Thursday, May 31, 2007

Würste, wir kommen (and so is Barry)

Three games in a row seems like a whole winning season, doesn't it? Especially when you gain a game on the slumping leader. Guess there's a full moon rising...

Full moons bring out the werewolves. The devil's pets. Seems to be a lot of werewolves running around America these days, what with high school shootings, college shootings, driveby shootings, violence, violence, violence. No one's shooting the silver bullets to kill the violence, though. It's like it's become an acceptable part of American culture.

The Red Sox-Yankees $ports Network published an online article on Tuesday about the security that surrounds Barry Bonds.
Though Bonds might appear alone in the batter's box or in left field, nothing could be further from the case. On this night in Los Angeles, security is everywhere, keeping an eye on everything.

Bonds' MLB-assigned security liaison stands in an aisle next to the Giants' dugout. In every Bonds' at-bat, the liaison, a former New York cop, stands with his back to the field, keeping a close eye on fans.

In the Dodgers' left field bullpen, two security guards stand by, in plain clothes, leaning on the bullpen door waiting to pounce on any fan looking for his place in history. In seemingly every lower-level aisle throughout the stadium, ushers survey the crowd looking for anything suspicious. And all throughout the stadium, LAPD officers lead teams of bomb sniffing dogs.
A couple of weeks ago I watched an RFK Stadium worker, who was obviously high, climb up onto the visitors dugout and jump out onto the field. While it was kind of funny to watch him sort of stumble around (I think he was trying to dance), I thought about how easy it is to get onto the field. What if some crazy person came to the park with a loaded weapon? Like this guy:
...last month in Statesboro, Ga., police say 21-year-old William Benjamin Smith broke into his neighbors' home and threatened to kill them while yelling, "Barry Bonds doesn't deserve to be the home run king."
Bonds told KGO radio in San Francisco back during Spring Training that he's had an increasing number of death threats on him and his family that made him "increasingly uneasy about his place in the public eye." The possibility that someone could try to do something to Barry in today's mindlessly violent America is very real.

It's no secret that I am a big Bonds fan. But were it A-Rod or Jeff Kent or one of the other players I don't like, I wouldn't be acting like some of the Bonds haters.
A couple hours after his pregame news conference, when Bonds steps into the batter's box, the mood inside Dodger Stadium instantly changes. Beyond the boos, beyond the chants of "Barry Sucks," "Steroids" and "BALCO" are the personal attacks. One fan spouts disparaging remarks about Bonds' mother. Another does the same about his daughter. And in the left-field corner of Dodger Stadium, 6-year-old Alex Marcum is attending his first Dodger game with his dad. He, too, stands up, cups his hands around his mouth and, undoubtedly urged on by the environment around him, gets into the act.

"Hey Barry," Marcum yells. "Go back to San Francisco, you big wiener."
No doubt people thought the brat was "cute" for saying that. But what can you expect when that is how we treat each other these days, when hate-filled talk radio hosts and psychotic, lying columnists are not only acceptable, but are mainstream? Why do people think it is funny to insult people's mothers or daughters? That is uncivil, sad, and disgusting.

But those remarks are nothing compared to the real threat to Barry and his family. And that, to me, is a very scary thing.

I'll be at Great American Ball(p)ark on July 3 with a pro-Barry sign, rooting, of course, for the Reds, who hopefully have put their woes behind them. And if that 755 or 756 ball comes sailing my way and ends up in my hands, I'll give it back to him. But I will ask for a picture with him and an autographed ball!

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Another beautiful day after another win

Despite a Sausage victory and no gain in the standings, a second Reds victory in a row is welcome refreshment, much like what a beer would feel like if I were having one right now in the beautiful sunshine rather than sitting in front of a laptop (in the beautiful sunshine). Hey, it's only work, right? Come to think of it, I do have a beer in my office. (It's to bring to the Nats game tonight, I swear!) I'll just settle for this coffee...

And by some miracle, it was a one run victory, squeaked out despite BP's 9th inning potentially tragic error and Stormy's potential tragic twin walks. A week ago, the Reds would not have pulled that one off. In fact, a week ago, that game would have ended with a Lance Jerkman three-run bomb over that stupid hill in the Asstros' outfield. Sure was lucky to get that double play to end the game...god knows how moronic it was for Jerry to pull Dunn and Encarnacion in a one run game. If the Asstros had tied it, the Reds would never have been able to score with that joke of a lineup. BUT - it worked out! Four leaf clovers are growing in Redsland!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Some more positivity

Wow, it is a gorgeous day today. I am sitting outside at a cafe instead of languishing in the confines of my weekday prison cell otherwise known as an office - it is nice to have a laptop so I can work out here on occasion, though as you can tell, I am writing this instead of working!

