The Return of the Big Red.......

[APR]

lol - BF2 addiction tbf

i will get back on....soon

Welcome to the party that is BF2! Lets play sometime!

[Lual]

Upcoming Series - 3 Games Home vs San Diego Padres

Game 1: San Diego Padres (38-32) @ Cincinnati Reds (44-27)

San Diego Take Control

Above: Reds try to turn things around in the field, but fall short!

The Reds fall back into their losing ways, as the month of June is proving to be difficult, as they now stand 9-11 in the month, after this 7-4 beating by the reigning World Champions.

Dominguez was the unlucky pitcher giving up 3 homers in a dreadful 4IP outing. The Reds did try to put up a fight with 3 homers of their own, but Pena, Dunn and Casey couldnt generate enough runs for the win.

This series could prove fateful for the Reds, as a losing sweep would give the Cubs an ideal chance to take the lead from the Reds for the first time since April.

Reds Talk:

Miley: "There has been alot of distractions around this club lately, hopefully we can put some of those to bed in these next few days"

Casey: "If the rumours are true, then its an exciting time for this ballclub. Anyone new faces will be welcomed with open arms in our locker room"

Reds Notables:

Hitting:

Pena - 1/4, 1HR, 1RBI

Dunn - 2/4, 1HR, 1RBI

Casey - 1/3, 1HR, 2RBI

Willingham - 3/4

Pitching:

Dominguez - 4I 6H 5R 5ER 0BB 2K 3HR 4.73ERA L(5-4)

Parrish - 3I 6H 2R 2ER 0BB 0K 0HR 2.49ERA

Brazoban - 2I 2H 0R 0ER 1BB 2K 0HR 1.69ERA

Box:


	  R   H   E


SD	7  14   1


CIN   4   8   2

[Lual]

Cincinnati Reds Trade News:

Afterweeks of constant speculation, the Reds announce a huge trade which sees 11 players shift across 3 teams.

With both Baltimore and Tampa Bay falling off the pace in the AL East, they saw fit to shift some salary and the Reds took advantage of this situation to add to their talent pool.

Who Got Who!:

Cincinnati Reds:

3B - Aubrey Huff (from Tampa Bay) .296Avg 14HR 40RBI

C - Javy Lopez (from Baltimore) .298Avg 18HR 50RBI

RP - Steve Kline (from Baltimore) 4-1(W/L) 2.12ERA 38K

Baltimore Orioles:

C - Josh Willingham (from Cincinnati) .288Avg 2HR 18RBI

SP - Eric Milton (from Cincinnati) 3-3(W/L) 3.56ERA 28K

RP - Matt Thornton (from Cincinnati) 0-2(W/L) 4.67ERA 7K

RF - Alex Sanchez (from Tampa Bay) .444Avg 0HR 1RBI

Note: Reds will eat 50% of Miltons 2007 contract.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays:

SP - Jered Weaver (from Cincinnati) 2-8(W/L) 4.23ERA 61K

RP - Ugueth Urbina (from Cincinnati) 0-1(W/L) 2.32ERA 12K 2Sv

1B - Casey Kotchman (from Cincinnati) .221Avg 1HR 1RBI

SP - Logan Kensing (from Baltimore) 0-2(W/) 4.15ERA 9K

The Reds appear to have picked up alot of useful talent, that could make a real impact this season in their playoff race.

On the other hand, they have given up 6 players including SP Eric Milton, who will be replaced by Kyle Davies from AAA Louisville.

Quote This:

Javy Lopez: "Im excited to be part of this ballclub and hope to help the team progess and make the playoffs. The Reds have been one of the teams to watch in the first half, so theres alot of pressure on me to live up to those standards"

Aubrey Huff: "Finally i can play for a team with ambition and history. Everyone remembers the great team from the seventies, so to be part of this franchise is a great feeling. Theres alot of work still to be done, but thats why im here"

Dan O'Brien (GM): "The Reds fans will be pleased with these acquisitions, as we have given our lineup a real threatening look. Eric is a good pitcher and it will be a loss for us, but Miley feels Davies can step up for us in the Majors, so its his chance to prove that we have made the right decision"

Eric Milton: "Why the Reds did this, i do not know. Im happy to be at a team that will respect me as a player, i just felt like a piece of meat for the Reds this year, its not nice knowing the team want to shift you from the get-go"

Alongside this trade deal, the Reds have acquired Kyle Farnsworth of the Waiver list, and signed 1B John Olerud from the Free Agent pool. These players will primarily act as backups for the team.

