Sun-Woo Kim is starting today

[Always Red]

...can anyone tell me why?

It is really hard to get excited about the fact that we had to go to the Rockies refuse pile to choose a starter for an important game in the stretch run.

I know he's beaten the Giants in the past, and I know he's pitched decently in AAA, but then again, I know his career ERA is over 5.00.

Why not Belisle, Michalak, Standridge? Why not someone else from Louisville? Why not a bullpen day? Why Kim??

Talk about a lack of confidence in what you've got on your own staff; if nothing else, I see this as a sign that wholesale changes are just around the corner.

I was down at the game last night (beautiful night for baseball). The crowd was anemic. And that's a shame; they missed a beautifully pitched game. But then when I hear Kim is pitching today, I understand why the crowd will be thin again.

sigh...

I hope Sunny pitches well and proves me wrong, but this move has almost an air of resignation attached to it, IMO.

[MaineRed]

Your telling me the crowd is less anemic last night if Belisle or Michalak is starting today? Of course the Reds going from 1.5 up to 3.5 back in 10 days has nothing to do with that.

I have no problem with Kim because of the other options. That is why the guy is starting. I'd rather have Roy Oswalt going tommorow but we don't have that luxury.

Mays and Johnson are Kansas City Royal rejects. They are the worst team in baseball. Michalak hadn't pitched in the bigs since 2002 before joining the Reds.

Based on the others we have trotted out there as the fifth starter of late, a Rockie Reject is actually a step up.

[Always Red]

No, the attendance comment I made was more out of general frustration, nothing to do with Kim or Mays or even Arroyo.

The weather does not get more perfect than it was last night, Arroyo was pitching, etc etc. Should have been more folks there.

I've loved the Reds for all my life, as have most of us here on this board. I can't say that this is a great baseball town anymore, though. Which is a shame, because it used to be, and I truly believe the product is getting better.

$3 tickets and still can't get the place half full, the awful truth is that you could let folks in for free and it might not fill.

MaineRed, I hope you're right about Kim, that's all I can say.

[redsmetz]

No, the attendance comment I made was more out of general frustration, nothing to do with Kim or Mays or even Arroyo.

The weather does not get more perfect than it was last night, Arroyo was pitching, etc etc. Should have been more folks there.

I've loved the Reds for all my life, as have most of us here on this board. I can't say that this is a great baseball town anymore, though. Which is a shame, because it used to be, and I truly believe the product is getting better.

$3 tickets and still can't get the place half full, the awful truth is that you could let folks in for free and it might not fill.

MaineRed, I hope you're right about Kim, that's all I can say.

I too was dismayed at the attendance last night. I'm guessing we're going to be seeing that throughout the year's end. I think Castellini knows that too, but they're pulling out the stops to bring folks in. My daughter and I went last night, although we ended up not buying tickets. On the elevator at the parking garage we use was a couple with a pile of tickets in the guy's shirt pocket. I asked if he had an extras and said yeah, I asked how much he needed for them (I'm not a total mooch) and he said "nothing". His wife's company had bought 30 and six people had bailed on them, so our luck!

The only rise the crowd got, mostly, was to boo Barry Bonds and we were like, Oh Get over it, people!

I think Cast knows he's got his marketing work cut out from him. Who on the board here said you don't turn an ocean liner around on a dime. It's a long process.

I've thrown in my 2 cents on the Kim pickup - I think we're going to have an interesting spring. Hell, Jim Bowden used to do this, except it was in January!

[MaineRed]

You hope I am right about Kim?

Other than saying a Rockie reject doesn't seem so bad when considering the other options I haven't said a lick about him. If he walked into my house right now I would have no idea who he was. Let's not go making it sound like I'm in love with the guy.

I'm simply saying it is nothing to be disapointed about when considering the other options. A Colorado cast-off sounds more promising than one from Kansas City.

Nobody is saying we should be excited.

[Always Red]

a Rockie Reject is actually a step up.

yes, I hope you are right that he is a step up; that's all I was referring to, MaineRed.

Never said that you were in love with the guy.

If he shuts down the Giants today, then I may be in love with him.

