Recent developments, rumors or opinions on the Cincinnati Reds
No Off Switch -- Aaron Harang just doesn't seem to get the Reds' strategy of letting the Louisville rotation take the ball as the season winds down. What is this guy thinking with a 2 hit complete game shutout on a Wednesday night in late August? Harang improved to 14-3 for a team hovering about 10 games under .500. In his first 100 MLB innings, pitched with the statmeister A's, Harang had a cumulative ERA of about 5.00. Now he's working on his third straight full season of under 3.85.
30 x 30 -- Okay, maybe A-Rod isn't the only major leaguer poised to join the exclusive single season 30 homer and 30 steal club this year. Don't look far Indians fans, because down by the river former Cleveburgher Brandon Phillips is having a career year sitting at 26 homers and 25 steals with 29 games remaining. He'd join Barry Larkin and Marge Schott's favorite, Eric Davis, as the only Reds with membership cards. Phillips totalled 6 homers and 4 steals in 4 years with the Indians.
Keeping Keppinger -- The Reds appear poised to continue significant playing time for the sizzling phenom that is Jeff Keppinger, even when Alex Gonzalez has now returned to action. We all expected this, right? With his most major league at bats ever, Keppinger is hitting .359. Throw in 15 walks and he has a .426 OBA, which is all stat geeks care about anyway. By contrast, OBA monsters Adam Dunn and Scott Hatteberg are at .374 and .395 respectively.
Can-do? -- With Jeff Conine dealt away, the Reds recalled former prospect now project Jorge Cantu from Louisville, and promptly inserted him at first base. In 2005 for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays Cantu hit .286 with 28 home runs and 117 RBIs. He also had 21 errors at second and third base, but who's counting? Cantu's initial success could bode well for next year, though.
Arriba Arroyo, Winning Wakefield! -- Bronson Arroyo, whose name in Spanish actually means "washed out downward water gulley" (truth), has won two in row, improving now to 7-13. In contrast, his soft-tossing former teammate and still Beantowner, Tim Wakefield, has thrown 16 victories, and has pitched to a decision in all 26 starts. Language specialists could not confirm that Wakefield's name has anything to do with a 45 mph unhittable knuckleball.
Red Storm -- Behind the pitching of Aaron Harang and other stalwarts such as rookie and 12 year minor leaguer Tom Shearn (who is staying in the rotation), the Reds are holding on at around 7 games out of first place as the pennant stretch nears. It's not the games back that merits attention, though, but the number of teams ahead of them in the division -- three. There won't be much breath holding in the Queen City, unfortunately . . .