9-5 vs Giants -- Hollandsworth over Deno

[George Foster]

Baseball ain't football or war, why pretend that it is?

How is it not like football? Guys that could care less if they win or lose should not play football either. Both are professional sports with the goal to win a championship...right?

Guys that can't stand the pressure of war, get other guys killed. Guys that don't bring their "A game" when it counts to baseball, keeps their teammates from winning rings. True baseball is not life or death, but not playing hard is "death" to a potential playoff team.

[vaticanplum]

3 games out right now

I will say this about September -- things always seem to change so fast. It could just be that we're playing such close attention, but the pressure does crazy things to people and things never seem the same at the end of the month than they are at the beginning. I've been overcome with inexplicable optimism lately, and I know that basically 100% of everything is against us, but you never know.

I await death threats for saying this, and I hope it is not perceived as a knock on my Reds fandom because it isn't, but for me September always belongs to the Yankees. No matter what they have done until then, it is almost guaranteed that come September, they become a true team and play some of the greatest baseball you'll see all year. It's incredibly difficult to do, given the pressure, and they do it time and time again. It is really one of the things I respect most of them, their ability to peak late -- late in games, late in the season. Especially the last few years.

[westofyou]

How is it not like football?

In more ways then there are stars in the sky, don't kid yourself, wound up, uptight baseball players are the complete opposite of what you want.

[Falls City Beer]

Actually the game back in 1960 was more like it is today then it was when Jerry played, the 80's.

You mean they left guys in the game way past their breaking point more in the 80s than the 60s? Here I thought the modern bullpen came into its own after Sparky.

Jerry acts like there's no tomorrow and bullpens only hold living, snorting steer.

[vaticanplum]

Are you recommending RZ expand their September roster for the playoff run?

You said playoff

[oneupper]

I will say this about September -- things always seem to change so fast. It could just be that we're playing such close attention, but the pressure does crazy things to people and things never seem the same at the end of the month than they are at the beginning. I've been overcome with inexplicable optimism lately, and I know that basically 100% of everything is against us, but you never know.

I await death threats for saying this, and I hope it is not perceived as a knock on my Reds fandom because it isn't, but for me September always belongs to the Yankees. No matter what they have done until then, it is almost guaranteed that come September, they become a true team and play some of the greatest baseball you'll see all year. It's incredibly difficult to do, given the pressure, and they do it time and time again. It is really one of the things I respect most of them, their ability to peak late -- late in games, late in the season. Especially the last few years.

It's easy to be a REDS fan when you have the Yankees to fall back on.
:

[oneupper]

You mean they left guys in the game way past their breaking point more in the 80s than the 60s? Here I thought the modern bullpen came into its own after Sparky.

Jerry acts like there's no tomorrow and bullpens only hold living, snorting steer.

In the 70s the closer came in in the 7th inning. And he wasn't called a closer.

[VR]

I await death threats for saying this, and I hope it is not perceived as a knock on my Reds fandom because it isn't, but for me September always belongs to the Yankees. No matter what they have done until then, it is almost guaranteed that come September, they become a true team and play some of the greatest baseball you'll see all year. It's incredibly difficult to do, given the pressure, and they do it time and time again. It is really one of the things I respect most of them, their ability to peak late -- late in games, late in the season. Especially the last few years.

I disagree that it's difficult for them to do.....their roster has enough superstars for 10 teams, and by merely playing average baseball they are heads and shoulders above the competition. I'd be questioning how all that talent has nothing to show for it in the last 5 years.
Having a video game roster mentality where you have no talent limit isn't fun baseball to me.

[NDRed]

florida lost 4 to 0 yeah!!!!!

[Falls City Beer]

I disagree that it's difficult for them to do.....their roster has enough superstars for 10 teams, and by merely playing average baseball they are heads and shoulders above the competition. I'd be questioning how all that talent has nothing to show for it in the last 5 years.
Having a video game roster mentality where you have no talent limit isn't fun baseball to me.

I agree. In order to win, all the Yankees have to do is avoid locker room brawls, sleeping with one another's wives, and too much curly hair on the universal soap.

Everything else is on autopilot.

[vaticanplum]

I disagree that it's difficult for them to do.....their roster has enough superstars for 10 teams, and by merely playing average baseball they are heads and shoulders above the competition. I'd be questioning how all that talent has nothing to show for it in the last 5 years.
Having a video game roster mentality where you have no talent limit isn't fun baseball to me.

If it was all about talent, they'd win the World Series every year. Look at the way they were playing through April and May last year -- horrendous baseball. I'm not saying the Yankees don't have an advantage in the talent pool, but there is a consistent, almost annual difference in the way they play baseball in May and June than in August and September, with the same core of talent. They step up in September. Problematically, they haven't been able to carry that all the way through the postseason recently. But the September race is usually theirs. Anyone who refuses to watch them this time of year out of hate is missing out in my opinion. The past few years at this time they have played some of the most beautiful baseball I have seen in my lifetime.

[VR]

Nice to see Hollandsworth with a solid start. 3 big hits and 1 to the track.

He's now 9-19 after his putrid 0-12 start....and looking much better at the dish.

Here's my lineup tomorrow..giving Freel a break.....but I wouldn't mind giving Dunn a break either.

Deno
Dunn
RichieRich
Ross
EE
Holly
BP
Castro

[westofyou]

You mean they left guys in the game way past their breaking point more in the 80s than the 60s?

Jerry Narron was a catcher, catchers have very special relationships with pitchers, they tend to lean on ones they think are horses, mostly with the intent to build them up. That's Narron's biggest fault, but I doubt he will end up with as many battered pitchers as you think he will.

Old outfielders tend to wear out pitchers more then former catchers or IF's, blame the distance from the mound in their game history.

[Falls City Beer]

Jerry Narron was a catcher, catchers have very special relationships with pitchers, they tend to lean on ones they think are horses, mostly with the intent to build them up. That's Narron's biggest fault, but I doubt he will end up with as many battered pitchers as you think he will.

Old outfielders tend to wear out pitchers more then former catchers or IF's, blame the distance from the mound in their game history.

Harang and Arroyo never went on the DL, but you can bet your bum their one-month vacation from effectiveness was part and parcel of early season abuse.

[oneupper]

Nice to see Hollandsworth with a solid start. 3 big hits and 1 to the track.

He's now 9-19 after his putrid 0-12 start....and looking much better at the dish.

Here's my lineup tomorrow..giving Freel a break.....but I wouldn't mind giving Dunn a break either.

Deno
Dunn
RichieRich
Ross
EE
Holly
BP
Castro

Do we know who's pitching tomorrow for the Giants? GG and CW were saying that Lowry is doubtful.