Loveland, Ohio – The organizers say āThank You for Making the 19th Annual Paxtonās Grill Golf Outing a Record-Breaking Success.ā
āFrom each of us here at Paxtonās Grill & CancerFree KIDS, thank you for supporting our annual event. We cannot do it without you. In fact, we broke the $100,000 fundraising mark for this yearās outing ā the first time ever.ā
The CancerFree KIDS mission is to eradicate cancer as a life-threatening disease in children by funding promising research that might otherwise go unfunded. Our annual golf outing contributes to this worthy cause.
“Thanks to all who came out to golf and volunteer at our weekend dates in the 19th annual Golf Outing last Friday and Saturday at Hickory Woods Golf Course! The weather was perfect and we believe everyone had a great time!”
The winners for the two days included:
Friday Foursome Winners
1st Place: TQL: Gary Carr, Austin Hansford, Matt Herring and Joe Turnser
2nd Place: Michael Brady, Dave Frye, Keith Burkhardt and Dan Edwards
3rd Place: Roderick MacEachen, Quam MacEachen, Hansel Stansel and Jared Wagoner
Longest Drive Women: Mary Jo Phillips
Longest Drive Men: Nicholas Creech
Closes to the Pin: Gary Carr & Bill Phillips (one on hole 6 and one on hole 15)
Longest Putted Hole: Tyler Kuhnash
Saturday Foursome Winners
1st Place: Stan Pitchard, Roberts Mark, Bob Stebbins, and Tim Wachenfeld
2nd Place: Ralph Dunnigan, Curt Gardiner, Mike Hinds and John Fisher
3rd Place: Andrew Jaeger, Ben Jaeger, Erik Lund and Glen Lund
Longest Drive Women: #5: Tish Marquardt
Longest Drive Men: #3: Wes Minton
Closest to the Pin: #6: Brian Duermit
Closest to the Pin: #15: Curt Gradner
Longest Putted Hole: #9: Dan Hare
About Paxton’s Grill
Located in the heart of the Historic Loveland DistrictĀ just outside Cincinnati, Paxtonās Grill is housed in one of the townās oldest buildings and is adjacent to the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail. Our relaxed atmosphere andĀ friendly serviceĀ welcomesĀ you back time and time again!Ā
āAlthough Loveland, Ohio was named after the cityās first postmaster and early shopkeeper James Loveland, the areaās first settlerĀ was Col. Thomas Paxton. Born in Pennsylvania in 1739, Paxton moved to Kentucky in 1790. After having the opportunity to observe the beauty of the Little Miami River landscape, Paxton traveled north and in 1795 settled in the area now known as Loveland.
During the Revolutionary War, Paxton served as Lt. Colonel of the Second Battalion of the Bedford County
Militia. In 1777, he ate Christmas dinner at Valley Forge with Gen. George Washington and other illustrious military personnel such as the Marquis de Lafayette and Alexander Hamilton.Ā
Paxton is acknowledged for being the first to build a log cabin in the area. He died in 1813 and was buried in the family graveyard on the farm where he built his first cabin.Ā
Thirty-five years later, Col. William Ramsey, a land speculator, laid out the town of Paxton which was partially bordered by the Little Miami Railroad. A few years later, Ramsey laid out the town of Loveland, which adjoined the town of Paxton.
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Due to residentsā frequent stops at James Lovelandās general store, the name caught on and in 1863, Paxton officially became Loveland and new boundaries were established.Ā
Paxtonās Grill is housed in one of Lovelandās oldest buildings built about the same time that the town of Paxton became Loveland. In January 2000, a few locals saw the need for a family-friendly establishment and purchased thisĀ historic building with the goal of providing good food at reasonable prices in a comfortable setting.Ā
We welcome you to Paxtonās Grill and are proud to pay homage to Thomas Paxton and his early contributions to what is now called the Historic Loveland District.
Thank you for joining us and welcome to Paxton’sĀ Grill!
Loveland, Ohio – The Reds were in a difficult position in the days leading up to the July 30th MLB trade deadline. They were near the bottom of the division but only a handful of games out of the last Wild Card spot, one of seven teams within 8 games of that last playoff position. Though losing two out of three from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (themselves heavy sellers at the deadline) certainly put a damper on things, statistically speaking their hunt for the postseason was not officially over yet.
