4/17/25 - The Mo Egger Radio Show w/ Chad Brendel

Reaction to the Reds crushing Extra Inning Loss to the Seattle Mariners

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
No one covers the Bengals like ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati's
sports station. Here we go Thursday in the Queens City,

(00:22):
Cincinnati Reds in action as we speak, top of the
eighth in the rubber match against the Seattle Mariners. Reds
trail four to three. Red Legs had the bases loaded,

(00:45):
two outs. Elie Dela Cruz at the plate and he
takes a ninety five mile an hour fastball right down
Broadway for strike three to end the threat. Not great, Bob.

(01:08):
Reds are looking to get one game back over five hundred.
They got there on Tuesday nine and eight, lose a
tough one last night, can't mount e late, comeback nine
and nine, and playing today to find out if they

(01:33):
will be one under or one over as they take
on the Orioles this weekend. We will have a postgame
coverage later in the show. I left the three o'clock
hour open. We'll probably do a lot of Bengals talk

(01:53):
here in this first hour. Get to the Reds in
hour number two, including our good friend Clay noted in
from Just Baseball joining us at four thirty. We will
join we be joined by Richard Skinner in the five
o'clock hour at five point twenty to talk some more Bengals,
Bengals Draft, things of that nature. So we get we

(02:19):
have a lot going on today and counterprogramming, so we'll
save the red stuff for as we go along. And
I do want to get into Ellie because I he's
kind of it's kind of untouchable in this market right

(02:40):
now because of his potential and because of his personality
and because of what he can become. But at some
point in time what he can become needs to be
a thing of the past. He's still making too many

(03:01):
routine plays look hard. He's not consistent enough to be
a superstar. Tony said that Ellie's the superstar. Well, Ellie's
supposed to be the superstar, but he's not there yet.
He's hitting under two fifty, his ops is under eight hundred.

(03:26):
He had a great start, everybody was excited, but for
the past two weeks, the hole in his swing is back.
He's swinging the pitches out of the zone. He's taking
pitches in the zone. He's not getting on bass and
then being that menace on the bass pass that really
puts pressure on other teams. He four stolen bases on

(03:49):
the season, and maybe that's something that we have to
readjust our expectations in terms of how Harry Francona wants
this team to play, because we are not seeing Remember
two years ago when all these young guys started to
come up, and the word on this new age, this

(04:12):
new era of Reds baseball was being aggressive, going first
to third, second to home, you know, putting pressure on
the opposition's defense, always making them worry that they're going
to have to make a play to get you out. Well,

(04:33):
that faded quite a bit last year. Didn't see much
of it at all in terms of style of baseball.
It pretty quickly went back to a walk, a single,
or a home run for a team that wasn't great
at hitting home runs. And this year you're still getting

(04:55):
a lot of the mistakes on the base pass. As
the Mariners add an insurance run push it back up
to five to three off of Tony Santion, they now
have runners on second and third with one out in
the top of the eighth, and the Reds very much
in danger of going down in this series. But when

(05:21):
when you look at Elie, he was Game seven, he
was batting to eighty six. The high was the fourth
game of the season, he's hitting four thirty eight. Small
sample sizes of course, Game seven he was hitting two

(05:43):
eighty six with an eight eighty two OPS. That is
all the way down. Coming into the game that was
two twenty nine. Was his batting average as OPS was
six eighty nine. He had two hits today, so that
went up a little bit. I think currently Ellie is

(06:06):
batting two forty seven with the seven to twenty four OPS,
and that's not terrible. It's workable in Major League Baseball,
but that's not superstar numbers. And unfortunately he's only got

(06:26):
three home runs his eighteen RBIs. He is in that
spot where he has every week or two a game
that reminds you how special he can be. But at
the plate, in the field, on the bass pass, the

(06:50):
consistency is not showing up. And you're in year three
and this is when that jump is supposed to happen.
So we'll talk about that later. We'll talk about the
Bengals coming up a lot here in this first hour.

(07:11):
I'd like to know what your take is on the
Bengals draft. I don't need to know necessarily who you
think they're going to pick, because I don't think anybody knows.
And I think that's a big part of what I
want to talk about today, and that's when you look
around the mock drafts, you don't see a consensus on
the Bengals. Now, some of that, granted, they're at pick seventeen.

(07:34):
There's a lot that can happen in front of them,
there's a lot that can influence the way that their
pick goes. But when you look around at the mock drafts,
you don't see really any commonality from expert to expert
to expert on who the Bengals are going to take
at seventeen. And to me, that usually means one of

(07:57):
two things. One, well, your roster is in a really
good place. You've got a good mix of youth and veterans,
you've got good depth, and you're looking at it from
a best player available perspective. And that's just a matter

(08:17):
of how your front office sees the board when it
plays out to your pick. And so the experts the
pundits will be a little bit all over the place
because they know there's not anything glaring on that team's roster.
There's not anything that jumps out that that team really
needs to fix. The other scenario on why people are

(08:41):
all over the place is because your roster's not good. Now,
the Bengals do have a luxury. They have Joe Burrow,
they have Jamar Chase and t Higgins as well, So
they feel confident because those guys are so great because

(09:02):
Joe Burrow is a one of one, Jamar Chase is
a one of one, that they're going to be in games,
They're going to be competitive and what the rest of
the roster looks like doesn't matter a ton in terms
of will the Bengals be good. Unfortunately, there's a lot

(09:24):
of holes on this roster. There's a lot of people
looking and thinking, huh, I don't know which way the
Bengals are going to go because they need so much
because over the last three drafts there's very little in

(09:45):
the pipeline that anybody feels good about. Amarius Mims. I'll
give you that one. Who else? Who else? Do you
really think?

Speaker 2 (10:01):
Man?

Speaker 1 (10:01):
That guy is five years from now, we're gonna be
talking about that guy and what a what a great addition,
what a great piece of the puzzle He's gonna be
for the Bengals. So now the pundits don't know what
to think. Is it guard? Is it safety? Is it

(10:23):
interior defensive line help? Is it edge rush help? They're
probably gonna need linebacker. There's the there. The consensus is
all over the place. There's no consensus that the opinions
are all over the place because the roster is a

(10:43):
mess because they didn't do a good job of building
around Joe Burrow before he got to the big contract.
And now not only does Joe Burrow have the big contract,
Jamar Higgins have the big contract, and there's not a

(11:04):
lot of money to go around, and there's not a
lot of young guys that this team is drafted that
you look at and say, I'm riding with that guy.
We don't have to worry about X, y Z position
in the draft because we are set there. And it
takes me back to the postseason when when Burrow was

(11:27):
doing his media tour and talked about the Eagles, Well,
the Eagles can pay a bunch of their guys, you know,
big money, and it works for them. Yeah, it works
for them because Howie Roseman has nailed the draft. Because
the Eagles have pretty much the model NFL franchise right now.

(11:48):
They're great at the salary, cap. They're great at the draft,
they're great at adding to the roster as they see fit,
as they see necessary in a key spot here and
a key spot there, because they're not stressing about, well,
we got to nail this draft. When's the last time

(12:09):
you thought the Bengals nailed to draft? Now, when's the
last time you thought the Bengals nailed to draft where
they weren't drafting in the top five every round. It's
been a long time. It's been four years since they
nailed free agency. Does anybody really feel good about what

(12:32):
the Bengals added to this roster and free agency taking
them from a good AFC team to a super Bowl contender.
You're gonna say they're a super Bowl contender because they
have Joe Burrow, and you could be right. They could
get back there because Burrow gets hot and takes them
to the Promised Land. But the way that this thing

(12:58):
looks right now, there's no reason to be full of
faith and confidence that they're going to stick this draft,
get this roster right, and be right up there with
Baltimore in Kansas City and those teams that are at
the top of the NFL. And that's what I gather

(13:19):
from listening around the sports world, listening to Tony and Austin,
listening to mo about what might happen a week from
now on draft night. The Bengals have to nail it.
They have to get it exactly right. I don't have

(13:41):
a lot of faith in that. Part of the reason
they haven't got it right very often in the draft.
The other part of the reason, there's too many holes.
There's too many spots where you look at this roster
and say, yep, need help there, Yep, need help there.

(14:02):
So obviously a big part of sports radio content right
now is analyzing the draft. Who are the Bengals gonna pick?
How does it fit? Does it make a difference. I
want to see him get it right. Just don't have
any faith that they've shown the ability to do it.

(14:28):
We're a week from finding out, and I haven't heard
anything that's changed my confidence level since the regular season ended.
We'll also talk a little transfer portal activity for U
see activity for Xavier over the past week or so,
maybe more for you see on the Horizon, maybe more

(14:51):
for Xavier on the horizon, and just an overall discussion
about being a college sports fan in the it's for
portal slash nil era cuz uh, you're gonna you're gonna
you're gonna need that roster pregame and when you walk
into the arena sometimes they'll hand out like a free

(15:11):
roster card. Generally, you don't need it because you know
your team. Boy, the fans in this town are gonna
need it coming into next year. Let's take a break.
Phone lines are open. I want to hear from you.
Five one, three, seven, four nine, fifteen thirty Red still

(15:32):
trailing five three bottom of the eighth. This is Cincinnati
Sports Station ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (15:39):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from.

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(16:08):
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Speaker 1 (16:24):
Mirror, mirror on the wall, Tell me welcome back. Cincinnati's
ESPN fifteen thirty. Chad Brenda and Formagger. You guys should
know who I am by now. If not, find me
on Twitter at Chad Brenda. I'm the owner of Bearcat
Journal dot com, the place for all your University of

(16:47):
Cincinnati information. A lot going on lately, Darren, in the
world of the Bearcats, I've seen let's say, it's it's
so crazy the way that that everything has just flipped
upside down in in college sports, the the the the key.

(17:08):
I was gonna say this for a little later. Maybe
we'll do it now. We'll do a little more Bengals
in the next segment. The key used to always be
like get old, stay old, right, Terren. You recruit guys,
you bring them in, you develop them. They go from like,
you know, a bench piece to a role player to
a starter to a star the four year progression, and

(17:30):
you know, some guys don't make it all the way
to that star level. But there was a plan, there
was there was a path of action. Oh wow, Tern,
see what happened? Yep, unbelievable. I will I will stop

(17:57):
right there. Jake Frayley and the bottom of the eighth
bases loaded one out. Jake Fraley, Grand Salami and the
Reds who were trailing five to three now lead seven
to five. Wow, Like I said, well, we'll have Reds

(18:23):
postgame coming up here in a little bit, as we
we talked through, we'll see if they can close this
thing out. Because right now, in the bottom of the eighth,
with one out, bases empty, Reds leads seven to five
after a Jake Frayley grand salami. Could be a big

(18:44):
series win. Like, I'm not saying this is a pivotal series,
but you're you're starting off a stretch of you know,
nine nine straight winnable series. Remember this time last year,
we kept looking at that May schedule and going, boy, May,
they're not gonna win many games in May, and they didn't,
and it tanked the whole season. Now you've got a

(19:05):
stretch coming up where you can build some momentum, and
losing this series to start off that stretch would be
a rough look. Right now, seven to five, bottom of
the eighth, in position to not only win the game,
but win the series. But tern Xavier has one returning

(19:27):
guy on their roster, Rody Anderson, who sat out last
year as a red shirt transfer. Cincinnati has essentially two
guys that played on their team last year lined up
for this season, Gisel James, Daide Thomas expect Tyler McKinley

(19:49):
to be back, but he red shirted because of an
injury last year. And it sounds like halven Zella, the
late addition last year from France who did see some
time in the Crown but did not really play throughout
the season. Those are going to be the guys you
know on Cincinnati's roster, the only guy on Xavier. There's

(20:13):
a coaching change, so obviously it's a little bit of
a different scenario. Now when there's a coaching change, you
just expect that you're you're gonna have an entirely new roster.
But it's changing college sports. It's changing fandom and at

(20:35):
some point, because it's really weird, Taran, I know you
hear this too, especially sitting here listening to people, to
callers and you know, reading Twitter, people saying they're losing
interest in college sports. Now, the numbers are still good,
people are still watching, but it feels like there's a

(20:55):
market correction coming at some point in time because how
long are people going to watch when they no longer
have a connection to the players, When every year it's
a new roster when every year your eight to nine
man rotation consists of two guys that you knew before

(21:18):
the season started and a bunch of guys that played
somewhere else the year before. How invested are you going
to be in that? And it's even crazier in college football.
My job is to know the Cincinnati Bearcats football roster

(21:40):
tearing for four years in a row. When spring practice
has started, I have sat there with my roster in hand,
looking out on the field and gone, I don't know anybody.
It just creates a different dynamic. And sure, when you

(22:01):
get to this point in April, there's excitement because because
you're adding new guys to the team and you're seeing
what your coach's vision for the next roster is going
to look like. The man is. It's great for me.
It's good for business on my end because there's a
much you know, bigger recruiting window. There's a much bigger uh,

(22:26):
you know, space of activity that people are craving information.
But then you get to November and the team takes
the court and you don't know anything about any of those.

