The Reds' 2005 season is coming to a close with Jerry Narron playing out the role of interim manager, and though the organization has vowed not to make anything official until the end of the season, the team's performance under Narron leads many to believe that the Reds can just remove the “interim” tag and be done with it.

Bringing Narron on permanently may be the right conclusion, but the process of drawing that conclusion ought to be more sophisticated than glancing at the record and clubhouse and saying “yeah, I guess this will do.” The Reds need to perform a bona fide manager search with the intent of hiring a new manager, not of just going through the motions. It's the only way they can get the best possible candidate, show that they know better than to repeat their mistakes, and demonstrate that they hold their players and fans in some level of esteem.

The Best Candidate
Jerry Narron has a lot of strong qualities as a manager:

• His Play the Game Right; Play the Game Hard motto focuses attention on the fundamentals, which are bound to be an area of weakness on a team so gifted that it could easily slip into coasting on sheer talent.
• He has nearly eliminated the communications blunders that were the hallmark of Miley's 2005 campaign. When reporters ask how a player is doing, they don't get answers like, “he looks OK from what I've seen,” or “why don't you ask him?” from Narron. Narron at least gives the impression of being in touch.
• These days, no one questions whether the GM is secretly calling the shots in the on-field play. Narron is “O'Brien's man,” another positive for him, at least as long as O'Brien is around.

On the other hand, motivation is an important area where I don't see Narron doing a whole lot. The Play The Game mantra tells players what to do, but not why to do it. For the moment, at least, every man seems to be finding his own reasons to play hard, but that's a tenuous position to be in with so many young players. A stronger candidate will have a concrete plan for how to prevent the Reds' wide-eyed rookies from turning into sullen D'Angelos.

Not Making the Same Mistake Twice
Dave Miley and Jerry Narron are vastly different. Their personalities, demeanors, and approaches to the game are miles apart. But, if next June we're looking at our third interim coach in four years, they're suddenly going to look a whole lot alike.

I was not the only one who approved of bringing on Miley. He was a loyal organizational guy who had earned a chance. Bringing on Narron might also be the right thing to do. It's not his fault that the last guy in similar circumstances didn't work out, and he shouldn't be summarily eliminated from the search process because of it.

But the Reds need to prepare themselves for how stupid they'll look if they go down this path and it doesn't work out again. They'd better be darn sure that Narron is the right answer before they give him the job, lest they perpetrate the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Because You're Worth It
Maybe the most important reason why the Reds need to consider someone new in an all-out manager search is because of the message it would send to the players and to the fans.

To draw a metaphor, let's say you had a child that you thought was a no-good, lazy layabout who would never amount to anything. You wouldn't much care what college he went to, because you'd think he was just going to drop out or waste his degree anyway. If you had to send him to college, you'd pick the cheapest, easiest option available.

On the other hand, if you had a golden child, whom you were proud of and believed could do anything he set his mind to, then you'd pull out all the stops to provide him the best opportunities. You would do everything in your power to help him meet his potential.

In most cases, one of these children is going to perform better than the other, regardless of his actual level of talent, intelligence, and skill.

Narron might be the best option. But he is also the easiest and probably among the cheapest. If the Reds hand the job over to him, they're going to need a media blitz about why he is far and away the best candidate, or else they're going a long way to demonstrate to the team and to the fans that they don't believe their team deserves anything better.

Conclusion: Searching for Legitimacy
For the last few years, the story of the Reds has been one of wasted talent and unfulfilled expectations. The organization has taken steps; some have worked and some have exploded like a spectacular flaming doo-doo bomb. One of the steps that has worked in the short-term has been the management tenure of Jerry Narron, but that doesn't automatically make Narron a long-term solution. The Reds cannot skimp on the manager search if they want to avoid stepping in it for a change.

Sean Casey was rushed to the hospital last night after his face came out on the losing side of a conflict with Humberto Cota's elbow. Casey was diagnosed with a grade 2 concussion and released. Here's a definition of a grade 2 concussion, according to NeurosurgeryToday.org:

A Grade 2 concussion involves loss of consciousness for less than five minutes or a period of post-traumatic amnesia that lasts more than 30 minutes but less than 24 hours.

The site also offers some advice for athletes sustaining such a condition:

Following a Grade 2 concussion, an athlete may return to competition in a week if he or she feels no symptoms either during rest or exertion. After a second Grade 2 concussion, return to play should be deferred for at least a month and termination of the season should be considered.

Casey certainly has at least one other concussion, the first one appearing in a Google search for “Sean Casey concussion” being from 2002 when a pitch to the head took him down for the count. The Reds medical staff will make their own determination, of course, but it's a very real possibility that Casey is done for 2005.

And if that happens, you know what that means: no hope of securing the Reds' record for double plays. Truly a shame.

Get well soon, Case.

