Gomes Cleans Up Pretty Good

Jonny did PTown proud today.  3-for-4 batting clean-up with 3 RBIs. He worked a bases loaded walk out of an 0-2 count. Off a RHP. Sweet.  But the highlight of the game was his defense.  Yep, you read that right.  He made a sliding catch with two out and two on to end the 9th with the Astros threatening.  Take a look.  That's two days in a row that the guy who "can't play defense" was the defensive talk of the town. 

Gomes Puts A Charge In His First At Bat For The Reds

Scorched a double on his first pitch as a Red in an 8th inning pinch hit appearance in a tied game.  Dusty inserted speedy Chris Dickerson as a pinch runner who became the go ahead run when rookie infielder busted an 0-14 streak, driving in the run with a double of his own. 

Way to light a fire under 'em Jonny!

Gomes Tries To Prevent Bats From Caving

Aye yae yae.  Or however you spell it.  The AAA Louisville Bats have lost seven straight and dropped from a cushy Division lead to 1.5 games out.  Through it all, Jonny Gomes is on fire.  Again.  Absolutely killin' left handed pitching.  He's hitting .387 vs lefties and a respectable .247 vs righties.  His .935 OPS (1.403 vs LHP) is 7th in the league and his .578 SLG is 5th in the International League. Gomes leads the Bats in hits (36), HR (9), RBI(27), total bases (74) and one other category we won't mention cuz you surely know what it is and I don't wanna talk about it.

With Cincinnati dropping to 4.5 games out in the NL Central, the "Free Jonny Gomes" chants have begun in earnest.  And Alice In Chains' "The Rooster" is high on everyone's play list.  While Cincinnati's Tavaras and Nix have gotten it done in the outfield but lack power for the Reds, Dickerson, McDonald and Hairston have been rather underwhelming.  The only one hitting well against lefties is McDonald (.300) but he's only .059 vs RHP. No power and no stolen bases.  This trio isn't making up for it with defense either, combining for 5 errors. 1B Joey Votto has missed several games with undiagnosed dizziness forcing Rosales to slide over. The team may need someone that can play an occasional 1B off the bench until we know what's up with Votto whose production is sorely missed.

Time to get back in this thing.  Free Jonny Gomes.

CUP O' JO: Friday, April 24th

I admit it.  Dusty dispatched PTown's Pro Jonny Gomes to the AAA Louisville Bats and I became cranky.  No wishing to share my foul mood with ya'll and stir up bad karma, I threw myself into fundraising mode and conjured up monetary mojo instead. Now that 25 raffle winners have gone home happy and Casa Grande Baseball's coffers are replenished, I'm in better spirits.  And back in Cup O' Jo mode.  Let's see how the PTown Area Pros are faring three weeks into the season.

JONNY GOMES (OF, Louisville Bats, AAA Cincinnati Reds Organization) 
Gomes pounded the ball the first half of Spring Training.  He seemed a lock to make the team.  The Reds even put him through a 1st base boot camp in an attempt to create some roster flexibility.  A few weeks before Opening Day, Jonny's bat became unproductive as the Reds broke camp in a teamwide slump that may have finally bottomed out this week. At the roster deadline, Cincy decided to make Gomes an Opening Day Outfielder in AAA Louisville.  He started out well enough, but his bat went from unproductive to downright uncooperative.  Longtime fans know that he is prone to awe inspiring streaks of greatness and gut wrenching slumps. Happily, Jonny started hitting this week. With a 3-for-4 day at the plate yesterday, Gomes is now batting .262 with 2 doubles, a triple and a home run and a stolen base.  Yesterday's big win moved Louisville into a tie with Toldeo for the International League West Division lead 1.5 games in front of Indianapolis. They play "pants high" every day in Louisville and it's just not very Gomesian.  Hit your way outta that place Jonny. Remarkably, the 9-6 Reds have won 8 of the last 11 games while hitting at the bottom of the Majors with a .229 average. They were happy to hand the "worst hitting team" distinction to the Diamondbacks yesterday.   The Reds are in second place, 1.5 games back of MLB's best hitting team, the St. Louis Cardinals, batting .303.  Pitching and defense I guess.

Check back in a day or two for a look at Brandon Morrow's season so far.  He's back to a closer role with the Seattle Mariners and doin' fine.

Over the next week, we'll also check up on PTown's other Pros including Joey Gomes (Joliet Jackhammers - Northern League IND), Konrad Schmidt (Visalia Rawhide, High A, Diamondbacks Organization) and Tommy Everidge (Midland Rockhounds, AA, Oakland Athletics Organization).  A few of  PTowns up-and-comers are having terrific seasons including DJ Gentile (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) and Samantha Banister (University of Arizona Wildcats).  Stay tuned...

