Reds Insider: Changes on the way?

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Changes on the way?

I aksed Dusty Baker if the Reds might have to go to minors to get some pitching help in the wake of the 12-3 bashing Wednesday.

His answer: "We might."

But the look on his face said: We better.

Josh Fogg has averaged 3 1/3 innings in his three starts with the Reds. That kills the bullpen.

The Reds have plenty of choices in the minors: Homer Bailey is 2-1 with a 1.42 ERA in three starts for the Triple-A Louisville. Matt Belisle is 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in three minor league rehab starts. Daryl Thompson is 2-0 with 0.51 ERA at Double-A.

It's early. But it will get late quick if the Reds don't turn it around.

57 Comments:

at 11:53 PM

Unknown said...

I know "it's still early," but the team looks absolutely dead right now. Fogg wasn't supposed to be great, and while he had a good game and could be a .500 pitcher, I think that after one more bad start or sooner the team needs to get Bailey or Belisle in the rotation.

My faith in Dusty is dwindling with each game. How long is it going to take before everybody realizes that Patterson hasn't had some great revelation and still swings at way too many pitches for a leadoff hitter? He simply is not a good hitter. Bruce should have been the center fielder to start with. Anybody with enough baseball sense can see that these changes need to be made.

at 11:55 PM

TowerOfPower said...

Cueto Hurt what?

at 12:03 AM

Unknown said...

Wow, John, good timing. I was gonna sign on and post a number - 13.09...yeah, that's Josh Fogg's ERA. Belisle can give us 10 wins a year, if not better. Bailey is part of the future. I'd say go with Belisle now and let Bailey run out for a couple more 1 and 2 walk, 7 inning outings. If he manages that, put him in the rotation and let Belisle anchor the 'pen - Lincoln makes me nervous. In fact, I think I'd rather see Bray out there than him, right now. In any event, you're right, we need to make some changes.

at 12:20 AM

Anonymous said...

John, any word on Jay Bruce being pulled in Louisville tonight because of an injury?

at 12:29 AM

JerBear said...

Oooo man Fogg is really struggling. I'm not sure what the Reds were hoping for with Fogg.

I don't know if you can give up on him yet though. They paid the guy a million dollars just a few months ago. I don't think they are going to cut him lose after 3 starts.

This losing streak is getting out of hand. Now bad pitching is accompanying bad hitting.

Something about this team just seems to be missing. I don't know what it is, but I kinda felt the same way at the beginning of the year.

Whether it's lack of chemistry, lack of leadership from the players, lack of a winning attitude, this team seems to be lacking in the intangibles department.

That's where I was hoping Dusty Baker could bring some kind of attitude change.. Maybe he still can, but managers can only do so much.

I'm curious to see how this team responds and where they are in two weeks.

If they are 7-8 games back in the NL Central by then, I fear an ugly year where players are traded, the boos get louder, and Walt Jocketty becomes the GM.

I hope it doesn't play out that way. Along with all the Chad Johnson talk, I can't handle much more negativity from my favorite Cincinnati teams!

at 12:30 AM

BATSFAN said...

Can I be the GM now?

at 12:59 AM

Redsfansince72 said...

Well there better be some changes.. this is getting old and its supposed to be early!!!! Coffey better be gone and Bray brought up. and then get rid of valentin behind the plate.. he is to slow, doesnt call a good game, doesnt move correctly to block pitches in the dirt..and they need to trade freel or hopper and get this team a right handed hitter that has power of the bench.. heck at least sammy sosa can hit leftys.. we dont have anybody other than keppenger that hits leftys well..grrrr

at 1:00 AM

Redsfansince72 said...

Also Patterson is no leadoff hitter. he makes way to many outs!!!

at 1:15 AM

oldtimer said...

Hey here's a horrible possibility. Last year's team was arguably one of the worst in Red's history, and they fell out of the race in mid May after losing 20 of 25. After this debacle of a road trip, this team might beat that record, dropping out by end of April, thus making them the worst Reds team ever. All presided over by one Wayne Krivsky.