There were certainly arguments to be made that the Reds could either buy or sell at the deadline, but there was no question that whatever moves were going to be made, they needed to have an impact. If the Reds were looking to contend, those moves had to bring in players that could close the gap in the playoff race in the second half. If they sold, the return on the players they traded needed to be substantial and with an eye towards helping them contend immediately in 2025 or in 2026 at the latest.
Ultimately, Nick Krall attempted to split the middle. The Reds didn’t acquire any immediate-impact difference makers, but they did not dismantle the club either. The moves made at the 2024 deadline will ultimately take time to pass judgment on, but here is a rundown of how it played out.
āOur goal was not just dismantle this team. We did that in ā22 when we went through a full rebuild.ā Reds president of baseball ops Nick Krall summing up 2024 trade deadline pic.twitter.com/zozwtCfTK2
A trade that could show an immediate impact was the one that sent Frankie Montas to Milwaukee for relief pitcher Jakob Junis and outfielder Joey Wiemer. Montas was supposed to be a key signing for the Reds this year, but it did not pan out. He was 4-8 with a 5.01 ERA. His contract was for 1 year at 16 million dollars with a mutual option for 2025, so getting at least some of that salary off of the books is an additional benefit.
Junis is the player with the most big-league experience and promise. This season he’s appeared in 10 games, including one start. In 26 innings he’s amassed a 4-0 record while striking out 19 and walking 5. With the trade of Lucas Sims (discussed below) Junis could step into the bullpen right away and pitch meaningful innings for this team.
Wiemer is a bit more of a project. He is just 25 and was a highly valued prospect in the Brewers farm system, though he’s yet to fully capitalize on his talent. For Milwaukee’s AAA team he hit .242/.387/.358. His power numbers are below projections but he’s playing much better in July, slashing .333/.494/.517, certainly trending in the right direction. If he is on the cusp of playing in the big leagues, the Reds are a team that can use all of the outfield bats they can find.
Also, the Reds traded reliever Lucas Sims to the Boston Red Sox for young right-handed pitcher Ovis Portes. Fangraphs has Portes as the Red Sox 38th ranked prospect at just 19 years old. This year for Boston’s A-level minor league team he has pitched 21 innings, allowing 17 hits and 8 earned runs. He’s been a bit feast or famine with his control, striking out 25 while walking 15 in 7 appearances, 5 of them starts. Portes certainly has potential, but it’s likely going to be several seasons before Cincinnati fans see that play out at Great American Ballpark.
In addition, the day before the deadline, the Reds acquired first basemen Ty France from the Seattle Mariners. France hit .223 with 8 home runs and 31 RBIs. According to Baseball Savant, France is above average in terms of barrel %, and walk rate, showing a patient eye at the plate. However, his average his dropped each season in the majors since 2021 when he hit .291 for Seattle. Perhaps a change of scenery and new opportunities in the Queen City will help France get back on track.
As Nick Krall emphasized, the Reds can still contend with the team they have. None of their key players who were performing well (apart from perhaps Sims) were shipped. Montas clearly was not going to work out and Lucas Sims had just one year left on his contract. As of the publishing of this, the Reds have taken the first two games of their series against the Chicago Cubs and have shown life on offense and have gotten contributions from a wide variety of players.
That's the first four-hit day for Santiago Espinal in his career!
— FanDuel Sports Network Cincinnati (@FanDuelSN_CIN) July 31, 2024
While the 2024 MLB trade deadline didn’t bring Cincinnati players that will drive them to the playoffs this year, it didn’t result in the front office waiving the white flag, either. And so, Reds fans can only soldier on and hope that the team has enough to string together enough wins to give it a go in August and September.
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Hey readersā¦ have an opinion about sports? How about a topic youād like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coachās assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
This time around, it will be much easier to watch the games you want, live or on-demand.
THE SUMMER OLYMPICSĀ are back! After a thoroughly weird 2020 Tokyo Gamesāwhich actually took place in 2021 and largely happened without crowds of spectators because of Covid-related restrictionsāwe’re returning to the relative normalcy of the hyped up, enormously crowded, in-person spectacles of Olympics past.
The 2024 Summer Olympics are taking place in Paris, France.Ā The Olympics start this Friday, July 26. (Technically there are some events before the Opening Ceremony, but weāll get to those in a minute.) The Games will run every day for just over two weeks, withĀ the Closing Ceremony held on August 11.