It'd be a great day for a ballgame. When I was a kid, I used to hate the business day specials because I'd get home from school and the games would be over. Now, I've come to greatly appreciate them. Watching or listening to games at work breaks up the monotony of staring at a computer screen. No day games today, though.

I have three Nats games in my ticket package over the next week - Dodgers, Padres, and Pirates. Lots of Nats baseball will distract me from the bane of 2007 baseball existence - the deplorable state of the Cincinnati Reds Baseball Club, starring Jerry Morron and DeWayne Krivsky. It's really depressing, isn't it, to expect so much from your team and suddenly find them down in the dank basement of despair. But as I keep saying, all is not lost! You just have to have faith, and I have faith that a good June will turn things around.

As I've mentioned before, I was born three months after the Big Red Machine won its last World Series. In my lifetime, the team has only won one World Series and another division title. (Of course, they got cheated in both the 1981 and 1994 strike seasons.) That's two (or four) winning teams in 30 years. Yet I still love my Reds. I'm not going to hate on my team and say they suck and scream TRADE! when Dunn or Griffey come to the plate. This offense is adequate for winning, even Alex Gonzalez with his .328 on base percentage. He does, after all, have 10 homers! Sure, there was a period when everyone slumped at the same time, but that is over. And what are these cries of no plan for the future I've heard in some corners of the internets? Last time I checked, Dayton and Sarasota had .660 winning percentages and sat atop their divisions. The future is brighter than it has been in years. We have Harang and Arroyo locked up, Belisle looks like he can be a good fourth or fifth starter, and Homer is nearly ready. We'll have Votto manning first base next year, providing a much needed extra power bat. We have Josh Hamilton. The bullpen is finally filling up with young arms like Coutlangus, Burton, Majewski, and Livingston instead of resembling a geriatric ward.

The bright future is almost here. Any winning in 2007 is a bonus, and there will be some of it, you just have to have faith. The baseball gods are testing us fans. Like I said before, the Reds are just getting the losses out of the way early in the season so they can be on fire down the stretch, when we play Milwaukee 13 times and Chicago 12 times!

I believe

I've been pretty sick over the last week, though I did manage to get to the beach over the weekend (I was very happy to discover a beach only 30 miles from DC along the Western coast of the Chesapeake Bay). I didn't watch the Reds lose three of four to the lowly Pirates, but I did check the box scores after each game. Like the little Reds face on the front of the Dayton Daily News, I was sad.

But - all is not lost. The entire NL Central has been on a losing streak. The Sausages have lost half of May and stand at five games over .500. The rest of the division is under .500, and the Reds are only 9.5 back. The second place teams, the Chub$ and Pitifulsburgh, have only won three more games than the Reds. This division is just awful. That's why the Reds can still win it. One good winning streak will put them right back in it.

And how 'bout them Yankees? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
___

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

A Crisis of Faith

You would think given that my two teams are playing each other right now that I would feel the inspiration to post something here. Truth is, I haven't had the energy or enthusiasm to post anything. It isn't because they are the two worst teams (recordwise) in the National League (or were, until Cincy won last night and the Deadbirds took over the distinction HAHA!), although I'm sure some winning would help a bit. It isn't because of the negativity that plagues Redsland, although that, too, has a lot to do with it. No, the bigger reason is simply because I am sick of staring at a computer screen. It's the same old crap every day - get up, take the crackhead bus to the office, sit without a window for 8 hours staring at a computer screen, then take the crackhead bus back home, where there are very few hours left of life to enjoy.

I'm concocting a plan to get out of this vicious cycle, but it is taking some planning. It involves an airplane, a bicycle, a car, and a pen, but it does not involve baseball. So I apologize if posting is sporadic. My sanity is at stake here. I am not going to go to the grave after wasting a third of my brief life stuck in an office.