Jack, well said. When you keep losing and you stick with the same personel offensively, you just keep losing some more. This team has too many homer or out type hitters, and now you can add Patterson to the list. What we got just ain't cuttin' it. The offense is as unbalanced as last year, This team is dying once again for a lack of .300 hitters. And that's on Krivsky. Even at Minnesota, he was fascinated with below average retreads over young guys. Instead of seeing if Hopper can build on his success last year, he goes out and gets a marginal guy in Patterson and rubberstamps him the job. Even though Hopper and Kepp provided the spark for the little run late last year at 1 and 2. And if Hopper can't field, why he'd do such a decent job in center? By the way, for all those who say Keppinger is such a liability in the field, he has NO errors so far. The Reds, and some fans, seem to refuse to notice when a guy produces, and instead stick with the guy with unrealized potential or big salary. And the losin' just keeps on comin'.

Dusty Baker fits the bill as a retread too. Although I agree his past success gives me hope that he can turn this thing around. As I understand it, Chicago fans tired quickly of his handling of the team when they started losing. He got sorta detached and the players got antsy with him. Explains the booing the other night. He may get things going yet this season, it's fairly early, and I will be the first to congratulate him, but right now he seems in over his head. Said he was still evaluating his players the other day? HUH??? What is spring training for?

Jay Bruce may turn out to be the second coming of Ghandi and Babe Ruth rolled into one. But he's not ready yet, and the Reds are smart to season him at AAA for a while. Put Hopper in center and leave him alone for a couple weeks. He'll hit. This team is dying for some runners and he'll certainly be that. Let him and Kepp do a little bat magic together, and maybe Griff and Phillips and Dunn shake off their doldrums. Bat Votta fourth some times, and take some pressure off Phillips. Time's moving by quickly, changes gotta happen fast.

at 1:16 AM

REddlegg in Colorado said...

I know Dusty is going to lay some of that Veteran manager stuff on WK.Something Narron never could do.

Wayne get Dusty what he needs to win,NOW.Quit dragging your feet,You have plenty to barter with.Rememeber Mr.Kriv, there's a guy named Walt sitting up with your boss in the owners box that has had results as a GM & I'm sure if his ole' buddy Bob paid him right, he step right in & handle buzinass.

at 1:58 AM

Swan Lewis said...

I still have complete faith in Dusty...he is a baseball guy who is a proven winner at all levels...we will be fine.

however...with the way the Bats players are pitching and hitting...I am SURE late at night when he is turning on that light making notes, ol' Dusty is trying to decide who and if will be brought up..

Redlegs!!!

at 2:06 AM

keepinitreal said...

could be a long summer, again.

at 3:37 AM

Unknown said...

Surely we have had enough Josh Foggs and Eric Miltons over the past decade to know they are not the answer. Bring up Bailey or Belisle before the next Fogg start. They could not be worse.

There is a lot I like about Dusty, but I never understood the Patterson signing. He has never been the answer to a team that wants to win a division. If the Reds aren't going to win the division this year anyway then let the youngster (Bruce) play. Certainly his OBP will be superior to Patterson's. Shake things up while it is early before we find ourselves 10 games out.

at 7:17 AM

JackBlueAsh said...

The problem with this team is very apparent

This team is quite similar to the Cincinnati Bengals. Both have a few exciting young players..yet many players on both teams would not be starting on other teams as they do here. And some superstars like Willie Anderson and Ken Griffey are nearing the end of their careers

I felt this team would improve somewhat this year..I still do. Yet, the improvement will be minimal

What is most disconcerting is that Krivsky and Castellini honestly felt that this team would contend for the division title

The good news is that when Bruce, Bailey, Votto and others mature ....we will be competitive

at 7:48 AM

bsu1 said...

I think they may designate Coffee for assignment; I don't know if he has options or not, activate Belisle, and have Fogg for long relief. I know it is early but I'm ready for a change in center.

at 8:13 AM

ExactlyEsasky said...

The pitching issues I'm not really panicked about--I agree that we need to make a couple changes, but I don't see that situation as dire yet. For me, I'd replace Fogg w/ Belisle and send down a reliever (probably Coffey) for Bray.

