Have a nice trip, Tony

[JohnU]

The next bus for Lousyville leaves in 8 hours.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I was pleasantly surprised to see him throw something other than a collarbone high fastball. Less pleasantly pleased with results. It's a catch-22- he can't survive as a SP with only 1 pitch, especially when his most effective location on it, is 6 inches out of the strike zone (high)... and he can't develop another pitch without throwing some.... and inevidibly, hes going to get punished with those unpolished secindary pitches, just like he is going to get punished on his only pitch- the fastball, when hitters make him throw it in the zone...

The reality is, it isn't his fault he got to MLB, and was given a 3 pitch minimum role as a SP, with only 1 pitch...it's the Reds that either didnt notice he only had 1 pitch, or thought he could get by as a SP with just the one pitch.

Two obvious better answers might have been, use him as a reliever, where 1 pitch has a chance to get 3 outs, or wait to make him a MLB starter until he developed secondary pitches in the minors.

Hindsight is SUPPOSED to be 20:20, but HE'S STILL STARTING, with very limited command of a secondary pitch.

...and speaking of questionable decisions, how can any MLB scouting report on Hunter Pence NOT state to throw him low and away, where his step in the bucket style can't reach that pitch ? It isn't just Cingrani throwing him chest high in the center of the plate...all the Reds pitchers are. Either the Reds scouts and coaches are blind, or players aren't listening.

 

[JohnU]

Bad scouting reports by bad teams inevitably produce bad records.
Reds hitters haven't been taught to understand what the pitchers are throwing.
The defenses are confused after that long and tedious report last winter about how Price wanted to do more shifting. Forgot to tell his pitchers to not throw the ball out over the plate to a dead pull hitter.
I have NO idea what these guys are watching about the various hitters. Yadi Molina is hitting .298 -- that's good ...but against the Reds, it's .580.

This dugout staff bull-shitted us all winter about accountability and how they were going to go more by the metrics than Dusty did.

Dusty averaged around 90 wins a year, being dense.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Well, he alternated sub-.500 seasons between 90 winners , all but the last one... With IMO, a better roster. He had the only starting rotation in MLB without a missed start one year, and gave away the first LCS 2-0 lead to lose 3 at home, each of which had a game impacting gaffe at critical times. That's all sewage under the bridge now.

If you miss the boat, you gotta swim. When guys don't tread that well, some are bound to drown. He doesnt count my vote, but Walt's plan was just too thin. The Price ain't right, when all the stats are down. He's left putting different lyrics to the same old song. Votto won't play, and won't say when he will. At least while Latos is gone Alfredo's been strong filling in. One step forward and one step back will never get a half baked scheme back on track. If Walt can empty the DL by the all star break, there is still time to make the dance...but if these guys still drag their ass, Walt may as well dump them for a 2016 chance.

 

[JohnU]

7 1/2 out in 4th place is not going to get these guys anything but the 9th draft pick next year instead of the 19th. If they could get to 2nd place, they still have to prove to me they can beat ANYbody 2 games out of 3, which ain't even the same as 3 out of 5.
Or just 1 out of 1.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Well, at least they disposed the Phil's 2 of 3. I was in attendance for Fridays blowout, where the crowd was more pizzed about LeCure blowing the 11 strikeout free pizza, than the miserable Reds performance. Nice job recovering though, and although they still fell 1 K short of free pizza on Sunday, no one seemed to mind.

 

[Redsfan1507]

...and then again, Cingrani is proving he's not fooling many hitters. Latos got his rehab in, so normal rest would suggest he's taking Tony's next turn....not sure if TC is Louisville bound, or Marshall or some other battered pitcher will hide on the DL allowing Cingrani's one trick repertoire to escape to the Reds blowpen, but he's clearly overmatched and under prepared as a SP right now.

 

[JohnU]

If you keep Cingrani, gotta DFA Marshall.
Either way, I'd rather have Ricky Stone.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I can think of 6.5M reasons they're not going to DFA Marshall, none of which are related to his ability to get anyone out. He's either going to pitch 1 inning every fifth day or be rehabbing through 2015.

Cingrani seemed to be earmarked for demotion for a couple weeks IMO. Not sure if the Cubbie rain out was ever rescheduled or not, but the 26 man rule or an unexpected injury to a SP and he'd be back. Not much depth to choose from, so I'm thinking he's off to AAA to stay stretched out...... if you can call 4 and 2/3's stretched out.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Yep, Ricky could always hang a little drywall in between poundings on the mound. Rumor is that Cingrani will be the long man out of the pen they must think the Reds desperately need. If they're going to be behind by 4 runs after 2 innings, they might be right. No sense wasting a $10M arm in a lost cause. Then again, you can always lose cheaper... And how many $10M players does a losing team need ? It can always get worse...the Dodgers have a Yankee sized payroll and are as far out of first as the Reds are. Comments by Mattingly and the media suggest that their stars don't pull in the same direction, and loss of role players lost the glue that held them together. In the flip side, the Reds added some good role players like Schumaker ( one of the lost Dodgers), Pena, etc. but it's the "stars" like Latos, Votto, Bailey, Bruce, Ludwick, etc. that have been the Reds failing so far.

It's hard to watch the Reds right now. I see lots of things I would have done differently, driving from the safety of a fans back seat, but it is what it is...and what is important, winning, isn't happening. How much attitude, chemistry, plays into energy, winning and the ability to get the bat on the ball is conjecture, especially when the same guys dragging their ass losing were the same guys spinning great chemistry when they were winning 90 games a year.

