Ryan Ludwick Returns Next Week!!!!!

[chico ruiz]

that's right bengaldoug. i've read a lot of weirdness on this board -and this board only- surrounding ludwick and his recent activation. mostly, a lot of nonsense - really. who is this 'everyone' that says the reds offense will be all better when ludwick returns? every fan i've talked to (who knows baseball) agrees that ludwick will probably struggle for a couple weeks or more. i haven't read one article, or heard one pundit say that ludwick will magically arrive in mid-season form. who are you guys reading or listening to? in fact, the reds are taking a risk inserting him into the line-up at this time because it will take him some time to acclimate, and they're in a pennant race. however, this is what the reds have. if he can start grooving in september, like he did in july and august last year, then the reds are very tough 1 thru 6. this may be 'sunshine seeking,' but i think the reds are poised to get hot, and healthy, when it matters most. if marshall doesn't make it back, they can slide cingrani to the bullpen. cueto could potentially be very effective out of the pen, if he can make it back that far. and contrary to the conclusion -some on this board have drawn- that dusty has overworked his bullpen, it's just not factually accurate. the numbers (innings pitched, total batters faced, # of high stress pitches) do not support the claim. in fact, the 2013 reds bullpen has some of the lowest total batters faced and total pitches #'s in major league baseball. here's a quick cin. / pitt. comparison from a week ago.

pittsburgh bullpen - total batters faced = 675
cincinnati bullpen - total batters faced = 552

pittsburgh bullpen - total pitches = 2725
cincinnati bullpen - total pitches = 2211


which bullpen do you think will be fresher the last 2 weeks of september? the overall youth of the reds will be a positive factor down the stretch as well. the reds are obviously being careful to get hanigan healthy, and as fully healed as possible. mesoraco is much more of a offensive threat this year. you can see his confidence growing. i think bailey is going to pitch better in september as he gets closer to 200 innings pitched. hoover is becoming exactly what the reds thought they had in the spring, and is getting stronger as the season progresses. the reds have hung around, within striking distance, all year without going on a big winning streak. it just feels like they're a team that will get hot at the right time.

 

[bengaldoug]

that's right bengaldoug. i've read a lot of weirdness on this board -and this board only- surrounding ludwick and his recent activation. mostly, a lot of nonsense - really. who is this 'everyone' that says the reds offense will be all better when ludwick returns? every fan i've talked to (who knows baseball) agrees that ludwick will probably struggle for a couple weeks or more. i haven't read one article, or heard one pundit say that ludwick will magically arrive in mid-season form. who are you guys reading or listening to? in fact, the reds are taking a risk inserting him into the line-up at this time because it will take him some time to acclimate, and they're in a pennant race. however, this is what the reds have. if he can start grooving in september, like he did in july and august last year, then the reds are very tough 1 thru 6. this may be 'sunshine seeking,' but i think the reds are poised to get hot, and healthy, when it matters most. if marshall doesn't make it back, they can slide cingrani to the bullpen. cueto could potentially be very effective out of the pen, if he can make it back that far. and contrary to the conclusion -some on this board have drawn- that dusty has overworked his bullpen, it's just not factually accurate. the numbers (innings pitched, total batters faced, # of high stress pitches) do not support the claim. in fact, the 2013 reds bullpen has some of the lowest total batters faced and total pitches #'s in major league baseball. here's a quick cin. / pitt. comparison from a week ago.

pittsburgh bullpen - total batters faced = 675
cincinnati bullpen - total batters faced = 552

pittsburgh bullpen - total pitches = 2725
cincinnati bullpen - total pitches = 2211


which bullpen do you think will be fresher the last 2 weeks of september? the overall youth of the reds will be a positive factor down the stretch as well. the reds are obviously being careful to get hanigan healthy, and as fully healed as possible. mesoraco is much more of a offensive threat this year. you can see his confidence growing. i think bailey is going to pitch better in september as he gets closer to 200 innings pitched. hoover is becoming exactly what the reds thought they had in the spring, and is getting stronger as the season progresses. the reds have hung around, within striking distance, all year without going on a big winning streak. it just feels like they're a team that will get hot at the right time.

Word.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I have been knebthat is sarcastic about the Ludwick return.