New Lineups Announced:

2B - Ryan Freel

SS - Felipe Lopez

3B - Aubrey Huff

RF - Willy Mo Pena

LF - Adam Dunn

CF - Ken Griffey Jr.

C - Javy Lopez

1B - Sean Casey

P - Starting Pitcher (DH - Bobby Hill)

Starting Rotation:

Carlos Zambrano

Brandon Claussen

Aaron Harang

Kyle Davies

Juan Dominguez

[rolliefingers08]

I still think you gave up too much, but it's nice to see you add some storylines to the trade.

I'm thinking of doing the same thing with a few guys I'm thinking about getting rid of, so you might want to check it out sometime.

Keep it up ;)

[Lual]

I still think you gave up too much, but it's nice to see you add some storylines to the trade.

I'm thinking of doing the same thing with a few guys I'm thinking about getting rid of, so you might want to check it out sometime.

Keep it up

cheers mate :wtg:

i have been following yours, so far im upto the ALDS vs Indians 1-1 atm

im a bit behind seeing as ive been building this PC, and playing BF2 - ill be catching up and following shortly :)

[krawhitham]

Baltimore Orioles:

C - Josh Willingham (from Cincinnati) .288Avg 2HR 18RBI

SP - Eric Milton (from Cincinnati) 3-3(W/L) 3.56ERA 28K

RP - Matt Thornton (from Cincinnati) 0-2(W/L) 4.67ERA 7K

RF - Alex Sanchez (from Tampa Bay) .444Avg 0HR 1RBI

Note: Reds will eat 50% of Miltons 2007 contract.

how do you get half a contract in the game, is that an option I have missed

[APR]

how do you get half a contract in the game, is that an option I have missed

I think it's added for effect.

[Lual]

how do you get half a contract in the game, is that an option I have missed

lol its a secret.....

well not really - what im going to do is, in 2007 force myself to stay 4.2million under budget - that way it represents Miltons 50%

[Lual]

Game 2: San Diego Padres (39-32) @ Cincinnati Reds (44-28)

New Boys Get It Done

Above: Lopez and Huff go yard on their Reds debut!

With the new acquistions making the debuts the Reds had to live upto expectations. And what a start they made, both Javy Lopez and Aubrey Huff went yard in a Reds romp over the Padres.

Huff hit a 2 run shot, while Javy went 3/4 with a HR and 3RBI, these numbers contributed to the Reds 9-3 win, giving Zambrano a 'lucky' 13th win of the year.

Farnsworth and Kline also got in on the 'new boys' act as they both pitched a perfect inning each to wrap up the game through 8 & 9. This win keeps the Reds atop the division, and sets up an intriging rubber match to end the series.

Reds Talk:

Huff: "What a way to start my career in Cincinnati. Those fans are wild, and its a pleasure to play in a great ballpark, with some of the best fans in baseball behind you all the way"

J.Lopez: "Its a dream start for me in Cincinnati, but its what ive been brought here to do. Those are the standards i will be setting myself the whole year"

Reds Notables:

Hitting:

F.Lopez - 2/4

Griffey - 1/2, 1HR, 1RBI

J.Lopez - 3/4, 1HR, 3RBI

Casey - 2/3, 1HR, 1RBI

Huff - 1/4, 1HR, 2RBI

Pena & Zambrano - 1RBI

Pitching:

Zambrano - 7I 10H 3R 3ER 0BB 3K 0HR 2.63ERA W(13-2)

Kline - 1I 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 0K 0HR 2.08ERA

Farnsworth - 1I 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 0K 0HR 0.00ERA

Box:


	  R   H   E


SD	3  10   0


CIN   9  12   0

[punishher]

on cruise control..haha,how's ur new com?

