One and done would be a failure.
One and done would be a failure.
I'm sure a similiar thread was being bantered aound in Boston and Atlanta this time last year!
Accumulating more wins than any other team with the exception of one over the course of 6 months is not peaking.
Personally, a first round loss would not constitute a failur for the entire season though I understand that many would feel that way.
To me, there are two seasons - the "big 162" in which teams are judged on th strength of their entire roster - where the fifth starter is important; reserves will have to fill in; and the bullpen must be relatively deep.
Then there's the playoffs where anything can happen. You have to be good, but you also have to be lucky - in terms of matchups; who's hot in your lineup; how the other guys' rotation is doing; and a bit of luck. As we all know, the best teams don't always win in a short series format.
So....in my mind, nothing that happens in October can take away what we've accomplished in the regular season - and nothing we did in the regular season means squat once the playoffs begin.
Although I agree that we have had a nice bounce back year, if we go down in the first round of the playoffs this season is a failure IMO! But that's not a new opinion for me I've felt that way all along.
jback - I'm not saying I'm right and you're wrong, but for me personally, I'd use a different adjective. If we get dropped in the first round, I'd look at the season as a disappointment rather than a failure. What've we done to date is an accomplishment.
I am not trying to be snarky, just asking for clarification. You say a first round loss makes this season a failure, so is there no difference between division champs with a first round loss and the Houston Astros? Because I would call the Astros season (and the Cubs, Rockies and Marlins seasons) a failure.
What if this is as good as it gets?
These type of discussions are why I take 2 week redzone sabbaticals.
Second best record in baseball. Yes, we lost a home series against the hapless 'Stros, but these types of senseless dramatics belong in an Edward vs. that other sparkly dude forum.
Go Reds!!
"I'd walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball." - Pete Rose
Ok I'll change my words a bit. If the Reds don't do any better in the playoffs this year then they did in 2010, I will be totally disappointed. And I'm sure for a while (few days) will feel like the Reds failed. That first game no-hitter still stings when I think about it.
This, I completely understand, and I don't care if it's Opening Day, or June, or Game 7 being no-hit is failing (doesn't make the season a failure, but it really sucks). I am very thankful I had a meeting that night and only saw the first three innings; I don't think I would've easily recovered from witnessing that.
What if this is as good as it gets?
"That first game no-hitter still stings when I think about it."
The two errors on one play in the second game stings nearly as much. (not to mention the three plunked batters).
PS: My boys still make fun of me for the spastic dance and maniacal cackle I let out when Phillips dropped the relay throw.
Last edited by Biff Pocoroba; 09-10-2012 at 02:30 PM.
My original comment on peaking early was based on my concern that the Reds now have to get back on a winning streak to end the regular season with momentum, something that's important to win in the playoffs, something they had up until just a couple of weeks ago. Just now, they appear vulnerable as a team, and it's painfully obvious this can embolden even weak competitors.
How the Reds will swing the momentum back in their favor is a bit of mystery to me -- it seems to come and go with the late summer storms that drift in and out of the Ohio Valley.
Perhaps Baker needs to shake things up a bit more. Votto's return ceratinly has changed the team chemistry once again. I certainly shudder at the thought of a playoff roster that includes Leake, Stubbs, Mesaroco, Cairo and Valdez. In the playoffs, any MLB team can win and any team is only as strong as the weakest links. Right now, the Reds' weakest links appear to be consistent run production from core players and starting pitching that's reliable in the early innings. Hopefully, the recent relief pitching problem is just an aberration that will correct itself.
By the way, I'm obviously a newbie here, but all season long, I've really enjoyed reading the forums for entertainment and insight.
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