The season has started

[JohnU]

I see Bailey is penciled in, so Reed might as well go back to the cupboard and look for some cocoa mix.

 

[JohnU]

Wow, this offense is next to inert, bottom to top.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The Reds are hitting .220 as a team. Could be worse, the Indians are hitting .161 and it's .219 for the Yankees. There's 6 teams hitting below the the Yankees and 5 of them are below .200. There's a lot of guys looking like Mario Mendoza and more than a couple are playing for the Reds.

It's unseasonably cold in a lot of cities and the early start to the season doesn't help. It's not hitter friendly or fan friendly.

 

[eburg5000]

5 hits, 2 runs, There are at least 3 really easy outs scattered through the lineup. Which gives the opposing pitcher an easy time working his way through lineup.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

i've got to disagree with you h-n-r on stephenson's secondary stuff being better than mahle's. though, i think it might be

Watching Mahle pitch last season I thought he was throwing a two seamer. But Chris Welch said during a broadcast that he only throws a four seamer. I've looked at a lot of photos and haven't seen one that shows a two seamer grip. His slider grip is a traditional grip and changeup is a modified circle. Doesn't throw many curveballs, so I'm not sure of the grip.

My comparison of Stephenson's secondary stuff has less to do with pitch effectiveness and more to do with physics. Pitchf/x and spin data will tell you a lot about a pitch, but it isn't trying to hit the baseball. Mahle's secondary stuff plays better for reasons beyond the physical dynamics of each individual pitch. Delivery deception, sequence of pitch, command, hitter tendacies, etc., all play their role.

IMO,
A guy like Tyler Mahle is under valued throughout the process from draft to MLB debut. It illustrates a flawed understanding of pitching.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

5 hits, 2 runs, There are at least 3 really easy outs scattered through the lineup. Which gives the opposing pitcher an easy time working his way through lineup. This llineup is weak right now

I know it's early, but I wonder if Price can afford to keep Hamilton and Peraza in the lineup much longer. If

You summed it up nicely Eburg. Good pitchers always know where the outs are. A walk isn't always a loss of command, it's often pitching around a guy to get to that automatic out.

 

[JohnU]

At the moment, I think Peraza and Hamilton are seeing shadows in the cemetery and it's not genius to understand that. Votto usually starts slow and we know that. Duvall and Suarez aren't far from a nice day that makes us love them conditionally. Winker is really still a rookie. Gennett knows what he needs to do and is smart enough to do that.

But I am not overly disappointed with this season so far. The pitching generally has been good and even Quack did OK work last night. Garrett is pitching with purpose but I am still not seeing him as a starter. He looks smooth at times, disjointed at others. I think by June, he could be a starter if he fine-tunes.

Homer isn't enjoying the cold weather, and that's all there is about that.

I know it's booth blather, but tHom alluded to Hamilton's lack of production. He probably is talking out of class but he's right. I think Ervin is making a case for himself. Yeah, one or two nice plays doesn't turn you into Darrell Evans, but it doesn't make you Jonny Gomes either.

I think we will see Henny Penny at SS a couple of games before the trip ends.

Gawd, we need to not cave in against the Phils.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Garrett came to camp on a mission. I always thought he pitched with too little effort. He prioritized control over velocity which isn't a bad thing, but too much of one and not enough of the other isn't optimal. I think he's searching for the right balance.

Pitchers come in all shapes and sizes, methods and techniques. I used to love getting to the ballpark early when the bullpens were down the foul lines. You could sit only feet away and watch guys like Gaylord Perry and Phil Niekro warmup. I still have a ball somewhere in a drawer that Perry flipped up in the stands. It was bleached white with rosin and all the marking were worn off. It looked like it may have been older than he was.

 

[JohnU]

Garrett came to camp on a mission. I always thought he pitched with too little effort. He prioritized control over velocity which isn't a bad thing, but too much of one and not enough of the other isn't optimal. I think he's searching for the right balance.

Pitchers come in all shapes and sizes, methods and techniques. I used to love getting to the ballpark early when the bullpens were down the foul lines. You could sit only feet away and watch guys like Gaylord Perry and Phil Niekro warmup. I still have a ball somewhere in a drawer that Perry flipped up in the stands. It was bleached white with rosin and all the marking were worn off. It looked like it may have been older than he was.

I still do that with the indy games I attend. Gary had a top pitcher a few years back who would long toss from 100 feet and the catcher didn't even move his glove. I loved watching that. Of course, indy guys top out at 88 as a rule so it's not all that fascinating on surface. But it is warming up.

With Garrett, he seems to be mechanically solid. I haven't seen enough to evaluate, as if I was qualified to do that. But is is what Cingrani was not and after a couple of years of that, I would settle for a pitching machine.

 

[JohnU]

Peraza is completely lost.

 

[JohnU]

Geezus this team is boring.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I wish I felt bored. Sick is the feeling I'm getting watching this game.



Castillo struggled, but a 4-2 game was still winnable.

 

[JohnU]

I wish I felt bored. Sick is the feeling I'm getting watching this game.



Castillo struggled, but a 4-2 game was still winnable.

He is going to struggle against teams that are willing to wait for him to get them out. All in all, the problem is the same ... did this front office think they could dangle a "the rebuild is almost complete" at us and prop up Gallardo and the Quack and think it's new wine in a new bottle. The ongoing excuse about all the relievers on the disabled list got old the last 2 years I heard it.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

I don't know the Reds vetting process when they sign a guy like Yovani Gallardo, but they obviously have a problem evaluating these guys. He hadn't pitched well the last two seasons and performed poorly enough in Brewers camp to get released.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

Stuart Turner was DFA, cleared waivers, and outrighted to AAA. The Reds thought enough of him to select him in the rule 5 draft and keep him on the roster all season. The rest of the league thinks the guy has no value.

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The notion this bullpen is getting an upgrade when the walking wounded can run with a limp is the same sad tune we've been hearing for three years.

David Hernandez is mediocre at best. He had a good start with the Angels the first half before returning to normal the second half with the Dbacks. Ignore that and sign him for two years.

Lorenzen was terrible the second half and wasn't very sharp this spring. His pitching philosophy is when all else fails throw harder.

Kevin Shackleford has never shown to be anything more than AAAA level talent. He's most likely an Austin Brice type performer and I'm not an Austin Brice fan.

 

[Ojb81]

This is going to be a miserable season

 

[Hit-n-Run]

The morning after a 14-3 butt whooping is a good morning to vent. I feel better.

 

[JohnU]

Gallardo has no incentive to work on his game. He could be tipping pitches or presenting some mechanical problem that keeps him from getting the ball where he wants it. He's well past prime and hitters now are used to hitting 96, not 85. He's not going to get better even if he gets lucky and comes in when its 11-2.

Hernandez is probably a lost contract but who knows? I frankly don't care much if any of these guys pitches. The ongoing front office madness is that if you buy really nice looking trash cans, you are beautifying the neighborhood.

Price isn't going to fix this and replacing him might be in order now. Yeah, it's not his fault but if he hasn't had any impact on the roster, it's also not enough to let him off the hook. He ought to know what's wrong with Gallardo and the Quack.

 

[eburg5000]

If this season continues like the way it has. Price will be gone before the end of the month. It's not so much his fault, but that's the way crap flows.

The Reds had 13 hit last night, but only 3 runs. If it wasn't for Gallardo, we would be talking about that.

I think there is a lot of teams losing money, because of starting the season early. They was not many fans there last night despite how well the Pirates are playing right now.