But the lineup disturbs me a lot, and this one is Wayne's responsibility. First off, how many lineup suggestions have you seen posted about the Reds? A thousand? That's because there IS no natural lineup for this group of hitters, so everyone is forced to hit somewhere that's inappropriate for their skills set.

There are four guys in the Reds lineup who strike me as really problematic on this point: Dunn, Patterson, Encarnacion, and Phillips. All four have such huge downside in their given slot--Patterson can't get on base; EE can only pull the ball so is vulnerable against pitchers w/command; Phillips won't take a walk and so is in pitcher's counts all the time; Dunn is Dunn. You can live with one or two of these guys, but when they constitute the core of your lineup, you're always vulnerable. We're always vulnerable. And that's not even addressing catcher or SS when AGonz (whiff machine) is back.

The Reds have remarkable athletes on offense--the four I've mentioned above will blow your mind with their talent, at least at times. Griffey is still a brilliant athlete, and he also knows something about hitting. But what we love about Hopper and Kepp and Hatte / Votto is that they seem like baseball players--they know that certain situations call for certain approaches, and they seem capable of that approach.

Last winter I thought the Reds should trade Phillips or EE for the pitching help that turned out to be Voltron, since I didn't think they'd part with Hamilton and couldn't find a taker for Dunn or Griff. (Ugh, I can't check the Texas boxes every morning. I know it takes talent to get talent, but Hamilton? We couldn't talk someone into EE or BP?)

Right now we're stuck. There's no help in the IF in AA or AAA (and I don't count career subs like Hairston or Cabrera, nothing against them as bench guys), and Dunn and Griff are playing out their contracts. We'll have some winning streaks this year, but our team is fundamentally flawed--too many guys in the middle of the lineup who a good pitcher can always attack.

at 8:25 AM

Cheviot Sports Authority said...

We could have had Jorge Cantu, but I understand from a previous post that it would have cost the Reds $6 mil if they had kept him.
Does that make any sense to anyone?
St CSA

at 8:38 AM

KevinFtMyers said...

Im not sure how much you can blame Dusty. He has made some bad decisions as far as in game, but NOBODY is doing anything. If a couple guys do their job and get a few key hits this could be ALOT different.

NOT hitting:
Patterson
BP
Griff
Dunn
EE

NOT pitching:
Arroyo
Fogg
Coffey

I dont think the greatest manager of all time could win with that many schmucks stinking it up every night.

The guys hes playing are the starters as anyone would have agreed upon on opening day. (other than Patterson)

Hes given them a couple weeks to get their "S" together, they arent doing it.

Having said that, how long he lets it go on without making major lineup changes is something hes accountable for. Also how long before he and Kriv get together and adios some of the "lucky to be here" guys?

Anyway, up to this point, Im not putting as much blame on Dusty as I am the players, but that is shifting, he can see as well as we can that this aint working, and the longer he lets it go, the more it will be his fault.

Time to earn you money Dusty!

at 8:46 AM

Joe said...

No sense in giving up on this team it is way too early for that.

Play Votto every day and let him get the lumps out of the way. EE is going to have to produce soon or Keppinger is going to have to start making throws from third. Gonzo won't be back for a while and if EE does not get his head back in the game, Keppinger may need to play 3B for a while.

Catching is a real tough spot for this team as everyone knows. IF, the baseball gods are with us, Ross will start hitting in Louisville and continue hitting. But, that lightening was caught a couple years ago. Valentin may be of interest to some team in the AL where he can DH a little and back up a regular catcher. He can hit and that should interest some team with a solid every day catcher. Ross and Bako are not going to be any more exciting in July or August
than they are today. Tough spot for the Reds.

EE and Dunn may be beginning to show signs of breaking out of slumps. Votto is only going to get better. Phillips will hit better when he has some help and protection around him.

There are pitching options in bull pen Belisle and Bray, knife man Bailey, and machine gun Thompson who is on look out duty in Chattannooga. Lincon is still working back from a couple years of rehab, he needs to be limited to one out or one inning stints for a few more months to see if he is going to make it.

Too much redundancy in Freel, Hopper and Patterson on this team. I never did understand this situation. I suspect other teams don't want Freel for the price tag he comes with. Reds may have to eat some salary here.

