Wow....what to think of these Reds....

[Cincy the Red]

Talk about a roller coaster ride folks. The ups & downs are almost enough to make me sick (and I love a good roller coaster...just not with the Reds season). The injury bug is all over us this year, where as, last year we were pretty fortunate outside Votto's injury. Wonderfully, the team stepped up in his absence last year and they seem to be attempting to do the same while we are missing some key guys...Luddy, Marshall, Broxton, Cueto, just to name a few. They are playing hard and ya gotta appreciate that. Earlier in the season we were beating the teams we were supposed to...now, sadly, we find ourselves playing to the level of our competition. I guess all teams hit ruts like this, but it makes me none the happier. This last couple weeks have been difficult to watch. However................

We have a 50+ win team in front of us near the break and in the thick of things.
We have discovered Cingrani and what he can bring to our club given the health of many of our pitchers.
5 of our regular starters have combined for 67 HR's year to date (all have double digit HR's).
2 guys with over a .400 OBP.
A team ERA of 3.42 which is pretty awesome given our pitching staff challenges health-wise.
And we play in a division where we trail 2 teams that have the BEST win/loss records in all of MLB.

I could go on forever about the positives that I see (and could rattle off the negatives too, haha!) however, we can build off this and I still think our best ball is yet to come. In fact, I would rather get this injury thing out of the way so we are full strength heading into the stretch run after the break. Get Luddy back so the lineup can be set as it was intended beginning the season (will be a vicious batting order)...get Cueto back and move Cingrani back to the bullpen with a healthy Marshall (I hope), and then crank it up a notch in intensity. I love the fact we are right behind the Pirates and Cardinals right now...nothing will tickle me more than knocking them off their perch...especially the Cards.

As a side note, anyone seen Masset???? Whatever happened to that guy....?

GO REDLEGS!!!!

 

[Redsfan1507]

Not hearing much about Massett. Considering the propaganda was he would be ready by spring training, he looks like a Mike Lincoln type deal- keep him on the DL all year and collect the insurance.

In pretty frustrated with the inability of this team to capitalize on the talent they have, especially every other year missing the playoffs completely. It looks like the ssne old same old this season. No one can tell me with a straight face the Reds can win last year missing Votto for half a season, and use Ludwick's absence as an excuse this year. The LF replacement combo has done pretty well, and BP has better numbers than Ludwick had in the cleanup spot at this time. Choo is a huge offensive upgrade to Stubbs, and the Reds starting rotation gas been impressive, even without Cueto. The Reds are among the NL leaders in defense, pitching K's, runs, so it begs to question why this team can't seem to win a series against a logical playoff contender.

Playing hard ? I'm not seeing that consistently, they look flat and low energy on offense most of the time. There aren't a lot of attempts at advancing runners by the dugout staff. If the Reds don't get 5 two out hits and or a couple homers a game, they struggle to score 4 runs. The bullpen hasn't been as reliable, but they're used just as much, and less run support never benefits a pitching staff.

The Reds have spent a lot if money and trade talent for THIS team to win, NOW, but it looks like they just aren't prioritizing doing so. It's funny, but they seen to be missing something, motivation, a sense if urgency, and plain old common sense and sound fundamental execution. I'm disappointed in the apparent lack of direction, leadership, and frankly, playing the same status quo lineup that hasn't played well enough to win a playoff series if they were lucky enough to get there.

The Reds record may be a product of playing the weakest part of their schedule early, and they don't have that luxury going forward. I'm afraid the Reds are about out of money and trade bait to get Dusty the "one more bat" he always seems to need. I also know, as injuries and age are always factors, every good team has a short lifespan to capitalize on, and I see underperformances this year, and over the last few years, as wasted opportunity. Choo and Arroyo are free agents. Aroldis Chapmans contract is half over, without being given a single start in MLB, even though only 5 of the last 50 World Champs didn't have at least 1 LHSP.

One day, there won't be talent next year to do better. It's time this team prioritised inning NOW.

