The Cincinnati Reds’ powerful offense is no secret The Reds wouldn't be a game out of first place in the NL Central because of their pitching.
Chicago fans should know their Cubs are sitting dead last in runs scored, on-base percentage and OPS — on-base percentage and slugging percentage added together — as well as almost 100 points behind the Milwaukee Brewers in slugging percentage.
The list continues … last in hits and second-worst to the Padres and Pirates in batting average (.247). Khalil Greene’s homer Sunday put the Padres just one behind the Cubs for last place in home runs. Albert Pujols went hitless and made an error in the Cardinals’ loss Sunday, showing he is human. With his 19 home runs, Pujols is gaining quickly on the Cubs’ total of 26.
Of course, the Brewers are leading the league in homers with 56 and OPS at .813. We all knew that would happen.
The Reds’ offense, on the other hand, has been a juggernaut in recent years. But the Cincinnati pitchers got served up for the highest ERA in the league last year.
It is nice to see Austin Kearns back to form this year, and Ken Griffey Jr.’s three-run walk-off blast Friday was exciting. Hope to see more of that this summer.
Since the Cubs are going to be home early this fall, I’d love to see Griffey Jr. playing in late September or October. Will that Reds offense have enough to make up for a below-average pitching staff? The Reds are on pace to score a club-record 886 runs, and a team-record 227 home runs so it could be enough.
The 1999 Reds scored 865 runs and it wasn’t enough to get them in the playoffs. That team won 96 games behind a high-powered offense and a 3.99 earned-run average, but manager Jack McKeon’s team lost to the Mets in a one-game playoff for the wild card.
The Cardinals have the top staff in the league again this year. The Cardinals will continue to slow down opposing offenses enough for Pujols, Edmonds and Rolen to drive in enough runs to win.
Two years ago on June 8, the Reds were still in first place and finished that season 76-86. Without any major injuries, the Reds will be in the playoff hunt.
Cincinnati General Manager Wayne Krivsky should be looking to deal away some of the offense for some pitching as he did before spring training with the Willy Mo Pena for Bronson Arroyo deal. Who might he get for Ken Griffey Jr.?
There’s only 22,000 fans showing up for Reds games, so far this season — five teams are worse in MLB — so it’s not like you’re going to outrage the masses by trading Junior. If the Yankees had any pitchers to deal, they would be the team to call after Hideki Matsui going down with a broken wrist. Randy Johnson has been referred to as a “lost little boy” in New York, but I’m not sure I’d make that trade if I were the Reds’ GM.
But I also wouldn’t count on Bronson Arroyo — or any other Reds pitcher — having a 2.03 ERA in August.
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“10 runs we can do it.” —Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder, who was born in Chicago but spent his high school years and after in San Diego, after singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at Sunday’s Cubs-Padres game at Wrigley Field. San Diego led 8-0 and won 9-0.
At the current rate, the Cubs should shoot for 10 runs this week.
--Pink bats work — Reds catcher Jason Larue hit his second homer of the year with a Rawlings pink bat that several big leaguers used Sunday to raise money for a breast cancer cure.
Craig Pearson can be reached by phone after 4 p.m. at (812) 231-4356 or by email at craig.pearson@tribstar.com.
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May 15, 2006
Given to Fly: Pujols, Cubs might be home run race to watch
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GIVEN TO FLY: Come to expect new standards of excellence
Records are definitely meant to be broken; athletes today are faster and stronger than those in the past in many endeavors in athletics.
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GIVEN TO FLY: ISU women have solid recruiting class
The caliber of athletes that the Indiana State women’s basketball coaching staff is bringing in is on an upswing.
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GIVEN TO FLY: Major leaguers John, Dorsett meet up at tonight’s game
Terre Haute’s only two big leaguers of the last 50 years — Tommy John and Brian Dorsett — will catch up with one another today.
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FOOT NOTES: Valley natives perform well on national stage
Several Wabash Valley natives continue to shine on the national track and field scene.
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'Til It's Over: Sycamores ‘in a good place,’ but searching for more in MVC
Can Teri Moren lift Indiana State, last year’s seventh-place team in the Missouri Valley Conference, to one of the league’s contenders in her first year on campus?
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'Til It's Over: Two sets of identical twins should keep North Central baseball a contender
The last high school baseball team standing in the Wabash Valley was the North Central, the Thunderbirds falling short 4-3 in the Class A Semistate on Saturday just one game shy of Victory Field.
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'Til It's Over: Jarvis, Anderson confident Olney, hard work leads to Division I dream
Olney, Ill., population 8,000-plus and known for its population of white squirrels, might not be the dream destination for high school basketball players in Indiana.
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'Til It's Over: Robinson 7-footer more focused in postseason; 6-foot Jones keeps producing
Robinson 7-footer Meyers Leonard is not going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA some day, but his odds of reaching the league are pretty solid if his game continues to evolve as it has during high school.
- 'Til It's Over: ‘Stepping stone’ game points Sycamores in right direction Whether the win comes against a top-25 team or a conference pushover, ending a four-game losing streak is always a relief.
- 'Til It's Over: Indianapolis ISU recruit rolling along in senior season As Indiana State recruit Anna Munn approached Christmas with the Decatur Central basketball team, the senior guard didn’t seem to need much of a wishlist.
- 'Til It's Over: Magic’s still there for '79 Sycamores For the former Indiana State players who visited the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in late November, the weekend was a chance to relive memories with teammates and see Larry Bird’s career with the Sycamores celebrated again.