Speaker 2 (22:35):
Guys out there.

Speaker 1 (22:37):
It's a challenge. It's not a lot of fun.

Speaker 2 (22:42):
That's why you're good at what you.

Speaker 1 (22:43):
Do, right, But I'm saying if it's difficult for me,
what's that like for a fan that shows up in
September to the first football game of the season.

Speaker 2 (22:54):
That's why you got subscribe to Bearcat Journal.

Speaker 1 (22:55):
It is why you have to subscribe to Bearcat Journal.
That I'll help you understand who is who and what
is what. But it's a lot, man, it's a lot.
And I don't see the train slowing down anytime soon.
I know they're trying to get a grip on it.
I know if you talk to coaches around the country,

(23:19):
they are not happy with how things are right now
because there's no control, there's no stability, there's no sanity
in any of this. Taren, how about this b YU right?
I don't know if a lot of people know this? Football, basketball, basketball?

(23:42):
B YU assigned the number one player in the class
in basketball AJ Debansa. Well, the number two player in
the class in basketball. There's a new number one, Darren Peterson.
Oh who is better than Aj Debansa. Let's another day,
another day. But five to six million dollars for you

(24:05):
for BYU to land AJ Dowanson, then uh yegor demon
if you if you were familiar with BYU. They brought
over an international point guard who was projected to be
a lottery pick and they were trying to keep him,
but he entered the draft, so that meant Utah didn't
have a point guard. So they call up Baylor's freshman

(24:29):
point guard who was really good towards the end of
the year. If you watch Baylor, Rob Wright, and they say, hey,
we got we got three three and a half million
dollars for you to come be our point guard. Rob
Wright enters, the transfer portal goes to b YU. Richie Saunders,
who was a first team All Big Twelve performer last year.

(24:51):
He sticks around another three million dollars. The top three
guys on that roster, oh boy, you're talking about oop Yeah,
coy Rally with another. Is that his fourth home run
of this series?

Speaker 2 (25:11):
Ky Rally? Yeah, something like that. I know, second one today.

Speaker 1 (25:15):
Yeah, I think he had two the other day as well. Anyhow,
just crushing the Reds seven to six, Redsley, top nine
no Outs, Amelia Pagan on the mount. That's about eleven
million dollars for the top three guys, if not a
little more. On BYU's roster. And you know what they're

(25:36):
also trying to do. If you heard the name Tyron Stokes, uh,
he's the number one player in twenty twenty six and
BYU is working to get him to reclassify to twenty
twenty five and join their roster. You could be talking
about sixteen fifteen, sixteen, seventeen million dollars and not have

(25:57):
a starting five at BYU have four of your starting
five and none of your finch Sorry Randy or rez
Arena also Homers. We are tied at seven in the
top of the ninth. Let's take a break, Tarren. This
segment's not It's not a winning segment for anybody. Breads

(26:22):
are gonna have to win it in extra innings or
in the bottom of the ninth if they can hang on.
They haven't gotten out in the top of the ninth
seven to seven, nobody retired, mariners still batting. The excitement
of that Grand Slam didn't last long more after this.

(26:42):
Since that's ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 3 (26:43):
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This report the best radio show in Cincinnati, according to
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Speaker 1 (27:36):
I mean, are you kidding Taran?

Speaker 6 (27:38):
Do it?

Speaker 1 (27:44):
Welcome back?

Speaker 2 (27:48):
How are you afraid to swing it back?

Speaker 1 (27:51):
He didn't take the bat off his shoulder.

Speaker 2 (27:58):
I need some marriage any right about now.

Speaker 1 (28:00):
I mean. Elie Dela Cruz at bat, bottom of the
ninth tie ball game, takes ball one, takes strike one,
takes strike two, take strikes three, strike three, four pitches,
bat doesn't come off his shoulder. The Reds are down

(28:25):
to their final out in the bottom of the ninth
with the game in the balance. Ellie Dela Cruz took
strike three in the bottom of the eighth with the
bases loaded in two outs. Takes strike three in the
bottom of the ninth at the bottom of the seventh, sorry,

(28:47):
bottom of the seventh takes strike three with the bases
loaded in two outs. Take strike three is the leadoff
batter in the bottom of the ninth of a tie game.
He has to be better, Tarren. This franchise, as we know,

(29:10):
did not go spend a bunch of money on their
offense in the offseason. They doubled down on the guys
that they had, taking a step forward. That has not happened.

(29:32):
Elie de la Cruz back down to two forty three
batting average seven fourteen ops, two more strikeouts today coming
into the game, twenty two strikeouts, sixteen hits, so he

(29:53):
added two hits today, eighteen hits, twenty four strikeouts. If
you are going to take that step, if you are
going to be a star, you cannot be as wildly
at both ends of the spectrum as Elie de la

(30:15):
Cruz still seems to be. There's almost no middle ground, Tarn.
He is either scorching hot, tearing the cover off the ball,
or doing very very little to help what is not
a great Reds offense. He had two prime opportunities in

(30:45):
this game alone and did nothing with either. Went down
looking in both at bets faces loaded down to bottom
of the seventh, strikeout looking, tie bottom of the ninth,
leading off. He doesn't. That's the thing. You don't even

(31:06):
need Ali to hit a home run there or a double.
Just get on base, just do something and instead strike
one looking, strike two looking, strike three looking, and Noel
ve Marte grounds out to in the inning and this

(31:30):
one is going to extras tied at seven. Terry Francona
standing at the top of the dugout steps going, I
was retired. I was retired, Darren. Why am I doing
this to myself? Let's take another break more after this

(31:55):
well round out hour one on Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (32:00):
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Speaker 1 (32:35):
This report is sponsored by Winding Down Our Number one,
Cincinnati's sports station, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Chad Brenda filling

(33:01):
in for my lagger up next new edition, mister telephone man,
like my radio voice tiring. Oh yeah, oh yeah. I'd
do the doggy style interludes, but probably get us in trouble.

Speaker 2 (33:27):
We have a dumb pun.

Speaker 1 (33:30):
Yeah, but then I'm the only one that would hear it.
The top of the tenth is turning into a disaster.
Let's not kid ourselves. Ghost runner on second bunt, gram
Ashcraft bobbles it error, first and third ground ball to

(33:51):
Elie Dela Cruise that he does nothing with, puts it
in his back pocket. Run scores it is eight to
seven Seattle runners on first and third, one out, close

(34:13):
to a double play. I'll be interested to see if
they challenge this. What do you think, Terry? I think
they challenge it. No, I had somebody ask me this, Tarran.
It's funny that it it plays itself out today. Maybe
they're listening. If they are, what's up, Drup Why don't

(34:33):
teams walk the first batter of the tenth inning? You
got to run around second already. Why not walk the
first batter and set up a double play. I've never

(34:54):
seen anybody do it. Have you?

Speaker 7 (34:58):
No when makes sense? Wouldn't that make sense? Maybe too
much this, Maybe that's why teams don't do it.

Speaker 1 (35:11):
Yeah, I mean, no outs, you've the runners already in
scoring position. You set up a force out at third,
your defense can play a double play death. I mean,
if that runner gets to third and you've got two outs,
I think that's a win personally. Anyhow, what we'll keep

(35:37):
you abreast as this situation plays out back to back
to the Bengals.

Speaker 2 (35:47):
I have had.

Speaker 1 (35:47):
Uh, It's been funny, Terran. Every once in a while
this will pop up. I was, uh. I wasn't necessarily
like hell bent on on either player in the Jamar
Chase Pennay Seul debate many many moons ago. But I
did point out, like Joe Burrow needs help in terms

(36:13):
of protection because they have been as bad on the
offensive line as any team in football in the five
years that Joe Burrow has been quarterback. And I also,
you know, I hedged on the Joe Burrow thing for
a little while. Then we got to, you know, the
run he had in the season and into the college

(36:33):
football playoff, and you know, it became pretty obvious that
he was clearly the best choice, so I backed off
that a little bit. But the point I had made
all along is what does it matter if you can't
protect the guy and somebody will go back And which
is maybe one of the crazier things I've ever seen.

(36:55):
Do you know how much I tweet Terrence? Somebody will
go back through like five years of my tweets. That
has got to be an awful experience. Even with the
search bar, it can't be a good experience, and they'll
bring it back up. It's like, well, guess what, you've
got one of the top three quarterbacks in the NFL

(37:15):
leading things for the Cincinnati Bengals. He has been here
for five years. He has made the playoffs twice twice. Yes,
it was a Super Bowl run and an AFC Championship run. Awesome.

(37:36):
But in the first year he got hurt, missed the
large chunk of the season because his line stunk. In
the fourth year he got hurt, missed a good chunk
of the season because his line stunk. And in the
fifth year his line stunk and his defense stunk. He
played the whole season and they missed the playoffs. Why,

(38:01):
because this franchise is awful at roster construction, awful. They
hit once in this five year window. They had one
offseason where they hit in free agency while Joe was
on his rookie contract and they weren't paying anybody really

(38:22):
any big money. They hit once. They haven't hitten free
agency really since they haven't hit in the draft since.
And we're going to go into the draft next Thursday,
a week from tonight, thinking everything will be fixed as

(38:45):
long as the Bengals nail the draft. Really, as long
as the Bengals nail the draft, I'm gonna be great.
As long as Miss Universe shows up at my front
door tonight to have a sleepover. The odds of that

(39:11):
happening in the Bengals nailing a draft are about the same.
Why should there be any confidence in this front office
nailing a draft a draft that they don't have a
top five pick. We've seen them be pretty good picking.

(39:32):
They Joe Burrow was the easy choice. Guess what if
they would have taken Jamar Chase or they would have
taken Pinay Seul, they would have got it right. Because
both those dudes are outstanding. And I believe that was
a draft or what four quarterbacks went one, two, three, four,
So the Bengals essentially at the fifth pick, got the
best player available because they didn't need a quarterback. And

(40:00):
every other draft since has been a cluster. Everybody's hopeful
they got they got a good one with Mems, but
who else? Who else gives you any confidence going into
next Thursday that this franchise is going to nail the draft.

