Mike Lincoln, How the Hell Are Ya'

The author owes Lincoln an apology for his omission from the team previews. I shouldn't have assumed that just because you took three years off to work as a shepherd you don't belong in a big league bullpen. I've got to admit, those personal highlights from 2004 look pretty, pretty good. And while you may not be listed in the current edition of Baseball Prospectus, the author did find this scouting write-up: "Mike Lincoln is well-mannered and speaks with a vocabulary very becoming of a young gentleman."

So, it looks like the Reds Rocket has learned a valuable lesson about overlooking guys, even if I wondered all spring how they may have gotten an invitation to camp in the first place. I wish you great success and look forward to the human interest stories about your arm.

Of course, as with all relievers who haven't pitched in the majors for a year and a half or more, your probationary period nickname will be "Dog Shit". We'll reconsider at your quarterly review.