2021 a lot like 1999?

[westofyou]

All year this team has been giving me the same vibe as 1999’s team, a team that came out of nowhere and vanished just as quick.

I see quite a few similarities

Both teams lauded by their fans as having a great offense and bad pitching, when however, the numbers bear out a different reality.

• 1999 - OPS+ = 96
• 2021 – OPS+ = 92

1999 is one of the biggest run scoring years in MLB history, the Reds scored an insane amount runs and only the Marlins failed to score 700 runs, it looks like as many as six NL teams will score under 700 runs this season.

The 1999 team had a young dynamic RH leadoff hitter who hit .273/.366/.498/.864 from the first slot.
The 2021 team has a young dynamic RH leadoff hitter who is hitting .281/.387/.496/.882 from the first slot.

• The 1999 team had an aging HOF player who at times polarized the fan base but also hit .293/.390/.420/.810 OPS+ 103
• The 2021 team has an aging HOF player who at times polarized the fan base but also is hitting .264/.366/.543/.909 OPS+ 120

• The 1999 team had a strong RH hitter who hit .245/.347/.535/.881 and was known for his fiery nature
• The 2021 team has a strong RH hitter who is hitting .314/.368/.576/.944 and is known for his fiery nature

• The 1999 team had a young LH hitter with on base skills and a huge personality who hit .332/.399/.539/.938 OPS+ 132
• The 2021 team has a young LH hitter with on base skills and a huge personality who has hit .307/.395/.560/.955 OPS+ 141

• 1999 team had a light hitting middle infielder who had an OPS+ of 86 but only had 7 errors
• 2021 has a light hitting middle infielder who has an OPS+ of 80 but only has 5 errors.

• The 1999 team had an outfielder cast off from an AL team that performed better than expected .279/.347/.523/.870 OPS+ 114
• The 2021 team has an outfielder cast off from an AL team who has performed better than expected .270/.333/.477/.809 OPS+ 104

• The 1999 team had Michael Tucker, 2021 has Aquino, both teams had LH starting catchers who were 30 and both could see a RH mid 20’s guy in their rear-view mirror.

• 1999 had Dmitri Young and Aaron Boone which is better than Moose and Geno, also cheaper. 1999 didn’t spread as many AB’s around as 2021 (18 vs 23) has

Despite looking stronger than 2021 the 1999 team was seventh in the NL in runs per game (5.31) and this year’s team is fourth (4.87)

Pitching wise it’s a different take

• 1999 ERA+ 117
• 2021 ERA+107

The 1999 team led the NL in saves with 55

• Graves, Sullivan and Williamson all pitched more than 90 innings, the former two over 110, all had ERA+ over 150, Willy was at 193.

• Tejay Antone pitched 32 innings and had a 222 ERA+ the rest of the pen is average or worse, but Antone created the same buzz that Willy did and of course that means a starter vs reliever debate

• 32-year-old Pete Harnisch won the fans and the press with his down to earth style and his command of the mound going 16-10 with and an ERA+ of 127

• 34-year-old Wade Miley won the fans and the press with his down to earth style and his command of the mound going 12-6 with an ERA+ of 157

The starters are different in results, Tomko was disappointing as is Castillo, yet Tomko was never the pitcher Luis is, Mahle is giving us the same year that Steve Parris gave the 1999 team

Neagle and Sonny Gray, effective when on the field, injuries limit innings pitched all year.

The league has more teams that linger near .500 this year than in 1999, average of three per division, so there seems to be less wins to get this season than in 1999, ten teams that season were under .500 this season we might end up with only seven (or eight)

[gonelong]

That 1999 team is my favorite non-WS champ Reds team. I had time to follow them and I enjoyed the brand of baseball, never say die, and individual personalities on the team. Earlier, I'd say this team reminded me a bit of them, but this slide seems to have robbed me of that notion.

[Strikes Out Looking]

At least the '99 team made the Wild Card game.

[savafan]

So who is the equivalent of Ken Griffey Jr. that we’ll be acquiring in the offseason?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Wonderful Monds]

So who is the equivalent of Ken Griffey Jr. that we’ll be acquiring in the offseason?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

uhhhhh……Andrew Benintendi?

[BluegrassRedleg]

Statistics aside, that 1999 team was one of the most fun to watch in my 40+ years as a Reds fan. This team may be more similar than my memory will allow me to believe, but outside of a couple of nice stretches, it’s been like having teeth pulled all season. Even a lot of the wins forced you to sit thru bullpen drama and the threat of comfy leads being blown.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Red Raindog]

Interesting post


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Chip R]

At least the '99 team made the Wild Card game.

They made a wild card playoff game. Not technically the playoffs.

[Thisyear]

That 1999 team is my favorite non-WS champ Reds team. I had time to follow them and I enjoyed the brand of baseball, never say die, and individual personalities on the team. Earlier, I'd say this team reminded me a bit of them, but this slide seems to have robbed me of that notion.

Definitely, one of my first memories is watching the Reds win the 1990 WS with my dad. Great memory, but I don't remember anymore of the season. 1999 was by far my favorite team. It was an awesome year. I loved every minute but I was heartbroken as a 16yr old kid after the loss to the Mets.

[Thisyear]

Statistics aside, that 1999 team was one of the most fun to watch in my 40+ years as a Reds fan. This team may be more similar than my memory will allow me to believe, but outside of a couple of nice stretches, it’s been like having teeth pulled all season. Even a lot of the wins forced you to sit thru bullpen drama and the threat of comfy leads being blown.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah I enjoyed the 1999 season infinitely more. I refused to even miss an inning of that season. This year has been fun, but to me they are worlds apart.

[NeilHamburger]

Mathematically that 1999 team was 13.5x more fun to watch.

Now, partly that's because MLB was much more fun to watch before all this analytics crap (shifting, launch angle etc...).

Back then you had it all. Speed, defense, relief pitching, home runs, hit and runs. Etc....

You had stuff like this nightly on the field:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilco3oQlauc

Game just isn't played like that anymore.

[westofyou]

Mathematically that 1999 team was 13.5x more fun to watch.

Now, partly that's because MLB was much more fun to watch before all this analytics crap (shifting, launch angle etc...).

Back then you had it all. Speed, defense, relief pitching, home runs, hit and runs. Etc....

You had stuff like this nightly on the field:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilco3oQlauc

Game just isn't played like that anymore.

It's like comparing The Bad News Bears with The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, a lot of the same cast members and premise's but....

[KeefeCato]

At least the '99 team made the Wild Card game.

How do you know this one won't? 162 game season. All teams go through hot streaks and slumps. This slump will not last 2 and a half more weeks.

[KeefeCato]

That 1999 team is my favorite non-WS champ Reds team. I had time to follow them and I enjoyed the brand of baseball, never say die, and individual personalities on the team. Earlier, I'd say this team reminded me a bit of them, but this slide seems to have robbed me of that notion.

Agree 99 is my favorite non world series winner as well. 2010 and this year have both been fun to watch as well. Would love to have had 99 Sullivan, Graves and Williamson in this years pen.

[Roy Tucker]

I remember that game 162 in Milwaukee in a rain delay for like 6 hours. And played in a quagmire.

And the play-in game the next day against the Mets with Al Leiter. I went to that game with my son at Riverfront. That was the last time I heard that stadium roar like the BRM days. Lasted for two batters till Edgardo Alphonso hit a 2 run homer. And then Leiter pitched the game of his life. Why do I remember the killer losses better than the great wins?