Drop Dead
How much longer can you watch the Reds with any reasonable belief they can turn things around? Without significant improvement on the field and a display of accountability -- trades, releases, firings, demotions, promotions etc. -- off it, what's your cutoff date before anger turns to apathy turns to football season? I give it to June 1. If nothing is done and nothing improves, when do you shrug your shoulders and stop caring? It'll be Topic A on SportsTalk tonight, 6-9:30 on 700 WLW.
posted by Paul Daugherty at 7:55 AM
17 Comments:
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Post a Comment*It is already at that point of apathy. It has been a solid month of the bullpen throwing gas on the fire, and yet nothing is done. There is no good reason that Stanton is still on this team. Perhaps they are waiting on Bray to come back to give him the axe, but he is killing them in the meantime.
When your record is only better than the Nationals and Royals in all of MLB. When you're double digit games back in May. When you haven't finished with a winning record in 8 years. When you haven't made a post-season appearance in 12 years. When you're no better now than you were a year, 2 years, 5 years or 10 years ago.
That's when you stop caring.
While I agree with Anon 10:59...even those feeling apathetic will probably admit that a good run (say an 8-game winning streak, or a winning 12 of 14) will get them interested again.
So I think the answer is twofold --when the season reaches the point that such a run wouldn't even matter (i think the '97 reds rattled off a ton of wins in a row, but they were so far out no one cared)...or when it's beyond all doubt that there's not even a small chance such a run could happen.
The cynic in me says that the front office is saying, "Don't worry about wins. As long as we have the feel-good story of Hamilton and Junior keeps on his current tear, we won't need to win."
Clearly, a trade needs to be made.
Jettison Coffey, Encarnacion, even Dunn. And sell Stanton for a used resin bag.
The Reds NEED a solid 3B - they haven't had one since Aaron Boone. Ty Wigginton is available, and is certainly better than what we have now.
I worry that Krivsky is gunshy about trading b/c of all the deals he made last year that didn't quite work out.
This is the best starting pitching we've had since 1995, but our record is awful. Heads need to roll. I can't think of any other time in my life when, in May, I've thought about the Bengals more than the Reds. Sad.
You don't just make a trade to make a trade. Why in the world would you trade a 24 year old Encarnacion for an average at best Ty Wiggington when you have no upcoming prospects at the position outside of maybe Valiaka who is in Single A? One of the young top right hand hitting is the least of this team's worries. I agree something needs to be done, but this team wasn't supposed to be any good anyway. You don't throw away your future just because this mediocre team got off to a horrible start.
it's not over yet - the National League overall and the Central Div. in particular are bastions of mediocrity - the Brewers will come back to the pack.
Narron should be given the opportunity to right the ship which IMO is to come up with an everyday lineup and STICK TO IT! Assign specific bullpen roles and STICK TO IT!
If you know your role you can "Do Your Job." If you don't, then WK can find someone who can.
If it proves out that Jerry cannot give good direction, then make the change in the offseason.
Speaking of Edwin, my son and I went to the Bats game on Friday night down in Louisville. Neat park, by the way, everyone should go check it out.
Anyway, Edwin was starting at 3B. The opposing pitcher from the Chiefs (of Syracuse) had a 9.0 ERA in AAA. I believe Edwin was 0-3 with a walk...ouch!
This is easy... the Reds have THE WORST BULLPEN IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE--if I were Narron, I'd tell 'em to look for work elsewhere and go with an 8-man starting rotation and 1 closer--I'd win more games that way at least.
TRADE GRIFFEY FOR PITCHING NOW! DO NOT WAIT! SEND HIM TO THE AL AS A DH.
Just Sayin'!
What's even more painful than watching the bullpen blow late inning leads night after night is watching management do nothing about it. Is it a money issue? Is ownership reluctant to eat Stanton's 2 year contract or is the GM afraid to ask them to do it,,,again? Coffey has options, let's use them. This is starting to feel like Bengal Land circa 2001.
Stanton is not the only problem but certainly one of the most glaring. There are teams in MLB that are not having great seasons, yet their fans ar not throwing in the towel because they know they have guys in place but are not executing. While I certainly think the Reds could execute better defensively, they simply do not have the personnel in the bullpen. No definite setup man or men and Weathers does not have the pitches or killer instinct to be a legitimate closer. Add to it that no one can drop down a decent bunt to advance a runner or steal a base...I think we've seen the best of the 07 Reds.
THis bullpen doesnt have one pitcher in the top 100 relief pitchers in baseball. Krivsky saw that fact last year and got Guardado/Bray/and Majeski. Coffey and Encarnacion are two guys out of excuses. They're experienced enough to be breaking through and simply are in over their heads. Encarnacion is awful defensively and offensively is not a dependable hitter, even in GABP. Out of GABP, Felipe Lopez is batting .252 with 7RBI's and still leading the modern world in errors. Kearns is hitting .270 with 15 RBI's. Sean Casey is an afterthought in Detroit. My concern is Krivsky is so concerned about building in fixed costs to his budget for the short term, hes throwing good money at has-beens and never-will-be's. Coffey,Stanton,Cormier,Weathers,Saarloos,Santos?NAd we actually wodner why were the third worst bullpen in MLB? Look around MLB-Dodgers/Brewers/Tigers/Angels/Red Sox. Look at past bullpens-Nasty Boys? Even Williamson/Graves/Sullivan in the late 90's.This bullpen was a poorly constructed afterthought. Hopefully Majeski and Bray can stabilize it.It's sad we actually have starting pitching for once and a decent starting 7.( Throw Ross in as a AA player out of his league.)
What bothers me the most is that it is the same issues every year. Poor defense, poor pitching, and failure to put the ball in play (especially with runners in scoring position).
The fact that Adam Dunn is still in left field is a joke. EE is not a long term solution at 3rd base and we still have no closer. Even if they get out of the cellar, they are a .500 team at best and will be that or worse unless these things change.
The fact that Adam Dunn is still in left field is a joke.
Griffeys poor play in right field makes Dunn look good.
Derrek Lee has a better chance of getting a hit than the Reds do of winning a game.
The Reds are having a bad year? Who knew? Who cares?-- It's golf season after all. Haven't watched or listened to a single game. Obviously, I haven't missed anything.
WHO DEY.... I spend more time now on the Bengals website than I do watching the Reds games on mlbtv (I feel like a fool for wasting my money to watch these goons come out of the pen and blow games). There has to be some sort of flag raised when a MAJOR LEAGUE BULLPEN fails to make 1 save in just under a month. Narron is doing a poor job managing the club nobody really knows who will start or what reliever will blow the game in what inning. I would like to see a set lineup and a set "go-to" guy late in the game. If you cannot get this team into some sort of rythm or designated role, than how can you have cohesiveness in the clubhouse. I really hope Narron is canned by allstar break and Torre is willing to move to the Nati. Until then I am looking forward to training camp.
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