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Cincinnati Reds

Press Clippings

September 29, 2016

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1990-The Reds clinch the Western Division when the second-place Dodgers lose to the Giants, 4-3. The Dodgers score is

announced at Riverfront Stadium during a rain delay in the Reds-Padres game. The Reds emerge from the clubhouse to celebrate

becoming the first National League team to lead for an entire 162-game schedule, with the rain soaked crowd.

MLB.COM Iggy, Disco rise to challenge in St. Louis

Reds starter, closer shut down postseason-hopeful Cardinals

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon

ST. LOUIS -- Even though there was only one team trying to remain in postseason contention during this game, Wednesday's 2-1

nail-biter of a Reds win over the Cardinals on a cool fall evening at Busch Stadium still provided tension and drama. Now, imagine

what it would have felt like for the Reds if they were also fighting for a playoff spot.

Two pitchers the club hopes will be around when that time comes -- starter Anthony DeSclafani and reliever Raisel Iglesias -- didn't

shrink when tight jams came their way with the game on the line.

"That's more than you really want to go through in one game, the 158th game of the season, I'll tell you. I'm so tickled that we

pulled that one out. A lot of things had to go right," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "That was about as satisfying a win as I've had

here in our recent history."

In the sixth inning with two outs, DeSclafani gave up a Stephen Piscotty single and Jhonny Peralta's double to left field. Adam

Duvall did a nice job cutting the ball off and making a quick throw to prevent the potential tying run from scoring.

DeSclafani struck out his final batter, Brandon Moss, to get out of trouble and end his season on a high note. He finished 9-5 with a

3.28 ERA in 20 starts.

"I feel like getting out of the jam there in the sixth makes the ending a little bit better," DeSclafani said. "I was kind of in a tough

spot and you have to pitch your way out of it to get out of the jam."

Following a perfect seventh by Michael Lorenzen, Price turned the final six outs over to Iglesias. It was uncharacteristically bumpy

as Iglesias walked first batter Matt Carpenter, hit Yadier Molina with a one-out pitch and threw a wild pitch that put the potential

tying run on third base and go-ahead run on second base.

Iglesias got Piscotty to strike out on a pitch in the dirt and made Peralta's bat explode grounding a slider to third base for the third

out.

"It looks [and] sounds easy, that all you need is a sacrifice fly," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "But you have a guy who is

throwing 98 [mph], dropping down, throwing sliders. There is plenty of challenge to getting the job done."

In the ninth, Iglesias immediately backed himself into a corner when pinch-hitter Kolten Wong hit a triple to the right-field wall.

But with the infield in, Aledmys Diaz grounded out to third base and Greg Garcia flied to left field but not deep enough to let Wong

tag up.

Jedd Gyorko grounded out to third base to end the game, and Iglesias had his fifth save.

"In that moment when you've got the tying run on third, I just thought about being more aggressive and going after the hitter. After

that, I just tried to locate my pitches, and it felt like a playoff game," Iglesias said via interpreter Julio Morillo.

It put a huge dent in the Cardinals' chances of securing a National League Wild Card spot.

"You think about our team and our turnaround in the second half," Price said. "It really lines up with 'Disco' coming back into our

rotation and then getting Iglesias and Lorenzen healthy and being reinvigorated."

DeSclafani, Reds 'pen deck Cards' chances

By Jenifer Langosch and Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 1:55 AM ET

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals may be scoreboard-watching, hoping for one of the two clubs ahead of them in the National League

Wild Card standings to stumble, but no one else's results matter if they don't start tabulating victories of their own. And on

Wednesday night, they couldn't, falling to the Reds, 2-1, due to a pile of missed opportunities to drop further back in a race entering

its final days.

The loss leaves the Cardinals, who have four regular-season games remaining, 2 1/2 games back of the Mets in the Wild Card

standings. The Giants also lost Wednesday, staying one game ahead of St. Louis for the final NL postseason spot.

"We're running out of time," said Cardinals starter Mike Leake. "We have four games left and now we have to have the Giants lose.

That's not an ideal position, but if we can win four games straight here, I think we can still put ourselves in the best opportunity."

Adam Duvall's two-run bloop single in the third supplied the Reds with enough offense to spoil any chance the Cardinals had of

pulling even for the second Wild Card spot before the end of the night. Both runs came off Leake, who finished five innings before

being pulled in manager Mike Matheny's aggressive effort to take advantage of his club's own offensive opportunity.

St. Louis pulled to within one when Matt Adams, pinch-hitting for Leake, grounded into a fifth-inning double play. But they'd

squander repeated chances to even the game after that. Over the final two innings, the Cardinals had five chances to push the

potential tying run in from third base. They never did and finished the night 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

"When you have that many chances to score and take over the game, yeah, that hurts. No question about it," Matheny said. "I think

where we are in the season and the fact that we had three different times with guys on third base and less than two outs, it makes it

stand out a little bit more."

Cincinnati starter Anthony DeSclafani improved to 9-5 as he closed his season by limiting the Cardinals to one run over six innings.

The Reds, despite being in the bottom of the NL Central, have now won half of the 18 games they've played against St. Louis this

season.

"There's no question about it that this is a big series for them," said DeSclafani, who finished with a 3.28 ERA in 20 starts. "Being

right out of the Wild Card spot, these are must-win games for them. They're trying to play the best ball they can, they're not just

coasting through this ordeal. To come out the first game and hit the way we did and now all of a sudden, we've got two out of three

games here."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Clutch flare for two runs: Duvall, who had a five-RBI night with two home runs on Monday, delivered a big hit early Wednesday

when his two-out single to short left field landed perfectly between Aledmys Diaz and Brandon Moss to score Jose Peraza and

Hernan Iribarren. It gave Duvall 102 RBIs for the season. He added a leadoff triple to center field that kicked off Randal Grichuk's

glove at the wall in the top of the eighth.

"That's what you're trying to do is make weak contact," Leake said. "You're trying to get broken bats. You can't really predict where

it will fall, unfortunately."

But a key moment that allowed both runners to score was when they were put in motion for previous batter Joey Votto as he

grounded out to second base. It prevented a double play that would have ended the inning. Last weekend in Milwaukee, a similar

move by manager Bryan Price ended with Votto lining into a triple play.

"It was the right decision both times, and one time in backfired horribly. The other time it was a game-changer," Price said.

A tough six outs: The Reds used Raisel Iglesias to notch a six-out save but it proved to be a harrowing eighth and ninth innings. A

leadoff walk, a one-out hit-by pitch and a wild pitch in the eighth put the tying run on third base and go-ahead run on second base

for St. Louis. Iglesias escaped with a Stephen Piscotty strikeout and Jhonny Peralta groundout. In the ninth, pinch-hitter Kolten

Wong hit a leadoff triple, but Iglesias notched three straight outs to secure his fifth save.

"In that moment when you've got the tying run on third, I just thought about being more aggressive and going after the hitter,"

Iglesias said via interpreter Julio Morillo. "After that, I just tried to locate my pitches, and it felt like a playoff game. I just tried to

be as aggressive as I could be and go after the hitters, and that's what I did."

Swing and miss: Moss, searching for any sort of offensive traction amid a 6-for-85 slump, whiffed on a chance to give the Cardinals

a lead in the sixth. A pair of two-out hits put two runners in scoring position for the left fielder, but DeSclafani struck out Moss

swinging to end the threat. With two strikeouts, Moss has 34 over his last 88 at-bats.

Left stranded: The Cardinals' bullpen contributed four innings of scoreless relief, none more impressive than the escape act pulled

off in the eighth. After Duvall's leadoff triple put an insurance run 90 feet away, reliever Kevin Siegrist answered with a strikeout of

Eugenio Suarez. Matheny then sent an early summons for closer Seung Hwan Oh, who struck out two more to end the inning.

"My focus was not giving up any more runs because that was a critical moment in the game," Oh said through interpreter Eugene

Koo. "That was my focus, and I was able to get it done."

QUOTABLE

"I didn't do my job. I let my team down, and you can't do that right now. You've got to get it done, especially in crunch time and

that's what we're in right now. It's a tough [loss] to swallow, but [we] just have to get back into it tomorrow. " -- Greg Garcia, one of

three Cardinals unable to drive in Wong from third in the ninth

"He's a Major League starter and a guy that will be a piece of the foundation for this rotation. When we're talking about games in

September that will be meaningful for the Reds, I think we'll still be talking about Anthony being a part of that rotation that's doing

those things. We need it. We can't talk all we want about the past but moving into the future, we have to have guys like Anthony

that give us to chance to win every time they take the mound. He does it with great intensity and great competitiveness." -- Price, on

DeSclafani

INJURY REPORT

Oh exited with two out in the ninth after tweaking his groin trying to make a play in the field. Oh and Matheny downplayed the

injury, emphasizing that it was not as serious as the groin strain that caused Oh to miss a week earlier this month.

