Lucky 'beats' good in NFL

Wed, Oct. 05, 2005
Quick hitters:
• Better to be lucky than good. Here are a couple of lucky bucs: Tampa Bay and one team from the Buckeye state.
Were it not for the replay officials blowing a late TD call, Tampa Bay would not have beaten Detroit on Sunday. Were it not for the officials ruling Houston quarterback David Carr fumbled, Cincinnati might not have beaten the Texans.
No matter. Cincinnati and Tampa Bay are 4-0.
• It's not a good sign when Vinny Testaverde makes it back into the NFL before Tim Couch.
• If Texas can't conquer Oklahoma this year, Mack Brown might jump into the Red River.
• Author/commentator John Feinstein uttered an obscenity at the officials as the on-air radio analyst during the Navy-Duke game last week. Must be left over from his time around Bob Knight.
• To tie Guy Morriss and Baylor last Saturday, Texas A&M converted a fourth-and-1 at its 15, a third-and-10 at its 19 and a fourth-and-7 at the Baylor 39 before kicking the field goal that sent the game into overtime. A&M then won 16-13.
• Reds reports say Wily Mo Pena is more likely to be dealt this off-season than Lexington's Austin Kearns. Even though Kearns hit .240, his superior defensive skills give him the edge, at least in the eyes of Manager Jerry Narron.
• Given the collapse of the Minnesota Vikings, horse racing fan Mike Tice could show up at a Keeneland $2 window before the month is through.
• Ex-Mason County star Dustin Grutza might lose his job as Cincinnati's starting quarterback. A five-interception performance at Miami (Ohio) will do that to you. UC Coach Mark Dantonio said backup Nick Davila will be given a shot at the job.
• Notre Dame, Alabama and Penn State have one loss among them. Is this 2005 or 1975?
• Odell Thurman might have been the steal of the draft.
• If Cincinnati is a baseball town, why were the Reds 24th out of 30 major-league teams in attendance?
• To beat South Carolina, that poor Kentucky defense must get off the field. Florida converted eight third downs of 4 yards or more against the Cats.
• If all-hit, no-field Barry Bonds can win the Most Valuable Player award, then David Ortiz can win the Most Valuable Player award.
• Hal Mumme has lost 16 of his last 18 games as a Division I-A coach.
• Maybe the Padres aren't the '73 Mets.
• I thought Marcus Vick was just trying to say Virginia Tech was No. 1.
• Can Turfway's new Polytrack be installed in your yard?
• Gary Shelton in the St. Petersburg Times on Florida's 31-3 loss to Alabama: "Good thing Urban Meyer is such a genius. Otherwise, this game might have really gotten out of hand."
• Too bad Notre Dame had to settle for Charlie Weis.
• Top three college coach of the year candidates: 1. Weis, 2. Mike Shula, Alabama; 3. Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin.
• Bottom three coach of the year candidates: 1. Dave Wannstedt, Pittsburgh. (The next two don't count.)
• The death of Nipsey Russell this week begs the question of whatever happened to the game show Match Game. OK, so begs is an overstatement.
• For the final time, we didn't object to UK running the option. We objected to Jared Lorenzen running the option.
• I'll take Georgia over Tennessee by 3. What's that? UT quarterback Rick Clausen is wearing a walking boot because of tendinitis? Make it Dogs by 10.
• Before losing at fifth-ranked Florida on Saturday, UK's volleyball team swept Georgia for the first time since 1996. First-year coach Craig Skinner's team was off to UK's best conference start (2-1) in five years.
• Think ESPN wishes it had waited until after Vandy lost to Middle Tennessee before picking 'Dores-LSU for its Saturday night tubefest?
• Among those in Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich's private box last Saturday were Joe B. Hall and Rick Robey.
• Almost everyone I know is rooting against Southern Cal.
• When ex-Cat Marlon McCree did his intro on Monday Night Football this week, the Carolina Panthers defensive back identified himself as being from Atlantic High School (Port Orange, Fla.) instead of listing his college affiliation.
• Still wince when I think of that TV shot Saturday showing Alabama's Tyrone Prothro breaking his left leg against Florida.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/