- CRAIG PEARSON: North has strong history in cross country state finals Vigo County is home to just four IHSAA state championships in team sports. Most recently, Terre Haute South won girls titles in basketball (2002) and tennis (2001).
- 'Till It's Over: It’s been rough year but no need to break up Cubs' core Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry is only in the first year of a three-year contract, and aren’t back-to-back division championships enough to keep him around despite this year’s season filled with bad luck?
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'Til It's Over: Hansbrough, Hibbert give Pacers glimpse of future
You might have heard of the Indiana Pacers’ 2009 first-round draft pick. He was on the television once in a while during his four-year career at North Carolina.
- 'Til It's Over: Bertoli, Moore put on show in abundance of events “Anthony and Erica” may not have the marketing capability of “Dan and Dave,” but neither of Indiana State’s outstanding multi-event participants had let-down performances this weekend in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
- ‘Walking wounded’: ISU seniors return to provide spark All three ISU seniors will graduate in May, and all three will be in uniform today as Indiana State battles Bradley in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament quarterfinals.
- Given to Fly: Northview standout runner Thacker coming to ISU Doc Brown told an old-timer in a saloon in “Back to the Future III” that despite having automobiles in the future people run for recreation.
- Given to Fly: Schilli’s Rodman-like performance aids ISU With Indiana State’s women’s basketball team ranking eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference in field-goal percentage (36.5), the Sycamores need as many shot attempts as possible to maintain their standing on top of the league.
- Given to Fly: A classic in every sense of the word What tournament director and co-founder Gary Fears had in mind when creating the tournament came to fruition Tuesday. Marshall, with an enrollment of 438 students, became the smallest school to win the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic in the ninth season of the tourney.
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Given to Fly: ISU women should build confidence off strong outing
Indiana State did not pull off the monumental upset Saturday against No. 23 Kansas State, but the Wildcats are —aside from Connecticut in 2005 — the best team the Sycamores have played in the Jim Wiedie era.
- Given to Fly: ISU women's hoops team slides onto commercial radio Coach Jim Wiedie expects the Indiana State women’s basketball team to have a bit of a retro feel this season, meaning the Sycamores have the potential to get back to creating havoc with their full-court press.
- Given to Fly: ISU vets hope to prove pundits wrong Indiana State’s only two seniors were surprised to see they were picked ahead of just three Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball teams Tuesday morning.
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Footnotes: In first marathon, former Sycamore comes out a winner
Indiana State graduate Dani Prince made her debut in the event with a victory in the Columbus Marathon on Sunday.
Prince’s goal was a time under 2 hours and 50 minutes, and she ran a 2:48.56. -
Given To Fly: ISU volleyball turning things around
It was an extremely busy weekend for Indiana State athletics this weekend.
- Footnotes: Here’s hoping perfect weather is still around for Nationals in November The weather made for a perfect fall afternoon Saturday at LaVern Gibson Championship Course. For what it’s worth, the Farmer’s Almanac calls for more sunny conditions from Nov. 20-24, with the NCAA Championships falling on the 24th this year.
- Terre Haute natives cherish memories of ‘House that Ruth Built’ Yankee Stadium was packed as usual on Easter Sunday in 1979. George Steinbrenner’s Yankees were one loss away from being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers to start the season. That was no way for the two-time defending World Series champions to perform, so the boss had a conversation with his new veteran left-handed starting pitcher prior to the game.
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Footnotes: Oregon men and women have strangehold on preseason NCAA cross countryrankings
The Oregon men and women were almost both unanimous picks as the No. 1 teams in the nation in the preseason cross country national rankings released recently.
- Given to Fly: Bronze medalist has strong ISU ties One of the remarkable American medalists of this 2008 Olympics thus far also provided one of the most sparkling stories in the brief history of the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course here in Terre Haute.
- Former ISU QB gets back to Amarillo This week, Indiana State signed its most highly-touted football prospect in years, and former quarterback Julian Reese is ripping it up for the Amarillo Dusters of Arena2.
- Indiana State track sending strong group to NCAA regional Three sophomore women and three senior men lead a large Indiana State contingent of track and field athletes into the NCAA Mideast Regional this weekend at Fayetteville, Ark.
- More Given to Fly Headlines
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GIVEN TO FLY: Come to expect new standards of excellence
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Today in History May 25
High Wire Spectacle Thrills Crowd in Austria
Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
Britain Braces for Possible Copycat Attacks
Bus Fire Kills 16 Children, Teacher in Pakistan
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
ShowBiz Minute: Shelton, King, Lopez
Raw: Gay Rights Activists March in Ukraine
Obama:Sexual Assault Threatens Trust in Military
Today in History May 24
Raw: Memorial Day Flags Placed at Arlington
New Wheelchair Lift Promises More Access
A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
Raw: Apple 1 Computer Sells for More Than $650k
Young protestor goes viral on Youtube
Toronto Mayor says he's not a crack head
Maine island offers lighthouse getaway
Should We Prepare for Quakes?
Lynn Kindergarten Class Rescues Ducklings
Congressional gold medal awarded to civil rights heroes
Charles Ramsey visits Kentucky
Unique Display Greets Guests At Revel Casino
Cape Cod Train Service Worries Residents
BASE jumper rides snowmobile off cliff to honor dead friend
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
SHOCKING: School Guard Throws Girl Down Stairs
Star Wars X-Wing Star Fighter Made of Legos
Actress Amanda Bynes Arrested in New York
Singer Psy Has An Imposter
President Obama Heckled at National Security Speech
Morgan Freeman falls asleep on air
