"Cinc" some mojo?

[Cincy the Red]

Was sitting here doing some looking and our balance in the HR department is pretty impressive. 6 of our regular starters have 5 HR's or more....take that out a full season and that is one dangerous/powerful line-up. Can potentially go "yard" from anywhere. I know, I know....we play at HR friendly GABP, but still impressive nonetheless to me.

 

[JohnU]

Homer friendly GABP is where the Reds are expected to win, and they get 81 games there, so the HR totals are what they are. Choo, Votto, Bruce and Hanny all went yard in not-homer friendly Citi Field.

The offense is showing some signs of consistency though not enough small productive innings. I am OK with the big innings but it bothers me to see them go flat for 3, score 3 runs and sit on it till the 8th inning. I don't think it's intentional but it sure is common.

 

[eburg5000]

Chico, I wish that I could have that enthusiasm and excitement, that I had when I was young. I guess that if I could have anything back from my youth. It would be that.

 

[chico ruiz]

thank you mr. eburg. that's really all i was trying to say. of course, i knew i would be attacked by someone, and his reply post only went to further, and prove my point.
just make an effort to reclaim what makes us feel good about the game. you guys remember thompy from the cbs page? he (i assume "he") made me feel good about the reds, and the truer meaning of the game, with almost every posting. we don't have enough thompy's on this board. i talk to my father quite a bit about baseball and college basketball. in our conversations, we will occasionally have to stop and remind ourselves that many of the athletes we are talking about are kids. i say to my dad, "remember me at 20-25?" he just starts to roar with laughter. it's a boys game played by men, and some are very young men. tony robbins? yeah, and i work out to richard simmons too. that one made me laugh, but not for the reason the poster imagines.

 

[JohnU]

I suppose I can add my 2 nickels worth of analysis to this concept.

Mainly, the perceptions we have of each other on this board are because it's about baseball, which we take seriously, maybe to a fault. I'd guess more than half of America couldn't care less who wins a ball game.

This forum does not address our interest in movies, astronomy, finance, art, pets, nature, gardening, cooking, politics or history. All of that can be interesting, enjoyable, boring, tedious, enlightening, emotionally uplifting, or any combination of those things. (We can start a forum that does that, I suppose. I'd take part in some of it.)

I take baseball seriously when the Reds are playing. The rest of MLB can just be amusing to me, except for teams that contend with my Reds for success.

I think, though, that repeating the same criticisms will not move us forward. I'd rather talk about the specific games than the overall philosophy. I know that's difficult.

 

[chico ruiz]

no deeper philosophical meaning intended john. really just a friendly reminder, before certain threads start to veer towards malevolence, about the essence of the game. perhaps considering why you liked it -to begin with- before you push a button? whether that's getting an autograph from ted abernathy at the IGA, or sitting on the throne perusing box scores it doesn't matter. i still remember being a kid at crosley wondering why the old man next to me was spewing and spitting obscenities. i also remember how it ruined part of the game and took the enjoyment out of it. i'm sure the analogy doesn't escape you.

 

[JohnU]

I think there are times when we feel compelled to be critical of the team because to do otherwise would suggest we don't know much about it. In other words, the people who play the Pollyanna card don't know how the game is played.

I go to the game with my friend sometimes and she's all excited when a guy gets any sort of hit. I'm there bellyaching about why the guy swung at a pitch out of the strike zone. As if it mattered which pitch he hit. But I feel like I need to prove to her that I have some kind of insight.

I think a lot of us who post here believe that. As a result, a lot of what we post is about what the team isn't doing right -- and overlooking that the percentages of doing something right in MLB are pretty good.