Last night's loss had to embarrass a few people. Friday should be an interesting day.

at 9:03 AM

Unknown said...

Belise has only had one start in AAA. What about Justin Lehr? He's 2-0 0.60 ERA, 6 hits, 1 run, 10 strike outs, and 1 walk.

at 9:31 AM

MarkinMusicity said...

Let me say, as my tag implies, I actually am a PSL-holding-Titan FAN, and I think that Chad Woulding make Vince a FINE deep threat! ( you guys have any interest in PACMAN? I hear HE'S available... )

Fogg has one more 3 inning debacle and I'd bring up Belisle... leave Homer down to season some more..
I concur in that earlier observation...

at 9:44 AM

MarkinMusicity said...

I miss Cantu.. man could flat out HIT!!!

EE is frustrating.. good comment on Keppinger being a third base option... if he can do it.. GIVE it to him!

300 hitters!!! NOT the "homer-or-whiff" guys.. I am down with THAT!

at 9:49 AM

Another losing season said...

According to the Fox Sports baseball webpage, Cantu is making $500,000 this season.

Also, nice to see Josh Hamilton go 4 for 7 last night with six total bases and a couple of steaks. He's at .311 for the year.

Lohse, 2-0 with a miniscule 1.04 ERA, goes for third win tonight against Brewers. He hasn't lost a game since leaving the Reds and Dick Poles tutelage.

at 9:51 AM

JLBX3 said...

Patterson should not be the one on trial here. Should he bat leadoff? NO. Whose fault is that? I can't think of the last time we had a legitimate leadoff hitter? And please don't tell me Freel! He does not know how to take pirches like Leadoff hitters are to do. Offensively you have no clutch in your 4,5 and 6 spots. We cannot afford for EE to start hitting one month into the season every year. If Dunn gets a long term deal, this team will never win! He needs to be replaced with a speedy right handed hitter that can leadoff and hit for average. I am sick and tired of living and dying by the HR. BTW- ever notice many of Dunn's HR's come when they don't really matter? You know, like last nights? Run Fogg and Coffey out of town and bring up Belisle and Bray. I don't even want to see Bailey until he really learns how to pitch.

at 9:54 AM

Chris L. said...

When you don't have your best talent at the big league level this is what happens. When you have Freel/Hopper, Hatteberg/Votto, Ross/Bako which are carbon copies of one another you have wasted roster spots. Castro is a waste of a roster spot. Patterson is not a leadoff hitter - I'm not sure if the Reds have one. EE is not the big right handed bat they want him to be. It's all personnel evaluating and once again it looks as if the Reds have failed in this area. I will give them props for Cueto and Volquez but Fogg is this year's Milton. This teams needs an upgrade at 3B, SP, catching and at leadoff to be serious contenders. I do not think the Reds are very good at judging talent in certain areas. Look at what they do against left-handed pitchers and the Reds did not address that issue. They just keep hoping things work out. I also think if these are the players we have then this is my suggestion at a batting order:
Phillips
Dunn
Keppinger
Griffey
Votto
Patterson
Bako
Encarnacion
When Gonzo gets back then slip him between Votto and Patterson.

at 10:02 AM

redsfanwoody said...

Show of hands of who thought the Reds could compete in this division? I thought if everything broke right for them(and still might) they could.

I will be in the minority in this,but let the roster(minus a few) play out till June or mid June. If the ship is sunk(likely),let players go and start bringing up the likes of Bruce,Bailey and others and go full bore with them.

at 10:04 AM

Rob Dicken said...

We could have had Jorge Cantu, but I understand from a previous post that it would have cost the Reds $6 mil if they had kept him.
Does that make any sense to anyone?

You obviously can't read. In another thread, you put into perspective of getting rid of Ryan Freel or Juan Castro to keep Jorge Cantu. He was owed arbitration. We would be paying him $2-3 million per year. You said to keep two out of the three (Freel, Castro, Cantu), therefore no matter who you keep you're paying $6 million for 2 players. What's so hard to understand about that? Drop it already. For the 500th time, the guy isn't good!