Watching the last Summer Olympics involved a bit of juggling between apps, time zones, and prime-time live coverage. This year, the Games will be much easier to watch. NBC, the broadcast partner in the US, has launched a fresh Olympics portal on its Peacock streaming service, giving users a way to bookmark the events they want to watch and then get reminders to tune in live.
If you live in the US and you have cable or an over-the-air antenna, you can watch a mix of packaged highlights and live events on NBC (yet againĀ the Gamesā sole US distributor). Cable coverage will be across several NBC channels, including NBC, NBC Sports, CNBC, and the USA Network. Coverage in Spanish is on Telemundo and Universo.
The automated external defibrillator (AED) at the Loveland Town Clock
David Miller is the Managing Editor of Loveland Magazine
“I think the new law by Governor DeWine is definitely needed. If this can save one life, then it is worth it.”
– Loveland High School Athletic Director Jayson Bruce
by David Miller
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 47 on Wednesday. The new law will require automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to be placed in every public and chartered nonpublic school in Ohio, as well as all municipally owned or operated sports and recreation locations.
It will also require schools to adopt emergency action plans for the use of AEDs and practice these plans quarterly, among other provisions.
Among those in attendance for Tuesdayās bill-signing ceremony were representatives from the NFL and several other organizations that make up the Smart Heart Sports Coalition.
Loveland City Manager Dave Kennedy told Loveland Magazine that there is an AED at the Loveland Bike Trail next to the town clock at West Loveland Avenue and Railroad Avenue, Phillips Park, and McCoy Park. “We have cameras protecting the AED’s and if the alarms go off when accessed, the communication center will see them first hand.”
Loveland High School Athletic Director Jayson Bruce told Loveland Magazine, “We have been extremely blessed to have been way ahead of this for many years here in Loveland. As a matter of fact, Loveland High, Middle and Intermediate schools are all certified as Heart Safe schools through Project ADAM. And as part of this certification, we had to create and execute plans to respond to heart emergencies. A huge part of these plans are the AED’s. Our High School and Middle/Intermediate school campuses are extremely well equipped with AED’s for not only the school day, but all of our athletic teams. The number one priority is and always will be safety. We are blessed to be able to provide access to AED’s to all of our sports teams.”
Bruce said that on the High School campus their trainers have an AED with them at all times. There is also an AED mounted on the outside of the team room at Loveland High School Stadium. At Loveland High School, they have AED’s mounted outside of the gyms and the workout facility. Bruce added, “We also have backpack units that go along with our teams that train or participate off campus, like cross country, etc.”
The Loveland Middle and Intermediate school campus is very similar to the High School. “We have AED’s mounted directly outside of each gym. The trainer, who is at football practices and games, always has an AED with them. Since we have teams that practice off campus as well, we send them with AED’s,” Bruce said.
Founded in March 2023 in response to the life-saving emergency response and care provided to Buffalo Bills Safety Damar Hamlin after he experienced a sudden cardiac arrest, the Smart Heart Sports Coalition is comprised of nearly 40 member organizations ā including major sports leagues and organizations, as well as leading patient and health advocacy groups across the country ā that advocate for efforts to prevent fatalities from sudden cardiac arrest among student-athletes. (Click here to read letter of support from Damar Hamlin)
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The following individuals/organizations involved with the coalition offered statements in support of Governor DeWineās signing of HB 47:
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE & RELATED INDIVIDUALS
T.J. Carrie, Founder, T.J. Carrie Foundation, NFL Cornerback āGovernor DeWine, we are honored to be a part of this significant milestone. The dedication, vision, and countless hours of effort from many individuals have driven transformative change for our communities. We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who supported HB 47 and made this achievement possible.ā
Kenneth Edmonds, Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs, National Football League āOn behalf of the National Football League and the nearly 40 members of the Smart Heart Sports Coalition, I applaud Governor DeWine and the Ohio legislature for enacting this common-sense, life-saving measure. With this bill crossing the goal line and into law, Ohioās school communities and athletic venues are better equipped and prepared to swing into action and respond effectively to a cardiac emergency if it occurs. This is a victory for student safety.ā
Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills Safety āTodayās bill-signing is a testament to leadership and teamwork, and I thank and applaud Governor DeWine, the leaders of the Ohio legislature, the bill sponsors, and the many Smart Heart Sports Coalition team members who came together to move this life-saving legislation forward. Iāll always consider Ohio my second home, and Iām delighted that this new law makes the places around the state where young people learn, play, and compete safer, more resilient, and better prepared to respond to a cardiac emergency. This is a big win for young people throughout Ohio.ā (Click here to read letter of support from Damar Hamlin)
