Reds and Redbirds

"I'd play against these guys on one leg. We have to beat these guys. All they do is bitch and moan about everything, all of them. They're little (expletives), all of them. I really hate the Cardinals. Compared to the Cardinals, I love the Cubs. Let me make this clear: I hate the Cardinals." - Brandon Phillips, Reds 2nd baseman

And there you have it. Not too many players have such an outspoken hatred for another team, nevermind when they're in the middle of a crucial series with them in the middle of August.

When Phillips stood up to the plate last night, Yadier Molina wasn't about to do any bitching or moaning. He got right up in Phillips' face, mask off, and then the floodgates opened up. Both benched stormed the field, pushing and shoving up against the backstop. Jason LaRue, Cardinals catcher, was sent to the DL because a mild concussion and sore ribs. A possible explanation would be from receiving several kicks from Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto while he was pinned against he backstop.

The Cardinals ended up winning the game 8-4, and are now tied atop the NL Central.

Big Mac vs The Chemist

Nevermind the new movie coming out in March, you're looking at a clash of the titans for the ages right here. Mark Mcgwire, who finally stepped down off his pedestal and admitted to taking steroids during the "historical" 1998 season, could do nothing but trip over his own tongue during his first interview with Bob Costas of MLB Network since the confession. “Back in the day, that was it, it was readily available, guys at gyms talked about it. I believe it was the winter of 89 into 90, I was given a couple weeks worth. I tried it, and I moved on from it," said Mcgwire.

Whether or not it was even worth mentioning that he moved on is highly questionable. Mcgwire lied to the U.S. government while under oath, and now he's just furthering the lie. Once Big Mac was done whispering sweet nothings to Costas, his next interview included the quote that seemed to have lit a small flame under Canseco's 'roid-ridden ass.
“I’m not going to stoop to his level, none of that stuff happened, he knows it, and I know it." Mark was referring to accusations made in Canseco's book, "Juiced."

“It’s an arena, it’s an area, that MLB and these players can’t go, I stand there alone. They know they can’t go there. What Mcgwire has suffered, and I can say it straight to [his] face, is nothing, not even remote to what I have suffered. And he sits there and starts crying," said Canseco in his interview with ESPN.
With one last final blow, Canseco said: "Mark, there's no crying in baseball, you know that."

I remember watching Big Mac during the 1999 Home Run Derby at Fenway Park, and going crazy when he hit one onto the Mass Pike. I literally had never marveled at anything like I did on that night. I guess this is a sign of the times, a serious wake-up call to diehard baseball fans. We're always going to have that suspicion now, and there's nothing that can be done. As far as Canseco goes, I'll let you 'Youtube' the video of the home run ball bouncing off of his head over the wall, or the time he entered that MMA fight. The choice is yours, enjoy.