Fowl Ball!

A pair of perplexing roster moves were made in professional baseball yesterday.  In support of the PTown talent that has been temporarily sidetracked, I propose we fry up some Fowl Balls at the Casa Grande vs. Petaluma game tomorrow afternoon on Bob Leslie Field.  Award Winning Poultry Plated in Protest is so very Petaluma, don't you think?  Lightly breaded turkey "parts" dusted with a little cayenne pepper.  Take that Dusty Baker, ya big turkey! 

They'd be a sure fire hit on Santa Rosan Guy Fieri's “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” show on Food Network.  A great way for a PTown Snack Shack posing as a DD&D to break onto the scene.  

If you're wondering what's got PTown's pheathers all phlustered, grab a hanky and a beer and keep reading.

Not only was PTown's Jonny Gomes pruned from the Red's 25 man for Opening Day, he was passed over for the 40 man as well.  Got to tell you I did not see that coming. Especially in light of a well placed "little bird" twittering into the ear of a Hall Of Fame reporter that Gomes had made the team a few weeks back.  I worried that his near drought of hits the last ten days of Camp might bump him to the longer list.  I sure didn't think leading the team in home runs and co-owning the RBI title at the end of Spring Training would be rewarded with a Major League pink slip.  Guess it doesn't pay to be an aircraft carrier engine in a fleet of jet skis.  Guess the Reds are 100% committed to small ball and defensive excellence.  Sometimes it's nice to get runs two or three at a time and the club is pretty light in their ability to do that on any given day.  We'll have to see how well that works out for them.

Phurther perturbing PTownFan (and REALLY fowling her mood) is the Detroit Tigers' Organization.  Seems our perfectly delightful and multi-talented Louis Ott was lacking some ingredient considered essential to the Powers That Be.  TigsTown.com is reporting that Sweet Lou's services are no longer needed. We'll have an ear to the ground to see where he turns up... because he will turn up in Pro Ball somewhere.

Seven stages of grief.  I am a bit stuck on "Anger" but looking to move toward "Acceptance".  Cooking has always been very therapeutic for me ;-)

The Little Bird Is A Big Turkey

Several weeks a ago, a "little bird" told Dayton Daily News reporter, Hank McCoy that Jonny Gomes had made the team.  But the Powers That Be had a change of heart and have gone another direction.  More later.  Once the Stresstab kicks in.

Update:  Here's Dusty's official explanation...  CF Tavarez is sick, and a little hurt, so they need a CF with McDonald getting the nod.  He's told Jonny to go to Louisville and focus on hitting, not just slugging.  Cincinnati and much of America's heartland is left scratching their heads on how Nix makes the roster and Gomes does not.  Yes Nix is a lefty off the bench but when hitting well below the Mendoza, doesn't seem like that's saying much. Both Hairston and Dickerson are injury prone so there are likely to be opportunities in Cincy if Jonny decides to accept the assignment to Louisville.

I'm Seeing Red...

 ... about the mere possibility that Gary Sheffield might bump PTown's Gomes from the 25 man roster on Opening Day.  It's more than a rumor.  Dusty and Sheff are "homies" once removed.  Oh puh-lee-uzz! I'll arrange you a ride in someone else's Lamborghini. Room for your a$$ and a pint of ga$ really doesn't seem your style Dusty.

The Rays didn't go from Worst To First last season by picking up every hot hitting has been off the cutting room floor.  The artfully stitched together a group of personalities and talents.  Together, they created a critical mass that exceeded the sum of what anyone expected of them this time last year. Intangibles, arguably, carried them all the way to the World Series.

So... Dusty...  Don't do this thing. Use your network to find the guy a job.  But not in Cincinnati. Or Louisville for that matter.

PTown's got your back Jonny.

And Then There Were 33...

...Redlegs left in camp.  And PTown's Jonny Gomes is among them despite a rather cool week at the plate.  Let's all conjur up some good karma for #31.  Would be nice to see him hit 'em where they ain't this week and nail down a roster spot with a swagger and plenty of momentum going into the regular season.  The Reds trimmed the roster sending two competitors for the LF spot to AAA (where there is probably only room for one).  Chris Dickerson has kept up the pace all Spring and appears to be a lock as the starter patrolling left field for the Reds on Opening Day.

