I meant to post this link earlier, but never got around to it. Peter Abraham wrote about minor league free agents earlier this week. He said this about Bubba:
I'm sure a few of these players will return. But based on his angry exit, we've seen the last of Bubba Crosby in pinstripes.
Sheesh. I'm not sure what Pete meant by that. Maybe he's just cranky because Bubba refused to give any interviews the day he was cut.
Red Hot Mama posted about the Crosby signing yesterday. The comment by "KC2HMZ" is interesting. He points out that the Reds' bench coach is Bucky Dent - who was the Clippers' manager in 2004 and 2005, and so must know Bubba. Guess he liked what he saw. He also suggests that right field is where Bubba will end up, if he makes the team:
Crosby = Womack? Maybe. Or maybe he'll be 2007's Brandon Phillips (guy-Wayne-got-after-somebody-else-gave-up-on-him type).
They didn't just pull this guy's name out of a hat, that's for sure. For one thing, Reds' bench coach Bucky Dent was his manager at AAA Columbus in 2004 and in 2005. For another thing, he was the Dodgers' first round pick in the 1998 amateur draft. We can safely assume the Dodgers scouting department that year had something on the ball, based on our observations this year of another guy they drafted in 1998 - David Ross, who they took in the 7th round. So it really wouldn't surprise me if whoever it was (presumably on the west coast) who tipped Kriv-Dawg off about Ross just threw Wayne another bone (pun intended, Bubba's full name is Richard Crosby - if you don't get it go read the thread about the Reds' new pitching coach).
Crosby twice made the Yankees' Opening Day roster in spring training, which can't be easy to do considering the Yankees are a team with deep pockets that prefers to spend big bucks on established free agents rather than taking chances with rookies. He finished last season Red hot, hitting .321 (17-for-53) in 23 September games and .345 (20-for-58) over his final 31 games of the season. He also gained postseason experience by playing in three games in the ALCS in 2004.
Crosby has committed two errors in 182 major league games, and no errors in 245.3 innings in right field, where the Reds presumably have a hole to fill if they don't convince Griffey to move over.
I guess this move also tells us something about what the Reds think of Heartthrob, as well as of Norris Hopper.
And ah, yes, video baseball. That's one way to get through the long, cold winter. Just for fun, check out
this post by Anthony. He's talking about playing MVP Baseball against his brother:
I played with the Mets, but since this game is outdated, the 2004-2005 Mets. I let Eddie play with the Yankees, so he had a considerable advantage (which would be absent now given that the Mets are superior to the Yankees). Originally we agreed that the first to win 10 best-of-seven series would win the Championship. I was up 9-6 or something and he came back and won..... BUT NOT BEFORE HE CHEATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's right! When I wasn't looking, Eddie went into the basic preferences controls of the game and changed all of the stats of his Yankee players! So now now Tony Womack goes from being steady bench player to .500 batting average first pitch homerun hitter. Just about every Yankee player did this. Except A-Rod. Eddie wouldn't change A-Rod's stats.
Now I, of course, don't pick up on this. Yep, I know, pathetic. In fact, some would say, given my hilarious ignorance, I down right deserved it. After the whole thing I'm saying to myself "Damn whoever created this game was a huge Yankee fan who hated A-Rod." But in my defense, I never imagined that my brother would cope with the agony of defeat and inferiority by EGREGIOUSLY CHEATING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So while Bubba Crosby's 10/10 with 7 homeruns and 28 RBIs in one game seemed odd, I just figured Eddie was seeing the ball really well.
LOL! I think the funniest part is that his brother refused to change A-Rod's stats. Poor Alex gets no respect.