[rolliefingers08]

So Milton was making $8.4 million this season? tsk tsk Lual.

Or was that his contract going into the game?

[go_bucs2000]

missed all the deals but now up to it nice moves and i knew the winning would still be around :party1:

[Lual]

Game 3: San Diego Padres (39-33) @ Cincinnati Reds (45-28)

Padre Style

Above: Molina frames it, but its a rare upside in this rout, Right: Miley knows his job is getting tougher by the day!

The took a beating to end the Padre series, as the reigning World Champions took out their frustration on the Reds, to rack up a 19 hit 11-3 romp at the GABP.

There was never to be any doubt in the scoreline, as the Padres quickly rattled the runs home, and soon had a 7-0 advantage in 4 poorly pitched innings by Claussen.

Mere consolation for the Reds came in the form of 3 runs, including another RBI from new boy Aubrey Huff.

This game leads the Reds into arguably the biggest series of the MLB so far. They face the Cardinals in 4 games at the GABP and with just a 0.5 game lead over the Cubs, and a mere 2.5 over the Cardinals, anything worse than a 2-2 split will see the Reds fall from their perch in the NL Central.

Reds Talk:

Miley: "Its a test of character for us now. The St. Louis series is becoming a huge event, those 4 games could shape our second half"

Claussen: "There can be no more excuses from me, ive been trusted as the number two guy in this rotation, so i have to prove that im worth this honor"

Reds Notables:

Hitting:

Griffey, Casey & Huff - 1RBI

Pitching:

Claussen - 6I 12H 8R 8ER 1BB 3K 2HR 4.53ERA L(7-5)

Gardner - 3I 7H 4R 4ER 1BB 1K 2HR 6.12ERA

Box:


	  R   H   E


SD   11  19  0


CIN   3   7   0

[Lual]

Off Field Errors Will Cost Reds

ESPN Insiders well respected 'Sports Writer' Tim Kurkijan put a pretty damning article out to press, stating that the Reds have made their most costly error in recent weeks....not on the field, but off....

Kurkijan wrote: "The Reds have been one of baseballs anamolies this year, a nothing team in 2005 has come through with a sound off-season plan to put together a team that can challenge in 2006..."

"What i want to ask the Reds front office is, where has all the common sense used in the off-season gone? I could understand if your scraping .500 or are offensively weak, but to trade a starting pitcher of Miltons ilk'(and 5 other players i will add) for basically 1 bat, 1 aging bat and a aging reliever is plain stupid"

"Where do the Reds think they will end up after this move? I can tell you straight away. They will be in a financial hole come the off-season and will have seen their playoff dreams fade out in a poor second half, especially as the Cubs and Cardinals are now on a charge"

"The old saying goes 'Pitching wins Championships', and when put in context alongside the Reds, nothing could be closer to the truth"

Tim Kurkijan

ESPN Insider

[Lual]

Upcoming Series: 4 Games Home vs St. Louis Cardinals

Game 1: St. Louis Cardinals (43-32) @ Cincinnati Reds (45-29)

Clutch Hitting Takes Reds To Win

Above: Griffey makes a huge error, costing the Reds 3 runs. Right: Alfonseca and the crowd are relieved to have got the win!

An early error by Griffey almost cost the Reds this key win, as he slid past a fly ball to allow the Cardinals to take a 5-0 1st inning lead.

Harang struggled to get anything past the Cardinal hitters in the 1st inning, and found himself on the brink of not even completing a inning before being pulled.

Luckily for him, and the Reds, is that the offence had one of those days, where every hit counted, including Willy Mo's 3 run bomb which tied the game at 5.

Another run for the Cardinals soon followed, before new boys Javy Lopez and Aubrey Huff managed to drive in the eventual winning runs in the 6th inning.

Farnsworth and Alfonseca cleaned things up for the final 9 outs, leaving the Reds with a stunning 7-6 win on the back of just 5 hits. This series could be a nail biter....

