Jinx!
No sooner did I make the post above than the season turned south in a hurry. It's really, really bad folks (as of May 5 now). Krivsky's been fired, new GM Jocketty won't turn the boat around this soon, and the team is more or less apathetic about winning, it seems. NEW grades for each category as of May 15:
Overall season so far: F+
Offense: C+ (Dunn, Griffey: D)
Defense: C (Dunn: F; Griffey: D)
Starting Pitching: D+ (Arroyo: F; Fogg: D; Harang: A; Volquez: A; Cueto: B; Beleisle: C)
Releif pitching: B+ Still a remarkable improvement over last year.
Clutch hitting: F (This is what is killing the Reds this year: No hitting with RISP (runners in scoring position)
Fundamentals: C
Dunn by himself: F-
Selected individual players: Harang (A+); Arroyo (F); Fogg (D); Cueto (B); Volquez (A); Cordero (A+); Lincoln (B); Bako (A); Valentin (incomplete); Votto (B); Hatteburg (B); Phillips (A); EE (D-); Keppinger (A); Dunn (F-); Griffey Jr (C-).
Baker: C. This is the future manager of the Reds? Doesn't seem to have made an impact at all.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Reds out of the gate
Some good, some bad some ugly with the Reds season so far (as of April 14). I've been to a game already and have followed the stats pretty thoroughly. Grading each category:
Offense: C+
Defense: C
Starting Pitching: B+ (Arroyo has been surprisingly dissapointing, Cueto and Volquez are nice surprises. Harang is still the ace).
Releif pitching: B+ A remarkable improvement over last year.
Clutch hitting: C-
Fundamentals: C+
Selected individual players: Harang (A+); Arroyo (C); Fogg (C); Cueto (A); Volquez (A-); Cordero (A+); Lincoln (B); Bako (A); Valentin (incomplete); Votto (B); Hatteburg (B); Phillips (A); EE (D-); Keppinger (A); Dunn (D-); Griffey Jr (B).
Offense: C+
Defense: C
Starting Pitching: B+ (Arroyo has been surprisingly dissapointing, Cueto and Volquez are nice surprises. Harang is still the ace).
Releif pitching: B+ A remarkable improvement over last year.
Clutch hitting: C-
Fundamentals: C+
Selected individual players: Harang (A+); Arroyo (C); Fogg (C); Cueto (A); Volquez (A-); Cordero (A+); Lincoln (B); Bako (A); Valentin (incomplete); Votto (B); Hatteburg (B); Phillips (A); EE (D-); Keppinger (A); Dunn (D-); Griffey Jr (B).
Thursday, March 20, 2008
March 2008 Update
Whew! Has it really been two months since I posted? Gotta fix that.
Lot has happened in two months, let me see here:
+ I've been promoted to Managing Director of my company
+ I just returned from San Francisco for an industry conference
+ Sarah is kicking butt in her job, too
+ My daughter had tubes put in her ears (should help keep down infections, etc)
+ My son got glasses (farsighted). Seems he obtained the same bad eyesight as either my sister or Sarah's brother.
Too much else. But here's a fun sight a friend recently keyed me in on: If you're in to statistics and baseball, you'll love it.
http://www.flotsam-media.com/2007/12/flotsam-data-special-tangiblizing.html
Lot has happened in two months, let me see here:
+ I've been promoted to Managing Director of my company
+ I just returned from San Francisco for an industry conference
+ Sarah is kicking butt in her job, too
+ My daughter had tubes put in her ears (should help keep down infections, etc)
+ My son got glasses (farsighted). Seems he obtained the same bad eyesight as either my sister or Sarah's brother.
Too much else. But here's a fun sight a friend recently keyed me in on: If you're in to statistics and baseball, you'll love it.
http://www.flotsam-media.com/2007/12/flotsam-data-special-tangiblizing.html
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Reds Season Tickets
I did it.
After years of talking about it and never doing it, well this time I actually did it.
I bought Reds season tickets for 2008!
I actually purchased the 'FlexPlan' ticket package vouchers for red reserve seats (infield box). 20 vouchers in all. Meaning I that I can take myself and 19 of my best friends to any single game and I'm done for the year, or I can go to 20 seperate games by myself, or break them up in any combination I want (use up 4 of the vouchers and take the whole family to one game, use one voucher just for myself the next, etc). It's actually a great plan for me, as I never know which games I'll be wanting to go to nor how many people I'm going to to with at the time. But no matter when I go, I'll have among the best seats in the house! One of the downsides is that I'll never know game-to-game exactly which seats I will get specifically, but I am guaranteed that they will always be infield box seats, basically lower level either along third base or along first base. Awesome seats in either case!
Obviously I'm pretty excited about this year. Here's to games into October!
After years of talking about it and never doing it, well this time I actually did it.
I bought Reds season tickets for 2008!
I actually purchased the 'FlexPlan' ticket package vouchers for red reserve seats (infield box). 20 vouchers in all. Meaning I that I can take myself and 19 of my best friends to any single game and I'm done for the year, or I can go to 20 seperate games by myself, or break them up in any combination I want (use up 4 of the vouchers and take the whole family to one game, use one voucher just for myself the next, etc). It's actually a great plan for me, as I never know which games I'll be wanting to go to nor how many people I'm going to to with at the time. But no matter when I go, I'll have among the best seats in the house! One of the downsides is that I'll never know game-to-game exactly which seats I will get specifically, but I am guaranteed that they will always be infield box seats, basically lower level either along third base or along first base. Awesome seats in either case!
