Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.
All the dishes rattle in the cupboards when the elephants arrive
klw (05-09-2013)
Good start to this stretch. The lowly Miami Marlins are next. have to take advantage of them and win at least two if not all three.
Reds Fan Since 1971
Bob Borkowski (05-13-2013)
With a 162-game schedule, there are going to be ups and downs, with the team and the fans. I don't have an issue with fans who have knee-jerk tendencies, but I don't care much for the holier-than-thou types who constantly call them out.
Homer Bailey (05-13-2013),Old NDN (05-13-2013),texasdave (05-13-2013)
So am I really the only one that pays attention to how the team is doing against quality opponents? I just think you have to play at least .500 ball against quality teams to be taken seriously come playoff time. Yes, you can make the playoffs without doing so, but I think the chances of winning a World Series are still small if you haven't proven that you can consistently defeat the good teams, unless you are the Cardinals. But the Reds aren't the Cardinals. They are not going to have some random A ball player come up at playoff time and bat .700 to lead the playoff charge.
I guess the argument is what do people consider quality competition? I consider the Reds 2-5 in series against quality competition this year. 3-5 if you count the Brewers. I understand that other people may consider different teams to be quality competition.
And New York Red, every message board has the holier-than-thou types. There is usually a group of about 6 or 7 posters that run around posting condescending remarks to others and liking each others posts. It is irritating, but I try not to call others out on that b/c I know I can irritate the crap out of people as well.
Last edited by reds700; 05-13-2013 at 09:28 AM.
IMO, the term "quality competition" is tough to pin down early in the season. Your mention of the Brewers is a good example. They have a poor record (15-20) largely because they are 1-9 in the last ten. But in those ten games, they are 0-7 against the Cardinals and Reds. So their season record is greatly effected by those two series against two of the NL's three best teams record-wise. If the Brewers had played lesser foes in those seven games they would possibly have a much better overall record, and therefore move into the "quality competition" category. My point is, I think it's too early to determine what is a quality opponent and what isn't (with a few obvious exceptions for each side).
The Brewers aren't quality at all. Their pitching is horrible and their defense isn't much better than horrible. They remind me a lot of the 2006 Reds. Good hitting and nothing else.
To this point the quality teams the Reds have faced are the Cardinals,Nationals,Pirates and Braves. I think you can throw the Angels in there too because Jerod Weaver was playing then and not injured. They do need to do better agains those types of teams. A .500 record against quality teams will keep the Reds in contention all year long. They will just need to really beat up on the medicore to poor teams to be in the playoffs. IIRC, the 2010 Reds beat up on the bad teams while they struggled against the better teams.
Reds Fan Since 1971
I agree with that. I think there are a few teams on the schedule that are hard to place into a particular category. Angels, Phillies, Cubs, Brewers. I think the Nationals, Cardinals, Pirates, and Braves are definitely going to end up as quality competition at the end of the year. The Marlins are likely the only definite awful team we have played so far. Of the iffy teams, I think the Phillies will end up as the only quality team at the end of the year, but I know others would disagree. I want to add the Angels to the quality group but they keep losing.
No, you're not the only one who pays attention to our record against quality opponents. But here's the thing you keep overlooking....we haven't played many firstly. And when we did, they were hot and we were scuffling. That's not going to be the same all season long. We've got TONS of time to beat the good teams too. I just get the feeling that some here think we should win EVERY series...against good and bad teams. Sorry to disappoint, but it ain't gonna happen. We're in a good position. We've dealt with injuries, we've had loads of guys playing well below their norms AND we had a really tough schedule for the first month....and with all of that, we've STILL got the THIRD BEST RECORD in the NL. I just don't get all the doom and gloom posts worrying about this stuff. Patience...it's a long season.
I don't think you can just say they were hot and we were scuffling. I don't buy that. So far, we have looked hot against the bad teams and scuffled against the good teams. And I never said we should win every series. I said play .500 ball against the good teams and much better than .500 against the bad teams.
Also, with the exception of the Braves series, EVERY losing series against "quality" teams has been on the road. The Reds have the best home record in the NL. 10 more against the Cards at home, with only 3 more in St. Louis. 10 more at home against the Pirates, with 6 in Pittsburgh.
Yes you have to win on the road to be successful, but the schedule plays a lot more into the Reds' favor against the division as the summer moves on.
No one expects the butterfly
BoxingRed (05-13-2013)
Last year the Giants record against NL playoff teams was 11-15. How'd that work out? You have to get there, then play well. That's all that matters. I don't care if the Reds go 95-0 against crappy teams and 0-67 against good teams, in the regular season if that gets them to the post season. All I want is them to get there, and they be at least 1 game better than their current playoff round opponent. Anything else is mish mash.
*BaseClogger* (05-13-2013),Brisco (05-23-2013),Homer Bailey (05-13-2013),New York Red (05-13-2013),RedsManRick (05-18-2013),Tommyjohn25 (05-13-2013)
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