Amazing how you can wonder what on earth you’ll talk about before you start the podcast only to suddenly find yourself wrapping up 30 minutes later. There’s some fluff in there, but the meat of the Reds conversation is about trade rumors, trade possibilities, and the trade scenarios under which general manager Wayne Krivsky should be fired.

Episode 68: Trade Rumors (20.5MB, 29:53)

After yesterday's heroic extra-innings RBI by our favorite little catcher, Javier Valentín, I noticed that he was sporting even stubble across his face. Tonight I notice that he's shaved the beardy part is is back to just the signature 'stache.

And while I was writing that, Chris Welsh, in describing said heroic extra-innings RBI, uttered the phrase “They were pounding Javy with love last night.”

I thought you'd want to know.

There's some good stuff in the Notes on Reds.com today:

CINCINNATI -- Although it was unknown when he'd return to the lineup, shortstop Alex Gonzalez made an appearance in the Reds clubhouse early on Tuesday afternoon and worked out on his own.

Gonzalez has not played since he went on the bereavement list July 14 to be with his hospitalized 10-month old son, Johan, in Cincinnati while the team was in New York. He's been on the restricted list since his maximum seven-day leave ran out Saturday.
…
Gonzalez had already left the ballpark before the media was permitted inside the clubhouse. The nature of Johan Gonzalez's illness and his condition has not been revealed, even to teammates.

“He did not tell me exactly what the baby had,” Reds infielder Juan Castro said. “The only thing he told me was he thought the baby was reacting a little better, which I think is a good sign.

I'm so glad to hear that the baby is doing better. I only had one infant, and the terror that comes with the sorely inadequate control you have over that child's health was enough. And nothing much ever even happened to my kid: a broken finger, a night spent in the oxygen tent, and countless nights' sleep interrupted by croup and dream pain.

Needless to say, the Red Hot Mama household s still pulling for the little guy.

In less scary news:

Not swinging: Outfielder Josh Hamilton (sprained right wrist) has yet to swing a bat since he went on the 15-day disabled list coming out of the All-Star break. Hamilton is continuing to rehabilitate and will be re-examined by hand specialist Dr. Andrew Markiewitz on Thursday or Friday.

Sigh. I miss Hamilton.

Yes, please:

Headed for surgery? Castro is weighing his options trying to decide whether to have season-ending right elbow surgery to repair a partially torn ligament. The infielder threw again on Tuesday a day after feeling soreness trying to throw from the shortstop during a Monday workout.

From the Doesn't Seem To Be Much Point Now Department:

Wait and see: On the heels of Monday's 30-pitch bullpen session, reliever Eddie Guardado threw 30 pitches against hitters in live batting practice on Tuesday.

The Reds have had the MDX Reds Crew for a while now, but these cheerleaders are really just a dance troupe in stirrup socks. I'd like to seem them expand beyond their dance routines and actually lead some cheers, ideally cheers that are specific to particular players.

Here are some ideas to help get them started:

When Homer Bailey takes the mound
HBP, ball, balk,
They can't strike out if they take a walk,

Throw some strikes! Yay!

When Mike Stanton takes over
S-T-A-N-T-O-N is
causing Reds fans grief
S-T-A-N-T-O-N is
not how to spell “relief”

Consider retirement! Woo!

When Adam Dunn comes to the plate
Strike out, slow run, never climb the wall
We don't care
That sacs are rare
Because we dig your long ball!

Hit it hard!

For Brandon Phillips
Hey hey hey hey,

Stay awesome!

Directly to Wayne Krivsky in the stands
Kriv-dawg, Kriv-dawg
Deals need to be made
Kriv-dawg, Kriv-dawg
Just don't repeat The Trade!

Don't get screwed!

Going into tonight's game, the Reds were tied with Houston for fifth. Houston's off tonight, so the Reds' win put them up by a half game. Yay!

But more than that, they're tied with Pittsburgh for fourth by number of games back, but since they've played more games, they're actually ahead of the Pirates if you count it that way. Yippee!

Who wishes they'd changed management earlier??

From The Enquirer:

NO GEORGE: George Grande will not call games for FSN Ohio during the Florida series and possibly the Milwaukee series that follows.

He's in Connecticut, attending to his mother, who is ill.

Michael Reghi will fill in. Reghi has done nine years of major-league play-by-play and has done Cleveland Cavaliers games on FSN for 13 years.

