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Thread: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

  1. #16
    Member SteelSD's Avatar
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    Re: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

    gO rEdS!!!!


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  3. #17
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    Re: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

    I'm not blaming Graves solely, i'm just wondering why people are willing to think he has ZERO blame for almost half our losses.

  4. #18
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    Re: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

    now i understand why Billy Beane doesn't watch games.
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  5. #19
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    Re: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

    Quote Originally Posted by Cedric
    I'm not blaming Graves solely, i'm just wondering why people are willing to think he has ZERO blame for almost half our losses.
    who said anything even remotely resembling that?
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  6. #20
    Member Cedric's Avatar
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    Re: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

    Maybe Billy Beane should watch the games, maybe he could realize what players come through in tough situations and which one's don't. Maybe that's why he has a few players that choke every playoff.

  7. #21
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    Re: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

    Graves is just horrible. I'd rather have Todd Jones, Ryan Wagner or - gasp - even Todd Van Poppel in the closers' role and really no one can argue that.
    Sure they can. Replace mediocrity with chaff, a kid, or chaff squared? Not going to nail down a higher percentage of games doing that.

    Riedling is the only viable option, but replacing Graves doesn't help the shining up of the "shine him up and ship him out plan".

    Graves is going to blow saves. He'll blow 2 of every ten Save Opps. But, very simply, the best thing the Reds can do is buff him up and hope prospective buyers don't notice the tarnish at the trade deadline auction.

  8. #22
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    Re: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

    Quote Originally Posted by redlegs2370
    He also had an opportunity with no outs and bases loaded and couldn't drive a run in.
    What is the deal here? This is the 2nd time where I have read a post criticizing Larson for hitting a rocket right at the third baseman.

    Relax, guys. Yeah, it sucks that we lost, and yes, Larson make a costly error tonight, but we need to rally around this guy. We need him to come through for us.

  9. #23
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    Re: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

    Sorry playadlc...I don't think Brandon Larson deserves any benefit of the doubt here at all. Sure he hit the ball hard in the 9th...he was only facing some scrub Brewers reject who had just loaded the bases with no outs. Of course he was going to get a fat pitch to work with. He couldn't do anything with it and it cost us the game. If Dunn or Casey lines out there then that's tough luck. With Larson, who all he ever does is pull the ball, lining out to third is a failure there in that situation. He gets no benefit of the doubt from me. If the Reds are going to have to try to win despite Larson's defense, he best be driving in some runs - especially when he's up with the bases loaded and nobody out!!!!!

  10. #24
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    Re: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

    On Larson: I don't have a lot of confidence in him, but if he can be a good stick, bad glove 3B, that's about the most the Reds could ask at this time. Aramis Ramirez plays 3B in the majors. Larson can't be any worse. Mind you, I'm not confident Larson will hit in the majors. I suspect he won't. But he hit in ST and AAA and we all knew he was going to get a shot. He'll stick around as long as his bat plays.

    Plus, I don't send anybody to the bench for Juan Castro.

    On Graves: Last year it seemed like he wasn't able to adjust to starting pitching. Now it looks like the real problem is that he isn't as good a pitcher as he was from 1998-2002. He used to throw a hard sinker and it's gotten kind of soft ... which means it doesn't get as much sink among other things.
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  11. #25
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    Re: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

    He couldn't do anything with it and it cost us the game. If Dunn or Casey lines out there then that's tough luck
    I'm sorry. But no player can, or should, be judged worthy or wanting because of where a batted ball lands in the field of play during a single At Bat of a MLB game or season.

    Not Dunn. Not Casey. Not Larson. No one.

  12. #26
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    Re: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

    M2,

    Thank you for saying that Graves was a good pitcher during those years. I know it is tough on folks when your closer blows three saves, but he has been run out there a lot. You look back to 2000-2002, he only blew 5 or 6 saves a year, which is doable. I am concerned about the gopher balls as well, though. He's gotta get that riding fastball down or start it middle of the plate as he did with Clark. When he starts it on the corner and it rides in, the righties are getting it right in their wheelhouse. I also think he needs to use that curve even more. No one has really done anything with it yet and it is keeping them off balance.

  13. #27
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    Re: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

    Quote Originally Posted by SteelSD
    but replacing Graves doesn't help the shining up of the "shine him up and ship him out plan".

    Graves is going to blow saves. He'll blow 2 of every ten Save Opps. But, very simply, the best thing the Reds can do is buff him up and hope prospective buyers don't notice the tarnish at the trade deadline auction.
    Problem there is that every time you throw him out for the wax, he comes back dirty. Hard to believe that any prospective buyer would not notice a league BA approaching .400 or a HR/9 ratio of almost 4. I think he's property of the Reds until October '05.

  14. #28
    Member NC Reds's Avatar
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    Re: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

    Nine times out of ten Casey would have tug that bad throw out. I'm not blaming Casey at all, but it's the little things that lose games too.

    Larson will bounce back and so will Graves.

  15. #29
    tremere
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    Re: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

    Quote Originally Posted by M2
    On Larson: I don't have a lot of confidence in him, but if he can be a good stick, bad glove 3B, that's about the most the Reds could ask at this time. Aramis Ramirez plays 3B in the majors. Larson can't be any worse. Mind you, I'm not confident Larson will hit in the majors. I suspect he won't. But he hit in ST and AAA and we all knew he was going to get a shot. He'll stick around as long as his bat plays.

    Plus, I don't send anybody to the bench for Juan Castro.

    On Graves: Last year it seemed like he wasn't able to adjust to starting pitching. Now it looks like the real problem is that he isn't as good a pitcher as he was from 1998-2002. He used to throw a hard sinker and it's gotten kind of soft ... which means it doesn't get as much sink among other things.
    Aramis Ramirez is a better hitter than most guys on our club. That guy can pound the ball.

  16. #30
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    Re: Larson Can't Play at the Major League Level

    Larson's defense is unacceptable. He had 3 errors in 12 games at Louisville this year and has always made too many errors. He makes some good plays, but is too error prone. The Reds need a solid veteran third baseman until Encarnacion is ready. I have always felt that Larson will hit eventually, but I don't care. His defense is inadequate.

    Graves as a closer is unacceptable. Todd Jones should be the closer. He is simply better. But, as far as I'm concerned, Graves would have escaped if not for two bad plays by Larson in the ninth.

    This loss is by far the worst of the year because the game was given away by errors. I think the Reds had 7 errors going into tonight and made 5 tonight and several other misplays. Almost everyone made a bad play or two, but Larson was the worst.

    If O'Brien and Miley are truly a new regime devoted to fundamentals they will fix this promptly. I was enjoying watching a team that was flawed but played sound ball. Not tonight.
    Last edited by Kc61; 04-28-2004 at 01:02 AM.


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