"If they [hadn't] come out to the mound [to check on me], I would have kept going," Oh said. "I could have pitched to the end."

WHAT'S NEXT

Reds: The final road game of Cincinnati's season will be Thursday's 7:15 p.m. ET series finale at Busch Stadium. Dan Straily, who

is 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA over his last three starts, will try for win No. 15.

Cardinals: St. Louis will close out a four-game series against the Reds on Thursday when rookie Alex Reyes makes his final start of

the regular season. First pitch is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. CT. Reyes limited the Reds to two runs over six innings in an early

September start.

Reds claim utility man Kivlehan from Padres

Infielder/outfielder provides depth as season winds down

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | September 28th, 2016

ST. LOUIS -- The Reds claimed utility infielder/outfielder Patrick Kivlehan off waivers from the Padres on Wednesday. To make

room on the 40-man roster, shortstop Zack Cozart was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

Kivlehan, 26, is expected to join the team in Cincinnati on Friday, when the Reds open their final series of the season, facing the

Cubs. The Reds will be his fourth organization in 2016.

"Our guys liked him," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He got on the radar for us, from my understanding, when we were scouting

him in the Arizona Fall League a couple of years ago. The scouts like his swing, his ability, his athleticism. He's got some big, raw

power. We've heard enough good reports on him to take a shot at making a waiver claim."

In 100 Triple-A games this season, Kivlehan batted .254/.302/.416 with 12 home runs and 49 RBIs. He played five big league

games for San Diego from Aug. 20-26 and was 4-for-16 with a homer and two RBIs.

Kivlehan last played on Sept. 20 in the Triple-A World Series with El Paso. Under the rules, if a team claims a player after his

Minor League season ends and he has big league service time in the same season, he has to be called up.

"And the timing is pretty good," Price said. "We're a little banged up right now. … He might actually find himself in the lineup or

get the opportunity to play a little bit those last three games."

Kivlehan began the season in the Rangers' organization but was designated for assignment on May 23, before being traded to the

Mariners six days later. On Aug. 4, he was claimed off waivers by the Padres, then was designated for assignment again on Sept. 21.

Injury report

• Second baseman Brandon Phillips was out of Wednesday's lineup with soreness at the base of his left hand. Phillips exited

Tuesday's game in the seventh inning.

• Scott Schebler was scratched from Wednesday's lineup with a sore left hamstring. Schebler left Tuesday's game in the ninth inning

with leg cramps. He tested the leg again Wednesday afternoon, and it was decided he should rest. Hernan Iribarren started in his

place in center field.

"We went out and ran, and when I get to 70-80 percent, it just tightens up," Schebler said. "I'm sure [pitcher Anthony DeSclafani]

doesn't want a guy in center field that's 70 percent. I think it's better for the team."

Reds wrap road slate looking to dash Cards' hopes

By Nick Krueger / MLB.com | 1:19 AM ET

Cardinals rookie Alex Reyes has already helped his team's late-season push toward a National League Wild Card berth. Thursday,

he'll be called upon to do it again when he faces Dan Straily and the Reds in the finale of a four-game series at Busch Stadium.

Reyes gave the Cardinals seven shutout innings on Sept. 18 in San Francisco to keep St. Louis within one game of a postseason

spot. With four games left on the schedule, the Cardinals enter Thursday 2 1/2 games behind the Mets and one behind the Giants in

the Wild Card race.

"I like our chances," Cardinals right fielder Stephen Piscotty said. "We have fought all year. We're right in a spot where we can

make things happen. We just have to take care of business and control what we can control. We're all excited. This is the best time

of the year."

Reyes, the Cardinals' top prospect, has faced the Reds twice this season since his callup Aug. 9. He pitched a perfect inning in relief

on 11 pitches in his Major League debut against the Reds, then allowed two runs on six hits over six innings in a no-decision in

Cincinnati. The Reds beat the Cardinals in both games that Reyes appeared.

All of Straily's appearances against St. Louis have come this season, too. He owns a 2.45 ERA in 14 2/3 innings and has allowed

four runs on nine hits against the Cardinals. The Reds are 12-2 in Straily's 14 starts after the All-Star break with opponents hitting

.221 against him over that span.

The Cardinals may find success with the long ball. Straily has allowed 29 home runs this season, tied for second-most in the NL. St.

Louis leads the NL in home runs, with two against Straily.

However, each starter has allowed 10 runs or fewer through five starts in September. Neither has allowed more than three runs in

any start this month, and Straily is tied for the Major League lead with 11 starts of three hits or fewer allowed. Each starter has won

his last three decisions.

Things to know about this game

• Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips (sore left hand) and outfielder Scott Schebler (sore left hamstring) were listed as day-to-

day Wednesday and could be back in the starting lineup.

• Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong was out of the lineup for a fifth straight day as he deals with right shoulder soreness. He

received a cortisone injection Monday. He hasn't played this series and is batting .176 against the Reds this season.

• The Reds will be the first MLB team Reyes has faced twice as a starter.

• It will be the Reds' final road game of the year. They entered Wednesday 29-50 away from Cincinnati in 2016.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Reds hold off Cardinals for 2-1 win

C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com 7:10 a.m. EDT September 29, 2016

ST. LOUIS — Anthony DeSclafani’s 2016 didn’t start as he’d planned, but at least he finished on a high note, picking up his ninth

victory of the season in a 2-1 Reds victory over the Cardinals.

The right-hander was scheduled to start Opening Day for the Reds, but an oblique injury in spring training not only squashed that

plan, but also kept him off the mound for the first two months of the season.

Wednesday night, DeSclafani’s last pitch was a two-out strikeout of Cardinals left fielder Brandon Moss with runners on second and

third and the starter holding onto a one-run lead.

DeSclafani allowed just one run on six hits over six innings with two walks and three strikeouts.

“Last year I didn't finish on a good note, so I wanted to this year,” DeSclafani said. “I’m just glad I was able to do that.”

In the past two transitional years for the Reds, DeSclafani has proven to be a steal. Acquired in December of 2014, the Reds traded

starter Mat Latos to the Marlins in exchange for DeSclafani and minor-league catcher/first baseman Chad Wallach.

Since then, DeSclafani has become the backbone of the Reds’ rotation, while Latos has played with five different teams over the last

two years — the Marlins, Dodgers, Angels, White Sox and Nationals.

“When we’re talking about games in September that will be meaningful for the Reds, I think we’ll still be talking about Anthony

being a part of that rotation that’s doing those things,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “We need it. We can talk all we want about

the past but moving into the future, we have to have guys like Anthony that give us to chance to win every time they take the

mound. He does it with great intensity and great competitiveness. That’s something the other guys around him - even the young

guys - can learn from.”

The 26-year-old DeSclafani entered September 8-2 with a 2.96 ERA. In his four starts this month entering Wednesday’s game, he

was 0-3 with a 5.09 ERA, including a six-run outing Friday in Milwaukee.

With the Cardinals still clinging to playoff hopes, DeSclafani worked around baserunners in each of his six innings of work,

allowing only one run to score.

That one run came in the fifth, when he led off the inning with a walk to Aledmys Diaz, who went to third on Greg Garcia’s single.

DeSclafani got pinch-hitter Matt Adams to ground into a double play, scoring the run, but clearing the bases.

In the sixth, DeSclafani got the first two outs before Stephen Piscotty singled and Jhonny Peralta doubled. But with the go-ahead

run at second and Michael Lorenzen warming up in the bullpen, DeSclafani struck out Moss swinging at a pitch in the dirt to end

the threat.

That would end DeSclafani’s outing and season.

“I feel like getting out of the jam there in the sixth makes the ending a little bit better,” he said. “I was kind of in a tough spot and

you have to pitch your way out of it to get out of the jam. I did it with some change-ups. Me and (pitching coach) Mack Jenkins

were laughing because I haven't thrown a lot of change-ups this year and I got some big outs with my change-up today. We were

excited with that.”

DeSclafani exited the game with a chance to pick up his ninth win of the season thanks to a two-out single by Adam Duvall in the

third inning. Duvall, like DeSclafani, is in a Reds uniform because of what in retrospect was another good trade for the Reds. Duvall

was acquired along with minor-league right-hander Keury Mella last July with the Giants in exchange for Mike Leake, the

Cardinals’ starter in Wednesday’s game.

After back-to-back one-out singles by Jose Peraza and Hernan Iribarren in the third, Leake got Joey Votto to ground out, but both

runners were going on the pitch, moving them to third and second. Duvall, who hit two home runs on Monday to get to the 100 RBI

mark on the season, then dropped a soft liner into shallow left, but deep enough for the runners to score and a 2-0 Reds lead and his

101st and 102nd RBI of the season.

Leake, who signed a five-year, $80 million deal with the Cardinals in the offseason, had struggled in his previous three starts against

his old team, with the Reds winning all three games and Leake going 0-1 with an 8.31 ERA.

