Enough of the Negativity...how about some bright spots!

[Orodle]

1. We have POTENTIALLY the best starting rotation in the national league.

2. Rhodes will only help the bullpen

3. Our defense in the outfield got better (how could it get worse than Dunn and Jr. range wise?)

4. Tavares stole 68 bases in his worst offensive season ever

5. Bruce & Votto should only get better

6. Other than the Cubs, we have a chance to rack up a lot of wins against mid to low level teams. Of course I never count the Cardinals out....LaRussa wont allow them to be losers.


Please reply with other POSITIVES, there are enough negative threads on this board others can clutter.

[Ohioballplayer]

Orodle,

I agree, so looks like we end up going with a youth movement, I am one of the guys that lobbied for Griff and Dunner to be gone (because of contractual issues), however with that being said I do think we have the best starting rotation in the NL.

[Nasty_Boy]

Sorry, but I don't see those as positives.

1. We have POTENTIALLY the best starting rotation in the national league.

2. Rhodes will only help the bullpen

3. Our defense in the outfield got better (how could it get worse than Dunn and Jr. range wise?)

4. Tavares stole 68 bases in his worst offensive season ever

5. Bruce & Votto should only get better

6. Other than the Cubs, we have a chance to rack up a lot of wins against mid to low level teams. Of course I never count the Cardinals out....LaRussa wont allow them to be losers.

1. The Cubs, Dbacks, Giants, and more than likely the Marlins, Braves, and Mets say hello.

2. Rhodes is good, but he's a step down from Affeldt.

3. Taveras is worse than Patterson. Gomes if he gets the ABs in LF, he's MUCH MUCH worse than Dunn defensively.

4. He still scored less runs than stolen bases (SBs 68, Runs 64). What good did the stolen bases do?

5. With this I agree... I still worry about Bruces pitch selection. It also scares me that when he strikes out 160+times that the fans will turn on him.

6. We haven't been able to beat Houston, Pittsburgh, or Milwaukee consistently even when we were better than them. And as long as Albert is in StL they are a force.


Now, here's my HOPE's (we have very few sure things)

1. Edwin, Jay, and Phillips learn to control the plate and play within themselves. Don't listen to Dusty and just hack at the plate.

2. Harang returns to form (biggest thing that needs to happen), Johnny takes a big step forward, Arroyo stays consistent, Volquie doesn't regress, and Owings is league average. I think Arroyo is the only sure bet of the five. Although I believe that Johnny and Edison will be really go over the next 4-5 years.

3. Gomes and Dickerson form a platoon that is dangerous and productive.

4. Gonzo is able to play 130-140 games at SS. We really need his glove. If not, hopefully Valaika is playing well enough at Louisville that he is in Cincy by the end of May.

5. The bullpen doesn't fall apart due to Dusty's poor game management and the age of Cordero, Weather, and Rhodes.

6. Taveras gets hurt and Stubbs and Dickerson share the CF duties, while Frazier finds himself getting ABs in LF if Gomes doesn't pan out. Maybe even Dorn.

[CesarGeronimo]

That's a good list, Nasty Boy. I'm discouraged about the off-season and the management and direction of this franchise, but you do point out some possibilities for a little bit of hope. I'm trying to come up with another one regarding Dusty - such as he buys winning Powerball ticket and abruptly retires - but can't come up with anything that's even vaguely realistic. Maybe Corey Patterson finally releases those compromising photos, leading to a sudden dismissal?

[redsfandan]

Last year we only had 85 sb as a team. In '09 that could easily increase 50% thanks to Taveras (40+), Phillips (20+), Dickerson (20+), Hairston (15+), Bruce (10+), & Votto (10+).

[Nasty_Boy]

Unless those SB's translate into runs (see Taveras 68 sb, 64 runs), it isn't going to matter especially if we aren't successful at least 80% of the time. If all of the guys you mention are getting on base at .350 clip or better, then the SB becomes a weapon. Otherwise, its just some numbers that don't add up to any more wins than in years past.

[Orodle]

Originally Posted by Ohioballplayer

Orodle,

I agree, so looks like we end up going with a youth movement, I am one of the guys that lobbied for Griff and Dunner to be gone (because of contractual issues), however with that being said I do think we have the best starting rotation in the NL.

I didnt say we had the best rotation. Potentially we have the talent there. I guess typing in caps because I knew someone would still fail to read was not enough.

[redsfandan]

It isn't unrealistic for the era from the #5 starter spot to be 2 runs better than last year.

[Ghosts of 1990]

1. I think Jay Bruce could become a superstar ahead of schedule. A 33 HR, 100 RBI, .280 superstar with 14 stolen bases.

2. If Brandon Phillips does what he usually does and Edwin Encarnacion plays like we've all been waiting on, then I don't think we're all that thin from the right side of the plate.

3. Hairston and Taveras (with Bruce, Dickerson among others) might cause problems for pitchers on the basepaths. We're no longer a station to station team.

4.If we're anywhere close to in it at the deadline Jocketty and Castellini will make the move to help us. Its just being competitive until then that is the problem.

5. Obviously I like our rotation to give us a chance on most nights

[reds77]

Hell, even if people agree with the original post that these are positives, they just are not simply enough for the Reds to be a winning team.

[Carin4Narron]

I can be neagative if I want! This team has been poorly run for a decade now. I am SICK AND TIRED OF IT! 3rd or 4th place fever CATCH IT! Personally, I took the shot for it!

[GOYA]

The Reds are one year closer to the end of Dusty's contract.

Catcher and 5th starter should be considerably better than last season.

[Ghosts of 1990]

Originally Posted by reds77

Hell, even if people agree with the original post that these are positives, they just are not simply enough for the Reds to be a winning team.

We aren't going to be a winning team most likely. If we are, itd take a lot of freak things to go right and we wouldn't go 90-72 or anything. We'd be 83-79 or something like that.

But I think Cincinnati fans are so used to losing they've accepted it. The Bengals are partly to blame.

IMO, this thread is saying, "yeah we are probably going to be mediocre again; but this is what will be fun to watch"

If you're a reds fan, you have to have a reason to have a rooting interest aside from the brand of baseball we play. It has been bad baseball for too long (that 1999 team played great baseball and 2000 was scrappy). But other then that, if you dont have players you enjoy watching you'd watch someone else or not watch at all because its just not top of the line baseball.

[Orodle]

Originally Posted by reds77

Hell, even if people agree with the original post that these are positives, they just are not simply enough for the Reds to be a winning team.

If the Reds starting rotation reaches their potential I dont see how they could not be a winning team.

[fewfirstchoice]

There is 0 things (nothing) you could say about the Reds that are positive as a whole in a team. Yes there are indivituals you can look at as a positive but nothing as a team will be positive for the Reds in 09. They will be lucky to win 70 games. Bob Cast. is a liar and now hes trying to hide behind hte media in a attempt to hide is ways. If they were going to rebulid why not say so.Why get the hopes up of the fan base. He should have cam straight out and said were going to rebuild. But another loser owner for the Reds,just like the bengals now. Whe can the Cincinnati teams get owners that would try and win for the fans of he teams. But at least the Reds have a GM. May not be a world beater but he is a Gm.