Obviously I'm pretty excited about this year. Here's to games into October!
Monday, December 31, 2007
The Post
Farewell to the Cincinnati Post, the city's afternoon newspaper which today prints its final edition.
My grandfather, Eddie Halloran, worked his entire career for the paper, starting as a streetcorner newspaper boy for the Times-Star (he often stood at Plum and Fifth, I believe, back in the days when there literally were boys running around saying 'extra extra!'). The paper was later purchased by the Post, and Grandpa Eddie became the legendary assistant city editor of the Post, where he remained for many, many years before retiring in 1977. He died in 1987.
From what I understand, Eddie was the heart and soul of the city desk, and he was as brutal on rookie reporters, constantly forcing them to defend their reports and clean up their writing.
I'm sure some of that made me whom I am today, too, if maybe only indirectly.
Although sad, I suppose the Post's demise was inevitable in this era of the Internet, instant messaging, cable TV, etc.
- 30 -
My grandfather, Eddie Halloran, worked his entire career for the paper, starting as a streetcorner newspaper boy for the Times-Star (he often stood at Plum and Fifth, I believe, back in the days when there literally were boys running around saying 'extra extra!'). The paper was later purchased by the Post, and Grandpa Eddie became the legendary assistant city editor of the Post, where he remained for many, many years before retiring in 1977. He died in 1987.
From what I understand, Eddie was the heart and soul of the city desk, and he was as brutal on rookie reporters, constantly forcing them to defend their reports and clean up their writing.
I'm sure some of that made me whom I am today, too, if maybe only indirectly.
Although sad, I suppose the Post's demise was inevitable in this era of the Internet, instant messaging, cable TV, etc.
- 30 -
Monday, December 17, 2007
Politics
Q: Why no political topics on this blog?
A: Because I believe politics are a personal thing. And anyway, does the world really need yet another ranting blog like that? While it could drive more traffic, I don't feel the need.
On a side note, I know I'm often evasive about my specific views. Although I am very passionate about politics, I prefer to talk one-on-one and subject-by-subject. My views don't neatly fit into any one party or another (I'm a strategist's worst nightmare!).
A: Because I believe politics are a personal thing. And anyway, does the world really need yet another ranting blog like that? While it could drive more traffic, I don't feel the need.
On a side note, I know I'm often evasive about my specific views. Although I am very passionate about politics, I prefer to talk one-on-one and subject-by-subject. My views don't neatly fit into any one party or another (I'm a strategist's worst nightmare!).
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Christmastime is here
Christmastime is here.
Christmas, Christmas, Christmas. Merry Christmas!
One of the most magical times of year, of course. And we're doing so much this season that, for the first time, I'm going to enter into a 'free association' ramble:
First snow of the season last week (1 inch) kids excited but not enough to close schools or anything . . . we went last Saturday to a Christmas Tree farm to cut our own tree, kids of course excited about having a tree in the house . . . sad that my sister won't be in town for Christmas this year, but excited by the news that she is pregnant with her first child! She is due in June . . . Gifts: Of course I can't devulge what gifts I got everyone on a public forum like this, but I think my biggest 'find' this year so far is the gift I got for my brother-in-law, Matt (no hints yet, man! Wait for Xmas morning!) . . . am clueless so far as to what to get my wife (any hints out there?) . . . as for me anything having to do with the Cincinnati Reds is great . . . speaking of Reds, I went to Reds Fest this past weekend and had a blast. Met past stars such as George Foster (shook his hand), current players like Todd Coffey (hope he doesn't suck next year), and even got myself a personalized official Reds jersey, complete with "Halloran" across the back and my number (7, of course), am WAY excited about it . . . work is going great, love my job, making good money, and of course making a difference in people's lives . . . speaking of making a difference, that's the best part about Christmas: Giving!
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Christmas, Christmas, Christmas. Merry Christmas!
One of the most magical times of year, of course. And we're doing so much this season that, for the first time, I'm going to enter into a 'free association' ramble:
First snow of the season last week (1 inch) kids excited but not enough to close schools or anything . . . we went last Saturday to a Christmas Tree farm to cut our own tree, kids of course excited about having a tree in the house . . . sad that my sister won't be in town for Christmas this year, but excited by the news that she is pregnant with her first child! She is due in June . . . Gifts: Of course I can't devulge what gifts I got everyone on a public forum like this, but I think my biggest 'find' this year so far is the gift I got for my brother-in-law, Matt (no hints yet, man! Wait for Xmas morning!) . . . am clueless so far as to what to get my wife (any hints out there?) . . . as for me anything having to do with the Cincinnati Reds is great . . . speaking of Reds, I went to Reds Fest this past weekend and had a blast. Met past stars such as George Foster (shook his hand), current players like Todd Coffey (hope he doesn't suck next year), and even got myself a personalized official Reds jersey, complete with "Halloran" across the back and my number (7, of course), am WAY excited about it . . . work is going great, love my job, making good money, and of course making a difference in people's lives . . . speaking of making a difference, that's the best part about Christmas: Giving!
Merry Christmas, everyone!
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