(40:22):
Look at what they just did with free agency, a
lot of cap room going into free agency, a lot
of openings, a lot of you know, needs that were
there to be addressed, crickets, very very little activity. So

(40:47):
we just think they're going to flip the switch. The
front office that that has the fewest scouts, the fewest
personnel dedicated to talent acquisition, is just all of a
sudden gonna gonna get lucky and nail one. It's just
not likely. There's nothing about it that says, big flashing,

(41:12):
you know, neon sign the Bengals are gonna nail this,
and they're gonna start this phase of Joe Burrow's career
and now Jamar Chase and t Higgins career with the
three of them tied together, taking up what forty of
the payroll on three guys. Where now you have to

(41:33):
nail the draft year over year over year to continue
to stock this roster, to continue to put those guys
in a position to win a Super Bowl. All of
a sudden they're gonna figure it out, and that starts
Thursday night, a week from tonight. What have they done
to give me confidence in that? What have they done

(41:57):
to make me believe that? Nothing?

Speaker 8 (42:05):
So?

Speaker 1 (42:06):
Who cares to go through hours and hours and hours
of mock drafts and and sorting through Uh, you know,
the beast reg just got squeezed on what should have
been a third strike. Ump missed the call next pitch

(42:29):
to run double Mariner's up ten to seven, top of
the tenth. Unbelievable. Let's take a break hour number two.
Phone lines are open five, one, three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty. This is Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Hey, weekend
dollars entered this nationwide keward on our website.

Speaker 3 (42:51):
Grand that's grand enter it.

Speaker 1 (42:54):
Now here we go our number two. So hope it's
better than the last half inning for the Cincinnati Reds.

(43:17):
Oh right in the throat Terran, that looked awful. Thank
you for choosing me. Appreciate you being here filling in

(43:38):
remote today. I think we got trags tomorrow, Tarran. Yes,
I was gonna be here tomorrow. And then you see,
for whatever reason, this year, Tarran, they add they you
give fifteen spring practices, the spring game is usually the
fifteenth practice. Since that he had the spring game as

(44:01):
their twelfth practice this year. So they had three extra
practices this week, the last of which being tomorrow, so
I will be at Knippert Stadium.

Speaker 2 (44:13):
Is that common?

Speaker 1 (44:15):
What's that?

Speaker 8 (44:17):
No?

Speaker 2 (44:17):
Three practice after their last game?

Speaker 9 (44:19):
No?

Speaker 1 (44:20):
I think I remember it happening once for Fickle. I
think it might just be a calendar deal. Like they
didn't probably want to do the spring game this weekend
because of Easter, so they had it last weekend. But
that was only practice twelve. Because I know the way
they do it is they set up the first week

(44:45):
of spring practices the week before spring break. Then you
come back from spring break and you have four weeks
of practice. It just so happened. I guess the way
the calendar played out that the third week was where
the spring game felt this year fell this year and Uh,
they just had three more practices that they want to use.

Speaker 2 (45:03):
So yeah, that's.

Speaker 1 (45:04):
Where I'll be tomorrow. I know, I know you'll you'll
miss me on a Friday, Good Friday, pizza party Friday.
Maybe Trags will bring you pizza. Trags. If you're listening,
you're listening Italian at Silverton, get tearing a pizza.

Speaker 2 (45:28):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (45:29):
Yeah, Red's down to their final two outs. As I
know this is gonna you're gonna have a hard time
believing this. Tarn Uh Jamie or Candelario struck out? Is
he is now batting one seventeen with an ops of
four hundred. Why is he? The answer is obvious, money,

(45:52):
Why is he on the roster right now? Can't you
come up with like a uh, like a strained big
toe or something to get him on the injury list.
They say he gets better as the season goes on,
he heats up. Well, maybe you need to put him
on ice until the weather is in the eighties regularly,

(46:14):
because right now he stinks. Blake Dun grounds out. Blake
Dunn now hitting a whopping one forty three. So you
get to the bottom of the tenth down four runs
and the first two guys you send to the plate,
are hitting one seventeen and one forty three.

Speaker 2 (46:38):
And we wasted a great game by Jake Freeley.

Speaker 1 (46:41):
Yeah, three for four four RBIs grand slam to give
you a seven to five lead in the bottom of
the eighth inning, And since taking that seven to five
lead with three outs to go, the Reds have been
outscored six to nothing, including an error from La day

(47:06):
Light Cruise at shortstop that allowed the eleventh thrown to
score on what was plain and simple, an easy ground
ball that he backhanded instead of getting in front of
the ball, hit off, his heel popped out and then
he still probably had a chance to get the runner
at first, short hopped the throw and the runner was safe.

(47:34):
The Reds have committed four errors on the day, four
two in the top of the tenth, tie game, top
of the tenth, The first thing you do is your
pitcher can't cleanly feel a bunt and getting out at

(47:54):
first it opens the floodgates. You give up four runs
in the top of the tenth, and you're gonna lose
this game, and you're gonna lose the series. And that's it.

(48:15):
It's final Seattle eleven, Cincinnati seven. It's unbelievable, more runners
out on the bases. Frailey caught stealing second base Araby Frailey,

(48:48):
two errors by Daylight Cruise and an Araby Ashcraft. Brady
Singer goes four and a third, five hits, four runs,
only two of them earned, three walks, six strikeouts, gave
up a home run. The loss goes to Graham Ashcraft.

(49:13):
One inning pitched, two hits, four runs, no earned runs
in the top of the tenth, but he gives up four.
For me, it's pretty simple, tern this is a five
hundred reds team. It's a five hundred reds team best

(49:39):
case scenario. I heard Moe talk about this yesterday. He
said he had him at eighty three wins before the season.
He's sticking with eighty three. I think it's about right.
Eighty one and eighty one would be five hundred. The
pitching is good enough to keep them in every game.
They have a couple guys that can carry the offense

(50:03):
in stretches when they get hot, but they can't run
the bases. The defense felt like it was turning a corner.
I know there's been talk up until the last couple
of days about how well the defense had played to
start the season, but they are looking more and more

(50:24):
like the Reds defense that we saw last year of late.
They still can't get out of their way on the
base pass. This team is not really a threat to
run anymore. And we were talking about it with Austin

(50:45):
before the show. I think Austin was talking about it
with Tony. They steal in the most obvious steal situations,
run around first two outs. You know, just there's no
element of surprise, there's no pressure that this team puts
on the opponent outside of our pitching is really good,

(51:11):
and now you're in one of those little rough patches
because the pitching is not. You're not gonna have your
entire staff go out there and throw seven innings of
two run baseball every night. And I know we're blaming
a lot of that on the starters, but look at
the errors, look at the way the defense is playing

(51:32):
around these guys. There's gonna be some variants. This is
a team as constructed. It is not constructed with a
lot of money. They have a decent roster, it's a
young roster, it's manageable, it's affordable, but boy, they are

(51:58):
sloppy and far too many Anyways, sco out to the
phones Mike in l A, Mike, what's up, brother, Mike.

Speaker 6 (52:09):
Well, it's back. I'm back in the Natty.

Speaker 8 (52:11):
Really.

Speaker 6 (52:12):
I put my house up for sale and came home
because I just want to be close to the family
and friends and stuff. Things are getting a little hairy, so.

Speaker 1 (52:23):
It's good to have you back. You know, you could
have just you could have just left the house to
me and your will and I would have moved out there.

Speaker 6 (52:31):
You would You wouldn't walk away from that damn bear
tad journal if I offered you five million dollars.

Speaker 1 (52:38):
Well, I mean I can, like I would have a
like a dual residence, right, and I could just go
out there, like you.

Speaker 6 (52:44):
Know, in the winter.

Speaker 8 (52:45):
In the winter.

Speaker 1 (52:46):
It wouldn't be able to be in the winter because
I like that there's games going on. But I could
go out like spring football in Saturday. I could go
from like Monday to like August. I could work remotely
from Mike's house in La and then come back the
rest of the time.

Speaker 6 (53:07):
Actually, the house is down in San Clemente, Man so
it's a real nice down the rat Race up in La,
down in southern Ois County. It's Richard Nixon used to
live to hit a house down there.

Speaker 1 (53:20):
I've told you before, San Diego is my favorite place
on Earth. And San Clemente is not that far.

Speaker 6 (53:26):
Yep, Nope, not that far at all. Data point San
Clementy all that very close. Newport Beach, double ball at
Pittmo when they're all outstanding. Boy, I'll tell you, yeah,
I've been dying to talk to you. I'll tell you.
It's just it's almost like Cincinnati. The Bengals hit that
little run, but it's almost just perpetual that this is

(53:47):
the city of Mediocrey in every freaking thing. I mean,
it's just pervasive, except maybe soccer, which I don't follow,
so you know, it's just it's any Yeah, it's annoying,
and it's really annoying, I think. I mean, uh, and
I don't see really any way to crawl out of

(54:07):
it either now with the portal and football and basketball
and then the Bengal I mean, you know, Tampa Bay
has a lot less payroller than the Bengals, but other
than the Reds, but they have not the same record
that the Reds do. Right now, they got great young pitching,
they don't have any power hits and that's the problem
with the Reds. But some of these teams got the
power hitters, right, that can make up for for some

(54:30):
defensive lapses or the pit team not being so great
when you can hit some home runs right this one today?
What they don't have a thirty home run head on
that team.

Speaker 1 (54:39):
I said that. I mean you remember me saying that
weeks weeks before the start of the season. There's not
a thirty home run hitter on this team. There's not that.
That guy doesn't exist on this roster.

Speaker 6 (54:49):
Op And if anybody says, well, you know, you got
to give him some time. Everybody's tired of give him
the time thing, right, jaed, Yeah, tired type that's getting tired.

Speaker 1 (54:59):
He's still booting routine ground balls right to it. Why
is he backhanding to quote to quote Lou Brown, don't
give me that ola bowl?

Speaker 6 (55:10):
Yeah? Yeah, Even Larkin said, why did you play that
so deep?

Speaker 1 (55:16):
Well, played the deep and off his backhand, charge the
ball played in front of you, pick it up, throw the.

Speaker 6 (55:20):
Guy out trying to be so cool, and then takes
two called third strikes in the clutch. You can get
hits all day long. If you don't get them in
the clutch. It doesn't really matter, right, swing the bat? Yeah,
what the hell you got to lose, especially in his kick,
I'll tell you take that. I sometimes I think it'd

(55:40):
be better in baseball if they just you're not guaranteed nothing.
If you're a divisional winner, you picked the teams with
the six best records and that's who goes. And that
if that was the case, the NL Wes has got
four teams, the NL East has got two games, and
sorry Central, you don't have nobody.

Speaker 1 (55:57):
Yeah, I mean, it's never gonna happen. What's the point
if you if you're not going to reward the division winner,
then don't have divisions.

Speaker 6 (56:04):
Yeah, it's well, but typically when the division winner is
inferior to to the wild Cards.

Speaker 1 (56:11):
That's the wild Yeah, the wild Cards win.

Speaker 6 (56:14):
Yeah, but it's like you said, you got to be
fair I guess or whatever they call it there, because
right now the card you know, the Cardinals have the
highest team batting the average in baseball, right they're hitting
almost three hundred, But that NLS. How about those padres
fifteen and four second and pitching second and hitting they're
off the change here.

Speaker 1 (56:33):
I mean, we've been waiting for this for them for
two three years, right, Like the roster has been built.
Like I remember when we when we came out there
in uh twenty twenty two. I think that's when we
were in LA. Like you could look around at that
roster and go many they are close. They are close,

(56:54):
and it's you know, hopefully this is the time they
finally get over the hump because they play fun brand
of baseball and I love that ballpark, boy, I do too.

Speaker 6 (57:04):
That's one of my absolute favorite. Everybody talks about Dodger
sat In, which I love, but that's a well kept secret.
The place in the joint in San Diego really well
kept well.

