New Outlook

[penantboundreds]

Just a question...what do people think our team would have been like for the next couple years if we decided to give up on this year and focus on the next 2? I mean thinking about it we could have waited until the deadline and shipped Lopez and Kearns and had some major league starting pitching talent (combining them with Germano and Wagner respectively). Could have had Ervin Santana for them if you packaged them this late in the deadline. Then you ship off a Coffey type for a starter for the future. Hatteberg to the Angels as well....with some significant return for him. (possible SS/2B for the future). Without the pressure of putting together a winner this year, how would this team look right now? Becoming desperate wasn't our best option in my opinion. 2008 could have been our season (WS berth) if we would have been patient at the deadline and really worked the phone. Thoughts....

[Reds1]

I'm glad we are playing for this year. For once it's not about next season. We still have homer, EE, and picked up Bray some young talent. I think so far we are maintaining. Next season BP to SS and we can get a 2B or play Freel, RA, etc.

[kaldaniels]

I think you underestimate the price for a young, valuable starting pitcher.

[Tommyjohn25]

Reds fans as a whole, myself included, are sick and tired of hearing the words "wait till next year" or "Oh in 2-3 years, this team will be set" I'm sick of it, I don't want to hear it again, and I feel we owe Krivsky our gratitude for making "next year" an unacceptable answer.

[Ltlabner]

Originally Posted by penantboundreds

Just a question...what do people think our team would have been like for the next couple years if we decided to give up on this year and focus on the next 2? I mean thinking about it we could have waited until the deadline and shipped Lopez and Kearns and had some major league starting pitching talent (combining them with Germano and Wagner respectively). Could have had Ervin Santana for them if you packaged them this late in the deadline. Then you ship off a Coffey type for a starter for the future. Hatteberg to the Angels as well....with some significant return for him. (possible SS/2B for the future). Without the pressure of putting together a winner this year, how would this team look right now? Becoming desperate wasn't our best option in my opinion. 2008 could have been our season (WS berth) if we would have been patient at the deadline and really worked the phone. Thoughts....

Oh boy, another rebuilding plan and another few years of "it will get better, I promise". And this would certinally doom us to another few years of stagnant attendence and the revenue that does/doesn't create.

I understand you point. But I don't think "waiting for the perfect trade" is always the right option. You should not go around wildly trading just for the fun of it, but waiting for that slightly better deal that's around the corner isn't a good approach either.

[kaldaniels]

You know, with the current roster we could be say 45-60 right now and the majority of posters would think that is what is to be expected from this team this year. My point is, when we have a chance we need to go for it all. I certainly hope it is not the case but next year we could very well be a .450 team again. You never know when it is going to be your year...just drive up I-71 to find that out. 06' Reds...go for it all!!!

[penantboundreds]

i hate playing for the playoffs....imo we arent good enough yet...you cant expect to come in after two gms like jim bowden and dan obrien and try to turn it around in 1 year.. its not possible..we may make the playoffs but i hate playing for that, thats what i hate if you get to october have a chance to win it all.....thats the way i feel

unless you go out and get soriano to play right and zito to be in our rotation

[kaldaniels]

Originally Posted by penantboundreds

i hate playing for the playoffs....imo we arent good enough yet...you cant expect to come in after two gms like jim bowden and dan obrien and try to turn it around in 1 year.. its not possible..we may make the playoffs but i hate playing for that, thats what i hate if you get to october have a chance to win it all.....thats the way i feel

To each his own. I have no response.

[Tommyjohn25]

Originally Posted by penantboundreds

i hate playing for the playoffs....imo we arent good enough yet...you cant expect to come in after two gms like jim bowden and dan obrien and try to turn it around in 1 year.. its not possible..we may make the playoffs but i hate playing for that, thats what i hate if you get to october have a chance to win it all.....thats the way i feel

unless you go out and get soriano to play right and zito to be in our rotation

Huh?

[penantboundreds]

i would give up this year in order for a chance at a ws...we cant win the ws this year unless we aquire a sp and a bat..

thats why i say i hate playing for the playoffs.....if we get there great but we will get pounded

[kaldaniels]

With a good 1-2 SP anything can happen in the playoffs. With Harang and Arroyo we have a shot.

[penantboundreds]

fair enough kal...i guess this year with krivsky i see desperation and i dont like it. hopefully we get there and see what happens! i really wasnt questioning i like the way it went i actually was kind of just trying to have people throw out a starting 9 or a pitching staff that could have been possible if we went the other way

[RedsManRick]

If there's anything I've learned over the last few years it's these 2 things -- perhaps different sides of the same coin:

1.) You never waste a shot to make the playoffs. There is no time like the present. Despite what all the pundits will say about not having a "playoff roster" and all of that, every team in the playoffs is a WS contender. Period. The revenues of a few home playoff games and the subsequent attendence bump the next year easily pays the cost of the acquired talent.

2.) No team is guaranteed success, regardless of roster composition. That is, you shouldn't wait until your team is perfect to try and make your run, because there is no perfect roster. Injuries, slumps, bad luck can all make the house of cards topple. At some point you have stop rebuilding and simply build. The Pirates and Royals are both stuck in the situation of never having quite enough talent to even get lucky for a year which they can leverage in to future success (like the Reds this year, hopefully). If you wait until the stars align and everything falls in place, you could be waiting for a future which never arrives.

[Ltlabner]

you cant expect to come in after two gms like jim bowden and dan obrien and try to turn it around in 1 year..

Frankly, I think we are smack dab in the midst of a "turnaround". Do you really think DanO and the team he built would be in 2nd place, leading the WC and fighting for the division? Going from dead last to 2nd is a very nice turnaround IMO.

We can fight all we want about how much further ahead we'd be if Narron wasn't here, EE was playing, "the trade" wasn't made etc. But the fact remains we are in an infinatley better position now than we were last year. That, IMO, is a good thing.

we may make the playoffs but i hate playing for that,

HUH? Isn't that the point of the excersize?

[penantboundreds]

kind of taking the quote out of context there ey? redsman i did enjoy your post..it makes a ton of sense to me