coachw513
03-14-2007, 01:00 PM
3 Reds games in 5 days :cool: the tie in Tampa vs the Yankees, the win over the Indians on Saturday and the whitewashing of the Blue Jays on Monday...life is good :beerme:
Kids playing without me this morning, so much to write :)
First, I was able to take a bunch of pics at all 3 games...if you'd like them just email me...not that I'm quite ready for SI yet, but :D
I just don't understand why Narron and Pole won't just ask me what I think about the #5 guy in the rotation since I've seen them all: Livingston and Ramirez vs the Yankees, Wilson and Saarloos vs the Indians and Belisle and Santos vs the Blue Jays...I'll say this, from a layman's viewpoint Belisle was CLEARLY the most dominant...he had the Blue Jays totally baffled and off-balance...looked like he had great stuff all day :thumbup:
I liked Saarloos on Saturday simply because he keeps the ball down so well...having a sinkerballer in GABP won't hurt at all...
As for Wilson, I think he's getting by on smoke and mirrors...it's tragic you know...I was sitting in Winter Haven near someone who used to see him pitch at FSU...he didn't even recognize him as the same guy...I'm so impressed with Wilson's character and desire to continue to be a major league starter...I just don't think his stuff is in the same league as Belisle (or really any of others for that matter) :(
I've also been incredibly impressed with Burton...the young fella has excellent stuff (have seen him 3 times now) and cajones, a wonderful combination for a reliever (Message to God: Please, oh please find a title hopeful wanting a lefty specialist who is French-Canadian :devil:)
Burton is an interesting chip in all of this...how/what do the Reds do with him???
I think Hermanson has a chance as well...he's been good and seemingly healthy after his spill on Monday...
Not surprised Dumatrait was sent out...he did NOT pitch well at all on Saturday vs the Indians...
The pitching staff I'd like to see:
Harang, Arroyo, Lohse, Belisle and Milton (yes, I'd like to see what a contract year might do for a bit)...Saarloos, Coffey, Burton, Bray, Weathers, Stanton, Hermanson
Other thoughts:
1. We ARE going to be much better on defense...EE has been steady if not spectacular this spring (yes, he'll still do some things wrong), Gonzalez and Phillips will be dynamite, Hatteberg is very underrated at 1st and of course Castro will see lots of late-game at 3rd...OF is still interesting with the uncertainty, but IF we see an improved Dunn in LF (nice he figured out only this offseason that he was embarassing out there previously :evil: ), Freel/Hamilton in CF and Griffey/Freel in RF it will also be much, much better...
2. Some of the "veteran presence" guys have actually played really well in the games I've seen...Conine, Castro, Crosby and Moeller all have been playing well...conversely, forget Deno...give that poor fella a roadmap, cause he's been lost at the plate this spring :( (gotta believe some DL trips for Griffey and Freel will draw his return though)
3. Moeller's gonna make it as a 3rd catcher...I think we should really think of him as the 2nd catcher...Valentin is our PH off the bench, for whatever that's worth...if Valentin was played another position it wouldn't be so unsettling...
4. This team is going to be easy to root for...guys like Griffey (let us NEVER, EVER forget he did it right during the late '90s when a generation of players sold out the game and their souls...may he be blessed to see 600 HR...may we be blessed to see him do it in a Red's uni and in a season leading to the playoffs), Phillips, Freel, Hamilton (my God, is the mini-series ready for TV yet?? :laugh: ), Harang, Arroyo, Guardado, and so on all have stories that we enjoy hearing...we will wish for their success...
5. I've been on the "Dunn-fence" for a while, as both sides pontificate...but I'm firmly believing something happened in his examination of his career this offseason...he is going to have a monster season and will be mentioned in MVP discussions...he's going to another level this year!!
