I have one word for you, WOW!!!!

That is pretty much the consensus amongst the 30,000 combined fans that piled into Great American Ballpark the last two days. The gifted few were able to witness the MLB debut of Aroldis Chapman, and the Cuban Missile didn’t disappoint.

Twenty pitches, six outs, three strikeouts and his first victory. His stuff was simply electric and dominating as he touched triple digits 11 times in those 20 pitches. In addition to the 100 mph heater, Chapman dropped a couple breaking pitches off the table in the mid-80’s. The bottom of the Brewers lineup didn’t stand a chance. The three batters that were able to put the ball in play, didn’t get the ball past the infield dirt.

“We’ve got the baseball Usain Bolt,” said fellow pitcher Bronson Arroyo.

After two outings, the results and the reviews are scentilating and after watching in person, I definitely agree. However, I would like to give manager Dusty Baker props to in his timing. Both times Chapman entered the game, he pitched to the lower end of the Milwaukee lineup. On Tuesday, he faced the seventh, eighth and ninth hitters and faced the sixth, seventh, and eight hitters on Wednesday.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe that he has the ability to navigate the middle of any lineup and I can’t wait until we see it this weekend against the Cardinals. But, it was definitely a shrewd move allowing him to get his feet wet against the likes of Jonathan Lucroy and Craig Counsell, instead of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder.

DISAPPOINTING GATE RETURN: The first-place Cincinnati Reds played its recent three-game series in front of 50,219 fans total. Even with the news of the Aroldis Chapman debut and a surging team that has won four straight and eight of its last nine, no game had more than 20,000 fans. Yes, I understand that school has started, but still, this team is in first place and headed for their first playoff appea... [Read More]

The Cincinnati Bengals have been making a lot of news lately, and none of it has to do with their on-field performances.

For the second day in a row, the agent of a recently released player has taken a jab at the Bengals’ medical staff. David Kanter, the agent for Rashad Jeanty, claims the Bengals are the reason he failed his physical.

“It’s tremendously disappointing on the way this has been handled,” Canter said. “We don’t see how the Cincinnati Bengals can do this without any inclination that this was even a possibility. It’s a tad shocking how he was released and was done in a disheartening, callous and unfair manner. The only reason why he isn’t healthy and wasn’t able to pass the physical is because they failed to fully diagnose and mistreated the injury.”

Jeanty fractured his left fibula on the opening kickoff of Cincinnati’s playoff loss to the Jets. According to Kanter, the team’s medical staff told Jeanty surgery wasn’t need. The restricted free agent visited the Miami Dolphins, a trip highlighted by a failed physical and a revalation from the Dolphins medical staff that significant ankle surgery was needed to stabilize the ankle.

This comes on the heels of Antonio Bryant, who was released Sunday, threatening legal action. Agent Lamont Smith is contemplating filing an injury grievance on behalf of his client. Bryant, who signed a four-year, $28 million contract in March, was only able to participate in the first practice of training camp before shutting it down.

In addition to the potential grievance by Bryant, the Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting that released center Jonathan Luigs may be filing a grievance of his own.

This begs the question, what is going on with the Bengals medical staff? It seems like the list of players not participating in practice is growing throughout training camp, and there are three players this year taking shots at them.

It’s no... [Read More]

It seems like every time I take a stance on the Reds, they do the exact opposite. First, I got down on Dusty Baker for not putting enough into the Cardinals series, and then the Redlegs promptly win five of the next six. OK, so maybe Dusty knows what he is doing, then Reds go to San Francisco and get waxed in the first two games.

Despite all this, I am not jumping off the bandwagon. When this trip started, a winning road trip was the highest expectation I had because of Cincinnati’s lack of success on the Left Coast. In addition, it was the hope that they stayed within striking distance of the Central Division lead.

The end of this trip has been disastrous to say the least. It appeared as though newcomer Jim Edmonds will be lost for a good part of the rest of the season, and the starting pitching has been awful. First, Edinson Volquez fails to get out the first. Then Travis Wood – in his big league return – followed with another tough outing the next day.

To make matters worse, Mike Leake hasn’t taken to the bullpen experiment. In his two appearances, he has allowed eight runs in 2 2/3 innings. The Reds want to reduce his innings. How about cut his innings off? We have heard the reports of how well Aroldis Chapman has pitching in the Louisville bullpen, let’s see how he does under the bright lights.