And for once, I am glad Jack said something SOMEWHAT different in a post. Good job! I actually agree with what he wrote for once.

The different between the Bengals and Reds...the Reds were almost once a dynasty. The Bengals have really never been good in their 40+ years of existence besides a Super Bowl appearance or two.

at 10:13 AM

Cheviot Sports Authority said...

I can sure as hell blame Dusty for Patterson and I blame The Amazing Krivsky for listening to him and signing Patterson. I also blame The Amazing Krivsky for Josh Fogg and Todd Coffey and Ryan Freel and Juan Castro and Scott Hatteberg and no catcher.

I want to hear The Amazing Krivsky tell us not to panic that the season is still young, that everything will be fine. You know, something like I heard about this time last year.

I do not understand the infatuation with Matt Belisle. The guy was here all season last year and was terrible. He has pitched over 300 innings in the major leagues and has an ERA somewhere around 5, with way more hits allowed than innings pitched. Agreed Fogg has got to go, but is Belisle what you really want? Oh well, can't be any worse.

ST CSA

at 10:14 AM

Anonymous said...

While i agree with fact that this team has yet to show any heart or urgency, repeatedly blaming Patterson is just old habit. In case no one has noticed, it wouldn't matter if Pattersons OBP was .500, no one would drive him in. This team has one professional hitter and that is Keppinger. If you are gonna get your hat handed to you every night, might as well be playing the kids!

at 10:21 AM

Anonymous said...

The only negative I see with Bruce is striking out 12 times in 54 AB's with 1 walk. I think he's better off in Triple-A right now, but he has 3HR's, and a .333 avg, and a .345 obp, similiar numbers to what Patterson started with. I love Hatteberg, but Votto needs to play everyday if he's the future. Fogg needs to go, and I think Belisle should be the guy, hopefully he can turn it around. Bailey should get more seasoning at Triple-A.

at 10:31 AM

Reds Fan in Atl said...

Lets take a deep breath....

The Reds will make changes, the team will play better, and we will finish slighty above .500. As much as I want to be pesimisstic, we need to be optimistic. We will turn it around!

at 10:36 AM

bluegrass said...

At least Dunn was consistent in last night's game in hitting home runs at times when it's meaningless for a team victory and that only pad his statistics.

at 10:39 AM

RickDinChicago said...

For what it's worth I was at the game last night and got a lot of sympathy from Cubs fans for Josh Fogg. I also got a lot of questions along the lines of "Why did you guys sign him?" Everyone I was talking with really wanted to talk Cueto and Volquez.

Some observations from last night. Fogg's performance was the worst outing I have every witnessed. He looked confused and exhausted on the mound in the first inning. I realize it's tough to pull your starter so early, but simply put... he doesn't deserve to be pitching in the majors.

I never really paid attention before but both Dunn and Valentin are horrible of defense. Nothing new to anyone. Votto looked really good at the plate. So did EE. Affeldt looked phenomenal on the mound.

Good lord did the boobirds boo Dusty when he pulled Fogg. It's not like the Cubs sucked the 94 years prior to Dusty managing them.

at 10:44 AM

James said...

OK, last time I checked we were just 6-9 correct. I think the panic button has been pushed way to early here by the fans in terms of record and lineup. Now on the pitching and bench, it seems obvious a few changes need to be made. Bring in Belise, Cabera/Hariston and Bray/McBeth. Demote Coffey, Fogg, and Castro. I really feel that Valentin has to go as soon as Ross is healthy. While he may be the "best lefthanded pinch hitter" he is still a guy with a .251 carear average and he can't catch a cold. EE had a 2 hit game as did Dunn in last nights loss, so they may be coming around. This lineup will hit, we just need to improve the bench to take advantage of matchups.

at 11:01 AM

JackBlueAsh said...

Josh Hamilton had 4 hits in 7 at bats last night..drove in 2 runs and is batting .311...yep he sure is having a miserable season

I say bring all the youngsters up, get rid of the dead wood and articulate to the fans that this year is a rebuilding year

If someone would give Cantu a chance to play on a regular basis..he would surprise alot of people

CSA we are going to the games Sat and Sunday I believe..we will be hanging out on top of Frontgate near section 519

at 11:04 AM

Cheviot Sports Authority said...