Meanwhile, Rohnert Park's Brandon Morrow has announced that he will be returning to the bullpen not to build strength and return to the rotation later this spring (last week's speculation), but to be the Mariners' closer. There was some chatter last week that Brandon might start the season in the AAA Tacoma rotation and return to Seattle as a starter once he developed "starter stamina" so I've been waiting to see which way it was gonna go. Personally, I think it's all a grand conspiracy.  A back room deal struck by Billy Beane  who knows that with Morrow as a closer, North Bay baseball fans will have to buy tickies to more than one game in Oakland to improve their chances of seeing Morrow on the mound.  No word on the Players To Be Named Later that Seattle is poised to receive at the Trade Deadline, but hopefully it includes at least half of the truckload of guys pencilled in for 1B.  Gotta make some room for Sonoma's Tommy Everidge! Or maybe Billy will engineer a blockbuster three-way with the Giants to deliver Lincecum back to the embrace of his hometown homies.

But for an actual account of what's really gonna happen, Tim Smith (AP Sports) and Dead Cats' Bounce dig into the nitty gritty.

A Very Big Little Bird Says Gomes Is On Opening Day Roster

Hal McCoy, Dayton Daily News, is reporting that Jonny Gomes has made the team. Sweet.  Attaboy Jonny.  Fire those boys up and put the fun back in Reds Baseball for legions of fans long overdue for some post-season thrills.  Who is Hal McCoy?  A Hall Of Fame reporter who has been covering the Reds for 36 years, the longest tenure for any active writer covering one team.  Gotta think peeps from his peops are pretty pearlacious.

If you're a PTowner that needs to get up to speed on the Reds, heres a "who's who" and "who's where" that covers the bases pretty well, so to speak.  We don't have much time before Opening Day.  If you want to get in uniform maybe we can get a volume discount on Reds caps ;-)  Or throwback jerseys that free our guns =)

Klu Review Redlegs Fans?

I'll bet you a hot dog and a beer that if Jonny Gomes makes the Reds squad, he'll be doing a  "Ted Kluszewski"  on Throw-Back Jersey Day.  Check this guy out.  He was a wee bit before my time but research confirms the flashed more than a fleshy forearm to get the most out of his massive swing.

Four time allstar Kluszewski, 6'-2" and 240 pounds, said the sleeves of his uniform constricted his biceps and shoulders, interfering with with his swing. 

So he ditched 'em.

If anyone would dare bare the guns on a Major League diamond as a cap tip to a former Reds Great, it's Gomes.  I do believe that Jonny is also the only Red in Camp that shares Kluszewski's distinction of surviving a heart attack.  Uniquely qualified.  No word on whether Klu sported an occasional mohawk under his cap but Gomes clearly has him beat in tattoos per square inch.

In 1955, Klu hit 47 homers while striking out only 40 times. I'll bet the front office decided not to mess with that mojo much.  No player since him has hit 40 homers and struck out 40 or fewer times in the same season. Wikipedia tells us that Barry Bonds missed duplicating this feat by one strikeout in 2004.  Now there's some mojo a front office shoulda messed with.

While UnderAmour cradles Major League musculature in considerably more comfort in the 21st century, many major leaguers still modify the heck out of their base layer on a hot day.  Or forego it completely when repping their team at a Professional Wrestling Match.

Or the optional Spring Training "Flexibility Is Your Friend" Yoga sessions.

Yep.  A hot dog and a beer says Reds Fans will see a Klu Review on Throwback Jersey Day 2009.

Tower Of Power...

To those who don't care about scores or win/loss records in "pretend" Spring Training games, cover your eyes and stick your thumbs in your ears like you do when CNN brings you live Olympic updates from around the globe three hours before you want to see 'em.

NEWSFLASH:  The 2009 Cincinnati Reds won a game with a lot of small ball and their 4th grand slam Spring Training this afternoon. Here's a nice little recap by Slyde at The Red Reporter but since it's light on the PTown Pro's contribution, I'll tack my iPhone report onto his eye witness report. 

PTown's Gomes pinch hit for Alex Gonzalez in the 7th, wore a pitch, and worked it to third base on a pickoff attempt throwing error.  Gomes then scored on a Craig Tatum sac fly to give the Reds a two run lead. The Bucs tied it up in T9.  With two outs in the bottom of the 9th Jonny hit a two out single off of... ahem... another RHP... to get something started.  He was replaced by a pinch runner. A walk and a wild pitch later, the bases were loaded for Dickerson who grounded to first, forcing extra innings.  The Pirates scored in the top of the 10th making the score 6-5.  Cincy lead off the bottom of the 10th with a double  followed by a walk.  Danny Richar advanced the runners with a sac bunt and Pittsburgh intentionally walked Kevin Barker in light of his earlier home run in the 6th.  That jammed the bags for Darnell "who" McDonald.   McDonald rose to the occasion with a grand slam walk-off to right field and continues to be hard to ignore in the contest for a roster spot.