Speaker 1 (57:12):
Any as you know, Mike, I enjoy food a little bit.
Anywhere I can get a good try tip sandwich at
the ballpark, I'm in.

Speaker 6 (57:23):
That's absolutely and they got it too.

Speaker 1 (57:26):
I had a good one, it is, I had it.
I know, boy, that was I missed that when I
got out to La. Uh. Getting a good try tip
sandwich so.

Speaker 6 (57:38):
Good, especially at the ballpark.

Speaker 2 (57:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (57:41):
Love. I think they haven't an oracle in San Francisco too.
They got everything neat up. They're lobs or you know, right,
that's typical San Francisco really quick. With the Bengals, I
know you got to go. God, it's fun to talk
to you.

Speaker 1 (57:54):
Shit, I appreciate.

Speaker 6 (57:56):
Uh yeah, it's well, it's a sincere it's fun kind
of world. But it's fun. The Bengals, I'm with you.
You with their history of free agency and drafting, Like
you said, who in their right mind? You got to
be living in a fantasy world. You're gonna build a
defense when you have none basically in one year. They

(58:18):
might take two years. They have maybe a middle of
the pack defense. Then you've got one decent running back.
You got no true tight end. I just don't see
how this team do you? I mean, you can't win
some They scored last year three games, ninety nine points
and loose.

Speaker 1 (58:38):
Mike, I am I wrong when I look at this
and say, you hear the pundits all that everybody's all
over the place on the Bengals draft. That's because they
have eighteen holes on the team, and that you know,
Tony and Austin like they're close. They just got to
nail this draft. Why should I have any confidence they're
going to nail this draft? What have they done to

(58:59):
show me that, Hey, we're one draft away. Kansas City. Fine,
Remember three four years ago that Kansas City defense was suspect. Yeah,
and then they went in that draft and they nailed it,
and then two years later they had the best defense
in the NFL. I have no faith that the Bengals
can do that.

Speaker 6 (59:19):
No, you know who has done it. Teams like Philly,
teems like the Rams who are excellent drifting, teams like
Tampa Bay that are good at drifting. So yeah, I'm lucky.
I don't know why people are. You know as well,
you gotta be optimistic. Well yeah, but you got to
be realistic, which is exactly what you're doing.

Speaker 1 (59:36):
I appreciate that, Mike.

Speaker 6 (59:37):
I tried, and people hate that. Why do they hate
that so much? Don't they hate the truth?

Speaker 1 (59:43):
They can't handle the truth? Mike, you want the truth,
you can't handle the truth.

Speaker 6 (59:48):
Oh Jahn, Well you pulled that one out of your hand.

Speaker 8 (59:55):
That was good.

Speaker 1 (59:58):
I do gotta run, brother, I will. I will be
in soon. I look forward to hearing from you shortly.

Speaker 6 (01:00:04):
Okay, Well, take care of yourself and the family.

Speaker 1 (01:00:06):
Thank you. I appreciate it. Let's take a break more
after this, since that he's ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 3 (01:00:11):
Thirty, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from.

Speaker 4 (01:00:17):
The UC Health Traffic Center. The UC Cancer Center offers
the latest research based and holistic approaches to head and
net cancer. Call five A five UCCC east found Ronald
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from an accident. Traffic is stop and go from Plainfield Road.
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(01:00:40):
the right lane, not on the ramp to northbound seventy
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Speaker 1 (01:00:47):
This report.

Speaker 8 (01:00:55):
All right.

Speaker 1 (01:00:55):
Here we go rowing along. Reds lose eleven to seven
in the tenth, seven to five lead going into the ninth,
give up back to back home runs to lead off
the top of the ninth, give up four in the
top of the tenth. Can't muster a rally, fall eleven

(01:01:19):
to seven. Klay Snoden joining us here in a couple
of minutes. Let's go out to the phones real quick.
Mark in Louisville wants to talk Reds.

Speaker 10 (01:01:31):
What's up, Mark, Well, you made the right comment a
few minutes ago when you said this team does not
spend the money.

Speaker 8 (01:01:40):
Therefore you have.

Speaker 10 (01:01:41):
To ask the question, how could they afford to take
thirty five million dollars this year and throw it in
the garbage can? I mean, and I'm talking about Martinez
and Candelaria. I mean, it's just incredible the bad decisions
that are made, the way they spend, what little money

(01:02:01):
they do. Just you know, you could have got a
pretty good hitter for thirty five million dollars this year.
Signing Martinez was absolutely as stupid as it could have
been for twenty one million dollars. And Jacob Candelarry he
should be cut today today. He has got to be
the worst hitter in Major League Baseball. And why he

(01:02:24):
keeps running him out there in batting him fourth or
fifth or sixth in this batting horror. The guy can't
hit major league pitching.

Speaker 1 (01:02:32):
No, It's it's very frustrating. I mean, I don't mind
the money on Martinez as much per se, because you're
getting a guy that's got some versatility. He can start.
If that doesn't work out, he can be a really
good reliable arm out of the pen.

Speaker 11 (01:02:48):
Would you like to the pen right now?

Speaker 10 (01:02:51):
But what I'm getting at is the problem with this
team outside the ownership is a terrible general man. Can
you name me one really good free agent that he
has ever signed? Go back to will Myers last year
and a couple of clowns the year before him. He
has no idea with the what to do with the

(01:03:13):
money he's given.

Speaker 1 (01:03:14):
Yeah, I mean the hard part there. And this is
not to defend him. That's just to say, when you're
a GM and you're forced with making chicken salad out
of you know what, uh, you're gonna miss probably more
often than not because you're you're shopping in the Uh
you're not even shopping in the discount aisle. You're shopping
in like the damaged goods, like the the refurbished.

Speaker 6 (01:03:37):
Uh.

Speaker 10 (01:03:37):
I know exactly the point you're making, but I still
my question is he hasn't He.

Speaker 1 (01:03:41):
Hasn't been good at one. He hasn't been good at it.

Speaker 10 (01:03:46):
I can't think of one, can you?

Speaker 6 (01:03:47):
Not?

Speaker 1 (01:03:48):
Really?

Speaker 4 (01:03:48):
No?

Speaker 10 (01:03:49):
Not really? Well, they analyze your problem, yep, and it
always will be the problem until they get a new one.

Speaker 1 (01:03:55):
I agree, Thanks, Mark, appreciate it. And then uh, real quick,
we go to Bob and Bowling Green. Bob wants to
talk some bearcats. What's up, Bob?

Speaker 9 (01:04:04):
Hey, Kad, how are you doing it.

Speaker 1 (01:04:06):
I'm delightful. I haven't been on the radio in a
couple of weeks, so it feels feels good to be
back in most chair.

Speaker 8 (01:04:12):
Ah.

Speaker 9 (01:04:13):
But yeah, hey, tell me something. I saw your interview
last week maybe with is it Trolly Evans? Corey Corey Evans,
Corey Evans. Sorry, And I'm curious about something. If if
it comes down to a point and I know these

(01:04:33):
guys have known each other forever and get along great,
if it comes to a point where Wes wants to
bring somebody in and Corey says now or we can't
afford it or whatever. Who's got the final say.

Speaker 1 (01:04:48):
On that Wes for now. But that is remember that
that GM job is ever evolving. That is a you know,
an addition to staff that that Wes had has made.
But we are starting to see in football kind of
a shift to where the general manager and head coach

(01:05:09):
are on equal ground. And I know a lot of
people in the industry believe that in the next couple
of years you will start to see it look more
like the pro model, where it'll be you know, athletic
director than the general manager than the coach. That is
not the case yet, and especially in basketball because it's
it's it's brand new in basketball. It's been happening happening

(01:05:32):
more in football over the last four or five years.
It's just now really catching on in basketball. But as
it stands right now, that was a west higher.

Speaker 6 (01:05:43):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:05:44):
Wes is still at the top of the food chain,
and then Corey is is right there below him.

Speaker 9 (01:05:50):
Hey, Chad, let me ask you a question. Going into
this last year, Yeah, and looking at the guys that
that we have and obviously sorry about. Let me let
me try to get away from my animals here. Let's

(01:06:10):
say that you went into last year and one thing
I've been critical of for a while is the pre
conference schedule, and you know, obviously we were ten and
one coming out of that. Do you think that did
Wes or anyone kind of have the thought that we're awful?

Speaker 6 (01:06:33):
Sin up front, when I say sin.

Speaker 12 (01:06:35):
I don't mean I don't mean.

Speaker 9 (01:06:38):
You know that you didn't have size wise from a
height perspective, but well, you look at some of the
guys in the Big twelve and they're just they weren't
big enough.

Speaker 1 (01:06:47):
Yeah, I think some of that, Bob. If you go
back and I've done this exercise. If you go back
to the year before, I think they were too big
and I think overcorrected, Like you know, you had too
many Jamio Reynolds and and and Aziz and Vic at

(01:07:07):
the five, and then you know you had Odio Aguama
and and you were you were bigger at the four.
And the league changed a lot last offseason, adding Nord
chad O Mere and adding JT. Topping, and you know,
the the the structure of the league changed to a

(01:07:29):
lot of these more skilled you know, there wasn't a
lot of height as much as there was guys that
were six eight two forty and could rebound and score,
and that wasn't as prominent in the league the year before.
And I think it shifted, you know when the when
when the money really started to explode last offseason, coaches

(01:07:54):
were able to go out and and and get a
better type of player, a better overall play at the
four at the top of the league. And I don't
think Cincinnati was ready for it. I really like Dylan Mitchell.
I thought Dylan Mitchell gave a lot to this team.
But boy, when when you put him in a situation
where he had to guard Omeir or he had to

(01:08:15):
guard top in. You know Josh Jefferson at Iowa State,
they were fifteen twenty twenty five pounds bigger than him,
and as he struggled because the guys had bulk on him,
size on him, And I think it's why the rebounding
fell off as much as it did.

Speaker 9 (01:08:33):
So, Yeah, and you know, Chad from a fre rebounding standpoint,
you're absolutely right. But the thing that I saw with
disease after two years is I don't know that the guy.
I don't I don't think he improved one lick from
an offensive standpoint, and you were just so limited and

(01:08:54):
if he wasn't dunk in the ball, you're worn'ting to
good points out of that guy.

Speaker 1 (01:08:58):
Yeah, I mean the thing of that, I don't know
how much you ever could have improved him because he
just didn't have a core strength. So he was never
going to be able to When you watch guys like
duck In and get a post touch, the power is
all in their from their waist to their their knees,
like that's where they're able to kind of get positioned,

(01:09:21):
hold guys off, be able to bang bodies and make
a play. Aziz was never able to do that so
as soon as he would catch a ball, somebody could
just one root him out five feet and he was
in a no man's land for him because he couldn't
score ten feet from the rim. So I think it
was in you when you're identifying. You have to be

(01:09:42):
able to look at that and go, yeah, this guy's
going to be a great lob threat and he's going
to be a rim protector, but we're never going to
be able to throw in the basketball. And if you
have a guy like that on your roster, you have
to find another guy that compliments him so that when
you do need a basket, you've got somebody you can
throw it to and get one. Aziz was never going

(01:10:03):
to be that guy, and that's a roster construction issue
I think that the staff has had. Now you go
get a Jalen Haynes from George Mason who's six eight
to sixty. If we're being kind, Now you've got a
guy hopefully you can throw the ball to and get
a basket.

Speaker 12 (01:10:22):
Hey.

Speaker 9 (01:10:24):
I think one thing that's very obvious is that people
had pretty much given up on Victor Lockin. He turned
out to be a pretty good player.