I refer to every single statement the Reds have made addressing why they aren't better..they ALL include a statement about not having Ryan Ludwick. Sonetimes they mention Cueto, which I find odd... I must assume, that means they believe they will be better with Ludwick. It gives the impression they think he's the answer.

I don't think they can be worse with him, and hope they will be better.. but Ludwick should not be rationally expected to cure the Reds. It's only part of what is wrong with their offense. IMO, the 2 hole is killing this offense. My hope is that Ludwick will hit enough to force Dusty to address THAT better.

 

[bengaldoug]

I have been knebthat is sarcastic about the Ludwick return.

I refer to every single statement the Reds have made addressing why they aren't better..they ALL include a statement about not having Ryan Ludwick. Sonetimes they mention Cueto, which I find odd... I must assume, that means they believe they will be better with Ludwick. It gives the impression they think he's the answer.

I don't think they can be worse with him, and hope they will be better.. but Ludwick should not be rationally expected to cure the Reds. It's only part of what is wrong with their offense. IMO, the 2 hole is killing this offense. My hope is that Ludwick will hit enough to force Dusty to address THAT better.

And there, my friend, lies the answer. If he can win back the cleanup role and Dusty moves Phillips to second where he was going to be at the start of the year, that will eliminate innings ended by Cozart, Frazier, and Heisey. He looked a little better tonite, but was hitting in pretty tough luck. Hopefully it will come together for him in a week or so. No delusions though.

 

[JohnU]

I've seen repeated comments on this board and others that ALL suggest that the Reds offense WILL be better when Ludwick is back. Well, yeah ... if he can hit.

Ludwick will be all right. He's a consummate veteran. I do, however, have my doubts about anybody who has a shoulder injury. It slows down the bat speed.

 

[WvuDieHard]

My goodness people. no need to get overly giddy here. We have beat the Wads and Cubs and took 1 game from the Broo Hoos during this little winning streak. Even though we have a streak going, it hasn't been against the Pirates, Cards, Dodgers or Braves. When you see the Reds sweeping teams like that or even taking 2 of 3, then you can fasten your seat belt. But for now, I need a little more proof in the pudding with the 2 hole weakness and overall hitting prowess of this squad. I do hope that I am proven wrong and the Reds get on a massive tear to finish the season. I suppose it is possible but this club has a Jykell and Hyde personality and you never know when one or the other shows up.

 

[chico ruiz]

it's just a feeling more than anything else. rhythms of the game, momentum, and a team with experience in the last few years. the reds give good effort and i don't see them get overly high or low. and, of course, you want to beat the +.500 teams. every now and again trent rosecrans writes a well researched article. if you can, set aside all the critiques of the reds shortcomings (most are legitimate gripes) posted on this board, for just a moment or two, and read this by the young inimitable mr. rosecrans.

All the time we get asked, why can’t the Reds beat the good teams. Well, it may be that they’re just not as good as the good teams, but better than the bad teams. The positive is that there aren’t that many good teams in the National League. There are 15 teams in the NL and they may be better than 10 of them, this day and age, that’s enough to get you into the playoffs — and once you get into the playoffs, just about anything’s possible (think St. Louis 2006)
That’s not saying the Reds are going to win the World Series, or even that they’re going to make the playoffs, just that the season isn’t over. Even treading water, they can hold off the Diamondbacks and Nationals. Over their last 20 games, the Reds are 10-10 — that’s better than either Arizona (9-11) or Washington (7-13) — and the Reds are the only one of those three with a .500 record over the last 30 games (15-15 for the Reds, 14-16 for Arizona and 13-17 for the Nationals).
In the end, baseball is — and I know this is cliche, and feels even more cliche every time I hear it — 162 games. I honestly believe after the 162, October is a coin flip — even past the so-called coin flip game. Last year the Giants were 44-42 against teams better than .500 during the season, in 2011 St. Louis was 30-30 and in 2010 the Giants were 33-41 against winning teams in the regular season.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I agree completely with Chico above.

Reds fans aren't unbiased.

I look for tangibles. Trends. Lessons learned proved by results, or at least attempts at methods toward those results...not just hope. That's for Cubs fans.

