The next 12 games ....

[JohnU]

Not clear on your rant about Phillips. He's close to a replacement level player and all the data support that. If the question is whether the team is better off with somebody else, it would clearly depend on who "somebody else" is ... but it's not Schumaker.

As for the injuries in 2013, and 2014, not relevant to the fact that the Reds did not upgrade their offense by trading for Marlon Byrd and so long as Bryan Pena is doing the daily catching, the Reds have a .220 hitter behind the plate.

Price's ability to manage is probably akin to that of Casey Stengel, who won 5 pennants in a row with the Yankees and lost about 230 games in 2 seasons with the Mets. There is something of a clue there.

But you went one way with this, then doubled back, chico ... into something of a tirade against a statement of fact -- Phillips is at near-replacement level talent.

 

[chico ruiz]

not a rant. just some random thoughts on posts i've read lately. i happen to think that phillips is far from done, and can still be very productive. he's slowed a bit, but not nearly as much as some on this board believe. i don't agree that he's a "close to replacement level player.' that's it. my apologies for the fractured nature of my prior post. just started typing and well………

 

[Redsfan1507]

I think too many people, Bryan Price and Brandon Phillips two of them, expect BP to do more with the bat, than he's capable of. He can drive in 75 -90 runs in the 4 spot, but chances are, he'll hit less than 20HR though. He's only hit .300 once. He doesn't walk, and hits into quite a few double plays. I think the lack of another player with more typical cleanup hitter skills has contributed to BP's miscast lineup spot, but I also think the only worse thing than a player out if position, is two. Phillips is a 6-7 hitter on a good team, and anything higher probably says it isn't a very good team.

BP is a great defender, and a pretty good, if not fast, baserunner. He'll never hit 30 HR or drive in 100 RBI again. If I had to predict his line, I'd say he's .260/14HR R/RBI dependant on his lineup spot. IMO, he's about the 6th most important hitter in the lineup. Ironically, we probably would be happier with that if all the better 5 showed urgent intentions of establishing their superiority to BP's stats.

 

[JohnU]

I have never suggested he is close to being "done" but he isn't going to progress at any level from now on. As a "replacement level" player, the determination isn't being made by me ... this is the data that all the top stats analysts use. You can agree with it or not. I never argued with it or said I thought it was accurate. The data say what it says and that's the benchmark.

 

[tlakes20]

It sucks the offense can't hit jack when Leake has gone out there and pitched his ass off tonight. Another wasted outing by a starter.

 

[JohnU]

4 runs in 3 games and 27 men left on base.
I realize this isn't popular, but when the team can't win ... you fire the manager.
It's that simple. Does it help? No, but you still fire the manager.

 

[redsfan03]

Cardinals - 2 LOB
Reds - 9 LOB

Story of two franchises in a nutshell right there.

 

[JohnU]

St Louis keeps the game close and in the last innings, get a double and get the guy to third base where he scores a run. The Reds get a guy to first base and he fuckin' never gets past 2nd base.

Last week, Phillips looked like I would when he tried to bunt.
The other day, Hamilton hit a 50-foot popup on a bunt.
Tonight, Barnhart can't even get a bunt down.
It isn't the first time this has happened. THis is on the coaching staff.
It's time for Price to go.
Sorry.

 

[eburg5000]

I don"t think, that if the Cardinal broadcasters were doing the game, that they would have rooted as hard for the Cardinals as the ESPN broadcasters. Reds still can't hit, and the only way the Reds could have won is if they scored 2 runs in the ninth and Chapman would have come in. But this is really frustrating.

 

[eburg5000]

What do they do down in springtraining. I thought that the team works on things like bunting. A lot of high school player could do better

 

[JohnU]

When you can't hit, the infield dares you to bunt. If you can't bunt, and you can't hit ... the defense really has very little to worry about

 

[chico ruiz]

my apologies john. you were referring to the WAR stat. oh geez. i better stop typing right now.

 

[chico ruiz]

i actually think this team is going to get much better offensively. i'm still optimistic about 2015. i agree with 1507 on the phillips / team evaluation. if brandon is where he belongs in the line-up (7), that will probably be a strong indication that the reds are going good offensively. i'm still a believer. of course, i did drink the red kool-aid.

 

[JohnU]

Well, we have no choice but to get onboard the Titanic. We bought the damned tickets 40 years ago.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Bunting is just one of several fundamentals the Reds don't execute very well.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the odds of scoring by bunting a guy to 2b. It still requires 1 or 2 out hit to score, and if the next 2 guys are a Reds pinch hitter and Skip Shumaker...uh, that a clutch petformance thats probably not happening. I much prefer a steal of 2b, a bunt to 3rd, where a 4 hop grounder to 2b, a popup to RF or a balk can score without a hit, all occurances that have happened more recently than that scenario. The Reds have to get a bases loaded 2 out hit once in a while, or better, 2 or 3 consecutive guys on base so 2 out heros aren't required.