Wednesday’s start was Leake’s best against the Reds — and it wasn’t good enough for the victory. He allowed two runs in five

innings on five hits with six strikeouts. He still left without the chance of a win, as Cardinals manager Mike Matheny lifted him for

Adams in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Both teams had great scoring chances in the eighth, but failed to capitalize.

Duvall led off the Reds’ half of the inning with a triple against left-hander Kevin Siegrist. After Siegrist struck out Eugenio Suarez

looking, Cardinals closer Seung Hwan Oh struck out Steve Selksy and Tony Renda to strand Duvall at third.

Reds closer Raisel Iglesias started the eighth and walked Matt Carpenter. After a fly out by Randal Grichuk, he hit Yadier Molina.

Both advanced on a wild pitch, but he then struck out Piscotty and got Peralta on a broken-bat groundout to end the inning.

Kolten Wong led off the ninth with a pinch-hit triple off the top of the wall in right-center against Iglesias, putting the tying run at

third base with no outs.

Diaz, Tuesday’s hero, grounded out to third for the first out. Garcia then flied out to shallow left field for the second out. Pinch-

hitter Jedd Gyorko grounded out to third to end the game.

“We’re in some situations where St. Louis had us on the ropes and we had to make plays and make pitches and we did,” Price said.

“And we came away with a victory in a game that could have very easily gotten away from us and very easily one we could have

extended and made for an easier finish. I’ll tell you, that was about as satisfying a win as I’ve had here in our recent history.

Doc: Your move, Baseball Hall of Fame

Paul Daugherty, pdaugherty@enquirer.com 5:34 p.m. EDT September 28, 2016

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

That’s either the last line of "The Great Gatsby" or the first line of "The Charlie Hustle Story." Who knew F. Scott Fitzgerald was a

Pete Rose fan, even before there was a Pete Rose?

Rose’s lawyers have sent a letter to Jeff Idelson, the president of the Hall of Fame, asking the Hall to reconsider its Rule 3(e), the

edict that in 1991 declared any player on Baseball’s ineligible list wasn’t eligible for the Hall of Fame, either. It was an after-the-

fact move that came off as petty and hypocritical, and never changed.

Rose’s lawyers also believe it was not what then-commissioner Bart Giamatti intended on Aug. 23, 1989, the day he banned Pete, or

what current commissioner Rob Manfred intends now.

“The timing has never been more appropriate,’’ says Mark Rosenbaum, one of Pete’s attorneys. Rosenbaum says that Manfred

denying Rose’s reinstatement makes it plain that Pete’s push now is limited solely to his Hall eligibility. And that’s where it gets

interesting.

Manfred’s carefully written statement last December left wiggle room for Rose’s Hall effort: “The issue of whether Mr. Rose should

be eligible for Hall of Fame election under the bylaws of that organization presents an entirely different policy determination that is

distinct from the narrow question before me.’’

In other words, “Hall of Fame, he’s (still) your problem now.’’

Manfred’s wording left the door open, a crack.

Rose’s argument is not new, nor is it likely to succeed. Idelson and friends have heard it a long time, 25 years to be precise. If they’d

wanted to change Rule 3(e), they’d probably have done it by now. Which means the Hall of Fame is OK with being petty and

hypocritical.

As Rosenbaum put it, “When you go to the Hall of Fame, you’re not going there to see the people you think you’ll meet when you

get to heaven.’’

Nossir. The roster of racists, liars and suspected juicers is pretty deep.

Rosenbaum also sees Pete’s latest plea as a referendum on how the Hall of Fame does business. “What is (their) formal position?

This is an opportunity for the Hall of Fame to be on record on this,’’ says Rosenbaum. “It goes to the integrity of the Hall of Fame.

(They) haven’t made character a disqualifying standard for all these other individuals.’’

Shoeless Joe Jackson is eligible for the Hall of Fame. Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle both did time on the ineligible list. For those

living in a cave on Borneo, they’re both in the Hall.

“Pete Rose is the only player in 55 years to be disqualified from eligibility for the Hall of Fame because of his presence on the

Ineligible List,’’ Rose’s lawyers wrote to Idelson. “We are writing to respectfully request that Pete Rose be treated exactly the same

way that every other Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager has been treated from the start of the National Baseball

Hall of Fame voting in 1936 until 1991.’’

Rose’s interest in Hall membership runs deeper than recognition of his career. He knows what he achieved. So does everyone else.

Rose wants back in the club. He wants the camaraderie full club membership confers. He’s not going to get it from Baseball.

As Rosenbaum noted, “Baseball is what defines Pete’s life. Being on the outside looking in eats him up.’’

I’ve understood why, since ’89, MLB and its Hall of Fame have collaborated to keep Rose a stranger. Integrity matters. It’s ironic,

then, how the tables are being turned. MLB’s financial partnership with Draft Kings and the reliance of lots of its teams on casino

advertising for revenue doesn’t exactly square with keeping Pete on Elba for 27 years. Nor does the HOF have the market cornered

on virtue.

Rosenbaum suggests that this latest Rose move offers the Hall a chance to reveal its better self. Help Pete help you! (Don’t you love

how lawyers work? Such chutzpah!)

Rosenbaum, 67, is a Cincinnati guy, a Walnut Hills High grad and a kid who spent $7.50 on a standing-room ticket at Crosley Field

during the ’61 Series. He is a civil rights lawyer who has argued four cases before the Supreme Court. He’s working for Pete pro

bono.

“I think the Hall of Fame gains by saying Pete can be considered,’’ says Rosenbaum. It might, he says, help answer why the place

“makes distinctions’’ between its scoundrels. “There’s not a clean line there.’’

There’s never been anything clean-line about any of this. It’s the Hall of Fame’s turn to provide a little grace.

Aledmys Diaz’s slam ‘more important than baseball’

C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com 9:05 p.m. EDT September 28, 2016

ST. LOUIS - After his leadoff home run in the Marlins’ first game following the death of Miami pitcher Jose Fernandez, Dee

Gordon said he’d told his team, “If you all don't believe in God, you better start.”

That sentiment was echoed by Cardinals backup catcher Brayan Pena after Fernandez’s childhood friend, St. Louis shortstop

Aledmys Diaz, hit a grand slam in his first game back after visiting Fernandez’ family in Miami.

Reds reliever Michael Lorenzen knew how both men felt. Last month, Lorenzen hit a home run in his first game back after the death

of his father.

“There's a lot more important things than baseball,” Lorenzen said on Wednesday, looking back at the home runs by Gordon and

Diaz.

Since his home run, Lorenzen said he’s received countless messages from people who had lost someone close to them and were

inspired by his home run.

“I can't tell you how many messages I got from people who have lost family members recently that were inspired to keep pushing

after seeing my home run, and I was able to speak and say that it was God that brought comfort to me,” Lorenzen said. “They felt

that comfort being brought to themselves through that experience.”

Lorenzen smiled as he recalled Gordon’s statement and pointed out that the circumstances around each of the three were pretty

unusual — Lorenzen is a reliever, Gordon hadn’t hit a home run all season and Diaz’s grand slam was his first.

“I'd go on top of what Dee Gordon said and say it's more than just believing in God, but to live for Him,” Lorenzen said. “It's been

an amazing time, tough, really tough, but God is doing some really good things through baseball. I think it's good for everyone to

see what we can do with baseball.

“I always talk about my platform and the platform we have and we see it first-hand with how it's bringing comfort to so many

people. With how we carry ourselves and what we do. It really speaks volumes to people and inspires people to continue to push

forward.”

Votto on fire

Reds first baseman Joey Votto finished a triple short of the cycle in Tuesday’s 12-5 loss and, after his third at-bat, raised his average

to a season-high .325. He finished Tuesday’s game with a .324 batting average.

All three of Votto’s hits on Tuesday, including his 28th home run of the season, came against Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright.

Wainwright, who earned the win, said afterward: “Joey Votto is about to turn into a ball of fire he's so hot.”

Reds add former Padres IF/OF Kivlehan

C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com 8:34 p.m. EDT September 28, 2016

ST. LOUIS — The Reds claimed infielder/outfielder Patrick Kivlehan off of waivers from the San Diego Padres on Wednesday and

transferred shortstop Zack Cozart to the 60-day disabled list.

The Reds had already determined Cozart’s season was over with patellar tendinitis in his right knee. The transfer to the 60-day

disabled list created room on the 40-man roster for Kivlehan.

Kivlehan is expected to join the Reds in Cincinnati, where he could find playing time over the final three games of the season

because of the Reds’ mounting injuries as they limp to game No. 162. Outfielder Scott Schebler was scratched from Wednesday’s

lineup with tightness in his left hamstring, and second baseman Brandon Phillips left the game with a hand injury. Phillips was not

in the lineup on Wednesday and, like Schebler, is considered day-to-day. Outfielder Tyler Holt is nursing a wrist injury and has

been limited to pinch-running and defensive duties.

“The timing’s good,” Reds manager Bryan Price said Wednesday of the addition of Kivlehan.

