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Thread: Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

  1. #1
    Winning the Human Race TheBigLebowski's Avatar
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    Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

    Widmer Hefeweizen, if you're asking or curious.

    I went so far as to find a large glass that is big enough to hold 2 12 oz bottles. This is not the only time I will fill this thing this fine evening.

    I am drinking tonight for a very important reason - tonight is the night I officially gave up on the Reds 2008 campaign. I'm been blindly optimistic to this point but, sadly, this team has finally beaten the hope out of me. Only took them 66 games. Actually, they did more than beat it out of me. They beat it out of me, ran over it with all of their expensive cars, stole all the macaroni and cheese from my closet and peed in my two dogs' food bowls.

    I now see that all the people who were furious when we hired Dusty Baker and paid him a king's ransom for his services were justified in their rage. He is a very nice man but a very, very bad manager. I do not know why we, as Reds fans, are cursed with bad managers but we certainly are.

    I now see that Dick Pole is one of (if not the worst) pitching coaches in all of baseball. He looks comatose during games, he is making these pitchers worse - not better and I'm pretty sure jean shorts play a large role in his non-baseball wardrobe.

    I now see that a team that has an offense constructed around guys like Griffey and Dunn will never score runs consistently. A good offense can have one such guy but not two. Not two guys who are counted upon to be the run-producing lynchpins. Two guys who are so predictable and so unable to hit the other way that they have to contend with RF shifts each and every time they hit. Guys who cannot be counted upon to put the ball in play consistently. I know there are many people who debate the value of that ability but, I don't think anyone can honestly debate that this lineup is constructed of faaaaar too many hitters than cannot consistenly make contact with the baseball.

    Speaking of Griffey and Dunn, they combine with EE (who is actually getting a lot better in this area), Votto, all of our catchers and the guys who currently play SS (sorry, Janish is not playing like a defensive whiz and Hairston is a loathsome SS) to make up one of the worst defensive teams in all of baseball, if not the worst.

    I now see our starting pitching is just not going to get it done - not this year, anyway. We have no idea what has happened to Homer Bailey and his velocity. Johnny Cueto is going to be extremely inconsistent the rest of the year. Bronson Arroyo's ERA is going to stay right at 5.00. There is no freaking way in hell that Volquez ends the season with an ERA below 2. I think he'll continue to have an amazing season but he's due for some rough outings. Harang should come back to his norms but that's not going to be anywhere near enough.

    I now see - and this is somewhat less tangible than the other revelations to which I have come tonight - that this team - as currently constructed - just does not have that winning "feel." There is a lot of talent here and quite a few guys I want to see wearing the Red and White for a long, long time. However, this is not a good "team." There does not appear to be any sort of leadership. When a few guys struggle, the rest eventually follow suit. There aren't many guys here who seem to play with any outwardly visible passion or fire. I hope that Dunn, Griffey and perhaps a couple of others are dealt soon - not because this disaster lays completely at their feet but because this organization needs a fresh, new start.

    So, there you have it - one Reds' fan's concession speech. I give. I'll still be watching because I still love the team and love to watch them play. Furthermore, it'll be fun to see guys like Roenicke, Thompson, Maloney and maybe even others like Wood and Valaika get their chance in the Red & White. Jay Bruce alone is enough reason to tune in. Volquez, Cueto, Bailey and even Harang are very important to this team's future and I want to watch them closely. I am a big JR fan - always have been - and I love to watch him play, even though I know he does not fit in here anymore.

    Sad day for me, all in all but, I'm empty now and need a refill. Those who say one should not drink to escape reality are obviously not Reds fans.

    “The crows seem to be calling my name,” thought Caw.


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    Re: Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

    Nice post. Could not agree more. I'm so tired of false hope every year, but I thought this year was different. Boy were we all wrong. I can't wait for Ohio State football to roll along.
    because at the end of the day, they still are the Chicago Cubs, and they will figure out a way to screw this whole thing up--Marty B.

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    Re: Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

    My advice: Call up Omar Minaya, the guy who runs the one organization that might be as screwed up as the Reds and offer him Dunn for Reyes and Billy Wagner. I bet he'd do it. Its a start. Getting rid of Dick Poole won't solve any problems.

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    Winning the Human Race TheBigLebowski's Avatar
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    Re: Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

    Quote Originally Posted by Mutaman View Post
    My advice: Call up Omar Minaya, the guy who runs the one organization that might be as screwed up as the Reds and offer him Dunn for Reyes and Billy Wagner. I bet he'd do it. Its a start. Getting rid of Dick Poole won't solve any problems.
    Is your avatar sig "On the Lost Highway" because you are a fan of the record label with the same name's (Lost Highway) artists? I am - just curious.

    Getting rid of Pole won't fix everything but it is a great start.
    “The crows seem to be calling my name,” thought Caw.

