My Quarantine Diary 4/2/20 - by Colin Gawel

My Quarantine Diary - by Colin Gawel 

Thursday April 2nd - I started this diary yesterday. Checking back in now. Is this even worth doing? I don’t know. I’m appreciating the sun more than ever these days. I started tearing up a little listening to She’s Got a Problem while serving coffee this morning. R.I.P. Adam Schlesinger. 

Wednesday April 1st - “Dad, is it Saturday or Sunday? Uh, Owen, it’s Wednesday” I think that little exchange sort of sums up what many people are adjusting to right now. First and foremost, I am thankful that at this point all my family and friends are still healthy. That’s what is really important during this time. Or at least what I keep telling myself to ease my mind about finances. 

Ah yes, my old nemesis, money...that’s the second big subject everyone is dealing with. Everyone is feeling it. I’m really lucky that I have the ability to keep Colin’s Coffee open. Sure it’s take-out only, I’m working alone and it’s slow, but it’s way better than nothing. So many of my friends working in restaurants or playing music are completely out of work. Speaking of “way better than nothing,” I just noticed it’s the first of the month, my landlord better get ready to embrace that expression. And yes, I filled out a form yesterday to inquire about the CARES Act. We will see where it goes. I feel bad that my employees are out of work for the next month but at least we have the ability to survive. And nobody who works here has a mortgage, or kids, or any serious bills, so I think they will be okay. Still, I wouldn’t object to a little cash from Big Brother to ease the pain.  I’ll keep you posted on that front. 

Our customers have been great and everyone keeps six feet apart as I constantly spray sanitizer on all the counters and doors. And I know some folks have got to be lonely. Coming down to get a mocha might be their only human interaction all day so I try to be present while they vent a little. If there is anything essential about our service, that is probably it. I hope we can help just a little with some kind words and a pep talk. People have been so kind to us,  I’ve been trying to return the favor and support other local businesses myself, but like most people I have to pick and choose my spots to stay within our family budget. 

Okay, enough of this boring, serious stuff, what fun stuff have I been doing to keep my spirits up?

Well, Tiger King, duh, I think we are all truly in that show together as well. It seems like the entire country is watching. It’s the closest thing to The Beatles on Ed Sullivan I can imagine. It’s been our family watch. One episode left. I also watched Narcos Mexico season two and have been picking away at Breaking Bad. Yes, I’m the one dude who hasn’t seen it. And for laughs Schitts Creek is amazing and I never stop watching Mr. Show and Monty Python.

There is one way to get a message across and that is with music. Everyone loves music. It is believed that in 1997 a women in Tampa Florida killed her husban...

Speaking of music, I’m no Joe Exotic (but who is?). I challenged myself to record a song while working at the coffee shop. I don’t have a lyric as killer as “You can’t find this taste in the zoo,” but for my first try it turned out pretty good. The main thing is to push perfection aside and keep the brain off the news and in a creative place. Onto the next song.

Click here for Coffee Shop Song #1 - Standing on the Rocks.

My fitness has been sketchy. I’m really a creature of routine, as much as I hate to admit it, and not being able to go to the gym has been a blow. I’ve tried to do some sprints and failed at 25 push-up’s every hour. Mixing in hikes ‘n’ bikes and all that. But still, I haven’t found my stride. Or put another way….lazy.

Owen and I have started the World Series of free throws in our driveway and I’m already down 3-0. Occasionally my rebounding skills are required for his shooting drills as long as I promise to obey rule # 1: DO NOT OFFER ADVICE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EVER. Trust me, I’ve learned the hard way not to break rule #1. It ends badly.  We have been throwing baseballs every day too. I really like Owen. His work ethic inspires me and he is really funny.

Books I’ve read recently:

Siren Song - My Life in Music by Seymour Stein (wrote a blog about this one); 

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain (excellent recommendation from Joe Oestreich);

Listened to Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. 

Also, my friend Terry Fleming dropped off a couple of big baseball books I have been flipping though.

Ordered: Sonic Warrior: My Life as a Rock N Roll Reprobate by Lou Brutus. This book is going to be amazing. Nobody can tell a story better than Lou and he has a million stories to tell. Click here to view on Amazon. 

I also watched some old Reds games on YouTube. Seaver’s No Hitter and Game 7 of the 75 and 76 World Series. Johnny Bench was batting SEVENTH against the Yankees during that sweep. What a lineup: Rose / Griffey / Morgan / Perez / Foster / Driessen / Bench / Geronimo / Concepcion. The post-game interviews are classic, too. 

