Nevermind this timestamp — the thing is broken. It’s 2:40 and Brandon Phillips just made the third out in the bottom of the 8th with Dunn waiting on deck. If the Astros don’t come back from this 9-5 deficit, Dunn will miss out on a chance for the single he needs to complete the cycle.

12:40 p.m.Dunn just grounded into a double play to end the sixth inning. He should get at least one more at bat.

12:28 p.m. It’s the bottom of the fifth inning of the Reds-Astros game and outfielder Adam Dunn is a single away from completing an unnatural cycle.

A natural cycle is one that occurs in order: single, double, triple, home run. Dunn hit a three-run home run in the first, tripled and scored in the third, and hit a leadoff double and scored in the fifth. I’m pretty sure I just made up the term “unnatural cycle.” (Patent pending)

I’ll update this post after Dunn’s next AB.

Just, out.

Since Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock’s death, the Athletics and Yankees have banned alcohol in their clubhouses, both home and away.

It was reported by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel yesterday that the Brewers have decided against banning alcohol.

Pitcher Chris Capuano told the paper:

“For the most part they treat us like adults. There’s no curfew on the road. You’re expected to handle yourself professionally. Guys are not going to sit in the clubhouse and drink four and five beers and then drive. We would never do anything like that.

But it’s nice if a guy wants to have a beer after a game that the team is OK with it.

I respect the Brewers’ decision and can’t argue with Cappy’s logic. The players are adults and shouldn’t be treated like they are in 10th grade.

On the other hand, why do clubs want to even think about putting their players in a position which could prove to be dangerous? Especially when players are worth millions of dollars to the team.

The quick alcohol banning done by clubs was yet another example of results-oriented analysis in baseball, blogs James Holzhauer (winner of this week’s trivia).

It’s sad, but it’s also very true. The response is probably an over-reaction to one man’s mistake — which didn’t involve drinking in the clubhouse.

If players want to drink after games, they won’t find much resistance if they wait until after they get back to their hotel. At that point they’re not under the supervision of teammates and coaches like they are in the clubhouse.

This reminds me a lot of parents who allow their high school-age teenagers to drink at parties at home because there they are being supervised. This, of course, is better than them going off to someone else’s party, where they will just drink anyway.

I didn’t really like that rationale then, and I don’t like it now. As you can see, I’m pretty ambivalent on the issue of “Should teams ban alcohol in the clubhouse?”

What I do know is that every team needs to make their decision and make it clear to the players what’s at stake.

I wonder how much credit Tony La Russa’s players will give him…

Just, out.