Reds Tidbits (2008 season)

[billmac91]

Just an FYI Cinci fans, it appears Volquez will be throwing on short rest due to Fogg's mouth.

Aaron Harang thinks this is great idea.

 

[jlb1705]

Nope.

Fogg's spot in the rotation would have been tomorrow if the Reds didn't have an off day. As it stands now, the Reds will skip his spot in the rotation for now and the other four will be on regular rest through the weekend. Fogg's spot would come up again on Monday.

 

[Bestbuck36]

Ok, is it too early to continue my rant about Danny Herrera? Todd Coffey is done, Kaput, finii!!! Bring the young kid back up here please.

The other thing I really hate is the hadling of Billy Bray. Why did Dusty make him a situational lefty pitcher? The guy needs to pitch a full inning as a setup man not just to face lefties, which oh by the way he is worse against than the righties!! WTF?!?!? Really.

Dryden, that was one of the best posts I've read on this website, seriously. Kudos to you and GPA if someone can award one.

Injuries kill this team everytime they start making a run and thats a direct correlation to how shitty the bench is. I'm for making some moves at the deadline only if we are going to get people to make this club deeper. They arent far off, and many of you may laugh, but they aren't. The talent level is there for sure. Maybe they just need a sports Psychiatrist in the locker room? I'd pitch in to help the hourly if necessary or they can wait til I finish my PhD and I'll apply for the fucking job!

Send the worthless bastards away and quit giving 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th chances to produce. Yes Patterson, Coffey and everyone else who fits the bill, I'm talking to you! Bring up the young guys and see what they can do. Its been working so far why not keep the influx of new blood in the dugout.

Oh yeah, bring Herrera back up now!!!

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Ok, is it too early to continue my rant about Danny Herrera? Todd Coffey is done, Kaput, finii!!! Bring the young kid back up here please.

The other thing I really hate is the hadling of Billy Bray. Why did Dusty make him a situational lefty pitcher? The guy needs to pitch a full inning as a setup man not just to face lefties, which oh by the way he is worse against than the righties!! WTF?!?!? Really.

Dryden, that was one of the best posts I've read on this website, seriously. Kudos to you and GPA if someone can award one.

Injuries kill this team everytime they start making a run and thats a direct correlation to how [censored]ty the bench is. I'm for making some moves at the deadline only if we are going to get people to make this club deeper. They arent far off, and many of you may laugh, but they aren't. The talent level is there for sure. Maybe they just need a sports Psychiatrist in the locker room? I'd pitch in to help the hourly if necessary or they can wait til I finish my PhD and I'll apply for the [censored]ing job!

Send the worthless bastards away and quit giving 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th chances to produce. Yes Patterson, Coffey and everyone else who fits the bill, I'm talking to you! Bring up the young guys and see what they can do. Its been working so far why not keep the influx of new blood in the dugout.

Oh yeah, bring Herrera back up now!!!

With Affeldt and Bray already here, I am all for bringing up Josh Roenicke...He has a 95+ fastball and he has a 2.74 era in AAA...He is the type of hard thrower we need in the pen to fill in for Burton, unless they are thinking that Burton will be back soon and then they are sending Coffey packing and they weren't quite ready for Roenicke to be up if for only 10 days or so...

As for us not being far off, I think we need to get rid of some pieces and build it back up just a little, not blow it up completely, but Griffey is a guy that we get rid of and then we put a different piece in for him and change the lineup around and we get better...

 

[Bestbuck36]

I agree. I'm not opposed to bringing Roenicke up. Hell bring em both up and $hitcan someone else. Roenicke is our closer of the future we hope right? Give him a couple opportunities instead of pitching CocoPuffs every daggone night. Just need a little spark back in the bullpen and I'm starting not to care where it comes from.

 

[DaytonBuck]

Is there anyone that believes we're a player or two right now? The only of the Reds having a winning season in the next 20 years is blowing everything up and building around the Cueto, EV, Bailey, Bruce, Phillips, Votto, EE core.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Is there anyone that believes we're a player or two right now? The only of the Reds having a winning season in the next 20 years is blowing everything up and building around the Cueto, EV, Bailey, Bruce, Phillips, Votto, EE core.

Depends on who the player or two is and who we give up...

We have a solid rotation, solid pen, solid offense, solid farm system, and solid young core...

I don't think we need to completely blow it up, and send guys like Bphil, Harang, etc...