I can obviously read Robbie, perhaps it is you that can't. Cantu is making 500,000 this year not $6 mil.
St CSA

at 11:05 AM

Cheviot Sports Authority said...

Anyone know what Hamilton did last nite?
St CSA

at 11:09 AM

JackBlueAsh said...

Josh Hamilton had 4 hits in 7 at bats last night..drove in 2 runs and is batting .311...

at 11:32 AM

Reality Czech said...

On the plus side the pitching is way better this year and the minor leagues are in a position to alleviate the problems with Fogg and Coffey.

On the minus side the lefty dominated lineup that can't hit lefties is as big of a problem as ever. It is a conundrum because Votto looks like he will be a good hitter. Griffey is a hall of famer and can hold his own better than the rest of the lefties (against lefties). Dunn struggles and looks very bad at times against lefties. But he is productive overall. Patterson is a hacker and really should be an extra player and not even part of the discussion. Krivsky has to make a deal to get an everyday right handed bat that hits lefties hard. Somebody in the group has to go and there will be second guessing galore whoever he trades. Otherwise we can look forward to making Cy Young out of Maholm, Gorzelanny, Lilly etc. for the rest of the season.

As some of the bloggers have suggested, some speed is also required for the right handed bat.

The leadership question has also been raised. Remember Greg Vaughn in the dugout exhorting his team mates to compete. Where is that guy? That dugout needs an enforcer from the player side.

at 11:34 AM

Anonymous said...

Cantu HAS been given chances to play regularly; in 2005 and 2006, when he had OBPs of .311 and .295

This translates into someone who makes a lot of outs; outs are bad things for a baseball offense. I'm certainly not saying we should be happy with the offensive team we have now, but keeping Cantu was not the solution.

As for the now seemingly nightly Josh Hamilton updates, maybe those of you more interested in the Rangers should be checking out http://www.sportsline.com/mcc/messages/board/105. He's been traded for a young pitcher with promise - deal with it. The franchise has traded better players over the years, and certainly will in the future. It happens. The majority of us are more interested in discussing the current state of the Reds - as depressing as it may be. We're here because we're fans, and I believe all Reds-related comments, other than personal attacks, are welcome.

Leave the Hamilton discussions to the Rangers forums.

Mike

at 11:39 AM

Brendan T said...

I was thinking last night how nice it would be if a Reds player charged the mound and showed some emotion and then I realized, "no one on this team has enough emotion to actually do it". Phillips is the only one close.

at 11:46 AM

JackBlueAsh said...

Mike ..we can discuss what we want and certainly trades made or not made..and/or better trades that could have been done fall warrant discussion

Mike what do you want to discuss?

terrible pitching terrible hitting the same old same old we have been discussing in this city for 7 years

topics are sparse

Reality..yeah pitching is way better this year Arroyo sucks, Harang gets plastered, Coffey still stinks, Fogg belongs in the minor leagues.. I dont know what team you are watching

at 11:53 AM

Zippy said...

I just don't understand all the anti-Dunn talk. He's certainly not a good outfielder (to put it mildly), but he makes the routine plays fairly routinely. His batting average isn't good, but his strikeouts are down and his OBP is outstanding. (He also had two hard hit balls down the first base line in the 3-2 loss at Milwaukee that Fielder made diving plays to get. If those two go through, his numbers are even better.) He's scored 7 runs in 14 games, which isn't great, but it's not his fault that nobody can drive him in.

Dunn has a lot of holes in his game -- a lack of hustle, not a good baserunner, not a good outfielder, and he can't hit with runners in scoring position. But it's crazy for anyone to pin the Reds' troubles on him. If everyone on the team had his OBP, the Reds would probably score at least 6 runs a game.

I say again: Dunn should be leading off. It's time for people to wake up and realize he's better at getting on base than knocking people in.

