NCAA
UC and UL daily double for Big 12?
A possible 12th would be Cincinnati, also of the Big East, and if that daily double hits — I wouldn't bet it at your local OTB just yet — the Big East could easily splinter along basketball-football lines. Many anticipated such a split years ago, but Marinatto somehow avoided it, even as the conference staggered from the Pitt-Syracuse exits.-DailyPress.com
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Bengals
The Bengals today signed CB Shaun Prater and S George Iloka, who both were fifth-round choices by Cincinnati in last month’s 2012 draft.
Prater (5-10, 190; Iowa) was the 156th overall selection. He played in 48 games with 35 starts over four seasons at Iowa, posting 171 tackles, seven INTs and 19 additional passes defensed. He had a 24.7-yard avg. on INT returns, two of which he carried for TDs.
Iloka (6-4, 225; Boise State) was the 167th pick in the draft. He played 53 games with 45 starts over four seasons for Boise State, with 232 tackles, seven INTs and 17 additional passes defensed.
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Votto power outage?
I've had emails, calls and tweets expressing various levels of concern over Joey Votto's power, or perceived lack of power. So I looked at the numbers through 30 games:
2012 (30 games/103 AB)
.291 BA, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 27 BB, 28 K, .439 OBP, .495 SLG, .935 OPS.
2011 (30 games/106 AB)
.358 BA, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 26 BB, 15K, .485 OBP, .594 SLG, 1.079 OPS.
He has two homers in 103 at-bats and is currently tied for 5th on team.
He has as many home runs as Darnell McDonald, Chone Figgins, Jeff Keppinger, Laynce Nix and Austin Kearns.
Votto is on pace to hit 11 HR in 2012.
Since August 29 of last year he has 5 HR in 59 games/219 AB.
This year he is hitting a home run in 1.5% of his plate appearances. The MLB average is 2.6%.
Votto at-bats per home run
2010: 14.8
2011: 20.7
2012: 51.5
Votto slugging
2010: .600
2011: .531
2012: .495
Yet he is still producing and is on pace for 97 RBI, 81 doubles and 146 walks.
His career high for walks is 110.
He is on pace for 151 K. His career high is 129.
He is also hitting in the clutch:
.364 runners on , .435 RISP, .429 RISP 2/outs
Clearly one issue is lack of protection from the #4 hitter: .205 BA, .271 OBP, .308 SLG, .529 OPS.
Pitchers are throwing him fewer strikes: '10 60%, '11 58%, '12 55%. MLB average 63%.
He's taking a higher percentage of strikes: '10 22%, '11 27%, '12 32%.
MLB average 28%.
He's striking out looking more: '11 17%, '12 36%
That's a lot of stuff that makes my eyes glaze over. Am I worried? No. Am I panicked? No. Are you?
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Stuff
Ballpark dimensions becoming loud topic of conversation
ESPN
The Padres' situation is not unique. Ballpark dimensions are becoming an increasingly loud topic of conversation around baseball. Of the 13 ballparks built since 2000, five have undergone some sort of renovation involving their outfield fences, with some distances lengthened (Citizens Bank), some shortened (Comerica, Petco, Citi) and some walls raised (Minute Maid). And this year, the opening of cavernous Marlins Park has created such a vociferous response from hitters -- starting with Giancarlo Stanton's roughly 1,200 feet of outs in the park's first game -- that it seems destined to be added to the list.
Tampa Bay's Matt Joyce injured on his home run swing
NCAA
Top 10 assistants under 40: One former, one current XU assistant
The misfits could fit in Big East
The Daily
The conference is a dysfunctional, illogical mess, it’s headed for an implosion and there’s no real chance to get this geographically and culturally evolving group of schools on the same page.
But for as much as realignment has changed the landscape of college sports, one thing hasn’t changed.......
Mayor wants NBA in Columbus
Columbus Dispatch
Mayor Michael B. Coleman has told the NBA that Columbus wants a basketball team now that the ink is dry on the public purchase of Nationwide Arena. Coleman sent NBA Commissioner David Stern a letter last Thursday expressing the city’s desire to move a franchise here or add a new team if the league expands.
Modern-day baseball nicknames can't match past
SF Chronicle
Imaginative and colorful nicknames for ballplayers, once a baseball staple, are disappearing, going the way of the spitball, the stirrup sock and Sunday doubleheaders.
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MLB
Dusty on yesterday's closer:
“You figure that’s enough,” Baker said. “You hate to take your closer out. But we needed that ball game.”
“It’s situation where as a manager you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” Baker said. “I had no reservations. We were hoping (Marshall) would be able to get Aoki out and we wouldn’t have to make that decision.”
Things noticed by my dad today
If MLB playoffs started today:
3 of 5 AL playoff teams would come from AL East(Rays, O's, Jays)
3 of 5 NL playoff teams would come from NL East (Nats,Braves,Mets).
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Reds
Aroldis Chapman: How dominant has he been?
3-0 0.00 in 15.2 innings, 0.61 WHIP
He has struck out 27 of 57 batters faced (47%)
Opposing batters: 5 for 52, .096 BA, .185 OBP, .143 SLG, .328 OPS
K/9: 15.34
K/BB ratio: 6.25
H/9: 2.9
Batters swing and miss 26% of time...MLB average is 15%
Batters put ball in play 15% of time...MLB average is 30%
15.9 pitches per inning...down from 17.7 last year
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Show preview
6:05, Sports Talk
Did you miss him?
Boomer Esiason joined me Wednesday night on Sports Talk.
He was on fire! He ripped the lawsuit by players against the NFL.
He said the suit is reprehensible and called the players ambulance chasers who likely made poor life decision. He discussed suffering a concussion in 1995 and the testing done at the time to clear him to play. He praised Bengals 2nd round pick WR Mohamed Sanu. And talked about his son, Gunnar, who just turned 21-years old.
Listen HERE
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Reds
Reds win thriller in Milwaukee
Johnny B. Awesome
Since his first start last season (May 8, 2011)...Johnny Cueto has made 31 starts, covering 204.1 innings...his ERA during that span is 2.03
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Down on the Farm
Another step for Louisville pitcher Pedro Villarreal
Louisville Courier Journal
“There are a lot of guys with great arms and great stuff,” Bats manager David Bell said. “Pedro also has the makeup to go with it. He has that competitive nature that’s going to allow him to keep getting better and be a big league pitcher.”
Billy Hamilton watch: 2 hits, SB #32
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