 

[JohnU]

Reds aren't stepping up and forcing other teams to beat themselves.
The batting order goes up and down for the first 3 innings, gives the opposing starter time to get his command and feel for the strikezone.

After that, I wonder if we can score 2 runs to catch up to the 2 the other team got because of a walk, some other weird kind of hit and a home run in the 195th row off the bat of some guy who has 4 in his career. (usually on a 1-2 count).

This team has not shown the ability to get ahead of somebody in the first or second inning consistently.

The lack of energy and ability to force a win to happen will be its downfall. There's nothing wrong with the talent on the field. I don't think Ludwick matters enough to miss him. Our catching has been horrible and injuries are a factor. Even when it wasn't a factor, our catchers are very mediocre. They don't block bad pitches, they can't hit and they are terrible at situational at-bats. They also don't call a very good game some of the time.

The dugout staff needs to get the blame, sorry. But it does. That's the way this team has played for 3 years and it hasn't changed.

I would like to be on the wagon that says, hanging in there in spite of all the problems. But we aren't hanging in there. The Parrots lost the whole rotation to injury and took first place at the same time. The Cards in the middle of a slump, just happened to get Miami, Houston and the Cubs in a row.

The Reds, meanwhile, go 1-2 against Seattle, the worst team in the AL if you don't count the AAAstros.

 

[Cincy the Red]

Agreed on most of what ya said. The common denominator is Dusty and his inability to play "small ball" and properly motivate his players (although, the thought/desire of winning a World Series used to be motivation enough back in the day). With the schedule getting tougher, I believe that is exactly what we need as we need to learn to win against the tougher teams and make it to the post season...not limp into the post season and embarrass ourselves once there. Given the way we are playing right now, I would prefer to play a tougher schedule....once again, it appears right now we are playing to the level of our competition.

 

[JohnU]

Beat bad teams or be one.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I'd like to see the trend of the Reds brass allowing Dusty to be Dusty in non contract years, end. Personally, I would have refused Dusty more than a 1 year extension last year, after not winning a playoff series, and making a managerial gaffe in every single home NLDS loss last year. Castellini made the statement "we aren't going to lose anymore" when he replaced GM Wayne Krivsky ( who hired Baker)...well, were not losing, but we sure aren't winning either, and I think it's time the Reds made a statement by firing Dusty if this team doesn't improve on last years playoff debacle. There gave been managers fired for losing a World Series, so refusing to accept 3rd place finishes in every non contract year shouldn't upset the MLB balance of justice, would it?

 

[JohnU]

Cardinals get 2 in the first, another in the second against a team that can't score.
The Reds get 3 baserunners in the first three innings.

 

[JohnU]

If you have no intention of stealing 2nd base,
then
WHY IN FUCK do you get picked off?

 

[redsfan03]

What to think of the Reds? This is an underachieving team with a decided lack of fundamentals, consistency, and intelligence. They'll probably make the last Wild Card spot so they can humiliate themselves on national television one more time for the play-in game. Frustrating to say the least, and I hope this season is the curtain call for Dusty. Won't hold my breath on that one, though.

 

[JohnU]

The entire world is convinced that the Reds are contenders BECAUSE of Dusty.
The folks who don't agree aren't allowed to say that.

 

[Cincy the Red]

Geeeez........the Reds hitting is atrocious. Creating Cy Young's with every pitcher we face. What the hell..................?

 

[JohnU]

Dusty probably figures they will hit their way out of it.
Somehow.
The lord provides if you swing the bat.
And dance around at first base pretending to steal second.
If you get picked off, that's OK. Somebody else will take your place with 2 outs.
Walks clog up the bases.

 

[Redsfan1507]

The Brewers probably have the worst starting pitching in the NL, and they have made the Reds hitters look like the local High School JV squad. It's ridiculous. In the first half, the Reds thumped 90 loss teams like the Brewers and got thumped by .500 teams. Lately, Seattle and Milwaukee have shown that ANY team can beat the Reds.