But, regardless of what happens today in the final game of the three-game set with the Giants, the Reds will start the weekend in first place. Leave for the nine-game road trip trailing the Cardinals, come back ahead – couldn’t ask for a better trip.

WHAT TO DO WITH GOMES: The old adage is that the back of the baseball card doesn’t lie. For Reds outfielder Jonny Gomes, his card is starting to rear its ugly head. He is continuing to live off the excellent month of May in which he hit .364 with 22 RBI. He has 10 hits for all of August, three of which came in one game. Gomes has hit .188 in t... [Read More]

What a difference a week makes. Just last week on this space I compared Dusty Baker to John Cooper, basically blaming his unwillingness to put extra emphasis on the Cardinals series as the main reason the Reds were so flat and went from two games ahead to one game behind.

Well, look at them now. The Reds haven’t lost since the Cardinals left town and meanwhile St. Louis went 1-4 against the likes of the Cubs and the Brewers. Did the extra emphasis leave the Cardinals emotionally spent for the long haul? That is yet to be determined.

What we do know is the Reds are two games into a pivotal nine-game west coast swing and they have increased their lead to three games.

Despite not winning any of the game in the series, the Reds have down what they done all season – fight back. Cincinnati is third in the baseball in comeback victories and has responded in the face of adversity all season long.

In addition, Dusty Baker has been offered a contract extension, reportedly in the range of 2yrs/$7 million.

LEAKE TO BULLPEN: I am not sure what to think of the moving of rookie Mike Leake to the bullpen. He has struggled as of late, losing three of his last four starts. Although he was good in his last start, allowing three runs on six hits over six innings as the Reds defeated the Marlins. The Reds have said the move was an attempt to limit his innings. I for one am voting for a full shutdown.

NATIONAL MEDIA: You have to love when the national media takes shots at our locals. For the second time this season, ESPN’s Colin Cowherd has ruffled the feathers of tri-state fans. First it was him against the Bengals’ Chad OchoCinco, and now he is calling the Central-leading Reds “frauds”. Wow, such big talk for a radio hack that has probably watched two Reds games this season, if that.

There ... [Read More]

As I watched the Cincinnati/St. Louis series, the one thought that kept popping into my head was John Cooper. Yes Ohio State fans, that John Cooper.

I am sure a lot of people are asking, HUH!! How are you watching baseball, yet thinking about a former college football head coach.

Cooper never wanted to put extra emphasis on “The Game”. For him, Ohio State vs Michigan was just like any other game on the Buckeyes schedule, simply one of 11. Unfortunately, his charges seemed to play like that as well. He was 2-10-1 against the school up north, and despite his career record of 11-43-4, he was let go. One of the primary reasons for his dismissal was his dismal record against the Wolverines.

Enter Jim Tressel. He focused on beating Michigan from his very first public appearance as the head coach of the Buckeyes, and is 8-1 against the Wolverines, including five straight.

Now back to the Reds/Cardinals series. In the week leading up to the Cardinals series, Dusty Baker repeatedly said the three-game set was like any other series this season. Meanwhile, Tony LaRussa reset his rotation so his horses - Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia and Adam Wainwright - would face the Reds. Without saying a word, LaRussa spoke volumes about the importance of not only winning but sweeping the Reds and staking their claim as the best team in the Central.

One the better fielding teams in baseball, the Reds looking anything like it as they committed three errors in a game, and another miscue that could have easily been called an error. Other than the actual play, the Cardinals have been the most inspired team on the field. They have played harder and better, while Cincinnati has played like it’s any other series.

The result, St. Louis leaves town with a three-game sweep a... [Read More]

It’s time to once again take a stroll through the sports saturation brain of the CincySportsZone.com editor, and today there is a lot of stuff to digest. First off the Essence of the Editor will be going regionally syndicated starting in September, meaning this space will occasionally step out of its Cincinnati-dominated circle.

Now it’s time for the good stuff. As most of you have already heard, Terrell Owens has decided to join the Cincinnati Bengals for the 2010 season. With a brief viewing of the social networking sites such as twitter and facebook, most Bengals fans are enamored with the pairing of Chad OchoCinco and “OchoUno”. On the surface, signing Owens for just one year and $2 million seems to be a good signing for the men in stripes.