Reds Talk:

Miley: "We will take that and build on it. Not a pretty game from us, but to put 7 runs on the board from 5 hits, is a nice way to get the win. We showed alot of spirit to comeback from the dead and you could see how dejected the Cardinal players looked at the end"

Pena: "Theres alot of bad vibes going around about the Reds, and how the locker room is divided. But you can take Willys word for it, that this team is tight and focused on bringing back success for this ballclub"

Reds Notables:

Hitting:

Hill - 2/3, 1RBI, 1 Triple, 1 Double

Pena - 2/3, 1HR, 4RBI

J.Lopez & Huff - 1RBI

Pitching:

Harang - 6I 9H 6R 5ER 1BB 2K 1HR 3.66ERA W(9-2)

Farnsworth - 2I 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 1K 0HR 0.00ERA

Alfonseca - 1I 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 0K 0HR 1.14ERA (Save 18)

Box:


	  R   H   E


STL   6  11   0


CIN   7   5   1

[Lual]

Game 2: St. Louis Cardinals (43-33) @ Cincinnati Reds (46-29)

Its In The Cards

Above: Davies gets a bunt single, but pitches a rotten egg, Right: Logan makes the stretch grab in a rare highlight!

St. Louis got back on track with a romp over the Reds, in a 8-2 - 15 hit win.

Kyle Davies failed to make any impact on his first start for the Reds, lasting just 4IP, giving up 11H and 8ER in a dismal showing on the mound. The early bombardment left the Reds with too much of a mountain to climb, and they slipped quietly to just 7 hits and 2 runs in the comeback attempt.

The Reds will now look to take game 3, or face losing the top slot in the division, with both the Cubs and Cardinals ready to pounce.

Reds Talk:

Miley: "Kyle has alot to learn, i wouldnt take too much from this outing, he has enough time to produce for us in this rotation"

Davies: "Obviously not the debut i wanted, but things will get better everyone has bad days on the mound, mine just happened early in my Reds career"

Reds Notables:

Hitting:

Huff - 2/3, 1 Double

F. Lopez & Pena - 1RBI

Pitching:

Davies - 4I 11H 8R 8ER 0BB 1K 2HR 5.48ERA L(0-1)

Parrish - 2I 3H 0R 0ER 1BB 0K 0HR 2.38ERA

Kline - 2I 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 3K 0HR 1.99ERA

Spooneybarger - 1I 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2K 0HR 4.15ERA

Box:


	  R   H   E


STL   8  15   0


CIN   2   7   0

[Lual]

Game 3: St. Louis Cardinals (44-33) @ Cincinnati Reds (45-31)

Cards Dealt Best Hand

Above: Freel and the Reds come up short, Right: Griffeys got that feeling 'Are the Reds fading away'!

The Cardinals dished out their 2nd straight beating of the Reds as the racked up 16 hits and 12 runs to earn a 12-8 win against the hosts.

Dominguez' day on the mound was nothing short of a farce, as his 6IP went for 14H, 10ER and 5HR, as the Cardinals raced into a 10-0 lead early doors.

A mini comeback was inspired by a pair of dingers from Casey, and a 3 run jack by Felipe Lopez, but the Reds came up just short. Albert Pujols made sure of the Cards win, as he slammed a 2 run shot in the 8th to seal the 12-8 scoreline.

1 more left in the series, and the Reds will be desperate to force a series split to remain ahead in the division.

Reds Talk:

O'Brien (GM): "We still feel we made the best decision for the future of this ballclub. Obviously taking tough losses wont help our cause, but theres a great deal of talent in our farm system, and i know Dave's (Miley) is keen to work with that"

Casey: "The team ethic is still key to the Reds, we are still focused and in my opinion, these games will just make the locker room a tighter unit"

Reds Notables:

Hitting:

F. Lopez - 2/5, 1HR, 3RBI, 1 Double

Dunn - 3/4, 1RBI

Casey - 2/3, 2HR, 3RBI

Griffey - 1RBI

Pitching:

Dominguez - 4I 14H 10R 10ER 0BB 4K 5HR 5.57ERA L(5-5)

Brazoban - 2I 2H 2R 2ER 1BB 3K 1HR 2.20ERA

Gardner - 1I 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1K 0HR 5.89ERA

Box:


	  R   H   E


STL  12  16   0


CIN   8  10   2

[Lual]

Game 4: St. Louis Cardinals (45-33) @ Cincinnati Reds (46-31)

Reds Play The Right Notes

Above: Logan starts things off with a drag bunt to 3rd, Right: Griffey gets home!

