Marty optimistic about this year's team

[WildcatFan]

Interesting take from the team's biggest critic. From the Lexington Herald-Leader's Mark Maloney:

Hall of Famer Brennaman offers scoop on the Reds

Had a chance to talk with Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman when the Cincinnati Reds Caravan visited Lexington on Saturday.

Always delightful, Brennaman usually is optimistic at Caravan time.

Here’s some of what he had to say about the 2009 Reds.
Marty Brennaman

Brennaman

“I’m optimistic. I know this time last year I was, and I was dead wrong about the team. Everybody seemed to be as one last year that they were going to be better. Now, fast-forward to a year later, I’m still optimistic, and a lot of the people become naysayers. It’s going to be interesting.

“I think they improved themselves behind the plate in Ramon Hernandez. I think they improved themselves in center field with Willy Taveras. They picked up a situational left-hander in Arthur Rhodes, who will help the bullpen.

“I think you have to look at this division before making some type of prediction. If the Cubs have improved themselves — and I’m not so sure they have — (and) if they are able now to go out and get (pitcher) Jake Peavy before the season begins, they will separate themselves even more from the rest of the division. But if you assume they’ve helped themselves. The only other team in this division who I think has (improved) has been the Reds. I don’t think Milwaukee has, Houston has, St. Louis has or Pittsburgh.

“It’s a different team from what we’ve been watching for the last however-many years because it’s a team that’s going to rely pretty much on pitching, defense and speed, and not feature the big home-run bats that they’ve been noted for all these (recent) years. They go into Great American Ball Park, and the park was built to take advantage of the power of Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. And it didn’t work out. So they’re going to strike off in a different direction, and I agree with that 100 percent.”

[bounty37h]

Its hard not to be optimistic as a fan every season, even if most often its a false optimism for Reds fans. I am holding hope, although not as much as each year in past-as it takes from the excitement each year it crashes so hard. I am very interested to watch the development of Hernandez behind the plate; many seem to think he is going to be a good pick-up, I truly dont, and feel he will be crucified by mid-season. Of course I hope I am grossly wrong, but think we will miss any of our past catchers once we get our fill of him. I do think the team is moving in the right direction overall, and seriously think we should be a much more fun team to watch this year.

[fugowitribe]

I was like Marty, I put all of the eggs in last years basket and hoped for a winner. We were dead wrong. I agree that we are the only team (up to this point) that has bettered themselves this off season, but I just can't find the optomism that I had last year, because I don't see the moves the Reds made making a big enough difference to go from a losing team to a contender.

[Nasty_Boy]

In my opinion the only spot we are truely better at is behind the plate. I guess if (big IF) Volquez and Cueto build off of last season, Owings nails down the 5th spot, and Harang regains form then the pitching staff will be improved. RF defense is improved along with LF defense (once again) IF Gomes doesn't get the majority of time in LF, but Taveras is a down grade defensively from CPat while being almost a wash offensively.

IMO, this team needs a healthy Gonzo at SS, a productive platoon out of Gomes and Dorn in LF, because Dickerson will need to be in CF to take over for the injured or ineffective Taveras. If we rid ourselves of Willy, get some pop from LF, play a good SS, and have our pitching staff click then this team is dangerous.

[Ghosts of 1990]

But if you assume they’ve helped themselves. The only other team in this division who I think has (improved) has been the Reds. I don’t think Milwaukee has, Houston has, St. Louis has or Pittsburgh.


our best hope

[Nasty_Boy]

But if you assume they’ve helped themselves. The only other team in this division who I think has (improved) has been the Reds. I don’t think Milwaukee has, Houston has, St. Louis has or Pittsburgh.


our best hope

All of those teams including the Reds might finish 10-15 games (at a minimum) behind the Cubs. The Reds may be a 2nd place team and be under .500.

The wild card will probably be down to the Mets, Phillies, Dodgers, and Dbacks or Giants. The Phills have to be favored in the NL East and the Dodgers in the NL West. The Mets are improved, and if the Dbacks and Giants get any offense at all both teams have the pitching to win in that division. The Reds would likely need to win about 2/3 of their games against NL Central opponents to even be mentioned as a contender.

[Chris Sabowned]

The only way we improve is if Volquez, Arroyo, and Votto match last year's number while Harang, Phillips, Encarnacion, and Tavares get back to 2007 form. We also need Cueto and Bruce to show continued improvement, as I'm hoping they will.

