8/2/06: Dodgers @ Rojos Game Thread (Edwin and Royce in, Rich out)

[Ron Madden]

Another walk....

It's amazing how fast Reds pitchers can fall apart.

Yeah, just wait untill Narron gets ahold Homer Baily.

[Ron Madden]

I was at the Twins game today and Boof Bonzer was getting demolished by the Rangers. I had great seats so it was very easy to tell that these guys were stting back and teeing off. He wasn't fooling anyone. The pitching coach came out a few times, but he stayed in the game. It was a head scratcher, but he stayed in clear until he got out of the 4th (where he gave up 5 runs). It was a good example of a manager waiting until the game was out of reach until he finally pulled his pitcher when it wasn't late in the game. I'm not suggesting Narron did this tonight, but it helped confirm the notion that Jerry's not really any different than most ML managers. They all pretty much do the same things most of the time.

Ii's going by the book. All "old school" type managers are issud a copy.

[Ron Madden]

Really for the past month, when we lose the Cards lose, when we win the cards win...it's depressing..

Nah, depressing is the dead of winter without a Reds game.

[Ron Madden]

We just got beat, it happens.

Ya can't win'em all but now would be a fine time to start winning a few.

[redsmetz]

Nah, depressing is the dead of winter without a Reds game.

Funny story: One of my wife's two brothers recorded a Cardinals game on a cassette tape. That Christmas when their other brother and his wife were visiting home, they were driving somewhere. Jim had the tape in his tape player in his car and put it on. They're driving along for about ten minutes when the wife says, "What are the Cardinals doing playing in December?".

[oneupper]

I'm getting in on this late, but...how can Freel make up for Kearns' 50 RBI's? Freel is a good leadoff hitter (some say--I'm not so sure), but he is no replacement for a power-hitting outfielder. All the talk, even from Krivsky was that Chris Denorfia would replace Kearns, and after three or four games, Narron or whoever gave up on that plan. Deno was sitting the pine and mostly has since though the excuse of leaving him in Louisville was PT and Kearns was the replacement. It's not working.

I'll agree with the assessment on the failed post-trade strategy, however I back up my initial analysis.

Post All Star

Player 1: 50 AB 16 H 5 2B 1 3B 2 HR 6 RBI .320 Avg .424 OBP 1.004 OPS
Player 2: 57 AB 17 H 5 2B 0 3B 1 HR 7 RBI .263 Avg .411 OBP .814 OPS

Guess who is whom?

So yes, Ryan Freel has "made up" for Austins production (so far). And if Austin were around, Freel wouldn't be playing.

As for FeLo...his LH bat is missed...no doubt. Clayton and Castro make too many outs.

As for the team:


To make sample sizes the same:

18 games Pre-All star game:

Runs Scored: 90 (5.00 per game)
Runs Allowed: 103: (5.72 per game)
7-11 in W-L

18 games Post All Star

Runs Scored: 80 (4.44 per game)
Runs Allowed: 86 (4.78 per game)
10-8 in W-L



Different opponents, different results.

So the team was sliding before the break...changes its composure, catches some fire and then resumes its slide. That's all.

Is the team better or worse? Probably more balanced, but not necessarily better. Instead of losing 10-5, we lose 5-3.

It's just a different kind of suck now.

[BRM]

It's just a different kind of suck now.

The Krivsky era Reds new motto?

[oneupper]

The Krivsky era Reds new motto?

No...but I'll use it!