Allow the dreaming...the dreaming of a Griffey return and 120 games of typical Griffey play...the dreaming of Dunn's 1st MVP...the dreaming of Milton confirming my faith with 14 wins and 3.9 ERA, the dreaming of Harang winning 20, the dreams of Hamilton simply staying clean and becoming the player he can be, the dreams of Phillips being legit, of EE being a star, of Belisle, Lohse and Saarloos being more than capable...the dreams of Guardado coming back, of Coffey being sensational as a setup man, of good health and of a sprint to the wire with the Reds outlasting the Brewers and the Cubs (well, of course in my dreams the Cardinals are never in it :beerme: )
Kids playing without me this morning, so much to write :)
First, I was able to take a bunch of pics at all 3 games...if you'd like them just email me...not that I'm quite ready for SI yet, but :D
I just don't understand why Narron and Pole won't just ask me what I think about the #5 guy in the rotation since I've seen them all: Livingston and Ramirez vs the Yankees, Wilson and Saarloos vs the Indians and Belisle and Santos vs the Blue Jays...I'll say this, from a layman's viewpoint Belisle was CLEARLY the most dominant...he had the Blue Jays totally baffled and off-balance...looked like he had great stuff all day :thumbup:
I liked Saarloos on Saturday simply because he keeps the ball down so well...having a sinkerballer in GABP won't hurt at all...
As for Wilson, I think he's getting by on smoke and mirrors...it's tragic you know...I was sitting in Winter Haven near someone who used to see him pitch at FSU...he didn't even recognize him as the same guy...I'm so impressed with Wilson's character and desire to continue to be a major league starter...I just don't think his stuff is in the same league as Belisle (or really any of others for that matter) :(
I've also been incredibly impressed with Burton...the young fella has excellent stuff (have seen him 3 times now) and cajones, a wonderful combination for a reliever (Message to God: Please, oh please find a title hopeful wanting a lefty specialist who is French-Canadian :devil:)
Burton is an interesting chip in all of this...how/what do the Reds do with him???
I think Hermanson has a chance as well...he's been good and seemingly healthy after his spill on Monday...
Not surprised Dumatrait was sent out...he did NOT pitch well at all on Saturday vs the Indians...
The pitching staff I'd like to see:
Harang, Arroyo, Lohse, Belisle and Milton (yes, I'd like to see what a contract year might do for a bit)...Saarloos, Coffey, Burton, Bray, Weathers, Stanton, Hermanson
Other thoughts:
1. We ARE going to be much better on defense...EE has been steady if not spectacular this spring (yes, he'll still do some things wrong), Gonzalez and Phillips will be dynamite, Hatteberg is very underrated at 1st and of course Castro will see lots of late-game at 3rd...OF is still interesting with the uncertainty, but IF we see an improved Dunn in LF (nice he figured out only this offseason that he was embarassing out there previously :evil: ), Freel/Hamilton in CF and Griffey/Freel in RF it will also be much, much better...
2. Some of the "veteran presence" guys have actually played really well in the games I've seen...Conine, Castro, Crosby and Moeller all have been playing well...conversely, forget Deno...give that poor fella a roadmap, cause he's been lost at the plate this spring :( (gotta believe some DL trips for Griffey and Freel will draw his return though)
3. Moeller's gonna make it as a 3rd catcher...I think we should really think of him as the 2nd catcher...Valentin is our PH off the bench, for whatever that's worth...if Valentin was played another position it wouldn't be so unsettling...
4. This team is going to be easy to root for...guys like Griffey (let us NEVER, EVER forget he did it right during the late '90s when a generation of players sold out the game and their souls...may he be blessed to see 600 HR...may we be blessed to see him do it in a Red's uni and in a season leading to the playoffs), Phillips, Freel, Hamilton (my God, is the mini-series ready for TV yet?? :laugh: ), Harang, Arroyo, Guardado, and so on all have stories that we enjoy hearing...we will wish for their success...
5. I've been on the "Dunn-fence" for a while, as both sides pontificate...but I'm firmly believing something happened in his examination of his career this offseason...he is going to have a monster season and will be mentioned in MVP discussions...he's going to another level this year!!
Allow the dreaming...the dreaming of a Griffey return and 120 games of typical Griffey play...the dreaming of Dunn's 1st MVP...the dreaming of Milton confirming my faith with 14 wins and 3.9 ERA, the dreaming of Harang winning 20, the dreams of Hamilton simply staying clean and becoming the player he can be, the dreams of Phillips being legit, of EE being a star, of Belisle, Lohse and Saarloos being more than capable...the dreams of Guardado coming back, of Coffey being sensational as a setup man, of good health and of a sprint to the wire with the Reds outlasting the Brewers and the Cubs (well, of course in my dreams the Cardinals are never in it :beerme: )