Because Kivlehan had played in the big leagues this season and the minor-league season had ended, the Reds had to put him on the

active roster. Kivlehan, 26, made his big-league debut for the Padres this season, going 4 for 16 with a home run in five appearances

in August. He played as recently as Sept. 20, when his El Paso Chihuahuas lost in the Triple-A Championship Game.

“We were scouting him in the Arizona Fall League a couple of years ago,” Price said. “Scouts like his swing, his ability and

athleticism. I know he's got some big, raw power. I think there are enough good reports on him to take a shot at making a waiver

claim.”

The Reds will be Kivlehan’s fourth organization of the season.

Kivlehan was traded from the Mariners to the Rangers in December to complete the deal that sent Tom Wilhelmsen to Texas. The

Rangers designated him for assignment in May, and he was then traded back to Seattle. He was designated for assignment by the

Mariners in August and claimed off waivers by the Padres, who designated him for assignment last week.

Between three different Triple-A teams in the Pacific Coast League, Kivlehan played 100 games, hitting .254/.302/.416 with 12

home runs and 49 RBI.

The right-handed hitter and thrower has played both corner outfield and both corner infield spots this season.

Pete Rose asks Baseball Hall of Fame to declare him eligible for induction

Patrick Brennan and Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com 2:12 p.m. EDT September 28, 2016

Pete Rose has been ineligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame since 1991, when the Hall's board of directors adopted a new

bylaw excluding from consideration anyone on Major League Baseball's Ineligible List. After various efforts to be removed from

that list over the past three decades, the former Cincinnati Red is now petitioning the Hall and not the commissioner's office for a

change.

In a seven-page letter to Hall president Jeff Idelson obtained by The Enquirer, two of Rose's attorneys ask that the Hall change the

bylaw that prevents players banned by baseball from appearing on Hall of Fame ballots. Rose has been ineligible since 1989 for

gambling on baseball while manager of the Reds.

"We humbly submit to you that Rule 3A should be amended in a limited way, to allow Pete Rose to be treated in exactly the same

way as every other player and manager before him had been treated," the attorneys wrote in the letter. "He should be given a

window of eligibility to be considered by the Baseball writers for the Hall of Fame. His placement on the Ineligible List came as a

result of a negotiated compromise, years before Rule 3A was promulgated."

The letter -- which has not yet been received by the Hall of Fame, according to a Hall official -- represents a change in strategy for

Rose. All previous efforts to gain admission to the Hall of Fame have been directed toward baseball's commissioner. Longtime

commissioner Bud Selig was famously averse to the idea of reinstating Rose, but Selig successor Rob Manfred considered the

proposition last December before denying it.

But in his written decision, Manfred was clear to say that the Hall of Fame makes its own rules for eligibility and was not bound to

keep Rose out even if MLB did. Rose's attorneys argued that Rose was on the ineligible list under special circumstances in that he

was placed there with his own consent, as part of a plea deal with former commissioner Bart Giamatti in 1989. Other players on the

Ineligible List had received Hall of Fame consideration in the past, including several members of the infamous 1919 Chicago White

Sox.

Rose only lost the chance at the Hall of Fame when the organization adopted the new bylaw two years after he was deemed

ineligible. Rose's lawyers would argue that makes him a special case worthy of unique treatment, although others would say the

bylaw was changed specifically to keep Rose from consideration.

When reached by phone, Rose attorney Ray Genco said he thinks only small tweaks would allow for the rule's ongoing efficacy

while permitting Rose's candidacy. The larger point of Genco's argument is that the Hall's voting body -- the Baseball Writers'

Association of America -- should decide whether Rose gets in or not.

"Pete Rose is the only individual who has not had the opportunity to be put up to that rigor," Genco said. "Quite frankly, if they

amend the rule to where Pete would be allowed to be considered, he might not get in. It may just put more of a microscope on his

transgressions and not be a fun time for him. But the reality is, and basic fundamental fairness would suggest to let that process play

out."

Any change to the Hall's bylaws would have to be approved by its board of directors. Genco expects the petition to the Hall to be

treated "with its due seriousness," although he has no notion of how long a resolution would take. He's had no prior contact with the

Hall of Fame on the issue, but "anticipate(s) us being successful here."

If the request is denied, that will not signal the end of Rose's quest for induction, however. Opinions change over time, Genco said,

and Rose and his attorneys do not look at this as his last shot.

"I don’t want to say any door is closed, because that’s an evolution," Genco said. "I failed in my task to show Manfred that Pete has

met that standard (of reforming his life) as of December 2015. But this is certainly not a strategic stepping stone to anything else.

This is an ends in itself, an important one not just for Pete and his family but I think for the game of baseball and for what it

represents."

Based purely on his playing career, of course, Rose would be a shoo-in for induction. He holds the majors' all-time hits mark

(4,256) and several other records.

He's also been allowed more leniency from MLB recently. Manfred wrote in his December decision that Rose could still take part in

on-field ceremonies with his permission on a case-by-case basis, but could not be affiliated with any specific team.

READ MORE: Our Pete Rose coverage

The Reds were given clearance to induct Rose into their hall of fame at Great American Ball Park, and did so during a weekend-

long celebration in June. The ceremonies included the official retiring of Rose's famed No. 14.

BAR: Same decision, different results for Reds' Bryan Price

C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com 9:42 a.m. EDT September 29, 2016

ST. LOUIS — Last Friday in Milwaukee, Bryan Price was convinced he had done the right thing, sending two runners in motion

with Joey Votto at the plate.

The reasoning was, Votto was so hot that with a full count, he was either going to put the ball in play and score two runs or he’d

walk.

In theory, it made sense. In practice, Votto lined a ball down the first-base line that was snared by Brewers first baseman Chris

Carter, who then stepped on first to retire Scott Schebler for the second out of the inning and then threw to second to retire Jose

Peraza for the triple play.

Wednesday night in St. Louis, Price had a similar situation, this time with one out and two on in the third inning. Again, Price sent

the runners, Peraza and Hernan Iribarren, and this time, Votto hit the ball on the ground to second base. It didn’t score a run, but it

saved an out.

Instead of an inning-ending double play, the Reds had another chance in a scoreless game with runners at second and third. Adam

Duvall came through with a bloop single to score two runs — the team’s only two runs in an eventual 2-1 victory over the

Cardinals.

It was the same play, the same decision, just a different outcome.

“There are times when you think you’re doing exactly the right thing and it doesn’t work. Those are the things that you lose sleep

over and shouldn’t because you try to make decisions that make good baseball sense,” Price said after Wednesday’s victory. “And

when they don’t work out, you want to try to do something different and do it over and you can’t.

“In that situation, I have so much faith in Joey as I did in Milwaukee that he’s going to put the ball in play. He put in play, and we

stayed out of the double play and that leads to in this case to Duvall fighting off a tough pitch inside and getting that two-run single.

I do appreciate you pointing that out because that was a really uncomfortable moment when Joey lined into that triple play. It was

the right decision both times and one time it backfired horribly. The other time it was a game-changer.”

The rotation

1. AJC Braves beat writer David O’Brien on his memories of Turner Field, as the Braves’ home enters its final days.

My memories will be of achieving a dream. It was the first place I ever covered a Major League Baseball game. Not only that, my

first assignment was to go there to cover the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron hitting No. 715. Not only were Hall of Famers like

Aaron and Frank Robinson there to celebrate, so too were future Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine. I

was a 23-year-old kid who had no idea what he was doing but knew it’s what he wanted to do.

It’s also the place where I had a press pass to go see one of my childhood friends pitch in a big-league uniform, knowing he’d

achieved his dream one way and I’d done it another — both of us wanting to reach that point — and we both did.

2. Hear Vin Scully read a grocery list. [New York Times]

3. Chocolate slices. Japan, you’re the best. [Nerdist]

4. Speaking of Japan — Roman coins were found in a castle in Okinawa. [NPR.org]

5. Morrissey covering the Ramones.

WCPO - Channel 9 Pete Rose petitions to be on Hall of Fame ballot

Attorneys ask for change to 'Pete Rose Rule'

By: Greg Noble, Marais Jacon-Duffy

Posted: 10:26 AM, Sep 28, 2016

Updated: 9:52 PM, Sep 28, 2016

CINCINNATI -- The Hit King is trying a new approach to get on the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame before he dies.

Pete Rose's attorneys sent a seven-page letter to the president of the Hall of Fame on Tuesday arguing that Rose has been "unjustly

kept from consideration" for induction and appealing for a chance for election by the baseball writers.

Rose can only get on the ballot if the Hall of Fame Board rescinds or amends the so-called "Pete Rose Rule" - because it was

adopted specifically to keep Rose out of the Hall.

"Pete Rose turned 75 years old this past April," the letter begins. "As you of course know, Pete has never been eligible for

consideration for nomination to the Hall of Fame. Beyond his relationships with his family, friends, former teammates and players,

nothing means more to him than the opportunity to at least be considered for Hall of Fame membership."