The mysterious “personal matter” that caused Austin Kearns to miss a couple games in Chicago this week to travel to Lexington was finally unveiled this afternoon in Marc Lancaster's blog, as was another happy addition:

Austin Kearns will be back with the team tonight as the proud father of Aubrey Ryan Kearns, born Tuesday in Lexington. New mother Abby is reportedly doing fine.

Aubrey's arrival came a day after Reds trainer Mark Mann welcomed son Miller Marc Mann into the world in Cincinnati. Can't wait to congratulate Mark and Michele on their wise choice in spelling.

Congratulations to both families from RHM.

So, I guess this means that I have to stop portraying Kearns as a flakey, happy-go-lucky, overgrown frat boy in my fake news about him. He's going to be all mature and responsible now, right? Right?

When Javier Valentín began his mammoth production at the end of May, people were glad to see the little guy have a few good games. But soon he'd be back to his career norms.

A few weeks later, his continued performance was a great boon for the Reds, but it was just an aberration. He would soon regress to his career norms.

Now that the season has just 17 games remaining, Javy has had a career year. But does anyone think it can last? Next season, will he return to his career norms?

I hate career norms. To be more specific, I hate using them to judge players who are still actively in the process of creating their career norms. For players of baseball, just like for players of life, defining their contribution is a journey, not a destination. And just because many people choose to linger on the same few roads through the course of their journey doesn't mean that the trip can take you only to places that you've already been.

Especially in Valentín's case. This round little 29-year old cannot attribute his recent success to youthful athleticism, for he is neither particularly young nor particularly athletic. It's not God-given talent that's he's been demonstrating all along. The off-season didn't see him pumping up, slimming down, or getting laser eye surgery.

No, Javy's improvements can only be attributed to his mind. Something he has learned this year has brought his offensive play into stunning focus. And that's supported by the quotes about plate discipline and confidence that he's been providing the media these last few months. Valentín is suddenly “seeing the ball,” but it doesn't have anything to do with his eyes. It's his brain that suddenly knows what to do when faced with a pitch.

This isn't the first time you've heard this story: something clicks for a player in his late 20s or early 30s that catapults him from merely “adequate” up into the ranks of “good.” Had he figured it out 10 years earlier, maybe he could have been a star, but instead he plays out his career in relative obscurity, a solid contributor and -- yes -- a veteran presence.

Not to say that it's impossible that Javy will forget what he's learned this year. The off-season is long and the opportunities to slip into mediocrity are many. Spring training 2006 could see the Latin Love Machine playing out his 2003 numbers.

But I, as usual, am more hopeful than that. I have approved of what I've seen of and heard from Valentín this season. He seems to have his head in the right place, and his head is what's important for keeping him in this realm of reliability. If Javy can keep his wits, there's no saying where his journey could take him next.

The Need by Raquel Aurilia
Pre-Shrunk Music/Epdog Music
http://www.raquelaurilia.com

The lucky first 300 fans to line up at the Reds Community Fund booth before Saturday's game had the opportunity to walk away with a CD single in exchange for a donation of $5 or more.

The single features the lovely Raquel Aurilia, wife of Cincinnati Reds' infielder Rich Aurilia, singing The Need, a track from her debut album, Finding My Way. Money collected for the CDs was donated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

The Need is a sweet, simple ballad that has many of the attributes of pallatable Christian contemporary cross-over hits. Its we-all-need-God theme is discernable but not overbearing. The accompaniment and background vocals are vaguely churchy, but the fun, relaxed church where the pastor wears jeans and the youth group performs comedy skits about spreading the good news. And, most importantly, it features a sexy but wholesome performer.

Looking at Aurilia's website, I was surprised to find that the entire album does not appear to share the spiritual focus of this single. I'll know for sure when I get my copy, hopefully in the next few days. Look for my impressions on that in the coming weeks.

If you just can't wait that long, the album is available at Amazon.com, CDBaby.com, and Target.com, linked from the website above.

Chicago, IL -- The Chicago Cubs announced an endorcement deal with SC Johnson today to introduce a new club mascot, the Scrubby Bubble.

The Scrubby Bubble is a large soap bubble sporting a blue Cubs baseball cap. Scrubby will make several appearances at Wrigley Field periodically throughought the season to entertain fans and raise awareness about the importance of a clean bathroom.

Scrubby will have several catch phrases, such as:

• “Keep your bathroom sparkling as much as your playoff hopes!”
• “The scrubbing bubbles can clean away anything, even a curse!”

And, for the inevitable point in the season when all hope is gone:

• “You don't want to have germs in your bathroom when your team is in the toilet!”

Scrubby's first appearance is tentatively scheduled for October 4, but experts agree that no one's likely to be at Wrigley Field then.