Nice work guys.  I think you'll be fun to watch this year. This is how it starts.

OK you curmudgeons baseball purists can uncover your eyes and pull your thumbs out of your ears now.  The rest of us have had our moment ;-)

Power Surge In Cincinnati

Photo: DayLife Images

Well Woo-Dee-Hoo! That's what an opposite field grand slam looks like.  Pearlacious!

PTown's Gomes hit a grand slam upon entering the game in the 7th against the Red Sox today, scoring what proved to be the winning run. The Reds went ahead 9-2 on the effort and the bullpen promptly tried to give it all back. Final score, Reds 9, Sox 8.  For a team trying to generate runs with smallball this spring training, they continue to knock a lot of balls over the fence. 

Yesterday Gomes generated the Red's only offense. Today his power stroke won the game.  Batting .400, leading the team in RBIs and showing some defensive versatility. Like what you see Dusty?

Time to start paying attention to some other teams.  The Rays are off to a wobbly start in Spring Training (3-4) while Seattle, who could just conjure up a 2009 World Series Crown, is the only unbeaten team (4-0).  The Rays' bats are coming to life though.  With the WBC diluting the Spring Training rosters, we can't get too excited either way until the regular lineups take the field.  That said, the WBC seems to be a blessing in disguise for Jonny giving him lots of at bats and defensive opportunities.  Better start scouting tickets at AT&T PTown.

Gomes Golden In Career 1B Debut

The World Baseball Classic induced a none to classic lineup for the Reds today. With Joey Votto off to Team Canada, PTown's Jonny Gomes made his first start ever at 1B.  Not even in Little League, where he was a itty bitty yet fearsome catcher, had Jonny played first base.  Longtime Little League umpire Donny Armstrong remembers being introduced to the ten year old catcher and asking his manager, "Where's the rest of him?"

Whoda thunk it way back then?  That pint sized catcher made it to The Show. And his team made it to the World Series.

Happily, he rocked at first base today with a handful of plays at first, at least one unassisted, and a 4-6-3 doubleplay feather in the cap. Offensively, he singled in his first at bat and hit a sac fly to drive in the game's first... and the Reds' only run. He worked 5 innings at first before Barker replaced him in the 6th and the Reds bullpen gave up two runs to lose the game.

Today's Pearls of Wisdom:

1)  Practice Teamwork

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2) Stay focused on your job.  (Even if you're not completely sure what you're doing.)

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because

3) Nothing is impossible.

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From Hal McCoy at the Dayton Daily News:

"WITH JOEY VOTTO gone to play for the Canadian team in the WBC, Baker begins a test to see who can play first base and who can’t.The first candidate Monday was Jonny Gomes, an outfielder by trade, but a man looking for a job and willing to do whatever it takes. “Now is the time to check it out with everybody, while Votto is gone,” said Baker. “He has worked out over there with Votto and (infield coach) Chris Speier.”

Gomes said it is a new adventure.

“No, I’ve never played there and we’re soon going to find out if I can,” he said. “We’re going to find out in a hurry. It’ll be a big yes or a big no. But Bake (Baker) asked if I’d try it and I said, ‘Heck, yeah. Maybe it’ll help me make the team.’ “

Never is so yesterday.  Go Jonny Go.

Gomes Makes Nice Grab In Spring Training Opener

In 2002 San Francisco Giant JT Snow prevented a bulldozering of Dusty Baker's young son Darren at the plate by David Bell.

AP Photo

Yesterday, it was not an airborn bat boy that drew a gasp from the crowd, but rather, the lumber itself.  

CF Willy Taveras, the Reds lead off hitter, obviously played a lot of Wii Baseball during the offseason and became overly reliant on the nunchuck wrist strap to save his 60 inch plasma from the carnage of his destructive swing.  Wednesday, in the first at bat of the Reds Grapefruit League season, Willy fouled off a pitch down the right field line. And sent his bat helicoptering into the Reds dugout. 

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Cincinnati Enquirer

There's no need to fear.  Underdog is here.

You guessed it.  PTowns pro with a penchant for the perverbial photo op plucked the pinwheeling plank out of mid-air with his bare hand.  No word on the number of teammates that ran for cover or ducked behind the rail but you can bet the Rays were pleased their spanking new facility escaped without a scratch.