Memories for '90 Reds

Saturday, October 15, 2005
Former Reds stars Tom Browning and Ron Oester are no different from other baseball fans. They, too, love a winner.
Their "winner" was the 1990 Reds, the last Cincinnati team to win a World Series title.
The '90 Reds swept a vaunted Oakland Athletics team featuring Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco in four games.
A display of the team's memorabilia opens today at the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, and the squad will have its first reunion Nov. 5-6.
Last week, with the baseball playoffs barely under way, The Enquirer invited Oester and Browning to the theater at the Reds' Hall of Fame to talk about that team and rummage through some memorabilia.
The two, one from here (Oester) and one who has made his home here (Browning), are as one would expect grizzled veterans to be. Both are graying. Both have picked up some weight.
And both seem about 15 years younger when the conversation turns to 1990.
Oester and Browning are forever linked to the good ol' days when the Reds still were playing baseball into late October.
Has it really been that long ago since this franchise had a true ace (Jose Rijo), a veteran starting rotation, a lockdown bullpen, terrific defense and eye-popping speed (components all World Series teams have had in varying degrees, and sweep-teams tend to have had in across-the-board abundance)?
Oh, for the days when every trade worked (Tim Leary and Van Snider to the Yankees for Hal Morris; Mike Roesler and Jeff Richardson to the Pirates for Billy Hatcher; Ron Robinson and Bob Sebra to the Brewers for Glenn Braggs and Billy Bates). When young pitchers came out of nowhere (Jack Armstrong), rookie catchers played like veterans (Joe Oliver), the farm system produced well-rounded players who could do it all (Barry Larkin, Eric Davis, Paul O'Neill) and other players got sprinkled with magic dust (Chris Sabo).
Browning and Oester weren't asked to compare then to now, only to remember. Here's how some of the give-and-take went:
On whether the 1990 Reds could have won the pennant if former Cincinnati manager Pete Rose had not gotten into trouble and instead had remained the team's skipper:
Oester: I think Pete taught us how to win (from August 1984 through 1988), but whether we could have done it (in '90) with Pete, I don't know. ... Almost everything (Reds manager) Lou (Piniella) did that season worked.
Browning: You knew why Lou was there. He made no bones about it. In his first meeting with us in spring training, he said: "There's too much talent on this team not to have won yet. This is our year, so let's go out there and win it. I'm here to win too, and I don't care if you like me." And that was it!
Oester: I don't think Lou cared about what people thought of what he did. Lou was an intimidator; he tried to intimidate you, and he did. He got the most out of you. Pete didn't manage by intimidation.
Browning: Pete had things he liked to do off the field. Lou was just consumed with baseball, night and day. But for all Lou's intimidation, you could talk to him. He had no problem walking into that clubhouse and talking to anybody.
On Randy Myers' stun gun:
Browning: Yeah, he had this stun gun. He had it out one day and was fooling around with it, and Lou came by and said, "What is that, Randy?" Randy said, "It's a stun gun." And Randy zapped Lou in the leg with it and knocked him on his (butt). And Lou's on his (butt) and yells up, "(Bleep bleep), Randy, did you have to shoot me with it?"
Oester (laughing): I don't think Randy would have done that to Pete.
Browning (laughing): No, no, he wouldn't have done that to Pete.
On Piniella:
Oester: He was hard on pitchers, especially young pitchers. Like the time he yelled out in the dugout when Tim Birtsas was on the mound, "(Bleep bleep), you mean to tell me we've got nobody in the minors who can pitch better than this (bleep bleep)?"
Browning: It made you wonder what he (Piniella) was saying about you when you were out there, because you'd hear what he was saying about the other guys. Sometimes you didn't have to wonder. He didn't care who you were. He buried me a couple of times in front of my teammates.
I was getting my (butt) kicked in Atlanta. We were up five nothing and they (the Braves) came back and tied it, and I took my bat into the tunnel and beat the hell out of it, and Lou yelled to me, "I'd be (upset) too if I was throwing that (garbage) up there!"
On all the characters on that '90 team (Myers, Sabo, Mariano Duncan etc.):
Browning: And Quinones. Luis Quinones. Quinones was an entertainer.
Oester: Oh, God, yeah.
Browning: His antics. He'd yell at pitchers after they got him out: "Challenge somebody!" Just the way he said it. It was funny.
