Ludwick: I'm calling fans out

[OldXOhio]

There's more to being a "baseball town" than having a rich history.

STL is a baseball town. BOS is a baseball town amidst being just an overall great sports town. Cincy is not a baseball town.

[Griffey012]

Much ado about nothing.

Daugherty is doing what he does best, stirring crap up, and you guys are buying it hook, line and sinker.

Ludwick didn't call us terrible fans, didn't "blame" us for anything. He's trying to pump up the atmosphere, I don't really see what's wrong with that. Maybe he could've chosen his words more carefully, but still.

Besides, Cincinnati fans are notoriously fickle and awful anyways. I really don't have a problem with anything he said. The way most people have whined and complained throughout this entire season (despite another playoff appearance and 90 win season) proves his point. Some are telling Luddy to shut up and play, how about we shut up and enjoy the ride? This is a WINNING baseball team. Something I waited my whole life for. Appreciate it while it's here, it's going to be gone sooner or later.

You nailed it with this post. This is my 3rd full baseball season living near downtown...this has been the least fun season of the 3 even though 2011 was quite a disappointment. The amount of negativity from multiple sources has taken away a lot of the joy of a pennant race. The biggest source of negativity in my opinion has been the media (this article is simply another prime example). The broadcasters (tv and radio). Followed by the fans. If you were to just judge my the media, broadcasters, and fans one would think this team was out of the race in July.

I tend to blame the irrational way to high way to low nature of the fans emotions on the local media and Thom and Marty...because they set this standard. The past history of professional sporting disappointment in town likely does not help. But all season again and again the dead horse have been beat among a handful of negative topics while ignoring all the positives that have been happening.

The biggest topics we hear again and again all season:

Votto can't drive in runs
Phillips can't get on base
Baker is a terrible manager
Yada Yada whoever hits in the 2 hole

Topics we seem to hear little about all season yet a major positives:

Overcoming many big injuries to win 90 games
Shin Soo Choo
Phillips raking in big moments with Ludwick out
Mike Leake's season
Jay Bruce's season
Latos, Bailey, etc


Oh and Ludwick has a point...how about this big game in early September against the Cardinals? 20k in attendance. I was at the game and felt embarrassed a bit.

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/boxsco...incinnati-reds

[kaldaniels]

I had to work. I watched the game and the Reds didn't score 1 run. The Reds didn't score 1 run, they lost 1-0. The Reds didn't score 1 run.

Well that pretty much wraps this thread up.

[Hollcat]

Sorry but I don't disagree with him. Today with Votto up and bases loaded late in the game behind 3b dugout there were about 6 fans on thier feet. It started getting loud before the second pitch but settled back down for the rest of the at bat. That's a perfect for the crowd to be into the game and giving the team something to feed off of instead of sitting and waiting for something to react to. I know the game was anything but exciting to that point that's a situation that most crowds will be making some noise instead of waiting to see if there is something to cheer for.

[dsmith421]

You nailed it with this post. This is my 3rd full baseball season living near downtown...this has been the least fun season of the 3 even though 2011 was quite a disappointment. The amount of negativity from multiple sources has taken away a lot of the joy of a pennant race. The biggest source of negativity in my opinion has been the media (this article is simply another prime example). The broadcasters (tv and radio). Followed by the fans. If you were to just judge my the media, broadcasters, and fans one would think this team was out of the race in July.

It's 2013. If you don't care about what the media in Cincinnati has to say, you don't have to. I've listened to Marty call one game on the radio all year. When I watch the games on TV, if Thom is calling it I typically press mute. I read C.Trent's blog and Red Reporter and typically get breaking news when it is posted here. I haven't heard Lance McAllister say a word in years. There is literally no reason in this day and age you have to expose yourself to media or announcers you find repugnant.

I wish more people came to the ballpark. But once there, it's a good time whether there are 12K or the place is packed. I see no reason to be "embarrassed" by attendance - you hauled your butt to the park! Give yourself a pat on the back! I'm not going to shake my head and grumble having made the financial and time commitment to attend 25 games.

