This offense is pathetic!

[armybrat45103]

Time to call the kettle black. How can anyone expect to visit the playoffs when you have 4 players batting over .240? C'mon. Toss in a lefty and we have 3! And you think we will be ok with that? Wake up call. It is not going to happen. Everyone thinks that Lud will be the 2nd coming in August but news! He is one man with a mountain of expectations on him coming off a serious injury. Mes, Hannigan, Hannahan, Cozart, Frazier, Izturis, Robinson, and Heisey CANNOT hit major league pitching. Choo can't hit left handed pitching. How are we to get anywhere with 3 guys, 2 if Bruce is in one of his famous slumps, capable of hitting on a daily basis? This is not a playoff team. Bring up Hamilton, Lutz, Winker, Soto, and H-Rod for experience. Send the rest packing because they are not going to take us to the WS! This mess is not on Baker. This team is like someone giving Tony Stewart a Ford pickup truck and tell him to go win Daytona with it. No people. This is on Jockerty alone!

[xsteve1]

Agree this is on Walt. He should've done something when Ludwick went down. Still don't know why they shipped Didi.

[UPRedsFan]

Agree this is on Walt. He should've done something when Ludwick went down. Still don't know why they shipped Didi.

Remember? It was to get Choo? Would you rather have Stubbs and Didi or Choo? Without Choo this team wouldn't even be in the wildcard spot

[xsteve1]

Remember? It was to get Choo? Would you rather have Stubbs and Didi or Choo? Without Choo this team wouldn't even be in the wildcard spot

I'm sure they could've packaged Cozart instead of Didi.

[gfas]

I'm sure they could've packaged Cozart instead of Didi.

Why in the world would you be so sure of that???

that is a ridiculous assumption even if the only thing you compare between cozart and didi are their ages

[dwyerbrg]

It amazes me how people think it's a simple as being able to ship our "garbage" to other teams to get these deals done.

There's a reason Didi was shipped out instead of Cozart, because that's who the D'Backs wanted.

[coachpipe]

In my opinion cozart is a product of his environment . If he was batting lower in the order and not in between Choo and Votto(easily our best two hitters) he wouldnt be getting talked down about as much and he wouldnt be putting up as bad of numbers.

I hate to say it because I dont want the dusty haters or the dusty lovers to start debating over it. But dusty is really hurting cozart by batting him 2nd

[Johnny Fan]

I look at it this way...You can take a great chef and me, give us average stuff to make a great dinner, guess who is going to produce a great dinner. The Reds have the parts to be in the lead in the division, problem is the ingrediants are not being used to their best ability. Until that happens you are going to get what we have which is blah results overall...

[OneManBand]

Xsteve1 has a point.. We probably could of made the deal for Cozart instead of Didi.. Thing he fails to mention is that it would of had to include a solid prospect like hmm.. Tony Cingrani. Most likely the Reds felt it would be better suited to trade a player blocked at the AAA level versus our starting SS.

Zack Cozart is not the problem.. Zack doesn't walk in and screams to bat 2nd or else. The lineup needs to play to this teams strengths... Batting Cozart in the #2 spot is the issue. Personally I'd bat the LF.. Whether it is Heisey Or Paul in that spot.

I agree also that something should of been done when Ludwick went down.. But honestly.. What options are out there after game one of the season? Something should of been done though when they finally realize he wouldn't be back by June... Yet.. Nothing has. Nor when Heisey went down. This team is either hoping to ride the ship with what they have or don't have the funds to improve this team.. Maybe both.

I feel Walt was able to go out and pick key talent out in his days with St. Louis when he needed to.. Getting Rolen, Finley, McGwire, & Larry Walker just to name a few.. It's been different here in Cincinnati. Wish he was allowed to build this team the way this ownership continues to preach.. But winning baseball only goes as far as the talent of opening day takes you as far as the Reds go. A Jonathan Broxton at the deadline doesn't advance you in the playoffs.. Not even when you are spotted a 2-0 series lead.

[gfas]

the batting order is really not the issue

for every analogy about a chef using the ingredients the right way, there's another one about rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic

batting order is fun to complain about as fans, but it just doesn't have as much impact as so many people make it out to

[Johnny Fan]

the batting order is really not the issue

for every analogy about a chef using the ingredients the right way, there's another one about rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic

batting order is fun to complain about as fans, but it just doesn't have as much impact as so many people make it out to

I couldn't disagree more, placement of hitters in an order is key, you want to see your best hitters get more AB's then those not as good. Also, why with Hesiey back are we not platooning him with Choo, who while good can't hit lefties...making that change could help HUGE...

[gfas]

I couldn't disagree more, placement of hitters in an order is key

listen, I haven't done the math for myself but from everything I ever read, the math just doesn't support that. Of course you want votto hitting towards the top of the order, but the difference of hitting cozart or paul in the 2 spot? nah

[CySeymour]

the batting order is really not the issue

for every analogy about a chef using the ingredients the right way, there's another one about rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic

batting order is fun to complain about as fans, but it just doesn't have as much impact as so many people make it out to

In a lot of ways, I think you are right. The single most important thing is having the best players on the field.

But having Cozie hitting second all the time is really far from optimal.

[gfas]

In a lot of ways, I think you are right. The single most important thing is having the best players on the field.

But having Cozie hitting second all the time is really far from optimal.

I think far from optimal is the best way to put it

[SporkLover]

the batting order is really not the issue

for every analogy about a chef using the ingredients the right way, there's another one about rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic

batting order is fun to complain about as fans, but it just doesn't have as much impact as so many people make it out to

This article about sums up the way I feel about Dusty Baker.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/how-s...batting-order/

Bottom Line, Batting Order is not meaningless (not that you've said that), because an optimal batting order can yield 5-15 runs over a season (per sabremetric heads). Yes that is a small overall impact and at best maybe it might win a team a few more games over the season.

I think Dusty ignores too much of these small things and in the end it adds up to losses of games and competitiveness. I firmly believe that if Cozart were toward the end of the order, his BA may not improve, but at least the Reds would string together hits better, which translates into runs.