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Thread: Which Red is the Key...

  1. #1
    Pitter Patter TRF's Avatar
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    Which Red is the Key...

    This is an offshoot of the breakthrough thread.

    Which Red is the key to the rotation's success?

    Which Red is the key to the bullpen's success?

    Which Red is the key to the infield's success?

    Which Red is the key to the outfield's success?

    Which Red is the key to the offense' success?

    IMO the rotation's success really hinges on Matt Belisle. he's the #3 right now. He has to provide 200+ innings this year, and he hast to take that Harang like step that Aaron took in 2005.

    The bullpen is tough to call, but I'd say it is on Burton's shoulder. Really it's on the 8th inning setup guy whoever that may be. I think most are betting that is Burton, but I wouldn't rule out Coffey.

    EE is the key to the infield IMO. He hast to be the player he was in the second half all year long.

    For the OF, Hopper. Ok, now hear me out. He HAS to sustain a high level of play, and make adjustments to his game as needed. This team needs a 4th OF due to the uncertainties of health in RF and experience in CF.

    For the offense as a whole, I gotta go back to EE. He's the best RH bat on the team, and may be the second best bat overall. He has to sustain the success he had in the second half.
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    Re: Which Red is the Key...

    1. Matt Belisle
    2. Francisco Cordero
    3. Edwin Encarnacion
    4. Whoever is playing CF
    5. Edwin Encarnacion

    After making my list and then looking at yours, it appears we are in almost complete agreement.
    Go BLUE!!!

  4. #3
    Waitin til next year bucksfan2's Avatar
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    Re: Which Red is the Key...

    Which Red is the key to the rotation's success?
    Homer and Volquez. Both have high ceilings and need to produce at the big league level this year.
    Which Red is the key to the bullpen's success?
    Cordero. He needs to be dominant as a closer. The Reds may have over payed for him but if he stabalizes the pen then the Reds will have a chance to compete.
    Which Red is the key to the infield's success?
    Gonzales. I want to see him return to gold glove form. He had a round defensive year last season and I hope that changes.
    Which Red is the key to the outfield's success?
    Griffey. He is going to play and he needs to stay healthy and produce. With Dunn you know you are going to get something and counting on much from Freel or even Hopper is going to get you into trouble. Hopefully Bruce starts the season but it will be a bumpy ride with him.
    Which Red is the key to the offense' success?
    Votto. Showed he is ready to produce and the reds need him to do so. It will be nice to see above average power come from 1b slot for the first time since Perez.

  5. #4
    Member Redhook's Avatar
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    Re: Which Red is the Key...

    Quote Originally Posted by TRF View Post

    Which Red is the key to the rotation's success?

    Which Red is the key to the bullpen's success?

    Which Red is the key to the infield's success?

    Which Red is the key to the outfield's success?

    Which Red is the key to the offense' success?
    1) Homer - I believe Belisle will be league average, which isn't bad; however, I think the Reds need Homer to pitch better than expected for the Reds to be a serious playoff contender.
    2) Bill Bray - If he's healthy and pitches like he's capable, the Reds could dominate the 8th and 9th innings.
    3) EE - No question about it. He needs to hit well all season.
    4) JR - The Reds need his bat so he must play 120+ games.
    5) EE - With the lack of success against lefties, it's imperative that he hits well to balance out the lineup.
    "....the two players I liked watching the most were Barry Larkin and Eric Davis. I was suitably entertained by their effortless skill that I didn't need them crashing into walls like a squirrel on a coke binge." - dsmith421

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    Smooth WMR's Avatar
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    Re: Which Red is the Key...

    I think a somewhat "bounceback" year from Arroyo could be as big of a deal as anything else for the Reds rotation.

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    Member Highlifeman21's Avatar
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    Re: Which Red is the Key...

    Quote Originally Posted by TRF View Post
    Which Red is the key to the rotation's success?

    Which Red is the key to the bullpen's success?

    Which Red is the key to the infield's success?

    Which Red is the key to the outfield's success?

    Which Red is the key to the offense's success?
    Rotation: Volquez. We traded Roy Hobbs for this kid, so IMO this kid has the most pressure on him and will ultimately be the key to the rotation's success.

    Bullpen: Weathers. He needs to not let age and regression catch up to him for 2008. I don't see him being a Red in 2009, so we need a solid 2008 from Weathers so that others around him can be used appropriate and put in situations to succeed rather than relying on kids that possibly aren't ready.