Paul B. Sparling, Head Athletic Trainer Emeritus, Cincinnati Bengals āBy signing this bill, once it is fully implemented, it is just a matter of time before someone who suffers a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) at an athletic event or facility in Ohio will be given a second chance at life. I had a āfront row seatā at the SCA episode involving Damar Hamlin in January 2023, and got to witness the end result of planning, preparing, practicing, and execution of a well-designed emergency action plan and use of CPR and an AED. āÆThank you to all of those involved in sponsoring and supporting this life-saving legislation.ā
Denzel Ward, Founder/President, Make Them Know Your Name Foundation, Cleveland Browns Cornerback āThis legislation is so important and I’m glad to see Ohio taking such strides in the right direction to help avoid heart-related fatalities. Having grown up in Cleveland and being an Ohio State Buckeye and Cleveland Brown, it’s an honor to use my platform to advance the safety measures in place for our communities.ā
Nicole Ward, Executive Director/Co-Founder, Make Them Know Your Name Foundation (Denzelās Mother) āWhen my son Denzel got drafted to the Cleveland Browns and we set up the Make Them Know Your Name Foundation, our vision was always to take part in life-changing heart health initiatives like HB 47. It’s not lost on me the number of tragedies many of us have had to face to get to this point, and it brings a sense of pride that the story of my family’s tragedy played a part in making this bill a reality.ā
OTHER āSMART HEARTā ORGANIZATIONS
American Heart Association āThe American Heart Association appreciates the legislature and the governor for supporting legislation that will require the placement of AEDs in all public schools along with a requirement that emergency action plans be adopted at these sites and for staff to be trained in using AEDs. This life-saving policy compliments and reinforces Ohioās existing requirement that coaches be certified in CPR. Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of sudden death in young athletes and most commonly occurs during or just after physical exertion, while engaged in practice sessions, organized competition, or other sports activities. With only seconds to react and every minute crucial, having an appropriate plan in place during a sudden cardiac emergency will certainly make a difference in survival.ā
Dr. Stuart Berger, M.D., President, Citizen CPR Foundation, and Medical Director, Project ADAM āWe are beyond delighted that Governor DeWine is signing HB 47 into law and are thankful to the state of Ohio. This bill will require AED placement in schools and will undoubtedly save the lives of both students as well as adults.āÆTo the state of Ohio, where Damar Hamlin had a very successful public resuscitation after a cardiac arrest, we say THANK YOU!!!!ā
Lindsay Davis, Former Miss Ohio, Eponym of Lindsayās Law, Heart Patient āAs a former Miss Ohio, athlete, and current heart patient, I helped pass Lindsayās Law. I am humbled and grateful to build on that legislation with the support of Representative Brown, Representative Bird, Governor DeWine, and all of the inspiring NFL Smart Heart Sports Coalition advocates who have worked so hard to pass HB 47. As Ohioans, we are leading the charge to safeguard our childrenās futures and I couldn’t be more proud.ā
Mary M. Newman, President & CEO, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation āAs a national nonprofit organization, advocating for the prevention of death and disability from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) with a vibrant SCA survivor community, and as a member of the Smart Heart Sports Coalition, we commend the Ohio legislature for passing HB 47. We believe this legislation will undoubtedly help save lives by requiring placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public and chartered nonpublic schools and public recreational facilities; requiring staff at these locations to be trained in the use of AEDs; requiring the Ohio Department of Health to develop a model emergency action plan; and providing liability protections for those using AEDs in good faith.ā
Darren Sudman, Simonās Dad and Co-Founder of Simonās Heart āThere are so few instances in life where major problems have an easy solution. HB 47 is one of them. Schools and the people inside of them are now prepared to respond to sudden cardiac arrest. All you need are chest compressions, an automated external defibrillator, and a plan. Thanks to this law, we do.ā
The Governor was also joined for Tuesday’s ceremony by the billās primary sponsors, as well as leadership from the Ohio Senate and Ohio House of Representatives:
Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) āHaving three sons who competed in high school sports, and one of our teammates almost had an incident, it really does hit home. Hopefully this will affect people throughout the state of Ohio, and it will be a positive thing and something that shows we care about our kids in Ohio, and we care about our future.ā
Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) āThe stories are certainly compelling. We know that, unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. It happens throughout the United States and throughout the world. Our legislature does a lot of work to bring things like this together. I want to congratulate the bill sponsors, the Speaker, and the Governor for this day.ā
