This team stinks

[Kate Upton]

This team is an unwatchable, underachieving pile of horseshit.

Choo looks lost...

Cozart might be the worst hitter in baseball. He makes Drew Stubbs look like a competent hitter by comparison...

Votto is a $200 mil walks and singles machine...

Phillips swings at more bad pitches than anybody in baseball, and couldn't draw a walk if his life depended on it...

Ditto Frazier...

The only consistent thing about Bruce is inconsistency...

With Ludwick out, LF is a crapshoot, with special emphasis on the word crap...

Hanigan is as worthless with a bat in his hand as Mesoraco is with catcher's gear on...

The bench is a fine AAA lineup...

The bullpen reminds nobody of 1990.

The only thing this team has is 5 starters capable of overcoming this craptastic squad, which sadly will be enough for a one and done wildcard appearance.

Yes, this a rant rooted in frustration.

 

[JohnU]

I think getting 3 hits off a guy with a 5.00 ERA is pretty darned impressive.
Hell, we got a guy to 2nd base in the 9th inning. What else do you want?

 

[Kate Upton]

I think getting 3 hits off a guy with a 5.00 ERA is pretty darned impressive.
Hell, we got a guy to 2nd base in the 9th inning. What else do you want?

I want a SS who is worthy of a MLB roster spot and a catcher than both hit .240 and, you know...CATCH!

That's for starters...

I've grown to despise Zack Cozart. That guy is awful. Worst player on the team, and that includes Izturis.

 

[JohnU]

Cozart would be all right if confined to his role -- play SS and bat 8th.

 

[JohnU]

At this pace, the Reds finish 8 or 9 games behind the Birds.
At most, it would be 90 wins at this pace.

 

[Gatorchip]

I clicked on this thread to see a hot picture. Instead I get flipped off by a dead guy.

 

[JohnU]

That's what makes baseball America's second-most exciting sport, Gatorchip!

 

[Kate Upton]

Cozart would be all right if confined to his role -- play SS and bat 8th.

Cozart is a pretty good SS.

But he really might be the worst hitter in all of baseball.

A .623 OPS? I haven't checked, but that could be the lowest mark for full time player in the bigs.

For comparison sake, Drew Stubbs last year, in a season which I think we'd all agree was monumentally awful, had a .610 OPS. But at least Stubbs was a factor that had to be psid attention to on the rare times he actually did reach base, and he rarely hit into DP's...something Cozart seems to do every stinking game.

The guy is awful.

 

[Redsfan1507]

This is the same team as last year, except for Choo v Stubbs, and Dusty isn't in a contract year.

This time last year, LF was a Bafoon platoon with Heisey and Ludwick hitting around Cozart averages, and Votto looked like someone had operated on his swing instead of his knee.

Yea, I know...who could possibly go on without Cueto, Marshall, Broxton, Ludwick and Mark Berry ?
Well, BOTH teams rapidly leaving our Reds in the NLC dust, as a matter of fact. They've lost impact players and COMPETENT dugout staff that laugh at the relative paper cuts of the Reds missing.

The Reds have ice cube excuses for iceberg sized underperformances, coincidentally or not, in all of Dusty's "safe" contract years. It ISN'T all Dusty's fault, but like Custer, he's the guy running the debacle. Personally, I'd like to see him be replaced just to send this leaderless team the message that taking a mental and motivationsl YEAR off isn't acceptable even when you aren't trying to get a new contract. This team was built to win- not roll over because a SP is out or a cast off journeyman OF or LOOGY is injured.

This is a team looking for excuses to lose instead of reasons to win.

 

[WvuDieHard]

Well what makes Cozart really bad is that he gets good pitches to hit in front of Votto. He just can't hit them consistently. I sure would like to know the % of his outs that are pop ups? That will tell you the kid has a swing flaw and it started the day he put the uniform on in the big leagues. A good hitting instructor would have fixed that by now. A good manager would get his ass down to the 8th spot.

 

[Kate Upton]

This is the same team as last year, except for Choo v Stubbs, and Dusty isn't in a contract year.

This time last year, LF was a Bafoon platoon with Heisey and Ludwick hitting around Cozart averages, and Votto looked like someone had operated on his swing instead of his knee.

Yea, I know...who could possibly go on without Cueto, Marshall, Broxton, Ludwick and Mark Berry ?
Well, BOTH teams rapidly leaving our Reds in the NLC dust, as a matter of fact. They've lost impact players and COMPETENT dugout staff that laugh at the relative paper cuts of the Reds missing.

The Reds have ice cube excuses for iceberg sized underperformances, coincidentally or not, in all of Dusty's "safe" contract years. It ISN'T all Dusty's fault, but like Custer, he's the guy running the debacle. Personally, I'd like to see him be replaced just to send this leaderless team the message that taking a mental and motivationsl YEAR off isn't acceptable even when you aren't trying to get a new contract. This team was built to win- not roll over because a SP is out or a cast off journeyman OF or LOOGY is injured.

This is a team looking for excuses to lose instead of reasons to win.

I largely agree with that, although Ludwick's absence has hurt this lineup.

He had an excellent season last year, and he was the primary power source from the right side of the plate.

Plus, his absence has forced players into less than ideal order slots...Phillips 4th, Cozart 2nd etc...

Marshall has been a big loss as well IMO.

But with all that said, yes this team still should be much better than it has shown so far. Much better.

 

[JohnU]

Seeing the flaw in Cozart's swing is as easy as seeing the one in Stubbs' swing or Bruce's.
I can see them on TV and evidently nobody else in the Reds dugout ever watches video.
Cozart, when he drives the ball down, his weight is forward. That's the desired approach.

