Better days are around the corner.

[cincrazy]

What a crap week huh? Worst of the worst. I made a big mistake at my new job. That sucked. I broke up with my girlfriend. That sucked even worse. And the Reds lost five out of six games. Which was icing on the cake for a craptastic week.

With the week I've had, after Chapman gave up that homer to Willingham, I was prone to give up on the season and wallow in my misery. But you know what? Reality set in.

How many times throughout the 2000s would we have killed to have a team like this? Every single freaking year. We have the best hitter in baseball. An ace pitcher. A good, young core. Yes, some holes and some warts. But which team doesn't?

Bottom line, we will be fine. The sky is not falling. The world is not coming to an end. There's not a zombie plague taking over the world (ok, maybe I can't be that sure on that last part).

Part of the reason we get so upset over games like this is because we expect this team to be so great. And how awesome is that? Where, for once, we EXPECT to win games? I know maybe this is different for some of you that grew up watching the Big Red Machine, but for me, a 27 year old who grew up watching John Reidling groove fastballs to Albert Pujols, this still feels pretty damn good.

We are relevant again. And will be for a while. This is NOT 2003. Or 2004. Or 2005. Or 2006. Or 2007. etc. This week will not define this season. We will not finish below .500. Maybe we're not the best team (and granted, that's what we all strive for). But we're a hell of a lot better off than most teams in baseball, right? So during this week, when many of us are crying in our beer, or Pepsi, or whatever you use to soothe the taste of defeat, let's try to think about what we have to be thankful for, instead of what keeps us awake at night (here's looking at you, Chris Heisey).

What am I thankful for?

The best first baseman and second baseman in the league, respectfully. An ace in Cueto. One of the best live arms in the game in Chapman. Scott Rolen's veteran presence, and getting to watch one of the best 3B of his era gracefully close out his career in a Reds uni. A solid rotation. A good bullpen. FANTASTIC defense. A fan base that continues to come out of the woodwork, slowly but surely. And a ton of good friends to discuss the ups and downs with on the best site on the world wide web .

Take heart, Reds fans. This week was bad. But we've seen worst.

GO REDS!

[HeatherC1212]

This week has truly sucked but I agree that better days are coming for our guys and that the season is not over after one bad week. I'm still feeling positive about this team (warts and all ) and hey, I'm happy that if they were only going to win one game of this Twins series, they made it the one I was at yesterday which was a pretty fun afternoon for me, LOL

[Vottomatic]

This team is 2 years away.

Fun to watch their development, but they still aren't built well enough to win it all, which is the goal.

[cincrazy]

Originally Posted by Vottomatic

This team is 2 years away.

Fun to watch their development, but they still aren't built well enough to win it all, which is the goal.

We don't know that. Giants fans didn't think they were going to win it all in June of 2010. Or Cardinals fans last year at any point during the summer. Things change, and they change fast.

[mth123]

[cincrazy]

A week ago, everyone thought this team was going to win the World Series. Now, everybody thinks the Cubs are going to catch us at some point.

[DGullett35]

Originally Posted by cincrazy

A week ago, everyone thought this team was going to win the World Series. Now, everybody thinks the Cubs are going to catch us at some point.

I agree with everything you have said. Nice thread. Very much needed after this week the team has had. We will be fine in the long run. Every team has a bad stretch. lets get em tomm. We can put the Brewers completely out of the division after these 3 games just like they did us before the all-star break last year. Im looking for Latos to have a big game tomm.

[cincrazy]

Originally Posted by DGullett35

I agree with everything you have said. Nice thread. Very much needed after this week the team has had. We will be fine in the long run. Every team has a bad stretch. lets get em tomm. We can put the Brewers completely out of the division after these 3 games just like they did us before the all-star break last year. Im looking for Latos to have a big game tomm.

Agreed . How about 2 of 3 or a sweep of the Brewers, then a 6-4 or 7-3 west coast trip. Sounds like a good way to go into the All Star break.

[Big Klu]

Originally Posted by cincrazy

What a crap week huh? Worst of the worst. I made a big mistake at my new job. That sucked. I broke up with my girlfriend. That sucked even worse. And the Reds lost five out of six games. Which was icing on the cake for a craptastic week.

With the week I've had, after Chapman gave up that homer to Willingham, I was prone to give up on the season and wallow in my misery. But you know what? Reality set in.

How many times throughout the 2000s would we have killed to have a team like this? Every single freaking year. We have the best hitter in baseball. An ace pitcher. A good, young core. Yes, some holes and some warts. But which team doesn't?

Bottom line, we will be fine. The sky is not falling. The world is not coming to an end. There's not a zombie plague taking over the world (ok, maybe I can't be that sure on that last part).

Part of the reason we get so upset over games like this is because we expect this team to be so great. And how awesome is that? Where, for once, we EXPECT to win games? I know maybe this is different for some of you that grew up watching the Big Red Machine, but for me, a 27 year old who grew up watching John Reidling groove fastballs to Albert Pujols, this still feels pretty damn good.