State Rep. Richard Brown (D-Canal Winchester) āAEDs in combination with CPR can and will save lives. Canen Dickman is here with us today because of this. What we wanted to do was to pass a bill that was common sense, bipartisan, that will do what it did for Canaan: save lives ā and not just young people, but everybody around the state of Ohio. I am honored to be the person that was entrusted by my constituents to bring this idea forth. I thank Representative Bird for cosponsoring this bill with me, everyone in the legislature, and all of the other entities that gave their support. It takes a village to do something like this, and I thank everyone who was involved.ā
State Rep. Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) āOnly a couple of months after the whole nation watched Damar Hamlinās life be saved by an AED in Cincinnati, a 17-year-old student in my district back home passed away from sudden cardiac arrest during the school day. After those events took place, the opportunity presented itself for me to join Representative Brown on this bill and I quickly jumped on that opportunity, because we all see the importance of doing everything that we can to save young peopleās lives.ā
Loveland, Ohio – On this week’s all new Queen City Sports Podcast Chris and Mark discuss the Reds’ plans for the trade deadline: do they buy, sell, or stand pat? And can they finally put it all together and make a push towards one of the wild card spots? They also talk the start of Bengals’ training camp and the issues facing the team as they work to extend star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, and just how important he is to them going forward. And the guys finally get to the outlook for the 2024 Michigan Wolverines football team and the challenges they must overcome to get back to the College Football Playoff.
All this and more, including some interesting Olympics takes, on The Queen City Sports Podcast, have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
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Hey readersā¦ have an opinion about sports? How about a topic youād like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coachās assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – As fall approaches the inevitable excitement for the return of Bengals football grows to a fever pitch. The start of that excitement usually begins with the commencement of training camp, which begins this week. There are plenty of interesting storylines to track as the Bengals ramp up for their season opener on September 8th against the New England Patriots. Here are just a few:
Joe Burrowās Health
Any conversation about the Bengals understandably begins and ends with Joe Burrow. His preseason injury disrupted the beginning of the teamās 2023 campaign and his injury against Baltimore in week 11 nearly spelled the end of it.
All of that is thankfully in the past and the Bengals franchise quarterback has looked smooth and focused in the limited preseason action that weāve seen so far. Physically his hand appears strong and Burrowās throwing motion is solid. Keeping him in good health is a top priority not only during the season but also throughout camp and during Cincinnatiās preseason games. The trick is that those concerns are also balanced against the need to get Burrow on the field as much as necessary to build the cohesion of the offense.
No, he does not have to, nor should he, play large chunks of the preseason. But this camp will be important because the more he can connect with JaāMarr Chase and Tee Higgins and sharpen their timing and communication now, the faster the Bengals can hopefully find success once the season starts. Early injuries have hurt this team in the past and thatās been evident in their record over the early part of the season. Last year they started 1-3, in 2022 it was 2-2. But with both Burrow and Higgins completely healthy, watching them get in sync during camp will be a great thing to watch for.
When the Bengals drafted Dax Hill with the 31st overall pick in 2022 it was as a safety. There was a lot of hope that the promising young man out of the University of Michigan could eventually step into the shoes of Jessie Bates. However, the plan hasnāt necessarily come to fruition in the way that we all thought.
Part of the need to switch Hill from safety to corner has been his struggles there, but also because of the emergence of Jordan Battle and the signing of Geno Stone from the Baltimore Ravens. With two solid players in the back of their secondary it allows more flexibility to get Dax Hill meaningful reps on the field, albeit at a different position. Moving positions doesnāt come without risks, though.
Dax Hill getting some reps at outside corner during this install period. Heās lined up with Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin so far ā¦ plus a great angle of @Dan_Hoard#Bengalspic.twitter.com/h2Fw5AzJ2t
Playing cornerback requires physicality at the line of scrimmage and with less space to operate it really puts a player’s speed and flexibility to the test. Itās a tough transition but if there is anyone who has the versatility to pull it off it is Dax Hill. But training camp is the place where fans and coaches will be able to see his progress at his new position and evaluate what he might bring either as a nickel or slot corner or to backup Cam Taylor-Britt or DJ Turner. In todayās NFL a team cannot have enough experienced defensive backs and however the Bengals can get their former first round pick on the field they should absolutely embrace those options.
