Cincinnati Reds on the rise; ditto Oregon Ducks recruiting | Oller Second Thoughts
Boys will be boys, as the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees proved Thursday in the Bronx, where players from each team competed in a stare-down following the national anthem.
The Reds won the staring contest when the Yanks broke gaze first – Cincy pitcher Graham Ashcraft was the last man staring – then won the game to complete a series sweep. Nicely done. Next up: going from boys to men by the July 16 All-Star Game. Maturing into playoff contenders could happen. It should happen.
Granted, these aren’t the 1927 Yankees that Cincinnati just swept, but it was the first time New York had been swept at home in a three-game series this season. And at 54-35 (.607) it’s not like the Pinstripes are the pitiful Chicago White Sox. The Reds are 6-4 in their past 10 games and looking more competent by the week.
Of course, it’s the Redlegs we’re talking about, a team blessed with individual flash and dash – we’re looking at you, Elly De La Cruz – yet unable to turn the highlights into consistent success. De La Cruz epitomizes the dilemma. He leads the majors with 42 stolen bases, 14 more than second-place Brice Turang of Milwaukee, but the Reds shortstop also leads baseball with 115 strikeouts. Teammate Will Benson is third with 107. As a team, the Reds rank 27th in batting with a .227 average. In the Queen City, contact hitter apparently means calling a batter’s cell phone.
As a whole, Cincinnati’s pitching is nothing special, but far from pathetic. Combine the pitching and hitting and what you should get is a team hovering around .500. The Reds are 42-45 (.483). They also are 9½ games behind first-place Milwaukee in the National League Central, but that number is not insurmountable.
The Reds’ next three opponents own a combined record of 99-162 (.379). The next 10 games, all at home, include three against Detroit (39-48), four against Colorado (30-57) and three against Miami (30-57). Win eight of those and the 9½-game deficit maybe drops to six, which with a strong second half puts Cincinnati well within striking distance of the division lead.
Milwaukee remains the favorite in the NL Central, but the Brewers face a more formidable schedule than Cincinnati leading to the All-Star break. Milwaukee has three against the Los Angeles Dodgers (53-35), three against Pittsburgh (41-45) and three against Washington. It’s not unreasonable to think Brewers go 4-5 to the break, putting the Reds right back in this thing.
Oregon Ducks create recruiting earth’quack
Don’t look now, but Oregon is cleaning up on the recruiting trail, so much so that the Ducks have put themselves in position to challenge Ohio State and Michigan for Big Ten supremacy. (Yes, I know, the Wolverines likely will fall off this season, but they did just win a national title).
The latest Oregon commit directly challenges Ohio State’s recruiting strength. Five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore chose the Ducks over the Buckeyes, Texas and LSU. Moore is the No. 3 overall prospect and No. 1 receiver in the 247Sports 2025 composite rankings.
Why choose Oregon over Ohio State, which has produced four first-round picks over the past three NFL drafts? It’s easy to see that Ducks coach Dan Lanning is an A+ pitch man, easier still to surmise that Phil Knight’s Nike money makes Oregon a lucrative destination for name, image and likeness opportunities.
Regardless of the reason, the Ducks' ability to attract recruits has put them just behind Ohio State in overall team talent. They rank fifth in 2025 recruiting after ranking third in 2024. Ohio State is No. 1 in the current cycle after ranking fifth in 2024.
The Buckeyes and Ducks meet Oct. 12 in Eugene. Should be a good one.
Listening in
“With Joey not here, I knew I had a shot, I was able to unlock something that I don’t know where it came from.” – Patrick Bertoletti, after gobbling 58 hot dogs to win Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, noting he benefited from reigning champion Joey Chestnut not participating.
Off-topic
Curious what prompts our fascination, and in some cases obsession, with fireworks. I’m not necessarily talking about the big boomer displays put on by big cities, small towns and private country clubs as much as the individual preoccupation with smaller explosions. I have no dog in this hunt – speaking of which, no dog wants to be in this hunt, given how fireworks scare canines to pieces – but simply wonder what makes fireworks enthusiasts tick. There used to be fireworks just on the Fourth of July, but things have spread to any and every holiday. What gives?
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Cincinnati Reds play, Oregon Ducks recruiting both trending upward
