anyone worried about

[Reds1]

Jay Bruce! He's actually not had a very good season. His numbers basically came from one month. I don't have the stats to back it up, but I watch every game and he really seems to under perform in the clutch. I know he's young and yada yada yada, but I am trying to figure out why this team of seemingly talented young players continues to lose to some of the worst teams in baseball.

any thoughts?

[OldXOhio]

I think his season has been ok. Not great, not really bad either. Had he not made the strides he did in the 2nd half of last year, perhaps none of us would be concerned. I just expected bigger things out of him in 2011.

[Kc61]

I think his season has been ok. Not great, not really bad either. Had he not made the strides he did in the 2nd half of last year, perhaps none of us would be concerned. I just expected bigger things out of him in 2011.

Wishful thinking. The guy had a fabulous May but since then has been non-productive.

Put me down as one who thinks a real cleanup hitter would do wonders for Bruce. The guy is too young and, yes, still raw to constantly be up in the pressure at bats.

Put a real cleanup hitter between Votto and Bruce and I think Jay will do much better.

When and if the Reds fix their team and have a real leadoff hitter and a real cleanup hitter, I think Bruce will be ok.

As for Stubbs, I'm more concerned.

[OldXOhio]

Wishful thinking. The guy had a fabulous May but since then has been non-productive.

Put me down as one who thinks a real cleanup hitter would do wonders for Bruce. The guy is too young and, yes, still raw to constantly be up in the pressure at bats.

Put a real cleanup hitter between Votto and Bruce and I think Jay will do much better.

When and if the Reds fix their team and have a real leadoff hitter and a real cleanup hitter, I think Bruce will be ok.

As for Stubbs, I'm more concerned.

Probably fair to say he's just not ready to be THE guy in the lineup, perhaps in another year or two. Agree that a true clean up hitter in front of him would help. Don't know how any of the team's decision makers can't see the need, but then again, it was there going into this season and the last as well.

[SirFelixCat]

I know that we had this very same discussion last year and everyone yelled at me saying "he's still young"...how many more seasons does he get that excuse?

1 red-hot month and a whole lot of blech prior & after....

[Ghosts of 1990]

He's been really bad. You don't even want to know his numbers if you don't include May. It just doesn't make sense. I don't understand also why Dusty won't put him hitting 2nd rather than guys like Renteria and Janish when the last time it happened it started the huge hot streak in May. Hit him in front of Votto. Just such an obvious thing that I can't even understand why Dusty won't do it.

I'm very, very concerned about Jay Bruce. We were told he would be so much more and he has not been. I don't think he'll ever hit .290, drive in 100 runs, or hit 30 home runs in a season. That's what he's shown me this year. Never have I wanted a guy to succeed so much but I'm not going to lie to myself, it's just not working out.

[cincrazy]

He's been really bad. You don't even want to know his numbers if you don't include May. It just doesn't make sense. I don't understand also why Dusty won't put him hitting 2nd rather than guys like Renteria and Janish when the last time it happened it started the huge hot streak in May. Hit him in front of Votto. Just such an obvious thing that I can't even understand why Dusty won't do it.

I'm very, very concerned about Jay Bruce. We were told he would be so much more and he has not been. I don't think he'll ever hit .290, drive in 100 runs, or hit 30 home runs in a season. That's what he's shown me this year. Never have I wanted a guy to succeed so much but I'm not going to lie to myself, it's just not working out.

Even if he can't consistently sustain those numbers, he can still be a hell of a ballplayer. It's not Jay's fault he's being relied upon to do too much on this current team. It magnifies his struggles.

[mth123]

Even if he can't consistently sustain those numbers, he can still be a hell of a ballplayer. It's not Jay's fault he's being relied upon to do too much on this current team. It magnifies his struggles.

Yep. The GM built a team that needed Bruce to be an MVP contender to succeed. Merely pretty good isn't good enough.

[Ghosts of 1990]

He hasn't been 'pretty good' though, that's the thing. He's been pretty bad. He's hit .235 other than May with minimal power and barely any RBI's.

