The season has started

[eburg5000]

I imagine what the AZ manager could have said that might be to far over the top, If he made some kind of raciest remark, I think that is what we would be hearing about rather than Molina.

Anyway if he gets away with it, Teams , players and managers will put that in their pocket for when their guy does something to be suspended

 

[JohnU]

Yo-Yo Gallardo DFA. Tanner Rainey on board.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I was surprised to see Tanner Rainey get called up and even more surprised to see Price insert him in a one run game.

He started last season in A+ Daytona and only pitched 14 games in AA Pensacola. He has a walk rate for his career of over 5 per 9 IP. He can throw hard, but only in the general direction of home plate.

Why they thought this kid was ready to pitch at the highest level is mind boggling.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Homer had a good game. The rest of the team not so much.

 

[JohnU]

I was surprised to see Tanner Rainey get called up and even more surprised to see Price insert him in a one run game.

He started last season in A+ Daytona and only pitched 14 games in AA Pensacola. He has a walk rate for his career of over 5 per 9 IP. He can throw hard, but only in the general direction of home plate.

Why they thought this kid was ready to pitch at the highest level is mind boggling.

Price gives me the impression that he's just pissed off now, he may have lost his job with this one. I would guess he told Williams to either boot Gallardo or else. Letting Rainey pitch in that one ... well, he looked good if the ball doesn't clear the fence, right?

Duvall looks like the guy we should have traded.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Practice like you play I always say. Anyone that followed this team in ST shouldn't be surprised by what we're seeing. This team was fundamentally poor in Arizona and it has continued into the season.

The talent level can be debated, but the fact the coaching staff has failed can't.

 

[JohnU]

I think the front-front office is probably ready to panic. The idea that this franchise could end up being worse than the Pirates for 20 years isn't something that is out of hand. I can see the whole dugout staff getting the ax. Farrell the new manager, Danny Darwin pitching coach ... don't care who the hitting coach is.

 

[eburg5000]

Why they thought this kid was ready to pitch at the highest level is mind boggling.

I can see the whole dugout staff getting the ax.

What else can I say. Well the Phillie fans are nuts. They spend more time berating the opposing team than they do cheering their own team.....
Please leave the berating to us

 

[Redsfan1507]

Not to defend anyone but...Losing is frustrating, especially so if it doesn't appear the club (on field and front office) are making progress toward winning. Desperation moves by managers are more common when only bad options are available. IMO, the better the talent, the smarter the manager appears. I remember Lou Pinella got fired for public criticism about the Rays front office not trying to win, reaffirming my opinion that "winning" managers arent the best choice for clubs destined to lose...uh..."rebuild".

Interesting to see how Hurdle fairs in that regard in Pittsburgh. Maybe he's the rare breed that can keep sanity in any talent level. On the flip side, maybe Price is a better losing manager, whatever than means...patience, composure, or simply the ability to keep publically silent and/or positive with what the front office is selling. One thing is sure, limited budget teams can't get better unless it's done through the farm, and if prospects gained via trades can't perform at the MLB level, tanking for those high picks is a slow and often insufficient process.

 

[JohnU]

Not to defend anyone but...Losing is frustrating, especially so if it doesn't appear the club (on field and front office) are making progress toward winning. Desperation moves by managers are more common when only bad options are available. IMO, the better the talent, the smarter the manager appears. I remember Lou Pinella got fired for public criticism about the Rays front office not trying to win, reaffirming my opinion that "winning" managers arent the best choice for clubs destined to lose...uh..."rebuild".

Interesting to see how Hurdle fairs in that regard in Pittsburgh. Maybe he's the rare breed that can keep sanity in any talent level. On the flip side, maybe Price is a better losing manager, whatever than means...patience, composure, or simply the ability to keep publically silent and/or positive with what the front office is selling. One thing is sure, limited budget teams can't get better unless it's done through the farm, and if prospects gained via trades can't perform at the MLB level, tanking for those high picks is a slow and often insufficient process.

Right now in Price's case, it's a matter of what the owner sees as this franchise's future. I think he was too quick on the trigger to fire Dusty (though I didn't disagree at the time) and when the front office decided to go "rebuild," hiring Price was the logical (cheap, quick, handy) choice.

But as this hobbles through its 5th year, Castellini is staring at the reality that this could become another version of the Pirates who went 20 years under the water. They emerged and now they are at it again. The Reds are a threat to become one of the worst pro franchises in America and Castellini has to recognize that. If he does, the panic will set in and we will see a succession of managers out of Hell.

The trend is to hire a lot of young data geeks to manage. It works if you have talent. I agree. Casey Stengel was a genius in Yankee Stadium, and a patronizing cartoon character with the Mets.

Castellini will demand a winner without any idea how to get one, or sustain it. If this team goes the way the Pirates did, and there's evidence to show that is happening, then the healing will be slow and it will not be permanent. Top players will not sign with the Reds and the ones they have will bolt when they can.

Look for Votto to waive his no-trade pretty soon. They can't keep building a future on the backs of pitchers who spend 2 years in rehab programs. The excuse that "they are a work in progress" has failed everywhere else and it will fail in GABP.

There are worse teams this year and next, but those teams are just bad. The front offices are in much better shape. I suppose we could say Tampa is a threat to hit the floor.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Dunno...tenure inMLB future is hard to predict, but Votto may be a rare guy that likes his place in life and is ok to stay in Cincinnati. Management, however is always suspect to look at a contract and see alternative spending options.