And I'll point out again that Pete Rose -- clearly the best leadoff hitter in franchise history -- had a lower lifetime OBP than Dunn, and was a worse base stealer than Dunn. (Certainly he ran the bases better, but he was a lousy base stealer.) Why should the fact that Dunn hits almost as many HRs as singles stop him from being a leadoff hitter? Why should the fact that a lot of his outs are strikouts make any difference? That's exactly why he SHOULD be leading off, rather than having him up there with runners on 2nd and 3rd, when what we really need is someone who can just put the ball in play.

I understand the concept of having a guy who can hit a 3-run home run, but Dunn isn't that guy. We can keep sitting here waiting for him to become that guy, or we can maximize his talents, which means having him get on base for other people and hitting 10 or 15 leadoff home runs, which I think would be a great way to start a game. Then Keppinger or Hopper comes up with nobody out, a run in, and a frazzled pitcher.

Also, having Dunn lead off means he's going to get more ABs than anyone else, which is exactly how it should be, since he has the highest OBP and the highest SLG on the team. I'd much rather have Dunn come up as the potential tying run in the 9th inning than anyone else on the team. The pitcher probably pitches around him in that situation, and presto -- the tying run is on base. How many 1-run games are we going to lose with Keppinger, Patterson, Hopper or Freel getting 5 ABs while Dunn -- our best threat to get on base and our best threat to hit a game-tying home run -- winds up with only 4? On what planet does that make any sense?

at 11:56 AM

Gmoney573 said...

Why was Dunn's HR last night meaningless? Just because their was no one on base in front of him? He can not control that. Would you all have rather had it be a 400ft double or single. We would have lost by double digits then. Maybe he finially got that pitch he could do somthing with.

I think Dusty's line up should look like this.

1.Keppinger
2.Phillips
3.Griffey
4.Encarnacion
5.Dunn
6.Votto
7.Hopper
8.Bako
9. pitcher

Bako seems to be hitting the ball really well for batting in the 8th spot. Phillips will get better pitches and so will EE since they will be protected. Once they are all better put the line up back to normal.

at 12:03 PM

Brandon said...

So if we keep hearing about Hamilton's line how about Volquez's?

1-0, 0.87 era, 9 k's in two starts not to bad so far.

at 12:09 PM

Brandon said...

Just read this on the cutman's blog over on the 1530 homer website.

Hey Cutman,

It's amazing how lazy some fans are when it comes to the stats.

Adam Dunn now has 240 career HR's... 190 of those HR have come within a save situation for either team (-3 to+3 range on the scoreboard). That is 79% of his career HR total!! Not only is Dunn hitting meaningful HR's, he's doing it 4 out of every 5 times!! Talk about a horrible myth about a player. Lazy fans.. awful!

at 12:23 PM

Anonymous said...

Yes, that's what we need - a key player (Phillips) suspended for a few games.

at 12:23 PM

BATSFAN said...

Two hours before game time, Wanye has done nothing to shake things up yet, What a take charge GM we got. Now can Bob fire him and hire me now? Ill have this team turned around in no time and for way less than what they pay Bozo the Clown!

at 12:42 PM

John said...

I'm sick of hearing about Hamilton as well. Okay, let's bring him back. That way we'll have ANOTHER lefthanded hitter in the lineup who is injury prone, and we have to give back Volquez. Yeah that's a great idea.

Oh, and we'd have nowhere for Jay Bruce to play -- another lefthanded outfielder.

I love roster redundancy! Let's sign 12 catchers!

at 12:42 PM

JackBlueAsh said...

you missed the point brandon..no ken griffey..no 12 million..money for pitching.. I like volquez

at 12:43 PM

s said...

Zippy -

I do not agree with many of your comments, but I agree that it may make sense to lead off Dunn. Most of his HRs are solo, so why not lead off. When someone is on base, he has a knack for striking out or walking. I do not agree with the rationale that b/c Rose lead off, so should Dunn. Rose only hit singles, as opposed to Dunn. However, the Reds are not scoring & I agree that Dunn is a plausible option for lead off.

Bailey should be called up. At least he can learn in the majors & he is pitching well in the minors. Bailey should be plugged in as a starter.

Bruce should also be called up in the near future. Let that future start now.

at 12:43 PM

Cheviot Sports Authority said...

Volquez has looked great in the 10 innings he has pitched. Lets hold up on the bronze statue though until he gets in about 25 innings.

