The record is 19 in a row, 1914

[JohnU]

I can see this group of losers challenging it.

Nice work, Hoover

 

[WvuDieHard]

This team can't hit. They look like a deer in the head lights anytime there is a base runner. And that goes for all of them. Again, time to break them up for draft picks. if you are going to lose a 100 games, why stay with the same sinking ship year after year.

 

[eburg5000]

I agree, and thats the trademark of the last 5 or 6 years. Not being able to hit with runners in scoring position .now the pitching is gone. Getting rid of Simon made no sense. Instead of paying Bailey all that money, they could have given it to Cueto. Votto is good but not 250 million good. Just a lot of bad decisions by upper management.

 

[Redsfan1507]

This is a pretty sad team. They seem to find ways to lose. They say hindsight is 20:20, and looking back, do you think the Reds would be better without Votto ? I doubt that. He was signed for market price for MVP...as far as Bailey goes, they signed him first because his contract was up before Cueto's was. They could have let him go, hoping to sign Cueto, but just like last winters sell off didnt help lock up Cueto, that might not have either.

Maybe a coincidence, or just my imagination but seems like just about every player the Reds extend, goes on the DL almost immediately.

 

[JohnU]

I don't think the Votto deal is the problem. Neither is Bailey's. I think, yeah, it's that the people who have the big contracts aren't in uniform. Other guys notice that and even if they understand, it's ... well a real damned thing.
Observations from 34,000 feet would suggest that Price has lost all respect of this team. That is never going to get him to the AS break. One would assume the team is sort of screwed because they did evidently want something more of a positive showing going into that game.
Honestly, the AS game does nothing for the fans. Maybe the city benefits, but fuck them too.
If I had a crystal ball, I'd say this....

Leake will be traded before Cueto is, and he will be dealt for a catcher.
I don't see any of the infielders being flipped in a trade until maybe the deadline. Will need to see who's hurt on other teams first.
I think the Reds will hang onto Cueto.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

You'd never guess it by watching this team.....but the Reds spent a Opening Day franchise record $115M+ on this group of misfits. Next year will most likely exceed that number for a new record despite being a even worse collection of talent after another round of salary dumping.

The combination of poor draft position due to the success of 2010-13 and signing players long term instead of cashing them in for prospects has left this team's farm system bare. With as weak a farm system as the Reds have.... the next time they're in position to contend the long term guys won't even play a role in it. The current braintrust showed a lack of foresight in thinking they were building a contender for years to come. Reminds me of what the Phillies did a half dozen years ago. How's it working out for them?

 

[JohnU]

I don't know what to believe. I hear the scouting director mouthing about how the Reds have this cache of arms and outfielders who don't seem to make it any higher than Lousyville while the Reds keep signing castoffs to 2-year terms.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Yeah...like top prospect Robert Stephenson who is sporting a 5.26 ERA in AA or Winker who is raking to the tune of .232 at the same level.

Winker may turn it on and have a good showing by season end...but Stephenson is a player they should be concerned about. Nick Howard is another one struggling...more walks than innings pitched at A+ Daytona.

A player that has improved a bunch this year is the lefty from St. John's basketball program Amir Garrett. He's shown the quickest improvement next to Lorenzen. A OF named Steve Selsky is having a good year at Louisville hitting .320+. Has a career .296 minor league average with a little pop.

I agree with something you've said a few times John...the Reds are slow to promote players through the system. Wine gets better with age...prospects and grapes rot on the vine if left there to long.

 

[Redsfan1507]

This team needs better players, in order to play better. That's obvious. If they are paying $115M for this, they can and should, lose cheaper. I think they will have to.

There are usually minor league position players blocked by MLB contracts, but with the rag-tag bullpen/pitching staff, and the revolving door of old, expensive and underperforming left fielders, I don't see any reason there aren't opportunities available. I doubt seriously that minor league SP's wouldn't jump at the chance to be relievers on the big club, or a farm infielder that would object to playing the OF for the Reds.

I did hear Jocketty say on the radio, the Reds are going to get younger...he didnt get specific, but it's pretty much a no-brainer. One does have to take minor league stats with a little understanding that there is no button on the calculator to translate those stats to MLB performance. Bruce hit .350 his last year in AAA, and Frazier was mostly a .260 hitter with only occasional power there, and their MLB records so far have went counter to farm numbers with them, as example.

Minor leaguers get hurt too, and weaknesses are exposed more the higher level they climb. Stevenson has had some injury and/or effectiveness issues, now I keep hearing Moscot as the next likely pitcher up.

I was a bit suprised the Reds signed Byrd, instead of using a farmhand or two in LF, and I didnt understand the Gregg and Marquis signings, especially when they optioned LeCure for tossing the same high school MPH they were. It is possible farmhands would have done worse, but they would have been cheaper, and at least theoretically, had age and potential upside in their favor. We fans would have probably blamed losing on the Reds being cheap, if they had have went that direction... For fans, it's all about winning, and it's hard to make us happy any other way.

I guess we're supposed to believe the opening day roster was going to compete ? Sure does look to me like the Reds front office is being limited by available players, instead of having a solid plan...I guess they couldn't see injuries coming, or Bruce suddenly forgetting how to get a hit, but they didnt plan all that well to contracts they had to know they couldn't renew. I suspect Latos and Simon kind of return for Cueto and Leake. The LF's have been past 35 yrs. old for several years now...and Hamilton and Bruce are on a 2 season long Mendoza line "slump", so might want to find an OF in the system that can hit above .240 in the near future. I'd be suprised if any other 3 player everyday MLB OF is hitting as low as the Reds. That's a big problem- especially with a 12 man pitching staff that contains 9 holes in it.

Price is no great manager, but he would have to be a magician to make this roster work. Dusty bitched about needing another hitter back when Votto and Choo were 1-2 OBP top dogs, Phillips was driving them in regularly, Ludwick was hitting near a career high, Rolen was still hitting, and Bruce was clubbing 30 HR. He would have swallowed his toothpick with these scrubs. Not to defend keeping Price, because if nothing else, firing the manager tells the players and fans that losing is unacceptable..the other half of that is the front office's responsibility- to provide better talent to whoever is managing. When that doesn't happen, the GM needs to get the same message.

I'm convinced this team needs an enema. Shit is backed up from top to bottom already.

 

[JohnU]

The least difficult player to find in all the land is a left fielder.
For 8 years, we have been trying to keep a list of guys who played LF for the Reds. Last winter, I think I had one that was about 18 or 19 names long.
And to think, the Reds last winter said all they needed to do was fill in the LF hole and all would be well in Wiedemann Land.
Now it looks like Barnhart will indeed get his 250 at-bats this year, maybe more once Pena runs out of gas around the first of August.
The good news is that I don't much care either way if the Cardinals or Parrots win. Finishing 8 back, 18 back or 28 back ... the Reds fans got screwed with this operation.
Do I blame the manager? I have to ... he's the guy who stands in front of the media every day. And as a guy on WLW said the other day ... ain't nobody stepping up to take any of the blame with him. The owner is silent, the GM is making driveling noises and the rest of the coaches are just acting like it's Friday.
If you can't get 4 hits off a meatballer, a tirade of f-in-this and f-in-that ain't gonna matter.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Maybe a good beanball war...a bench clearing brawl or two...might liven things up- wouldn't help them win, but might draw more fan interest. I used to go to hockey games just to see the fights.

 

[JohnU]

The problem is, the announcers will show the clip before every game and make sure they add that "Phillips is actually a pretty nice guy."

Hamilton and Bruce probably still have options.