Oh yeah, and if the Reds can sweep or win three of four, I think a season recovery is in store. Something felt different last night, like the Reds I had expected finally decided to show up and play. The game had the feel of a turning point. Even the excitement and love for baseball had returned to Marty's voice. Nothing better than listening to Marty and Joe call a winning game - I didn't even mind the MLB.TV blackout.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Calling Reds fans in DC!

Let's get together next week to watch one of the games vs. the Nats together. What day is best? There are four games, Monday-Thursday. (Thursday there is no Boston game, so we could take over one of the plethora of Red Sox bars around here on that day.) Give me your preferred day and suggest a bar. Since it will be after work, we can go somewhere in the District, or, if totally necessary, I can (gulp) cross the river into Northern Virginia. Though I know there are a couple of Reds fans who live in Maryland, so DC might be better.

More later...
I'm on a break so I don't get zapped by all of the negative energy pouring out of Redsland.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Another reason the Reds aren't as bad as their record indicates

We just got our second NL player of the week! Congrats to Ken Griffey, Jr. Oh yeah, and we also had two other nominees...
Cincinnati Reds right fielder Ken Griffey, Jr., who recorded three home runs and nine RBI, has been named Bank of America Presents the National League Player of the Week for the period ending May 13th. Bank of America, the Official Bank of Major League Baseball, is the presenting sponsor of the American League and National League Player of the Week Awards, which reflect the company's long-standing tradition of recognizing achievements that inspire us all to seize opportunities to perform at our very best. [HOW CHEESY.]

The lefty slugger hit .400 (10-25), posted a slugging percentage of .760 and recorded an on-base percentage of .484. His nine RBI paced the National League and his three homers were tied atop the N.L. On Sunday, Griffey hit his 570th career home run against the Dodgers, moving him into sole possession of ninth place on the all-time home run list. The blast put Junior three behind Harmon Killebrew for eighth place.

Other nominees this past week included his Reds teammates Adam Dunn (.381, 3 HR, 6 RBI) and Brandon Phillips (.355, 6 R).

Save 2007!

Stanton Voodoo


Since the bullpen exorcism didn't work (too much negative energy swirling around, not enough prayers), I thought I'd try voodoo. First up, the guy who walked in a run last night. It's good voodoo, wishing for productivity rather than wishing ill will on the guy. If this continues, though, and there are no changes to the pen, Krivsky is going to be cursed with some nasty voodoo.
___

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Good luck charm?

The Nats are 5-15 at home. I have been to three Nats games so far this season, and they've won two of them, including last night's strong defeat of the Fish. In fact, I have been to five MLB games so far this year, and the Reds won two of those, so I'm 4-5 in wins this year.

Maybe I should go to more games?

Friday, May 11, 2007

The sky is falling!

A rant: How can people who call themselves Reds fans expect anything to go well with all the negative energy flying around? Today is May 11, not September 11. A season is not over when you're five games under .500 in May (with nine of those losses a result of your bullpen.) You still have 3/4ths of a season to play and 13 games left against the Sausages.

Yet cries of "This team sux!" abound. No one is immune to the critical assault. I think it is only a matter of time before the wheels fall of the Hamilton bandwagon and fans start calling for Krivsky's head because of his mini-slump.

As I stated in an earlier post, Milwaukee is not running away with the division, because they have but once faced a team over .500. I'm not saying the Sausages suck. I'm saying they aren't as good as they are playing now. One only has to look at last year's hot start by the Reds to see that what happens up to this point of the season is easily lost. The rest of the division is bunched up, and place changes daily. Expect Milwaukee to cool down this month after playing the Mets, Atlanta, LA, and San Diego. That's a tough schedule!

Sure, the bullpen is frustrating, and so is Krivsky's refusal to do much about it. But give him some credit - he did get rid of Rheal Cormier and brought up a young arm. The pen is not going to be this bad all season. We do have to deal with Jerry Morron, who should not be in a manager's position, but such is life. He's part of the triumvirate of evil which plagues the team, but by no means does he stand as an obstacle to a title.

