All Things Bubba

According to ads running on local TV, today is the first game for the Hudson Valley Renegades, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' short-season class-A team (where Josh Hamilton was playing last year). That means extended spring training must be over. So what are they going to do with Bubba?

I e-mailed the Bats radio announcers last night to ask, and they said there hasn't been a decision yet. The Reds organization is still mulling it over.

In other news, the Baltimore Orioles fired manager Sam Perlozzo (leading some to speculate that the Reds' Jerry Narron may be next). Bubba Crosby fans may remember Perlozzo as the manager who was ejected from the game for arguing that Bubba was running inside the line during the collision with Brian Roberts. (He wasn't, as replay, including an overhead shot, clearly showed.) To give Perlozzo credit, when he cooled down, he admitted that Bubba had done nothing wrong. Perlozzo said he was just upset at seeing Roberts in such pain - which is entirely understandable.

The Bats are auctioning off special camouflage jerseys. They were worn on June 12. The auction will benefit the children of armed forces members killed in the line of duty.

Joey Votto's jersey has the high bid. I'm kind of surprised Mark Bellhorn's jersey isn't getting more. He was the runaway winner in the last auction (for Virginia Tech hats), easily beating out runners-up Homer Bailey and Bubba Crosby.