Another Borek Morning: Talking Cincinnati Reds Baseball 5/12/2014

Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

This has been an idea kicking around in my mind for quite some time now, and I am quite pleased to be able to share it all with you.
“Another Borek Morning” (get it, Bore-ick kind of has that boooor-ing vibe to it) will be your spot to check-in every morning concerning Reds baseball while you are drinking your cup of coffee and chomping down on your cereal. I want this to be interactive and fun, let us have some banter if you will. I am an open book, with you all as my loyal readers, so if anything, I owe you all.
Every single morning, we are going to be talking Cincinnati Reds baseball. I will say some things you agree with and some you despise, but we all share a common bond: a love for that baseball club in southern Ohio.
Without further ado, let us get this show rolling:
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It is about damn time Homer. Sure, it took him bringing his hands over his head to find his rhythm again, but Homer looked like his old masterful self on Sunday against Colorado.
I had said earlier in the year to a buddy of mine that I believed Colorado had the second least talented roster in the entire National League (behind the Cubs of course), and while I’m still not convinced they have a single pitcher I would select off waivers, them boys can hit. From Tulowitzki, to Blackmon, to Dickerson, to Arenado, and not to mention Carlos Gonzalez, who the Reds somehow managed to tie down.  Usually, the only way that guy does not hit is if someone gets him with a chloroform rag.
Maybe they grew tired after drubbing the Reds on Saturday. While getting curb-stomped for one of the games was not fun, the Redlegs still won two out of three, which you will take 10 times out of 10, no matter who the opponent.
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What is with this shuffling of the lineup like a deck of cards business? I am not a huge proponent of believing that players perform the way they do based on their lineup positioning.
For example, the Reds are near the lowest on-base percentage in baseball from the leadoff spot. That is more of the fact that Billy Hamilton has been hitting there than anything else. Should Joey Votto move up to the leadoff spot—voila!—no longer are the Reds at the bottom of that category.
Having Brayan Pena bat second actually makes a ton of sense. The only problem? Devin Mesoraco is not too far away from returning. Pena is a brilliant two-hitter due to the fact that he eats fastball for breakfast (not that Mesoraco doesn’t), but can the lineup really undergo such shuffling on a daily basis?
With no Jay Bruce in the middle, things are going to get wacky. Yet, the Reds have the circus’ ringleader at the helm in Bryan Price. The guy is quirky personified, and I love every second of it. He is a smart guy and he has already forgotten more baseball than any of us will ever know.
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When Aroldis Chapman enters a game, does anyone else feel the need to reenact scenes from 300?
“THIS is…CIN-CIN-NATI!!!” (This is…Sparta)
“FINISH HIM!!!” (With the high heat) (Finish him!!!…with a sword)
There is no hope, no mercy. Chapman just looks as if he is a bad dude on a mission. No wonder the guy has become so fond of being a closer, he has made himself into a folk hero around Reds Country.
Outside of Mariano Rivera and Craig Kimbrel, is there another closer worthy of having their jersey bought? Personally, I got my “RIVERA 42” stitched Yankee jersey when I was in high school. (I grew up in New York, y’all. Plus, it’s Mariano.) Kimbrel is Chapman, just from the right side. These guys are polarizing figures.
Is part of the Chapman mystique the fact that he speaks a different language? From all accounts, he can speak English and communicate just fine, but seeing a giant man that escaped from a Communist country pitching is infinitely more intimidating than a former southern community college closer. That is no disrespect to Kimbrel, but more of an enhancement of the Chapman mystique.
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The Reds need a sweep of the Padres. In the worst way. When glancing over the San Diego roster, “talented” is not the first word to come to mind. Their superstar player, Chase Headley, has been banged up and bruised all season, barely hitting above the Mendoza line. Yonder Alonso, yes, that Yonder Alonso is batting in the .160s without a home run. Outside of their ace Andrew Cashner and closer Huston Street, there is not a scary thing about them.
Even though they have been playing better baseball as of late, the Reds still sit two games below .500. Looking at the standings seriously does not even begin to cross my mind until mid-way through June, but with the Cardinals not storming out of the gates, now is the time to make up some ground.
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Alright, y’all, this was just a quick first edition. As days, weeks, months go on, I am sure the banter will increase.
Let’s talk though. Whether you want to do it here (keep it civil, por favor), Twitter, wherever, I wanna hear some thoughts and opinions, that is going to be the point of this every morning.
I thank y’all for taking the time out of your day to check in for just Another Borek Morning.