After the 2 crushing losses against the Cards, the Reds put on their own show of power to ensure a series split, with a 10-2 win.

The highlight of the Reds offence was a Grand Slam by Huff to top off a crazy 9 run 6th inning, which laid to rest any ghosts created in the previous 2 losses.

Zambrano also chipped in both on the mound and at the plate, as his complete game win took him to 14-2 on the year, whilst a 2/4 day at the plate helped the Reds sink Suppan and the Cards.

This split leaves the Reds a game clear of the Cubs, and with 1 more game left in June (vs Arizona), the Reds can be confident of taking their division lead through the All-Star break.

Reds Talk:

Miley: "Thats the Reds we all want to see. The boys did good out there, the 6th inning stand was just about as near perfect an inning of offensive baseball as you will see all year"

Huff: "Ive taken my time to settle in, but the fans have been great to me, so to 'Jack a Granny' is a great way to give them something back"

Reds Notables:

Hitting:

Hill - 2/5, 1RBI

Freel - 2/5, 1RBI

Huff - 2/5, 1HR, 4RBI

Logan - 3/5, 1 Triple

Griffey - 3/4, 1RBI

Molina - 2/4, 3RBI, 1 Double

Zambrano - 2/4

Pitching:

Zambrano - 9I 8H 2R 1ER 0BB 4K 0HR 2.52ERA W(14-2)

Box:


	  R   H   E


STL   2   8   0


CIN  10  18   1

[Lual]

Just a quick note to thank everyone who has continued to read my 'slow' updates...

Im starting to get back into the swing of things again, and hope to bring back the regular updates and features, as the Reds need to win ;)

[Lual]

Upcoming Series: 4 Games @ Arizona Diamondbacks

Game 1: Cincinnati Reds (47-31) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (37-43)

C-Factor

Above: Dunns RBI ties it, before Casey(Right) cranks a 3 run shot to seal the win!

The Reds carried on with their return to winning ways by claiming a 7-4 win over the DBacks to end the month of June on a mini high.

Arizona had held an early lead, before Casey's 3 run shot (his 17th of the year) catipulated the Reds in front to stay. Farnsworth fought of a mini surge by the DBacks to hold them to 2 runs in his 2 IP, before Alfonseca wrapped the game up with a solid 1-2-3 9th for the save.

June ends on a better note, but the 13-14 month has left the Reds just a game ahead of the streaking Cubs.

Reds Talk:

Alfonseca: "Its easy to get the saves behind this team. Everyone plays 100% all game, and its a pleasure to be in that situation"

Casey: "Id like to think the Reds will bring me back next year. My deal expires in the summer, so lets hope we can get something inked before the off-season"

Reds Notables:

Hitting:

Freel - 4/5, 1 Double

Huff - 4/5, 1RBI

Pena - 2/4, 1RBI, 1 Double

Casey - 2/5, 1HR, 3RBI, 1 Double

Dunn & Farnsworth - 1RBI

Pitching:

Claussen - 6I 5H 2R 2ER 0BB 1K 2HR 4.44ERA W(8-5)

Farnsworth - 2I 5H 2R 2ER 0BB 0K 1HR 3.60ERA

Alfonseca - 1I 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 0K 0HR 1.11ERA (Save 19)

Box:


	  R   H   E


CIN   7  16   0


ARI   4  10   2

[Lual]

MLB Standings (End of June 2006):

MLB League Leaders (End of June 2006):

[Lual]

Cincinnati Reds Stats (End of June 2006):

Minor League Breakdown:

AAA - Louisville Bats (35-47)

Notables:

2B - Nick Green: .310Avg 31RBI 10HR

RF - Nick Markakis: .345Avg 40RBI 3HR

AA - Chattanooga Lookouts 1st(34-36) 2nd(4-5)