So instead of saying "The season is over!" or "This team is not a contender!" at every misfortune, how about projecting some positive energy on the team? You know, rooting for them instead of looking for things to complain about? Just look at all the positives:

  • The Reds lead the Majors in home runs with 47. Milwaukee is #2 with 43.
  • Josh Hamilton. If a person exists who can't enjoy watching Hamilton play baseball, he might want to find a new sport to follow. (.268/.351/.588, 8 HR, 18 RBI, 19 R)
  • Ken Griffey Jr. is hitting like he's ten years younger at .323/.436/.573 with 6 homers, 19 RBI, and 15 runs scored. He's just moved into a tie for 9th place on the all-time homer list, only four behind #8 Harmon Killebrew.
  • Adam Dunn is hitting .286/.384/.635 with an NL leading 11 homers and 24 RBI; that's something to be excited about. Oh, and don't forget those 30 runs scored.
  • Reds starters are tenth in MLB in ERA at 3.87 (6th in NL), second in innings pitched at 220.2, fifth in strikeouts with 165 (third in NL), tied for NL 3rd in fewest HR allowed, 2nd best in OBP allowed, #1 in K/BB in MLB at 3.17 (we blow everyone else out of the water - #2 is Milwaukee at 2.85), #4 in WHIP at 1.28 (#7 MLB).
  • Cincinnati is 10th in the Majors in runs scored at 168 (#6 in the NL). Reds batters are also #2 in the Majors in triples (11), #4 in total bases (518), #10 in RBI (161), #6 in slugging, #9 in OPS, #8 in SB, #1 in pinch hits (16), and they're way down at #12 in strikeouts after hovering near the top for the last several years. The offense is hardly meager, despite about a ten day stretch of a total team slump in April.
  • Alex Gonzalez brought his bat to Cincinnati - .293/.346/.552 with 7 homers, 16 RBI, and 17 runs. Felipe who?
  • Brandon Phillips (.277/.331/.475, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 19 R), Ryan Freel (.272/.357/.377, 21 R), and Scott Hatteberg (.295/.367/.409, 11 RBI, 12 R) are having good seasons thus far, too. The only starters with problems are Edwin Encarnacion, who was just demoted to AAA, and David Ross, who had a good week this week and seems to be coming out of his cluelessness.
Last year, people politely laughed when I wrote about my optimism for the team. What ended up being funny, though, was how we remained in contention for 160 games. I say the team is getting rid of it's suckitude early in the season and will tear it up the second half. Bookmark this page and come back in September - you'll see.

I'm tired of the doom and gloom surrounding the Reds. Just be a fan, I say!

And with that, I'm off to see the worst team in baseball play the Fish.
___

Thursday, May 10, 2007

This isn't Edwin's fault

Milwaukee 24 10 .706 -
Chi Cubs 16 15 .516 6.5
Houston 16 17 .485 7.5
Pittsburgh 14 18 .438 9.0
St. Louis 14 18 .438 9.0
Cincinnati 14 20 .412 10.0

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Bullpen exorcism tonight at 7pm


After watching history repeat itself for the billionth time this season, I began to reflect upon the reasons that this can continue to happen. After all, no human being with long experience such as Krivsky or Morron can be as dumb as to not do anything about a problem that is close to ending the season, and though either one or both of them might be insane, which would explain the repetition expecting a different outcome, I don't think insanity is the cause of such enormous suckitude. No, after much prayer and contemplation, I have come to the realization that the bullpen is possessed by demons.

It all began on April 17 in Milwaukee (yeah, our bullpen has been sucking for almost a whole month now and only one change has been made). Lest anyone forget, that was the game when Todd Coffey gave up five runs in the top of the seventh when it had been a one-run game at 4-3, Sausage lead. Then, as if Jesus had entered his body to combat evil, Bill Hall hit his first career grand slam. While Coffey was warming up in the pen, demons in the shape of sausages had floated up from Hell and took control of his body, as well as the lumpy bodies of the rest of the pen. They've been wreaking havoc on the Reds ever since.

To combat these evils, there will be an exorcism in the bullpen of Great American Ball(_P)ark. The souls of each reliever and Milton will be purged of unclean spirits which rot their abilities to get outs. Please keep these pitchers in your thoughts and prayers at 7pm when the ritual cleansing will take place.
___

Monday, May 07, 2007

That's it

I'm not watching another Reds game until Todd Coffey is sent to Louisville.

UPDATE 9:30am: No word on Coffey getting sent down. It's early. Maybe Wayne isn't out of bed yet.

UPDATE 11am: Coffey still with team. It's still morning; there's still time.

UPDATE 2pm: Coffey not on bus to AAA yet. Game is only five hours away.

UPDATE 3:45pm: Who sux worse, Todd Coffey, Jerry Morron, or Wayne Krivsky for not making a move yet?

