Step back from the ledge Reds fans

[Ghosts of 1990]

I know, I know. Today we looked absolutely TERRIBLE. So far this season we have been rather lackluster as a whole. But look at the stats of the players and ask yourself.... is that the guys true talent level. For just about every single player, the answer is an emphatic NO.

Now some guys aren't all that good, but even those guys are playing well under their true talent level. Things aren't going to continue being this bad. Is Johnny Cueto really a 6+ ERA guy? What about Harang, Arroyo and Bailey? No, they aren't. How good they are doesn't matter much, because we all know they aren't as bad as they have looked so far. Is every hitter on the Reds a sub .700 OPS bat outside of Rolen and Votto? No, they aren't.

I know its cliched to say it, but its early. Funny things happen when its early. This team is going to be better moving forward. How much better, well that is unknown, but the team isn't as bad as it has looked to this point in the season.

I give you credit Doug. You are a true fan. A knowledgable, and patient fan. I wish I could talk myself back from the ledge. I am just dumb-founded not so much at the records; but how we seem to have prospect after prospect that is can't miss come to the big leagues the same way St. Louis does and other guys around baseball and they work out as their supposed to and our guys just don't. It doesn't make sense and I can't figure it out.

So tomorrow we'll try again.... hopefully we start a win streak soon. I'm in a lot better mood around the house then.

[RedsManRick]

Red Sox: 8-10
Dodgers: 8-9
Rangers: 7-10
Diamondbacks: 7-10
Braves: 8-9

All of these teams are supposed to be playoff contenders, if not division winners. We're within 1.5 games of each of them. We haven't even played have the teams in the league yet. It's early.

[westofyou]

Since many have a football approach to baseball let's look at it this way, say the season is the football field, if the Reds started the season on their own goal line they'd only be at their own 10 yard line by now.

Feel better?

[pedro]

Since many have a football approach to baseball let's look at it this way, say the season is the football field, if the Reds started the season on their own goal line they'd only be at their own 10 yard line by now.

Feel better?

Or to make another football analogy with 10% of the season gone it's like the the Reds are 0-1. Not time to flip out yet, even if it's fairly obvious that they're just not that good a team.

[RedsManRick]

Par on the first hole. On the 2nd hole, we hit it into the woods, off a tree, and then laid up in to a bunker. Hopefully we can hole the wedge and finish with just a bogey.

[Spring~Fields]

I know, I know. Today we looked absolutely TERRIBLE. So far this season we have been rather lackluster as a whole. But look at the stats of the players and ask yourself.... is that the guys true talent level. For just about every single player, the answer is an emphatic NO.

Now some guys aren't all that good, but even those guys are playing well under their true talent level. Things aren't going to continue being this bad. Is Johnny Cueto really a 6+ ERA guy? What about Harang, Arroyo and Bailey? No, they aren't. How good they are doesn't matter much, because we all know they aren't as bad as they have looked so far. Is every hitter on the Reds a sub .700 OPS bat outside of Rolen and Votto? No, they aren't.

I know its cliched to say it, but its early. Funny things happen when its early. This team is going to be better moving forward. How much better, well that is unknown, but the team isn't as bad as it has looked to this point in the season.

That's a very good post, I think that it is true what you are saying outright and implying.

I don't care what I have muddled around posting over the weeks etc, they are not this bad, no way. You have to be right, numbers and humans don't do that all at once, and so many, and stay that way, no.

[Spring~Fields]

I'm not getting on anybody, everyone has the right to their opinion.

Oh gee thanks.

No thanks, I am sick of my opinions, I am looking for someone to take all of them for less than a bag of used balls. I need and want some new ones. Mine are old and worn out, like a bad pair of socks, washed too many times.

[nate]

If the Reds season were a beer at a party, it'd only be 10% filled with cigarette butts!

[traderumor]

You could look at the flip side. What about the false hope given to the teams that we know, because its so early, like San Diego, that are probably playing their best baseball right now, as we play them, and that it is likely that the rest of the season, will be a steady downhill slide. Will their staff really be this good all year? I'd rather know that my team's best days are most likely yet to come.

[RFS62]

Yep, I think we've lulled the rest of the league into a false sense of security.

That's the plan. Obviously. And I think it's working.

[TheNext44]

The Reds had a really hot start last year and we all know how that turned out. The Yankees started off bad last year, their pitching staff was worse than the Reds staff has been thus year, and we all know how that turned out.

Great thing about baseball is that the season is so long a teams true talent level almost always finds itself by season's end. Barring major injuries, this team will be around .500 at season's end, maybe better if Jocketty can pull of a trade for another professional bat, or a prospect from AAA develops early.

[_Sir_Charles_]

Skip: "You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!"

Larry: "Lollygaggers!"

Skip: "Lollygaggers."




If only "scaring them" would work. Something needs to set a fire under these guys. When you're scuffling as a team, the one thing you CAN'T have is a lack of effort. You need everything you can to bust out of a skid we're on right now. Not hustling...not allowed. Not having your head in the game...not allowed.

Pickoffs, making the last out at 3rd, tossing the ball into the stands after 2 outs? Not allowed.

[Captain Hook]

If you didn't give up hope after being swept by the Pirates last weekend then a 3-3 home stand against LA and San Diego should do it.

8-11 after 21 games is actually encouraging considering that IMO this team won't play this bad over that period of time for the rest of the year.We all know what kind of individual numbers that many of our guys are putting up from our hitting to our pitching with defense and base running included it's not been a pretty picture.

I know it might seem a bit silly to say it but I actually think that the Reds 8-11 record speaks more to how good they can be rather than how bad they've been.Things will get better.

[kaldaniels]

If you didn't give up hope after being swept by the Pirates last weekend then a 3-3 home stand against LA and San Diego should do it.

8-11 after 21 games is actually encouraging considering that IMO this team won't play this bad over that period of time for the rest of the year.We all know what kind of individual numbers that many of our guys are putting up from our hitting to our pitching with defense and base running included it's not been a pretty picture.

I know it might seem a bit silly to say it but I actually think that the Reds 8-11 record speaks more to how good they can be rather than how bad they've been.Things will get better.

The bolded part is the major hiccup at this point. If they go 1-2 in Pitt, the Reds are 9-10. If they go 2-1 in Pitt, we've got a winning record.

[HokieRed]

The bolded part is the major hiccup at this point. If they go 1-2 in Pitt, the Reds are 9-10. If they go 2-1 in Pitt, we've got a winning record.

They didn't.