Well…That Was Exhausting

After 13 innings of mediocre baseball today, Brandon Phillips hit a walk off sacrifice fly to right field to score Shin-Soo Choo and put this game along with Reds Country out of our collective misery. Fitting since it was “Brandon Phillips Bobblehead Day at Great American Ball Park” (in my cheesiest announcer voice. You know the one. Yeah, that one)

I’d like to rehash a few of the happenings of today’s marathon game. My mind is like an A.D.D. strobe light so I will just present it in similar fashion if there are no objections. Anyone…? Good. Moving On.

Today’s game was absolutely maddening to watch. This year’s Marlins squad barely resembles a AA club at any given moment and the Reds could not put them away in regulation. Dusty’s hit-and-run call with Todd Frazier at the plate and Jay Bruce on first was comical. I learned an acronym last year that certain baseball writers use and it applies here. Allow me to share…TOOTBLAN (thrown out on the basepath like a nincompoop.) Yeah. That’s an actual thing. Hat tip to Scott Fendley, who I am certain is not reading this. Dusty’s call got Bruce TOOTBLAN’d. Bruce was chugging to second base like a team of Budweiser Clydesdales and was thrown out by a country mile. C’mon man…

Zack Cozart got a boo boo on his pointer and middle fingers during a bunt attempt when he broke the fundamental rule that little baseballers learn early in knot hole. Keep your fingers behind the bat when bunting. Early reports are that his X-rays were negative so no fractured phalanges for Mr. Cozart.

This game was just bizarre to me on so many levels.

Bronson Arroyo was stellar, then sketchy, then stellar. At the end of his day he trotted off the field with a quality start through eight innings of work. It was disappointing to watch him hang on and finish strong with such weak run support. The Reds stranded 17 runners. 17 LOB! That’s just nuts.

Today we saw the infamous Infield Fly Rule invoked and the swinging bunt executed perfectly. If you know a Braves fan, ask them about the ol’ Infield Fly Rule circa 2012.

Brandon Phillips’ strike zone got bigger every inning. The balls & strikes dummy behind the plate was absolutely wearing me out. At least he overruled the bad call at first when the first base umpire took a bad angle and blew a call. In my opinion it’s always better for the CORRECT call to be made, even when it goes against my beloved Reds.

Brook Jacoby needs a romantic weekend with a few of his hitters…

J.J. Hoover did not, I repeat, did NOT blow the game today; which is nice.

Shin-Soo Choo is ridiculous. Choo got on base six times today. Out of seven ABs. Three hits and three walks. Is he your favorite player yet? I mean, he’s no Votto, but he’s close, right? He’s got to be in your top three, right? How about his awkward 10 minute hug at home plate with Dat Dude? Choo is a hugger. I like that. I would hug it out with Choo. Not going to lie. I love his game. I also love his walk up song. Ball So Hard by Kanye West and Jay-Z. He balled so hard today. One word: Choo.

Joseph Daniel Votto went 4 for 6 today including a monster homerun early to give the Reds a 1-0 lead over the fish. I hope this puts to bed the talk of “is he back?”  He had plenty of power in his legs and plenty of pop in his bat today. It appears that Joey is just fine.

Reds fans on Twitter hate the Wooooo.

There was also some Bobblehead controversy today.

What say you? Take another look at the picture atop this post. Did the fine folks at the Bobblehead Company do him proper justice?

Thanks to Jessica Hensley for the image. She’s an amateur photographer and an avid Reds fan. Check out her blog at http://bittersweetcincy.blogspot.com