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

[Edskin]

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.

[powersackers]

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

[Ironman92]

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.

[Falls City Beer]

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.

[TheBigLebowski]

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.

[RedsBrick]

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.

[Tony Cloninger]

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.

The finances of those organization are not going to be hamstrung by those 2 contracts...other than having those players production drop off, which is to be expected. This is not the 90's or early 2000's.

The money is coming from anew TV contract that will pay for those contracts.
The issue will be picking the right prospects to trade or keep....in order to continue building a team around them and choosing wisely on who to give the next LTC to.


The rest? I am surprisingly disappointed as I can be about a Reds team being 10 games over .500 in early August ... and trending the wrong way for the last 2 months.

[Falls City Beer]

I'm not so much disappointed in this season as I am worried that the Reds window will slam shut as early as next season.

The Cardinals have MLB's best team right now with a vaunted farm system to fill in for any drop off as well as a limitless ability to sign real talent long term.

The Pirates too have an exceptional young team that's emerging a year earlier than expected with guys like Liriano making that possible.

The Reds future looks quite a bit dicier. No farm system and a pretty decent but clunky MLB team. And they've run out the string in terms of payroll mobility(for now anyway).

That's what gnaws at me, not so much this season in particular.

[mth123]

I'm not so much disappointed in this season as I am worried that the Reds window will slam shut as early as next season.

The Cardinals have MLB's best team right now with a vaunted farm system to fill in for any drop off as well as a limitless ability to sign real talent long term.

The Pirates too have an exceptional young team that's emerging a year earlier than expected with guys like Liriano making that possible.

The Reds future looks quite a bit dicier. No farm system and a pretty decent but clunky MLB team. And they've run out the string in terms of payroll mobility(for now anyway).

That's what gnaws at me, not so much this season in particular.

I'm with you. I thought that the Cards were going to become a dominant team when all that talent matured (or was dealt for Giancarlo Stanton or Jurickson Profar), but thought that 2013 was the year the Reds could sneak in there while the kids all came together. I think the team still has plenty of years of competitive ball in it, but before the season, this seemed like the most likely year to be the top dog.

Cards and Pirates got better sooner than I thought they would (actually, I never really thought the Pirates would ever get this good) and the Reds, especially the foursome of Frazier, Cozart, Phillips and Hanigan, have taken a step backwards. Ludwick's loss hurts, but adding Choo, and Votto being back, more than offsets that IMO. The pitching injuries haven't really had an adverse impact. Those RH bats falling off is the difference IMO.

[Falls City Beer]

I'm with you. I thought that the Cards were going to become a dominant team when all that talent matured (or was dealt for Giancarlo Stanton or Jurickson Profar), but thought that 2013 was the year the Reds could sneak in there while the kids all came together. I think the team still has plenty of years of competitive ball in it, but before the season, this seemed like the most likely year to be the top dog.

Cards and Pirates got better sooner than I thought they would (actually, I never really thought the Pirates would ever get this good) and the Reds, especially the foursome of Frazier, Cozart, Phillips and Hanigan, have taken a step backwards. Ludwick's loss hurts, but adding Choo, and Votto being back, more than offsets that IMO. The pitching injuries haven't really had an adverse impact. Those RH bats falling off is the difference IMO.

You're right. Especially Phillips and Frazier. They've got a ton of really really difficult decisions coming up this offseason.

I don't envy the FO's job at all. I'm actually wondering if maybe they should take a few seasons of stepping back, trading some principals and re-tooling. Not a fire sale exactly, but a shorter period of prospect accumulation.

[nate]

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

YMMV!

[westofyou]

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.

[Todd Gack]

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.

Expectations are everything and not reaching the playoffs would conclude in being one of the most disappointing teams we've had in quite some time. . . especially considering the added teams in the playoffs.

[Edskin]

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.

But that's the thing... I didn't go into 2013 hoping to surpass the many modest to poor results I've experienced as a Reds fan in my lifetime. I expected much more from this team.

It is literally the only time in my years of Reds rooting that I've entered a season thinking the WS was a real possibility. If asking for that once in 25 years or so makes me unrealistic..... Then I guess I'm unrealistic

[westofyou]

But that's the thing... I didn't go into 2013 hoping to surpass the many modest to poor results I've experienced as a Reds fan in my lifetime. I expected much more from this team.

It is literally the only time in my years of Reds rooting that I've entered a season thinking the WS was a real possibility. If asking for that once in 25 years or so makes me unrealistic..... Then I guess I'm unrealistic

The season is still actively occurring, unsure how your hope is dead in the water with seven weeks if baseball left

FWIW the great 1990 team lost like nine in a row at this time of the year, barely played .500 ball for two and a half months and win the WS in four games

I can tell ya I didn't expect that at all after their poor late season

In short it's August and the Reds are ten games above .500, there is still a lot of baseball to be played, if you want perfection go look up some TSN from 1976 and read about the 1976 Reds, cause it won't get better than that and I've come to except it myself.