READ the letter here or below.

Rose, baseball's all-time hit leader with 4,256, was banned from baseball in 1989 for betting on Reds games as their manager. Two

years later, then Commissioner Fay Vincent convinced the Hall of Fame Board to disqualify Rose and anyone on baseball's

ineligible list from being considered for the Hall.

The Hall of Fame ban was not part of the agreement that Rose signed with then Commissioner Bart Giamatti in 1989 when Giamatti

banned him from the game.

RELATED: Giamatti's death, Vincent's wrath and the real story about Rose's ban from the Hall of Fame

“At the time Pete agreed to the settlement, the consequences of being placed on the ineligible list were clear and specific – and did

not include a Hall of Fame prohibition,” the petition reads.

Last December, Commissioner Rob Manfred turned down Rose's request for reinstatement, which would have made him eligible to

go on the Hall of Fame ballot. But Manfred also questioned the Hall of Fame's ban on Rose, saying his standard for keeping Rose

from working in baseball was higher than the Hall of Fame needed to set for Rose's eligibility.

“It is not part of my authority or responsibility here to make any determination concerning Mr. Rose’s eligibility as a candidate for

election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In fact, in my view, the considerations that should drive a decision on whether an

individual should be allowed to work in Baseball are not the same as those that should drive a decision on Hall of Fame eligibility,"

Manfred said.

It would take a vote of 16-member Hall of Fame board - which includes Manfred and Reds' greats Joe Morgan and Frank Robinson,

both former Rose teammates - to rescind Vincent's rule and make Rose eligible for any Hall of Fame ballot.

Two years ago, a Hall of Fame vice-president told WCPO its plan for a Rose election if the Hit King ever becomes eligible. Under

the plan, a veterans committee that votes every three years would vote on Rose. He could be up for election this year but not again

until 2019.

But Rose thinks he has a better chance of being elected by the baseball writers, and he would be voted on annually, so his petition

specifically asks for a vote by the BBWAA.

"We humbly submit to you that Rule 3A should be amended in a limited way, to allow Pete Rose to be treated in exactly the same

way as every other player and manager before him had been treated," the attorneys wrote. "He should be given a window of

eligibility to be considered by the Baseball writers for the Hall of Fame."

Rule 3A states that, to be eligible for the writers' vote, a player must have been active as a player in the major leagues during a

period beginning 15 years before and ending five years prior to election. Rose last played in 1986 - 30 years ago. That's why the

Hall of Fame has earmarked him for a veterans committee.

Rose's attorneys want him to get the same 10-year window every player gets - and Rose would have started in 1991 if he hadn't been

declared ineligible seven months before the ballots were mailed. It would have been Rose's first year on the ballot.

Rose's detractors will counter his attorneys' letter by pointing to new betting evidence reported by ESPN last year. ESPN said it

recovered pages from a New York bookie's notebook that show that Rose bet on Reds games while he was still playing - a claim

Rose has steadfastly denied to this day.

Though Manfred appeared conciliatory about Rose getting on the Hall of Fame ballot, he was adamant about not allowing Rose

back in baseball.

"Mr. Rose has not presented evidence of a reconfigured life either by an honest acceptance by him of his wrongdoing, so clearly

established by the Dowd Report, or by a rigorous, self-aware and sustained program of avoidance by him of all the circumstances

that led to his permanent ineligibility," Manfred said in announcing his decision.

"Absent such credible evidence, allowing him to work in the game presents an unaccepted risk of a future violation of Rule 21 by

him, and thus to the integrity of our sport. I, therefore, must reject Mr. Rose's application for reinstatement."

RELATED: The Dowd Report: All the Hit King's Men and the fall of Pete Rose.

Baseball's Rule 21 prohibits anyone working in baseball from betting on games with the penalty of a one-year suspension. Rule

21(c) says anyone who bets on his own team is banned permanently. Rose denied betting on the Reds for 15 years until he admitted

it in his autobiography in 2004.

One day after Manfred's decision, one of Rose's attorneys appealed to the Hall of Fame to let Rose on the ballot before he dies. At

the same news conference, Rose said he held out hope that he could be inducted some day - even if he dies trying.

"If I kick the bucket, my son could come and give the speech," Rose said.

In recent years, Manfred and his predecessor, Bud Selig, eased some of the restrictions that kept the Reds from honoring Rose and

prevented Rose from participating in many baseball events.

Manfred allowed the Reds to retire Rose's No. 14 and induct him to the Reds Hall of Fame last June. Selig cleared the way for Rose

to participate in All-Star Game festivities here in 2015.

DAYTON DAILY NEWS Rose trying a ‘Backdoor’ and a ‘Hail Mary’

By: Hal McCoy

Posted: 2:24 pm Wednesday, September 28th, 2016

UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, listening to the sound of heavy rain pelting the driveway, a sound that

puts me to sleep at night. So, before I doze off. . .

To use a basketball term and a football term, Pete Rose is trying a backdoor play and a Hail Mary in his latest attempt to pry open

the door to baseball’s Hall of Fame.

After baseball commissioner Rob Manfred denied Rose’s last request for reinstatement, Rose is attempting to by-pass baseball and

gain Hall of Fame admission by asking ‘The Hall’ to make him eligible.

IT IS, INDEED, A backdoor play and a Hail Mary. It was the Hall of Fame that revised the rules that made Rose ineligible for

consideration. Two years after then Commissioner Bart Giamatti banned Rose from baseball, the Hall of Fame imposed a rule that

said players banned from the game are not eligible for consideration.

So why would they reverse their decision now?

Rose says that it was not Giamatti’s intent to bar him from the Hall of Fame when he banned Rose from the game. Of course it

wasn’t. Giamatti had no power to stop the Hall of Fame from accepting Rose. But then the Hall of Fame took the necessary step to

stop Rose from enshrinement.

Rose and his attorney are not Doug Flutie. No Hail Mary here. And they are not former Princeton basketball coach Pete Carril,

famous for his back door plays.

Unfortunately for Rose, this one won’t work, either. Is the Supreme Court next?

NOW THAT BASEBALL season is nearly over, I want to thank all you great people who contributed to our gas fund to get us to

and from games this year. We made it, thanks to you. And I wish to thank all who contributed, be it $25 (many) or $100 (several) or

$300 (a couple of people).

That enabled me to cover nearly every Reds home game this year and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you. Much of the

stuff I gathered at the games appeared here and game stories appeared on my web-site, halmccoy.com. I will continue writing in

both places after the season, so stay in touch.

And a huge thanks to my good friend Ted Thompson, who built the web-site and oversees it and took nothing for doing it. That is a

friend.

ONCE AGAIN I’LL be covering the University of Dayton home basketball games for PressProsMagazine and halmccoy.com

WANT TO GET WARMED UP for the basketball season? Get a copy of the book, ‘Miller Time.’ It’s about legendary

Pennsylvania high school basketball coach John Miller, who just happens to be the father of UD coach Archie Miller and Arizona

coach Sean Miller.

It is written by David A. Burhenn and it is a great read for all basketball buffs, a slam dunk.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T yet secured a copy of my book, ‘The Real McCoy,’ which is in its third printing, it will be available

on Saturday, October 15 when I appear at the Miami Valley Centre Mall in Piqua (off I75). I will be there from 2:30 to 4:30 and I

will sign all books you purchase. And even if you don’t buy a book, stop by the say hello. Nadine is a good salesperson.

ESPN.COM The Kingman-Deer All Stars: MLB players who are home run or bust

Let's have a little fun in the final week of the season, shall we?

By: Matt Snyder @MattSnyderCBS

Posted: 20h ago • 4 min read

We're nearing the final days of the 2016 regular season in Major League Baseball, so let's have a little fun. I'm here to start a new

tradition. We're going to sort through the most all-or-nothing players at the plate in the league and we're going the name the team

after famed (notorious?) sluggers Dave Kingman and Rob Deer.

So this is making fun of the players, right?

Of course not. Hitting the ball out of the ballpark is the maximum output a player can achieve in any given plate appearance. It

automatically puts a run (or more) on the board without having to dink and dunk and manufacture. It's a skill. One of the best skills.

Only having that one skill is perfectly fine (Adam Dunn once told me, "dude, I have one skill" and owned it).

Dave Kingman actually hit 442 career home runs, a huge total considering he played from 1971-86. He twice led the league in

homers and was definitely a feared power hitter. He also only hit .236 with a .302 on-base percentage in his carer. He also led the

league in strikeouts three times and was among the league leaders pretty much every season. He was a three-time All-Star, though,

again illustrating that this list isn't intended as a mockery.

Rob Deer was less productive than Kingman for sure, but he was similar in his skill set. From 1986-93, he hit at least 21 home runs

every season with an average of 27 and a high of 33. He also led the majors in strikeouts four times and hit a collective .222. He's

worthy of inclusion here.

What got me thinking about doing this exercise was the line from Adam Duvall on the season.