Oester: He'd put on the full catcher's gear and walk up and down the dugout during the game, and you'd look at him and have to laugh.
On who set the tone in the clubhouse:
Browning: The Nasty Boys (the dominating Reds relief pitcher threesome of Myers, Rob Dibble and Norm Charlton). Randy was the vocal guy. He'd always pull out the sheet with the magic number on it and say, "Let's knock this one off tonight." And that's what we'd do. He kept the calendar. He carried it with him. Every time we won a game, he'd tear the magic number out. And they'd put that song on (in the clubhouse after the game), "U Can't Touch This." After I heard that for about the 100th time, I guess I started believing we really were going to do it.
Oester: But even at 9-0 (to start the season), it wasn't like, "This is ours. All we have to do now is show up." I thought we had a chance, but you never know with injuries. If Eric (Davis) or Barry (Larkin) went down, we'd have been in trouble. We knew we had a good team, but I don't think we were ever cocky.
Browning: We all hung together. No black or white. Everybody usually at the same place. ... (Jose) Rijo caught fire at the end, and he was our lead dog. And we mirrored our coaches. We had a lot of fiery guys - Sabo, O'Neill.
Oester: Billy Hatcher. Without him, I don't think we'd have won it. He played harder than anybody, and he had that great personality, got along with everybody, loved to joke around. He was the catalyst.
On the time Oester (aka "O") shaved his head, July 30 in Los Angeles, in an attempt to end the Reds' eight-game losing streak:
Oester: We'd just lost to the Dodgers and Lou came in throwing and kicking (stuff) and slammed his door. And I'm sitting there watching and everybody's like, panicked, and I just said, "Hey, we're (51/2) games in first place; we're in the driver's seat; the Dodgers have to catch us."
We looked like we were playing not to lose instead of playing to win. I (challenged) the Nasty Boys. I said, "You guys were talking about shaving your heads - why not now?" Dibble says, "If we lose 10 in a row, we'll shave our heads." I said, "Ten in a row? We're not losing 10 in a row! If you think that way, shave my head!" And that's when Eric came over and shaved my head with electric clippers, right down to my scalp.
(Note: The Reds beat the Dodgers the next night to end the losing streak. Over the next 14 games, they went 8-6 and built their lead to 8.5 games.)
On teams in the 2005 playoffs that remind them of the '90 Reds:
Oester: The Chicago White Sox. They remind me a lot of our team then. They got off to the great start. ...
Browning: They came out of nowhere to dominate it, just like we did. Then Cleveland got on their tail, just like the Giants and Dodgers got on our tail. The (night) we clinched, we sort of backed into it because the Dodgers lost (while the Reds were in a rain delay) and the next day we played lousy and Lou told us, "I'll be damned if I'm going to let this team go into the playoffs in a losing posture." So, he started getting on our (butts) again in a less stressful way and we were ready to go when the playoffs arrived.
On the Bash Brothers, Canseco (who has admitted he was using steroids) and McGwire (whom Canseco has said also used steroids):
Browning: I think we probably went into the World Series scared to death. We were watching (the A's) in (batting practice) hitting balls into the red seats (at Riverfront Stadium) and deep into the green ...
Oester: I think we were nervous but not scared. I think if you're scared, you can't play. ... A lot of guys said stuff (to calm us down). (Batting coach) Tony Perez might have been the key.
Browning: He was the rock.
Oester: If you (as a hitter) said something to Tony after you made an out, like "I stink," he'd say, "Yeah, you do stink!" And that would make you laugh. He wouldn't try to make you feel good by something he said. But he'd make you laugh and that took the pressure off. ... He was a great buffer between Lou and us.
On team owner Marge Schott:
Browning: We were her "kids," and she took care of us. Yeah, we (griped) about some things, but she took care of our wives and that was great for us (married players).
Oester: (Among the players), nobody disliked Marge. It was more like, "What kind of crazy thing is she going to do next?"
Browning: Remember the time our game in Philly ended at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and our flight wasn't leaving until about 10 o'clock?
Oester: You mean the time they (the Reds brass) arranged for us to eat at (Bookbinder's restaurant) and guys were ordering shrimp entrees for appetizers and $150 bottles of wine?
Browning: Yeah, the bill was over $6,000. I think that Steve Schott (Marge's cousin and the Reds' vice president of operations) is the one who set it up. ... We never had to wait for a plane again.

