Jan 19, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; After learning of his passing fans begin a memorial at the Stan Musial statue at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

It is now just about two weeks until the pitchers and catchers report to camp in Arizona. It is time for all of the baseball fans who are not NFL fans to come out of hibernation. Another long hot summer awaits.

The off-season can be a trying time for baseball writers. We are forced to be creative to find something that can help pull us through to Spring Training. Fellow writer Jordan Barhorst bides the time away playing Out of the Park baseball game. I use to play MVP baseball but haven’t in a while. Now I gripe at the dog and curse the TV commercials.

With the recent deaths of Stan Musial and Earl Weaver, I find myself thinking about how the game is now and how it was.

Baseball has a meaning all its own. It is universal, but not everyone’s meaning is the same. For example Baseball to a wife may mean that her husband will be watching TV for about eight months straight. To a little kid it might mean playing a game of sandlot with some friends.

What senses does the word trigger? What do you see? What do you feel? Can you hear the vrndors?

I want to take a few minutes and share with you what Baseball does mean to me.You can add your own when I am finished.

Baseball means the wonderful fragrance of freshly cut grass at the ball field.

Baseball is reading a book about Lou Gehrig called “The Iron Horse.”

Baseball means getting Al Kaline‘s autograph at DC Stadium in Washington.

Baseball is me thinking Dick Radatz was so big in the sixties (6-5, 235).

Baseball is me wondering what that path was for between the mound and home plate.

Baseball means waiting for the Sunday paper so you could see batting averages and other stats.

Baseball is the terrace at Crosley Field.

Baseball is Stan “the man” Musial hitting five homers in a doubleheader.

Baseball is southpaw Harvey Haddix pitching a perfect game for 12 innings before losing 1-0 in the 13th.

Baseball is watching the original Home Run Derby on Saturday nights on TV. Mark Scott was the host and he had two power hitters facing off each week. The winner came back until he was beaten. The first guy batted in the first inning, he played until he got three outs. An out was any pitch that was swung at and not a home run. Even if the ump called a strike on a pitch it was an out. They would rotate until the game was over.

Baseball is me watching a game in ’62 on TV and seeing a no-namer like Purnal Goldy of the Detroit Tigers hit two of his three career home runs.

Baseball is me leaving elementary school early so I could catch the World Series on TV with my Dad. They played during the daytime in the old days.

Baseball is going by Claude’s Place and picking up a pack of baseball cards for a quarter. There were five cards in there and the quintessential piece of gum. I can smell it right now. True story. I bought five packs one time and got four Eddie Kasko‘s.

Baseball is Dave Debusschere pitching for the Tigers after the basketball season. He was also a forward with the Pistons.

Baseball is Hank Aaron being referred to as a “wrist hitter”.

Baseball is Roger Maris beating Babe Ruth‘s home run record fueled by 3-packs of camels a day, no steroids.

Baseball is Aaron hitting No. 715 off Al Downing to pass Ruth on the All-time HR list. Both players had No. 44 on their uniform.

Baseball is southpaw Masanori Murakami pitching for the San Francisco giants as the first Japanese player in MLB history with no fanfare.

Baseball is thinking Pete LaCock had the coolest name in the league.

Baseball is two All-Star games in a summer (’59 – ’61).

Baseball is eight teams in the AL and eight in the NL. No playoffs. Win pennant or go home.

Baseball is Don Drysdale pitching high and tight to Frank Robinson. Low bridge!

Baseball is Pete Rose running out a base on balls.

Baseball is a starting pitcher completing the game.

Baseball is wondering exactly when Richie Allen became Dick Allen.

Baseball is Denny McLain winning 31 games in 1968, winning Cy Young award and in ’69 becoming only the second man in history (at the time) to win back-to-back CYA.

Baseball thinking how big and mean Bob Gibson looked although he was only 6-1, 189.

Baseball is listening to Waite Hoyt broadcast a Reds ballgame on the radio while he gets jacked up on Hudepohl.

Baseball is Pitcher Juan Marichal taking a bat to the head of John Roseboro in 1965

Baseball is Charlie Finley not signing Don Sutton because he didn’t have a cool nickname.

Baseball is the Green Monster in Fenway Park.

Baseball is the ivy covering the walls in Wrigley Field.

Baseball is playing a board game called Strat-O-Matic.

Baseball is Pete Rose bowling over catcher Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-star game.

Baseball is me putting a curse on Bowie Kuhn (I hope he rests in peace) and Charlie Finley (may he rest in peace)  for making All-star and World Series games to be played  under the lights.

Baseball is saying a premature goodbye to the great Roberto Clemente.

