The First Half of the Season Gets One Big "Meh" From Me

[Edskin]

Expectations are everything I suppose. But color me pretty apathetic about the first half of the Reds season. I'd safely call it a mild disappointment. Even with the injuries, which I consider to be fairly normal, I'm a little disappointed with how things played out.

Going into the year I thought the Reds were legitimate WS contenders. I don't mean a team that could possibly make the playoffs and get hot in October--- I was thinking they'd be one of the best teams in baseball, period. I haven't thought that very often in my lifetime--- prior to the 1995 was probably the last time I felt going into a year that the Reds were one a WS favorite.

Now, having watched them for over half of a season, my expectations have been lowered. I thought they'd be one of the 4 best teams in MLB this year-- they currently have the 8th best record and I'd rank them somewhere around the 9th or 10th best team. That certainly beats where we were 5-10 years ago at this same point. It is certainly more fun to follow the team now than it was then and that isn't lost on me. But the team has been solid, yet underwhelming, and I find that to be a bit of a bummer. It has been especially eye-opening to see how poorly we've played against quality opposition.

I suppose the good news is that recent history in MLB doesn't really favor the dominant regular season teams. It seems just getting in and then getting hot leaves you just as likely to win it all as it does if you have the best overall record and homefield throughout.

So now, I'm just hoping we can tread water and hold onto a wild card spot. And from there, I guess we can just roll it out there and hope to catch lightning in a bottle for three weeks.

The flip side of course is to say that we are 11 games over .500 even with so many guys playing so poorly-- but my counter to that is that at this point I think guys like Cozart and Frazier are probably closer to who they are now than to who they were last year. Even Chapman appears to be much more human in 2013 than he was in 2012.

I will be pretty disappointed if STL wins the division for obvious reasons, but mainly because for the first time in a decade or so I felt we entered the season with a superior roster. To have to risk it all in a one-game playoff would be a letdown to me.

My prediction is that we catch Pittsburgh, but can't catch the Cards. I'll say we hammer down the #1 WC and play the Pirates in said playoff game at GAB. And that would mean the first back to back playoff appearances in my lifetime. So I guess I shouldn't complain. But right or wrong, unfair or not, I expected more from this team so far. Hoping they meet my original expectations by turning it up in the second half.

[reds44]

If you didn't adjust your expectations for a team who has played pretty much the entire season without their cleanup hitter and ace, that's a failure on your part, not the teams.

[Ghosts of 1990]

Feels exactly like 2011 did to me

[Tom Servo]

Feels exactly like 2011 did to me

People keep saying this, yet at the All-Star break in 2011 the Reds were 2 games under .500. The big difference this year is the quick starts of Pittsburgh (better than usual for them) and St. Louis.

[RedEye]

This is nothing like 2011. That year, we kept waiting for the Reds to get above .500 and actually play the competitive baseball we thought they could. This year, they've played pretty darn good baseball all things considered, but there are two teams in the division who have played better. Tough luck, but no reason to be down on our team -- especially since they have been short their best pitcher and their cleanup hitter for most of the first half.

[Norm Chortleton]

If you didn't adjust your expectations for a team who has played pretty much the entire season without their cleanup hitter and ace, that's a failure on your part, not the teams.

The Cards have had more injuries and the Pirates have had as many.

[RedEye]

The Cards have had more injuries and the Pirates have had as many.

Which makes what they are doing more commendable -- but doesn't necessarily make the Reds look bad.

[westofyou]

7th best record in team history at the AS break, the same record as the 1976 team.

Just in case we really want to know what "Meh" is let's gander at 2007

Season Summary	 72-90, Final Rank:5, GB: 13.0
Days in First	10	last on Tuesday, Apr 17,
Biggest Lead	1	last on Saturday, Apr 7, f 
Farthest Behind	16.5	last on Sunday, Jul 1,  
Most Games over .500	3	last on Saturday, Apr 7

[reds44]

The Cards have had more injuries and the Pirates have had as many.

That's fantastic.