Speaker 1 (01:10:35):
I mean, if you really vic was about the same
player at Clemson that he was at Cincinnati. He just
kept the problem I think with Vic was over the
past three years. He continued to struggle in like February
when the season would wear on him. He didn't have
either physically or mentally the right mindset to get all
the way to the end of the season. He did

(01:10:57):
a much better job of that this year. But when
I watched he made more three pointers this year, he
made a lot less twos and wasn't getting to the
free throw line. So has game changed some in his
one year at Clemson. But he wasn't that much different
from his time at Cincinnati. He was just able to
last a little bit longer than he did.

Speaker 9 (01:11:15):
Yeah, I'll take twenty two points against Duke from anybody.

Speaker 8 (01:11:20):
Sure.

Speaker 1 (01:11:20):
Well, guess what Jalen Haynes had eighteen and seven against
Duke this year, So big, big slime is coming. Thanks, Bob,
I got around.

Speaker 6 (01:11:30):
Good talking with you.

Speaker 1 (01:11:30):
Appreciate it. Okay, let's take a break place note and
when we come back. Since Aty's ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 3 (01:11:35):
Thirty, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 4 (01:11:39):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center the UC Cancer
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(01:12:02):
Another accident in your Wilmington Road and on North Bend Road,
an accident at Boomer Road at Ezek with traffic.

Speaker 1 (01:12:10):
There we go, Here we go, Welcome back my Egger show,
Sincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm not Mogar from Chad Brendle. Yeah,

(01:12:34):
is that you, Clay? Do you want a little quick?
I did not, but I love but I'm a big
DJ Quick.

Speaker 13 (01:12:40):
Guy, so I love Jay Quick. I just got delivered
today a main source record. If you all are main
source fans, I have.

Speaker 1 (01:12:51):
A question because I I learned something this weekend that
I didn't know before. Uh the Gorilla song, Uh feel
good think? Do you know who the hip hop guys
are on that song? Do you know the rappers are
de La Soul?

Speaker 8 (01:13:08):
Really?

Speaker 1 (01:13:09):
Yeah? They have voice changers on so you can't like
I saw the video this weekend and it's day lost
soul And it even says it in the credit, but
when you listen to it, they've got voice changers on,
so it doesn't sound like day Lasso.

Speaker 13 (01:13:22):
That's weird. I haven't heard that song since I since
it came out, probably I.

Speaker 1 (01:13:26):
Haven't heard it in a long time. But for some
reason it came up, like on a TikTok or something,
and it like I'm looking at it and I'm like,
that's plug two. What is he doing on this? All
that to say, I don't We've got like, uh like
six seven minutes. I don't want to talk about the Reds.
Click make me feel better. That was awful. That was awful.

Speaker 13 (01:13:48):
Luckily I was telling Karen I was at work today,
so I did not get to actually witness it by
I checked the score before jumping on here and thought
that was a good one to miss. You know, sometimes,
and you know, speaking from somebody who did not watch
the games, the emotional attachment of the loss is a
little different. This is gonna happen, you know, It's it's

(01:14:09):
just gonna happen throughout the year, and they'll have some
that they win this way as well. To me, it's
concerning obviously, and you hate to see a bullpen meltdown.
But it wasn't a bullpen meltdown from you know, Alexis
Diz wasn't the one that blew the save, and Amelia
Pegon has been very good this year or so to me,
it's okay, well that's that's a tough one.

Speaker 1 (01:14:32):
But four errors, four airs, two on Ellie, including one
on the top of the eleventh that gave up an
insurance run. Where are we at with Elie?

Speaker 2 (01:14:46):
That?

Speaker 13 (01:14:47):
That's what I was about to say, you know, and
I have been a long time, you know, given time,
given time, given time, keep him a short all this
the the errors just cannot continue to be this boneheaded,
like he's going to make errors in general because he's
such a freak athlete. He'll get to balls that other
players cannot get to. He has a cannon of an arm.

(01:15:07):
He's going to try to make a throw that he
shouldn't try to make and it's going.

Speaker 8 (01:15:11):
To be an error.

Speaker 13 (01:15:12):
That's fine. I can live with those. The one that
was I think it was what last night where you
just Dan get in front of the ball like some
of these today, same today, okay, like those are just
unacceptable to me and I don't know what the answer
is because I don't you know, it's so easily correctable,
So I don't know. Is it you bench him? Like

(01:15:32):
I don't know. I'm not saying that's what they should do.
I'm just saying, what you know, is that a route
or I don't know what you do, but you have
to get it through his head that you cannot continue
to make these Lasaday's goal errors.

Speaker 1 (01:15:46):
Would you flip him and the clean put Ellie back
at second? Don't put him in a position where he
has to be.

Speaker 13 (01:15:54):
No, If anything, I would, I would rather have that third. Yeah,
but no, I wouldn't do anything that drastic. And like
I said, it's because he's fully capable of playing shortstop
and but.

Speaker 1 (01:16:05):
He's not doing it well in the world.

Speaker 13 (01:16:08):
I think it more comes down to mental than anything,
you know. I don't think he's just like you know,
I watch a lot of other teams and I see
a lot of players playing out of position, and you
know that player is not going to be at second base.
It's like when we watch Mussaka's play second like, yeah, man,
like you just knew it was not good. I don't

(01:16:29):
feel that way with Ellie. I feel like he just
has to clean it up. And I feel like that's
something that can happen, but man, it better happens soon.

Speaker 1 (01:16:38):
I mean, that's the hard part, is that that this
team is counting on him to be great. They are
banking on him to be great and right now.

Speaker 13 (01:16:47):
And I think he is.

Speaker 1 (01:16:49):
I think he's he's he's in that really good territory
and he's hitting under two fifty. He's not hitting for power,
he's making errors, he's not stealing bases.

Speaker 13 (01:17:00):
A lot of people underestimate how difficult it is to
collect a six war season, which is what he did
last year at twenty two years old. So for me,
it's it's it's the stuff that stands out a lot
that is aggravating because you know it's fixable or it's
so easily fixable. And I think it's typical, right. We
see this in sports all the time. Expectations are set,

(01:17:22):
expectations are ramped up as high as possible. First you know,
top overall prospect, and immediately he's not perfect, and we
start to say, why isn't he perfect? But a six
war season, there's not a lot of teams that had
a six war player on their team last year. I
still think he's great. I can he's the type of
player the mistakes are frustrating them.

Speaker 1 (01:17:44):
Yeah, I mean it's it's it's annoying. And now you know,
you look at the class, right, Hey, there's at least
one bright spot so far.

Speaker 13 (01:17:54):
And I said he hit sixty five home runs, Dana,
Is that what I said?

Speaker 1 (01:17:59):
I think it was for. I think you said he's
gonna be a forty home run ger. Okay, I think
actually you said twenty eight and I rounded up to thirty. Yeah, Okay,
he might be there. You might get there.

Speaker 13 (01:18:12):
He might. He's looking good.

Speaker 1 (01:18:13):
He's looking good. I just there's not enough consistency on
this team. And Clay, I look at it, and I
think we agreed on this coming into the season. It's
probably about a five hundred team and I've seen nothing
really to change my mind on that front.

Speaker 13 (01:18:27):
The thing that really gets me excited, for a lack
of a better term, is how good this pitching staff
has looked so far this year, especially the rotation. It's
one of those rotations and you know what I'm talking about.
I don't have the data to back it up, but
you know, when you see it and you think this rotation.
Everyone's clicking and except for Martinez, but you know, it

(01:18:49):
has a special feel to it, if you know what
I mean, Like they could get something done that's special
this year with this rotation. Now you have to find
a way to line up special rotations with special life up.
They don't have that. Okay, how aggressive can you possibly
be to add to this roster? We haven't seen it
in the past, Will we see it lot this year?

(01:19:11):
I'm leaning towards no because we don't have the history
to back it up. But man, if this roster can
get clicking, I do think that they have a good
enough flirtation with enough starting pitching in the minors to
get them into the playoffs and make some noise.

Speaker 1 (01:19:24):
Unfortunately, I think it ends up being like an eighty
eighty two win team.

Speaker 13 (01:19:29):
Trust I lean that way as well, unless they make
some moves, which, like I said, I believe when I
see it.

Speaker 1 (01:19:37):
Yeah, we know how much they love spending money. Thanks Clay,
appreciate it, man, enjoy your weekend. Thank you, brother, Clay.
Underscore No have a great easter. You can find them
at just baseball dot com. Let's take a break. Brenanman
and Jones on baseball. Next right, Taron, I haven't done
this in a while, Brennaman Jones, all right, more after that,
since that, he's ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 3 (01:19:57):
Thirty, Cincinnati's esp IN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 4 (01:20:02):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. The UC Cancer
Center offers the latest research based and holistic approaches to
head and neck cancer. Called five eight five UCCC East
found Ronald Reagan Highway accident blocking off the left lane
that at Blue Ash Road. Traffic is stop and go
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(01:20:25):
Bank Road. Reports of a mattress in the roadway. Use
caution around that area on that ezelach with traffic.

Speaker 1 (01:20:32):
This report is sponsored by Taco Bets.

Speaker 2 (01:20:35):
The Bengals.

Speaker 8 (01:20:36):
Like ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati's sports station.

Speaker 1 (01:20:55):
Here we go our number three, ESPN fifteen thirty chand
Brenda in promo Eggar taking you through a nice Thursday
in the Queen City. Thank you for choosing me. We've

(01:21:16):
got Richard Skinner coming up at about fifteen minutes the
rest of the show, I guess we'll talk about the Reds.
They lose eleven to seven, lose the series two to one.
To the Mariners after a Jake Fraley grand slam gives

(01:21:37):
them a seven to five lead in the bottom of
the eighth, Emilio Pagan gives up back to back home
runs in the top of the ninth, Elie de la
Cruz strikes out looking in the bottom of the ninth,
and the Reds give up four runs in the top
of the tenth. They lose eleven to seven. After taking

(01:21:59):
that seven to five lead. They are outscored six to
nothing in the final two innings. Four errors on the
day for the Reds, six six terrence, six unearned runs
today for the Reds. Let's hear from Terry Francona.

Speaker 2 (01:22:16):
Something that happened that game. I'm not sure where to
start to dissect it.

Speaker 1 (01:22:20):
But what learning moments will you take away from this one?

Speaker 14 (01:22:24):
Well, I mean we we've made a lot of mistakes.
I thought we played with a lot of heart, which
is good. We just, you know, we made too many
mistakes to win a game like that.

Speaker 12 (01:22:34):
Today the four heirs major concern going forward? Or did
he flush this?

Speaker 14 (01:22:41):
Well, I mean for today he didn't help us, you know.
And there's some plays that warned airs that didn't get made.
Like you know, it made a really tough on Singer
early on. He didn't have his best fastball today and
we prolonged that inning and probably cost him an inning too.
So there's a lot more that goes into it than
just the airs that are.

Speaker 8 (01:23:00):
On the board.

Speaker 4 (01:23:04):
On the other side with Freiley, and you know, he
has had a tough start to the season.

Speaker 12 (01:23:08):
But to see it was so good to see. That
was so good to see.

Speaker 14 (01:23:12):
I mean on a lot of levels, but you know,
for the you know, you take a two run lead
going into the ninth, that's about that.

Speaker 12 (01:23:18):
Timing was about as good as it gets.

Speaker 1 (01:23:21):
Guys has been so great and he's jump on a
couple early there.

Speaker 14 (01:23:25):
Yeah, he's so good about working ahead and you know
he just left two pad and the first one okay,
you know, in the second one just just too much
of the plate.

Speaker 13 (01:23:36):
What's your message to a guy like that, because off
feel back, get it out.