[Ghosts of 1990]

Ludwick didn't play today.

Ludwick has not done much to speak of this season; and yes I know he's recovering from a serious injury.

[Wonderful Monds]

There's more to being a "baseball town" than having a rich history.

STL is a baseball town. BOS is a baseball town amidst being just an overall great sports town. Cincy is not a baseball town.

Boston is also a big city. St. Louis became a baseball town when the Cardinals started winning literally all of the time.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

"Cincinnati is not a baseball town because the Reds have failed to draw 50,000+ fans to a home game since leaving Riverfront/Cinergy Field." --John Erardi[/SIZE]

That right there is an hilarious quote (if real).

[Always Red]

There's more to being a "baseball town" than having a rich history.

STL is a baseball town. BOS is a baseball town amidst being just an overall great sports town. Cincy is not a baseball town.

Yes it is.

There's more than one "baseball town" and those two you mentioned are great baseball towns, no doubt. Cincy has one of the highest TV ratings every year, since the team has been contending. That doesn't happen in towns that aren't baseball towns.

I have 4 tickets to a 20 game pack, when I'm not there I see nearly every game, I talk about the Reds all day long and come here and discuss, argue and gripe about the Reds with my nameless friends here.

We heard the same crap last year during the playoffs.

I'm tired of hearing what a terrible fan I am.

[Always Red]

Sorry but I don't disagree with him. Today with Votto up and bases loaded late in the game behind 3b dugout there were about 6 fans on thier feet. It started getting loud before the second pitch but settled back down for the rest of the at bat. That's a perfect for the crowd to be into the game and giving the team something to feed off of instead of sitting and waiting for something to react to. I know the game was anything but exciting to that point that's a situation that most crowds will be making some noise instead of waiting to see if there is something to cheer for.

It's hard to get that excited about a guy trying to draw a walk.

[Falls City Beer]

The eternal question I have when [righteous athlete x] harangues fans about attendance is: if we showed, would the win-loss column look different?

For the record, players of lots of smaller franchises do this kind of stuff, not just reds players. The whole thing is just a goofy bee dance.

I went to my first Reds' game in Cincy in eight years this year.

[BCubb2003]

Is there a Fangraphs graph of fan effects?

[Brutus]

Something like 15 games not on weekends since 1938 they have had 30k plus

That's weak

That's not a baseball town

All of the baseball towns you compare them against -- every single one of them -- have population centers that outnumber Cincinnati by anywhere from half a million to 18 million.

Give Cincinnati a metropolitan area of 5 million people and we'll see how many times they sell out a early/mid-week game in a pennant race.

Apples to oranges, my friend. Apples...to... oranges.

[George Foster]

All of the baseball towns you compare them against -- every single one of them -- have population centers that outnumber Cincinnati by anywhere from half a million to 18 million.

Give Cincinnati a metropolitan area of 5 million people and we'll see how many times they sell out a early/mid-week game in a pennant race.

Apples to oranges, my friend. Apples...to... oranges.

Totally agree. The Reds are a regional team. Southern Indiana, Southern/Central Ohio, Central/Eastern Kentucky, Western West Virgina.

I live exactly 100 miles away. I've been to 7 games, and going on Sunday. I took my entire office and their family. 30 tickets. I'm doing my fare share. Going on a Wed noon game just can't happen. It's a work day. The population that can go to a noon game on Wed is just not the same as the bigger markets. You can't compare the two.

[Falls City Beer]

There's more to being a "baseball town" than having a rich history.

STL is a baseball town. BOS is a baseball town amidst being just an overall great sports town. Cincy is not a baseball town.

So what if Reds fans were like Cubs fans, routinely packing the house for 70 win seasons for the last 5 decades?

Would that make Cincinnati a baseball town? Would we be true noble Romans then?