In support of Krivsky...

[Wheelhouse]

1) Reds' bullpen ERA 3.35 since the All-Star break.

2) He has acquired starters Arroyo (29) and Lohse (27) and bullpenners Majewski (26) and Bray (24) who can not only help now and hopefully the playoffs, but for years to come.

3) Hatteberg, dollar-for-dollar, could be the best free agent signing of this season.

4) Guardado has solved the closer problem (let's hope he's better soon!) It is one thing to plug holes in a roster, it is quite another to solve a problem that your team is DESPERATE to solve. The season hung in the balance with the closer issue, and Krivsky rose to the occasion.

5) Brandon Phillips is 24. Continually makes spectacular plays. He could be the Reds SS next year and IMO would excel there. Nearly an All-Star. Obtained for nothing.

6) David Ross (29), obtained for nothing, has become one of the top hitting catchers in baseball.

7) With Phillips (over Freel or Aurilia), Aurilia (over Lopez), Hatteberg (over Dunn), Freel (over Kearns) and Castro (as a backup), the Reds defense is vastly improved. This is an overlooked aspect of the Kearns/Lopez trade: it made the defense better.

8) Total HRs hit by everyday players Krivsky has traded: 16. Team ERA 2005: 5.15, Team ERA 2006: 4.68.

9) The trades of Kearns and Lopez free up signifigant dollars to either make a large waiver trade, or free agent signings this winter.

10) A team that has not had a winning season in five years, fans who've had to suffer the egomaniacal regime of Boone/Bowden, have stable, intelligent, professional, respectful, scouting-based management. The team is 66-61, leading the wild-card, and is in a position to win the division. And it looks like an organization on the rise that we will enjoy watching for a while...

[Wheelhouse]

Edited to "five years"

[TOBTTReds]

I agree. Our FO is not the laughing stock of the league anymore like it was in the DanO era.

[paulrichjr]

Originally Posted by AvesIce51

I agree. Our FO is not the laughing stock of the league anymore like it was in the DanO era.

I would edit that and say pretty much since JimBo..

[Edskin]

Good post Wheelhouse. While I understand the opposition to some of his moves, I'm really baffled by the overall attitude many have towards Wayne. He is doing exactly what I wanted him to do-- CHANGE IT. So far, IMO, the changes he's made have improved our club now and have set us up for a good off-season provided he stays the course.

[Johnny Footstool]

Bullpen since the break:

Player                     G  IP    ERA
Kent Mercker               7  4.1   0.00 
Matt Belisle               2  2.0   0.00 
Brian Shackelford          5  2.1   0.00 
Scott Schoeneweis (55 Tor) 3  3.0   0.00 
Eddie Guardado (28 Sea)   14  13.0  1.38 
David Weathers            18  18.0  2.50 
Ryan Franklin (46 Phi)     8  12.1  3.65 
Todd Coffey               23  16.1  3.86 
Bill Bray (19 Was)        18  17.1  4.15 
Jason Standridge           8  8.0   4.50 
Rheal Cormier (43 Phi)    11  8.2   5.19 
Gary Majewski (46 Was)    11  9.1   12.54

[IslandRed]

Good post, Wheelhouse. I've got my points of disagreement on things he's done like everyone, but I try to judge on the big picture, not just the things I didn't like. His job is to make our team better. Whether he does it the way I would do it isn't the standard by which he should be judged.

[RedFanAlways1966]

1) Reds' bullpen ERA 3.35 since the All-Star break.

Before the break? A 5.20 ERA.
The 9 games in July before the break? A 5.40 ERA (25IP, 15ER).

Nice work, Wayne, on fixing a BIG problem.

Great post, Wheelhouse!

[Ltlabner]

Originally Posted by IslandRed

Good post, Wheelhouse. I've got my points of disagreement on things he's done like everyone, but I try to judge on the big picture, not just the things I didn't like. His job is to make our team better. Whether he does it the way I would do it isn't the standard by which he should be judged.

Couldn't agree more. There are too many people in the world who want everything to be done their way. And if the alternative manner ends up successfull they will never humble themselves to say, "wow, this way works too". Instead they will blabber on about, "if they had done it my way it would have been EVEN better!".

If somebody thinks this team is fools gold and is only a byproduct of a horrible NL (which of course totally dismisses anything good the Reds have done) then that's their opinion and I can respect it. But if they think along the lines of "yes, this is good but if you did it my way we'd be so much further ahead" and are actually mad/irrate/enraged that it hasn't been done their way, that's just plain ole arrogence, IMO.

I find it very telling that most threads pointing out the good things that happen get a modest number of responces. Threads hashing to death the 1001'st preceived injustice will go for 20+ pages. I'm not saying people shouldn't discuss issues, but that some can't lower themseleves to post on the "positive" threads is telling.

[backbencher]

One thing that looks promising to me is the way that Krivsky seems to have identified and developed the team's top talents. I think that the top five organizational assets when Krivsky started were Dunn/Encarnacion/Harang/Bailey/Pena. Krivsky extended Dunn, put Encarnacion, Harang and Bailey in situations where they could succeed, and traded Pena for a piece that was critical for success.

[redsmetz]

If somebody thinks this team is fools gold and is only a byproduct of a horrible NL (which of course totally dismisses anything good the Reds have done) then that's their opinion and I can respect it. But if they think along the lines of "yes, this is good but if you did it my way we'd be so much further ahead" and are actually mad/irrate/enraged that it hasn't been done their way, that's just plain ole arrogence, IMO.

There is no question that with the turn of a handful of games which were winnable (and there actually might be as many as a dozen - there have been few games this year the Reds weren't in until the end), the Reds would be leading the division by a considerable amount. But that can be said of numerous NL clubs, all of whom seem to be playing a game of Hot Potato with the playoffs.

But this club's tenacity is something special and I think Cast and Krivsky and Narron are assembling something special this season, all while keep an eye on the future (I don't think we've sacrificed our future to bring in more pieces of the puzzle).

Clearly hats must be doffed for this team and its management.

[Ltlabner]

But this club's tenacity is something special and I think Cast and Krivsky and Narron are assembling something special this season, all while keep an eye on the future (I don't think we've sacrificed our future to bring in more pieces of the puzzle).

Totally agree!

[Phil in BG]

He has done a remarkable job IMO. He's made these changes basically all during the season. He was hired barely before the season started. I really hope his successes have been because of his uncanny talent evaluation skills and not luck. I believe it is.

[Johnny Footstool]

Originally Posted by Ltlabner

Couldn't agree more. There are too many people in the world who want everything to be done their way. And if the alternative manner ends up successfull they will never humble themselves to say, "wow, this way works too". Instead they will blabber on about, "if they had done it my way it would have been EVEN better!".

If somebody thinks this team is fools gold and is only a byproduct of a horrible NL (which of course totally dismisses anything good the Reds have done) then that's their opinion and I can respect it. But if they think along the lines of "yes, this is good but if you did it my way we'd be so much further ahead" and are actually mad/irrate/enraged that it hasn't been done their way, that's just plain ole arrogence, IMO.

I find it very telling that most threads pointing out the good things that happen get a modest number of responces. Threads hashing to death the 1001'st preceived injustice will go for 20+ pages. I'm not saying people shouldn't discuss issues, but that some can't lower themseleves to post on the "positive" threads is telling.

Then why did you choose to turn this "positive" thread into a chance to vent your personal grievances with people who take a different perspective?

[Ltlabner]

Originally Posted by Johnny Footstool

Then why did you choose to turn this "positive" thread into a chance to vent your personal grievances with people who take a different perspective?

Oh sorry, didn't realize my opinion on the subject wasn't allowed.