Speaker 14 (01:23:40):
The two I don't normally have messages for guys when
that that that doesn't work.

Speaker 12 (01:23:46):
They they.

Speaker 14 (01:23:48):
They know when they're supposed to pitch, and they know
we have their back.

Speaker 12 (01:23:51):
I don't need to be giving them pep talks. That's
you know, that's just the way it is.

Speaker 4 (01:23:56):
What did you see from Ellingham and field tear?

Speaker 14 (01:23:59):
He just he didn't make some place today. I think
every play is different, Like there was one there, the
little liner that you know, you know, it's just a
weird play.

Speaker 12 (01:24:11):
And he had a backhand that didn't stay his glove. Again.

Speaker 14 (01:24:15):
We you know, we talked about flushing it. Yeah, but
you go back and try to so that you don't
want to happen again.

Speaker 12 (01:24:22):
So we try to learn from it then move on.
You also have to be care over.

Speaker 9 (01:24:25):
I don't know what you're saying there, not like he
was just talking about making sure what happens is that
you know doesn't carry over to the plan or.

Speaker 14 (01:24:34):
I don't think it. I don't really don't believe it does.
This kid's into the game all nine innings. When he's
not hitting, he's rooting for whoever's hitting.

Speaker 1 (01:24:43):
He cares, he cares. But he's got to be more
consistent in producing. We've got to turn the corner on
the mistakes, on the errors that are hurting this team.
He is, by all indications, a hard worker, an immense

(01:25:07):
incredible talent, but the little stuff, the stuff that should
be easy for someone of his natural talent, is taking
not only away from his assent to from good really
really really good player to one of the elite players

(01:25:28):
in baseball, and it's also taking away from this team's
ability to win. It say, team with a razor razor
thin margin for air. If you're gonna win as a
small market team, you're going to have a thin margin

(01:25:50):
for air because you can't throw money at your problems.
You have to be clean, you have to be precise
in the small details, and they're not and you saw
that today. Let's hear from Emilio Pagan, who gave up

(01:26:12):
two home runs in the bottom or the top of
the ninth.

Speaker 15 (01:26:15):
Get him out. The Raleigh pitch probably wasn't a terrible pitch.
I think it was the wrong pitch. Me and Trevy
just talked about it. Hats off to him, and he
had a heck of a series. He's on fire right now.
I feel like we probably should have just went to
spam and split her right there. He's kind of been
on all the fastballs. Even when I got him out

(01:26:36):
Night one, he was he was, he was on it.
He had some good swings. You know, we were trying
to speed him up one more time up and then
after he was out in front of the breaking ball
early in that bat and he kept it fair man,
And it wasn't a terrible pitch, wasn't a good enough pitch,
just not good enough beat me today. Yeah, I mean

(01:27:02):
I didn't pitch terrible. That's not what nobody wants to
anybody wants to hear. Right now, we lost the game.
You know, I blew the game. Uh So that that
part stinks, But you know, you have to stay big
picture on these things and understand, like I face five
hitters or through thirteen pitches, had two strikeouts, like most

(01:27:23):
of the time that line leads to we win the game.
And so you just got to lean on that.

Speaker 2 (01:27:29):
It's not easy to right now.

Speaker 15 (01:27:32):
We didn't play a clean game by any means, but
the guys did a good enough job to give me
a chance to win the game for us, and I
didn't come through. So that part is gonna way heavy
on me for a little bit. But once I shower,
I go back to being dad and a teammate and
a friend and show show back up tomorrow ready to
do it again.

Speaker 2 (01:27:54):
So there you go.

Speaker 1 (01:27:55):
That that's the post game reaction from the Reds clubhouse
to Francona Amelia Pegan, they fall eleven to seven, They
lose the series that they should have won. They let
an opportunity get away from them to get back over
five hundred, and they start this stretch of winnable series

(01:28:24):
by giving one away in the getaway game in the
rubber match. And now they go to Baltimore. Andrew Abbott
on the mound tomorrow, Hunter Green on Saturday, Nicko Lodolo
on Sunday. So you feel pretty good about what you've

(01:28:46):
got going to the mound, especially. I don't know that
I've ever seen this at this point in the season.
See it a lot later in the season. Baltimore has
not named a starting pitcher for the entire series all
three games. You seen that this early in the season,

(01:29:08):
tarn not one game, not one game. Do they have
a starting pitcher named for Baltimore coming up this weekend.
Also earlier today, the Reds placed Edwin, Incarnacia and Strand
on the ten day disabled list with back inflammation. Again,

(01:29:33):
never a good sign this early in a season, and
you got a guy dealing with a bulky back. I know,
Skinny and I usually talk a lot when we get
to chatting. So let's go ahead and take a break
a little bit early, and that way is skinny, and

(01:29:54):
I will have a runway to discuss the Bengals in
the red and maybe we'll get to the transfer portal
and anything else that pops up. Just take a break
more after this hour number three the Moagger Show. Since
that he's ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 3 (01:30:10):
Thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 4 (01:30:15):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. The UC Cancer
Center offers the latest research based and holistic approaches to
head and net cancer. Call five A five UCCC westbound
two seventy five at Hamilton Avenue. It's an accident. Another
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(01:30:36):
Road closed off due to construction between Amsterdam Road and
before Hayward Street. That is four repairs to an earlier
mud slide on that ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 1 (01:30:46):
This report is sponsored by Damn it Feels Good to
be a Speaking of Gangsters, joined now by Richard Skinner,
digital content editor for Local twelve. What's up?

Speaker 8 (01:31:11):
I'm an o G gangsters? What I am?

Speaker 1 (01:31:13):
You are an OG gangster? An o G gangster. You're
not a video game guy? I don't think, are you.

Speaker 8 (01:31:23):
No, I've had my share, Like I've done some interactive
Like there's a tennis game I used to play with
my daughters. There's a golf game, Tiger Wood's Golf. No,
not a big video game.

Speaker 1 (01:31:32):
There's a video game series called Mafia that hasn't been
out for a long time, and they are coming out,
Like the newest one in the series is a prequel
that takes you back to like sicily and like the
late nineteen like late eighteen hundreds, early nineteen hundreds, and
I'm I'm excited for that one. It's a it's called Mafia.

(01:31:54):
It's really good.

Speaker 8 (01:31:55):
Oh I'm a big I hate to say, I'm a
big Mafia guy. I they fascinate me. They shouldn't. They're
cold blooded, crazy killer. They do fascinate me.

Speaker 1 (01:32:06):
Right, Yeah, I'm pretty excited. I don't I you know,
I'll dabble in, like n cua a football when it
comes out.

Speaker 6 (01:32:13):
I used to play.

Speaker 8 (01:32:13):
I used to play a little bit too, You're right,
I did that for a while.

Speaker 1 (01:32:16):
I'm a big Zelda guy. When like there's a new
Zelda game, like, I you know, I grew up on
the original Zelda, so I'm big on that.

Speaker 8 (01:32:23):
But okay, here's here's is Zelda a thing, a person
or a place? What is Zelda?

Speaker 1 (01:32:28):
Zelda is a princess skinny.

Speaker 8 (01:32:31):
Oh, okay, and the whole Now you wor you worried
me a little bit, man.

Speaker 1 (01:32:35):
Well, it's it's a it's a Nintendo game. So it's
like you know, Japanese, very Japanese fantasy fairy tale. Is
you don't know what Zelda is?

Speaker 8 (01:32:44):
No? Do you play with your daughter?

Speaker 1 (01:32:45):
No, it's one of the.

Speaker 6 (01:32:49):
If you play with your kids, No.

Speaker 1 (01:32:51):
It's a Zelda. Breath of the Wild is one of
the like top three games of all time. It's phenomenal.

Speaker 8 (01:32:58):
I don't know it, honestly, don't know it.

Speaker 1 (01:33:00):
Well, but there's a game called Maffia. I think you
would like when I it's got Richard Skinner written all
over it.

Speaker 6 (01:33:05):
Yes it does.

Speaker 8 (01:33:06):
That sounds up my alley man.

Speaker 1 (01:33:08):
Anything to talk about what happened a Great American ball anything,
but what talking about what happened to Great American ballpark today?
That yeah, that can't happen.

Speaker 8 (01:33:16):
It can't, it can't. I mean the battle back And
you know, Jake fairly hasn't hit much all year. He
certainly hasn't hit for much power in the last you know,
year plus for him to then, you know, hit the
Grand Slam give you the lead. And the problem is,
I mean, he's I'm not gonna make excuses for Terry
Frank Conory, but he is just he doesn't have a closer.
I mean, his closer is pitching six six innings right

(01:33:36):
now and not throwing strikes in the sixth inning right
and that's I mean, that's a problem. And then I mean, honestly,
I didn't think Ashcraft had a bad ending. It was
just a weirdenning because he didn't field the ball one
and then the little chopper that you know, Ellie couldn't
get to and play, and it just that made for
a really wonky inning. Now, then he he could have
minimized the damage with two outs, that would have been
nice and only be chasing a run. But yeah, I mean,

(01:33:57):
that's a as much as we talked about bats, and
they do need more bats for at least another bat
and then that probably isn't gonna come for months, if
it comes at all. And he's a closer, they just
don't have one at the moment.

Speaker 6 (01:34:09):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:34:09):
Somebody asked me this skinny. I'm curious to your thoughts
start of the extra innings, ghost Runner, Why does nobody
just put the first guy on first and set up
a double play?

Speaker 8 (01:34:21):
I thought of that myself too. In fact, I got
to give the Marrior's credit for bunting because usually, you know,
as you down the road, teams don't bunt in that situation.

Speaker 13 (01:34:29):
They did, and.

Speaker 8 (01:34:31):
It's so funny. I'm a big proponent of the bunk
because I don't think it gets stealed it very well
all the time.

Speaker 1 (01:34:37):
It doesn't happen often.

Speaker 8 (01:34:39):
No, that's a good point too, and guys don't do
it very well. But no, that yeah, to set up
the double play, I guess the theory is this, you
put a guy on first, and then the next guy bunts,
and now there's two guys in scoring position. That would
be the negative to it in my opinion.

Speaker 1 (01:34:52):
Yeah, I guess. But I mean, bunting is such a
lost art in the sport that, like I just I'm
I'm not afraid of the bunt anymore because so few
guys are able to actually even look. I was a bunter, Okay,
I was small, I was sad, I was I could
I could direction the bunt. But the higher up the

(01:35:13):
levels you got, I don't think people understand how hard
bunting is. When somebody's throwing a ninety seven mile an
hour cutter with movement and you're trying to like get
the bat to it. It's not as easy as a
lot of people make it sound. I'll just lay down
a buck.

Speaker 8 (01:35:31):
But I do think it's hard. It's harder because it's
not practiced as much. Exactly, it's almost frown it's almost
frowned upon. Yeah, yeah, no, I know there's no question
what you said is true. I mean, listen, google button
not hole your butt in a sixty five mile an
hour fastball. That's not very hard to bunt. But yeah,
something with movement, you know, something up and down the
chain where you got to move your bat up and
down all those things. That's hard, and especially at that level.

(01:35:53):
But if you don't practice it, you're not gonna be
good at it.

Speaker 6 (01:35:55):
Right.

Speaker 1 (01:35:58):
Is this just the reality that this is a five
hundred or so team and we're gonna have to deal
with this all year.

