Some Smack Talk From The South

In case you didn't see Enquirer reporter Mike Rutledge's story Saturday in Northern Kentucky editions....

Covington Mayor Butch Callery wants to show what he can do on the pitcher's mound at Great American Ball Park. He's sure he can do better than Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory did on Opening Day, saying his pitch would make it to the plate - "and with velocity."

The 66-year-old played and coached ball, some of that time as a pitcher, until just three years ago when his wife made him retire.

Mallory continues to defer to pretty much everyone else's pitching skills. Last week, he said the 5 1/2-year-old son of Q102 morning DJ Jenn Jordan would probably do better than he did on Opening Day. The boy's throwing out the first pitch Saturday on Autism Awareness Day at the park.

No word yet on whether the Reds will let Callery see if he can do better than Mallory.