The second half

[eburg5000]

If they can keep Storen and Wood somehow on the DL until Sept. 28, they might avoid 100 losses.

That's true.

Baseball is a funny game. I wouldn't want to make a living betting on it. Saturday nights game Teheran 7-0 against Stephenson who hasn't won a game all year. Then yesterday there is Casttillo, probably the best starter the Reds has to offer. against Newcomb who before the game was 1 and 7, with an era around 5. Just looking at the starters you would think Braves best chance to win was Saturday and Reds Sunday.
Over the years I've learned when I see games like this, I go against the odds. It seems like most of the time it goes against the odds.
I know in both games the bullpen gave up a lot of runs and there were other factors to. But it's in interesting how these games turn out.

I noticed that there was a lot of hitters that were hit by pitches in that series. Most were Reds. The pitch that hit Cozart looked intentional to me.

 

[JohnU]

Until this year with the wave to first rule for intentional walks, it was not possible to give up 4 runs on 4 pitches. I would have to say that is damned near the benchmark to beat. The Storen Line similar to Mendoza.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I think the Reds lowered the bar for relievers after the 2016 bullpen disaster. Re-signing Cingrani, Wood, and signing Storen was never going to be much of an upgrade, if any.

Hard to imagine giving up four runs on four pitches. If we thought we'd seen everything, we were wrong.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

There's been a few good outings of late from the rookies. Stephenson, Romano, and Castillo have all shown a glimpse of being MLB quality. Now they need to build upon it without taking two steps back.

I would think Castillo is getting close to his innings limit. He's pitched the entire season without injury in the minors and with the big club. Stephenson and Romano haven't logged as many innings.

Looking to next season, there are still a lot of unanswered questions surrounding this pitching staff.

I'd really like to see Dick Williams get off the notion of needing to sign an over the hill veteran SP. Shouldn't that be Homer Bailey's role moving forward?

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Homer should be able to relate to most the rotation candidates. He has a lot of experience being injured and a disappointing prospect. That pretty much covers everyone on this roster.

 

[JohnU]

No shortage of 30-something starters (all righties) who will be available to "eat innings" while the rotation gets off of rehab again next June.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Interesting list of guys eligible for the Reds HOF fan vote this year.
Adam Dunn
Aaron Boone
Reggie Sanders
Scott Rolen
John Franco
Danny Graves
Only one gets elected by the fans. Any guesses on who you think it might be?

 

[JohnU]

Interesting list of guys eligible for the Reds HOF fan vote this year.
Adam Dunn
Aaron Boone
Reggie Sanders
Scott Rolen
John Franco
Danny Graves
Only one gets elected by the fans. Any guesses on who you think it might be?

Wow, the only one **I** would vote for is Dunn based on his career with the Reds only.

None of these guys says "Hall of Fame," except Rolen -- but with the Cardinals.
Franco wasn't in Cincy long enough.

Graves and Boone are very pedestrian.
Sanders played awhile with a bunch of teams with numbers that kept him in the lineup.
Nah on any of those guys.

I'd vote for Sparky again.

If I had to guess, I'd say the fans choose Rolen, which would be a shame.

 

[eburg5000]

I'd have to vote for Dunn, Because he's high on the Reds homerun list. Dunn was great but had a lot of HR's for the Reds.
If Rolen goes to Cooperstown, He will be wearing a Cardinals hat not a Reds hat, and if the Reds vote him in their HOF. I think it would be a little embarrassing

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I agree on Rolen. The best career of the six, but not as a Reds player.
Four seasons and a 7.6 WAR

Boone was an average player. Not HOF in my opinion.
Seven seasons and a 11.6 WAR.

Graves is the Reds all-time saves leader. (182) Was terrible as a SP at the end of his run. Flipping off the fans is probably what is most remembered for. Next!

Reggie Sanders had good tools, but his career fizzled after 1995.
Eight seasons and a 21.4 WAR

John Franco had a nice run as a closer. Three all-star appearances and a NL Fireman of the Year award. Seemed to always have the tying run on base, but got it done.
Six seasons with a 2.49 ERA and 148 saves.

Adam Dunn, the original big donkey before Cozart's gifted mule. Lots of HR, strike outs, and bad defense. The guy put up good power numbers with a good OBP.
8 seasons and a 16.4 WAR.

I vote for John Franco.

 

[eburg5000]

Is 16.4 war good or bad. Are low numbers better


I liked John Franco and was really upset when the Reds traded him. But it did work out for both teams. He was with the Reds for 6 yrs and had good years. He deserves to be there. He had a good long career, 21 yr's

The game last night.... At least Storen had a shut out inning, Woods not making a very good bid to be back next year. The bullpen gave up all 13 runs last night probably their worst outing of the year.

 

[JohnU]

Wood has obviously lost command of everything and keeping him around is going to do nothing to improve this team's future. I suppose they can just put him on a "DL" eventually since they can't do anything else but DFA the guy. The rest of the bullpen is just a crap shoot. Teams are laying back and teeing off.

The higher the WAR, the better.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

It's obvious the Reds HOF standards can't be too high or it'd be rare to have someone voted in. But nonetheless I think they shouldn't let less than all-star caliber type players in. By all-star type players I mean guys that at least made it a few times.

IMO,
If you weren't one of the top NL players at your position while you were playing for the Reds, you probably shouldn't be in.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Words can't describe how bad the bullpen was last night.

 

[JohnU]

It's obvious the Reds HOF standards can't be too high or it'd be rare to have someone voted in. But nonetheless I think they shouldn't let less than all-star caliber type players in. By all-star type players I mean guys that at least made it a few times.

IMO,
If you weren't one of the top NL players at your position while you were playing for the Reds, you probably shouldn't be in.

I think the H of F for the Reds is more about churning the event, which is a pretty big weekend around the ballpark. That being the case, I think they need to add somebody every year or else it becomes a non-event. At this point, anybody who wasn't a player and who is popular in the Tri-State is in the Reds H of F.

Obviously they can't add a dead person and get the same weekend event.

 

[JohnU]

Wood DFA but the guys they called to replace him are hopefully not going to be carried off on stretchers

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The Reds aren't in the habit of having special events that don't increase ticket sales.

Honoring a player post humorously happens, but it's usually included with a couple living inductees and a family membe of the deceased. A third cousin or so that never met the dead ball era stud.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I'm surprised Shackleford is still around.

I'm not too interested in seeing Luke Farrell, but the Alejandro Chacin kid has pitched well the past couple seasons. He got some action during spring training.

 

[JohnU]

I loved it that Chacin became the poster child for Reds bullpen life. The very first guy he ever faced hits a dinger off him. Welcome to the Reds, son ... you fit right in already!

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I thought he was going to walk La Stella after falling behind in the count, but instead he opted to groove one to a guy that doesn't have much power.

NEWS FLASH! Everyone has power with this year's new and improved ball.