Anyone heard how Hamilton is doing. Dr Dicken tells us he will be having a relapse anytime now.
St CSA

at 1:02 PM

Captain D-bag said...

my main man batsfan would proabably insert the louisville starting nine :)

did ANYONE look at this team PRIOR to the season starting and think, "boy we really need a big right handed bat" ?

ee is supposed to be the hammer from the right side correct? krivsky can make you scratch your head sometimes, but i don't know if i can fault the guy for ee not hitting. all kinds of prognosticators were saying ee would break out this year.

if ee starts hitting lefties, he protects phillips, who protects kepp, who protects xyz leadoff hitter...

i realize ee has gotten off to a slow start the last couple of years, but sooner or later he's got to get a little more consistent early in the year. i mean, i wet the bed until i was 3, but got the hang of it in my fourth year - a little thing called maturation.

let's hope ee puts on the big boy pants and matures pretty quick, otherwise batsfan might get to watch him dazzle in the 'ville.

on a side note: even after slow starts the last two years ee has managed to average a .283 ba with 16hr. those numbers were compiled after the redlegs were out of contention in 2007, but in 2006 the mediocre central allowed the reds to hang around until the end, adding some pressure to young ee's at bats.

all this adds up to...the guy being an enigma

on another side note: anyone realize that ee's middle name is Elpidio? triple E! i think i like that better than double E!

until next time, this is the captain signing off!

ugh...and i don't like reading long posts...sorry

at 1:13 PM

jdeezman said...

I don't give a rats behind what Hamilton does... so what that he's hitting .311? The Rangers are 6-9 also... so let's take back the trade. We lose the Volquez win, have a WORST record than Texas, and still have a left handed hitting line-up that sucks against LH pitching!

Go ahead and hit the panic button too early, throw in the towel all of you chicken littles... and you call yourselves fans of this team?

Absolute jokes are what ANYONE is that gives up after 15 games in a season.
You guys are hilarious... stupid yes, but hilarious. I come here now-a-days just to be able to laugh at the absolute foolishness I see on here.
The actual Red's fans and baseball lovers I feel for, especially the out-of-towners like me who want to talk with other REAL FANS.

Too bad there aren't many here.

at 1:13 PM

Anonymous said...

Good comments (and great research) on Dunn, Gmoney and Brandon. A home run is rarely (if ever) meaningless; it guarantees a run (or runs) 100% of the time. It's a much higher percentage play than, say, a bunt or a stolen base. His combination of power and ability to draw walks makes him a very dangerous hitter. I'm sure I'm going to get ripped to shreds for saying that, but the stats don't lie. He was 11th in the league in runs created per 27 outs last year - in other words, a starting lineup of 9 Adam Dunns scores 7.49 runs per game. I'll take that in my outfield.

at 2:28 PM

JackBlueAsh said...

I wish we had some players on our team have a relapse like Hamilton

Its a shame we have to trade such talent to get pitching...I agree lets wait a while before judging Mr Volquez

at 2:37 PM

Rob Dicken said...

I can obviously read Robbie, perhaps it is you that can't. Cantu is making 500,000 this year not $6 mil.

And you don't obviously know how contract signings work. Cantu would have been owed arbitration money IF and ONLY IF he were to resign with the Reds. Not another team after a release. Because then the guy is looking for work...doesn't make sense to negotiate figures with arbitrators if you can't keep a job!

Get with the program, please. Learn about contracts, renewals, and arbitration.

Volquez has looked great in the 10 innings he has pitched. Lets hold up on the bronze statue though until he gets in about 25 innings.

And I will wait on holding up that bronze statue for Hamilton until he plays more than 90 games.

Anyone heard how Hamilton is doing. Dr Dicken tells us he will be having a relapse anytime now.

Did you not read John's post about making attacks at other posters? There's not any reason for ignorant remarks trying to redeem yourself for lack of knowledge. Fortunately enough, I took Anatomy in college and enough Health classes in high school to understand basic concepts. Did you? Obviously not. It doesn't look like basic Mathematics were in the equation for you either, seeing your constant disregard for statistics.

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Wednesday, April 16, 2008

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