Entering Wednesday, the Reds outfielder is hitting .240/.295/.501 with 33 homers and 156 strikeouts. That's very Kingmanian or

Deerian, no? Here's what jumped out. He's getting on base at a clip below .300 while slugging over .500. That has previously only

happened three times in history among qualified hitters: Mike Jacobs in 2008, Tony Armas in 1984 and -- wait for it!!!! -- Dave

Kingman in 1976.

We obviously can't hold everyone to that standard, otherwise the entire Kingman Team would be Duvall. So instead we're just going

to hop around the positions and grab the player with the greatest Kingman-Deer qualities. We'll need a low average and/or low OBP

with lots of home runs and a high strikeout total.

Fasten those seat belts. We're about to feels lots of wind from the swings-and-misses or the colossal shots to the bleachers.

Evan Gattis C / Houston Astros

Gattis has always been of this ilk. A career .249 hitter with a high strikeout rate, he hits some serious bombs. This year he has 127

strikeouts and 31 home runs in 438 at-bats with a .247 average. Basically, we're starting things off with a perfect candidate.

Chris Carter 1B / Milwaukee Brewers

The NL leader in strikeouts (200) is hitting .221 with 39 homers. Las tyear he hit .199 with 24 homers and the year before he hit

.227 with 37. This list was made for Mr. Carter and his lumber.

Jedd Gyorko 2B / St. Louis Cardinals

Thanks to a huge second-half power surge, Gyorko has 27 home runs. The 91 strikeouts in 385 at-bats aren't off the charts, but he's

not exactly Tony Gwynn up there. Speaking of which, he's hitting .239 with a .302 OBP. At least he isn't clogging up the bases.

Danny Espinosa SS / Washington Nationals

He fits so perfectly. A .209 average, 170 strikeouts and 23 homers. Beautiful, especially coming from a position where traditionally

we might have had to stretch to find a guy.

Todd Frazier 3B / Chicago White Sox

Once a decent average and on-base guy, Frazier has fallen apart in that aspect of his game since last season's All-Star break. He

hasn't forgotten how to crush the ball, though. He sits with a career high 39 home runs at present, which goes with a .228 average

and 156 punch outs. The drop in doubles from last year to this year is so far 43 to 21, so he's moving in the general direction of HR

or bust.

Adam Duvall LF / Cincinnati Reds

We already covered Duvall above.

Khris Davis LF / Oakland Athletics

With Davis, he's the first A's player since 2000 to hit 40 homers in a season. That comes along with a .246 average and 160

strikeouts. His career numbers and age (28) indicate he's likely to be a regular on this list.

Brandon Moss OF / St. Louis Cardinals

Moss' line: .226/.299/.484 with 27 homers and 137 strikeouts in 399 at-bats.

There were a lot of outfield options here (Mark Trumbo, Matt Kemp, Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson, Justin Upton and a litany of

others), but the three above felt like the best choices. It's a subjective list anyway.

Chris Davis DH / Baltimore Orioles

He's only been DH twice, but Davis was in a dead heat at first with Carter and I needed both on the team. Davis is hitting .218 while

leading the majors with 213 strikeouts. He also has 38 homers. He's even gone from last season's 31 doubles down to 20, so, like

Frazier, he's become much more of a one-trick pony.

Madison Bumgarner SP / San Francisco Giants

Bumgarner's three home runs earlier in the season got him great run, nationally, but it also helped make him incredibly overrated at

the plate. He's hitting .171 with 42 strikeouts in 82 at-bats. His OPS+ is 60. That's not a DH. That's not even a light-hitting middle

infielder. If we start treating him as a pitcher with a bat again, we can properly appreciate his great power -- for a pitcher.

Just for fun, here's my lineup:

If you drive less than 50 miles per day, there is a way to pay less for auto insurance that few people realize. Are you overpaying?

1. Jedd Gyorko, 2B

2. Adam Duvall, CF

3. Todd Frazier, 3B

4. Khris Davis, RF

5. Chris Davis, DH

6. Chris Carter, 1B

7. Evan Gattis, C

8. Brandon Moss, LF

9. Danny Espinosa, SS

We definitely wouldn't be boring. There would be some double-digit run games and many double-digit strikeout games. If they ran

into Max Scherzer on the right night, we'd be liable to see a 27-strikeout perfect game.

See you during the last week next season with our second annual installment!

FOX SPORTS 12 of the weirdest and most controversial moments of the MLB season

By: Brett Smiley @brettsmiley

Posted: Sep 29, 2016 9:30a ET

America’s pastime is weird. And controversial. Hence the title of this lookback at the MLB season as the regular season draws to a

close and the final playoffs spots get snatched up. The game never ceases to produce close calls and strange new events so let’s take

a look at them in chronological order.

1. Adam Laroche retires after the White Sox objected to the amount of time his 14-year-old son was spending around the

team (March 16)

In between stories about Yoenis Cespedes’ fleet of expensive vehicles, spring training delivered an unusual controversy at White

Sox camp when… well, you know the story. White Sox ace Chris Sale exchanged words with Chicago’s general manager Ken

Williams over their handling of the matter. A rumored player boycott never materialized but the drama did reach morning television

when the veteran first baseman appeared on “Good Morning America” to explain his decision to walk away from baseball.

2. A Cubs fan rushes the field after Jake Arrieta’s no-hitter and joins the celebration (April 21)

You can’t do that. Alas, he evaded security and he did. "I made my way toward Arrieta and I said 'You're the man, Jake,’” 22-year-

old Dylan Cressy said. "And he mouthed 'Thanks, man.' That was my last memory before I got my arm shoved behind my back and

cuffed."

3. A rally cat crashes the field in Anaheim (May 12)

There’s lots of ballpark dogs but not many felines. This qualifies as weird.

4. Rougned Odor introduces his fist to Jose Bautista’s jaw (May 15)

After Bautista’s takeout slide at second base, the Rangers and Blue Jays reignited the animosity stemming from the 2015 ALDS and

Bautista’s momentous bat flip. The melee marked the grandest brawl of the season; players rarely throw or land punches as solidly

as Odor did. "I'm not going to criticize players for playing hard,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "Things happen. It was ugly.

It looked bad; the whole situation was not pretty at second. It's two guys who play the game with passion.” A couple weeks after the

incident, Bautista opened up about it, saying, “Was [Odor] out to play baseball that day? Maybe partly,” Bautista told Tom

Verducci. “Part of me also thinks that he was looking for a fight.”

5. The Indians' 14-game winning streak gets snapped amid a “shocking” call at the plate (July 2)

In the bottom of the eighth in Toronto, Blue Jays outfielder Ezequiel Carrera got mowed down at the plate when he tried to give the

Jays a 7-6 lead. After a 3-and-a-half minute review, he did. The umpires overturned the call on the field (an out) and ruled Carrera

safe, finding that he touched home before catcher Chris Gimenez applied the tag. It was extremely close and is hard to tell from any

angle. Indians manager Terry Francona took exception over what he deemed a lack of conclusive evidence. "If he would have been

called safe, I don't know how they would've overruled it to call him out," Francona said. "I know they keep telling us it has to be

conclusive … I was shocked.”

6. NL All-Star manager Terry Collins of the New York Mets does not play any Mets in the All-Star Game (July 12)

On one hand, it’s good that Collins didn’t force Mets’ representatives Bartolo Colon and Jeurys Familia into action (two more Mets,

Noah Syndergaard and Yoenis Cespedes, sat out with injuries). On the other hand, it’s just not what anyone would have expected

with a Mets skipper in charge. Collins said later that the plan was to use Familia only in a save situation and to use the rubber-armed

Colon if the game went to extra innings. Fair enough.

7. The White Sox suspend pitcher Chris Sale for cutting up throwback jerseys with scissors before his scheduled start (July

23)

This is one of the weirdest, most head-scratching baseball incidents of the decade. A grown up human man slashed the team’s

throwback jerseys in the clubhouse because he was ticked off that the team, in Sale’s view, was putting public relations and jersey

sales before player comfort and winning. Specifically, the team stuck him with a 5-game suspension for “violating team rules, for

insubordination and for destroying team equipment.” There are numerous ways to convey a point and Sale chose a decidedly

unorthodox approach. It’s been a strange year for the South Siders.

8. Kid asks Joey Votto for his batting gloves, gets unexpected response (July 28)

It happened in San Francisco when a kid sitting in a front row seat made the request, to which Votto replied, "You're sitting in the

front row, you're elite. This isn't a 'Make A Wish' situation." Lesson learned: if you're a fan of an opposing team, do not call on the

Reds first baseman seeking handouts. Also in May, Votto was booed in Los Angeles for stomping on a paper airplane that landed on

the diamond and in Philadelphia, he pranked fans by pretending to throw a souvenir baseball into the stands. He’s basically

baseball’s official infield trollmaster.