Mesoraco had IT last night. His adrenalin meter was off the charts. Yep, the base coach stooge crew aided him in running the bases in a senseless manner( as they have before when he made unnecessary outs), but it worked in his favor- the ineptitude of the Brewers just over-rode the Reds ineptitude....but the headlong contact sonetimes increases the metabolism, senses, vision...gets the blood up. He hit, he called the game, the showed the elite rifle arm I saw in the minors. He hit. He was vocal. Physical. He LEAD.

This team needs THAT...probably as much as they need a 2 hitter.

He is young, and erratic, still raw. But, it gives me optimism that Mesoraco could be MORE. His history shows consistent trends at each level- struggle, then succeed. Incremental improvement as the degree of difficulty for higher. On the contrary, I saw Todd Fraziers rookie season as unusual offensive production given his minor league trends. He has played much better D than I expected though. Both those things indicate Mesoraco and Frazier have some dedication to work ethic- improvement of physical skills...important to this teams success now, but more for the near future. The textbook portion (fundamental situational play) of their learning curve is limited by the low baseball IQ if the current staff however, who other than Bryan Price, have shown zero ability or desire to improve.

You think Joey Votto doesn't recognize he's got less than 60 RBI, even though his offensive metrics with an OBP machine like Choo in front if him, make that a mystery ? He has to be a good teammate, but you think he doesn't get frustrated with half his at bats being in situations where he doesn't get a pitch to drive because of the total persistent insistence to not put a real hitter in the 2 hole ?

I see good level if effort from ALL Reds players. Even in the struggling ones, I see an effort to do what they are ASKED to do, not necessarily what they SHOULD be asked to do.

The potential is there.

 

[JohnU]

I never questioned the Reds devotion to effort .... Lately, it's been off the charts. When Frazier hit the HR on Wednesday on the first pitch, the nature of that game changed instantly.

Bronson could have thrown his glove on the mound and gotten a win after that. A lot of swagger.

FWIW, I would like to see a little more of Chris Rusin. The guy doesn't throw gas but he's got some nice pitches. Wonder what his future is with the Cubs.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I'm not an expert, but Theo's record of willy nilly signings are hard to fathom sometimes. First year ametuers drafts are always about best available talent, rarely prioritized by position. But his willingness to trade that talent a few years into development (Boston) by the bus-load, for questionable veteran high dollar contracts is one thing, but trading FOR high minor players at redundant positions (like 1b) that don't seem to fit into current team needs appears to be contradictory, if not downright clueless. Castro is not a guy I would want to build a team around, especially as a SS, then he promotes a guy like Lake, a SS, and plays him in the OF. Just a couple examples.

I understand the Cubs are searching, but I just don't have much confidence Theo Epstein has the background experience or knowledge to do that in a congruent, incremental manner. I probably missed someone, but most of his deals in the last years with the Redsox, I saw him as a talent depleater, not an adder. I don't recall any shrewd reclaimations or undervalued finds. He blatantly miscalculated pitching. His age and resume also give me the impression he had to rely heavily on talent assessment from others, and of course if true, you are only as good as that advice. IMO, if the Cubs were better at those things, they would have made a few better decisions themselves, before Theo.

Staffs change, as does ownership, usually in response to profit margin, which may or may not be affected in Cubbie Land, with peripherals like winning and attendance. The Cubs will have to give Theo some rope, but he's also been known to hang others around him while escaping himself with more rope. I'm a doubter until I see otherwise.

I do believe that given a similar checkbook, Theo had the ability to buy a winner- I've seen him do it. Unfortunately, he has stated his mission is to "gain the respect of his peers by being more than a director of spending"...sounds too self serving than a guy that just wants to win, to me. I may be wrong, but I believe one of a few things will happen there...Theo will turn put to be Branch Rickey, and prove me wrong. Or, the Cubs will get tired of seeing Theo cultivating and trading and drafting and losing, and either give him the checkbook back and tell him to screw his peer respect and win now... or Theo will see the writing on the wall and go elsewhere, or get fired, or have his power shared with someone with a more owner prioritized adgenda. Maybe, they'll live with Theo covering everything in bullshit, but that's a sales job, not a Director of Baseball Operations job.

 

[MHubbuch]

Mixed reviews to this point.

Has made contact but it has been weak. I expect better results over the next 2 weeks as he gets more accustomed to the rigors of everyday baseball again