1) Chris Dickerson
2) Norris Hopper
3) Johnny Gomes
4) Lance Nix
5) Platoon Gomes/Nix
6) Trade for someone else
7) Adam Dunn

(you can eliminate Dunn and Hopper if that is too many choices)

Another good one:

Who should be the starting shortstop

1) Alex Gonzalez
2) Jeff Keppinger
3) Jerry Hairston Jr.
4) Adam Rosales
5) Paul Janish

“I ain’t no front runner” — when questioned about starting hot-hitting Nix over slumping Dickerson.

“Where would he play?” — on bringing up uber-hot Adam Rosales when 3/4 of the infield were struggling mightily. He added that Adam needs to learn to “slow down the game” as further reason why he needs to stay down in Louisville. As soon as Rosales was promoted and Nix began starting more often the team went on a huge winning streak and found themselves tied for first place (albeit very briefly).

Adam Dunn could not say enough nice things about Roy Oswalt when he was a Red. He was way too submissive.

Bailey has already gotten a change of scenery – he’s been optioned to Louisville. Volquez is expected to be ready for his next scheduled start.

Wilkin Castillo, a guy who can play almost anywhere on the field (in the minors he’s played C, 2B, SS, 3B, LF, and RF) has been called up to the Reds. That’s no surprise, since 3/4 of the Reds’ starting infielders are either already on the DL (Encarnacion), or have one foot in the doctor’s office and the other foot on a banana peel (Votto, Phillips). Besides, he gives the Reds that all-important third catcher they’ve been missing lately.

Despite the lengthy medical report, the Reds overcame a rain delay and a homer by regular nemesis Lance Berkman to take an 8-5 decision over the Astros today, largely because the Reds played defense and the Astros didn’t. All eight Reds runs were unearned, the result of two fielding errors by Miguel Tejada and a pickoff throw by Humberto Quintero that went off Jerry Hairston’s foot and into a camera well.

This was the kind of game that the Reds would have been on the losing end of not so very long ago, and it’s a lot more fun being a Reds fan when they’re winning these games instead. Now if they can only just finally smack Roy Oswalt around tomorrow. Then B-Yo can mow ‘em down on Wednesday and we can break out the brooms again!

As far as Baker goes, there’s only been one thing he’s done this year that I really didn’t like…and even that was actually something he didn’t do. In that 16-inning game against the Padres, he changed pitchers twice in the eighth inning and didn’t double switch.

The pitcher’s slot came up in the ninth. That burned Danny Herrera, who only faced one batter. Herrera struck out Giles and that was it, only one batter faced by the long reliever in a 16-inning game. But if that’s the worst thing I can find about Dusty for me to gripe about, that’s fine with me. By this time a couple years ago, I already had enough gripes about Jerry Narron to fill an encyclopedia.

Hope the Red Hot Family, and everyone else out there, has had a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend!