenfold.
 
The offense led the NL in the most important categories for the vast majority of he season. The pitching staff is overloaded with above-average starters. The bullpen was up-and-down, but never let the team down in an important game.
 
GM Walt Jocketty has done an excellent job of blending young studs with wily veterans. Nobody liked the Scott Rolen trade at the time, but now it looks brilliant. His wisdom and leadership really lit a fuse under the losing mentality that had plagued the franchise for 15 years.
 
Since the trade, the Reds are 97-63 when Rolen starts.
 
The biggest reason for success is the leading candidate for the National League’s Most Valuable Player, Joey Votto, who has gone above and beyond all expectations placed on him this year.
 
He ranks second in the NL with a .325 batting average, third in home runs with 37, and third in RBI at 111. He has been a force in the middle of a potent lineup. He has played an excellent first base, possibly worthy of a Gold Glove.
 
Speaking of Gold Gloves, Brandon Phillips is in line for his second. He made his first All-Star team and has drank the hustle Kool-Aid. His numbers have fallen since hurting his wrist, but don’t be mistaken—he had a career year.
 
Johnny Gomes didn’t have a contract offer from any team until the day before spring training began. He lead the NL in RBI at one point in late May.
 
Miguel Cairo, Arthur Rhodes, and Orlando Cabrera were considered washed up, and now all three of them will play pivotal roles in October.
 
For the sixth time in seven years, and with five different teams, Cabrera will be going to the postseason. His ability to stabilize the shortstop position offensively has been a huge asset.
 
With the Reds’ rotation getting younger with Johnny Cueto, Travis Wood, Edinson Volquez, Homer Bailey, and Mike Leake, it was Bronson Arroyo who was old reliable.
 
Arroyo was a steady veteran presence that could be counted on to deliver every fifth day. He set a career high with 16 wins, and has pitched at least 200 innings every year as a Red. He is the No. 1 starter.
 
Mike Leake may have been shut down for the rest of this season, but his eight wins are nothing to sneeze at. He was the Reds’ best starter in the month of May.
 
Travis Wood almost threw a no-hitter against the defending NL champs in his third major league start. Incredible!
 
It’s hard to believe that Aaron Harang was the opening day starter back in the beginning of April. Sad to think that he won’t even make the 25-man playoff roster, but that’s another testament to how spectacular the pitching has been.
 
The beauty of the Reds is in their bench. Cabrera got hurt, Paul Janish stepped up, and the team didn’t miss a beat. Ditto with Chris Heisey.
 
The two-headed RH combo at catcher has kept both players fresh. Ramon Hernandez has hovered around .300 all season while playing stellar defense. When Hernandez gets hurt or Bronson Arroyo is starting, Ryan Hannigan steps in and puts up similar numbers.
 
Then there is the $30 million phenom.
 
Aroldis Chapman exploded onto the scene in September and will be a Red for at least the next five seasons. He may not have contributed a whole lot to the ’10 club, but Chapman will be a vital component for the playoffs and beyond. He is spoiled with winning already.
 
Then there’s Dusty Baker, one of only two managers to win a division title for three different National League teams; he seemingly pulled all the right strings for his club. He stuck with youngsters Jay Bruce, Nick Massett, and Drew Stubbs. He never called out a player or had a blowup caught on camera.
 
Don’t forget owner Bob Castellini. He famously said, “We are here to bring winning baseball back to Cincinnati” back when he took over in 2006. It may have taken a few years, but he made good on his promise.
 
The lost decade is over.  Nine straight losing seasons is history. The Reds are legit once again and are relevant to the rest of the nation. Cincinnati really is a “baseball town,” and record setting attendance in August proves it.
 
The entire 2010 Cincinnati Reds organization deserves credit.
 
It took a total team effort by everybody from the front office brass to the ball boy: The long-term vision from the top, the guts of the manger, the focus and superb talent of the players. Put it all together and you have one scrappy bunch of winners.
 
Congrats Reds, you did it.

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“It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” Who said that? Was it Yogi Berra?

There is so much truth in those six words.

Ask Mike Weaver who knocked out Heavyweight champion John Tate (may he rest in peace) with seconds to go in the fight after trailing badly on all score cards.

Ask the 1993 Houston Oilers who led the Buffalo Bills 35-3 early in the second half, only to lose 41-38 in overtime.

Ask Doc Holiday whose Marshall Thundering Herd was set to beat cross-state rival West Virginia for the first time. That game was just last week as Marshall led the Mountaineers 21-6 at the start of the fourth quarter only to lose 24-21 in overtime.