A Major Offensive Line Battle
As discussed above, Joe Burrowās health is the teamās paramount priority. Burrow has played behind patchwork offensive lines since he entered this league, and the world has seen the results. Bengals fans have suffered through the lowlight reels time and again, of their only hope for a Super Bowl running for his life or being crushed by pass rushers so gargantuan that it seems almost criminal to witness. Burrow has been sacked 148 times in his first 52 games played, which simply cannot be allowed to continue.
This year 4 out of the 5 starting positions are likely set, but this week revealed some interesting news. On Tuesday the Bengals placed OT Trent Brown on the Active/Non-Football Injury list. Brown signed aĀ one-year, $4.75 million contract with the Bengals in March of 2024 after his tenure with the New England Patriots and many had him pegged as the starter at right tackle given his prior experience. However, the future at the position almost surely rests with Amarius Mims, who the Bengals drafted with the 18th overall pick this season out of Georgia.
With Brown’s absence, Mims will receive critical first-team reps during training camp. Fans and coaches alike will be able to see and evaluate his ability to play right away at a position that is critical for this team and to protect its most valuable asset in Joe Burrow. There was always a chance the right tackle position would turn into a heated battle between the veteran and the up-and-coming young rookie, but it looks like that battle will happen much earlier than we all expected, adding yet another layer of excitement in this year’s camp.
The reason for Brown’s placement on the non-injury list hasn’t been made clear yet. Though Brown has his own significant injury history, this list is for issues that arise while players are away from their teams. Brown will not be able to practice until heās activated from the list, but that activation can happen at any point this summer. So as of now, it’s a waiting game for Brown’s return, but until then, many eyes will be watching the progress of Amarius Mims.
There were more than a few analysis that believed that Mims was a “project” when he was selected, given the lower amount of snaps that he played while at Georgia. Though Mims’ size and talent have the potential to make him into an all-pro type player, there are questions as to just how much time it would take to get there. Now, he has the chance to prove that he is ready now to start in this league, and show that the “project” is well ahead of schedule.
Joe Mixon had over 6,400 yards and 62 touchdowns during his 97 games with the Bengals in a career that included many great moments for the Orange and Black. He’s now with the Houston Texans and the man signed to replace him is Zach Moss. He played last year for the Indianapolis Colts and had 794 yards on 183 carries and reached the end zone 7 times. He will also be sharing at least some measure of his carries with Chase Brown, the Bengals’ 5th round draft pick in 2023. Brown had just 179 yards on the ground but showed an electric ability to catch the ball out of the backfield where he had 15 catches for 156 yards (an 11.1 average).
Moss and Brown might not have the carry volume of Joe Mixon, but for his part Moss graded better in a key area that the Bengals need (just as they need with the offensive line): pass protection. Brown is also a much more significant threat to catch the ball out of the backfield and that aspect of his game will only get better as his time on the field increases. Their workload and fit into the Bengals offense will also be very interesting to watch as camp, and the preseason, get ramped up.
Hey readersā¦ have an opinion about sports? How about a topic youād like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coachās assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – For the Reds the All-Star break was supposed to be a time to regroup, recharge, and focus on making a run at contention. They have several injured players hoping to make a comeback but who need time to recover. An opening series against the Washington Nationals seemed like an excellent opportunity to start the second half of the season on a positive note.
Those hopes all fell apart in the nation’s capital this past weekend as the Washington Nationals swept Cincinnati in three games.
In the first matchup of the series, Frankie Montas struggled mightily, giving up 7 earned runs on 6 hits in just 4.2 innings. The Reds could only muster a single run on 3 hits against Patrick Corbin, whose ERA over his last 20 starts is 5.35. Cincinnati attempted to rally and scored 4 runs in the top of the ninth, but the rally ultimately fell short. In the second and third games the Reds had razor thin leads but in game 2 Fernando Cruz blew a lead by surrendering a double to Lane Thomas before Justin Wilson allowed the game winning run via a single to Jacob Young. The bullpen again fell apart for Cincinnati in game 3 when, in a tied 2-2 in the 8th inning, Lucas Sims allowed 2 hits (one a bunt single) before being replaced by Justin Wilson once again. Wilson promptly served up a belt-high fastball that James Wood launched for a 404 foot 3-run home run that put the game out of reach.
