The problem, identified...

[Redsfan1507]

Naw, their biggest blunder was taking the most dominant lefty SP in a generation, and making him a closer.

Kinda like Wayne Krivsky telling the Twins to release some "fat kid that would never hit" and the Redsox turning him into Big Papi.

Ray Charles had better vision.

 

[JohnU]

Firing Price isn't going to fix the problem but what it does do is tell people who are inept that there is no room for them in MLB. Any team that can, at best only win 1 out of 3 games is basically demonstrating that it has a lack of talent and leadership. Price is proving to be inept.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Eventually, the human condition reacts adversely to losing. We either become complacent, or impossible to work around. I think it's why teams don't have the same guy rebuild for 5 years, then still manage the Series contender. Sometimes even winning guys are impossible- no one could stand playing for Dick Williams or Billy Martin for more than about 5 years. Players that played loved Dusty because he was easy. The answer is somewhere in between. Alston and Wooden are rare long runners.

 

[JohnU]

The secret to being a contending (fan-friendly) franchise is to turn a bad stretch around inside of 3 years. Two bad seasons in a row is not the end of the world unless it's coincidentally connected to a manager who has zero managing experience.
If Price is back next year, I'll bet a month's pay that the team is well under .500.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I think Price is a patsy for the the makeover, and the minute they might contend, he's toast. He should have been more careful what to ask for- if he was still "just" the pitching coach, people would still be happy with him. Now, he can't win...I know, no manager can win with this team, but I still think he sucks. It's human nature I guess.

Unfortunately, even though Jocketty & Co. completely dorked up the timing of the Reds pitching staff (having all those SP's at the same free agent eligible year, giving Bailey THE ONLY big pitching contract they could afford, instead of Cueto, NOT making Chapman a starter, etc.) it's the OFFENSE that is beating the Reds every game...

This team is possibly one of the worst team offenses around, especially considering so many individual players with considerable tools- (Hamiltons speed, Votto's all around ability, Frazier & Bruce's power, and both SS suprising offense this year)...there is just no way to blame this anemic run scoring on just missing Mesoraco's cleanup spot bat- who in all likelihood would have only gotten about 400 AB's as a catcher only player this season anyway. Hamilton hitting the ball in the air too much wasn't met with shorter swings and more bunts, he was simply dropped to 9th in the order. Byrd and Bruce put up months of platoon worthy failures, but were allowed to flounder every day.

Poor forward planning just can't be rescued by worse execution.

Plate philosophy is, and has been for some time, terrible. They don't have a clue about hitting behind the runner, and when they have a rare runner at 3b with 1 out, can't seem to hit a flyball to score him. They swing at balls out of the zone and take strike 3 too much. They don't bunt often or very well, the BB:K ratio is bad, they don't get enough runners on, and other than the steal, can't get them over, and as a result don't get them in often either.

This condition precedes Price...and Dusty...It's a Reds systemic problem. The don't need an antibiotic to treat this like a rash- they need an organizational immunization. This is an organization that doesn't know how to hit anything but a homer. Unfortunately, not even a HR a game can win 95 games alone.

 

[JohnU]

One cannot avoid the obvious ... if Hamilton can't hit, the coach is supposed to help him. No coaching occurred. Either that's the manager's responsibility or it is not.
Having 5 rookies in the rotation isn't Price's fault but having Marquis in the rotation is either the manager's choice or it is not. If he was given a pitcher he couldn't use and used him anyway, that is the fault of the beer vendor, I suppose.
Price has shown himself to be completely inept, even though he has one year of injuries to excuse himself. So did the Pirates and Cardinals ... funny how some teams play through it. Pittsburgh lost half its infield and never missed a beat. St. Louis lost two starters, traded another ... well, whatever.
Hamilton is hitting .220 and Votto leads the world in walks.
Chapman is now "hurt" after trying to save 10 games since June.
The Reds have FIVE whole wins in August as of this note and could go oh-for-a-homestand, which probably hasn't happened since 1982 or 1892, whichever came first.
The so called "lack of energy" apparently has nothing to do with the "business" of baseball that Votto describes ... when a team payroll is something short of the national budget for 53 countries in the world.
The fuckin' excuses are over. This team insulted the fans, from top to bottom ... and the main guy who gets the blame is the man who was in charge of "managing" it all. The coaches are his staff. The strategy is his and the performance is his.
The notion that the manager wins or loses 3 or 4 games a year is a strawman. The team that wins zero games out of a homestand is what matters -- that's what the manager brings to the table. It's not chess.

 

[eburg5000]

Damn West Coast trip started all this!

 

[Redsfan1507]

"Losing is a disease...as contagious as syphillis".

Until Roy Hobbs joins the Reds, this disease will run it's course. They'll either develop better resistance to bad play and improve, or possibly, die from it. It's unfortunate, but I think the talent pothole the Reds are in, was always in front of them, they've just run out of patch to fill it with.

One immediate problem with losing, is how it adversy effects already challenged players and coaches. The music isnt as loud. They dont laugh as much. Sometimes, if they're under contract, they just don't care that much. They just try not to get hurt. Arbitration and free agent eligible guys may be a little more selfish than usual. Rookies sometimes overthrow and over swing trying to make an impression. Coaches get deflated and just go through the motions. Veterans without contracts often bitch about losing PT to call ups. Lots of people just dont want to be there. Some guys just give in to nagging injuries and escape to DL. No wonder energy is low.

We've all probably worked jobs like that. Not for that kind of money, but just saying. Not much fun. It's why they call it a grind.