When he pops up, he's leaning backward on his back foot. That leads to the popups, as it does with every hitter, though sometimes it's just "missing" the pitch.

The strikeouts come when he fails to recognize the pitch he can hit.

That's not an incorrectable error but it requires lots of work in the cage. Dusty will probably suggest that Zack work on that in the off-season.

The guy has been in the bigs for 2 full seasons, has the benefit of every film room, cage, instruction, mental, physical and psychological aid in human history. And he still can't hit.

If you are stupid and there's a book of knowledge in front of you, do you (a.) open it or (b.) set your coffee mug on top of it?

 

[JohnU]

I largely agree with that, although Ludwick's absence has hurt this lineup.

He had an excellent season last year, and he was the primary power source from the right side of the plate.

Plus, his absence has forced players into less than ideal order slots...Phillips 4th, Cozart 2nd etc...

Marshall has been a big loss as well IMO.

But with all that said, yes this team still should be much better than it has shown so far. Much better.

I think losing Ludwick gave Dusty a brain cramp. Marshall is way more valuable than we think.
Broxton would have been valuable.

Still, it's the hitting that beats this team, not the pitching. This bullpen is no better/worse than anyone's and our starters are comparable on 4 days out of 5. That's more than the minimum expectation.
But the numbers at the plate are murder. If you ask a Reds hitter why that is, does he say "I don't know"?

If you ask the coaches, they will just say it's a "slump."

No ... it isn't even a trend now. It's become the tattoo on the team's ass.

 

[Kate Upton]

Well what makes Cozart really bad is that he gets good pitches to hit in front of Votto. He just can't hit them consistently. I sure would like to know the % of his outs that are pop ups? That will tell you the kid has a swing flaw and it started the day he put the uniform on in the big leagues. A good hitting instructor would have fixed that by now. A good manager would get his ass down to the 8th spot.

I'd bet that 95% of his outs, and there are PLENTY of them, are either weak pop ups or 2 hoppers to 3rd.

He thinks he's a slugger.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

i am absolutely puzzled by this team... they are so good, so talented... but why the hell is cozart hitting 2?? that is what is killing this team... a report came out saying that the 2 hitter is where you should place your best hitter- i do disagree to that philosophy, but i do think it is counterproductive putting one of your worst hitters there!!! with Choo, votto, phillips, and bruce and even frasier in the same lineup there is no reason for this offense to be as bad as they are(clearly there is some exageration here).

 

[Redsfan1507]

Ludwick had 2-1/2 good months last year, and 6 good months the prior few Sean's combined. No different that Jonny Gomes before him, except Gomes didn't get $13 million. The biggest detriment Ludwick's absence has made, is it allowed Dusty to fall of the top of the order wagon and put another 8 hitter there, and move BP back into the 4 hole, where he hits.260 trying to pull short fence HR into inning ending 2 on DPs. Meanwhile, the ONLY 30 HR capable hitter, Bruce, hits 5th so that a situational LOOGY in the 7th inning won't face back to back lefty hitters. It's insanity.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

i have no problem with cozart, i just have a huge problem with dusty hitting him at the 2 hole all season...

On another topic, How can cozart, paul, and heisey be taking a spot away for billy hamilton?? i understand hamilton has not been great in the minors, but a team that is struggling with steals can get a huge boost with hamilton... and it is not like they are doing much better with his replacements... If hamilton's baserunning is anythinh close to what they say it is, then he can be a game changer even if he cant hit...

 

[Kate Upton]

I think losing Ludwick gave Dusty a brain cramp. Marshall is way more valuable than we think.
Broxton would have been valuable.

Still, it's the hitting that beats this team, not the pitching. This bullpen is no better/worse than anyone's and our starters are comparable on 4 days out of 5. That's more than the minimum expectation.
But the numbers at the plate are murder. If you ask a Reds hitter why that is, does he say "I don't know"?

If you ask the coaches, they will just say it's a "slump."

No ... it isn't even a trend now. It's become the tattoo on the team's ass.

Marshall is definitely valuable...more so than Broxton IMO. His absence has cost this team games they would have won with him.

And the hitting/tatoo/ass?...

Right on.

 

[JohnU]

i am absolutely puzzled by this team... they are so good, so talented... but why the hell is cozart hitting 2?? that is what is killing this team... a report came out saying that the 2 hitter is where you should place your best hitter- i do disagree to that philosophy, but i do think it is counterproductive putting one of your worst hitters there!!! with Choo, votto, phillips, and bruce and even frasier in the same lineup there is no reason for this offense to be as bad as they are(clearly there is some exageration here).

The problem is rather fuzzy. I tried to come up with a lineup that put our best hitter in the 2 spot and could only come up with one guy.

Joey Votto.

Early on when Choo was an OB machine, Votto could have had a dozen RBI and a dozen doubles.

How that helps the team is very simple. It gives you a run early in the game and lets the other hitters in the lineup begin the process of playing add-on.

Just move Cozart to the 7 or 8 hole, and slide everybody else up a notch.

There is no alternative to that. Putting D-Robinson in the leadoff spot is almost as dumb as trying to sail the globe in canoe. Robinson, you see, just can't hit MLB pitching.

And moving Choo to the 2 spot against lefties insures that Votto will be up with 2 out, 0 on.

The league has a lot of lefties and they throw them at the Reds like rice at a wedding.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Cozart stole 30 bases a season in the minors, and has had ZERO attempts. He was a 4:1 K:BB hitter, that earned his job on defense. So it's his fault he can't be successful as a 2 hitter ? You can paint a zebra brown, but you can't make him into a racehorse.