CINCINNATI SPORTS LAST WEEK

The Bengals opened the week by releasing linebacker Odell Thurman. Amazing! They stood by him for two years during his banishment from the league and now he goes home to bury his grandmother and stays too long and he's bye-bye.

They already moved Ahmad Brooks from inside to outside outside linebacker to make room for Thurman. They drafted an outside linebacker. Something doesn't add up. Old-timer Dhani Jones will have to play his ass off.

Their defense has lost its best LOS players to free agency (Justin Smith and Landon Johnson). If they stop anybody at all next year, new D-coordinator Mike Zimmer will be a genius.

What a difference a week makes. The Reds won all six games last week and went into Los Angeles with a full head of steam. Something got lost during the five-hour plane trip and it wasn't their luggage. The played like shit, losing three in a row at Dodger Stadium. They bussed down to San Diego and got off to a bad start with a Harang loss on Thursday but turned it around with wins on Friday and Saturday. The week ended with an 18 inning marathon that Edinson Volquez lost on a 3-run homer, 12-9. With 2 wins and 5 losses for the week, the Reds are mired in last place again.

Here's a list of Cincinnati area boys playing minor league baseball.
Jay Johnson, Dixie Heights: Boston AA (Portland)
Nathan Jones, Pendleton County: Chicago White Sox A (Kannapolis)
Matt Klinker, Lakota West: Cincinnati A (Dayton)
Randy Newsom, St. Xavier: Cleveland AA (Akron)
Graham Taylor, Dixie Heights: Florida A (Jupiter)
John Purdom, Sycamore: Florida A (Jupiter)
Steve Sollmann, St. Xavier: Milwaukee AAA (Nashville)
Zach Day, La Salle: Minnesota A (Fort Myers)
Rob Harmon, Covington Catholic: Seattle A (Wisconsin)
Josh Lueke, Scott: Texas A (Bakersfield)
Keith Weiser, Talawanda: Colorado A (Modesto)
John Van Benschoten, Milford: Pittsburgh AAA (Indianapolis)
Matt Davis, Mason: Chicago White Sox A (Winston-Salem)
Tony Maccani, Moeller: N.Y. Mets A (Savannah)