Baseball is the Houston Astros uniforms looking like they came from a beer softball league.

Baseball is Curt Schilling‘s bloody sock.

Baseball is Roger Clemens saying he doesn’t give a “rat’s ass” about the Hall of Fame.

Baseball is thinking that Sean Penn could play Khalil Greene if they made a movie about him.

Baseball is thinking that Will Smith should play Robinson Cano if they make a movie about him.

Baseball is thinking that the American Psycho, Christian Bale could play Homer Bailey.

Baseball is Lyman Bostock being at the wrong place at the right time.

Baseball is thinking how cool the Pittsburgh Pirates looked with their 18 combination color coordinated uniforms in 1979.

Baseball is me putting a curse on the Player’s Union for striking in 1981.

Baseball is the Atlanta Braves (America’s team) being the only team to have cable coverage of all their games.

Baseball is me putting a curse on Bart Giamati (wish I could take that one back) for levying a lifetime ban on Rose, preventing him from consideration to the Hall of Fame.

Baseball is me putting a curse on the Player’s Union for striking in 1994. I quit the game completely until 2006.

OK now I am bummed. It can get like that, cause all memories are not necessarily the best ones. But, you know what? There are much more Lou Gehrig’s, Stan Musial‘s and Hank Aaron’s than there are Roger Clemens and Juan Marichal’s.

What is your story? What is baseball to you?

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Read more of my work on my MLB blog.

With the Reds 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, the sun has set on the month of June.  Entering Saturday’s game, Joey Votto was hitting .404 with an OBP of .500 for the month.  He finished 0-3, Saturday, before leaving the game with inflammation in his left knee.  The Reds removed him as a precautionary measure.

Still, it was one of the best months of Joey Votto‘s career.  After hitting .392 and posting an OPS of 1.181, Votto is among the players favored to win the NL Player of the Month.   It isn’t the first time Votto has contended for the award.  Votto made his major league debut in September, 2007.  Since then, he’s accrued 28 months of Major League service.  The following table illustrates the six best single-month performances of Votto’s young career:

Joey Votto‘s Best Single-Month Performances

How good was Votto this month?

For comparison, I analyzed the statistics of every Cincinnati Red to win the NL Player of the Month since 1958.  A Reds player has won the award thirty-two times since its inception.  Pete Rose and George Foster each won the award five times in a Reds uniform.  Eric Davis won it four times.  Joe Morgan won it three times.  Jay Bruce is the only current Red to win the NL Player of the Month.  He won it in May, 2011.  How does Votto’s June performance stack up?

Best Single-Month Performances Since 1958

I scored the performances using a simple formula:  Production Score = (Runs + RBI’s) x OPS.

Using that formula, Votto’s month of June ranks 19th among the NL Player of the Month winning Reds performances since 1958.  Despite not winning the NL Player of the month, Votto’s August 2011 ranks 15th on the list.  Despite a higher OPS, Votto was edged out by Dan Uggla in August, 2011 for NL Player of the Month.

(Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE)

Greatest Months in Reds History

Frank Robinson was responsible for the greatest single-month in Reds history.  In July, 1961, Robinson hit 13 homeruns, scored 31 runs, drove in 34 runs, hit .409 and posted an OPS of 1.353.  Robinson’s production score was 14 points higher than the next highest challenger (Eric Davis /May, 1987).  The Reds were 18-12 during Robinson’s hot spell, in his sixth major league season.  Robinson finished the 1961 season with 117 R, 124 RBI, 37 HR, .323 BA, and a 1.015 OPS.  He won the NL MVP Award in that season.

Eric Davis put together an incredible month of May in 1987, his fourth major league season.  Davis hit 12 homeruns, scored 23 runs, drove in 36 runs, hit .323 and posted an OPS of 1.246 in May, 1987.  The Reds were 12-10 over this period.  Despite missing 32 games, Davis finished the 1987 season with 120 R, 100 RBI, 37 HR, .293 BA and an OPS of .991.  He also stole 50 bases.  It was his most productive season in a Red uniform.

George Foster had a huge month in June, 1977.  Foster hit 9 homeruns, scored 30 runs, drove in 38 runs, hit .333 and posted an OPS of 1.023.  Amazingly, the Reds were 11-18 in June, 1977.  Foster finished the season with 124 R, 149 RBI, 52 homeruns, .320 BA, and an OPS of 1.013.  Foster won the NL MVP Award in 1977.

Mr. Consistency

It is interesting to note that Votto put together consecutive stand-out months in May and June.  During that time, the Reds were 32-23.

Votto’s consistency has been remarkable, throughout his career.  Votto has failed to hit .280 over the course of a calendar month only five times.