Achtung! Regular FOX Viewers, Trolls and Russian Bots Might Want to Stop Reading Now

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Okay, I’m going to share my thoughts on how this has been handled for those that are interested. I don’t blow up social media with my hot takes so this is my two cents. If this is going to ruin your day I encourage you to stop reading now. It’s really not worth it. You have been warned.....okay…. 3 -2 -1 

The other day I spontaneously spoke words that I never, ever thought I would say: “It’s too bad Mike DeWine isn’t President.” If he was, our country could have been spared countless lives lost, misery and an economy on the brink. In early March, numerous people told me, to my face, this was a “hoax,” “a Democratic hoax,” and/or a “CNN Hoax.” I didn’t argue. I just kept following the real news. You know, the one for smart people: Like Mike DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton. I listened to what experts had to say. And stocked up on cleaning supplies and TP for the coffee shop. Am I surprised how bad this has been? Yes. Am I surprised our country as a whole is where we are right now despite months of warning? Sadly, no. It starts at the top. It’s a botch job. At least now, it’s popular to fight the disease so progress is being made. Better late than never. 

OK, rant over. Stay safe everyone and take care of one another. 

Hot Stove Chatter. Reds and Indians. by Brian Phillips

Reds fans should be concerned by the complete lack of movement on the offensive front after last season's anemic output, and their starting staff is now worse with the exits of Mat Latos to Miami and Alfredo Simon to Detroit. 

The idea of trading Simon in and of itself isn't bad. 2014 was a high water mark without question for the journeyman. What they got in return though is a piddling young shortshop in Eugenio Suarez and underwelming A-ball pitcher Jonathan Crawford. 

The 23 year old Suarez appeared in 85 games for the big club last season and in 277 plate appearances whiffed almost 25% of the time. In 2012 Suarez was a top 15 prospect for Detroit, but their list was pretty weak that season. (Nick Castellanos was #1, and I don't see a future star there.) Suarez was rated then as a decent glove guy with a utility infielder ceiling. Not a lot to get excited about there.

Crawford was drafted in the first round by the Tigers in 2013. The 23 year old from The University of Florida pitched in A ball last year and posted decent numbers, but his walk and strike out rates at that low level indicate a cloudy future. 

The Latos deal looks like a salary dump to me. Sure there are concerns over health, but isn't that true of any pitcher (see Cueto)? In return the Marlins shipped a nice catching prospect in Chad Wallach and a mediocre rightie named Anthony Desclafani.  

The just turned 23 Wallach was a fifth round pick in 2013 out of baseball factory Cal-State Fullerton. He logged a walk rate in A ball last year that can only be described as Billy Beane porn. 62 walks to 46 k's is impressive at any level. He doesn't display any power to speak of, but scouts love his defense. Someday the Reds can trade him to Oakland.

Desclafani is on his third organization having arrived in Miami as part of that infamous trade with the Blue Jays back in 2013. He started five games for the Marlins last season, but scouts profile him out of the bullpen. In the Arizona Fall League just last month the clipboards were still looking for a supposed developing change up. Without that he's just another fastball/slider guy topping out at 91/94 with the heater. In a 33 inning big league sample last year Desclafani showed more fly ball tilt than you'd like for a guy going into Great American, and he gave up too much hard contact. He'll compete for a rotation job in the spring, but don't hold your breath.

Bottom Line? The Reds are worse off than they were when they packed up their gear in late September. Homer Bailey underwent surgery in September, and you just hold your breath with Cueto's durability long term. You have to be concerned as a Reds fan.

The Indians off season has been pretty simple by comparison. The Indians acquired slugging OF/1B Brandon Moss from the A's in exchange for AA second baseman Joey Wendle on December 8th. The Tribe are loaded with young middle infielders so giving up Wendle isn't a big deal. 

Brandon Moss is Nick Swisher with more pop. Both hit righties better than lefties though Swish is a switch hitter. I'm sure they're both fun to drink beer with so there's that. Moss is going to strike out a ton, hit 25 or so home runs and drive you nuts when he goes 0 for a week here and there. 

And on Tuesday the Indians signed veteran starter Gavin Floyd to a one year 4 million dollar deal. Floyd's only season in Atlanta last year was shortened by injury. You can't really call him an innings eater as he failed to reach 200 in his final four years with the White Sox. The money is right though and if they can give him to the ball 30 times in 2015 they'll look at him as a bargain. Floyd essentially replaces the departed Justin Masterson in the rotation. Masterson was always a bit hard to figure anyway.

The Tribe could be pretty good this year if they get bounce backs from Jason Kipnis, Carlos Santana and Swisher. All had disappointing seasons and yet the Indians hung around to the end. 

Brian Phillips is the afternoon jock at the legendary Indie radio blowtorch WWCD102.5. He knows a thing or two about a thing or two. 