It just seems like the Reds can't seem to get all the pieces to function at the same time. When Castellini took over, he had Wayne Krivsky and Pete Mackanin steering the ship into every reef, with poster boys for laziness like Dunn, KGJ and Encarnacion in the lineup. When they assembled some talent they turned it over to Dumbshit Baker to fritter away. Chapman was the next Randy Johnson, but turned into the next Billy Wagner instead. They turned good role player discounts into multi year dissapointments with Hairston, Gomes and Ludwick. They ousted good field no hit shortstops for no field no hit pinch hitters before finding another good field no hit SS. They get a MVP, sign him to a wuarter billion contract and realize he winds up being a mannic depressive too tender to play. They got a pitching and defense first roster and forgot how to hit. They get an intelligent manager without experience, who sits Mesoracos bat to get Santiago's glove in the lineup and keep a personal catcher for Cueto, who can't even keep his pitcher from flipping out after walking 2 guys before it turns into a blowout. They get a contact hitting coach to help Frazier stay off the bouncer, but Jay Bruce is at the Mendoza/ Patterson line in mid June. The one pitch wonder Cingrani was the long missing LHSP, while Chapman rots waiting on 2 save chances a week.

I don't get the new math I guess, but I recognize a bullshit answer when I see one. These guys are about as healthy as they will be right now, 8 games out... We'll see how much better they will be now. I'm hoping they'll be quite a bit better, if not, the guy signing them probably needs to take a hike.

 

[eburg5000]

Votto last night in that last at bat. with runners n scoring position was pathetic. I'm not sure where his head is at, but it doesn't seem like it's in the game. If he's going to have at bats like that I would just as soon see them move him down in the lineup

 

[Hit-n-Run]

And the winner is........ Marshall to the 15 day DL.

 

[JohnU]

I would like to find my comments on Marshall about a month ago and that mysterious injury he would be getting the day Mat Latos was cleared. Geez, that was coming at us like a freight train.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Watching LeCure last night I thought he might heading for the DL. He looked like he was worn out before the Brewers actually did wear him out.

Marshall shouldn't have ever come off the DL. There's been plenty of examples why the Reds shouldn't sign these guys to multiple year deals.... He's just the latest to rehab until his expiration date arrives.

I think you said you were coming to one of the Dodger games John. If you made the trip, hope you enjoyed yourself.

 

[redsfan03]

Votto last night in that last at bat. with runners n scoring position was pathetic. I'm not sure where his head is at, but it doesn't seem like it's in the game. If he's going to have at bats like that I would just as soon see them move him down in the lineup

He's looked pretty pathetic so far tonight as well. Good to know that the Reds threw over $200 mil to a complete head case.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Well, the offense didnt help, but I knew the Reds 1 run lead was short lived when I saw Ondrusek and Parra and Hoover in the pen instead of Broxton and Chapman. Tossing the loosing bullpen in a tight game is just asking for a loss. Ondrusek walked the first guy with the middle of the order on deck, but all 3 of those guys have horrible control both in and out of the zone. All of them are 12th men in a good 11 man pitching staff.

 

[Redsfan1507]

He's looked pretty pathetic so far tonight as well. Good to know that the Reds threw over $200 mil to a complete head case.

And move who up ? Can't fill a hole with a hole. The only thing this team can do is put the players on the field that they hired for their respective roles, and work their ass off until they start doing their job. A little good sense and sticking with what works might help. Frazier has done well staying off the 55 foot breaker in the dirt, and last night, he fell right back into goofass again. All night. Not walking a guy with 1b open and 2 on is one thing, but playing the infield back so far a routine grounder can't get an out at the plate is another. Price is no genius, obviously, but where was David Bell's middle infield expertise on that play ? Stealing Jay Bruce for the 8th time is like trying to roll your 8th 7 at craps. Better not have let those winnings ride on that risk.

The Brewers play little league defense, and have a pitching staff that is real deep in overdue for correction. 1 or 2 runs isn't going to beat them often though, especially if the collective era of the bullpen you use averages about 5.00.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

"Move who up?" is the my first response as well. Votto may never be the same hitter he was before the knee problems, but he remains the best hitter on the Reds nonetheless. The big contract will make him the focal point for dissatisfied fans when the offense struggles, but since he's hitting nearly .350 since returning from the DL the timing of the comments seem a little wayward.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Lots of 1b are slow and rangeless. Any knee issues he has shouldn't mean a big dip in production IMO, as long as he stays in the lineup. He isn't required to steal bases or play spectacular D anyway. It's usually shoulders not knees that sap power. I always believed Votto was more .300/ 20-25 HR than a big power threat anyway. I'll be happy if he's .290-.320 with 20 HR, and 100 walks and plays above 140 games a year.

Hamilton looks like he's going to be fine in his role. BP is never going to be a 30:30 guy again, and he's only hit .300 and had 100 RBI once, so I dont expect that again, but his glove is good and should be a decent contributor. He just can't be a 4 hitter and impress very long IMO. Frazier has been a pleasant suprize. So has Mesoraco. I didnt expect Cozart to hit much, and thought Ludwick was a mistake for both money and expectations. That all points to Bruce living up to at least what he put up last year as the missing expectation. He's been my biggest Reds dissapointment this year, and because if the relative power shortage in a small park like GABP, possibly the most critical to success. I still think the lack of a hitter behind him in the lineup hurts him. Maybe Mesoraco can help there since Ludwick doesn't appear to be the answer.

The Reds also have had a pretty lousy middle inning bullpen. A little more offense, and Latos coming back to move Cingrani to the pen might help there too.

 

[JohnU]

Cingrani took still another step today toward proving he doesn't belong on a big-league roster. There are times when you have to pitch better than you are capable of pitching.