3.15 Sarasota Report

Greetings – welcome to the first installment of my vacation journal – Reds, Reds & Reds. For the next two weeks I’ll be watching the Cincinnati Reds, drinking red wine, and writing the Russia topic paper.

Two Quick Roadside Restaurant Reviews

Before I write about the game today, I want to mention a couple of meals I had on my drive down to Sarasota. First, there was M&M Catering. I’d read about it on the internets, but that didn’t prepare me for its utter wonderousness.


M&M is a couple of miles off I-75 just outside of Knoxville, TN – but definitely worth the short trip to find it. They are only open a couple days a week, but luckily one is Saturday. They make BBQ. It’s just carryout and catering. The entire operation, including the outdoor grills, was about the size of my living room and kitchen in Ohio. You pull up in front of a tiny, hidden awning.

If it weren’t for the grills smoking away you’d never have a hint of the deliciousness awaiting.


I had pulled pork, coleslaw and baked beans. Check it out. Some of the most tender, juicy and flavorful pulled pork I’ve ever had.


That was lunch yesterday. This morning I ate at The Farmhouse, which is in southern Georgia, about five miles from the Florida border, serving Southern home-style cooking. The waitresses ask “what’s the year of your truck,” the parking lot is full of Sarah! bumper stickers, and they wondered what I was doing in there on Sunday morning and not in church. Anyhow, I ordered biscuits and sausage gravy with a side of cheese grits. It was a difficult decision not having the country ham, but I ultimately had no regrets.

March 15 – Cincinnati Reds at Toronto Blue Jays

On to Dunedin, spring training site of the Toronto Blue Jays. It was a hot, sunny day. A little girl, who appeared to be about six years old, sang both national anthems. The stadium, which is one of the older ones down here, was about two-thirds full even though it was Sunday. The Reds were well represented among the fans.

Here’s Joey Votto stretching.


Johnny Cueto pitched well – which he has done all spring, including his start for the Dominican Republic in the WBC. I definitely could notice his increased maturity level this spring. Last year he seemed to rush around. This year he was patient on the mound. He got a key K against Scott Rolen with two runners on base in the first inning.


Joey Votto had two walks and a double off the right center fence. He stole third but was stranded there by Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce.


Despite his hot start this month, I don’t think Phillips is a great choice to bat clean up. His lack of plate discipline results in his missing out on too many RBIs. In this AB, when a fly or ground ball was all that was necessary to score Votto, Phillips watched a called third strike with a full count.

One key to the Reds season will be the health and play of shortstop Alex Gonzalez. AG missed all of 2008 with a broken bone in his knee. Supposedly he is back 100% now, which would make a huge difference. Jeff Keppinger doesn’t have the bat or the range to play SS every day, as he proved last year.


Gonzalez looked healthy in the field, although he just had routine plays. He had two weak AB but then hit a long double off the left centerfield fence, scoring two runners.

For the Jays, “top prospect” Travis Snider, possible keeper for the Thuggs, had an RBI double on a ground ball down the first base line. The reason I know he is their “top prospect” is that the guy sitting next to me said so. And he seemed to know quite a bit about the Blue Jays (although regretably, he’d missed a few showers this week and I was downwind…).