Notables:

SS - Matt Logan: .310Avg 15RBI 1HR

SP - Brad Cherry: 5-1(W/L) 2.70ERA 62K

A - Sarasota Reds 1st(41-29) 2nd(6-5)

Notables:

RF - Jason Cooper: .314Avg 34RBI 5HR

RP - CJ Wilson: 13-3(W/L) 3.02ERA 85K

[go_bucs2000]

still got that first place spot whuuuu but them pesky Cubbies are still around i think they are jelous you got Zambrano off them

[Lual]

Game 2: Cincinnati Reds (48-31) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (37-44)

Reds Stay In Charge

Above: Bench Clearing Brawl, as Freel takes a hit, Right: Griffey is on 549 Homers in a glorious career!

2 straight road wins for the Reds, as they overcome the DBacks in another tight encounter, as Pena, Dunn and Griffey all went yard in this 6-4 win.

Griffeys 2 run shot proved to be decisive, as he moves to 549 in his career after starting the season on the backfoot. Dunn's 3 run shot pulled the Reds back into the tie, and made up for the early pitching woes that saw the DBacks take 4 runs off Harang.

Fortunately for the Reds, Harang got his stuff together, and pitched through 6 to claim his 10th win of the year, add to that Alfonseca with another perfect 9th to earn his 20th save in a dominant year for the closer.

Reds Talk:

Miley: "Every game is important for us, we cant afford to slip up with the Cubs breathing down our necks everyday"

Harang: "Its nice to pitch behind CZ, it takes alot of pressure of me as no-one expects me to come up with the goods"

Reds Notables:

Hitting:

F.Lopez - 2/4, 1 Double

Pena - 2/4, 1HR, 1RBI

Dunn - 2/4, 1HR, 3RBI

Griffey - 1/4, 1HR, 2RBI

Pitching:

Harang - 6I 9H 4R 4ER 0BB 2K 0HR 3.79ERA W(10-2)

Kline - 2I 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1K 0HR 1.92ERA

Alfonseca - 1I 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 1K 0HR 1.05ERA (Save 20)

Box:


	  R   H   E


CIN   6   9   0


ARI   4  10   0

[Lual]

Game 3: Cincinnati Reds (49-31) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (37-45)

Davies Rattled By DBacks

Above: Dunn beats out a single, whilst (Right) Javy goes yard as the Reds fail in their comeback!

Kyle Davies took a 4 inning beating as the Reds slipped to a 9-7 loss against the Diamondbacks in Arizona.

The young pitcher gave up 13H, 8ER and 4HR as he left the Reds a mountain to climb in their attempt to seal 3 wins from the series. This didnt deter the Reds though, as from 8-0 down, they came back to within 2 runs and put the DBacks Closer Aquino under serious pressure in the 9th inning.

There wasnt to be any further heroics, as those 2 runs proved a little too much for the Reds and their power offence.

Some good news was Willy Mo' moving to 30 homers on the year, leaving him well within reach of 60+ for the season...Barry Bonds watch out!

Reds Talk:

Miley: "Kyle is low on confidence at the moment. We are trying to build him into a regular starter, but he has now gone through 2 rough starts and its tough to pull it around after that"

Pena: "30 homers is a great first half for me, i just hope to shine in the All-Star game, then take things on and get this team in the playoffs"

Reds Notables:

Hitting:

Hill - 4/5, 1 Triple

Huff - 2/4, 1 Double

Pena - 2/5, 1HR, 2RBI, 1 Double

Dunn - 2/4, 1RBI, 1 Double

J.Lopez - 3/4, 1HR, 3RBI

Casey - 1/4, 1HR, 1RBI

Pitching:

Davies - 4I 13H 8R 8ER 0BB 1K 4HR 7.46ERA L(0-2)

Parrish - 2.1I 1H 1R 1ER 0BB 3K 1HR 2.46ERA

Brazoban - 1.2I 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 0K 0HR 2.08ERA

Box:


	  R   H   E


CIN   7  14   0


ARI   9  14   1