A few thank yous to send out to you, my posse:

• Thanks to everyone for dropping by today. It's been great to meet you all. Don't be a stranger.
• Thanks to all the people who've sent people my way by linking and emailing to the posters. The world is a little less motivated thanks to your efforts.
• btezra's comments over at Reds and Blues remind me to thank the great men and women who took the photos in the previously mentioned posters and made them available online. We really appreciate your contribution. If you are the owner of one of said photos and would like your proper attribution, please drop me a line, and I'll get you a specific thank you above and beyond this blanket thank you that I am in the course of giving right now.
• Thanks to Bellyscratcher for agreeing to come over tonight and make fun of the Cubs online while we watch the game. Feel free to stop by if you'd like to poke Dempster in the eye for ceasing to suck as soon as he left the Reds.

Speaking of, I'd better get things ready around here. Smack-talking fake news on the Cubs coming up next.

Joel gets something like ten times the traffic that I do. Therefore, I’m guessing that most people reading this right now are already up to speed on the back story of the posters, and the rest of you will probably be on your way over there shortly, so I’ll just get right down to it.

All photographs copyright of their respective owners. Their respective owners also get a great big thank you from Red Hot Mama for taking such lovely photos and making them available online. If you are the owner of one of these photographs, drop me a line and I will make sure you get proper attribution.

Don’t see your favorite team? It’s probably over at Reds and Blues.

PS: If Reds and Blues won’t load for you, check out the remaining posters at the GARB.

Cincinnati Reds

Milwaukee Brewers

St. Louis Cardinals

Atlanta Braves

Philadelphia Phillies

Arizona Diamondbacks

San Diego Padres

San Francisco Giants

Baltimore Orioles

New York Yankees

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Detroit Tigers

Minnesota Twins

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Seattle Mariners

It was a tough battle, fought ferociously, but the Pirates emerged the winners in the Fight For Last Place by losing two of the three game series this weekend. Not that the Pirates were in any real danger of losing the title, but the Reds were in a position to make a real statement about their suckitude if they were swept by the only team in their division with a worse record.

I was lucky enough to see the final game of the series, live and in person, this afternoon as part of my annual Big Anniversary Trip.

I thought the Reds might have a real chance to prove themselves worse than the Pirates when they were being shut out through six innings, but Jason LaRue spoiled that when he provided the one home run I would see over the course of my two-game visit. Soon, the Reds were up 3-5, which is the score at which the game would end.

This battle is won, but the war is not over. The Reds will be visiting Pittsburgh next weekend after a stop through Chicago to take part in the Battle For Biggest Unrealized Expectations.

Go Reds!

The first game of the Big Anniversary Trip is in the books, and so far so good.

We checked into the hotel at 3 p.m., and had a little while to wait before the game started at 7:10. Soon we were bored, and decided to head over to the park early. The gates opened as we walked up to them, so we wandered the park, in eager anticipation of the thrill of the game, the energy of the crowd, and mostly the availability of the Raquel Aurilia CD single.

We wandered the park, not exactly sure where to go because we'd neglected to write down the location of where the CD would be sold, and did our best to avoid the guys trying to get us to sign up for credit cards in exchange for towels and t-shirts. We circled the main concourse a few times, and finally, on our third pass of the Reds Community Fund booth, we spied several women donning their husbands' jerseys.

I stood and watched for a while as Raquel herself was passing out the CDs. She was even making change from her own wallet. After I felt like I'd soaked enough in, I got my own copy and got on my way. On our way out to our seats, we got this picture of Gina Cruz standing in line to buy a hot dog. I feel like the freaking paparazzi over here.

Finally we found our seats. We were in the bleachers because it was cheap bleacher seat nights, and we just cannot pass up a great deal. We were in the first row of bleachers, and we were the ONLY people in our row for the longest time, so when Ryan Freel kept looking up at us, I was feeling very conspicuous. I didn't realize until later that we were sitting directly behind the board with the pitch count and speed. Duh.

The seats were uncomfortable, but it was all good since we were being treated to a the utterly unexpected complete game by Ramon Ortiz. But then, about halfway through the game, a guy showed up in the section to our left and felt the need to scream “we need a hit!” for every single Reds hitter, despite the fact that the Reds were up 6-2 by then. Of course, I felt the need to mutter to Jon “I hate that guy” every time he said it, so I was actually probably not the most annoyed person in our row.

We headed over to the Gameday Sports Cafe after the game to have a beer. There was a bachelorette party going on there, which seems like a strange location to me. Among all the televisions around showing various games there was a screen where they were projecting some slides of their own advertisements. One of the slides showed some random guy with his arm around Freel, with a caption that said “You never know who you'll see at the Gameday Sports Cafe.” Which prompted the question in my mind: what in the hell is Freel doing having his picture taken at a bar? I would think he'd be staying far, far away from any public drinking establishments, at least for the rest of the season.

Tomorrow we'll see Brandon Claussen take the mound. It'd be fantastic to see another complete game. Or at least another win. Or just to avoid the “We need a hit!” guy.

Go Reds.