Is It OK To Acknowledge the Disappointment in This Season W/O Being Absurd?

Seems a line has been drawn in the sand at RZ.

On this side we have,

"Stick a fork in them, they suck, heads should roll, I've wasted too much energy on these bums. Season is a disaster."

On the other side we have,

"Many teams would change places with us, it's better than it was in 2003, the correction is coming, we are still having a great season will be fine."

Is it ok to be in the middle? Because that is where I am.

I don't think this season has been particularly fun. I have found it disappointing. In large part because of the massive eggs we've laid against good teams. But overall, before the year I had WS dreams--- now it looks like we might find ourselves in a desperate fight for 5th place in the league... And probably somewhere around the 10th-12th best team in MLB. I find that very disappointing.

But I am also not really to jump off the ledge yet. I understand that even as a the #2 WC, we'd have a shot at getting hot and at least surpassing our run of last year if not beyond. It would be hard for me term the season a disaster if we make the playoffs even as a second WC team. I will use that term if we don't make the post season at all though.

But there are still two months left. A lot can happen. Things could get much worse and we could get passed in the WC chase and finish .500 or worse. I now see that as a possibility. We could also get hot and easily win a WC and/or make a run at the division.

The season is still yet to be defined. Although I agree that so far it hasn't gone as I'd hoped.... At all.

If Arizona leap frogs us in the next few days are you still in the middle?

There are a lot of not very good teams and we beat them as we should.....this alone will keep us in good shape the rest of the way.

Yeah I'm closer to the position of those who aren't disappointed. They're struggling mightily and have been very spotty for a couple of months. But then I remember what they did in May, when they seemed unbeatable. Yeah, it was against--largely--lesser teams, but I think they've got another run in them, probably in September.

It hasn't been a banner year, but I'm clear eyed enough to know that playing meaningful games in August is an exception for this franchise, so I'm going to savor it.

But to your question: yes, there's a middle path between the extreme reactions. I'm definitely there.

It's an interesting question.

Color me as one who is disappointed.

Yeah, we're 10 games over .500, which is nothing about which to be ashamed. However, great as Castellini has been, we know we're not going to be legit WS contenders often. And we've tied up a LOT of money in DatDude/Votto. Realistically, these are contracts that are going to hang around our heads like albatrosses. This team was built...designed...to win now. Our farm system is depleted and many scouts are saying that our prized prospect is nothing more that a situational outfielder.

There was a lot on the line this season. We're only guaranteed Choo through this year. Do we re-sign him or Homer? Or can we afford either?

There's a lot of baseball left to be played and this all may ultimately have a happy ending. But as for the current circumstances as of August 3, 2013...yeah, I think you have to consider this season a disappointment...thus far. That's the caveat.

I, too, am on the disappointed side....with a side of optimism. I don't think it's too late to turn it around and go on a run....this team has the talent.

I am disappointed in a few things:

1) An inability to beat good teams. Sure, you can beat enough bad teams to build up your record over the long haul, but at some point, you're going to have to beat good teams.
2) The stupidity at which this team makes outs sometimes...poor baseball acumen, especially for a team seemingly poised to compete for a championship.
3) This team doesn't have the 'it' factor. They don't pass the eye-ball test. Not like last year, anyway. I'm going to call it a lack of heart. I don't see it. Maybe it's because they don't have a true leader to guide them, someone like Rolen, in the clubhouse. Maybe it would've been different had Ludwick not been injured, but I think that is lacking.

To me, it seems odd to be disappointed with a team 10 games over .500 in August.

YMMV!

The Reds have played 133 MLB seasons, 13% of those they have played .600 or better baseball, 46% of those they have played .500% or better baseball.

The current winning % of the team is .545%, the lowest winning % of a Reds team to win the division was .559 in 1979, the 1977 Reds had a .545%, they were disappointing.

If the season ended today it would be in the top 36% of the Reds seasons, but yes... it's not the greatest,

Nor is it the end of the season.

Unrealistic expectations lead to disappointment.

If you expected the Reds to duplicate last season's 97 wins then maybe you got your hopes a little too high in the sky. If you expected the Reds to finish somewhere between last year's 97 wins and the previous year's 79 wins then you were a little more realistic and are likely not as surprised and disappointed by the Reds' performance in 2013.

mhm I´m disappointed aswell because the reds play very inconsistent.
I know it is a long season and it´s hard to play good baseball every day...

It´s hard to see a blowout win and afterwards 5 games with only 2 runs or less... It´s like watching Jay Bruce, at the end of the year he has great stats and played a very good season but during stretches it is hard to watch his at bats...

some guys are underperforming (Brandon Phillips, Cozart, Hanigan,..) + bad luck with injury´s => they don´t play on the level they could...

on the other hand, we see also players that stepped up and are overperforming (leake, parra, cingrani...)

The issue I have is we have been a sub .500 team for well over 2 months now.

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Originally Posted by DocRed

The issue I have is we have been a sub .500 team for well over 2 months now.

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Yes, they're not trending well, especially offensively.

Call me disappointed because the last 2 years I've witnessed the best pitching I've ever seen in 55 years of following the Reds --- and they've been knocked out in the first round of the playoffs last year and this year they are not looking as good to me as last year's team.

That much being said, it's also possible that instead of the offense bouncing back that the pitching regresses. Leake, Cingrani, could potentially experience a,drop off. Combine that with a tough Aug. schedule and they might be completely out of it by Sept. 1.

Though that's probably the extreme negative end of the range.

I have been very dissappointed with this team. This team frustrates me and is not very fun to watch and is borderline boring.