Is this baseball hell?

[reds44]

66-96
78-84
69-93
76-86
73-89
80-82
72-90
74-88
44-50

632-758

I started following the Reds in 2001 at the age of 12. 9 years later, I have yet to see them have a winning season and there doesn't appear to be an end in site.

I can remember the first game I ever attended in Cincinnati. I had seen the Reds play at Wrigley before, but there was nothing like that first game at Riverfront. Sure, it was really half of Riverfront and it was named Cinergy, but it was like no other. Sean Casey hit a HR and they set off fireworks and the roof caught on fire. The Reds, and Bruce Chen, lost to Barry Zito with the help of a great play by Eric Byrnes.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bo...00206220.shtml

Out of all the losing seasons, this one may be the worst. The highlight of my Reds fandom is the 80-82 year. I remember at the beginning of the year I thought that offense was unstoppable, Dunn, Griffey, Kearns, Lopez, Phillips, Edwin, Ross, Freel, even as much crap as I gave him Aurilia produced for the Reds. We would run lineups out there that 1-8 could go deep on any pitch. Then we made the trade, then we went out West, and as George would say "you know the story."

This one is the worst. Lets be honest, the Reds are pretty bad. They can't hit, and they really can't pitch anymore either. Since sometime in May they are one of the 5 worst teams in baseball. Watching this team is giving me zero joy, it's just no fun anymore. There is no scoring, and the games are boring.

However, I found myself cheering like an idiot for the Astros tonight. Once they won, I had myself convinced if the Reds could just get 1 in LA and head into the off day tomorrow only 3 back in the loss column we still had a shot. I watched the game frusterated as ever. I was watching the game with my brother, and I literally didn't say a word for a good hour after the Manny slam. It's just frusterating. Part of me doesn't want to root for this team anymore.

But I digress. I just looked at the standings to see that the Reds, somehow, are still only 4 back in the loss column, despite having 4 teams ahead of them. By the time we play on Friday I'll have myself convinced a good series in Chicago will have them back in the race. And you can bet on Sunday I'll be in the bleachers with my Reds gear on.

I know there are other Reds fans feeling just as bad if not worse than I do (hi OBM), and you aren't alone. One day we'll be rewarded, I hope.

Go Reds

[BCubb2003]

Well it's not Iowa.

Cleveland went 23 years without finishing above fourth. But they did have a winning record every once in awhile.

[*BaseClogger*]

As a fellow youngster, 44, I share your pain.

My parents grew up in Cincinnati and saw the BRM in person many times. I was raised as a Reds fan. When I was little I went to a ton of games during the strike year ('94) -- I believe we were in first. My favorite player was Kevin Mitchell. My first major Reds memory was the day they traded for Griffey. I was so excited that my childhood team had traded for the icon of our generation! We continued to follow the team as best we could up here in Michigan, but I always longed for a way to talk Reds baseball!

Then I found this site one afternoon while screwing around in one of my high school classes. We had just hired Dusty Baker, and having just read Moneyball and other such books, I was pissed off. I grew to love this place because you are all just like me -- intelligent, diehard Reds fans who have long suffered through this generation. Some of you are even lucky enough to remember winning baseball.

But once again it's mid-summer and I am turning my attention to Buckeye football. The Reds are just too frustrating to invest myself or my money into right now. It's just the same old, embarrassing mentality that has plagued this franchise for years. I'm sure I'll be excited again over the offseason, but right now the only reason I visit this site is to interact with you all...

GO REDS

[KronoRed]

Not having a team would be baseball hell.

This is punishment ..for something

[Ron Madden]

Is this baseball hell?

Nah this is Cincinnati.

[redsfandan]

And I thought "baseball hell" was in Pittsburgh. Guess not

[thatcoolguy_22]

I share a similar story to BaseClogger. I was raised in Ga but, my parents were from Indiana and diehard Reds fans leaving me no choice. My favorite Reds player of all time is Chris Sabo, due in large part to his game 3 heroics and goggles. My first Reds related memory was the 1990 world series. I wasn't old enough to enjoy the buildup of the season with a championship for a cap so, for me it doesn't count.

What I have experienced as a Reds fan is 1999 (phenomenal) and one dreadful season after another. I've talked to my friends about why Dave Williams could work out and said time and time again that this is the year KGJ stays healthy, only to be disappointed by another losing season. I argued that "The Trade" makes sense and Homer Bailey will be a top 3 pitcher in the league for years to come. I witnessed the demise of too many "prospects" to count and retread after retread pitching in the 3-4-5 spots. My birthday is the trading deadline and every year all I want is to see the Reds pull off a blockbuster that will have them set up for the stretch run.There is no other team in my life that I will root for with as much passion but, we can only pray to the baseball Gods that something gives. One team can only be so horrid for so long right?