[BUTLER REDSFAN]

i hope after todays game we wont be saying "wousy wousy woo-woo"

[Always Red]

5 IP 4H 2ER 3K 0BB

A nice effort by Sun-Woo Kim. Better than most of the #5's have done this year for the Reds. I'd give him another shot, only next time don't bring in Ryan Franklin behind him.

Maybe Krivsky and Narron know more about baseball than I do

[Team Clark]

5 IP 4H 2ER 3K 0BB

A nice effort by Sun-Woo Kim. Better than most of the #5's have done this year for the Reds. I'd give him another shot, only next time don't bring in Ryan Franklin behind him.

Maybe Krivsky and Narron know more about baseball than I do

He's very hittable. The Giants were coming out of their shoes trying to hit him. That acutally worked in his favor. I will say this: He has a very nice delivery, "soft" movement on his FB and decent poise. With some help he could be effective. Not sure he is going to get that help.

[CTA513]

He pitched better than expected, its just to bad the offense didnt show up today.

[fewfirstchoice]

Fans are not coming because of the terrible offensive the Reds are displaying at this time.Earlier when the Reds were lighting it up when 2 of our better offensive guys were still around(prior to july 13 trade)the crowds at BABP were pretty good.averaging around 23-26 thousand a game now we have 4 guys that can hit the ball and 1 is hurt now.The fans know the Reds are out of it and know there offensive is down now.So would you go to a game and spend around 50 bucks for a team that you knew werent going to win because they cant score runs or would you stay home thanks.

[redsmetz]

Fans are not coming because of the terrible offensive the Reds are displaying at this time.Earlier when the Reds were lighting it up when 2 of our better offensive guys were still around(prior to july 13 trade)the crowds at BABP were pretty good.averaging around 23-26 thousand a game now we have 4 guys that can hit the ball and 1 is hurt now.The fans know the Reds are out of it and know there offensive is down now.So would you go to a game and spend around 50 bucks for a team that you knew werent going to win because they cant score runs or would you stay home thanks.

While playing listlessly, they are not, in reality, "out of it". They will be soon enough if they continue to play this way. If you believe that their offensive woes are due to trading "our better offensive guys", then you missed the victories this team rolled off after they were traded.

This team is in a collective funk that has nothing whatsoever to do with the loss of Kearns and Lopez. [added later] Certainly winning would bring larger crowds, but there are many of us who have noted that Reds fans have carried too many years of late of crashing and burning. I don't think you win back the fans all in one year.

I think offseason moves, added and more focused marketing, will go a long way towards resurrecting this franchise.

[fewfirstchoice]

Tradeing away 2 of your best offensive players will always make a club weaker at that part of the game.Taking them out of the lineup has hurt our productivity by a margin.Maybe it hasnt been the main reason for the offensive collapse as of late but if you say it didnt hurt you are blind to the game.If this team has any hope of competing in 07 they better add a bat at least and probably 2 if they want to contend.When a club gets runners to 2nd with no outs they should at least score them 75 percent of the time.The Reds do it probably only 10 percent of that time its just terrible.Like today they had a runner on 2nd with one in already 0 out and the meat(of this so called offensive machine was up) and never even moved the runner to third.Now thats a great offense.They better do something!!!!

[Always Red]

I think offseason moves, added and more focused marketing, will go a long way towards resurrecting this franchise.

Well said; I'd also add that the Reds front office and ownership need to regain the trust of the average baseball fan here in town. The hard core fan, which includes most here on Redszone, will continue to come and follow no matter what has happened in the past.

The average fan remembers the promises that came with the tax increase for the new stadium. Promises which were not kept by prior ownership and front office.

Bob Cast has done a good job of putting the past behind and forging ahead. He's not afraid of anything, and the old reasons of "well that's how we've always done it" are out the door.

I have hope; but these last 2 weeks have surely been frustrating

[TeamBoone]

So would you go to a game and spend around 50 bucks for a team that you knew werent going to win because they cant score runs or would you stay home thanks.

I went today and spent $3 for my ticket... it was a special.

Yeah, I wish the outcome had been different, but it was still an afternoon at the ballpark. I can't think of anything I would rather be doing on this beautiful day.

I support the Reds when I can, not only when they are winning but also when they are losing (even more so when they are having a bad time of it).