Jason LaRue is the starting catcher for the Reds. Over the years I’ve watched, LaRue has provided many a thrilling moment by throwing out runners stealing second, though I hear his percentages in that area aren’t what they used to be. LaRue does a better-than-adequate job of calling games, and he can be counted on to manage the pitching staff.

The time he spent under the tutelage of Bob Boone seemed to have shaken his confidence in himself, but now I believe that he is bouncing back, stronger for the experience. If I were to choose a captain for this team, LaRue would be at the top of my list, because though he’s not as popular with the fans as Sean Casey, he is more even-tempered and baseball-focused, and I suspect that he has the deep and abiding respect of his teammates.

On the down-side, he lets more than the average number of pitches go past him. In his defense, however, LaRue has not exactly had the benefit of catching the most skilled pitchers in the league.

At the plate, LaRue is hit by pitches a lot, which can only help his on-base percentage, since, like most catchers, he’s only an average hitter.

Jason LaRue is the starting catcher for the Reds. Over the years I've watched, LaRue has provided many a thrilling moment by throwing out runners stealing second, though I hear his percentages in that area aren't what they used to be. LaRue does a better-than-adequate job of calling games, and he can be counted on to manage the pitching staff.

The time he spent under the tutelage of Bob Boone seemed to have shaken his confidence in himself, but now I believe that he is bouncing back, stronger for the experience. If I were to choose a captain for this team, LaRue would be at the top of my list, because though he's not as popular with the fans as Sean Casey, he is more even-tempered and baseball-focused, and I suspect that he has the deep and abiding respect of his teammates.

On the down-side, he lets more than the average number of pitches go past him. In his defense, however, LaRue has not exactly had the benefit of catching the most skilled pitchers in the league.

At the plate, LaRue is hit by pitches a lot, which can only help his on-base percentage, since, like most catchers, he's only an average hitter.

CINCINNATI, OH -- Four Reds players are listed on the ballot for the 2010 All-Star Game, which will take place July 12, 2010 at Salt Lake City's Lotramin Park, home of the Utah Brewers.

The ballot was announced today and includes left fielder Chris Denorfia, third baseman Edwin Encarnación, and five-time all-star Felipe Lopez, who is still trying to break his way into the starting shortstop role in Cincinnati. Seventeen-time all-star center fielder, Ken Griffey, Jr., is likely a shoe-in as 2010 looks like it is finally going to be the year he stays healthy.

Fans can cast their votes for starters up to 2500 times using their cortical implants at MLB.com. Online balloting ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on June 30.

10:30 p.m. and I'm writing this almost in my sleep. If I can't get used to these central time zone night games, there's no way I'll survive when they play on the west coast. No matter what time zone, any game that sees a total 20 runs and almost 30 hits is going to be long, but tonight's game had so much going on, it barely felt like more than 2 3/4 hours.

What did we see?
- The funniest thing I ever heard Chris Welch say as Carlos Zambrano let loose a pitch that passed Adam Dunn behind the calves. “I don't know whether I read this from the scatter report, but I think that's a hard pitch to hit: low and behind you.” Nicely done, Chris. I approve.
- The first ejection from a Reds game of the season as Zambrano walloped the very next batter, Austin Kearns. It did appear to be intentional, but I'm clueless as to why. I apparently have much to learn about the subtle nuances of the beanball.
- Ugly, ugly ball handling. Rich Aurilia and Joe Randa each had a fumble, and Dunn let one go past him. Fortunately for the Reds, the Cubs were also handling the ball like a greased pig.
- Ken Griffey, Jr. might possibly be over the hump. Just the very thought makes me and cousin Larry do the dance of joy! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
- The offense finally woke up, just in time for the pitching to roll over. Ryan Wagner allowed a hit in the 8th; clearly he's struggling. Danny Graves rolled his ankle and ended up on the dirt; apparently he felt he hadn't provided enough drama from his two-pitch first out.

Aaron Harang versus Ryan Dempster tomorrow. We all know first-hand what Dumpster has to offer, but we also know how the Reds like to give it up to their own former pitchers. Either way, I might get some sleep tomorrow.

I've got a question for all of you out there who have access to Fox Sports Net Ohio. After each televised game, they play the Gold Star Chili Reds Wrap. The intro to this segment is a montage of clips. The first clip is Sean Casey batting. The second is Jason LaRue tagging out a runner at home. The third clip is the one seen here:

The quality is horrible because our VCRs are on the fritz, and I'm going to try to get a clearer shot tonight, but this at least will give you an idea of what to look for.

The third clip is a shot of the short stop throwing out a runner at first. It's a shot from the back, but I'm confident that it is Barry Larkin. Seems reasonable enough. The weird thing is, if you watch closely, even though the film goes by fast, you can tell that his number has been digitally removed.

So here's the question: why would FSNO remove Larkin's number? And secondly, don't you think they should put it back?