Source: http://news.enquirer.com/

Scudder lives what many can only dream

October 25, 2005
There was a 10-year span in the life of Scott Scudder that many youngsters can only dream about.Scudder, who won a World Series Championship 15 years ago as a member of the Cincinnati Reds, is currently head baseball coach and assistant football coach at North Lamar High School. He grew up in Blossom, leading a life similar to any other kid, but once his high school baseball career came to a close, Scudder's God-given talents came to the forefront and allowed him to eventually play Major League Baseball.
EARLY YEARS
Scudder played all sports as a kid, but baseball was his passion. His love of the game was shared by close friend Tony Duncan, who is now his assistant baseball coach and is also an assistant football coach for the Panthers.The two played sports throughout their four years at Prairiland, but nothing compared to their senior year of high school in 1986.The Patriots baseball team was coached by Scudder's father Bill and advanced to the state championship game at Austin's Disch Faulk Field, where they faced Brownfield and won 7-4."Scott had a great arm, and he worked at it all year long," Duncan said. "I remember his dad used to catch him on a five-gallon bucket, but there was one day when Scott threw one so fast he got off the bucket and never did it again."Scudder dominated that season with a 19-0 record, and Duncan caught the game's final out in right field to seal the championship game. Duncan still has the ball from the win."We were still a close-knit group and still see each other a lot today,"Scudder said. "It was tough at times, as any coach's kid will tell you, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. My dad was involved in my life all the time and was a big influence on me.”
MINOR LEAGUES
There are no plane rides, fancy restaurants or expensive hotels in the minor leagues, but Scudder made the experience look rather simple.Scudder was drafted in the 1st round (17th pick) by the Cincinnati Reds, and his first stop was in 1986 at Rookie League Billings (Montana). He moved on to Class A Cedar Rapids (Iowa) in 1987, the Double A Chattanooga (Tenn.) Lookouts of the Southern League in 1988 and made the short trek west to Nashville in early 1989, where he played for the Sounds of the Pacific Coast League.Scudder had the distinction of winning a championship at each of his minor league stops."It was a big adjustment, because I had to get away from a lot of the things I did in high school," Scudder said. "The guys I went up against had the same talent and ability, and I had to learn how to pitch instead of just throw.""I was living away from home for the first time, and it was a different lifestyle. I had to adjust to living in an apartment, paying bills and fending for myself. That's a lot for an 18-year-old."
ENCOURAGEMENT AND THE BIG DEBUT
Scudder knew in spring training of 1989 he was going to begin the year at Triple-A Nashville, but he got some encouragement from one of the game's all-time greats in manager Pete Rose.The man affectionately known as Charlie Hustle had his fair share of problems that year after being banned from baseball for gambling. Scudder has a different view of the man that is currently trying to get back into the game."Pete Rose is probably the biggest reason I got into the majors as quickly as I did," Scudder said. "He seemed to like me and told me that although I would break spring training in Triple-A, that I would be called up soon. He was true to his word."Scudder made his Major League debut on June 6, 1989 against the San Francisco Giants at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium. He recorded his first strikeout against left-handed first baseman Will Clark but realized the big leagues weren't always a bed of roses after giving up a home run to Kevin Mitchell.Rose's off-the-field problems had their affect on the team according to Scudder, who