James Borchuck via Bugs and Cranks

Cincinnati fans seem non-plussed by this act of heroism while the blogs are abuzz in Tampa Bay.  Clearly it will take a Spring Training record along the lines of the Rays 2008 18-8-2 to put a little love in Redleg fans' hearts.  PTown's Pollyanna will do what she can to lighten the mood from time to time.  It worked once for a low budget team in Tampa. Let's see what the power of positive thinking can do for Cincinnati. Gotta believe.

Juicy Win For Cincy In Grapefruit League Opener

I know it's only Spring Training but boy those Reds cracked a can of whoop-ass today in their 7-0 shutout of the Rays. Jerry Hairston, Jr. smacked a grandslam in the 5th and Reds pitching was impressive giving up only 4 hits to Tampa Bay's 14.

Dusty stayed with his starting lineup into the 5th while the Rays made the usual early Spring Training substitutions.  Gomes was inserted as a defensive sub at Left Field in the 5th and got a big cheer from Rays fans. He flied to RF on the first pitch of the 6th and later grounded to third in the 8th on a 1-2 or 2-2 pitch. My audio was a bit crackly but I don't think he saw any action in LF.  Early in the game, starter Chris Dickerson made what sounded like a very impressive play out there.  I've learned not to get too excited about those. Too many times the video highlights turn what sounded like a great play into one that was more dramatic than it needed to be ;-)   Here's the box.

This pic has no connection to the game.  But I liked it anyway.  The life expectancy of an Outfield Egret is much longer than the brave ones that hang out around the plate.

Reds May Carry 5 or 6 Outfielders

According to Cincinnati Reds Beat Writer Mark Sheldon, the team may carry 5 or 6 outfielders.  That would mean there's room for all of those competing for the starting LF spot including Jonny Gomes.  Dusty is getting dusted up pretty good in most of the blogs about his commitment to rehabbing the careers of players coming off a bad year.  Reading the Reds blogs this spring reminds me a lot of being a Rays fan two years ago.  Not much optomism. Here's hoping that Jocketty and Baker's hunches make Tiggers out of Eeyores in 2009.  It would be a lot more fun to watch.

Jonny will patrol Right Field in Tuesday's intersquad scrimmage as a member of the Visiting Team as Chris Dickerson (his job to lose) and Jerry Hairston, Jr get the nod in LF as the tryout commences. The Reds play the Rays in Wednesday's Spring Training Opener. Go Jonny Go.

Cincinnati Reds Season Preview

Fans of PTowns Jonny Gomes are probably hoping for an insightful an in-depth analysis of the Reds upcoming season from yours truly.  Fortunately for you, I'm into "The Three R's"... Reduce (amaturish analyses), Reuse (perfectly good ones written by someone else) and Recycle (refer back to them frequently when getting up to speed on a team you haven't paid attention to since Pete Rose was diving head first into home).  So let's reduce our e-footprint and dub this overview on the Cincinnati Reds MLB site our Official Pearls of Wisdom Pre-Season Primer on The Big Red Machine.  Kudos to Mark Sheldon at MLB.com.

The article lays out Jonny's challenge to make the major league roster in an increasingly crowed field of contenders for that starting LF job.  Two more guys in about the same boat as Jonny were signed to Minor League deals last week so he's got his work cut out for him. Go Jonny Go.  You've been there before.

Gomes Finds A Home

PTown's Jonny Gomes has a new home.  The St. Pete Times announced a few hours ago that he signed an incentive laden minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds.  He also got a Spring Training invite and has a shot at the starting Left Field job if he dazzles 'em this spring.  The Reds have been bargain hunting shopping for another outfielder and there has long been chatter around PTown that Jonny would be a great fit.  No doubt, there were many toasts to Jonny's new contract at his bachelor party this weekend.  Always nice to know where your next paycheck is coming from when making a lifestyle change.

Jonny may get to play in AT&T Park afterall.  Billy Beane... you blew it big guy.  Garlic fries it is.  Don't make the same mistake with Tommy Everidge.  Fremont is a   l-o-n-g   drive from the North Bay and "Fremont Frites" are not gonna do it for us.

I'll have to study up on the Reds and their AAA Louisville Bats. Heaven forbid Ellen is more up on the team than I am after using Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan to bait George Clooney into appearing on her show.  At long last.  Guys... let this clip inspire you to stay in shape after your playing days.  On the off chance that you are used as bait.  And have to wear something you'd rather not as part of the deal...

At least the Reds' Skipper is a familiar face.  I'll bet Dusty Baker is no stranger to Petaluma.  Meanwhile, the Reds blogs are buzzing with He-e-e-e-r-e-s Jonny  headlines. RedLegs Baseball likes the move.  Dun and Dunner is underwhelmed.  Show 'em Jonny.

Oh... and Splash One for the hometown fans when you get to SF, would ya?