How do you feel about Reds/Walt/Cast right now?
The Chapman signing seemed to bring a new wave of optimism to the board.
Personally, I was encouraged that the Reds made an offer to Byrd and were supposedly in play to get JJ Hardy. ( I can understand if people don't believe that rumor. )
We Reds fans have been beat down the past 10 years, so I understand the gloomy mood.
So, the poll is: How do you feel about this club right now, and it's short term future (within 3 years) I'm going to use letter grades.
Edit: I am going to say "B". Maybe they don't deserve that, but as a fan, I am going to cling to hope :lol:
Re: How do you feel about Reds/Walt/Cast right now?
Solid B.
While many have accused Walt of being asleep at the wheel he has been pretty active. For the most part he hasn't disrupted the minor league system and he hasn't handed out any large contracts.
I believe Walt has a plan and has been working on his plan. I also think that Walt keeps his cards very close to the vest. This years team is better than last years and last years team was better than the previous. While I am not overly hopeful for a contending 2010 season, I believe they can "if things work in their favor".
Re: How do you feel about Reds/Walt/Cast right now?
I voted a C.
I feel much better about the reds as a franchise with the Chapman signing because to me it was the first move that Walt has made that indicated he was paying any attention at all to the franchise.
I hope the Rolen move works out well. I hope the kids get a chance to play and perform as well as we all think they will.
In the end I think the reds will go as far as Dusty Baker can take them. He's the one responsible for sorting through the LF candidates and making sure the right guys get the AB's. Likewise, he's gotta give the extra starts to the right guys in order for this team to succeed. While I think he's head and shoulders over Narron in terms of running a team, I don't have a whole lot of confidence in his ability to pick the right 25 guys to come out of spring training with.
Re: How do you feel about Reds/Walt/Cast right now?
I went with D, up previously from an F after the Chapman signing. No amount of positive things can overshadow what for me is unforgivable keeping Dusty on, still stuck with Taveras and telling me your gonna contend with Janish as the 1st and only option at SS. In my mind we can only truly contend if every thing goes right and with Paul and potentially Taveras at the top of the lineup the offense will not go right. Also I am still quite skeptical of Walt's ability in general and as long as he and Bavasi are around I will feel a little uneasy. I hang on to the hope that '10 will be the last of 2 of those mistakes (Dusty/Willy) and so that's how I can sleep at night that the future may yet be bright.
Re: How do you feel about Reds/Walt/Cast right now?
Raised my grade to a "C". Parlay some of the youngsters into a legit LF bat to back-up the Rolen trade and the Chapman signing, and I cross over to fully changing my tune. Flip Francisco, Wood, and another piece for Nelson Cruz or someone like him and I am full mea culpa mode. Particularly if they will cut bait on Taveras as simply admit the mistake.
Re: How do you feel about Reds/Walt/Cast right now?
Feel ? What does what "I" feel have to do with end results? Ok, I will let the end results say how I feel and grade accordingly.
Bob Castellini? Well, I am just feeling overwhelmed with love, joy and positive anticipation, like a kid waiting for ones parents to tell them on Christmas that we are too poor to celebrate. When they wrap up the same old tie from season to season and try to put a new face and spin on it. Here's your new bone kid, now go play with the dog.
Bob Castellini’s End Results - New ownership, looks too much like the old ownership, Oh maybe that is because old ownership is the purse behind new ownership.
Code:
A snap shot of Bob follows right below this line.
W L PCT GB RS RA DIFF
2009 78 84 .481 13 673 723 -50
2008 74 88 .457 23.5 704 800 -96
2007 72 90 .444 13 783 853 -70
2006 80 82 .494 3.5 749 801 -52
Jocketty, new GM looks too much like the old gm’s on paper
Offense
Code:
Snap shot of Walt and Wayne’s collaborations, who Bob hired and directed
RK Year BA OBP SLG OPS RS
11th 2009 .247 .318 .394 .712 673
12th 2008 .247 .321 .408 .729 704
7th 2007 .267 .335 .436 .772 783
9th 2006 .257 .336 .432 .768 749
Baker, speed kills when misapplied in the wrong hands, when they ignore OBP with their love for a theory in a Patterson and Taveras
Code:
A full color photo of Mr. Baker, and his run scoring machine as it declines year to year
Team OPS Team OBP Team SLG
Year OPS OBP SLG Runs
2009 .712 .318 .394 673
2008 .729 .321 .408 704
2007 .772 .335 .436 783
2006 .768 .336 .432 749
A group photo of the Reds and their Central division buddies. Courtesy of Bob the “losing stops now”, Mr. Baker, “I love speed”, and Walt, “this is going to take time”, but, ’we like the team that we have now”.
Code:
Central Division
Team BABIP 2009 BABIP 2008 BABIP 2007 BABIP 2006
Reds .285 .280 .301 .293
Pirates .299 .293 .307 .313
Astros .296 .299 .294 .289
Brewers .309 .290 .292 .303
Cubs .299 .324 .311 .296
Cardinals .299 .315 .306 .294
2009 BABIP March/April May June July August Sept/October
Reds .285 .284 .296 .263 .269 .279 .316
2008 BABIP March/April May June July August Sept/October
Reds .280 .278 .303 .258 .288 .269 .284
2007 BABIP March/April May June July August Sept/October
Reds .301 .279 .293 .276 .298 .337 .315
2006 BABIP March/April May June July August Sept/October
Reds .293 .301 .284 .300 .318 .283 .272
Let's not let my feelings get in the way of what we have known and seen. Even paid for.
