Reds Insider: Reds 7, Brewers 6

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Reds 7, Brewers 6

Got to make this quick. I've got a plane to catch. The Reds come back from down 5-0 and win. It's their first winning road trip since June of last year.

Javy Valentin's two-run, pinch-hit double was the game winner. "I feel like I'm better hitter in those situations," Valentin said. "I concentrate more."

He's hitting .375 with RISP. He said he didn't swing the bat once all day before swing at Strike1. And, yes, he thought Ned Yost would bring in lefty Brian Shouse.

Be glad you're not a Brewer fan: Sunday was the fourth time in 22 days that Brew Crew lost after leading 5-0. Of course, if you were a Brewer fan your club would be in the race.

9 Comments:

at 6:32 PM

Anonymous said...

While you could say Ross was hot last year jsut like Valentine so wait til next year, I say give the job the Javier and let him lose it. This is the guy the Reds need playing at catcher. So he doesn't throw out runners well, neither did Piazza.

The lineups the Reds ran out yesterday and today are good line ups for next year. I am tempted to say use some of Milton's money and pay Dunn to hang around next year.

Adrian

at 7:42 PM

Anonymous said...

can't lose dunn. miltons money went to harang and arroyo.

at 9:07 PM

Anonymous said...

Let's not forget Dunn's two base running blunders today...

at 10:29 PM

OhioJim said...

John
As to the comment about Brewers' fans having their team in the race, at this point I think the Brewers are only more in the race than the Reds in the sense they are closer than the Reds mathematically. In other words, they too are done except for the string counting out. It is just going to take several days longer for them.

With 23 games left on the road where they are less than a .400 team and only 16 still at home, it is easy seeing them not even finishing at .500, particularly when they have just dropped 5 of 6 at home to the Cards and Reds.

at 10:55 PM

Anonymous said...

It's not Valentine you hill jack. It's Valentin, pronounced Va-len-teen! It's also not Edwin Encarcion!

at 10:57 PM

Anonymous said...

I'm liking the Bray, Burton, Weathers combo. Not quite the Nasty Boys, but they're getting the job done.

at 11:08 PM

Anonymous said...

Call me crazy, but it just seems that Dunn is making more of an effort as of late. Maybe the losing just made it tough to play hard like he should. Griffey's had a very good year, but for some reason I think it's Griffey's money that should be going for another starter, instead of Dunn's money. Hopper and Keppinger are certainly making it hard for Mac to fill out that lineup card.

at 7:34 AM

Anonymous said...

anon 10:38 Dunn is playing hard because he wants his option picked up. If he really is playing hard.

at 12:48 PM

Anonymous said...

When analyzing whether to keep Griffey or Dunn you have to remember that Griffey is old and has his history of major injuries and missing large chunks of seasons. While it would be great to have Griffey hit #700 here as a Red, there's a chance Griffey never even gets to 650. One more major injury and Griffey is done, finito. He'll hopefully get #600 at GABP this season...Keeping Dunn, and letting Dunn hit his 600th career dinger at GABP would be far wiser than dumping Dunn and keeping Junior but I'd prefer seeing both play the remainder of their careers here.

The only accurate thing I've ever heard Tracy Jones say about baseball occurred this weekend, when he stumped for Dunn being converted (reconverted?) to a first-baseman. I still don't understand why the Reds insist on putting Dunn in the OF as opposed to first base. If he needs work at First, send him to the Instructional League in the off-season and tell his overfed lazy undisciplined arse to LEARN or ELSE!

Again, the lack of backbone from our owner is a big part of the Reds' "team personality" as lazy and distracted (often, especially when running the bases).

Castellini needs to call out some players, throw some Steinbrennerian fits, and demand a far higher level of PROFESSIONAL PLAY.

If Dunn can't or won't improve his plate discipline and his physical fitness (he's turning into a giant David Weathers before our eyes), then he should be shipped to an AL team to be a big fat DH there in the Frank Howard at age 40 mold...but hopefully Dunn wants to stay (and work hard) and the Reds want to keep his slugging talents around.

Lose Dunn to free agency and you'd be running out of GM forehead room on which to stamp yet another scarlet letter "D" (for DUMB). With the shortage of acceptable free agent starters (i.e., NONE out there) it would be foolish for the Reds to trade Dunn or Griffey but if they have to trade one, it has to be GRIFFEY, even if his royal highness, King Kalorie Kong, insists on playing "heavy" provided he redoubles his "efforts" to improve his game.

The amazing thing about Dunn is how good he is but how lazy and undisciplined he is--imagine if he actually cared enough about baseball to work at strengthening the weak points in his game?

You know some other teams can make that conversion; can force Dunn to "grow up" when it comes to his approach to his profession. Too bad the Reds apparently have no coaches who will stand up to Dunn, or have the backbone and fortitude to hound him into focusing more on improving.

DUNN could be unbelievable. The sad thing is that each of the last few seasons he's slipping, and for no reason, since he's young, healthy and in his prime, other than a bad attitude and mental carelessness.

But I guess it's too much to ask every ballplayer to approach the game like Ted Williams...

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Sunday, August 19, 2007

Reds 7, Brewers 6

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