Which season was a fluke?

[redssince75]

Just wondering.

[DocRed]

I'm beginning to think last year...

[Jefferson24]

I'm beginning to think last year...

You got the question right!

[R_Webb18]

this yr and not even close

[Hillsdale87]

Definitely this year. Bronson is having a horrible year, the Reds have no production from 3rd base and SS, and they lead the league in 1 run losses. I'm disappointed in the lack of improvement from Bruce and Stubbs, but I still hold out hope that they'll show some good improvement. Bruce needs to learn to go the other way, and Stubbs needs to learn to protect the zone with 2 strikes and try to use his speed to get on base. I fully expect to see a significant move in the offseason and to see the Reds win the division next year.

[Jefferson24]

What exactly makes you think next year will be better? The pitching, I don't think so, it is way to inconsistent. The hitting, I'm not holding out much hope there. These players had an above average year and now they are right back where their abilities will likely average. I don't think this core of players will ever be a contender for the world series, central division even seems a stretch at this point.

[R_Webb18]

of course they will be better. i think the problem was not that jay bruce/stubbs are doing bad but we counted on 3b/ss/lf to not do as good and we just thought they would do better than what there doing to make up. pitching should be better imo. yes there are a few questions. hopefully the reds just stop signing these dumb average players to play a yr when we already have them types of players here.

[Stray]

Probably somewhere in the middle. We won a ton of close games last year and were pretty good w/RISP and 2 out rallys, but we could never beat good teams. This year we're playing well against good teams and losing to bad teams, all while losing a MLB tops 26 1 run games and never getting hits w/RISP. The two seasons couldn't be more opposite.

I think the better explanation is that this team didn't handle last season's success very well. I read somewhere where before the season Joe Morgan said our toughest challenge this year would be convincing all of the young guys on our team that they have to go out and reprove themselves for another season, that last season didn't matter anymore. Hmm.

[ervinsm84]

Cant it be both?

Reds won 91 games last year. Reds overachieved and felt extremely lucky in a lot of spots last year. I think they were probably more of an 84-88 win team skill wise.

This year, theyre 6 games below their pythag win expectancy, and have the worst record in baseball for 1 run games. I still think skill wise theyre an 84-88 win team, but their record will not reflect that just as it didnt last year in a better way.

[Vottomatic]

Brewers and Cardinals management knew it was a fluke. They saw the Central Division as for the taking and made some moves to improve. Reds management thought they were the real deal, and stood pat. It goes to show you which management had a clue.

[mlh1981]

I think this year. The talent is in place, but we failed to make the adjustment from being the "hunter" to the "hunted"

This division doesn't look great going forward, but I hope we aren't banking on that fact, and actually make some moves this offseason. The current roster, while talented, doesn't contain the pieces to be consistent contenders.

[Hey Meat]

I would say this year. Last year we won despite Dusty because we had leadership. This year we let some of that leadership go and Dusty is killing us.

[smixsell]

Neither.

We are just seeing how a "no-discipline" and "no-plan" manager's effect on a ballclub gets more stale, rotten, and putrid as time passes. :(

Some players get lazier and lazier due to lack of discipline and accountability, and other players who actually want to win get more and more p*ssed off at stupid tactical decisions and the lack of discipline on the team.

Dusty is not the first "player's best buddy/no-brain manager" to manage, but we might still term what is happening to the Reds this season as "the Dusty effect."

And by the way folks, it will just get WORSE if he remains as our manager next year. :( So brace yourselves.

[smixsell]

I would say this year. Last year we won despite Dusty because we had leadership. This year we let some of that leadership go and Dusty is killing us.

I agree. But that doesn't make last season a "fluke." It just shows how good the team can be when Dusty's negative effect is minimized by good clubhouse leaders. Imagine how good we could be with a leader at the helm.

[mckbearcat48]

I think the middle of the road answer may be best here. Votto had a great year last year, but he's just good this year. This division is awful this year...I mean epic awful. Stubbs/Bruce are very talented, but save one month of Bruce, have been disappointments.

The Central is getting worse by the day.

[bounty37h]

I would say neither, or both, depending on how you look at it. I dont think we were as good as we played last year, and dont think we are as bad as we have played this year. I think they overachieved a little last year, had some breaks, had energy and passion. I think this year they have underachieved, had some bad breaks, some bad play, and no heart or passion.

[chuck6660]

The Reds management needs to wake up, Dusty has only been successful in his first years with a club...as his effect wears on the club falls to under achieving. Walt and Bob sat still this off season and it shows, Janish is a defensive replacement at best at SS, Renteria is finsihed, the reds have holes every where 3B, LF, CF, SS, Bullpen and 3-5 starters...they are a .500 team if they play to potential. Bruce, Stubbs and Homer have not lived up to potential, how long will the Reds stay with them? Last year was a fluke!