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Reds Tidbits (2009 season)

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All the tests of Joey Votto are over and manager Dusty Baker said they all turned out negative. The Reds were saying nothing until Thursday morning, when results will be revealed.

“All the reports that I’ve heard is that everything has come back negative, so that’s a good sign,” said Baker. “We’ll see. Knock on wood and hope we get him back soon.”

That’s good news and bad news - good being the negative tests, but the bad is, “What in the hell is wrong with him? Why is he getting dizzy? Why is he having focus problems.” Maybe the Reds can tell us Thursday.

One story I heard from inside the clubhouse is that as a kid Votto had a bad ear infection and that the flu he had a couple of weeks ago caused the infection-like symptoms to return - dizziness, lack of focus. Just somebody talking - not officials. Yet.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/o/con...incinnatireds/

This seems to be a good sign.
 
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crazybuckfan40;1469877; said:
I am with Jax here...Gotta look deeper in the stats than just BA, and age totally matters, and what level...

I just hope that Votto can get healthy...And don't look now, but Drew Stubbs is tearing up AAA right now, would love to see him play in LF if he could put up consistent numbers, with a little power...Would be great in the 2 slot for this team...Unless they could land a power bat...Not going to happen soon, but maybe in July if he can continue to hit...
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This team does not need another bat with lack of pop, and no way is he better than what Nix is giving vs. right handers. At best he is a platoon option right now, and that would hurt his development. Right now he would only be called up as an injury replacement that would get plenty of AB's. Until then, or Nix goes into a huge slump, they are not going to bring him up to warm the bench 3/4 of the games.

BTW...he has 29 strikeouts in 111 at bats. Not exactly the best for a #2 hitter, and that is against AAA pitching. Against Major League pitching he would be on an Adam Dunn pace. Not sure why the Bats have him in the 2 hole. He should be a leadoff hitter.
 
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Almost to the quarter pole, some random thoughts:

-The pitching has been great, 3rd best in the NL for runs against. Keep the farm working however because with Dusty at the helm injuries are going to happen and Arroyo's contract is a ticking time bomb. All 5 Reds starters were in the top 30 of pitcher abuse points last year and 4 of the 5 are in the top 30 of IP already again this year.

-The offense has had everything go right so far. Tavaras is hitting near .300 and no one outside of EE has been in a slump or hurt for any length of time(assuming the best with Votto).

-The scary part is that the Reds are still only 12th in the NL in runs scored.

-Couple of illustrations of the down side to small ball* and a manager who is Rodrigues like in his adherance to it: 1) Other than WT the Reds are 15 up and 10 down in the SB department. Thats running your self into outs, not putting pressure on the other team. 2) The Reds lead the NL in sac bunts and two of the guys at the top of the list for the team aren't pitchers. Thats giving away outs not manufacturing runs. A team that has trouble scoring runs when everything is going perfectly can't be giving away outs like that.

-I said in the off season that WT was going to have to play well above his career norm to even be average. Well he currently is hitting .291 and has a .350 OBP (which is NL position average). No way in hell anything in this guys history shows him capable of keeping a BA (the only way he can get on base, he can't take a walk) that high. When his BA tanks, his one true skill, stealing bases, will be diminished. Once he's back to about a .250 BA and barely above .300 OBP then he's what everyone else in baseball except our braintrust thought he was...worthless.

-Dickerson on the other hand is hitting about .240 and has an OBP of about .370 because he can take a walk. Even when scuffling at the plate he makes an out less frequently than WT. Once again I'll say it, similar production for significantly less money. How much better could this team be with the WT money spent on a real bat in LF? Considering the market for that product was at an all time bargin bin price level this off season the WT money is borderline criminal incompetence in my mind.

-Overall the pitching is fantastic, the defense is still suspect and the offense blows even at its high water mark. 162 games will expose every weakness a team has and this 2009 team has an ass load of them. Overall I like the direction the franchise is headed but I have misgivings about management being able to take advantage of the opportunity.

* I am not anti small ball. I simply do not believe strict and blind adhereance to any one style is the best approach as they are all limited when practiced in their purest form. A blended style is what I propose.
 
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brodybuck21;1470137; said:
wow they look fucking fantastic so far today. 5-0 philly top of 4. The reds have 2 hits and 1 of em is by our batting practice pitcher, owings
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Shit. I had forgotten it was an an afternoon game. Thanks for reminding me. :pissed:
 
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and ryan howard just went deep.....

8-5 philly top of 7

edit...now its 11-5 top of 7. herrera and burton just threw some gasoline on the fire
 
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I don't need to watch the game to get an idea of what's going on. All I need to do is see ESPN's Fantasy Baseball Top Performers sidebar for the day, which currently looks like this:

C. Utley Philadelphia Phillies
3-4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R

J. Rollins Philadelphia Phillies
4-5, RBI, 2 R, SB

All things considered, it could be worse. The Reds could have started Bartolo Colon today, who spun a line with the White Sox this afternoon that can only be topped by bad-Arroyo or Chien-Ming Wang:

B Colon 2.0 7 8 1 2 1 2 61-35
 
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