7/9/09 Reds vs Phils

[traderumor]

That would be three scoreless innings from CHAN HO PARK. My "bold" prediction is 3/4 of the way home.

[Tony Cloninger]

Hey can someone please beat up Grande for us.....there has to be at least a few nuts in Philly to do so.

Nothing long term....just enough so he does not make his flight out.

[membengal]

That would be three scoreless innings from CHAN HO PARK. My "bold" prediction is 3/4 of the way home.

Not surprising, like all reds opponents, just before the reds were due into town, their lame and old took Flubber, and are completely rejuvenated and ready to go.

[traderumor]

Not surprising, like all reds opponents, just before the reds were due into town, their lame and old took Flubber, and are completely rejuvenated and ready to go.

For sure, my bold prediction was based on our ability to make any bullpen look like the Nasty Boys.
Janish K's as I type.

[BCubb2003]

Not surprising, like all reds opponents, just before the reds were due into town, their lame and old took Flubber, and are completely rejuvenated and ready to go.

Flubber is not on the list of banned substances. You'll have to rewrite the collective bargaining agreement.

[traderumor]

Holy Cow, WT works a walk two down 1 on

[membengal]

Even worse for the Reds, it's the old school Disney Flubber Fred MacMurray version that opponents are using, not that updated Robin Williams stuff.

[Raisor]

Although, outside of JHJ, who would want that group?

who would give up anything worth getting for JHj?

[traderumor]

with all due respect to little girls, Dickerson looks like a little girl trying to hit Lidge

And he whiffs to end it.

[WVRedsFan]

who would give up anything worth getting for JHj?

N-O-B-O-D-Y.

Notice who offered him in the off season? He was our No. 1 priority according to newswire reports.

[Strikes Out Looking]

Why is Dusty Baker blaming Chris Dickerson for Willy Taveras playing shoddy OF? Is Chris also responsible for Willy's inability to reach 1b?

[redsmetz]

Why is Dusty Baker blaming Chris Dickerson for Willy Taveras playing shoddy OF? Is Chris also responsible for Willy's inability to reach 1b?

Because if Dickerson does what he's supposed to do, that's not an inside the park home run. It's more likely just a hard single, at worst a double. It's a team and if it fails to function as a team, then things like this happen. I agree with SirFelix that we've seen enough of Tavaras, but if Chris Dickerson backs it up (as he should), that's just a baserunner with a chance to leave him there. The same is true of Roenicke not hustling. I expect Baker to call those players out. This club does not have the depth that allows for such mistakes. The team can help make up for deficiencies such as Taveras playing a ball incorrectly. It would be nice not to have that in the first place, but if it happens, someone else is supposed to help minimize that mistake. Team effort - as simple as that.

[traderumor]

Why is Dusty Baker blaming Chris Dickerson for Willy Taveras playing shoddy OF? Is Chris also responsible for Willy's inability to reach 1b?

I agree with Redsmetz, but I want to add that backing up on a play is learned at the Little League level, and my thought was the same as Dusty's as the ball was rolling forever on the warning track: "Where's the RFer on that play."

When you are a major leaguer, being paid six and seven figure incomes for your unique talent, and you enter a visiting ballpark for the first time that year, your butt better be out there surveying the ballpark and picking up on quirks of the park to minimize the home park advantage of knowing nooks and crannies and funny bounces off of fences just like that. The only excuse I have for Dickerson is that he is not accustomed to playing RF anywhere, but that is really a very poor excuse.

The plays that Dusty was upset about were both valid points, regardless of what anyone else did on the play. Just like the RFer is to blame if a guy gets two bases on an overthrow of a bunt. Yea, the guy who made the overthrow is to blame, but the extra base or bases is on whoever is supposed to be backing up.

Of course, it is all hot air from Dusty if he does not reinforce the standard with an organized practice on these types of things this afternoon in New York. If the players are not executing fundamentals, you refresh their memory, no matter what level they are playing.

[redsmetz]

Of course, it is all hot air from Dusty if he does not reinforce the standard with an organized practice on these types of things this afternoon in New York. If the players are not executing fundamentals, you refresh their memory, no matter what level they are playing.

I'm not sure if the Dickerson failure is something you can practice, but it makes me wondering why this funky wall hasn't been brought to the player's attention prior to this. We have advance scouts. We've played in this park before, etc. But our offensive woes are such that we just can't put ourselves behind the eight ball with shoddy play. I understand no team is ever perfect, but we have little margin for error.

[traderumor]

I'm not sure if the Dickerson failure is something you can practice, but it makes me wondering why this funky wall hasn't been brought to the player's attention prior to this. We have advance scouts. We've played in this park before, etc. But our offensive woes are such that we just can't put ourselves behind the eight ball with shoddy play. I understand no team is ever perfect, but we have little margin for error.

The practice would be focused on where are you supposed to be on any given pitch and ball in play. I wasn't saying they need to practice funny bounces off of walls. But that should be a part of surveying the landscape as you enter a visiting ballpark rather than playing cards or video games in the clubhouse, or standing with legs crossed chewing fingernails in the outfield during BP. Not saying that is what Dickerson's habits are, BTW, because I don't know, but that play indicates that there may not have been appropriate pre-game preparation.