But what I would like to see is Dunn and Griffey get traded...I know it might be hard, because who wants them, and what do we get in return...But those two IMO are holding us down...I will defend Dunn and his numbers etc., and we won't get someone with his numbers in LF next year, but hopefully we can get someone that can play a lot better defense, and just be a smarter baseball player...Also it doesn't help that we can't get a manager that knows how to use him...I guess the 5 hole isn't horrible, but he should still be hitting in the 3 or 4 hole...Griffey is past his prime and it is time to cut ties...Bruce in his second year will be a major upgrade next year...

But we have some upgrades coming from the minors, probably by either midseason next year or 2010...So I build for another young team next year, with another year at .500 then 2010 will really be the year, when guys like Bruce, Votto, Cueto, Volquez, Bailey, etc all have a solid 2-3 years experience under their belt and we can take off, and have another influx of young talent ready to hit the majors with Alonso, Frazier, Soto, Stubbs, Lotzkar, Mes, etc...

We have a solid team as Dryden has been saying, we are just a stupid team and can't overcome ourselves...

I would take a 2 year guys in LF who could be a RH 6 hole hitter, play good defense, OPS .800 and play smart baseball...

I look for Bruce to sit around .850 OPS next year if not higher and be in the 3 hole...

We just need a 4 hole hitter...Maybe the LF could be that if he is a RH hitter...Then you have your 6 hole 800+OPS guy with Bphil...EE in the 7 hole gives you great value in the 7 hole...This puts 800+ Votto in the 5 hole...You have the L-R-L thing and you take care of the two worst spots in the lineup this year, Griffey out of place, and Bphil out of place...But for this to work out you need a RH or Dusty will fuck it all up...

 

[DaytonBuck]

Depends on who the player or two is and who we give up...

We have a solid rotation, solid pen, solid offense, solid farm system, and solid young core...

I don't think we need to completely blow it up, and send guys like Bphil, Harang, etc...

But what I would like to see is Dunn and Griffey get traded...I know it might be hard, because who wants them, and what do we get in return...But those two IMO are holding us down...I will defend Dunn and his numbers etc., and we won't get someone with his numbers in LF next year, but hopefully we can get someone that can play a lot better defense, and just be a smarter baseball player...Also it doesn't help that we can't get a manager that knows how to use him...I guess the 5 hole isn't horrible, but he should still be hitting in the 3 or 4 hole...Griffey is past his prime and it is time to cut ties...Bruce in his second year will be a major upgrade next year...

But we have some upgrades coming from the minors, probably by either midseason next year or 2010...So I build for another young team next year, with another year at .500 then 2010 will really be the year, when guys like Bruce, Votto, Cueto, Volquez, Bailey, etc all have a solid 2-3 years experience under their belt and we can take off, and have another influx of young talent ready to hit the majors with Alonso, Frazier, Soto, Stubbs, Lotzkar, Mes, etc...

We have a solid team as Dryden has been saying, we are just a stupid team and can't overcome ourselves...

I would take a 2 year guys in LF who could be a RH 6 hole hitter, play good defense, OPS .800 and play smart baseball...

I look for Bruce to sit around .850 OPS next year if not higher and be in the 3 hole...

We just need a 4 hole hitter...Maybe the LF could be that if he is a RH hitter...Then you have your 6 hole 800+OPS guy with Bphil...EE in the 7 hole gives you great value in the 7 hole...This puts 800+ Votto in the 5 hole...You have the L-R-L thing and you take care of the two worst spots in the lineup this year, Griffey out of place, and Bphil out of place...But for this to work out you need a RH or Dusty will fuck it all up...

Do you see us a having a winning season in the next ten years?

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Do you see us a having a winning season in the next ten years?

I see a chance at a winning season this year...

With a top 3 in your rotation of Volquez, Cueto, Harang you have a very good chance at a winning season...Think that 2 of the 3 are only in their first years...Then we have the rest of the cluster fuck filling up the last 2 spots and have some solid options...Bailey, Arroyo, Thompson, maloney, Livingston, etc...

The last couple years it has been Harang and no one...

Volquez/Cueto/Harang get you and average of 15 or so...That is 45...Only need 38 more to get you to 83...

I don't think we are in line for a world series team, without making some moves by any means, but I don't think a .500+ season is too far off from where we are now...

 

[brodybuck21]

so since the big red machine last won the series the reds have made the playoffs how many times?

1990 - w.s champs over Oak
1995 - lost to Atl in the div series?
1999 - lost 1 game playoff to N.Y. Mets

is that it? 2 playoff appearances in 30 years?

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

so since the big red machine last won the series the reds have made the playoffs how many times?

1990 - w.s champs
1995 - lost to atl in the div series?

is that it? 2 playoff appearances in 30 years?