9. The Yankees become deadline sellers (July 25-31)

The Yankees’ “No Runs DMC” bullpen got dismantled in late July when the team shipped flamethrowing closer Aroldis Chapman

to the Chicago Cubs for prospects, including shortstop Gleybar Torres, and sent top lefty reliever Andrew Miller to the Indians for

outfield prospect Clint Frazier and three others. It was necessary and fruitful for the Yankees’ farm system but very, very strange

seeing the Evil Empire engage in selling at the deadline.

10. An umpire ejects an unruly fan in Philadelphia (August 2)

The guy was shouting foul-mouthed remarks and sexual innuendo and repeatedly telling Giants players that they “sucked.” Finally

home plate umpire Bob Davidson had heard enough, walked toward him, pointed to him and ejected him, prompting security to

escort the man out. "People cheered me. Which is unusual in this town for me” Davidson said later.

11. Heisman Trophy winner, former NFL quarterback, TV analyst and all-around good guy Tim Tebow becomes a New York

Met (Sept. 8)

Publicity stunt or an honest investment in a guy who hadn’t played organized baseball since high school? All he did was crush a

home run in his first pro at-bat on September 28 in a Mets instructional league game in Florida. We shall see.

12. MLB suspends San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller for 30 days for withholding medical data on players (Sept.

15)

In order to gain an advantage in trades with other teams, Preller reportedly had the Padres keep two sets of medical files on its

players -- the truth, and one to share with other clubs engaged in trade discussions. The offending practice came to light after San

Diego sent Drew Pomeranz to the Red Sox and Colin Rea to the Marlins and those teams learned about some oral medications that

the Padres hadn’t revealed. Meanwhile the Marlins sent Rea back to the Padres after the pitcher went down with (pre-existing)

elbow discomfort in his first start for Miami.

There’s still a few days left for some good on-field weirdness before the playoffs begin.

CNN.COM

Pete Rose asks Baseball Hall of Fame to make him eligible

Jill Martin-Profile-Image

By Jill Martin, CNN

Updated 1:59 PM ET, Wed September 28, 2016

(CNN)Pete Rose isn't giving up on his quest to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Attorneys for baseball's all-time hits leader have sent a letter to the hall asking that he be made eligible for inclusion, which would

put his name on the ballot to be voted on by baseball writers.

The seven-page letter, which CNN has obtained, was submitted Tuesday by attorneys Raymond Genco and Mark Rosenbaum on

Rose's behalf to Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson.

The letter seeks to alter a rule concerning Rose's status on Major League Baseball's Ineligible List. In 1991, two years after Rose

was banned from baseball, a rule was implemented that said those on the Ineligible List are not eligible for Hall of Fame

consideration by the Baseball Writers Association of America. That rule is known as the "Pete Rose Rule."

Rose's camp is asking for Rose to be considered eligible because he was put on the Ineligible list before 1991.

Rose, who collected 4,256 hits over his long playing career, was banned from baseball for life in August 1989 for betting on

baseball games. Rose at the time denied betting on baseball and continued to deny it until 2004, when he admitted in his

autobiography, "My Prison Without Bars," that he did bet on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds.

In December, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred denied Rose reinstatement to Major League Baseball.

"We are writing to respectfully request that Pete Rose be treated exactly the same way that every other Major League Baseball

(MLB) player and manager has been treated from the start of the National Baseball Hall of Fame voting in 1936 until 1991," the

letter addressed to Idelson said.

"Throughout all of those 55 years, no MLB player or manager was ever considered ineligible for the Hall of Fame because they

were on the MLB Ineligible List. Put another way, Pete Rose is the only player in 55 years to be disqualified from eligibility for

Hall of Fame because of his presence on the Ineligible List.

"We humbly submit to you that Rule 3A should be amended in a limited way, to allow Pete Rose to be treated in exactly the same

way as every other player and manager before him had been treated -- He should be given a window of eligibility to be considered

by the Baseball writers for the Hall of Fame. His placement on the Ineligible List came as a result of a negotiated compromise, years

before Rule 3A was promulgated."

In Manfred's written decision in December, the commissioner made it clear that his decision on Rose has no impact on his eligibility

for the Hall of Fame, which, notably, is not run by MLB.

"It is not a part of my authority or responsibility here to make any determination concerning Mr. Rose's eligibility as a candidate for

election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame," Manfred wrote then. "In fact, in my view, the considerations that should drive a

decision on whether an individual should be allowed to work in Baseball are not the same as those that should drive a decision on

Hall of Fame eligibility."

Manfred also wrote that Hall of Fame policy is an entirely different determination and that his only concern is protecting the

integrity of play on the field through appropriate enforcement of MLB rules.

"Any debate over Mr. Rose's eligibility for the Hall of Fame is one that must take place in a different forum," Manfred wrote.

A day after Manfred issued his denial, Rose addressed the media in Las Vegas, where he lives and routinely holds autograph

signings.

"All I look forward to being is friends with baseball," said Rose, who turned 75 in April. "I want baseball and Pete Rose to be

friends. That's all I want. I'm not an outsider looking in. I got grandkids. They want their grandpa to be associated with baseball."

In that December press conference, Rose described himself as a "recreational" gambler and said he doesn't bet every day.

"I'm not a casino guy," he said. "I don't play blackjack, I don't do the roulette, I don't do dice. I don't do all that kind of stuff. I

occasionally like to go bet on horses because I used to be a horse owner. ... But everything I do is legal. No more behind-the-scenes

stuff that got me in trouble."

Rose, a 13-time All-Star, played for the Reds from 1963 to 1978 and again from 1984-1986. He also played for the Philadelphia

Phillies from 1979-1983 and the Montreal Expos in 1984 until he was traded back to Cincinnati later that season.

Rose was named the National League's Rookie of the Year in 1963 and the NL's Most Valuable Player in 1973. A three-time NL

batting champion, Rose also was a two-time Gold Glove winner for defensive excellence.

Rose captained the Big Red Machine to consecutive World Series titles in 1975 and 1976 and was named MVP of the 1975 Fall

Classic. In 1978 Rose had a 44-game hitting streak, the third-longest in MLB history.

On June 25, Rose was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame. The following day, the Reds retired his jersey number, 14. Despite his

ban, MLB allowed Rose to attend the ceremonies at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.

Rose was selected as the sole inductee for the class of 2016 by the Reds Hall of Fame Board of Directors.

"Pete Rose's on-field achievements and impact on the Reds and its fan base are unquestionable and worthy of induction into the

Reds Hall of Fame," said Rick Walls, executive director of the Reds Hall of Fame & Museum, at the announcement in January.

MLB also allowed Rose to make an on-field appearance at the 2015 All-Star Game in Cincinnati, where he drew cheers from fans.

USA TODAY

Pete Rose petitions Hall of Fame for inclusion on ballot

A.J. Perez, USA TODAY Sports 3:02 p.m. EDT September 28, 2016

Attorneys for all-time hit king Pete Rose took aim at the National Baseball Hall of Fame bylaw that unofficially is known as “the

Pete Rose Rule” in a letter sent to Hall president Jeff Idelson this week.

Rose was banned by for life from Major League Baseball by then-commissioner Bart Giamatti in August 1989 after an investigation

determined Rose had bet on Cincinnati Reds games while he managed the team. About 18 months later, the Hall of Fame created

Rule 3A, which stated any player on baseball’s ineligible list could not be considered for induction.

“We are writing to respectfully request that Pete Rose be treated exactly the same way that every other Major League Baseball

(MLB) player and manager has been treated from the start of the National Baseball Hall of Fame voting in 1936 until 1991,”

attorneys Raymond Genco and Mark Rosenbaum wrote in the letter obtained by USA TODAY Sports. “We humbly submit to you

that Rule 3A should be amended in a limited way, to allow Pete Rose to be treated in exactly the same way as every other player

and manager before him had been treated.”

Yahoo Sports was the first outlet to report the letter had been sent to Idelson.

This latest bid by Rose comes after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred denied Rose’s request for reinstatement last December.

Genco told USA TODAY Sports that creating a rule after a transgression wouldn’t be tolerated if it was done in the judicial system,

known as an ex post facto laws that have been deemed unconstitutional.

“In the criminal justice system, you can’t make an agreement and then change the circumstances and punish somebody for it,”

Genco said.

ESPN.COM Cards ask rookie Reyes to keep them afloat

2:12 AM ET

STATS LLC

ST. LOUIS -- Their National League wild-card hopes growing slimmer by the day, the St. Louis Cardinals turn to their least

experienced starter to help keep them alive Thursday night.

Alex Reyes gets the call as St. Louis (82-76) tries to salvage a split of its four-game series with the Cincinnati Reds in Busch

Stadium.

The 22-year old right-hander, who will make his fifth major league start, is coming off his third win against the Chicago Cubs in a

six-week span. Reyes (4-1, 1.58 ERA) lasted five innings Saturday in a 10-4 victory, allowing three runs on six hits with three

walks and six strikeouts in a 115-pitch outing.