won the final game in which Rose managed. The team found out of their manager's fate while on a road trip one morning in Chicago."As the year went on, you could tell he was distracted by the allegations," Scudder said. "We all received questions daily that we didn't know how to address, but Pete Rose was a great player's manager who was liked and well respected. I wish it was under different circumstances, but I personally liked him a lot."The first Major League victory came later in the year against the Atlanta Braves, and Scudder got his first career hit against John Smoltz, who is still pitching today. Those weren't the only positives Scudder would endure in his trips to the southeast in the coming years.
ROCKY ROAD TO CHAMPIONSHIP
Scudder was part of the 1990 Major League Baseball lockout, the third in the history of the game and first since 1976. It lasted 32 days and made for a rather interesting beginning to what wound up being the best year of Scudder's career."Lockouts are a no-win situation, and it was a public nightmare for both sides," Scudder said. "We're lucky the game of baseball has such a resilient fan base."People are going to say yeah right when they read this, but competition is what drives most of us who have played the game, not the money."Once play resumed, Scudder got to finish his first full season as a major leaguer.
RAINY DAY TURNED SUNNY
Scudder hit his first big league home run in 1991 off San Diego Padres left-hander Dennis Rasmussen in Cincinnati. It was the only home run he would ever hit on the field, but he hit one off it in the fall.Rain had forced the postponement of the Reds' Sept. 24 game in Atlanta, and Scudder was in a restaurant eating with some friends. It was there where he met a young lady named Tracy from Tennessee who would change his life forever."We talked and kept in touch," Scudder said. "What I liked about Tracy was that we were both from small towns and had so much in common. We were so alike and grew up in the same way. We had the same outlook on life as well, and that was important to me."Tracy took a job as a Delta flight attendant, as the two began dating more seriously, and they married in the fall of 1992.
MINOR LEAGUES
There are no plane rides, fancy restaurants or expensive hotels in the minor leagues, but Scudder made the experience look rather simple.Scudder was drafted in the 1st round (17th pick) by the Cincinnati Reds, and his first stop was in 1986 at Rookie League Billings (Montana). He moved on to Class A Cedar Rapids (Iowa) in 1987, the Double A Chattanooga (Tenn.) Lookouts of the Southern League in 1988 and made the short trek west to Nashville in early 1989, where he played for the Sounds of the Pacific Coast League.Scudder had the distinction of winning a championship at each of his minor league stops."It was a big adjustment, because I had to get away from a lot of the things I did in high school," Scudder said. "The guys I went up against had the same talent and ability, and I had to learn how to pitch instead of just throw.""I was living away from home for the first time, and it was a different lifestyle. I had to adjust to living in an apartment, paying bills and fending for myself. That's a lot for an 18-year-old."
PLENTY OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Scudder knew in spring training of 1989 he was going to begin the year at Triple-A Nashville, but he got some encouragement from one of the game's all-time greats in manager Pete Rose.The man affectionately known as Charlie Hustle had his fair share of problems that year after being banned from baseball for gambling. Scudder has a different view of the man that is currently trying to get back into the game."Pete Rose is probably the biggest reason I got into the majors as quickly as I did," Scudder said. "He seemed to like me and told me that although I would break spring training in Triple-A, that I would be called up soon. He was true to his word."