Don't forget the forgettable 1 game playoff in 1999. :(

 

[DaytonBuck]

I see a chance at a winning season this year...

With a top 3 in your rotation of Volquez, Cueto, Harang you have a very good chance at a winning season...Think that 2 of the 3 are only in their first years...Then we have the rest of the cluster fuck filling up the last 2 spots and have some solid options...Bailey, Arroyo, Thompson, maloney, Livingston, etc...

The last couple years it has been Harang and no one...

Volquez/Cueto/Harang get you and average of 15 or so...That is 45...Only need 38 more to get you to 83...

I don't think we are in line for a world series team, without making some moves by any means, but I don't think a .500+ season is too far off from where we are now...

What changes if Dunn and Griffey are gone and no major free agent acquisitions are brought in?

 

[crazybuckfan40]

What changes if Dunn and Griffey are gone and no major free agent acquisitions are brought in?

Well really you are just going to see a problem in LF...

I think you could go with Dickerson in CF and Hairston in LF...You lose offense for sure...You would be looking at having Bruce, Votto, BPhil, and EE carry the team...You see a great influx of defense tho...

But I think that we could find an outfielder...I think Dickerson could handle CF at the major league level, and with Hairston's injuries you might see that next year...Bruce for Griffey is an upgrade...I think you could also see guy like Valaika or Rosales make a home in LF for some games...

We aren't going to replace Dunn's numbers that is the only problem...

Let me go look at a list of FA and see what is out there...

The thing is if we do bring back Dunn, then Alonso and Frazier don't have anywhere to play when they are ready mid next season or 2010...Not that it is a bad problem to have, but this is the time to get something out of Dunn, not then...

Edit some names:

Pat Burrell
Casey Blake
Brian Giles
Milton Bradley

Not a great list, and not all are true left fielders, and we could go with a CF and move someone to LF...

 

[Dryden]

Is there anyone that believes we're a player or two right now? The only of the Reds having a winning season in the next 20 years is blowing everything up and building around the Cueto, EV, Bailey, Bruce, Phillips, Votto, EE core.

Consistent production from C and RF, and this team has a winning record now. Having the bullpen and bench they have now back in April, and this team has a winning record now.

It is not a coincidence that the team started to really show some life and put together this run (even with the blown saves) once Ross got out of his funk and Griffey got over the pressure of the 600 HR chase. In fact, even now C doesn't look like the blackhole it was in April and May, as the platoon of Ross/Bako ranks in the 5-7 range in all of MLB among C production in most major offensive categories behind everyday catchers like McCann, Soto, Martin, and Mauer (and we're not getting any of those guys, so whats the point in wishing we could). As everyone predicted, EE was a slow starter. Kepp's return has helped mitigate Bruce's expected fall back down to Earth. Bruce obviously solved the Corey Patterson problem.

The issue I have with rebuilding around the young guys like Bruce, Votto and EE is that it doesn't address the fault that all those win-crippling errors over the course of this season have been accumulated by those same three players; it doesn't address the fault that these are precisely the same three guys that have shown (repeatedly) that they don't know how the hell to bunt when it's crunch time. Remaking the roster at every other position then is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The up-the-middle defense will fix itself once there is consistency there. B-Phil is the known commodity. The revolving door at SS is the problem. Not the actual players that have played there, but rather the lack of any chemistry that could have been developed because of the injuries to Hairston and Kepp.

The pitching and bullpen are good now. The bats are finally coming around. The fault that cannot be fixed this year is the defense and the stupid. To fix the defense, and therefore fix the RA, which makes the pitching staff look even better, less burdened, and gives the team a winning record ... well, you have to blow it up. All of it.

As for the other, well ...

<Ron White>
You can't fix stupid.
</Ron White>

There are a bunch of what ifs that we're going to be left to sort through this season. The biggest what if will be the what if we hadn't dug the big hole in April and May by running shitheels like Coffey and Patterson and Freel and Castro out there? What if the roster from June-on out had been there on Opening Day. What if the org hadn't held back Votto and Bruce and Bailey?

 

[Dryden]

Edit some names:

Pat Burrell
Casey Blake
Brian Giles
Milton Bradley

Not a great list, and not all are true left fielders, and we could go with a CF and move someone to LF...

Jason Bay is a free agent at the end of this year. He will probably go cheap due to the general devaluation associated with being a Pirate and he had a down year last year, so some might be leery of taking a shot forecasting a decline in production. He's only 29, plus he's one of The Nine Reds Killers, so that makes the Reds 5 games better simply from the fact that won't have to play against him anymore.