The voting for the MLB All-Star game ends today and once again it appears as if no player from the Reds will be voted in by fans.

That leaves it up to Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel to determine which players are worthy.

There are four players that certainly deserve the honor, but chances are only one or two of them will get the nod:

1B JOEY VOTTO - .313, 17 HR, 54 RBI

2B BRANDON PHILLIPS - .312, 9 HR, 25 RBI, 60 R, 10 SB

3B SCOTT ROLEN - .301, 17 HR, 53 RBI, 41 R

RP ARTHUR RHODES – 2-2, 1.13 ERA, 0.9375 WHIP, 30  K, 32 IP

WHO GETS THE NOD?
Phillips, because of the lack of depth at the position, has the best chance to make the roster. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him be joined by Rolen. Votto will lose out to the much-higher profiled players at first base while Rhodes will be overlooked as he’s not a starter or a closer, the two pitching roles that most often get picked in All-Star roster decisions.

Fantasy Baseball, MLB cincinnati reds, 2010 mlb all star game, joey votto, scott rolen, brandon phillips, arthur rhodes

Count me as a believer in the hype surrounding rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg. However, those that are saying he should be in the All-Star Game are foolish.

Through five starts the numbers are astounding. The righty is now 2-2, 2.74 ERA, 48K’s, 7 BB’s and 25 hits through 31 2/3 innings.

Despite the fact the Nationals are terrible and one of the toughest teams to watch, Strasburg remains must see T.V.

Still how can be considered an All-Star after just five starts?

Those in favor of the notion cite the fact fans want to see him and frankly his presence could be just the thing the National League needs to get over the hump and actually win a Mid-Summer Classic, something they’ve struggled with for over the past decade and beyond.

While there’s no doubt that the kid has the stuff to be an All-Star for 10-12 years and beyond, putting in after just five starts is ridiculous. That isn’t fair to some of the pitchers that have put together great seasons over a period of three months.

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Many of us collected baseball cards growing up and some still take a dip in the longtime sports hobby. Northern Kentucky native Nick Jacoby, however, has taken it to another level.

The 28-year old lifetime long Reds’ fan cracked Topps’ hidden code and in their cards last year and won an appearance in this year's set (card No. 165) and a set of 70 one-of-a-kind autographed cards from 2009 -- an eclectic (and valuable) lot that includes Michael Phelps, Dick Fosbury, David Wright, Cat Osterman, Ryan Howard, Hannah Teter, Scrabble champion Brian Cappelletto and even Billy The Marlin.

"The code was extremely difficult and Topps didn't expect anyone to crack it for a few months," Jacoby said. "I submitted the final answer within the first week the product was released."

COMPLETE STORY (ESPN.com)

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Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson was arrested on Tuesday in Texas over an incident that occurred over Memorial Day Weekend.

Benson, who has had alcohol arrests in the past, allegedly punched an Austin, TX bar employee in the face. He did post bail and has been released.

Coming off a career season in 2009, Benson had been jockeying for a contract extension as he enters the final season of a two-year deal with the Bengals.

ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio raises questions on whether or not the incident was even reported to the Bengals and/or the NFL.

If not, that could certainly complicate matters in terms of league action.

The Personal Conduct Policy contains clear language regarding the obligations of a player who potentially commits a violation:  "The League must be advised promptly of any incident that may be a violation of this policy, and particularly when any conduct results in an arrest or other criminal charge.  Players and club employees must report any such incident to the club, which must then report it to NFL Security at (800) NFL-XXXX. 

Failure to report an incident will constitute conduct detrimental and will be taken into consideration in making disciplinary determination under this policy.  Clubs are also required to report incidents that come to their attention."

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Check out the new game from AllSportsPolls.com:

The object of a 13 run league is simple. You need the total runs your team scores in a game to be between 0 and 13. Each total they reach equals one less number that you need. For example, if Boston wins 8-3, you will light up the number 8 on the board. If Boston loses 5-4, then you light up the number 4 on the board. This continues until all numbers from 0-13 are lit up in Green. The first team to do so, wins! In the event that no team hits all of the squares the player with the most numbers is declared winner...SIGN-UP NOW

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I made my first trip to Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum this past week to catch an Interleague match-up between my favorite team, the Cincinnati Reds, and the hometown A’s.  It was an enjoyable experience overall and impressed me more than I thought.