Speaker 8 (01:36:06):
It's a good question. I mean, you know, Heavin Hayes
back I think helps getting Tyler Stevenson back sure wouldn't hurt.
And I do think the pitching is sustainable, and I
wasn't a Hunter Green is gonna give up a run
at some point. I mean it may und Yeah, it's
gonna give up a run at some point, and we're
gonna have to all swallow hard and understand that that
that actually does happen in this game. But I do

(01:36:28):
think for the most part, the starting pitching is pretty sustainable.
I do think they have to make a decision at
some point on what is Nick Martinez. If you're going
to tell them was the man, You're a five inning starter,
that's it. I don't care what happens after five, You're out,
no matter what. Just give me Max s Effert for five.
Maybe it changes his mindset. I do think he's a
valuable piece, and I always loved him in that swing
role and that kind of Hey, I need a spot

(01:36:49):
starting Nick Martinez is your guy, and you know, I
know what he did down the stretch last year. I
get why they've got him in the rotation and there's
times he just looks dynamic, but it just has click
so far, So then what do you do with that spot?
I think the good part is I think you're gonna
eventually have options. You know, at some point Red Louder
is going to be available, Carson Spiders is still I
think a capable back end dear rotation guy, Case Petty's

(01:37:12):
going to be available. You know, maybe Wade Miley at
some point. It may not be in the next a
few weeks for all those guys, but at some point.
But I do think you've got to decide what what
is Nick Martinez and how do you treat him? And
maybe literally you go, dude, you're two times soon. If
it's only the fourth inning, you're two times three, you're out,
and you know it's you just need to go max
effort for your eighty five to ninety pitches or whatever

(01:37:33):
it's going to be through five innings and then we'll
get you out. And that's the mindset. Maybe he has
to take them out and maybe you know, he's taking
a different mindset the last start or two of I
got to figure out a way to maximize this, and
he hasn't been very good. I do like this stuff.
I think he is a good picture. It isn't working
right now. They got to do something with that. But
I think the starting pitches he's saying, well, I think
that's the one thing, Jed. When you get back to

(01:37:54):
the part of rotation where it's Hunter and Nick Lidolo,
you either I think at that point or extending winning
streaks or one of them is extend extinguishing a losing streak.
And I think that's the good part is I don't
think this team should go through long losing streaks. I
just don't. Now, can you then sustain the winning streaks?

Speaker 2 (01:38:12):
Right?

Speaker 8 (01:38:12):
The last couple of days that was that's disappointing because
you had a chance both both days or both nights
or day to do that and you didn't do that.
But I do I think the starting pitching is really sustainable,
I really do.

Speaker 1 (01:38:24):
I just worry about one the consistency of the hitting.
That there's a lot of guys hanging around the Mendoza line.
A whole lot of people listening to this have no
idea what that is, a lot of guys hanging around
the Mendoza line. And it just seems like even with Elliot,
it's very hot and cold, it's very very sure, but

(01:38:47):
there needs to be a little middle ground.

Speaker 8 (01:38:50):
Yeah, that's quite fair, you know, And I think getting
McLean back because I think mclan is a consistent guy
and getting him back for extended periods is a good thing.
I think they have a Jamber Candelario problem, I really do,
and I don't know what to do with it, because
now that Cees is on the DL, what do you
really do with that situation? You know, you've got to
have a first base, and do you move Lucks the

(01:39:12):
first and figure out the outfield later and put Marte
at third. I wouldn't mind seeing some of that. I
don't know how much Lux you know, has played first,
but he's played everywhere else, so he's a good enough
athlete to play you know, second and third in the
outfield in his career or something. And second base I
can imagine you can play some first base for you
And right now you have an LA problem defensively a
shortstop in my opinion, I mean it just it's unlessen

(01:39:34):
he's not going to get there. But I mean he's
on pace for forty five hours. Again, we always on pace.
Numbers are great because you know, home on our opening day,
you're on pace for one hundred sixty and no one's
ever done that. But I mean you're enough of again
when be on pace starts to go, oh, that's scary.
And I know he wants to play short. I know
he perceives himself as a short step and he makes
great plays. A lot of times. You're like, nobody else

(01:39:56):
makes that play. I mean, like that catch whatever it
was the last Businessman especial against Texas out of nowhere
to go. It's just absurd. But you know what, I
can see him doing that. You seem to do that
in the outfield, and I think you're gonna start to
have to figure out a way to transition him there.
At some point. He may not like the conversation, he
mayn't liked to do it, but I just don't know
if he's consistent enough potentially chortse off. But again, that

(01:40:17):
Tenthenning play day was not him. I mean nobody. There's
nothing he could do with that ball. That wasn't an
error either, But you know, five hoars in eighteen games,
that's a bunch.

Speaker 1 (01:40:26):
I perceived myself as a pretty good looking guy, Skenny.
That doesn't doesn't mean the fairer sex. These things the
same way perception reality, Bengals. Here's what scares me about
what's coming up Thursday, Skenny. Two things. One, yes, when
I hear at when I when I hear and look

(01:40:48):
at every thing that's out there in the in the
NFL world on what the Bengals are gonna do at seventeen,
nobody has the same thing. That tells me one of
two things. Your roster is loaded and it doesn't really
matter what you do. You can just get the guy
who's highest on your board, or your roster is in
bad shape. And I don't think the Bengals are in

(01:41:10):
the former. And two, I hear this a lot. They
just got to nail the draft and they're in a
good spot. When's the last time this franchise is nailed
a draft.

Speaker 8 (01:41:22):
That's a fair point. I do think they're in the
middle ground to what you just said before, though of
it's still a playoff caliber roster because of it, because
Burrow correct, I mean, you still have that. But to
your point of you know, nailing drafts that haven't come
to fruition, there's no question about it. I do think this.

(01:41:43):
I'm not sure they can go along early in this draft.
Now they may pick the wrong guy. I'm just talking
about the decision making because there's you know, a chunk
of edge rushers that should be available in round one.
There's a couple of safeties Nick Eamon Worry Malik starts
it to be available. You might fall into a guard,
although I don't think they go that route. Kelvin Banks
and Tyler Booker from Alabama j you have Campbell's a

(01:42:04):
wild card possibly so, and then from that point, I
think that's where the draft gets layered. Like you need
to come out of the third round, which is Day two,
with the following an edge rusher, a safety, a guard,
and or a linebacker. You're only gonna get three of those.
You need to come out of those first three rounds
with that because there are a lot. Now, if they
go wide receiver in the third round, I won't be

(01:42:25):
completely disappointed because they do need a more dynamic optionnre
Yoshivasha teams like you're trying to pile on wealth on
top of wealth. I don't think i'd be mad, but honestly,
I think after day three, if you look up and
they've got themselves a plug and play guard, because that's
somebody they would have to take in one of those
three rounds if they believe is a plug and play guard.
If not, they'll probably go really late in the draft
Luke Candor for example, or go to free agency after

(01:42:47):
the draft, because there's still will another wave in free
agency to come. But I just think if you can
do that, I think you've done something positive. Now again,
do those guys pan out? I don't know, nobody knows,
but I get I get the skepticism from people because
they haven't nailed drafts and they're paying, honestly right now
for some poor drafts of you know, you had to
go out and get two draft pick tackles last year,

(01:43:09):
defensive tackles last year, and you had a sign a
freezing defensive tackle because why you drafted Tyler Shelvin in
the fourth round and he should be on this roster
on the final year of a rookie contract and he's
not because he's stunk and he was gone a for
tew years. You can't keep missing those level picks. You
can't keep picking Jackson Carmen when no one else would
pick Jackson carl You can't keep doing those things. So
I get the skepticism. I do understand it, But I
do think this draft it hits a sweet spot of

(01:43:31):
what they need and there's enough available in those rounds
to get impact players.

Speaker 1 (01:43:37):
I guess that's the good news. When you need a
little bit of everything.

Speaker 8 (01:43:41):
Yeah everything I was it is. You don't need the quarterback,
you don't need to top two wide receivers, you don't
need tight end, you don't need running back, you don't
need left tackle, you don't need right time. So you
don't need everything, but you do need enough. I mean
you need you still need at least a starting guard,
whether it's draft or a free agency or both. For example,
I presume Jermaine Pratt's going to get cut. He's probably

(01:44:03):
on this roster at the moment. Is insurance in case
they don't find a linebacker that they think can come
in and compete with Ooron Burks, because I don't think
Orn' is a starting player. I think he's probably a
you know, a nice third linebacker who you can rotate
in some and maybe preves me wrong, maybe he moves
into the starting lineup. After the year Head and Philly
in the playoff front he had in Philly, you need
another safety. I mean, you can't go on this year
with just Jordan Battle and and uh and Gino Stone

(01:44:26):
and then really behind them there's nothing of the day,
John Anthony and Tyson Anderson. Tyson's a special teams player,
de John's a second year, seventh round pick. So you
have to get that place addressed. Now, can you do
some of this in free agency? Yes, there's still again,
like I said, there's still that way to go. And
and you know, I think they do need another wide receiver.
So where do you take that sweep? There's there's a

(01:44:46):
bunch of guys third to fifth round that are dynamic,
that can run four, three fives and four threes, and
I think you can go that spot. But it feels like, man,
that's a luxury pick because you've got the you got
two of the fests in the game. And Okay, yeah,
Yoshivash is a throwing guy. Yeah, I think you need
a more dynamic guy than that, to be honest with it.

Speaker 1 (01:45:02):
Yeah, and you've and you've got an entire defense to rebuild, reconfigure,
figure out.

Speaker 8 (01:45:07):
Like the funny part. I mean, you know what a
friend of mine that covered the bee, we talk about,
you know, our mocks and our picks all the time,
and I have a bunch of them. Or do you
take defensive tackle? I'm like, I'm just not sure you do.
And I'm not telling you they won't or they shouldn't,
But I mean, you spent a second round pick and
a third round pick last year you resigned BJ Hill,
when you tie T signed TJ. Slayton from the Packers.

(01:45:29):
It feels like, do I need a fifth defensive tackle? Yeah,
probably need a more dynamic tests rusher. But do I
need a fifth I need an edge, I need a linebacker.
I need a safety. I need to guard. Anything else
to me as a luxury pick, corner corner wouldn't be
awful where I had denzil Burke, I think from Ohio
State in the fourth round, just to add depth. I

(01:45:50):
know they like their corner room.

Speaker 1 (01:45:51):
They do.

Speaker 8 (01:45:52):
Fans don't have to like the corner room, but they
do like it. I think they think they got some
enough pieces there to probably get by. And again again,
there's another way of agency to come. I'm not here
to tell you they're gonna do it. I think they're
gonna move Dack Still to the slot, but Mike Kilton
still haven't been signed. You get Mike back on a
one year, you know, friendly deal, then you keep Dax
from the outside. I don't think that's gonna happen. But

(01:46:12):
I mean it's certainly still in play.

Speaker 1 (01:46:16):
Let's go to the transfer portal because I'm interested in
Skinny's thoughts about the transfer portal. B YU is potentially
going to spend upwards of fifteen million dollars on four
of their starting five. We have We knew at some
point if you left this unregulated, it would get ridiculous.

(01:46:39):
It has gotten ridiculous. Xavier is essentially going to have
an entire new roster.

Speaker 8 (01:46:44):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:46:44):
The only guy that's stuck around is Rody Anderson, and
he didn't play last year, so what he's never actually
seen the floor in the Xavier uniform. The only two
guys for Cincinnati that that really played are going to
be Daidae Thomas and Gisel James. What can this be fixed?

Speaker 2 (01:47:02):
Is it?

Speaker 1 (01:47:02):
Is it just spiraling out of control?

Speaker 12 (01:47:04):
Like?

Speaker 1 (01:47:04):
Does does the house settlement get it real it back
in or are we gonna.

Speaker 9 (01:47:09):
Have to go?

Speaker 8 (01:47:11):
I don't I don't know if the house settlement reels
it back in or makes it worse. Where non football
schools Xavier being one of those, don't have to take
that money and put it towards football.