[WildcatFan]

My thoughts:
^=upgrade
v=downgrade
0=no change

^ Catcher
0 1B
0 2B
^ SS (assuming AGon is ready, which it sounds like he is)
0 3B (almost put a ^ here — I have that much faith in Edwin)
v LF
^ CF (rip me for this if you want, but if your choices for CF are Patterson and Taveras, are you really going to pick Patterson? Plus this may be Hairston or Dickerson by the end of the year)
^ Starting pitching
^ Bullpen (nearly a 0, but Rhodes over Hampton and Majik being gone sold me here)

If you're looking at this objectively, setting aside the ire over Taveras in CF and no upgrades in LF, this looks like an improved team. Not first place in the central improved, but improved. Here's hoping for one more bat...

[CesarGeronimo]

My thoughts:
^=upgrade
v=downgrade
0=no change

^ Catcher
0 1B
0 2B
^ SS (assuming AGon is ready, which it sounds like he is)
0 3B (almost put a ^ here — I have that much faith in Edwin)
v LF
^ CF (rip me for this if you want, but if your choices for CF are Patterson and Taveras, are you really going to pick Patterson? Plus this may be Hairston or Dickerson by the end of the year)
^ Starting pitching
^ Bullpen (nearly a 0, but Rhodes over Hampton and Majik being gone sold me here)

If you're looking at this objectively, setting aside the ire over Taveras in CF and no upgrades in LF, this looks like an improved team. Not first place in the central improved, but improved. Here's hoping for one more bat...

I agree with your choices, except I think the bullpen might be a 0. You have to factor in the loss of Affeldt, IMHO, as offsetting the addition of Rhodes.

[Nasty_Boy]

Willy will have to prove to me that he's better than CPat. If Cpat was hitting 8th last year, I wouldn't have care as much about him playing. Willy is potentially as bad as CP at the plate and he's not as good defensively. He may be better than Corey, but I want to see it before I believe it.

[Davis>Bruce]

c'mon do you guys really believe Tavares is as bad as CPat?
CPat has not been good for many years now. Tavares had a bad season last year. If we would have gotten Tavares before last season most of you would have been stoked. Now Tavares is not a world beater, but he shouldn't be in the same breath as CPat at this point.

[CesarGeronimo]

I agree that Willy may not be a better player than Corey, but I think he'll be at least a little better than Corey's horrible 2008 season, which was about as bad as it can get in the leadoff spot. Having a guy whose on base percentage was .238 last season batting leadoff is mind blowing. I know that Corey has more power, but I can't get over the fact that Bronson Arroyo had a better OBP last season (.246) than the Reds' freaking leadoff hitter. Willy will be bad, but I'm hopeful that he won't be as bad as Corey Patterson was last season.

Also, I believe the embarrassment of Dusty having to actually address to the media the rumors that Corey was dating his daughter was a factor in forcing Baker to back off of his support for CPatt. Good job Internet and radio rumor mongers! We need to have a Willy rumor ready in case he keeps playing like he did in 2008. How about that Dusty is betting against the Reds and that's why he bats his lowest OBP hitter first, or that Corey and Willy each gave Dusty a $1 million kickback for telling management he had to have a speedy CF at the top of his order, even if it means overpaying?

[Nasty_Boy]

In Willy's 4 seasons he has OBP's of .325, .333, .367, and .308. He only has 80 career extra base hits. He has over 200 more K's than walks. He has never scored 100 runs in a season, despite hitting in front of the likes of Matt Holiday and Lance Berkman. He has only score 295 runs in nearly 2000 ABs and almost 2200 plate appearances. He has only 1 season above .700 in OPS. His ONE above average season came in 2007 when he hit .320 to On Base .367, but it was only 97 games and it was due to a historic amount of bunt singles that likely will never be duplicated. He does 1 thing well and 1 thing only, and that is steal bases. The problem is it hasn't translated into runs, because the dude CAN'T get on base. At least Patterson was a thread to homer or at least double if he made good contact. Not to mention Corey is better in CF.

So in other words, Willy is just as bad only in different ways... yet in many ways the same. Neither gets on base and neither finds home plate. Both are Dusty's boys that can do no wrong.

[RED VAN HOT]

There seems to be a consensus that Patterson is better defensively than Taveras. If I am reading the statistics correctly, Patterson has a slightly better fielding percentage, but Taveras has a better range factor. Moreover, WT's range factor, though not outstanding, is better than league average. It is my understanding that Rf was defined in order to provide a statistic that better reflected defensive output.

Can someone explain why Patterson is viewed as superior defensively?

[goreds2]

There seems to be a consensus that Patterson is better defensively than Taveras.
Can someone explain why Patterson is viewed as superior defensively?

Patterson could chase a ball, that is for sure.

His hitting = :thumbdown