My opinion on things

[wojo1025]

I have been so disappointed in the way things have been going lately, I don't even know where to begin! I was watching the game with my folks tonight and when Freel got picked off first after the home plate and 1st base ump talked about it, I told my dad "regardless of whether or not that was the right call, if someone doesn't get thrown out here I am going to be very upset"...and did they? Of course not. I was so pleased to see Hatte fire up the ump after that HORRIFIC strike 3 call in the bottom of that same inning. This team just seems to be sleep walking through games lately. I have never seen such a horrible look from a team that is suppose to be in a race. I don't know if it's because some of them have never been in this situation and they do not know how to react or what the deal is, but it's making me want to punch my t.v. every game!!!! Bad/lazy defense. Bad baserunning. A guy that refuses to take the ball to the opposite field even though there are 7 fielders there if he pulls the ball.

This team needs something to fire them up. Something to spark them back into playing hard. I know it's hot out, I know you're tired and it's been a long year. The team is on the verge of doing something that noone DREAMED of them doing before the season started. You play all year to get into the position that you are in now, PLEASE ACT LIKE YOU CARE. I know there have been bad calls lately that have hurt us, but I am a firm believer that you create bad breaks. Fundamentals are severly lacking on this team. I can think of three games that we've lost in the last week that should've been in the bag. The Cards can't win to save their lives right now and they're still ahead of us, it's sickening!!!!

We can't count on Aaron Harang to come out and win every game. Bronson seems to have 1 horrible inning per start lately. EZ's last two starts were very scary! Milton's last game was wonderful sans the first inning, but he still needs to get better. And for our fifth starter.......I don't think anything needs to be said there!!!

Some/a lot of our managers moves lately have left me scratching my head and trying to figure out what in the world he's doing in there. I am going to start praying he gets thrown out early and Bucky Dent gets to take over in the 2d or 3rd inning!!!

WAKE UP TEAM, WE NEED TO GET GOING!!!!!!!! The NL West is chasing us down in the Wild Card.

[cincrazy]

In fairness to the Reds, two of the four games they've lost during this streak came at the hands of Ben Sheets and Brad Penny, who both had filthy stuff. I think we'll be ok. Just a bad week. And, we're in the NL! Haha.

[Razor Shines]

First of all that was the right call by the umpires, and Narron has been thrown out several times this year.

I think Jr. is the guy you say refuses to hit the ball to the left side. He did hit the ball to the wall in left field his last AB.

EZ's last start before tonight was very good.

[cincrazy]

Our guys will be fine. Dunn has definitely been beating the shift the last month or so, and when Griffey gets going and swinging the bat like he's capable, he can beat it also, so I'm not worried about that. It's just, when the starter's are pitching well, our bullpen sucks, and when the bullpen pitches well, the starter's suck. Then, if the stars align, and they BOTH pitch well, we score like one run.... so hopefully we can get it going in all aspects of the game soon. But I don't think it's from a lack of effort.

[wojo1025]

Pardon me, his last start was good, it was the one before that one that scared me. My mistake

[cincrazy]

Elizardo worries me a little bit. He's never pitched this many innings in the big leagues, let alone in games that matter. Hopefully he'll be ok.

[Jpup]

The outfield defense is horrible and it's costing the Reds a lot of bases. Something needs to be done, but it won't. The Reds should have won tonight.

[remdog]

Sorry, but the bottom line is that this is a team that isn't really very good. They have played way over their heads at times and then followed it up with leaps into the chasm of the inept. They have a manager that couldn't buy a clue as to how to put the best lineup on the field and the General Manager just bet his whole wad that a bullpen assembled of other teams' spare parts will lead the Reds to the playoffs.

When this team plays over its' head it raises expectations to an unrealistic level. When it leaps into the chasm of ineptitude it can bring about depression in many Reds fans. It helps to realize that there is an extreame abundance of mediocre teams out there this year and that has helped the Reds. Have they taken advantage of that situation so far? Sure they have. And, good for them. The fan in me for this year takes joy in that. The fan in me that looks to the future worries that the Reds may actually make the playoffs and that management will underestimate the huge amount of work that needs to be done to turn this team into a good ballclub.

Rem

[Always Red]

Wojo, you make some fair points. I was at the game last night, and the place was just dead. Not much life in the team, and even less in the stands. I saw the attendance was 22,000, but I'll eat my hat if there were that many people there. There were less than 10,000 prior to the opening pitch, and maybe 15,000 there, tops. And it really was not that hot.

Tough to gauge pitching from section 526, other than changing speeds, but both teams were upset with the home plate umpiring. I think he was very inconsistent from pitch to pitch. Penny was consistently hitting 96 mph on his fastball. EZ had one bad inning, when the Dodgers hit one absolute rocket after another. Still tipping? IDK?

I've seen many on this forum refer (fairly) to Felipe Lopez and his brain cramps. Well, Ryan Freel has just as many of them. It just seems a lot of times as if his head is not in the game, and that he loses focus, especially on the basepaths, which seems odd, as he is such a good baserunner. He took the bat right out of Dunn's hands in a crucial situation with the pickoff. He needs to sharpen his focus. His defense in RF is outstanding, though, IMHO.

I did not notice any balls to the outfield that should have been caught last night that were not. The gappers, and the one hit directly over Junior's head were tracers, especially the double by Ethier.

Phillips range at 2B is astounding. He caught a ball in RF last night- I don't mean in front of RF, it was in medium RF. BUT, he made a poor throw that came directly from poor mechanics- he gets to the ball so fast, but often chooses to backhand the ball rather than getting his feet set first to throw- in this case it resulted in an off balance throw- it looked as if Hatte tagged the runner out, but he was called safe and there was no argument, so I guess Hatte did not tag him.

My 11 yo daughter was rooting for Clayton, and she mentioned a home run. I laughed and pointed out to her that he had not hit one all year- just look at the scoreboard. He hits the next pitch out. Who'd a thunk it?

[Spring~Fields]

Originally Posted by remdog

Sorry, but the bottom line is that this is a team that isn't really very good.
Rem

I think that you're right, I believe that the Reds have a record of something like 38-44 from the month of May to the present. The team just doesn't appear to have the horses again this year.

[edabbs44]

Originally Posted by Jpup

The outfield defense is horrible and it's costing the Reds a lot of bases. Something needs to be done, but it won't. The Reds should have won tonight.

One word. SuperDeno.

[TeamBoone]

Originally Posted by Always Red

Wojo, you make some fair points. I was at the game last night, and the place was just dead. Not much life in the team, and even less in the stands. I saw the attendance was 22,000, but I'll eat my hat if there were that many people there. There were less than 10,000 prior to the opening pitch, and maybe 15,000 there, tops. And it really was not that hot.

And I guess that is really really subjective... in my opinion between the humidity and the 91-92 degrees at gametime it was/is hot, hot, hot! It was certainly steamy in my neighborhood. Plus, the heat index was about ten degrees north of the gametime temp... and on the field it's even worse.

You must have an incredible heat tolerance!

[Always Red]

Originally Posted by TeamBoone

You must have an incredible heat tolerance!

not really; it's summertime! I expect it to be hot and humid in Cincinnati.

It was evening; no sun makes a huge difference.