Code Reds - Kevin J. Elliott and Ryan Haye Have Your Midseason Report

1) If I somebody told you before the season that Billy Hamilton would lead all rookies in hits & steals and Frazier, Mesorasco and Alfredo Simon would play in the All-Star Game would have believed it?  (questions by Colin Gawel)

Kevin)  No, not a bit. The only thing I predicted was Hamilton's mastery of the base pads. He's been the biggest surprise by far. This is not to mention his excellent defense in CF and that many of those hits have been for extra bases. There's even some power there at times. 

As for Frazier, I always thought he was never playing to his potential, so it's nice to see him have a breakout season. Please keep this up in the second half, dear Toddfather. 
Mesoraco has been called the next Johnny Bench since he was drafted, so it's been another surprise to see him play up to that title this quickly. He'll be a stud behind the plate for many years in a Reds uniform. 

That Simon is pitching like our Number Two guy is just icing on the cake. It's kind of a too good to be true scenario with him. Hard to believe all of them will post the same numbers in the second half, but with that said they are all still rising. If anything this really bodes well for the Reds of the future. 

Ryan) Although I did believe that Hamilton would develop into a solid everyday player, nobody - and I mean nobody - predicted that the dude would become one the best defensive center fielders in the league, or that he would swing the bat with the power that he’s displayed. His home-runs have been bombs. Like I said previously, the comparisons to Henderson were unfair and premature but his play has put him in the running for Rookie of the Year.

I have always loved Frazier, and, like Kevin, I felt he was underachieving mostly due to his complete lack of awareness of the strike zone, but here we are now and Frazier is an All-Star and is currently the best bat on the team…

…Except for Mezz. Last year my brother (a Pirates fan and a big fat jerk) sent me a text saying that Mezz was a bust. I struggled to defend him. Perhaps Mezz intercepted that text because the dude has been huge this year. He calls a great game, his defense is solid and he’s hitting the ball, and he’s hitting it when it matters. I love this guy and I can’t wait to see what he can do now that he has (hopefully) his injuries behind him.

2) Conversely, what would you have guessed to be the Reds record at the break if I told you Jay Bruce was hitting.229, Joey Votto would only have have 23 RBI and Mat Latos 2 wins?

Kevin) Let us not forget the "dream" season of 2012 -- the last time we won the Division -- Votto left the team in July and the team played their best baseball of the season in his absence. For now, we just have put Votto in the rearview and not worry too much about not having him in the line-up. As for Bruce, I think he will make up for a weak first half, especially when the team is playing well. And Latos, well, the pitching staff has been the brightest spot so far, and in his return he's been very consistent, so having him around can only make more ticks in the win column in the second half. 

Ryan) I came into the season thinking this team couldn’t hit and part of me still thinks that. I was sure they would compete because of their pitching but with Latos going down and Chapman going down, coupled with Cingrani’s bad start I had all but lost hope. Who knew Simon would do what he’s doing. Guessing them to be .500 based on your scenario would have been foolishly optimistic.

3) So sitting at a very respectable 51-44 at the break, is this Reds glass half full of Hudepohl or half empty? 
 

Kevin) Half Full. This is certainly a team without its core (and half their payroll) in the line-up, but they've been scrappy, full of heart, and able to come back from big deficits -- something that wasn't happening at the beginning of the season. Here are some numbers to ponder -- the Reds are 28-17 vs. NL Central opponents in the first half -- that's best in the Division. We have 30 games remaining against the Central, including most of September which ends with series against the Brewers, Cards, and Pirates. I like those odds when it's crunch time.

Ryan) I’m a fan so I will say half full but there’s a big part of me that worries about their inability to beat the Cardinals, and there’s no way they can continue to dominate the Brewers. I mean right? 

The more objective side of me says that glass is half-empty. Can we expect the frail Hamilton to hold up? Bruce is hitting .229. Will Frazier revert back to a strike zone the size of Pangea? And what of Simon? Simon is quickly reaching his high water mark in total innings in a season, and anyone that follows baseball knows that that’s an issue. Dead arm happens to the best of them, except oddly enough Homer Bailey who seems to get stronger as the year goes, there’s no reason to think it’s not going to happen with Simon. Want proof? Generally speaking, a pitcher’s opening day fastball is the fastball we see at the All-Star break: however, Simon’s fastball is -0.6 off his opening day mark (redlegnation.com). Is he getting tired, or is he just learning how to pitch, thus saving his arm? That’s a question that will only be answered as the season progresses. Added to that is the effect Votto’s injury is having on defense. Recently, the Reds put Bruce on first base which means they removed a gold glover from his position and placed him in a position that he’s never played before—and he quickly made a costly error. If Price keeps up that kind of lunacy it will start costing them games.