Speaker 1 (01:47:20):
Right, Yeah, But Skinny, they're not gonna spend all their
money like Xavior gets eight million dollars a year from
TV revenue. They're gonna take all that money and use
it for the portal.

Speaker 6 (01:47:36):
Not all of it.

Speaker 8 (01:47:36):
But I think you can allocate more resources than football
schools who are gona allocate a big chunk of the
resources of football.

Speaker 1 (01:47:43):
Maybe maybe I think that's a little.

Speaker 8 (01:47:46):
Over blowd I think this, and I'm not I'm not
a lawyer by any stretch. I'm not even pretend to be.
I think at some point this has to be a
contract business, right Like I'm gonna sign you for three years,
Chad Brindle, and I've got you for three years or
two years.

Speaker 6 (01:48:00):
It's just like free agency as opposed to it's.

Speaker 8 (01:48:03):
A one year wah wah west For truly, I can
tell you I'm going to pay you a million dollars.
I chan't you come to myself? Are collective to gets
you a million dollars? And maybe you come in two
weeks in the primary? This guy sucks. I'm not paying
them anything. How can we nike on that? There's nothing
There's nothing to that, right, I mean that that doesn't happen,
but it can happen. You know, I think the Tennessee
situation was fascinating with the quarterback where he said I

(01:48:23):
want more in Tennessee said hit the rope, kid, have
a good day.

Speaker 1 (01:48:27):
Yeah, they taught them kick just immediately. It didn't even
didn't even really hesitate. And you're talking about overplaying your hand, like,
is that a cautionary tale. I don't think it is.
I think that's a one off where the kid's dad
just yeah, the kid's dad bread, that's true.

Speaker 8 (01:48:43):
No, I think you're right on that. I I would
agree with that, but I mean there's a lot of
kids dads who overvalue their kids, right. Sure may not
be a one off, maybe more more of that, but yeah,
and and I mean, listen, Zinger still got a lot
to still on the roster. You see, still got a
lot to sell on the roster. I know that they're
gonna eventually do it, but with what And I'm not
trying to knock either pro I'm not. It's just it

(01:49:04):
feels like, holy cow, it's if you if you don't
have the money to go get these guys or enough
of these stars, how do you do it? I mean,
it's it's just it's so impossibly difficult.

Speaker 1 (01:49:15):
At the moment, it just is.

Speaker 8 (01:49:17):
I mean, I love coaching, I love basketball, and at
one point in my life, early in my life, I
wanted to be a college basketball coach. I couldn't do
it to I just couldn't. I couldn't deal with that.
I just couldn't do it. As much as you know,
you get the money and the glamour and all those things,
and your coach. I would have loved all all this
stuff other than having to go figure out who I'm losing,

(01:49:38):
why I'm losing them, what kind have done differently, which
is usually nothing, and and who am I going to
go get and do it? Not just once every I'll
leave you to this one one quick question, and I
asked this with my podcast partner Rick Boyn today. Does
the fact that the COVID kids not being in the
portal does that eventually change it back to where you're

(01:49:59):
gonna see a little bit more high school recruiting than
just all No, okay, interesting, he said the same thing.

Speaker 1 (01:50:05):
No, I don't think it is. I think that the
experience factor has changed the way entire way things are done.
I think the elite kids will still end up in
high major programs. Anything after fifty seventy five in the
high school recruiting rankings. You get to start your career
at the group of five and earn your way up the.

Speaker 8 (01:50:22):
Ladder and work your way. Yeah. No, that seems to
be the case.

Speaker 13 (01:50:25):
You're right.

Speaker 1 (01:50:25):
Yeah, well, Terrence in my ear, apparently nineteen minutes is
too long of a radio segment. I'm sorry, No, it's
you and me too. I went to break early because
I knew we were going to talk forever. Thanks, Kenny,
I appreciate it.

Speaker 6 (01:50:38):
Man.

Speaker 1 (01:50:39):
There you go, Richard Skinner, Sorry, Terran Local content local
editor for Local twelve, Digital sports editor for Local twelve.
There you go. Take a break more after this since
a ZESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (01:50:54):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic.

Speaker 4 (01:50:59):
From the UC Health Traffic Center. The UC Cancer Center
offers the latest research based and holistic approaches to head
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That's a thirteen minute delay on westbound two seventy five.

(01:51:22):
Another accident at Hamilton Avenue and on Third Street. It's
an accident at fifth in the roundabout on that ezelic
with traffic.

Speaker 5 (01:51:30):
This fourth the best radio show in Cincinnati, according to
the readers at City Beat magazine. The Moeger Show on
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 1 (01:51:40):
Forty people Big, Let's get hell.

Speaker 8 (01:51:46):
That's right, calling you.

Speaker 7 (01:51:50):
Flock when it comes to fight.

Speaker 1 (01:51:57):
Too much time fifty fifth birth data.

Speaker 2 (01:52:00):
Did you say, boy?

Speaker 1 (01:52:07):
I was listening to Uh. I was listening to method
Man breakdown, like where all he took his influences from
on the M E. T H O D Man UH,
like that whole verse And it was fascinating. It was
like the Beatles. And then it was a Bootsy Collins

(01:52:27):
song that was originally a rolling Stone song like it was.
It was pretty wild that he was like sixteen seventeen
and was taking all these influences from around music. It's
pretty crazy. Let's go back out to the phones. Dick
in Dayton, How you doing, Dick.

Speaker 11 (01:52:47):
Chet, how are you?

Speaker 1 (01:52:48):
I am wonderful.

Speaker 11 (01:52:50):
I wanted to give you the latest news. I don't
know if Tony told you anything. Oh well, I just
want I wish you'd have been there day from Dayton
had a surprise for me. He's a big fan of
you guys and the Reds and everything, and he said
he picked me up at ten o'clock. I got to
see with Dave and Jerry. Jeff put me on the

(01:53:12):
air for the nightcap, got to meet Tony and Tony
and Austin. But I wish you'd have been there. I
would have loved to talk to you.

Speaker 1 (01:53:22):
They keep me locked in the closet in the back, Dick,
and they only let me out on mod takes a
day off.

Speaker 11 (01:53:26):
So oh, I wanted to tell you, it's it's They said, Dick.

Speaker 13 (01:53:34):
You're not gonna love, You're gonna love.

Speaker 11 (01:53:35):
It's a beautiful chat. It was so cool and I
met everybody.

Speaker 8 (01:53:39):
But uh.

Speaker 1 (01:53:42):
Huh, I'm sorry.

Speaker 11 (01:53:44):
Yeah, I'll get back there. I'll get back. Yeah, it's
not it's only happened. You got to meet Dave. He's
a big Bengal, big big Reds fan. He's just he's
got that car buddy, that little Dodge, and he went
down there. But I just wanted to say, you know, Chad,
I'm thinking this year, I'm glad to see Chase and

(01:54:07):
Joe Burrow back. Sure, and I think if the defense
is good. They could be there, but the defense has
to play better. But as far as the Reds, I'm
not real disappointed.

Speaker 13 (01:54:18):
You know.

Speaker 11 (01:54:19):
I think this new man, we have to give him time.
But I think they're headed in the right direction. Chad,
you know, I.

Speaker 1 (01:54:29):
Worry about things, Dick. I think there are I think
there are parts that are very positive. I think there
are segments of the franchise that are in a very
good direction. I think ownership needs to support the segments
that need work, and I did not think that they
did that this offseason. I think we all could look

(01:54:50):
at this roster and say they needed another power bat,
They needed a little bit more help that ownership did
not give them. So that makes it frustrating. But I
like the core. It's hard not to love Hunter Green,
It's hard not to love Ellie, It's hard not to
love Nicolodolo and Matt McLean. I think there is plenty
to work with, yes, but to get over the hump,

(01:55:14):
ownership has to supplement what's already in house, and they didn't,
and that's frustrating.

Speaker 13 (01:55:20):
You know.

Speaker 11 (01:55:20):
Another thing too, I thought was good to have to
see I got to talk to him. But Marty, what
is it Tom Brenneman. I always liked him, and I
think he's doing good. But I'm sorry. You know, Chad.
I want to go with Dave when you're there, when
you're there, when you're there, so I can play on

(01:55:41):
the air for you.

Speaker 8 (01:55:41):
Would you like that?

Speaker 1 (01:55:42):
I love Dick, I'd love it.

Speaker 11 (01:55:45):
You guys are great. I love that play. I've been
talking about this for a week. It was my birthday
on Front Monday, but.

Speaker 8 (01:55:51):
It was so cool.

Speaker 1 (01:55:54):
Happy birthday, Dick with fifty two. Fifty two, No, no, no,
forty eight. That's what I meant. You were born in
fifty two.

Speaker 8 (01:56:05):
But I love you guys.

Speaker 11 (01:56:06):
Show up there. I'll have to come down being Dave.

Speaker 1 (01:56:08):
Okay, okay, sounds good. Thanks Dick, have a great weekend.
Have a good Easter. Bye bye bye bye bye bye, Taram.
What you got Easter plans? Are you here? No? No, no,
no no. It was WrestleMania weekend. Oh that's right, you
want to I'm not gonna be here tomorrow. Who you
got on the Saturday main event? That's tough. The triple

(01:56:32):
threat between Punk Rolins and I think I got Rollins
going punk. I think I got Rolins. I think they're
gonna mix it up. They're gonna mix it up. I
wouldn't mind this word, but yeah, I think I think
I'm going going punk. Who does who does Hayman go with?

Speaker 2 (01:56:49):
I think he pretends he's going with Rollins, but I
think he asked me just ends one with punk?

Speaker 8 (01:56:54):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (01:56:55):
And then the Sunday main event? Uh? John Cena and
Cody Rhodes.

Speaker 6 (01:57:02):
What what?

Speaker 1 (01:57:03):
What does the rock show up?

Speaker 8 (01:57:04):
Like?

Speaker 1 (01:57:04):
He hasn't been there.

Speaker 2 (01:57:05):
Since, Yeah, the rock show. I think he'll show up
tomorrow' SmackDown and then just announced he'll be there on Sunday.

Speaker 1 (01:57:12):
Who you got? I think I think it's Sena. I
want history to be I want to see history win
his history. So I'm going Seena. I think it's Sena
because that if it's not Sena, what do you do
with him for the rest of his year? He's here
for a year, right, it's one year retirement run yep.
But we've done at the end of this year, correct
and right, So you have to give it to him

(01:57:34):
at some point so that he can lose it at
the end. So I I think I think it's I
think it's Sena. I hope it's Sena, and I hope
Jay wins too. I don't know about that one.

Speaker 2 (01:57:50):
I hope he wins. He's there kicking off the night one.

Speaker 1 (01:57:53):
Yeah, that he has not been given a good push.
I don't think, do you.

Speaker 2 (01:58:00):
I'm out, I'm gonna join this push.

Speaker 1 (01:58:01):
I just think it was just a lot too long
of a bill, like you can only do so much,
which why I think they added the other brother. Yeah,
I don't Gunther's not very charismatic. Yeah, so it's it's
not easy to you know, they're there. Did what like
a six week build for this, probably could have done
it in three, maybe even longer because the rumble wasn't
the first week of February. So yeah, almost two months. Yeah,

(01:58:27):
so that's it for you. Saturday and Sunday. You just
don't don't bother tearing four hours each day. Leave tearing
the hell, don't call me it, don't text nothing. I'm
locked in. Then all right, that's gonna do it for me.
Trags is in tomorrow. Everybody have a great Easter weekend,
and uh, we'll see next time. It's The Mowagger Show,

(01:58:48):
Cincinnati's ESPM, fifteen thirty