As much as people love to bash Tomko (and I have been as guilty as anyone), he really is a good dude, and it was great to see him finally get his first win tonight. I know he has been frustrated at times. I don't know this for a fact, but he strikes me as the kind of guy who probably beats himself up about every bad game he pitches, who probably tends to overthink things and who, when he is struggling, probably drives himself crazy trying to figure out why. Then again, I could be wrong about all that. But I can usually read people pretty well. At any rate, congrats to him for a well-pitched (and well-executed with the bat) game. ... Got a chance before the game to catch up with Aaron Boone, quite possibly my favorite player I have ever covered (had him for 3 1/2 years in Cincinnati, before he was traded to the Yankees and eventually hit a fairly significant home run for them that Grady might remember). This guy has always been one of the game's true class acts, and he is handling being in a mostly reserve role for the first time in his career with grace and dignity. I'll never forget the press conference at Great American Ball Park the day he was traded, just before the non-waiver deadline in 2003. His dad had been fired as the Reds' manager only days earlier, along with GM Jim Bowden, and what was left of the front office had been ordered to cut as much salary as they could. Aaron started to take questions, but quickly broke down, to the point he had to leave the room. Eventually, he came back and answered everything, then actually hugged all the beat writers on his way out the door. Actual bear hugs, too, not that awkward man hug where two guys bump one side of their chests and pound each other on the back with the ends of their fists. ... I also saw Billy the Marlin taking batting practice before the game, apparently for some promotion, because he was being filmed. After that, someone on the production crew goes, "Hey Billy, you want to put on your glove and take some ground balls?'' He obliged by donning a fielder's glove roughly the size of Rhode Island and scooped up every ball thrown to him, lobbing them back at the camera. Compared to most other fish mascots I have witnessed, he was fundamentally sound.