Just a slump, or the beginning of a collapse ?

I don't follow the Reds general philosophy at all- wait on a 3 run HR offense, buffoonery baserunning, and automatic outs at the 2 hole. I don't get making the first or last out past 2b, I don't get pulling the D in and leaving 1b open with 2 opposing RISP with the P on deck. I also don't understand how they can keep BOTH catchers on the team, crippled with back ailments, without DL-ing someone to bring up Corky, or any single-A catcher that can stand upright... and I don't understand leaving a manager that manages this way, managing Division winning talent into a team that can't beat the worst teams in MLB more than 1/3 of the time. Unacceptable.

 

[JohnU]

As I've said before, Dusty and his staff have taken a team that was built to win and turned it into a team that might be a contender. I watched with absolute awe last night when Phillips draws a walk, gets to first base and dances around like a grade-school kid, pretending he will steal his first base of this season ... and is picked off by a righthander with a move that I could read. If you don't intend to steal 2nd base, try to not get picked off of first base.

 

[WvuDieHard]

I see this getting worse instead of getting better. No supportive hitting around Votto and an absolute idiot managing the club to mediocrity. Good teams adapt and suck it up. This group just goes thru the motions much like the emotionless toothpicker who sits in the dugout with no clue.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Offense is supposed to be a process. Plate philosophy, lineup protection, fundamental situational play, baserunning , advancing on productive outs and playing longball when you CAN, aren't suggestions, it's a recipe for scoring runs. Tracy Jones tells it all about Dusty being a "great hitting coach", with his quote on Dusty's advice to him:" keep your eye on the ball". Pretty much sums up Dusty's "help". Not only are players on their own, Fusty isn't going to make many calls, because ge hadnt a clue what or when to call them.That way, if players fail, it's their fault, or the GMs for not getting him better hitters, instead of his own.

He's not a buck stops here kind of guy. He's not a coach. He's not a strategist. He's not a motivator. He is a self described "players manager"... In my translation, that means he's an easy boss- one that won't push players much, won't ask them to do things like bunt or hit and run or steal, get dirty or sweat much...and if you kiss his ass his way, and don't ever criticize him, he 'll let you play regardless of how bad you suck, until the GM has to trade away the problem. He's going to live and die on blaming players, GMs, the media, racism, and an occasional interfering fan for all of his failures. He IS going to try extra hard in contract years, and relax more in non-contract years, and keep watching that fractionally better than .500 career record of his push him toward the top of the win list, hoping to be a HOF manager some day, if his embarrassing post season record and coincidentally long list of injured young arms doesn't get too much press.

I'm not a fan.

 

[Ryanballa]

I understand all of the frustration, Im very frustrated too, But! I do not think its time to hit the panic button.This Reds team has played bad the last few weeks thats a given but we are still just 5 games out, and I do think this team will eventually start playing the baseball they can play very soon.I do think they need to shake somethings up and maybe make a move.Will see if the "move" part happens but whether it does or dont, This team is gonna be fine. We are still 10 game over .500 its a long season and sometimes it can be a grind, right now its definitley a grind.But I do believe there are very good times ahead.

 

[JohnU]

Ryan, you are the reason we have religion.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Hope is all that's left when results don't support expectation. Faith is the promise of hope to be named later. The idea of justice, is why there is religion...most times, somebody has to die to get what we consider justice. In the context of this team, I believe there is plenty of talent to support the highest of expectations...I've been hoping for better use of it, but don't have faith in the instrument of execution of the talent. I'm now reduced to waiting on justice.

 

[WvuDieHard]

Waiting on anything is the result of desperation. Desparation that something will change by chance. We are running out of chances everyday and are trending to a common place--mediocrity. Somebody needs to take the bull by the horns and start figuring out a way to fix our issues which mainly is hitting the ball and scoring runs. I will tell you this: Our pitching is good enough to win a world series. Now if we could fix the other part--we would be fine. The problem is the methodology wont change until Dustmop and his rejects are shipped down the Ohio river.