I believe this signing could be an indictment on a couple of things, the health of Antonio Bryant or the continued development of Jerome Simpson as Owens joining the fold could doom the chances of Simpson even making the roster.

Cincinnati chose to give Bryant a four-year, $28 million deal early in free agency over signing Owens, and now they will be bringing both into camp.

If Cincinnati decides to keep six receivers, you have to believe that four spots – Ochocinco, Owens, Bryant and Andre Caldwell – are about as close to locks as you have. A fifth spot is Jordan Shipley’s to be lost. Ironically, its two former Longhorns, Shipley and Quan Cosby, that will be battling for the fourth/fifth receiver and punt returner gig.

That leaves one receiving spot to be battled between Cosby, Simpson, Matt Jones and sixth round pick Dez Briscoe, who reportedly struggled with the injury bug himself during OTA’s and minicamp.

While the one-year deal seems to fit well with the 2010 Bengals, how will this affect the future Bengals teams as a young receiver may be let go to make room for Owens. But, we have seen rookie wideouts hit the National Football ... [Read More]

Forward Eric Taylor, who plays the game of basketball like an Energizer Bunny, showed the youngsters how it’s done on Saturday, July 24, with a 14-point, 10-rebound effort to help lead Western Hills Chick-fil-A to a blistering 88-70 blasting of SuperiorCars.com.

The score, while indicative of what went on as far as making baskets, did not really reveal what kind of thrashing Western Hills Chick-fil-A put on its opponents. Taylor, now a pro player at 6-7, was instrumental in much of the scoring, snaring key rebounds and feeding cutting players who made layup after layup. It was the kind of team effort reminiscent of the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs when they were slicing foes during their mini dynasty run in the last decade.

“I have to attribute my learning of fundamentals to George Jackson,” Taylor said after the game, directly crediting the former Withrow boys head coach and now University of Cincinnati men’s assistant coach. “He also taught me team basketball and team defense. He always said if your defense is strong, you’ll win any game.”

And winning is what Taylor, 33, has been doing his entire life. After leaving Withrow, he went on to become a star rebounder for St. Francis College (Pa.) of the Northeastern Conference, becoming the No. 2 rebounder in all of Division I (11.9 rpg) while leading the nation in total rebounds. He has spent the last four years playing in Germany for the Bayer Giants Leverkusen, Brose Baskets Bamberg and the Duesseldorf Giants.

Now a free agent looking for his next opportunity to showcase his solid fundamental skills, Taylor has played basketball all over the globe in locations including Poland, Puerto Rico, Argentina, France and in the NBA D-League (Fayetteville).

His favorite stop along the way? “I liked Puerto Rico the best,” he said. There were three games a week and his apartment was less than 1... [Read More]

AS THE FIRST PLACE Cincinnati Reds prepare to start the second half of the season, one can only ask with the slow-moving fans of Cincinnati finally step out and support this team in the turnstiles.

I understand the basic arguments of baseball is slow and boring, its too expensive, "I can get beer cheaper at a sports bar" and I can just watch on television. All of those MAY be true, but this team needs your support in person. The potential revenue not coming through the turnstiles could be potentially costing the Reds in the payroll department.

Currently, Cincinnati is 14th in the 16-team National League in attendance and 23rd overall with 22,850. In contrast, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Reds chief rival in the standings, are drawing 39,950 on the season and are fourth in baseball.

If the Reds averaged 15,000 more fans over the final 35 home dates, that is potentially another $7.9 million in revenue coming to Great American Ballpark. That figure is based on those extra fans buying the cheapest ticket available, the $14 view level seats. The fan wouldn't need to purchase a single $8 beer or visit the $1 menu. This extra funds are based solely on tickets, and need a remind you that there aren't 15,000 view level seats, so that total is probably more than $9 million in tickets.

I am sure general manager Walt Jocketty, who has a proven track record in term of acquiring talent, would do a commendable job with enhancing this roster with an extra $9 million.

So Reds fans, please show your support in person, visit GABP.

MORE ON THE REDS: What changes do you make to this teams. We already know that Edinson Volquez will be making his 2010 debut Saturday, probably in the place of Matt Maloney. This still leaves a rotation of Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Travis Wood and Mike Leake. However, Opening Day starter Aaron Harang along with Homer Bailey are sti... [Read More]