UPDATE 4pm: I just remember I have Coffey's autograph on my Pirates scorecard. Perhaps some voodoo is in store this evening...

UPDATE 4:30pm: Don't make me do it, Krivsky. Don't make me do something like um, go for a bike ride or cook a decent meal or grab a beer with friends or read a book or something else to occupy myself between the hours of 7-10pm. I couldn't ride my bike, anyway. Someone stole the seat last year and I haven't gotten around to replacing it yet. The calendar keeps changing faster than I can keep up.

UPDATE 4:45pm: Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick...

UPDATE 6:30pm: Coffey's still on team. It's obvious that Wayne Morron thinks that you can achieve a different outcome by doing the exact same thing over and over again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me, uh, uh, you can't get fooled again.

UPDATE 6:45pm: Yeah, I have the radio on now. Yeah, I'm gonna turn on the TV broadcast when it comes on. Yeah, Todd Coffey and Wayne Morron still suck.
___

The HOF cap will say NY

I really wanted Clemens to sign with the Red Sox.

Back in the pre-internet, pre-themediaisinsane days when E$PN was called ESPN and it covered more than two teams, Boston was like a foreign country to me. It was a time when girls wore leg warmers and boys looked like girls, Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein were on our side, and Cindy Lauper was so unusual, George Michael had no police record, and Bono sported a mullet. It was pretty tough to follow the American League aside from reading the little blurbs in the Dayton Daily News on how each game went, and there was no such thing as FoK$ Saturday Yankees/Red Sox Game of the Week. I knew of Roger Clemens, but I didn't understand his significance. I didn't know he would go on to be one of the greatest pitchers of all time.

There isn't anything he hasn't done - 7 Cy Young Awards, an MVP, 4600+ strikeouts, 2 World Series rings and 3 other pennants, a .662 career winning percentage...

This should inspire awe in baseball fans (click to view):



The way the Bankees announced it was pretty awesome. Imagine being at that game, your pitching rotation in shambles, when the PA announcer tells you to direct your attention to the screen. There, standing in the press box, is a guy who pitched for your team when you basked in the glory of October, lighting the embers of your memories of your back to back World Series Championships. You cheer at the sight of him, in no way expecting what you are about to hear:
“Thank y’all. Well, they came and got me out of Texas, and I can tell you it’s a privilege to be back. I’ll be talking to y’all soon!”
The stadium erupts, and the kindling of hope that this disastrous season is not lost bursts into flames. (But what is hope, except a cruel, too often empty sentiment? Pandora should have kept the box open for Bankees fans.)

Those of us who have been able to see him pitch all of these years should consider ourselves lucky. Special treatment? So what. The guy is from another universe. He turns 45 in August. He should have retired a few years ago but teams keep begging him to come back. There are very few Roger Clemenses in the world. I hate the last two teams he's played for, but I find it pretty tough to root against him (unless he's playing the Reds, which he doesn't have to do this year barring an October miracle!)

And thank god the endless speculation is over. I was getting sick of it.

Oh, and this still isn't going to fix the Bankees woes.

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Friday, May 04, 2007

Down in the baseball dumps

I'm watching the Nats game versus the Chub$ in my office but not with the same enthusiasm I would normally watch a game. It's the first time since April 21 that I've watched a Nationals game (KEARNS GOES DEEP AGAINST CRAZY DUDE! NATS UP 4-0) because the games are blacked out on MLB.TV this year and I can't watch both the Reds and the Nats at the same time like I used to. I was supposed to go to the game the 28th but gave my tix to a friend (in exchange for a future game) to go see the Reds in Pittsburgh. So I really have no idea what's going on with the Nats aside from the won-loss record.

Anyway, the lack of enthusiasm stems not only from the bad baseball the Nats are playing and the fact that Leatherpants thinks he is the center of the universe, but also from the suckitude of the Reds bullpen, which has zapped some of the excitement from the game itself. So I'll watch this game and say "yay" to myself when something good happens, but I'm more into the Arcade Fire show I'm seeing tonight. Their opening act? The National, a band whose members grew up in Cincinnati and who sounds like The Divine Comedy. (See post below for coincidence.)

Ode to the pen

1 MIDWAY upon the journey of our life
2 I found myself within a forest dark,
3 For the straightforward pathway had been lost.

4 Ah me! how hard a thing it is to say
5 What was this forest savage, rough, and stern,
6 Which in the very thought renews the fear.

