Reds Win on Strength of Valentin's Boiler, 5-4 in 10

For the second time this week, Javier Valentin provided the winning margin with an extra innings basehit. It's the type of play you'd expect from the owner of such a high quality moustache. But of course there'd be no Latin-tinged celebration this afternoon without Norper's double to lead off the ninth, followed by Hatteberg making Yakima, WA proud. The author would say, if given the option, that hits that are either late in the game or come with runners are on base are preferable over not doing said things. But that's just one opinion. Part of what Mackanin has brought to the team is a new mindset. From a recent team meeting: "Now I know this may come of something of a surprise, but our fans would actually prefer it if we won baseball games and, now stay with me here, wins are more likely to result when we don't play poorly." It's a whole new way of thinking.

Another nice outing by Livingston, but Saarloos and Coffey will do that to you. You'll have to sort it out with them. Saarloos is working on the most consecutive batters faced without recording an out. If he gets to 20 it activates a performance clause in his contract. Good luck Kirk. And apparently, Big Frucking Nasty is on the trading block. While the author could hate to lose the "2006 Most Handsome Man in the Bullpen", I think he will make some team very frucking happy. He can veto a trade to any team which doesn't have a Burger King in the ballpark. And welcome back Junior. No pop-ups to the infield today? Some might argue that it takes more ability to pop up every time than it does to hit the ball well. The author is one of those people, he's made his point, now it's time to get that average back up to where it should be. The Reds Rocket arch-nemises in tomorrow, let's beat them out of contention so Zambrano can go back to murdering teammates and burying them under the infield in peace. He can't focus with all this publicity. Reds! Reds! Reds!