Things You Don't Talk About in Polite Company

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--I had never seen a crowd go wild in response to a sacrifice bunt until I watched this game. As the story points out, the crowd gave a standing ovation Jose Guillen (also the defensive star of the game for throwing out a runner at home from right field to preserve a then 1-0 lead then catching a ball against the left field wall in a latter inning).


There's a little backstory here. Earlier in the game, starting pitcher Ryan Dempster struck out bunting with two strikes. It's sort of understandable as being conventional wisdom. Later, with Adam Dunn on deck, Aaron Boone once again struck out bunting on the third strike. That he was ordered to bunt with two strikes is rather strange, considering that he is arguably the fourth or even third best offensive player on the team (when Griffey is on the DL, at least). Strange to see him bunting with two strikes. I know there was a third failed bunt, but I think that merely resulted in a fielder's choice at second base.


So that's a little anecdote about why people call the manager of the Reds BaBoone. Of course, my favorite Boone anecdote is using a pitcher to pinch run for a guy on first then, after the runner had reached second, using another pitcher to pinch run for that first pitcher.


It was my first trip to the Great American Ballpark. I liked it. It's brightly colored, which might not age well. I liked the steamboat in the outfield over which you can see the Ohio River. I paid $16 for a ticket, $10 for parking two blocks away, $6.25 for the only available import, Dundee's Honey Brown (because, given a choice between beer and Michelob, I want a real beer), $4.50 for a kielbasa, and $3.50 for a hot dog. Wow, didn't realize I paid forty bucks for a baseball game.

(8:57 PM)