Jack Nicholson:
I feel pretty,
Oh so pretty,
I feel pretty and witty and gay,
Jack Nicholson: Lalalalalalalala
I feel charming,
Oh so charming,
It's alarming how charming i feel,
And so pretty that I hardly beleive im real,
Jack Nicholson: lalalalalalala,
Re: How do you feel about Reds/Walt/Cast right now?
Other than Rolen and now Chapman, Jocketty hasn't made the overall impact that I believe the previous 2 Reds GM's did (primarily with the draft). To what degree all 3 GM's have had their hands tied financially speaking is difficult to say. We have a glaring need for a righthanded hitting LF'er (Jermaine Dye?) and that whole issue wasn't adequately addressed all of last year by Walt and his staff and continues unsettled even now. Bob Castellini seems to step up at strange times but at least he does, contrary to Carl -just want to break even- Linder. With the Reds finishing 15th out of 16 NL teams last year in hitting, I almost gave Jocketty/Castellini a "D".
Overall I give them a "C" but please quit pleading small market poverty!
Re: How do you feel about Reds/Walt/Cast right now?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bucksfan2
Solid B.
While many have accused Walt of being asleep at the wheel he has been pretty active. For the most part he hasn't disrupted the minor league system and he hasn't handed out any large contracts.
I believe Walt has a plan and has been working on his plan. I also think that Walt keeps his cards very close to the vest. This years team is better than last years and last years team was better than the previous. While I am not overly hopeful for a contending 2010 season, I believe they can "if things work in their favor".
Gonna go with a B, but would say it is more B+ than B or B-. Not quite an A.
This regime is definitely different than the manic ways of 2006-2008, but I think it is indisputable that the team feels more in control than before. It just seems like the FO knows what they are doing and where they are headed.
Re: How do you feel about Reds/Walt/Cast right now?
Although I like the Chapman signing and didn't hate the Rolen signing, he's still a "C" as predicated by the Reds position in the final standings. In 2010, health and experience might make the offense and starting pitching less bad but I'm not certain it gets the team the division.
Re: How do you feel about Reds/Walt/Cast right now?
They have a plan.
That's something no Red GM has had since the early 90's.
Re: How do you feel about Reds/Walt/Cast right now?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
nate
Although I like the Chapman signing and didn't hate the Rolen signing, he's still a "C" as predicated by the Reds position in the final standings. In 2010, health and experience might make the offense and starting pitching less bad but I'm not certain it gets the team the division.
Do you think it would have been possible for anyone to pump out a winner last season, looking at the roster that was inherited and FA/trade market of 2008-2009?
Re: How do you feel about Reds/Walt/Cast right now?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mario-Rijo
I went with D, up previously from an F after the Chapman signing. No amount of positive things can overshadow what for me is unforgivable keeping Dusty on, still stuck with Taveras and telling me your gonna contend with Janish as the 1st and only option at SS. In my mind we can only truly contend if every thing goes right and with Paul and potentially Taveras at the top of the lineup the offense will not go right. Also I am still quite skeptical of Walt's ability in general and as long as he and Bavasi are around I will feel a little uneasy. I hang on to the hope that '10 will be the last of 2 of those mistakes (Dusty/Willy) and so that's how I can sleep at night that the future may yet be bright.
well said, I went with D as well (also up from a big F). The Chapman signing would seem to indicate that there may be a plan however I have yet to understand how the Rolen acquisition fits in with said plan
Re: How do you feel about Reds/Walt/Cast right now?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mario-Rijo
I went with D, up previously from an F after the Chapman signing. No amount of positive things can overshadow what for me is unforgivable keeping Dusty on, still stuck with Taveras and telling me your gonna contend with Janish as the 1st and only option at SS. In my mind we can only truly contend if every thing goes right and with Paul and potentially Taveras at the top of the lineup the offense will not go right. Also I am still quite skeptical of Walt's ability in general and as long as he and Bavasi are around I will feel a little uneasy. I hang on to the hope that '10 will be the last of 2 of those mistakes (Dusty/Willy) and so that's how I can sleep at night that the future may yet be bright.
If the Reds go into 10 with Wily starting regularly in CF I will cede your point...but I don't see that happening in any shape or form.
Re: How do you feel about Reds/Walt/Cast right now?
B (maybe an incomplete). The Chapman deal on its own was a solid A, IMO. An overall grade though, is dependant upon how he follows up. IMO, he needs to upgrade SS (at a minimum) for an A, failing to do so makes it a low B/high C, as far as I'm concerned.
Add a SS upgrade, a run-producing LF and/or a decent upgrade behind the plate and he gets an A+. Walt has some decent chips to work with now. How wisely he uses them factors into the final grade also.
Re: How do you feel about Reds/Walt/Cast right now?
I went with an A. 2010 I figure .500. I feel really good about 2011 and 2012 though.