WHAT I LIKED
--Transportation: We were staying in downtown San Francisco and took the BART directly to the stadium ($3.80 per person from our entry point) in less than 30 minutes. There was also plenty of parking all around venue (estimated $20) for fans to drive to the game too.

--History:  If there is one thing Oakland has is a long and storied history and that was put on display throughout the ballpark. From banners boasting milestones to the numerous World Championship tributes, the A’s organization made it clear to their fans that they are proud of their history.

--Bullpens: With so many new stadiums having the bullpens in the outfield, it was nice to go to a game where the bullpens were still down the foul lines. We sat three rows back right on the A’s bullpen on the third base side and had a great seat to see Oakland’s pitchers warm-up up close.

--Fans: I was surprised and appreciative of how many hardcore fans surrounded our seats in Section 126. Most of the fans I spoke to were not only extremely passionate about their team, but also possessed an above average knowledge of the game of baseball and the history of their franchise.

--Concessions: Though it didn’t blow me away like some of other parks I visited, I did enjoy a great variety of foods and beers that were available. The stadium offered more than just your typical hot dog and Cracker Jacks and most everything was fairly based, especially by California standards. I recommend the chicken nachos and pork barbecue!

--Top Deck Closed: The stadium holds nearly 65,000 fans for Raiders’ games, but the A’s close out the entire upper deck to make the setting a bit more intimate for baseball action. Covering the seats are circles with the years inside of them for all the teams championships both in Oakland and previous to the team’s arrival among other tributes.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
--Outside the ballpark: There was some decent tailgating going on, but not much of anything else to do in the area where the stadium was located. With time to spare we went in early and watched batting practice.

--Mount Davis:  Many locals told me that the stadium isn’t as good as it used to be and all of them blame it on the same thing – Mount Davis.  They are referring to the luxury boxes that consume the outfield that Raiders’ Al Davis insisted be built when he brought his team back to Oakland after 14 years in Los Angeles back in 1995.

--Too Much Field: Because the stadium is a multi-purpose facility it possesses one of baseball’s largest foul territories. Despite having third-row seats along third base it seemed as if the field of play was a miles away.

--Scoreboard: Not only was the scoreboard visible quality a bit behind the times, it lacked some of the in-game and real-time data that other stadiums have spoiled me with. I wasn’t overly impressed with the graphics either.

OVERALL GRADE: 87

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The black jack game is intriguing and exiting. It is one of Ace’s favorites. Another game Ace likes to play is Texas Hold’em. Check out the free online texas hold em information on AceHoyle.com. You will not find a better place for gambling information out there!

Even if you already saw it, Carlos Zambrano's meltdown is worth watching again:

CUBS HAVEN'T HEARD SINCE ZAMBRANO SINCE FRIDAY (Chicago Sun-Times)

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See what teams have the best schedule by position (from FFToolBox.com):

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C Trent Rosecrans writes about Reds' pitcher Aroldis Chapman on his blog at CBSSports:

The Reds expect to bring up left-hander Aroldis Chapman to pitch out of the bullpen sometime this season general manager Walt Jocketty told reporters on Friday. The Reds want to see how Chapman adjusts to pitching out of the bullpen in the next three weeks and then possibly call him up.

Jocketty said the team still considers Chapman's future to be that of a starter, but he could help the team more as a reliever this season. The Reds entered Friday's game against the Indians a half-game out of first place in the National League Central. The Reds, 40-33, haven't had a winning season since 2000 and have made the playoffs since 1995.

COMPLETE ARTICLE

Fantasy Baseball, MLB cincinnati reds, aroldis chapman

When you take a good look at the numbers Wes Welker has put over the past few years, you quickly realize his value to the Patriots and fantasy owners alike. However, with it becoming more evident that the veteran will begin the season on the PUP list the fantasy value of his backup Julian Edelman is beginning to soar.

When Welker went down last year Edelman emerged right out of the gate. In two games last year when the former Kent State quarterback stepped in for the team’s leading receiver he combined for 18 catches for 201 yards, effectively becoming Welker in the offense.

Edelman’s value is directly linked to the health of Welker, but he’s worth a late-round stab in nearly any format and should be valued even higher in PPR formats.

Monitor Welker's status leading up to your draft or auction, but if he misses the first six games I say that both he and Edelman are worth mid-round picks.

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