Source: http://web.theparisnews.com/

Reds decline options for Aurilia, Ortiz

CINCINNATI -- The Reds had mutual options with infielder Rich Aurilia and right-hander Ramon Ortiz for 2006, but both of those options were declined on Friday.
Aurilia and the Reds mutually agreed to decline his $2 million option, allowing the veteran to explore free agency. But the club is not ruling out pursuing Aurilia in free agency.
"We left the door open," general manager Dan O'Brien said. "At this point in time, [the situation] is something both sides are comfortable with."
Aurilia, 34, was the Reds' Opening Day shortstop, but he hit just .198 in his first 25 starts at the position. On May 11, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring, opening up the door for Felipe Lopez to take over the starting duties at short.
Upon his return from the DL, Aurilia vastly improved his performance at the plate. He hit .306 with 11 home runs and 56 RBIs after his return.
But Aurilia often voiced his displeasure with his playing time when he came back from the injury. Lopez was the everyday shortstop, and Aurilia was reduced to a utility role. By the end of the season, though, he had established himself as the go-to man at second base. He made 64 starts at the position.
Ryan Freel, who made 48 starts at second base in '05, is available to take over at the position, but he will likely remain in a utility role, O'Brien said.
"Right now, his greatest asset would be in a multipurpose role," O'Brien said. "But we also know if he needs to play more regularly at second base, he's capable of doing that."
Another option is prospect William Bergolla, who spent the majority of this season at Triple-A Louisville but also saw 17 games at the big-league level.
"He's still maturing at the position," O'Brien said. "But he's got some skills."
Should the Reds be unable to work out a deal with Aurilia, O'Brien is not ruling out the possibility of signing another veteran infielder to clear up the hole at second.
The decision not to exercise Ortiz's $4.55 million option wasn't a major surprise. The right-hander battled an early groin injury and went on to post a 9-11 record and 5.36 ERA in 30 starts in '05.
Was it simply a matter of his numbers not being worthy of such a hefty salary?
"That would be a concise, accurate summary," O'Brien said.
Ortiz remains on the roster as arbitration-eligible for the time being.
"He's a controllable player on the roster," O'Brien said. "We intend to have further dialogue as we would any other arbitration-eligible player. I can't predict the outcome."
Aurilia will also remain on the roster until he officially files for free agency.
In other news, pinch-hitter Jacob Cruz has filed for free agency. He batted .236 with four home runs and 18 RBIs in 110 appearances and led the National League with a club-record 20 pinch-hits.
The Reds also hired Jim Pransky as a professional scout on Friday. Pransky had been previously serving in the same role with the Athletics.

Source: http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/

Compromise benefits colonial

Saturday, October 29, 2005
Jan and Harvey Rosen.
She's Southern, gracious, with an accent soft as peach fuzz.
He's hearty and hails from Brooklyn, with many stops along the way.
She's into airy spaces with an interior designer's eye for detail.
He's comfortable kicked back in the shadows of his rustic "sports cabin" with one eye on the scoreboard.
But the Rosens had a meeting of the minds on expanding their 1930s Mount Lookout colonial, keeping its baseball history intact, and collaborating with their remodeling team.
"He wanted to keep the cabin. She wanted a Homearama house," says architect Sally Noble. "The challenge . . . was to mesh how they came together . . . , to figure out how to make an older home flow like a house recently built."
The Rosens' wish list included "first and foremost a first-floor laundry," says Jan. Then, an open kitchen, family room and garage with the charming cabin as the focal point. Also, more storage and bath space upstairs.
"We wanted to make the addition match. We didn't want to change the rest," she says.
In the end, only a few rooms remained untouched by updates, according to builder Jim Schwertman, who says construction was complicated by uncharted sewer lines and excavation surprises.
The two-story addition includes an open hearth room with fireplace and hidden TV, bookshelves, a generous kitchen with a zig-zag granite-top counter with bead board facing and an informal dining area opening through French doors to the original patio, and cabin.
The original first-floor rooms stayed the same, though their function flip-flopped to fit the addition. The old living room became the new formal dining room. The galley kitchen, across the back, became a study and homework room for grandson Andrew, 11. The old dining room became a living room.
Above the addition, the master bedroom grew, remedying the stingy closets of the '30s, and a generous bath was added
The kitchen is the centerpiece of the new space.
"We went through several different designs to make things work," says designer Kevin Thorpe of Nisbet Brower.
"It's fully functional with all today's amenities" - wine cooler with an 18-inch glass door, four high stools, double ovens, stainless appliances, open shelves for display and an extra island sink.
"Harvey wanted a bar, and I gave him the idea of putting scotch in place of the soap dispenser," Thorpe says. "He picked right up on it."
Structural problems in the foyer led to removal of a half-bath and closet and creation of a sunny foyer and larger front door more in proportion to the new home's size.
"There was no wow factor before," says Jan. "The house was nothing special, except for the cabin."
And now, "Most places you finish and you look at it and say, 'I wish I'd done this or that.' I don't think that. Not even once."

