CINCINNATI, OH -- This is the true story of 40 baseball players, picked to play in an Ohio club and have their lives secretly taped, and find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real.

At least that's the word from an anonymous source close to the project. According to the source, the Fox Network and the Cincinnati Reds entered into an agreement before the 2005 season to covertly collect footage for a reality show to air this fall. The program was to be called The Making of a Winner and the producers were hopeful that it would be a natural segue program to premiere immediately after the World Series.

However, when the high hopes of spring training failed to translate to a winning season, the Reds looked elsewhere for the provacative interactions typical of reality television, and struck programming gold.

The new format, working title The New Biggest Loser, will feature secret footage taken of highly charged interpersonal situations orchestrated by the Reds management. Highlights include the heart-wrenching separation and jubilant reunion of Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns, the awkward interaction of D'Angelo Jimenez and Ryan Freel at AA Chattanooga, and the jettisoning and eventual decent into madness of Danny Graves.

The program will also feature Scooter, Fox Sports' animated baseball character, as the narrator.

The New Biggest Loser will premiere next month and will air on Wednesdays at 9 p.m.

Today we say farewell to Jason Romano, who elected free agency over accepting assignment to AAA Louisville.

And as we bid him well, we say goodbye to more than just an adequate backup; we also sad goodbye to a friend. And a smoking hottie.

Let's take just one more opportunity to enjoy the scenery, shall we?
So Pretty
Pretty AND Sweet

::contented sigh::

OK, that being said, the slot for hottest Red is again open. Watching the game tonight, I want to nominate Luke Hudson, but he actually looks quite a bit like Romano, and we might be ready to go a completely different direction. Wily Mo or Austin Kearns, for example, because these two must always be in competition.

I'm accepting nominations. Ought to be a fun contest to judge.

Here are some selected stats for Javier Valentín compared for the following two time periods:

• From the beginning of the 2005 season to 11:15 p.m., May 27, 2005
• From 11:15 p.m., May 27, 2005 to this very moment

What happened at 11:15 p.m. on May 27, 2005, you ask?

Why, that's the first time RHM published the phrase “Latin Love Machine” in an official post.

Just sayin'.

JAVY!

Demmit, Wily Mo: you get on in the eighth and he gets two grand slams.

It was a classic battle between the Reds' offense and pitching. The pitching struck first when Eric Milton allowed three runs in the fourth inning, but the offense came right back with three runs off Felipe Lopez's double, Rich Aurilia's homerun, and Ken Griffey Jr's homerun.

The pitching made valiant attempts by giving up a run in each of the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. In fact, the pitching appeared to have it sewn up when, after Adam Dunn and Jason LaRue matched the runs in the fifth and sixth, the offense did not score the in seventh. Colorado was up 5-6 going into the eighth.

In a surprise move, however, the offense outscored the pitching in the bottom of the eighth. The offense plated two runs when Adam Dunn walked, Wily Mo Peña doubled him in, and Ray Olmedo came up with the clutch double to bring in Dunn and bring the score to what would be the final: 7-6 Reds.

Milton didn't give up any homeruns, but did allow three runs over the course of five innings. He was pinch-hit for by Anderson Machado in the sixth inning. Machado, whose AAA batting average is approximately fifteen points lower than Milton's major-league average, bunted out on Milton's behalf.

The Reds would send up six pitchers over the course of the game, and Jason Standridge put in an inning of scoreless work in the eighth to get the win.

Ray Olmedo again came up big tonight. Ryan Freel has already started some probably rather uncomfortable rehab time in AA Chattanooga and hopefully is soon to be back. When that happens, the mettle of the Reds management will be tested. As they make the decision of whether to send Olmedo back down, they should consider more than options and waivers. There's more than one way to skin this cat.

Griffey and Dunn are giving off a powerful positive vibe. It's as if the two of them got together over the All-Star break and said, “OK, enough of this crap: time to get it together.” Tomorrow will be a big test as they attempt to take down Ramón Ortíz.

Go Reds!