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.