2019 In-season Thread for What You Are Happy About with Regard to the Reds

Miami has been shut out 3 times this year 2 of those by the Reds.

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Originally Posted by Kc61

Hard to tell, but there are signs that the new coaches are having an impact.

Particularly the pitching hasn't allowed many homers. A few other things.

Some of it just may be small sample, but the Reds desperately needed to improve the 2018 homer differential between Reds and opponents.

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Or the HR reduction it might be the lack of Bailey, Finnegan, Reed, Romano....

…. which is what I'm very happy about.

I'm happy we played the slump busting Marlins when we really needed it.

First time since 1926-- against the Brooklyn Robins-- that Cincinnati has given up one earned run in a home series.

Luis Castillo is the third pitcher since 1893 to start three straight with lines including 8 K's and no more than 2 hits.

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Originally Posted by mth123

Or the HR reduction it might be the lack of Bailey, Finnegan, Reed, Romano....

…. which is what I'm very happy about.

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Obviously they are part of the reduction. Going from bottom barrel long ball pitchers to league average long ball pitchers would be a nice reduction. But what the Reds are doing so far goes beyond simply swapping out bad pitchers for average pitchers.

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Originally Posted by mth123

Or the HR reduction it might be the lack of Bailey, Finnegan, Reed, Romano....

…. which is what I'm very happy about.

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All the Reds starters last year had high HR rates, including Disco, Mahle and even Castillo (1.49) who are still around.

To be sure, Bailey was the biggest culprit but it wasn’t just the guys you mentioned. Indeed, Disco’s HR rate (1.88) and Mahle’s (1.77) were among the highest.

So I’m hoping that the early season improvement is across the board and helped by the coaching.

Any good pitching coach coming into this situation would focus on all the HRs Reds allowed last season, I’m confident DJ did just that.

I'm happy that the sweep of the Marlins gives the Reds a more managable 4-8 record. The 2012 Reds had that same record after 12 games.

I'm happy that for the first time in recent memory my first impulse isn't to scour the rosters and prospect lists of other teams in order to foment trade ideas with the Reds.

I'm happy that WrongVerb isn't throwing out trade ideas.

:p

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Originally Posted by Kinsm

I'm happy that WrongVerb isn't throwing out trade ideas.

:p

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You and the rest of the board, I'm sure. :)

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Originally Posted by Kc61

All the Reds starters last year had high HR rates, including Disco, Mahle and even Castillo (1.49) who are still around.

To be sure, Bailey was the biggest culprit but it wasn’t just the guys you mentioned. Indeed, Disco’s HR rate (1.88) and Mahle’s (1.77) were among the highest.

So I’m hoping that the early season improvement is across the board and helped by the coaching.

Any good pitching coach coming into this situation would focus on all the HRs Reds allowed last season, I’m confident DJ did just that.

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Disco has allowed 4 HR in 23 innings this year, so that part is still the same as well. Mahle and Castillo have made improvements so far. Maybe it's just growing up. Another factor might be that most of the games have been against Pittsburgh and MIami. Two of the least accomplished line-ups in baseball. There isn't really anybody who scares you on either roster like most teams have. Josh Bell maybe, but not as as the top guy that he is in Pittsburgh. I just think it's too soon to draw the conclusion that they've really improved and way too soon to attribute to anything having to do with the coaches. I'd say the competition and the lack of so many of the big fly guys from last year have the most to do with it. I'll go with the most obvious reason. If things are still humming at the end of May, I might buy in.

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Originally Posted by mth123

Disco has allowed 4 HR in 23 innings this year, so that part is still the same as well. .

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Disco has allowed only two homers, the entire team has allowed six. Maybe you're looking at ST numbers.

Obviously the sample is very small, but I see several ways in which the coaching may be having a positive effect in the early going.

Fewer homers allowed by pitchers. Also three starters, Castillo, Gray and (yes) Mahle with high GB rates.

Better use of GABP by some Reds hitters (Winker's two homers in particular).

Improved defensive positioning. (Those index cards may be a key!).

It's very early and the talent is better, so it's hard to tell for sure. But part of the Reds' strategy is to boost the players via top notch coaching. I'm hopeful it's going to work and there are some early signs I see that maybe these coaches are having a positive influence.

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Originally Posted by M2

I think doubles are the key with him. When Joey's stroking doubles, it usually means he's locked in. I don't think two games tells us that, but 40+ doubles for Joey this season probably means he's brought his A game.

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I don't think he'd admit it, but I suspect it must have been a drag to be Joey Votto playing on that terrible team last year. There has to be something said for the boost one gets, feeling as though he's surrounded by performers. Obviously, being followed in the batting order by a guy who the opposition doesn't particularly want to face anymore than you is a boost too, but the mental approach when your team isn't the complete suck may help a guy lock in a little bit better, even one of the league's elite hitters. To me, doubles are things of beauty, a squared up barrel knocking the ball solidly so that it jumps into the gap with such speed that no one can touch it until it bounces off the wall. A double says the hitter is seeing the ball well and is in sync; I'll take Joey Votto hitting a ton of them anytime.

Why in the world didn’t the Reds play on a Friday night? What kind of schedule is that?

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Originally Posted by Roy Tucker

Why in the world didn’t the Reds play on a Friday night? What kind of schedule is that?

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Oh. Mexico series. Never mind.