Managers are hired to be fired. I don't expect any Walt Alston, 20 plus one year contracts again, but I'd like to. Some guys have survived on the same team oas winners and losers- Hurdle in PIT and Sciocia in LAA for example, and I do believe a good manager puts his team in position to win more than a lesser guy would with the same team, but I think ultimately those decisions are rare because ownership and manager have to both be agreeable for the long haul.

Depleated talent makes managers look worse, and vice-versa, so I tend to judge a managers capability on his adherence to fundamentals, and to that, at least his attempt at getting his players to execute them. Not bunting or hitting behind the runner in a must advance situation-because players can't or won't isn't good enough for me. I also understand metrics should be known and considered, although that shouldn't excuse removing a SP without having a RP warmed in the pen. The biggest reasons shifts work is because hitters refuse to bunt or go oppage...that D shift is predicated on the stubborn stupidity of hitters (and managers) to ignore obvious fundamental response...No excuse for not trying.

 

[JohnU]

I do believe a good manager puts his team in position to win more than a lesser guy would with the same team, but I think ultimately those decisions are rare because ownership and manager have to both be agreeable for the long haul.

I am not sure that in the Reds case, the GM and the owner see the manager's job the same way.
I think Bob C is going to offload Price because he sees the future going down the toilet and he will panic. He does not want to see another decade of terrible baseball. That's not about Williams or Price. That is about the personal legacy of Bob C.

The owner can just say, "Spare me the excuses. You people should know enough to get players."
The 2012-3 disasters are not bitter pills IF you can spit them out. Right now, those pills are wallowing in Bob C's mouth and it's 4-plus years into a rebuild. The team is 2-8, not time to panic. If they go into May with a 10-20 record, bet on it ... Bob C will begin to panic and he will seek a fix for it. Is that the right plan? He's the boss, he doesn't have to answer that question. He doesn't want to watch his rebuild become a rebuild and go 20 years of losing. It just ain't gonna happen. I will be interested to see how that unfolds.

Even if the Reds win 80 games this year, it's still another year of losing.

 

[eburg5000]

The biggest reasons shifts work is because hitters refuse to bunt or go oppage...that D shift is predicated on the stubborn stupidity of hitters (and managers) to ignore obvious fundamental response...No excuse for not trying.

The Twins say that if they put on a shift it's unfair to hit the other way. At least that's what they said in a game last week. Me I would hit the other way till they changed the shift. I would also like to see the Reds do it.

I'm not sure why the Reds offense can't seem to get hits when they need them. Or why opposing pitches seem to throw the right pitch to get out of an inning. Maybe it's luck, or maybe it's something else. But it's happened a lot the last two weeks. Also it seems there are a lot of players having career games against the Reds. Pitching and hitting.

 

[JohnU]

I played some ball back when and we had a shortstop who sidearmed them to first base. I caught a few balls in the baseline ahead of the runner. Finally told this fucker that if he did that again, I would throw the ball at his nuts. He said he couldn't throw overhand. I went to the outfield.

 

[eburg5000]

2 and 9. The Reds made Kingery look like babe Ruth. Not much else to say

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Scooter's offense has been better than the average second baseman, but his throwing is a killer. He's cost the team at least four runs on defense this season.

Winker would fall into the same category. Between a weak throwing arm and foot speed that would rival Ernie Lomrbadi his defense hasn't been a pitchers best friend.

Votto was a better base runner prior to the knee injury. He's looked like he's afraid to take the extra base ever since. Last night the Phillies threw home on both of Votto's singles and there's Joey standing on the first base bag. He has average speed at best, but that's not an excuse. I've seen slower runners take the extra base when the other team misses the cutoff man.

 

[JohnU]

Games are not won or lost on one play but they are affected by a series of events. Baserunning is the one part of the game that seldom matters much at the time. A guy on second who only gets to third is often a guy who scores anyway but at the expense of an out, which may cut short on a rally that yields 4 runs. It's hard to measure.

Obviously if Brice strikes out the next 2 hitters and gets the fly ball, the Phils don't make Scooter pay for that error. But facing 5 or 6 guys means you are gonna lose the game. Phils got the bunt down. Reds bunters like to practice looking good on a bunt. It's just the math that separates the 90 win teams from the 90 loss teams.

Cincy is churning its way out of the pennant race before the end of April.

The goal was to have QC fans talking about the Reds in September and not Ohio State football.

I don't give a fuck about Ohio State football.

 

[eburg5000]

Only 7 games under 5 hundred. Plus they have to come out of this at some point. Maybe starting today, The weather is going to be warmer for this series with the Cardinals. At this point I'd be happy with a split against them. Maybe this will be the day the Reds fate will change for the better.


Just call me mister optimistic.

 

[JohnU]

Only 7 games under 5 hundred. Plus they have to come out of this at some point. Maybe starting today, The weather is going to be warmer for this series with the Cardinals. At this point I'd be happy with a split against them. Maybe this will be the day the Reds fate will change for the better.


Just call me mister optimistic.

Eventually they will win a series or rip off 9 out of 15. The problem in this weekend is that this is the back half of the rotation. If Sally loses tonight, we go back to "TBA" which is either Reed or The Village Idiot. So that puts it on Homer for Sunday. Homer is a .500 pitcher. If these guys hit like they play the rest of the game, the Cardinals are going to piss me off big-time.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Even the 1962 Mets had a streak where they won 9 of 12.