7 So bitter is it, death is little more;
8 But of the good to treat, which there I found,
9 Speak will I of the other things I saw there.

10 I cannot well repeat how there I entered,
11 So full was I of slumber at the moment
12 In which I had abandoned the true way.

13 But after I had reached a mountain's foot,
14 At that point where the valley terminated,
15 Which had with consternation pierced my heart,

16 Upward I looked, and I beheld its shoulders
17 Vested already with that planet's rays
18 Which leadeth others right by every road.

19 Then was the fear a little quieted
20 That in my heart's lake had endured throughout
21 The night, which I had passed so piteously

22 And even as he, who, with distressful breath,
23 Forth issued from the sea upon the shore,
24 Turns to the water perilous and gazes;

25 So did my soul, that still was fleeing onward,
26 Turn itself back to re-behold the pass
27 Which never yet a living person left.

Yeah, it's Dante, unchanged. Doesn't need to be changed. The Reds are descending into baseball hell, thanks to the pen. Good news is they can get out of it as long as the pen mends its evil ways. Or Krivsky gets rid of the geezers, sends Coffey to Louisville, and calls up some of our minor leaguers instead of giving away the offense. Oh, and trades Milton to the Bankees for cash.

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Deja vu

Hey, Krivsky, use your brain and get rid of this bullpen.

I HATE THIS BULLPEN.

Raw Sausages

While Sausage fans are gushing about buying playoff tickets, I was busy looking over their schedule to see what is actually happening with that team. Sixteen of their 18 wins have come against teams under .500, and three of them came against a team who just lost one of their players.

In May, 15 of their 29 games come against teams with records better than .500, including three with records above .600.

It would be wise to save the boasting and planning for October tickets until they've proven that they can beat good teams.

Pregame notes

Wandy Rodriguez
Throw some meatballs o'er the plate
Dunn and Griff go long.

Alex Gonzalez
Another DP is turned
Another homer.

Please Milton, don't suck
Your lobs are not Major League
Just go five innings.

Lance Jerkman, ride pine
Tired of your noisome bat
And longballs galore.

Rookie of the world
On base with some hits and walks
The Nat'ral goes yard.
___

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Rise up, oh lumber!

Twenty-eight runs in three days...have the Reds' bats finally arisen from their lengthy slumber?

It sure is nice to have the best starting pitching in the National League (third in the Majors). Check out these numbers:


RK TEAM GP W L ERA SV CG SHO IP ER R BB SO BAA
3 Cincy 26 9 8 3.46 0 1 0 166.2 64 72 35 125 .256


Combined with the recent offensive surge, this could make for a great month. Since we play the Asstros ten times, we have to play better than we do traditionally against that team. Oh, and we have the dreaded West Coast trip this month. It's early this year, so it won't kill the whole season!

We have to see Roy O three times this month, including tonight. Everyone knows he is a Cincinnati killer with a career record of 17-1 and a 2.54 ERA versus the Reds. What they don't know is that just yesterday someone stole his lucky jackal's foot and that he has been up all night worrying about how he is going to get any outs. The jackal's foot gives him magic powers that allows him to throw unhittable pitches to anyone wearing red in his uniform. You want your jackal's foot back, Roy O? Sign with an American League team, and I'll give it back to you!

Don't forget to download your Junction Jack coloring book pages.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

MLB.TV sux

Thanks to working late and the crazy crackheads on the bus home (one threw a fit because he couldn't exit the back door and said he wished he had his gun as he stood at the front door refusing to exit and screaming MF this, MF that), I got home right at 8pm just in time for the Reds game. I logged in expecting to see the game when I get the "We're Sorry" screen saying they can't charge my credit card, which is ridiculous because i have a whole freaking paycheck in my account. I tried to reregister thinking maybe there was a glitch in the system and it said I already purchased it. They charged me twice last month and I still haven't gotten a refund for it and then today May 1 comes along and suddenly I can't watch baseball? I go on hold with the customer "service" until my phone minutes run out and don't get to talk to anyone, but by some miracle after missing two innings, it lets me login, and it's only my incessant try trying again that had me notice it was working. I swear, these people can't get their shit together. They've shown games online for at least five years now and this crap still happens all the time.

I'm going to demand a refund for those two innings I missed just to prove a point. Of course, when they don't refund you for charging you twice in one month, don't expect a response.