4)The Reds four game sweep of the Giants in Frisco followed by being swept by the Padres sums up what it has been like to be a fan of the 2014 Reds. What is your first half moment where you felt best about this team? At what point did you wonder if the wheels were going to come completely off? 

Kevin) I guess I would have to go with this last home stand and only losing two games. They did this with no Votto and no Phillips -- and with guys like Ramon Santiago and Kris Negron coming off of the bench to produce big. Of course that's not going to happen consistently, but we can dream. I'll have to go with that series against the Padres as the point where I almost gave up and packed it in for the season. Or pretty much any time Homer Bailey takes the mound. That we are talking Reds in the middle of July is glorious. 

Ryan) I was sure the West Coast swing was going to do them in—like it does almost every year. I was also sure three or four other times during the first half. Let’s face it, the wheels may not have been off before July but they were close.

5)The team has been ravaged by injuries. Should the front office look to make a move to sure up the line-up for a deep playoff run? What would you like to see added and who do you think is expendable? Or do we stand pat? 
 

Kevin) I think the front office will need to be very aggressive in filling the holes. At the start of the season it was LF and the front of the bullpen -- while those remain, we also need to think about 2B (and 1B for that matter).  It was the New Radicals guy who said "You only get what you give" -- so ideally I'd love to see a blockbuster trade. Can I offer this up? How about Brandon Phillips, Alfredo Simon, Sean Marshall, and Tucker Barnhart for Troy Tulowiski? I'm thinking despite the tanking Rockies, Tulo likes the weed in Denver too much to leave. But that's an offer Colorado would be silly to refuse, right? 

Starting pitching is something we have plenty of....including our top prospect Robert Stephenson pitching lights-out in the minors and the recently signed Cuban phenom Raisel Iglesias. So I can see the Reds dealing a solid starter like Simon or Leake in order to get something we can use NOW. Trends show us they like to go for guys in slumps looking for a second life (i.e. Rolen, Ludwick, Schumaker). I suspect we will have someone like Ben Zobrist or Josh Willingham (who are already in the trade rumors). I just hope it's not another former Card. 

Or what about convincing Adam Dunn to split sometime between LF and 1B for his twilight years? The guy loves hitting HRs in GABP. 

Ryan) They should make a move but don’t hold your breath. Jocketty slept through the off-season and, honestly, who’s out there? Stanton? And what do you give up for a Zobrist or Willingham? No way the Rockies take that trade, Phillips’ salary is too big and his best days are behind him, Simon is still unproven at this point, and Marshall is ALWAYS hurt, but I guess it never hurts to ask. 

I mostly look for the Reds to stay pat save a small move here or there. I don’t like it, but it’s what I’ve been conditioned to believe.

6) The Reds win the division if…
 

Kevin) We dominate the Central for the remainder of the season. Especially in September, with a healthy Votto and Phillips and a "just getting hot" Bruce putting in most of the work. Remember, as I type this, we are only 1.5 games out of 1st place. We could be in 1st with a sweep of the Yankees this weekend. Hold on hope. It's definitely possible, especially if Milwaukee and St. Louis take a well-needed dive. 

Ryan) This question is as easy to hit out of the park as an Ondrusek fast ball…To win the division you have to figure out a way to beat the Cardinals. Easy peasy. 

 7) The Reds sneak into the wild card if… 

Kevin) The current situation holds. I can't see THIS team, the one currently on the field, as going too far in the playoffs, but can see them winning just enough to sneak in. That would be a triumph. This is the scenario I likely see. With our pitching staff healthy, it's hard for us to lose too many games. I'll take a wild card given all this team has been through. Oh, and give Bryan Price the NL Manager of the Year for making it so. 

Ryan) No question the Reds have the best rotation in the division, so I agree with Kevin on this one. Even if Simon comes back to earth a little (which he will) and Cueto coming back to earth a little (which he will), I see this rotation keeping them in most games. The Reds formula must be to stay close and let the back end of the bullpen shut teams down. 

8) The Reds are golfing the first week of October if..

Kevin) We lose any of our starters to injury and/or don't make a move before the trade deadline. I have faith this team has been dealt the ungrateful hand of fate too much already this season, so I don't see this last scenario happening. We will be playing October baseball. But if it does come down to this, my wish is that the Pirates are the only team from this Division that survives. 

Ryan)They don’t win the division. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that if a wild-card does come out of this division it will be the Cards or Brewers. 

Ryan Haye and Kevin J. Elliott are both widely respected musicians and writers. More importantly, they know a shit ton about baseball and specifically, the Cincinnati Reds.