Reyes has faced Cincinnati (67-91) twice since being recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Aug. 9, once as a reliever in his big

league debut and again as a starter Sept. 2 in Cincinnati. On the latter night, he gave up two runs over six innings in a no-decision.

The Cardinals will need Reyes to come through again if they are to mount any kind of run at a sixth consecutive postseason berth.

They will start play Thursday night 2 1/2 games behind the idle New York Mets (85-74) for the first wild card and one game behind

the San Francisco Giants (83-75) for the second wild card.

A 2-1 loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday night was perhaps St. Louis' most frustrating of the year for a couple of reasons. Not only

was it one the Cardinals couldn't afford, but it was also a game they could have won, except they stranded the tying run at third in

three of the final four innings.

"I would say missed opportunities hurt tonight," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "That's a good way of looking at it."

In crunch time, the Cardinals aren't exactly drawing a team playing out the string. The Reds have beaten them four of six meetings

in September, holding them to two runs or fewer in all four wins.

Cincinnati's Thursday starter, right-hander Dan Straily (14-8, 3.74 ERA), is certainly capable of piecing together a shutdown outing.

Straily, who is coming off a 6-1 win Saturday night in Milwaukee, owns a win in two starts this year against St. Louis.

Making the Reds' victory Wednesday night more impressive was that Cincinnati did it with second baseman Brandon Phillips (left

hand) and center fielder Scott Schebler (hamstring) out of the lineup.

"It was a makeshift lineup tonight," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We're putting guys in their place to get opportunities, and

they're taking advantage. We're hoping the second half of the season can springboard us to a better 2017."

While Cincinnati heads home after Thursday night to close the season against the playoff-bound Cubs, the Cardinals host the

Pittsburgh Pirates, needing the same things they needed since they woke up Tuesday: wins and help.

"It's a tough one to swallow," St. Louis second baseman Greg Garcia said of the Wednesday defeat. He had a chance to drive in the

tying run in the ninth but flied out to shallow left for the second out. "You got to get it done, especially in crunch time. That's where

we are right now."

ASSOCIATED PRESS Banned Rose appeals to Hall of Fame for eligibility

By: Mitch Stacy

Updated: 7:59 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016 | Posted: 7:59 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Pete Rose is appealing directly to baseball's Hall of Fame to restore his eligibility, arguing the lifetime ban

he agreed to in 1989 was never intended to keep him out of Cooperstown.

A seven-page letter to Hall president Jeff Idelson on Tuesday made the case that the settlement agreement reached by Rose and

then-Commissioner Bart Giamatti didn't include a provision that he be ineligible for election to the Hall of Fame.

"At the time Pete agreed to the settlement, the consequences of being placed on the ineligible list were clear and specific — and did

not include a Hall of Fame prohibition," according to the letter, signed by Rose's longtime attorney Raymond C. Genco and attorney

Mark Rosenbaum.

The Hall of Fame changed its bylaws two years after Rose's banishment to make permanently banned players ineligible for the Hall,

which shut out the career hits leader as long as he remained barred from baseball. Rose agreed to the ban after an MLB investigation

concluded he bet on games involving the Cincinnati Reds while managing the team.

Genco is asking the Hall to amend that bylaw specifically to allow Rose to be eligible for baseball writers to elect at their discretion.

He makes the point that the banishments of Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays for their association with casinos didn't affect their Hall

status, and even Shoeless Joe Jackson had remained eligible after he was banned from the game for accepting money to throw the

1919 World Series.

"We believe that the institution of baseball will be strengthened by this act of grace — an act that would give Pete Rose the same

treatment that every other major league baseball player and manager received throughout the first 55 years of the National Baseball

Hall of Fame," the letter said.

Hall spokesman Jon Shestakofsky said Wednesday that Idelson had not seen the letter and has not commented. In a previous

statement, Idelson said, "Pete Rose remains ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration, based on the Hall of Fame's bylaws, which

preclude any individual on baseball's ineligible list from being considered for election."

New baseball commissioner Rob Manfred in December denied the 75-year-old Rose's latest petition for reinstatement, but Genco

said Manfred "opened the door" by also stating that it wasn't Manfred's responsibility to determine whether Rose should be eligible

for the Hall. Petitioning the Hall to change the rule, Genco said, was the next logical step.

Genco noted that Manfred had allowed Rose to participate recently in some ceremonial activities, including the retirement of his

No. 14 by the Reds and his induction into the Reds Hall of Fame in June.

"This play may only bring further scrutiny to Pete," Genco said. "He may not get in. It may open a magnifying glass on Pete Rose's

transgressions, but if you look at it from a fundamental fairness point of view, I think we have good footing. We have a very

reasonable argument where the board can take very reasonable action in their power to bring real closure to this."

Spokesman Michael Teevan said MLB had no comment on Rose's latest appeal.

Duvall's single lifts Reds to 2-1 win over Cardinals

1:16 AM ET

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS -- Closers need nerves of steel. Raisel Iglesias is showing he has what it takes.

Adam Duvall's two-run single was all Cincinnati needed as the Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 on Wednesday night.

The Reds' third win in their last four games dealt a blow to the Cardinals' playoff hopes. St. Louis remained one game behind San

Francisco for the NL's second wild card, with the New York Mets 1 1/2 games ahead of the Giants.

Iglesias earned his fifth save in six opportunities with two innings of relief, pitching in and out of jams in both.

A walk to his first batter, a hit batter and a wild pitch in the eighth had Iglesias pitching out of a second and third with one out

situation. The right-hander wriggled out with a strikeout and a ground out.

"First inning everything sped up for me," Iglesias said through an interpreter. "After that I picked my tempo up and everything was

fine after that."

Cardinals pinch-hitter Kolten Wong led off the ninth with a triple. But Iglesias got a shallow fly sandwiched between two ground

outs to end the game.

"After that I started to locate my pitches and it felt like a playoff game," Iglesias said. "I'm going to be aggressive as I can be and go

after the hitters."

Reds starter Anthony DeSclafani (9-5) allowed one runner in each of the first four innings, but only once during that span did the

Cardinals have anyone in scoring position. He stranded five runners, including two in the sixth, his last inning. He allowed six hits

and one run.

"He pitched his heart out for us," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "What a boost. You think about our team and our turnaround in

the second half and it really lines up with (DeSclafani) coming back into our rotation and getting Iglesias and (Michael) Lorenzen

back healthy."

It was the fifth quality start out of six in DeSclafani's career against the Cardinals. He improved to 4-1 with a 2.13 ERA against St.

Louis.

"I face them more often," DeSclafani said. "I feel I learn more about them and they learn more about me so it's a constant

adjustment."

Duvall drove in his 101st and 102nd runs with his third-inning single. He has seven RBI in the series.

"They weren't going down easy that's for sure with Wong hitting that triple," Duvall said. "But Iggy bared down and showed that he

had some nasty stuff and was able to come out of it."

Cardinals starter Mike Leake (9-12) allowed five hits and two runs in five innings, striking out six.

Leake was lifted for pinch-hitter Matt Adams in the fifth and he grounded into a double play that scored Aledmys Diaz for the

Cardinals' lone run.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny brought closer Seung Hwan Oh in with one out in the eighth inning. Oh struck out both batters to

get the Cardinals out of a jam after Duvall tripled to lead off the inning.

Oh left the game with two outs in the ninth after being hit by a line drive from Jose Peraza.

"It's baseball, you're going to have times when you just don't get it done," Matheny said. "Tonight was one of those times guys make

good pitches in big situations and we couldn't finish it off."

SPECIAL GUESTS

The St. Louis Blues attended the game and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk threw out the first pitch. The Cardinals wore hybrid

Blues/Cardinals jerseys during warmups.

ROSTER MOVES

The Reds claimed IF/OF Patrick Kivlehan off waivers from the San Diego Padres and placed SS Zack Cozart on the 60-day DL list.

This is the fourth organization Kivlehan has been a part of this season.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Reds: 2B Brandon Phillips (left hand) and OF Scott Schebler (left hamstring) were scratched from the lineup.

Cardinals: OF Matt Holliday (thumb) is not on a live batting practice schedule.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Dan Straily (14-8, 3.74 ERA) has made 11 starts in which he allowed three hits or fewer. He is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in

three career appearances against St. Louis.

Cardinals: RHP Alex Reyes (4-1, 1.58 ERA) has earned a win in his last three appearances. He is 0-0 with a 2.57 ERA in three

career appearances against Cincinnati.

TRANSACTIONS 09/28/16

Cincinnati Reds activated LF Patrick Kivlehan.

San Diego Padres sent SS Nick Noonan outright to El Paso Chihuahuas.

Cincinnati Reds transferred SS Zack Cozart from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Right knee injury.

Cincinnati Reds claimed LF Patrick Kivlehan off waivers from San Diego Padres.

Oakland Athletics activated RHP Sonny Gray from the 15-day disabled list.

Los Angeles Dodgers released RHP Bud Norris.