Whether Votto wins the NL Player of the Month or not, his importance to the Reds cannot be understated.  Fortunately, Votto’s injury is not considered to be serious.  “Last night sliding into third base, I jammed it a little bit,” Votto said.  “Today, I tried to play through it and it started acting up.”

Votto will likely get the day off Sunday.  “We’ll have to see,” Votto said.  “I certainly didn’t feel good.  I don’t see why this should linger.  There is nothing structural.  It’s an instance where last night… it happens sliding sometimes.  Today with the short turnaround, it lingered a little bit.  I will be fine.”

Let’s hope so.

Follow me on Twitter:  @Suer_Rat

In his Friday column, Rolen is Rollin’ Along As Planned, Hal McCoy recounts his recent conversation with Joey Votto and Johnny Bench about whether Bench is the greatest Reds player of all-time.   So, for your enjoyment, I have combined brackets with baseball.  The following “tournament” pits thirty-two of the greatest baseball players in Reds history against each other in a single elimination contest.  There are four regions:  Sarasota, Plant City, Tampa, and Goodyear.  Each Regional winner will earn Final Four berths.

The selection committee — yours truly — worked very hard to put the most deserving players in the tournament.  Nonetheless, I have already received a significant amount of criticism.  Joe Nuxhall, Jack Billingham, Leo Cardenas, Don Gullett, Jose Rijo, Tom Browning and Pedro Borbon didn’t make the field.  The most notable player “on the bubble,” however, was — of course — Bubbles Hargraves.

Also, the committee only considered modern era players.  Nothing against Harry Wright and Bid McPhee, but their “strength of schedule” was just too weak for consideration.

Joey Votto made it.  His career .955 OPS is the highest in Reds history ahead of Frank Robinson, Adam Dunn, and Joe Morgan.  He already has an MVP Award on his resume.

Brandon Phillips made it.  He is only 28 homeruns behind Joe Morgan among Reds secondbasemen.

Both Griffeys made it.  Also in are Wally Post, Dolph Luque, Dave Parker, Mario Soto, Sean Casey, Heine Groh, and Gus Bell.  Adam Dunn was the last player in.  His 270 homeruns and .370 OBP were just too much to ignore.

The four #1 seeds were Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Frank Robinson, and Joe Morgan.  Edd Roush, Tony Perez, Barry Larkin, and Dave Concepcion earned #2 seeds.   Eight pitchers made it.  Six members of the Big Red Machine are in the field.

Goodyear and Sarasota

Ted Kluszewski lost a very close second round matchup to Dave Concepcion.  Concepcion, a great defensive shortstop, bested Big Klu’s Reds totals in both runs and RBI’s.

Concepcion was the only player in the Elite Eight that is not a member of Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame.  Concepcion lost narrowly in the Regional Championship game to his double-play partner, Joe Morgan.  Morgan won two NL MVP Awards.

Frank Robinson defeated Tom Seaver in the second round.  Tom Seaver’s career with the Reds only lasted six seasons.  Otherwise, he may have had a shot at Robinson.

Vada Pinson scored more runs, as a Red, than Tony Perez.  Perez overcame the early deficit, however, to win out.  His homerun and RBI totals, as a Red, were significantly higher than Pinson’s.  Here are the rest of the Goodyear and Sarasota results:

Goodyear and Sarasota Regionals

Plant City and Tampa

Pete Rose won a first round blowout against The Big Cobra.  Parker dogged it for most of the game.  Rose, on the other hand, hustled to the very end.

In what could be considered an upset, Frank McCormick won over a far more athletic Eric Davis.  The difference?  Davis hit .271 and struck out  874 times during his Reds career.  McCormick hit .301 and struck out just 149 times.

Eppa Rixey, defeated Ken Griffey, Jr. after Griffey injured his hamstring early in the first round matchup.

Barry Larkin won a close one against George Foster.  Larkin hit for a higher average and stole 379 bases to Foster’s 46.  Not to mention, Larkin was a very good defensive shortstop who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer.  Both players won MVP Awards.  Here are the rest of the Plant City and Tampa results:

Plant City and Tampa Regionals

The four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four.  Johnny Bench and Pete Rose will challenge each other on one side of the bracket.  Frank Robinson and Joe Morgan will do battle in the other contest.  Who will advance to the final game and ultimately win the tournament?  You decide.  Tweet your choice using the hashtag #Redsbracket.

Like what you’re reading? Stay up-to-date on all things Reds by following Blog Red Machine on Twitter (@blogredmachine). Also, please take a minute and “Like” our page on Facebook!  Please follow me on Twitter at @Suer_Rat.

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