One run games

[Bruce Berenyi]

Were the bete noire of the team last year, it is supposed to even out, assuming a decent manager

[Edskin]

In a vacuum it’s silly to “blame” a manager or any individual for the inability to come through in close games. But I do think it’s fair to question it once it becomes a pattern over a long period of time. Reds were horrendous in the one-run game category last year; and it goes beyond just the numbers. One maddening thing for me last year was the inability to ever align the compartments of the team. It was like whatever the Reds needed to do in 2019 in order to lose a one run game, they would figure it out. It’s different if you lose 8-7 every game. That leads you to the conclusion that the pitching just stinks and the offense is keeping you in games. If you lose 2-1 every game it leads you to the opposite conclusion and one run losses are just a manifestation of your weaknesses.

But with the Reds it changes daily. 3-2 loss followed by an 8-7 loss. Tomorrow it might be 1-0 and Thursday it might be 10-9. No matter how the game goes, the Reds consistently found ways to lose them. The other thing that drove me bonkers in 2019 was that the Reds would do the hard part and then fumbled the easier part. Last night was a great example, the hard part of being down 7-0 Is getting back into the game at all. The hard part about being down 8-5 in the bottom of 9th is giving yourself the opportunity to have a chance. They did the hard stuff perfectly, drew walks, kept pressure on pitcher. Then once you finally achieve some leverage (bases loaded, down one, less than 2 out) you swing at ball four and then fail to get the needed hit with 2 outs. Baffling.

So let’s just say the 2019 pattern repeats in 2020 (as we’ve seen the past three games) and the Reds find ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory time and again— do I think it’s fair to look at the manager at that point? Absolutely.

[Bruce Berenyi]

yes these games are not strat o matic cards, the idea i s to instill confidence in your players, not make them think if they make an out they will be tinkered with eternally

[Old school 1983]

yes these games are not strat o matic cards, the idea i s to instill confidence in your players, not make them think if they make an out they will be tinkered with eternally

Or even if they don’t, they’ll get pulled due to the handedness of the pitcher. Case in point. Shogo. Just bat the man lead off and let him play everyday until further notice. Platoon Winker and Ervin unless one gets hot. Also. Do not pull Castellanos for a defensive replacement unless it’s a super tight must win game.