422 ABs
26 HR
80 RBI
.877 OPS

217 innings
2.78 ERA

61 innings
2.51 ERA


turned into

2 PA, 0 ABs

48.2 innings

7 innings


I'm not sure how you possibly could lose your clean up hitter, ace, and top set up man for pretty much the entire season and realistically expect not to miss anything. There's just not a lot of logic behind that thought process.

The Reds didn't have a bad first half. They're 5 games clear of a playoff spot and 11 games over despite the injuries. They would be leading the NL West and would be a game back in the NL East. They're fine. They're battling thru injuries and doing so pretty well.

[RedsBrick]

Don't we all wish the first half had gone differently? You bet, right?

When I sit back and look at it though, considering all, it's not shabby. This thing could've really gone south in a bad way.

We can only hope that we get those guys back, healthy and productive. Would'nt mind seeing Votto step it up (I know, I know, but he's off just a tad, seems to me). Choo has snapped back of late for sure. Hopefully BPhil will continue his progression from getting hit. I do know this...Chappy has been lighting it up like no other time this season of late. Doesn't seem many pitches are below the century mark lately.

Hey, here's hope the second half is a climb to a deep run in the post-season!

[Kc61]

On the good side, the Reds had a good first 50 games (12 over .500), have done well at home, and have beat up on the weaker teams.

On the bad side, the Reds are under .500 for their most recent 45 games, are under .500 overall on the road, and have done poorly against the stronger teams.

On the good side the Reds have done pretty well using backups in LF.

On the bad side, some regular players aren't hitting - guys who would be in the lineup with or without injuries.

On the good side, the Reds situation is partially the result of good seasons so far by the Cards and Bucs rather than a collapse by the Reds.

On the bad side, most of us thought the Reds personnel was better than the Cards and Bucs when the season started so it's disappointing being behind both clubs.

The good news is that the Reds, Pirates, and Cards play head-to-head quite a bit so there will be opportunities to gain ground.

The bad news is that the Cards may have the easiest schedule remaining and the Reds play 10 (11?) on the West Coast soon. While the Reds haven't been bad there in recent years, the road seems difficult for them this season.

[RedEye]

On the good side, the Reds had a good first 50 games (12 over .500), have done well at home, and have beat up on the weaker teams.

On the bad side, the Reds are under .500 for their most recent 45 games, are under .500 overall on the road, and have done poorly against the stronger teams.

On the good side the Reds have done pretty well using backups in LF.

On the bad side, some regular players aren't hitting - guys who would be in the lineup with or without injuries.

On the good side, the Reds situation is partially the result of good seasons so far by the Cards and Bucs rather than a collapse by the Reds.

On the bad side, most of us thought the Reds personnel was better than the Cards and Bucs when the season started so it's disappointing being behind both clubs.

The good news is that the Reds, Pirates, and Cards play head-to-head quite a bit so there will be opportunities to gain ground.

The bad news is that the Cards seem to have the easiest schedule remaining and the Reds play 10 (11?) on the West Coast soon. While the Reds haven't been bad there in recent years, the road seems difficult for them this season.

[Norm Chortleton]

I'm not sure how you possibly could lose your clean up hitter, ace, and top set up man for pretty much the entire season and realistically expect not to miss anything. There's just not a lot of logic behind that thought process.

St. Louis has had 3 starting pitchers on the DL -- 2 of them the 60-day DL. They have also lost their closer and leadoff man for the season. 2 other relievers and their 3B have also been on the DL.

Injuries happen.

[RedEye]

St. Louis has had 3 starting pitchers on the DL -- 2 of them the 60-day DL. They have also lost their closer and leadoff man for the season. 2 other relievers and their 3B have also been on the DL.

Injuries happen.

For me, it isn't about the injuries. It's about St. Louis being an insanely good overall team with a +123 run differential. It's about Pittsburgh playing like 4 or 5 games above their win expectancy -- and also putting up a great record. And it's about a very solid Reds team that has played very well and would be within a game of first place in either of the other divisions right now.

We have really nothing to complain about.

[kaldaniels]

The rational behind this thread is "meh" to me.