As Reds fans we are still better off than anyone who roots for the Cubs or Pirates but, what is that really saying?

[membengal]

Thanks for sharing Reds44.

For those of us who remember 1979, 1981, the mid-80s, 1990, 1995 and 1999 clearly, it is all too easy to forget the plight that youngers fans are in having no frame of reference for winning.

And at five and six, I have a passing memory of 1975 and 1976. The first year I clearly remember games is 1977, and there was plenty of winning that year too, not just enough.

So, no jokes, I am sorry that you have never seen a season marked by baseball competence. That is unfortunate. And it underscores the doldrums this franchise is in.

As Woy will point out, there were other fallow periods, but you have to go way back for those. I think RFS can regale us with tales...

Yeah, it's close to baseball hell. You can at least see it from here.

And it is so unnecessary. As the years have passed, GABP has moved from "nice park" to "mini-jewel". It is a ton of fun to go to that park, sit in different areas, see the river, enjoy the game. Great views of the game. Not really a bad seat in the house.

The various ownership groups in that span have not properly marketed the team, articulated a vision for their ownership (other than profit, I suppose), articulated a vision for their front office, or shown any semblance of having a plan that would produce consistent winning. It is full blown depressing.

I keep hoping for a bolt from the heavens to turn this franchise's fortunes, because I don't want to be a fan without hope. But, yeah, no minimizing what you have seen. It has been bad.

It didn't use to be. That's all I can say. It didn't use to be.

[hebroncougar]

It's hard for me to fathom how the Reds have lost a whole generation of fans. Most of the high school kids I have in class have no interest, and if you were a kid, and the Reds had been this bad for this long, how can you blame them?

[REDSEER]

Count me in as one of the few young Reds fans.

I was a "fan" from birth, as my mom's family is a large group of devoted Reds fans. And by "fan" I mean that I knew who Barry Larkin was, I knew how the team was doing, and so on. One of my favorite childhood memories is going over to my grandpa's house (HUGE Reds fan for a long time), and watching my favorite VHS tape: Wire to Wire: The Story of the 1990 Cincinnati Reds. To this day my older brother and I could still tell you more about that team than any other Reds team from 1991-2000 combined. At that point, I was a casual baseball fan.

But then my local TV provider picked up FSN Ohio before the 2003 season. At that point, I became a diehard. I watched every game that was on television (and even enjoyed George Grande and the Crafty Left Hander), and even if the game wasn't on, I found a way to either follow it or listen to it online.

This, unfortunately, leaves my main Reds memories as disappointments, including numerous KGJ injuries, the Cardinals' 7-run 9th, Albert Pujols bombs off of David Weathers, and brutal west-coast trips.

Not that it has all been negative. I'll also never forget KGJ's walk-off HR in his first game back from an injury against the Nationals, or Adam Dunn's walk-off grand slam against the Indians, or Dave Ross' walk-off against the Cards in 2006. Those are the memories that I try to hold onto during miserable weeks like this. When success comes ( soon please ), I'll be here just as I have during the bad times, rooting the Reds on. Losing baseball is still baseball, which is something magical.

[flyer85]

that would be Pittsburgh but Cincinnati isn't far away.

[Ltlabner]

Baseball hell is being the Pirates, Nationals and Royals without realizing it.

[Highlifeman21]

Baseball hell is being the Pirates, Nationals and Royals without realizing it.

Or knowing it, and not admitting it.

[cumberlandreds]

Baseball hell is being the Pirates, Nationals and Royals without realizing it.

I hate to tell you but the Reds are very,very close to those three if not there already.
I do feel bad for the young Reds fans like Reds44 who have never seen any success by this team. Being an old guy I can fall back on the BRM days and even most of the 80's weren't so bad except for 82-84 seasons. I can't see how the Reds can keep these young people interested year after year with all the losing and just plain ole non competitiveness in the last decade. Two of those teams cited have had longer losing stretches than the Reds and their attendance has steadily declined. I don't know what the Reds attendance figures have been in recent years but I would think it would be starting to steadily decline. Fan apathy is worst kind of attitude a franchise can let happen. This has happened in KC and Pittsburgh and is well on the way to being present in Cincinnati.

[Sea Ray]

Baseball hell is being the Pirates, Nationals and Royals without realizing it.

It is baseball hell and it all starts with money. The common denominator in all of those teams and our Reds is very limited finances. The way MLB is now setup the only way the Reds compete is if they build a killer minor league system. I do think they can at least finish .500 every now and then but given the financial structure in MLB these days, we'll always be chasing the Cubs and the Cards.