    IF: Keppinger. Hopefully we'll see 150+ games out of EE and BP this year a piece. That being said, we're going to need Keppinger to step up as possibly a RHB platoon role with Votto, as well as to give Gonzalez, EE and BP days off. I don't expect Keppinger to duplicate what he did in 2007, but he can't fall off too much or else we'll be stuck with Gonzo's bat and Votto possibly not being able to effectively hit LHP. IMO, Freel should no longer be an option to play in the IF, that role now belongs to Keppinger. He needs to continue to make the most of it.

    OF: Griffey, Jr. Who knows what will happen in CF for 2008? Dunn will be Dunn, and continue to put up Dunn numbers and play the typical amount of Dunn games, so he'll be fine. Griffey is the huge question mark. How will he come back from that groin injury? Will he play both ways, or will they only play him vs. RHP? The CF situation is a lost cause at this point, b/c regardless it won't make or break the Reds' chances in 2008. Griffey, however, will. We need 120+ games out of him out there, with limited regression. Will we get that?

    Offense: Tie - EE & BP. One of them needs to step up and be our legitimate RHB. I don't care who it is, although I think EE is the better/safer bet. Part of me thinks that BP will be too focused on trying to put up another 30/30, so we'll see more swinging for the fences, which won't do anything positive for BP's game. I think 2008 is the year for EE to either step up, or remain league average.


    Great questions, TRF.

  8. #7
    Member RedsManRick's Avatar
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    Re: Which Red is the Key...

    Which Red is the key to the rotation's success?
    Matt Belisle. 180 league average innings at the #3 spot in this rotation would be a revelation.

    Which Red is the key to the bullpen's success?
    Jared Burton. Albert Pujols, Derek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Lee, Alfonso Soriano, Ryan Braun, Miguel Tejada. The majority of the big bats in the NL Central (outside of Cincy) are right handed. Our inability to neutralize these guys in the middle innings has been our death knell the last few years.

    Which Red is the key to the infield's success?
    Edwin Encarnacion. Phillips and Gonzalez will be solid defensively, I have no doubt. Votto is improving and should be league average. EE on the other hand was by every metric, among the worst 3B in the game. He has all the tools, the quickness, the arm, etc. He just needs consistency. He needs to get his footwork right and his arm slot consistent. He could easily save us 10-15 runs simply by improving his defense -- that's no small contribution.

    Which Red is the key to the outfield's success?
    Adam Dunn. Yes, he's a subpar defender. However, he's better than Junior and Junior is basically expected to only play in 120-130 games ; Besides, losing him actually helps us defensively. But if Dunn goes down, we're still stuck with a quickly aging Junior who will still need time off while playing horrific defense and then we have no hope of shedding him in a midseason trade to a contender. Who wants Hopper AND Freel playing in the OF when Junior needs a day off?

    Which Red is the key to the offense' success?
    Edwin Encarnacion. Dunn is Dunn and is the most valuable offensive Red. I don't expect major variation from what he's been the last 5 years. Griffey is on the decline and I think it's really going to show up in his bat this year. Phillips had a great year, but it was marked by a low OBP, lots of double plays, and a horrific platoon split that went apparently unnoticed by Mackinin. EE has the skill set to be that 2nd power/obp in the lineup paired with Dunn. As Griffey's decline continues and Votto/Bruce learn the ropes, we really need EE to take a step forward and become that #2 "run producer".
    Last edited by RedsManRick; 02-12-2008 at 12:48 PM.
    Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.

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    Re: Which Red is the Key...

    Bradley...sorry that was weak and he is with Philly now.

  10. #9
    A Pleasure to Burn Joseph's Avatar
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    Re: Which Red is the Key...

    Which Red is the key to the rotation's success?
    Assuming Harang pitches like he has the last two, and Arroyo gives us aroudn what we've gotten the last two, and Belisle take another step up....then any one of the kids pitching well is the key. It could be Bailey, Maloney, Cueto, Volquez. One of them have to pitch up to league average or better for us to have hope.

    Which Red is the key to the bullpen's success?
    David Weathers. Again assuming Cordero is his usual self, Weathers will have to have another year like last year and solidify that 8th inning spot for us to have hope to close out games.