The Reds have lost series to the Cardinals forever. Different rosters, managers, etc. that consistent result speaks to one thing-consistently superior execution by the Cardinals....who don't have a lot of power, or the best defense, or 5 elite starting pitchers, or a shutdown bullpen after 6 innings. They don't give away many gifts- not many walks-especially leadoff walks, and they don't help advance them by balking or turning singles into triples or not making throws at baserunners. Speaking of baserunners, when is the last time they ran into an unforced tag at 3b or got a tying run shot out at home ? It's more rare than with the Reds. The Reds strike out in more situations the Cards would have advanced a runner on a grounder behind the runner. Pena hit a first pitch fastball low and away, immediately after a Wainwright walk, resulting in not advancing the Reds runner at 2b. He should have taken a pitch that wasnt begging "please pull me"...The Cards make mistakes, but they usually don't make them with the game on the line though. The Reds play better defense, but make more fundamental mistakes, many of which aren't noticed because they are a mistake made by the choices made by a player- like the Pena first pitch , or the manager- an unneccessary lineup change, a base not stolen or a pitch not called. There is a lot involved with "philosophy"-good and bad, and it's usually passed down to the next generation. The Cards have been in a good organizational philosophy for about as long as the Reds haven't. I think the Reds are gaining, compared to say 15 years ago, but are well short of the "model" Cards organization.

Fundamental execution comes from repetition. Obviously, the Reds don't get as many good fundamentals reps as the Cards, and therefore not only don't execute them as well, they fabricate fewer opportunities too.

 

[JohnU]

This would explain a lot.

 

[Redsfan1507]

Next 3 games at Milwaukee...IMO, the NL road town most condusive to concentrating on baseball
( because there isn't much else worth doing there).

I'd bet a small advantage on Desclafani over Peralta tonight. The humiliation of the 24th consecutive series loss ( or whatever it is) to the Cards would suggest vengeance is in order. Desclafani is largely unknown and unhit, and still believes he has to perform to keep his gig. Also, if Hamilton isn't a further injury risk, Price may have figured out he's still a better and faster player on both sides without a groin, than Skipper is with two, and Skip's away from St.L, where I wished they loved him enough to have kept him, instead of just enough to get him a sympathy leadoff start by Price in a sweep game. My guess: Reds 4 Brewskis 2.

Tomorrow, not so much....I doubt I'll expect Mr.Marquis to do more than get slumping hitters back on track, and tough luck opposing pitchers back in the W column until hes replaced. i think we've already seen his "best@, and Mike Fiers 88 mph stuff dominates Marquis 88 mph stuff. My hope is that everyone in the pen except Chapman is used in a 14 inning slugfest, just because our hitters could use the practice, and I'm hoping for reduced pen options for Cueto's next start. Prediction: Blewers 9 Reds 7.

Wednesday, Cueto wins the series, hopefully going at least 8 innings to insure better odds. Reds 2, Sausages 0.

 

[JohnU]

The only part of the Milwaukee mix that I never understood was when they bring somebody in who has never hit a home run in his life and he hits 3 against the Reds, goes 10-for-18 in a 4-game series and the next week is sent back to Portland.

 

[Redsfan1507]

I think it's pretty simple- most kids can hit a fastball in the middle of the plate in a fastball count. A lot of old guys can too.

The Reds throw a lot of those, especially after walking the leadoff guy who may be hitting .220.

Everyone can't be Wainwright or Cueto, but most good pitchers are ALWAYS around the plate, and always throw stuff that initially LOOKS like the same pitch, but isn't. They throw at the corners, get an occasional called strike, and get guys to swing at a breaker 2-4 inches farther off the plate than they thought when they started swinging. Umps get fooled too and call strikes on pitches that are just close.

A lot of Reds pitchers throw 55 footers or eye high or a foot outside, that doesn't fool anyone, and never get called strikes or fouled off for one. Then they throw the meatball because they're behind in the count. Not to single him out, but it's the problem with Cingrani- high pitch counts and higher percentage of fastballs. It's a recipe for disaster.

 

[eburg5000]

Just wondering, Why in the hell don't the Reds put Mesoraco on the DL. At least they could have another usable player on the bench. And how injured is he. The way the Reds front office does things, for all we know Mesoraco may be out for the entire year