Three things come immediately to mind, pretty much simultaneously:

1. I hope that George's mother is doing better soon. We here at RHM are on double-positive-vibe duty, sending them both to Connecticut as well as toward Alex Gonzalez's family in Florida.
2. They had to bring in someone else to fill in for George?? They know they hired about 1,500 broadcasters for various media this season, right?
3. Wait a minute, haven't I mentioned George Grande's mother before? Yep, I sure did. In April of 2005, she had just turned 99 years old, which would make her now--hold on while I get my abacus--101. Dang, that's even longer than the Cubs losing streak.

The Reds put on a display of stamina last night when they hung in there to beat the Braves in a game and two-thirds by a score of 5-4.

I pretty much dread writing game wraps for extra innings games due to, ya know, the longness, but the Crack Technical Staff specially requested that I put up something for this one, “just because you can,” he said. The line-score tool that he put together for me allows me to put in information for up to16 innings, and he wanted me to actually try out those poor, neglected spaces for innings 10-15.

So there's your line score for ya. For the rest of this, I'm going to do the bullet thing:

• Brandon Phillips asked for the day off, as if he somehow knew that he'd need to be available to play the final six innings (after the first eight). Is Phillips psychic? A prophet? A soothsayer? Highest jumping soothsayer I ever saw.
• The Reds turned four double-plays. And one of them was that crazy five-infielder maneuver where they brought Ryan Freel out of center to stand on second base. Can you believe that worked?! I remember one time when someone--the Cardinals maybe--tried to pull that crap with Barry Larkin coming to the plate, and he just lobbed one into center field. That's totally what I thought we'd see again.
• Norris Hopper has gotten himself a signature move with that bunting for a hit he loves so much. I remember Larkin doing that, too.
• Adam Dunn had a home run to score the two runs that kept the game going into extras, but perhaps the bigger story is Aaron Harang's double. OK, probably not a bigger story, but certainly more surprising.

I thought Mike Stanton was going to blow it when he came in in the eighth, but he struck out the side. Then David Weathers blew the save. What the heck?

• I really enjoyed the series with the Braves for some reason. I'm hope the visit to Florida is just as fun.

The win brings the Reds record to 40-55 and their winning streak to three. Tonight they face off against the Marlins at 7:05 p.m. Matt Belisle goes up against Sergio Mitre.

If you're the variety of person who think that FarmersOnly.com would be a good way to meet a nice feller or filly, you may also be interested in checking out Blue-Collar Baseball. The profile of the author explains:

Obviously, I am a HUGE baseball fan. I am also the son of a West Virginia coal miner and I value people that work hard at what they do. I like players and teams that “grind it out” and play the game “the right way”. Primarily I am a Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds fan. As a Pirate fan, I long for the Leyland days and have begun to develop a love for the Detroit Tigers since the beginning of the 2006 season. I am a student and teacher of Geography and I am actively studying St. Louis Cardinals.

I'm not sure that “Geography Teacher” counts as a blue-collar profession, but it does seem to allow for easier readability than if an actual coal miner or something were writing it.

In my last day at home before getting back to the grind, I couldn't ask for better daytime entertainment than a good Reds' game. And since they're playing the Braves, I get to watch on TBS. Woo-hoo!

Aaron Harang goes up against John Smoltz this afternoon. Smoltz is a big name with a big history, but he's fresh off the DL.

Here's the line-ups. Thanks C. Trent!

Reds
Norris Hopper CF
Jeff Keppinger 2B
Ken Griffey, Jr. RF
Adam Dunn LF
Scott Hatteberg 1B
Edwin Encarnación 3B
David Ross C
Pedro Lopez SS
Aaron Harang P

Braves
Harris lf
Renteria ss
CJones 3b
AJones cf
McCann c
Francoeur rf
Johnson 2b
Saltalamacchia 1b
Smoltz p

Staff Writer Todd Zolecki of The Philadelphia Inquirer suggests the Phillies bringing on Kyle Lohse to fortify their rotation:

But the Phillies don't seem to have enough pieces to land somebody such as Dontrelle Willis or Matt Morris. (It would be incorrect to assume that free-agent-to-be Aaron Rowand would be enough to land a pitcher like that.)

Kyle Lohse, anybody?

Lohse, who will be a free agent after the season, is with the Cincinnati Reds. He is 5-11 with a 4.68 ERA, which would make him the No. 4 starter on this staff.

“It depends on the starter,” Gillick said. “I don't know if there are any impact pitchers out there. But I'd say it'd be questionable if we had enough to get an impact pitcher. We hope to find somebody to do a credible job in the rotation, but we don't have a lot of those bullets to use.”

Gillick has two more weeks to try.

Interesting. I would hope that Krivsky would have some solid ideas about what to get in return. As entertaining as I would find a fight between the Phanatic and Gapper, it wouldn't be enough in exchange for our third starter. No, cheesesteaks wouldn't be enough either.