The Panic Button (version 2.0)

[Edskin]

The whole panic button thing is kind of funny. Who is ever going to admit that they are "pushing the panic button"? Even when things are at their worst, it's human nature to say, "I'm not hitting the panic button yet, but....blah blah blah."

Question. When the majority finally say it's indeed okay to hit the panic button, is it probably too late by then? And what does hitting hitting the panic button do when it's too late? What does it do if hit prematurely? I say by the time this board agrees that, yes, it's okay to hit the panic button, the season will be long over. Not that it matters when we all agree it's time to panic anyway.

Eventually the the new topic will be the horrendous luck this team has had and who to protect in the Rule V. lol.

To me "hitting the panic button" is simply an admission that your thoughts on the team have changed dramatically from spring training, etc.. If you thought the Reds were going to win 74 games before the season then there is no panic button to push... I you are like me and you pegged them for 86-90 wins and a playoff berth, then there might be a time when you think "Uh oh, that ain't gonna happen..." and at that point perhaps hitting the panic button would consist of hoping the team makes a last ditch effort to try and meet those goals.

For me, I haven't hit the button yet because we are about one good ten game stretch from being right about where I'd thought we'd be. But if we go 2-7 on this homestand or something, I will "panic" and probably no longer believe this team can accomplish my Pre season goals.

[jojo]

Panic button? Why not hit the easy button first?

[REDREAD]

They had to deal Stewart to get Rolen and for the Jays were to pay the bill. If the Jays don't pay, no deal from the Reds end. The Reds insisting on the Jays paying is the only way that Stewart became a must. The Jays were dealing Rolen. He wanted out. They got as much as they did because of the money.

The Jays didn't have to deal Rolen though. They could've just kept him. And if all they were going to get was Roenoke (yawner) and EdE (negative value), then why even bother trading him?

No offense, but I think people vasly underestimate how easy it was to get Rolen. Sure, he wanted the midwest, but who's to say he wouldn't have gone to St Louis, Cleveland, etc? Plenty of midwest teams.

Trading for Rolen let us "test drive" him before extending him.

Considering that Stewart has done nothing.. I can't see how people say we overpaid. You say the Reds should've trading Stewart for more pitching.. well, we all know that pitching prospects are high risk.. All we have to do is look at Chapman, Volquez, Stewart, and Homer (perpetual injury risk) to be reminded of that.

[oregonred]

Interesting to note the comparison between 2010 and 2011 after 55 games. Reds are -3 games compared to last season despite a +18 RS/RA number in 2011 (+21 last season). I was also surprised to see last year's team had given up slightly more runs (April was brutal last year). The Reds splits are almost identical to 2010 except the 3 game difference. The cards are scoring a bit more, but also giving up an additional 1/2 run per game.

St Louis has the exact same record as last season. 32-23 despite a lower RS/RA
2010: 32-23, 253/192 + 61 RS/RA
2011: 32-23, 271/227 + 44 RS/RA

Reds:
2010: 31-24 280/259 + 21 RS/RA
2011: 28-27 273/255 +18 RS/RA

Everything looks the same, except for the fact that last year it was already a two team race... The Brewers are the fly in the ointment... They were 22-33 last season at this time vs. 29-25 this season. +11 RS/RA vs. a putrid-46 last season. The Brewers have lowered its runs against by almost 100 runs compared to 2010 even with minimal games from Greinke thus far - almost two runs a game, although the offense is scoring about a run less a game...

Brewers:
2010 22-33 270/316 RS/RA (2nd most runs allowed in MLB)
2011 29-25 229/218 RS/RA

Just some food for fodder...

[Ghosts of 1990]

We lost 7-2. I'm not panicked tonight. I'm just, sad. We're .500 heading into June. Feels like it's salting away. Though I'm sure that we'll cut the deficit to closer than five games at some point. I'm just, sad right now.