It was an ugly sweep that has become a hallmark of a Reds team that has lost ugly games it needed to win, against teams that were (on paper at least) statistically less talented. The usual suspects struggled once again this series. Frankie Montas is 1-4 with a 6.17 ERA in his last 7 starts and is trending in the wrong direction in almost every statistical category. He is a lock for the number 4 position in this rotation for this team and he is not going anywhere as of yet, but he is below the league average in several important categories including ERA, FIP, and WHIP. Fernando Cruz, once known as a high-level stopper who could be dropped into crucial situations to defuse them, has now lost 7 games on the year. Over his last 9 innings pitched he has allowed 10 hits and given up 8 earned runs.
This was a series that the Reds could ill afford to lose. But to be swept, and to play so poorly at a point in the season when they had a real chance to make up ground in their attempt to get back to .500 is yet another frustrating episode in a season full of them. The Reds are not mathematically eliminated and there are still games to play, but it’s understandable to question whether Cincinnati has the players, the focus, and the drive to make a real push towards postseason relevance in 2024. An upcoming series in Atlanta against the Braves, who currently stand at 54-44 and have the best pitching staff in all of baseball, is hardly an environment conducive to getting back on track. Although the Reds play up to the toughest competition in the league, it’s not a recipe for sustained success. The last thing this team can withstand is a losing streak of any length, and if they leave Atlanta losers of 5 out of their first 6, or heaven forbid 6 straight games to start the second half of the year it might be a hole that is simply too deep to climb out of.
Following the loss and the sweep to the Nationals, David Bell talks errors made and how they can pick themselves up and move on to the next series. #Redspic.twitter.com/gjqBsaeEij
— FanDuel Sports Network Cincinnati (@FanDuelSN_CIN) July 21, 2024
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Hey readersā¦ have an opinion about sports? How about a topic youād like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coachās assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – It’s time for yet another new episode of the Queen City Sports Podcast! On this weekās episode, Chris and Mark fight through the summer doldrums and discuss what happened with the Reds’ two All-Stars, Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene. They also look forward to the Reds’ second half and which players are under pressure to perform, and which need to improve. They also reminisce about the glory days of Corey Dillon and how happy they are to see him as part of the Bengals Ring of Honor. To finish it up they hit on the outlook for the 2024 Bearcats on defense. And click here to read the tweet the guys referenced on all of Corey Dillon’s career accomplishments.
All this and more on The Queen City Sports Podcast, have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
_______________________
Hey readersā¦ have an opinion about sports? How about a topic youād like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coachās assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – As the first half of the 2024 Major League Baseball season is in the books, the Cincinnati Reds sit at 47-50, 8 games out of first place in the division and 3 games out of the last wild card spot in the National League. Its certainly not the half season that most Reds fans were hoping for, but then again, the circumstances have been far from ideal. When you factor in all of the adversity this team has gone through, sitting just 3 games under .500 and still within striking distance of a postseason birth may not be all that devastating.
Injuries have undoubtedly played a role in the teamās struggles. TJ Friedl has just 97 at bats, Christian Encarnacion Strand had just 116 before being injured. Ian Gibaut has not yet pitched this year, Matt McLain has not seen the field, and Nick Lodolo has missed several starts. All of this is on top of Noelvi Marteās suspension, which has unquestionably impacted his ability to contribute positively to this team.
While it is true that teams like the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers have also been negatively impacted by serious injuries to key players, the Reds are honestly a step behind both those contending clubs in terms of roster depth. A great deal of things were going to have to go right for Cincinnati to be towards the top of the division this year, most of that focusing on staying healthy and having players perform at or above their 2023 numbers. The Reds simply have not been able to do the former this year and with their bench players underperforming and their younger players (for the most part) not yet ready for the major leagues, they have struggled to be consistent, especially hitting.
The Reds are 26th in batting average, 20th in on base percentage, and 16th in slugging. Their ability to hit the baseball hard has helped them to score 432 runs (good for 14th), and their speed on the basepaths (they lead the major leagues with 134 stolen bases) have kept them in many games this year. Although we all remember the various base running issues that have also cost them at times, the speed of this team is an important component of their success that cannot be ignored.