And lastly yet more to the point, ask the Philadelphia Phillies “Phaithfull” about the 1964 season (make sure you’re out of punching reach).

The Phillies were leading the NL race (there were no divisions back then) by 6.5 games with only 12 to go. You know the rest, don’t you? The Phillies went into a tailspin and lost 10 consecutive games to find themselves in third place behind the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds.

I say all of that to say this: I can’t stand for people to presume that the NL Central is locked up, and the Reds have the banner.

I especially don’t like to hear it from respected Reds’ TV announcer Chris Welsh (the crafty left-hander). I like Welsh and he is my favorite Reds’ announcer, but I am afraid he will jinx the club.

On at least two occasions, he has said that the Reds will win the division, and the fans shouldn’t worry about it. They should, he said, be looking at who they will be playing in the playoffs.

I am a Reds fan, and I don’t mind being called a homer. That is what I am, but I am also a realist. Anything can happen in the next 15 games.

Currently, the Reds are seven games ahead of the Cardinals. Yesterday, they were eight games up, but they lost to the floundering Arizona Diamondbacks while the Cardinals knocked the San Diego Padres out of first place.

Let’s look at the remainder of the schedule. They start a three-game set tonight with the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. The only good thing about going to Houston is that Lance Berkman is no longer there.

Following the series with the Astros, the Reds travel north to play three against the Milwaukee Brewers. That series will be no picnic my friends. The Brewers are out of the race, but they would love nothing better than to spoil the fun for the Reds.

They will wrap up the road trip with another visit to the left coast in a three-game matchup with the playoff hopeful San Diego Padres.

They will then return home for three against the Astros and end the season with three games against the Brewers.

Sounds like a piece of cake right?

If they win more than they lose they should be fine. If they happen to have less than a four-game lead when they head to California, may God have mercy on their souls.

If Dusty Baker keeps trotting Francisco Cordero out to the mound to protect a lead, some bad things are going to happen. He blew two out of three against the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend and was on his way to blowing the third game against the Diamondbacks when Jay Bruce robbed Adam LaRoche of a game-tying home run.

So Reds fans, strap in and hold on, because it is going to be a wild ride to the end. I think we will win, but I am only cautiously optimistic.

If they blow it I hold, Chris Welsh personally responsible.

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By the grace of God, the Reds won the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, instead of losing it 2-1.

Out of 16 pitchers on the roster, is Coco Cordero the only one who can be entrusted to close a game?

 If so, we should just hand the Central Division trophy over to the Cardinals right now.

I had been griping about his performances until recently, as it appeared he had straightened himself out. He just blew two save opportunities over the weekend series with the Pirates. He was rescued from the first one thanks to Chris Heisey and Joey Votto, but not the second.

The scene Sunday was as familiar as a recurring nightmare. Cordero has loaded the bases, by walking the first batter and then sandwiching three singles between two outs.

That set the classic stage for calamity. One of their better hitters, Andrew McCutchen steps in with the opportunity to be a hero or a goat. He doubled to deep left field and cleared the bases, essentially winning the game.

If Dusty Baker is going to keep trotting Cordero out to the mound in the ninth inning to protect a lead, he should have him on a one-batter leash. In other words he should be hooked after he allows the first base-runner.

Cordero is streaky. By that I mean when he is not on, he gives up hit after walk after hit, ad nauseum.

With 19 games left, the Reds can ill afford a tailspin. With as many relievers as Baker has available, he should always have a fresh arm ready that can get one or two outs without catastrophe.

I have cringed all year long when he enters the game in a “save” situation. He trails only National’s reliever Tyler Clippard in blown saves this season.

Whenever you see a won-loss record for a closer, it is not good. In a perfect world a closer would have a 0-0 record with a decent ERA. Cordero is now 6-5 meaning that in 11 games he did not do what he was called upon to do.

Friday night Homer Bailey was pitching a spectacular game, giving the team seven strong innings, allowing just five hits and one run. He also struck out nine while not issuing any base on balls. He deserved a win, leaving the game with a 3-1 lead, but was saddled with a no-decision.

Sunday afternoon Johnny Cueto left the game with a three-hit shutout intact and a one run lead. I am sure by now that he had already kissed his win goodbye when he saw the Dominican head toward the mound.

How can a starting pitcher feel good about a guy who continually blows up and dismantles everything they had worked five to seven innings to accomplish?

Baker has the old philosophy that a person needs to get right back on the horse after he has been thrown off. Dusty please know this: a man cannot get back on the horse if he is dead. Stick a fork in Coco now. He is done!

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