Source: http://news.enquirer.com/

Batting Around with Jason Standridge

It was a summer day in Chicago, and Jason Standridge was standing in right field at Wrigley Field with teammate Kent Mercker.
Standridge looked up to the flag flapping on the right-field foul pole that read "Williams 26." The flag hung there to retire the number of Hall of Fame outfielder Billy Williams, but Standridge thought it was in reference to Cubs pitcher Jerome Williams.
"I didn't know they put up a flag for the day's starting pitcher," Standridge said to Mercker.
"Yeah, they do," Mercker replied with a smile. "And Ernie Banks is pitching Tuesday and Ron Santo on Wednesday."
With moments of comic relief such as that, Standridge didn't take long to endear himself to his Reds teammates this season.
And when he came out of obscurity to put up decent numbers out of the bullpen, the converted starter endeared himself to some fans, too.
MLB.com caught up with Standridge just before the end of the regular seasons to ask him a handful of offbeat questions about his life on and off the field.
What career would you have if you weren't a pro ballplayer?
I think I'd probably try to be a dentist. I was going to study kinesiology in college. I'm always fascinated by how the body works, so I'd be some kind of doctor or dentist. If you're a dentist, you can make your own hours and make a boatload of money [laughs].
What do you remember about your first car?
The first car I had was actually my grandmother's car. I drove that for a year and a half. It was a Toyota Tercel -- a little bitty thing. I couldn't afford anything else. I drove that for a year and a half. Then, my first car my parents bought me was a '96 Chevrolet S-10 red extended cab pickup truck, and I absolutely loved it.
How did you manage to fit in the Tercel?
[Laughs] Oh, it was tough. You had to put the seat back all the way, you know? Me and my buddies had a lot of fun in that car, just messing around.
Here's a random question: Have you ever had any random thoughts pop into your head while on the mound?
For some reason, sometimes you have random thoughts. You look up in the stands and say, 'What is that guy doing?' You remember what somebody's wearing in the stands, and then you're like, 'What am I thinking about? [Laughs]. Let me get back to the task at hand.'
It's human nature, I suppose. If you could face any player in baseball history, who would it be, and why?
I'd like to face Ted Williams. He was a lefty, and I'm a right-handed pitcher, so it would be even more of an advantage to him. But to face the greatest hitter who ever lived would be neat. I think I could get him out. I'd be confident I could, but I have no idea what I'd throw him.
What's the best present you've ever received?
Probably last year for my birthday my wife, Joy, bought me a four-wheeler. Probably the best gift I've been given.
What's the dumbest thing you and your friends did as kids?
Probably throwing water balloons off an overpass at cars. That's pretty dumb. Let me not tell some of the things we've done, so I'll just leave it at that. We didn't get caught for that, but we got caught for other things [laughs].
Do you have any hobbies away from baseball?
I love playing golf, I love camping. I've really gotten into hunting the past couple years. I love being outside. Put on my boots and a t-shirt. I love being outside, whether working in the yard or camping or whatever. That's where I get my fun. I love being outside.
What's your biggest pet peeve?
People driving with their blinkers on. That really bothers me. If you're going to turn, turn!
If you were stranded on a desert island and could bring one CD and one DVD, what would you bring and why?
That's a tough question. I think I would bring something funny. But then I'm thinking it's got to be something that will keep me going. For the album, I would say one of Jeremy Camp's albums. Either him or George Strait. I don't know what movie. I'm going to say "Anchorman" or "Rocky 4." Because "Anchorman" is going to keep me sane. But "Rocky 4" is going to give me the will to push harder to get out of there.
Do you have any bad habits you've tried to correct but haven't been able to?
I do have a bad habit. My wife says when I get out of the shower, I don't close the curtain. And not putting the toilet seat down for her.
If you could have dinner with any celebrity, who would it be, and why?
It's going to have to be a movie star. I'd probably say ... golly! These are tough questions. I needed some practice. I don't know who I would choose. Man, I've got no ideas. Who would I choose? It can be any celebrity? I'd say Nolan Ryan, just to pick his brain and talk about stuff.