We are relevant again. And will be for a while. This is NOT 2003. Or 2004. Or 2005. Or 2006. Or 2007. etc. This week will not define this season. We will not finish below .500. Maybe we're not the best team (and granted, that's what we all strive for). But we're a hell of a lot better off than most teams in baseball, right? So during this week, when many of us are crying in our beer, or Pepsi, or whatever you use to soothe the taste of defeat, let's try to think about what we have to be thankful for, instead of what keeps us awake at night (here's looking at you, Chris Heisey).

What am I thankful for?

The best first baseman and second baseman in the league, respectfully. An ace in Cueto. One of the best live arms in the game in Chapman. Scott Rolen's veteran presence, and getting to watch one of the best 3B of his era gracefully close out his career in a Reds uni. A solid rotation. A good bullpen. FANTASTIC defense. A fan base that continues to come out of the woodwork, slowly but surely. And a ton of good friends to discuss the ups and downs with on the best site on the world wide web .

Take heart, Reds fans. This week was bad. But we've seen worst.

GO REDS!

Everyone of us who is over 40 should have to read this. We sometimes forget that our younger fans never had the opportunity to experience the glory days of the 70's. (I'm 42, and I'm just barely on the cusp of having been able to enjoy that time.) Many of them weren't even able to experience or enjoy the wild ride in 1990. The last 2-3 years have been the best Reds baseball in their memories. So let's not be so jaded by the rough times of 1997-2009 (1999 excepted) as to bring everyone down. Fan interest is up, and people are talking about the Reds! Hang with 'em--it's a marathon, not a sprint!

[traderumor]

Originally Posted by Vottomatic

This team is 2 years away.

Fun to watch their development, but they still aren't built well enough to win it all, which is the goal.

Wait, I thought they weren't a very fun team to watch?

The funny thing is the order that things happened. Chapman meltdown Sunday night baseball, undefeated week of 6-0 follows, 1-5 after that. So, we're 7-6 over that period, a winning record.

This is all what makes MLB my favorite drama.

[Reds/Flyers Fan]

Originally Posted by cincrazy

A week ago, everyone thought this team was going to win the World Series. Now, everybody thinks the Cubs are going to catch us at some point.

Average those two sentiments out and you have the fans of what is likely a .500 team.

Water always finds a way to level itself.

[mbgrayson]

The funniest part to me is that after this terrible week, where we lost 5 out of 6, and blow several one run games, we are still in 1st place. Not by much mind you, but still in first. In the past few years, we would be looking up at the Cards, and we would be six games back. Luckily for us, the rest of the division is also flawed.

As those balls start bouncing in our direction a bit more, we will win more of the close games.

All in all, we are in pretty good shape.

[Vottomatic]

Originally Posted by Big Klu

Everyone of us who is over 40 should have to read this. We sometimes forget that our younger fans never had the opportunity to experience the glory days of the 70's. (I'm 42, and I'm just barely on the cusp of having been able to enjoy that time.) Many of them weren't even able to experience or enjoy the wild ride in 1990. The last 2-3 years have been the best Reds baseball in their memories. So let's not be so jaded by the rough times of 1997-2009 (1999 excepted) as to bring everyone down. Fan interest is up, and people are talking about the Reds! Hang with 'em--it's a marathon, not a sprint!

I'm late 40's and remember the '75 & '76 team like the back of my hand. We had season tickets in the blue seats at Riverfront along the third base line.

I remember the '90 team really well too.

My favorite players were Tony Perez, Mario Soto, Eric Davis, and Jose Rijo.

It's just hard for me to see this team run out low OBP hitters in the 1 and 2 spots and lack a true cleanup hitter. The structure of the lineup bothers me.

Like me, many posters on here have been clamoring about the leadoff spot and cleanup spot for the last 3 years. It frustrates that in 3 years Reds management hasn't solved the problem. I really think solving those problems are the final moves to helping this team go farther.

Until then, this will be a team that plays .500 ball or teases the fans while they try and hang in first place. They just can't seem to put some distance between them and the rest of the pack in the Central.

What I enjoy is watching guys like Todd Frazier emerge, and always watching a Joey Votto at-bat, or a Phillips outstanding defensive play. I still think they are a couple of years away from being serious World Series contenders. Sure, they make the postseason, but they aren't much better than '10 right now to make me think they can win it all.

[PuffyPig]

Originally Posted by Vottomatic

They just can't seem to put some distance between them and the rest of the pack in the Central.

We went from 5 games behind in the Central to 5 games ahead. We were bound to hit a cold spot.

6 out of our last 7 loses have been by 1 run.

We aren't playing badly.

Our luck will turn.

[Revering4Blue]

Originally Posted by Big Klu

Everyone of us who is over 40 should have to read this. We sometimes forget that our younger fans never had the opportunity to experience the glory days of the 70's. (I'm 42, and I'm just barely on the cusp of having been able to enjoy that time.) Many of them weren't even able to experience or enjoy the wild ride in 1990. The last 2-3 years have been the best Reds baseball in their memories. So let's not be so jaded by the rough times of 1997-2009 (1999 excepted) as to bring everyone down. Fan interest is up, and people are talking about the Reds! Hang with 'em--it's a marathon, not a sprint!

Yeah, but the younger fans never had to endure 1982, either.

All kidding aside, I agree with you, but further personnel moves are in order to even have a chance of winning it all.