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    Re: Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

    Yes it would be a good start to get rid of POLE.

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    Member Mutaman's Avatar
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    Re: Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

    Quote Originally Posted by TheBigLebowski View Post
    Is your avatar sig "On the Lost Highway" because you are a fan of the record label with the same name's (Lost Highway) artists? I am - just curious.

    Getting rid of Pole won't fix everything but it is a great start.
    Nope, I'm a fan of Hank:


    Im a rollin stone all alone and lost
    For a life of sin I have paid the cost
    When I pass by all the people say
    Just another guy on the lost highway

    That's where the Record Company got their name from, maybe Dylan's song too.


    Granted, watching Homer and Cueto the last few nights has been downright depressing. And listening to JB talk about how Cueto's delivery is all screwed up and reading how Homer has lost a few miles on his fastball hasn't helped. So I guess you have to point fingures at the guy who's in charge who in this case is Poole. But at some point you have to realize that firing coaches isn't the answer. Obviously getting rid of Guellet didn't solve anything. Of course the problem is, if the coach's are incompotent, keeping them won't solve anything. We need some stability at this point though. I think we are forced to trust Jocketty and hope he knows what he's doing.

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    Re: Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

    Yeah, the one team I hate losing to is the Cards. The last 2 games have killed my hopes. On paper, I think we're a far better team.

    With a good manager, this team is 4 or 5 games over .500, not 4 or 5 under. Atleast, that is my story and I'm sticking to it.

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    Member Mutaman's Avatar
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    Re: Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

    Quote Originally Posted by ChatterRed View Post
    With a good manager, this team is 4 or 5 games over .500, not 4 or 5 under. .
    Except this team hasn't been "4 or 5 games over .500" for the last 8 years. Are you saying we haven't had a good manager during all that time (Don't answer that question). At some point you have to suck it up and admit the problem lies not in our stars, but in ourselves.

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    Re: Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

    Yep. Put a fork in them, they're done.

  11. #10
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    Re: Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

    If this team is done, and I believe they are. Is it time to blow everything up and start moving folks for prospects? Seems like you have to try something new because what has been done lately hasn't worked. It is time to reinvent the wheel, I'm afraid.
    We only live in patches. - H. G. Wells

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    Re: Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

    Yep. You started wheeling and dealing.

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    Re: Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

    They aren't finished, but they need to turn things around quick. St. Louis is missing Pujols for a few weeks, and the Cubs will be missing soriano for up to 6 weeks, so it's a good time to pick up some ground, but they need to get started. While i agree it's getting late now, they can still make a run if they get it going.

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    Re: Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

    Quote Originally Posted by Jefferson24 View Post
    If this team is done, and I believe they are. Is it time to blow everything up and start moving folks for prospects? Seems like you have to try something new because what has been done lately hasn't worked. It is time to reinvent the wheel, I'm afraid.
    If they want to compete any time soon, they have to move some of the big contract guys for prospects who are not major league ready or are being blocked by another player, then use the salary to fill some of the holes in the offseason. Its important to hit on the prospects for guys who are in their walk year, otherwise you lose some of your capability to build through the draft for no reason.

    Griffey and Dunn should probably go, along with some others. I like them a lot, but I don't think they'll be around next season anyway, so we should get something for them that can help the Reds next season.
    FIRE DUSTY BAKER

    ADOPT THIS SIGNATURE IN SOLIDARITY!!!

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    Re: Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

    Well, it's certainly over, that's true. The thing I said to my friends last night before the game is that you look at the team that the Reds ran out there last night and it boggles my mind that anyone would think this team is actually talented enough to win. At how many positions are the Reds average or better (defined as the player on the Reds better overall than at least half of the other NL players at the same position). I count Bruce, Dunn, and Votto (and Votto is a stretch; he's a nice player but probably the 5th best 1B in his own division). On most nights Phillips is a plus player, but that's it.

    While you don't need a superstar at every position to win you can't have huge holes offensively at SS, 3B, C, and RF; huge holes defensively at 1B, SS, 3B, and RF (and arguably more); an average bullpen; an average group of starters; and a below average manager. That is too many holes.

    Even our + players, like Dunn and Bruce right now, are not so amazing that they can make up for the enormous gaps of talent.

  16. #15
    Member durl's Avatar
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    Re: Got Myself a Nice, Big Beer

    I have to admit that I expect a fire sale soon. The Cards series at home would show what this team is made of and they've been outscored 17-2. I hate to get down but I don't see Jocketty keeping this group of guys together much longer. It's not like the Reds can get below last place if he unloads salary.

    I try to be optimistic so forgive this one moment of lashing out: Players are suppose to like playing for Dusty Baker. I would prefer a manager that they want to WIN for.

    I may regret saying that later but I also regret watching them lose 10-0 at home.


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