KTE - Cincinatti Reds

[Guest SI Metman]

The Redcoats are coming, the Redcoats are coming!! Ok, maybe that's next weeks KTE when the Mets visit Boston, but Cincinatti were called the Red Stockings at the start of their lengthy and storied history.

This Reds team is showing shades of the Big Red Machine, shocking the world by grabbing second place in the Central.

Here's their starting 8:

Felipe Lopez SS
Brandon Phillips 2B
Ken Griffey Jr CF
Rich Aurilia 3B
Adam Dunn LF
Scott Hatteberg 1B
Austin Kearns RF
David Ross C

Watch out for:

Catcher David Ross has taken the starting job from Jason LaRue. He has 10 homers in just 85 AB's, and boasts a .341 avg

Adam Dunn has 23 homers despite his miniscule .227 avg.

Brandon Phillips is the clubs leading hitter (out of players who qualify), batting .303

Met Connections:

Javier Valentin is Jose's younger brother.

David Weathers leads the pen with 9 saves.

2000 Met Rick White is also in the pen with a 6.26 ERA in 26 appearances

Paul Wilson is still on the DL for Cincy, but could make a comeback later this season.

Mets GM Omar Minaya traded Brandon Phillips when he was with the Expos to get Bartolo Colon.

Red Connections:

Ex-Red Dave Williams is now with the Tides

Pedro Feliciano came from the Reds in 2002 in the Shawn Estes trade

Defining trade of the season:

The Reds acquired Bronson Arroyo for Wily Mo Pena in March. Arroyo has become the ace of the staff and is enjoying his stay in the NL.

Pitching Matchups:

Monday: Bronson Arroyo vs Orlando Hernandez. Arroyo leads the Reds with an 8-3 record and a 2.51 ERA. He also hit a homer in each of his first two starts this season, both coming off Ex-Met Glendon Rusch.

Tuesday: Elizardo Ramirez vs Steve Trachsel. Ramirez is a 23 year old righty getting his first real shot in the bigs. He had the best start of his career last time out striking out 10 Brewers and pitching 8 shutout innings.

Wednesday: Joe Mays vs Alay Soler. The Reds acquired Joe Mays as a free agent after the Royals cut him earlier this season. Yes, the Royals did not want him after he pitched to a 10.26 ERA over 6 starts. He has allowed only 1 ER over 7 IP as a Red. It'll be his first start for Cincy.

Thursday: Eric Milton vs Pedro Martinez. Milton is pitching much better this season after 2 horrendous seasons. His homer allowed rate is down after allowing 40+ the last 2 seasons. He did miss a month with a knee injury.

Records:

All Time: Cincy 286-235
Postseason: Mets 3-2
Last year: 3-3

The home team swept both series last year, but no one will forget the Mets meltdown at the GABP.

The Mets however have won the games that counted - The 1973 NLCS and Game 163 in 1999.

and finally 3 notable Mets in Red Stockings:

[DocTee]

Cool. That's an interesting position they have Foster listed at on his card.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

well done, thanks. I really didn;t know the Reds.

[Guest Iubitul]

Well done SI, although seeing Seaver in a Reds uni still makes me choke on my cereal...

[stevejrogers]

Great job!

Can't wait to know the Reds in Cincy next month!

BTW, the same guys who produced the 1986 World Series set this year just released the 1975 World Series complete on DVD, roughly the same price as the Mets set.

That means you can now enjoy all of the Red Sox's last 18 World Series games in their entirety! 1975, 1986 and 2004

Steve

[Guest Edgy DC]

Seaver has his number on his left side on an almost-white away uniform. Franco has his on the right side on the home uniform.

[Elster88]

Nice.

[Willets Point]

DocTee wrote: Cool. That's an interesting position they have Foster listed at on his card.

Fleer really tried too hard to be hip and different in their early years.

[Guest old original jb]

Great KTE.

I tend to think of Foster more as a Red in Met stockings.

This looks to be a tough series; I'll be happy with a split. Arroyo looks tough and the Mets have a horrible time with effective rookies whom they've never seen.

[Elster88]

Paul Wilson hoping for yet another comeback? Where's Pulse these days?

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Poor spelling tho.

C-I-N-C-I-N-N-A-T-I

one T, three N's.

Frequently referred to in old days as Porkopolis.

[Frayed Knot]

Cincy's been 'bout the streakin'-est team in the bigs this year.
Earlier in the season they had a stretch of 11-2 which sent them to the best record in baseball ... before following that with a 4-9 stint. More recently, they've spent their last 17 games going 8-0 followed by 1-8:
they took the last game of a series from the Cubs, then swept 3 from Astros, swept 3 from Cards, and beat Cubs in game 1 of the next series ... they then lost final 3 straight to Cubs, lost 2 of 3 to Brewers, then got swept by ChiSox.


Brandon Phillips is an odd case. He was the main bait in the Omar-made Bartolo Colon deal between Expos & Indians. He was being touted as a great SS prospect before Reyes. But he pretty much flopped in Cleveland (even as the "throw-ins" Grady Sizemore & Cliff Lee shined) and was eventually cut loose. Cincy picked him up, installed him more-or-less full-time at 2nd (Gee, another team realizes that Tony Womack wasn't the answer!!) and he responded with .303/.345/.455 and is a perfect 14/14 in SBs

[metirish]

Great KTE ....should be a good series.