1) Choosing the right players for the 25 man roster is perhaps my biggest right now
2) Bullpen
Really, however, the majority of my concerns ultimately revert to my #1 concern.
1) Choosing the right players for the 25 man roster is perhaps my biggest right now
2) Bullpen
Really, however, the majority of my concerns ultimately revert to my #1 concern.
My biggest concern will be Dusty Baker and the effect he will have on picking the roster after spring training, the playing time of young players, and the health of the young arms...
My biggest concern is that Bailey will be allowed to develop without being rushed.
We'll go down in history as the first society that wouldn't save itself because it wasn't cost effective ~ Kurt Vonnegut
1. Too much playing time given to guys with little hope of contributing in 2008 and no hope of doing so in 2009 and beyond.
2. Misuse of young pitching leading to ineffective pitching in the majors and increased likelihood for injury.
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
Rotation
Is Harang and Arroyo enough to carry this rotation along with the likes of Belisle, Bailey, Volquez, Affeldt, Cueto, and Maloney. I'm just not sure 3-5 are strong enough to not put pressure on the bullpen.
Bench
If Bruce is our CF'er then our bench has Freel, Hopper, Keppinger, Valentin, and Hatteberg. I'd like to see a Kevin Mench added and a Ryan Freel subtracted.
Pitching
I'm worried we don't have enough of it.
“I don’t care,” Votto said of passing his friend and former teammate. “He’s in the past. Bye-bye, Jay.”
Belisle, Bailey, Volquez, Cueto, Affeldt, etc..etc..
actually I'm thinking that if "we" can get through the season with as few as 8 or 9 different guys making starts that "we" are going to have a great season.
I'm too lazy to research it but what IS the lowest number of starters that the Reds have employed over say the last dozen seasons?
1. The bullpen is my number one concern. I like Cordero as the closer but from middle relief on this bullpen is still shaky up to the closer.
2. The 2nd concern is how Dusty handles the pitching staff. From our younger pitchers to even the more veteran starters if he abuses starters like he did in Chicago that is my biggest concern with the manager.
Castro actually being on the roster.
2006 Redzone mock Draftee's- 1(st) Daniel Bard(redsox), 1(st sup)( Jordan Walden (Angels), 2(nd) rd.- Zach Britton(Orioles), 3(rd) Blair Erickson(Cardinals), 3(rd) Tim Norton( Yankees),(cuz its a Tim Hortons thing
Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory... lasts forever.
"Boys, I'm one of those umpires that misses 'em every once in a while so if it's close, you'd better hit it." Cal Hubbard
Can Dusty Baker run a bullpen?
That's the big one to me.
They've got enough candidates to assemble a rotation. If somebody stumbles, there are options all over the field. I honestly don't think it will be the end of the world if Jay Bruce gets 100 at bats in aaa or if Homer spends all year in the major league rotation. I don't think those are the right moves, but there you go.
Can Dusty assemble a bullpen?
"Even a bad day at the ballpark beats the snot out of most other good days. I'll take my scorecard and pencil and beer and hot dog and rage at the dips and cheer at the highs, but I'm not ever going to stop loving this game and this team and nobody will ever take that away from me." Roy Tucker October 2010
1. Management making the right choices. They should choose Bruce over Freel/Hopper, Votto over Hatte, Dunn to a LTC over invoking Griffey's option and a vet over Bailey, Cueto or Maloney at this point...
1A. Health of the young pitchers. Bailey in particular is not ready physically IMO. His body doesn't look like its matured yet, he hasn't built his innings up enough in his minor league career and at 22 he is still in the middle of the high risk injury year. Getting thrown in to the fire with that background and a defense that makes the pitcher work really hard by giving up extra baserunners and outs too frequently seems like tempting fate IMO. Cueto would be a better choice because he has pitched more of a starters' load the last couple of years but he's also just 22 and I'd avoid the potential problem for another year. When it comes to pitcher health, age 23 is a lot less risky than 22.
2. The Bullpen looks potentially awful and is the weakest area of the team IMO. The makings of a decent pen are on hand but we go back to the choices again. Will Stanton and Majewski get too many innings? Will the team ride Weathers too long even if his 2nd half of '07 slide continues? Will young hard throwers (McBeth, Coffey, Salmon, Roenicke, etc..) be given an opportunity to step up etc.? Is Burton for real?
All my posts are my opinion - just like yours are. If I forget to state it and you're too dense to see the obvious, look here!
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