The next 12 games ....

[Hit-n-Run]

I'm hoping the Reds have a promotion where they let the "Nasty Boys" pitch out of the bullpen this weekend. Even at their age it'd be a improvement over what we've seen so far.

 

[JohnU]

I am in the Cincy area today and had the chance last night to watch the dreadfully redundant post-game drivel on Fox. Usually, I just get to see the game on MLB and then they cut it off. Jeez, a full hour of going on about a game seemed like more overkill than the year MSNBC spent on the Monica Lewinsky dress.

 

[JohnU]

Reds announcers going on about how you can get 16 runs one night and 1 the next.
There's a difference between MLB pitchers and batting machines.
I think Price could have used Skippy to pitch and gotten the same result as Hoover and the 5 dwarves would give him.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I don't waste much time listening to Jeff Picoro and Brian Giesenschlag running the post game show. The play by play and and color analyst whether it be Brennaman, Grande, Kelch, Welsh, or Brantley isn't much better. The only one I find slightly amusing is Jim Day.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The batting machine analogy sums up the difference in the two games.

Jimmy Nelson is a good looking young pitcher. Big kid, throws hard with quality secondary pitches. That game went as expected from a two struggling offensive teams coming down to reality standpoint.

Angel Hernandez seemed to have a hard-on for Cueto's pick off move. One balk in the past two or three years and he calls two in a couple innings. It'll be interesting to see how other umpires rule on it going forward or if Hernandez was a isolated issue.

 

[JohnU]

I think the umps will tell Hernandez to back off on that. The balks were not conclusive and it shows how an umpire can make personal judgments without any real rationale. What I expected to see was that the Reds would run more because Nelson would fear the same. The problem was, the Reds never got any baserunners.

 

[Redsfan1507]

H&R

Lol...I do remember Dibs chucking the ball into the stands instead of giving it up. Classic. I miss the days of the meltdown.

The way I saw it, the Brewers lost, the Reds didnt win. They walked Hamilton- always a mistake, and ultimately the one that allowed them to blow the game.. they gave Votto a hittable pitch he pushed Hamilton to 3rd on, and threw the wild pitch that let him score. IMO, Billy was the whole ball of wax- he could have stolen 2b and or 3b probably after the 1 out walk,but as it turned out Fraziers foul out to the C wouldn't have scored him, and BP's flyball was an out too late to. Another case of RISP choking the life out of the Reds- a short Frazier flyball would have been enough not to need Brewer suicide to win. This time, it wasnt waitibg for 2 outs before putting a RISP, it was not gettibg it done with 1 out...Without the charity, it's a tie in the bottom of the inning, maybe Chapman doesn't pitch, or at least not unti(or if)l they had a lead, and might have been a L instead of a W.

The part about lousy RISP averages reported, I hate, is they don't tell you how many are 0-1-or 2 out chances. I think it makes a difference, considering the MLB average is about .260 overall, but about .200 with 2 outs. In a game where 70% outs makes a hitter an All-Star, I don't think they should get BBQ'd for hitting .200 with 2 outs and a runner on 2b. My contention is the Reds don't get enough 0 or 1 out RISP chances. 2 out heroics is rarer, but the Reds rely on them too much.

I still don't like Votto swinging without giving Billy a chance to steal 2b first. He went 1st-3rd on Votto's hit, but would have scored with only 1 out if he was at 2b before the hit, the Brewers probably throw to the plate, Votto winds up at 2b, and still just 1 out, with another RISP opportunity with just 1 out. If BH steals, they walk Votto, it's still 1 out, with 2 on and 3-4 coming to the plate. The way it went, the DP was still in play at Fraziers AB, and after his popup, poor old BP had to hit safely, or get charity to score. I'll take the charity, but the philosophy could be better next time, just in case they need a run against a team that isn't trying to continue a losing streak.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I hate to beat a dead horse, but in my experience, good managers let them hoop a little after the game, but before BP today, have a short meeting to discuss the philosophy above. If Votto is a prima Donna, you talk to him alone first, smooth his reluctance to not hit an early pitch he likes with his unique ability to hit with 2 strikes, or walk on a ball. He's gotta be pumped and assist BH's skills in front, and trust TF's behind him...and if it doesn't work, he needs to hear it's on the manager, not the player... Then discuss with the team.

You don't want them all thinking too much, but with a cerebral guy like Votto, I think he buys into that. A guy like Cozart in the 8 hole, you don't go there with. A confident guy like Frazier is pumped by blowing off the popup, and saying youll take those odds every game, especially if teams are walking Votto after steals for force plays, DP situations that BH might run out of, or he (the 3 hitter ) might crush, on the next pitch anyway. If you don't buy simple fundamentals and believing in the methodology works, you tell me how the Mets are winning....One more obstacle though- players gotta believe in the salesman too. Good managers ease insecurities and motivate egos....and capable players that are asked to do what they are uniquely good at, don't just accept roles, they seek them. Im just not sure Price sees or can sell all that, or maybe the players have the same question. They do seem to repeat a lot of low baseball IQ though, and you would think that an intligent guy that can fit that many f bombs in a 5 minute verbal ass whipping that was his own fault, could figure out how to communicate it, huh ?

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Makes sense 1507.

I'm sure Price let them hoop it up and had a few encouraging words for the troops prior to BP. It went something like this...."Good job last night..keep up the good work". Essentially meaning he doesn't know the difference in winning the game and the other team giving it away.....he's just happy to still have a job. Todays 4-2 loss will most likely be followed by more of the same coaching techniques...." Good job guys....we'll get'em next time".

WTF is Jay Bell and the rest of this enept coaching staff doing. They apparently don't see a problem or you'd think they'd be making suggestions in between games and at the very least making sure Price is aware of his options during games. They're either all clueless or Price isn't listening. Apparently Jay Bell's role is to make dinner reservations and tell Trent C. Rosecrans fat jokes to cheer Price up.

Today's 4-2 loss was classic Bryan Price. It's a 3-2 game after Gregg was left in to give up the go ahead run in the seventh.....again!! Top of the eight the bottom of the order is due up...Byrd .127, Negron .067, and Barnhart .143 all strike out. Now...I'm sure to Price those all seemed like good options. Let's think crazy...way out of the box.....on the bench we have Todd Frazier, Devin Mesoraco, Bren Boesch, and even the Cuban Doughboy Pena.....saving them for extra innings I guess. Then when he does PH in the ninth it's the weakest hitter on the bench Skippy. Then he brings in LHP Parra in the bottom of the inning with 2 of the three Brewers due up being RH power bats. The Negron error allowed the fourth run to score, but the matchup odds make no sense.

I'm well aware the Reds only had four hits each of the last two games and the problems are more than just the in game decisions, but it makes no sense to give the keys to a guy that can't drive the bus.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I get resting players. Pinch hitting doesn't require much though. Maybe Price was playing nice in a sweep game. Hope we don't miss the playoffs by a game.