You cannot mention speed without acknowledging the potentially generational talent on display in the Redsā All-Star Elly De La Cruz. At just 22 years old he has an astonishing 4.4 WAR and WRC+ of 127, which is very good in terms of comparable major league players. All of this has resulted in a .256 batting average with 17 home runs (with 42 total extra base hits) and 43 RBIs. And he leads the league with 46 stolen bases and has made plays at shortstop that most players can only dream of executing (he is an amazing 8 outs above average on defense). We are truly watching the creation of a legend for this team if Ellyās progress continues on this trajectory, and he is perhaps the most electrifying Reds player to wear the uniform in the past 20 plus years.
There have been other aspects of the Reds offense to be thankful for, none other than Jonathan India. Many thought it was the same story on Cincinnatiās second baseman to start the year as he filled in for Matt McLain. India batted just .228 in March/April and then .220 in May. But no one could imagine the June that he would have, batting .380 with 16 RBIs. He raised his average over 40 points during the course of his first half, and currently has a 2.4 WAR and a 125 WRC+, numbers that are excellent for a guy many expected to be a platoon bat and not an everyday player.
There are a lot of honorable mentions to be made, including Spencer Steer (.242/.337/.441) and Tyler Stephenson (.245/.317/.438). Both have shown flashes of great offense at times though theyāve also had their fair share of struggles. Getting a healthy TJ Friedl and Jake Fraley back will no doubt have a huge impact as well.
But the major wild card in all of these is the level at which rookie phenomenon Rece Hinds can continue to produce in the outfield for the Reds. Youāve heard all the stats and records, but here it is again in brief. 7 games, a .423 batting average, 11 hits, 3 doubles, a triple, and 5 home runs. 11 RBIs and a 1.192 slugging percentage. These are unreal numbers that have generated a 341 WRC+ in that small sample size (as a reference, Aaron Judge has a WRC+ of 207 over the entire season). If Hinds can capture even a small fraction of that lightning in the second half of the season Cincinnatiās major problems in the outfield might get a little less complicated to solve.
Photo: Cincinnati Reds on X
Another saving grace of the 2024 Redsā first half has been its starting pitching. Overall, they are 12th in team ERA and 11th in batting average allowed. Hunter Greene is leading the way in establishing himself as the team ace. Greene is 6-4 with a 3.34 ERA. His advanced metrics show a WAR of 2.6 and FIP of 3.63, both very solid numbers that show he is improving over prior years. His whiff rate (30.1) and strikeout rate (27.6) are very good and not surprising given how powerful he is. Andrew Abbott is right there with him, posting an eye-popping 9 wins in the first half of the year. Nick Lodolo has also made a very strong showing, going 8-3 with a 3.33 ERA.
The 2023 Reds went on a tear prior to the All-Star break and that break may have cooled them off a bit. In 2024 the story is different, as injuries abound and the rest as a result the Midsummer Classic may aid in their return. When the season starts again, the lineup and rotation are relatively set in terms of the major players who will be there to contribute. The health of those players and whether they can remain consistent from game to game or even series to series will be the most important building blocks of getting back into contention.
Getting back to .500 is in reach, and getting above that number is absolutely possible if the Reds avoid prolonged losing streaks that plagued them at times in the first part of the year. With so many great starters it means that Cincinnati should almost always at least have a foundation to be competitive on any given day. If the bats can do just enough to get runners on, the teamās speed and power should be enough to get the wins we need to get back into things.
The Reds face the 15th ranked remaining strength of schedule, in the middle of the league. Their opponents have a .502 winning percentage. While itās no cakewalk, it does mean that there are favorable matchups ahead that could help them creep back towards a wild card spot.
Letās hope the Reds take the rest they need because the second half of this year is calling, and itās time to throw caution to the wind and go for broke in 2024.
Hey readersā¦ have an opinion about sports? How about a topic youād like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coachās assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
Loveland, Ohio – Welcome to another week of the Queen City Sports Podcast! On this weekās episode, Chris and Mark discuss another up and down few weeks for the Cincinnati Reds, and the impact that Rece Hinds could have on the team as it gears up for the stretch run in the second half of the season. They also talk Bearcats basketball and the impact that Day Day Thomas and Jizzle James will have in the backcourt next season. The Big 12 media ranked the Bearcats 14 out of 16 in the conference next year and we get Markās reaction on whether they got it right. Finally, the guys speak about Joe Burrowās recent comments about expanding the NFL season to 18 games.
All this and more on The Queen City Sports Podcast, have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!
_______________________
Hey readersā¦ have an opinion about sports? How about a topic youād like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?
Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?
Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coachās assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.
by Chris Ball