Source: http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/

Mets turn attention to free agents

CINCINNATI -- The Reds had mutual options with infielder Rich Aurilia and right-hander Ramon Ortiz for 2006, but both of those options were declined on Friday.
Aurilia and the Reds mutually agreed to decline his $2 million option, allowing the veteran to explore free agency. But the club is not ruling out pursuing Aurilia in free agency.
"We left the door open," general manager Dan O'Brien said. "At this point in time, [the situation] is something both sides are comfortable with."
Aurilia, 34, was the Reds' Opening Day shortstop, but he hit just .198 in his first 25 starts at the position. On May 11, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring, opening up the door for Felipe Lopez to take over the starting duties at short.
Upon his return from the DL, Aurilia vastly improved his performance at the plate. He hit .306 with 11 home runs and 56 RBIs after his return.
But Aurilia often voiced his displeasure with his playing time when he came back from the injury. Lopez was the everyday shortstop, and Aurilia was reduced to a utility role. By the end of the season, though, he had established himself as the go-to man at second base. He made 64 starts at the position.
Ryan Freel, who made 48 starts at second base in '05, is available to take over at the position, but he will likely remain in a utility role, O'Brien said.
"Right now, his greatest asset would be in a multipurpose role," O'Brien said. "But we also know if he needs to play more regularly at second base, he's capable of doing that."
Another option is prospect William Bergolla, who spent the majority of this season at Triple-A Louisville but also saw 17 games at the big-league level.
"He's still maturing at the position," O'Brien said. "But he's got some skills."
Should the Reds be unable to work out a deal with Aurilia, O'Brien is not ruling out the possibility of signing another veteran infielder to clear up the hole at second.
The decision not to exercise Ortiz's $4.55 million option wasn't a major surprise. The right-hander battled an early groin injury and went on to post a 9-11 record and 5.36 ERA in 30 starts in '05.
Was it simply a matter of his numbers not being worthy of such a hefty salary?
"That would be a concise, accurate summary," O'Brien said.
Ortiz remains on the roster as arbitration-eligible for the time being.
"He's a controllable player on the roster," O'Brien said. "We intend to have further dialogue as we would any other arbitration-eligible player. I can't predict the outcome."
Aurilia will also remain on the roster until he officially files for free agency.
In other news, pinch-hitter Jacob Cruz has filed for free agency. He batted .236 with four home runs and 18 RBIs in 110 appearances and led the National League with a club-record 20 pinch-hits.
The Reds also hired Jim Pransky as a professional scout on Friday. Pransky had been previously serving in the same role with the Athletics.

Source: http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/