[cincrazy]

He hasn't been 'pretty good' though, that's the thing. He's been pretty bad. He's hit .235 other than May with minimal power and barely any RBI's.

I wouldn't say pretty bad. You can't act like May never happened. True, he's been extremely inconsistent. But there are a ton of teams that would kill to have Jay Bruce starting in right field.

Jose Bautista, Jayson Werth, Nelson Cruz, .... are were guys who didn't break out until later. Bruce has been MUCH better than any of those three were at his age. Even Adrian Gonzalez didn't have a productive season until age 24, whereas Bruce has already had a couple. He's a heck of a player, even considering his struggles, and I think it's sad so many have to leap to his defense so often around here.

We rushed Paul O'Neill out of town, and how'd that end up? With 56,000 fans in Yankee Stadium chanting "Paulie, Paulie" as one of the most celebrated RFs in Yankee history wound his career up in yet another big World Series moment.

[Tony Cloninger]

I wouldn't say pretty bad. You can't act like May never happened. True, he's been extremely inconsistent. But there are a ton of teams that would kill to have Jay Bruce starting in right field.

Jose Bautista, Jayson Werth, Nelson Cruz, .... are were guys who didn't break out until later. Bruce has been MUCH better than any of those three were at his age. Even Adrian Gonzalez didn't have a productive season until age 24, whereas Bruce has already had a couple. He's a heck of a player, even considering his struggles, and I think it's sad so many have to leap to his defense so often around here.

We rushed Paul O'Neill out of town, and how'd that end up? With 56,000 fans in Yankee Stadium chanting "Paulie, Paulie" as one of the most celebrated RFs in Yankee history wound his career up in yet another big World Series moment.

They did not rush Paul out of town. he did it himself. He started from 1988-1992....and could never figure out if he should hit for power, average or both.

He was a hothead who could not seem to get it together in his hometown.

Bowden may have made a bad trade after the fact but Paul had his own issues...in his head. For some reason he relaxed more in NYC than he did in Cincy.

He barely acts like he ever played here now.

[cincrazy]

They did not rush Paul out of town. he did it himself. He started from 1988-1992....and could never figure out if he should hit for power, average or both.

He was a hothead who could not seem to get it together in his hometown.

Bowden may have made a bad trade after the fact but Paul had his own issues...in his head. For some reason he relaxed more in NYC than he did in Cincy.

He barely acts like he ever played here now.

Paul went out of his head for the very same reason Jay might go out of his head. An inpatient fan base that wants the next big star RIGHT NOW. Young players take time to develop. Paul leaving wasn't all the Reds fault, but I'd give them the majority of the blame for sure.

[edabbs44]

Yep. The GM built a team that needed Bruce to be an MVP contender to succeed. Merely pretty good isn't good enough.

Most teams would have considered Jay to be that legit second big bat in the lineup this season. Smaller mkt teams need to work that way. The mythical middle of the order bat generally isn't available to those teams on demand.

But shifting the blame somehow to the FO for Jay's struggles is kind if ridiculous. He is a former #1 prospect in baseball. Expecting more than what we have seen is very warranted.

[cincrazy]

Most teams would have considered Jay to be that legit second big bat in the lineup this season. Smaller mkt teams need to work that way. The mythical middle of the order bat generally isn't available to those teams on demand.

But shifting the blame somehow to the FO for Jay's struggles is kind if ridiculous. He is a former #1 prospect in baseball. Expecting more than what we have seen is very warranted.

The guy is still very young. It's one thing to hope for a breakout season, but to absolutely know it's coming? This game offers no such guarantees in regards to young players. Jocketty has been involved in the game long enough to where he should understand that.

[cincrazy]

The team more or less went into the season banking on the fact that all of their young players would "take the next step." That's a recipe for disaster if you ask me. I wasn't asking for the HUGE, splashy move in the offseason. But he made absolutely no moves whatsoever to better this club in anyways other than dumpster diving. It's a lack of creativity and passivity, and quite frankly it's inexcusable for a small market team.