The Reds will make the playoffs IF..........

[reds44]

What, in your opinon, is the single most important factor for the Reds to make the playoffs.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

The starting pitching doesn't suck. If they can manage that feat, then they should be able to make it in this division.

[Joseph]

I don't think there is any single thing that if it happens can ensure they make the playoffs. Simply too many issues.

[jmcclain19]

I think it's certainly possibly that the Reds can make the playoffs. It's not likely, but just using last season as an example, even bad teams can make the playoffs.

I think all of the following needs to happen for the Reds to make the playoffs.

-The Central is awful. Even worse than last year.
-Arroyo & Harang don't regress but repeat their 2006 performances.
-Lohse and Belisle take a step forward to be decent 3rd & 4th starter options.
-Coffey takes the next step & becomes the closer we all think he can be.
-Burton doesn't turn into a pumpkin, and Coutlangus & Burton step up.
-Cormier, Weathers & Stanton don't cost the team too many games.
-Brandon Phillips shows himself to be more of the pre-'06 All Star Break variety rather than the post break.
-Dunn takes a step forward.
-Griffey Plays RF for 120 games along the lines of his 2005 season.
-Hamilton continues his ST into the season.
-Freel plays 140 games.
-Votto gets an injury promotion and goes nuts.
-Bailey comes up in July and makes an excellent F-Rod Impression.
-Krivsky works his scrap heap magic & picks up some wunderkids along the way that contribute in ways we haven't thought of.

[SirFelixCat]

I think it's certainly possibly that the Reds can make the playoffs. It's not likely, but just using last season as an example, even bad teams can make the playoffs.

I think all of the following needs to happen for the Reds to make the playoffs.

-The Central is awful. Even worse than last year.
-Arroyo & Harang don't regress but repeat their 2006 performances.
-Lohse and Belisle take a step forward to be decent 3rd & 4th starter options.
-Coffey takes the next step & becomes the closer we all think he can be.
-Burton doesn't turn into a pumpkin, and Coutlangus & Burton step up.
-Cormier, Weathers & Stanton don't cost the team too many games.
-Brandon Phillips shows himself to be more of the pre-'06 All Star Break variety rather than the post break.
-Dunn takes a step forward.
-Griffey Plays RF for 120 games along the lines of his 2005 season.
-Hamilton continues his ST into the season.
-Freel plays 140 games.
-Votto gets an injury promotion and goes nuts.
-Bailey comes up in July and makes an excellent F-Rod Impression.
-Krivsky works his scrap heap magic & picks up some wunderkids along the way that contribute in ways we haven't thought of.

Um, if all those things happen, I don't care how good the Central is, this team would win 100 games.

I think many of you are under-estimating this team. If the pitching is as good as it could be, the Reds win the division. Period.

[OldRightHander]

What, in your opinon, is the single most important factor for the Reds to make the playoffs.

Winning more games than the other teams in the Central.

[dougdirt]

Winning more games than the other teams in the Central.

Next time, keep your reponses short! That took way to long to read! [end sarcasm]

I would say that the Reds need Harang and Arroyo to post an average ERA between the 2 of them around 3.75. Griffey must play at least 125 games. Adam Dunn gets his OPS back near the .920 he is capable of. No injuries in the outfield... we are very shallow there. Hatteberg cant have a 'every other Hatteberg' year. David Ross and Javier Valentin need to hit something like they did last year.

[MWM]

The rest of the NL sucking even worse than they did last year.

And Albert Pujols and/or Chris Carpenter missing a significant portion of the season.

[Falls City Beer]

The rest of the NL sucking even worse than they did last year.

And Albert Pujols and/or Chris Carpenter missing a significant portion of the season.

Yeah, I was going to say Tommy John for Carpenter and Oswalt.

But even then, that's probably not nearly enough.

[redsmetz]

Yeah, I was going to say Tommy John for Carpenter and Oswalt.

But even then, that's probably not nearly enough.

Both of those teams are going to get by with only a one man rotation each? Both are fairly thin, about like we are. Of course, I'd like as few games against Oswalt as possible.

[Highlifeman21]

Hell freezing over is the single most important factor for the Reds to make the playoffs in 2007.

Although, if they do, I'm sure they'll set some kinda record being the first team to go 72-90 to make the playoffs.

[Strikes Out Looking]

Jerry Narron must learn how to manage a game.

[terminator]

Three things:

1. A monster (career) year from Dunn, Griffey or EE. If so, the offense as a whole will be sufficient.

2. A breakout year from one of the #3-#5 starters -- i.e. healthy all year with an ERA of 4.00 or lower. If they get that and Harang and Arroyo are healthy, the overall pitching should be sufficient.

3. No horrendous blow-ups in other areas (i.e. like the pitching from the first half of the 2005 season, not having Freel & Griffey going down for months, etc.).

[edabbs44]

I don't think there is any single thing that if it happens can ensure they make the playoffs. Simply too many issues.

I think this is right on the money.

[deltachi8]

http://www.nwacg.net/hell.jpg

[Spring~Fields]

What, in your opinon, is the single most important factor for the Reds to make the playoffs.

Pitching and defense has to hold up.

Then maybe they could win just enough games to edge out their rivals in the Central.

Wasn't it just 3 1/2 games out last year?

[dougdirt]

Three things:

1. A monster (career) year from Dunn, Griffey or EE. If so, the offense as a whole will be sufficient.

2. A breakout year from one of the #3-#5 starters -- i.e. healthy all year with an ERA of 4.00 or lower. If they get that and Harang and Arroyo are healthy, the overall pitching should be sufficient.

3. No horrendous blow-ups in other areas (i.e. like the pitching from the first half of the 2005 season, not having Freel & Griffey going down for months, etc.).

You are right.... if Griffey has a career year and the Reds dont make the playoffs something is going to be strange. Weak Division plus Griffey hitting .300 with 56+ HR and 140+ RBI and missing the playoffs seems almost impossible.

[HokieRed]

If we're limited to choosing just one thing, it would have to be one of 3-5 starters stepping up to give Harang and Arroyo solid support. There's no chance it will be Milton and I don't think Bailey is quite far enough along. With Lizard out of the picture probably, that means Lohse, Belisle, Livingston, Saarloos. Can one of those guys throw 200 innings and win 14? Or, under a slightly different scenario, can two of those guys win at least 12 apiece? If so, we'll be very competitive.

[marcshoe]

Old guys out, and at least one of the young starters breaking through and one other not sucking.

[reds44]

You are right.... if Griffey has a career year and the Reds dont make the playoffs something is going to be strange. Weak Division plus Griffey hitting .300 with 56+ HR and 140+ RBI and missing the playoffs seems almost impossible.
:laugh: :laugh:

Don't forget about him playing GG Center Field.

[George Anderson]

If the Reds can acquire Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez for Gary Majeski and Bill Bray.:D

[Ltlabner]

I agree that it's going to take a couple of things falling into place for the Reds to make the playoffs.

But in picking just one: Pitching from numbers 3,4,5 has to be solid to decent over the course of the entire year. Even if it's a rotating wheel of guys, they have to win some games and keep us in most for us to have a chance.

[WMR]

Cut bait with the dead weight on this team without regard to salary owed immediately.

[RedsBaron]

If the Reds can acquire Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez for Gary Majeski and Bill Bray.:D

Keep dreaming-What idiot would ever trade away Kearns and Lopez for that kind of return?;)

[sonny]

If this guy can get a hot bat

[crash54]

It's going to take more than just one thing obviously but I agree that the 3-5 starters are probably the most important. If we can get 180+ solid innings from one of them with a decent era then we would probably have the deepest rotation in the division.