    Which Red is the key to the infield's success?
    Gonzales. He has to play more games and solidify the defense.

    Which Red is the key to the outfield's success?
    The CFer, he has to cover for defensive deficiencies in LF and RF.

    Which Red is the key to the offense' success?
    EE. Someone has to hit LH pitching with authority.

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  11. #10
    Be the ball Roy Tucker's Avatar
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    Re: Which Red is the Key...

    Interesting questions.

    Which Red is the key to the rotation's success?
    I'd say Belisle. If the Reds only have 2 decent starters out of 5, the bullpen is going to get chewed up. If they have 3, I think the bulpen can withstand spotty performance from the #4 and # starters (which is going to happen).

    Which Red is the key to the bullpen's success?
    Burton. I think people forget how far Burton came last year and what a huge difference he made in the Reds 8th inning woes. 2008's Burton could be the 2007 Coffey. Or he may continue to produce.

    Which Red is the key to the infield's success?
    EE. The Reds need to get another productive bat out of the IF besides Phillips.

    Which Red is the key to the outfield's success?
    Jay Bruce. If the Reds use Hopper or Freel in CF, they will be lucky to get league average offense and defense. Bruce has the potential to be a real plus.

    Which Red is the key to the offense' success?
    Brandon Phillips. I think after Dunn, he is the guy the Reds are counting on the most for offense. And, this may sound weird, but I'm still not 100% sold on BP's stick. If he goes south, they have real troubles.
    She used to wake me up with coffee ever morning

  12. #11
    Member Jpup's Avatar
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    Re: Which Red is the Key...

    Which Red is the key to the rotation's success?
    Homer Bailey
    Which Red is the key to the bullpen's success?
    Jared Burton
    Which Red is the key to the infield's success?
    Joey Votto
    Which Red is the key to the outfield's success?
    Ken Griffey Jr.
    Which Red is the key to the offense' success?
    Jay Bruce
    "My mission is to be the ray of hope, the guy who stands out there on that beautiful field and owns up to his mistakes and lets people know it's never completely hopeless, no matter how bad it seems at the time. I have a platform and a message, and now I go to bed at night, sober and happy, praying I can be a good messenger." -Josh Hamilton

  13. #12
    Posting in Dynarama M2's Avatar
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    Re: Which Red is the Key...

    Which Red is the key to the rotation's success?

    Volquez, the Reds need someone to step up and be a top three pitcher, barring a fairy tale from Cueto or Bailey, Volquez is the lone viable candidate for it.

    Which Red is the key to the bullpen's success?

    Coffey, the Reds will probably need a RH reliever to step up to cover innings 6 and 7, McBeth or Salmon could be the guy, but Coffey's first in line (contractually speaking).

    Which Red is the key to the infield's success?

    Encarnacion, if he can step up his defense -- and he has the tools to do it -- it would provide a huge boost.

    Which Red is the key to the outfield's success?

    Bruce, he's the nominal CF right now and he'll have an ocean to cover in between Jr. and Dunn.

    Which Red is the key to the offense' success?

    Dunn, he's been the main guy in the offense for years and that won't change in 2008.
    I'm not a system player. I am a system.

  14. #13
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    Re: Which Red is the Key...

    Put it all together so far and you pretty much have a picture of what the Reds ned to win it this year. And actually, it sounds doable for a change. Maybe not likely entirely, but at leasst not completely p______g in the wind.

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    Mon chou Choo vaticanplum's Avatar
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    Re: Which Red is the Key...

    Quote Originally Posted by RedlegJake View Post
    Put it all together so far and you pretty much have a picture of what the Reds ned to win it this year. And actually, it sounds doable for a change. Maybe not likely entirely, but at leasst not completely p______g in the wind.
    Plus Harang. I assume people leave him out because he's been so reliable in the past, but if Harang goes down at any point in the season, the Reds immediately go from maybe-we-can-sorta-kinda-cobble-something-together-and-pray to complete toast. There just is no team without him. Dusty Baker's "all workhorses are made out of rubber!" mentality is a bit overplayed, I admit, but if he takes Harang for granted for even a game or two, then forget it.
    There is no such thing as a pitching prospect.

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    Re: Which Red is the Key...

    Well, you can very easily answer any of these with "if the best player in that area gets hurt, it's over". I take these questions to mean, "outside of what we're already expecting to happen..."
    Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.


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