Phillips 2B
Cairo 3B
Votto 1B
Gomes LF
Bruce RF
Stubbs CF
Hanigan C
Janish SS
Arroyo P
Most of the regulars back in there. Not surprising Rolen and Cabrera get some extra rest since they are the old vets.
Reds Fan Since 1971
Makes sense. Now take the series.
Back to following MiLB; there's always hope for tomorrow!
I want the Reds to win 90 games.
It's an artificial number, I know, and the division title means much more.
Still, I think the 90-game hurdle brings credibility to a team and shows that it didn't just win a "bad" division.
Two more wins, Dusty. Then on to Philly.
Just to make myself feel better about losing games late, not hitting the 90 win total, etc...I checked back on some World Series champs of the past. I didn't remember this until looking it up, but the 2000 Yankees finished the season with only 87 wins. They lost the last 7 games of the regular season by a combined score of 68 to 15.
The Yanks and Rays also clinched post season spots on the same day as the Reds and they both lost their games yesterday too (the Rays even lost by the same score). Not sure if that means anything in the long haul but I think the team will be fine tonight and I look forward to seeing a good game. I'm heading downtown in about an hour and I can't wait to see the new banners and to shop for more NL Central Champions gear!
"I tried to play golf, but I found out I wasn't very good." -Joey Votto on his offseason hobby search
An MLB.com reporter asked what one thing Votto couldn’t do. “I can’t skate or play hockey,” Votto said. “Well, I can skate ... but I can’t stop.”
No problem at all with OC and Scotty resting again tonight. However, this would be a really good one to win, and I also don't like BP back at the top. I'll be there tomorrow night, and I wonder what kind of lineup will be out there then.
320
I'd rather listen to Kelch read the phone book than suffer through Thom Brennaman's attempt to make every instance on the field the most important event since the discovery of manned space flight. -westofyou
The Cards won 83 games in 2006, limped into the playoffs after a terrible September, and won the world series.
It's a constent reminder that a team that makes the playoffs can win the world sereis.
Sure the Phillies are a great team, but they won about 5% more games than us.
Over a 5 game series, this year they have averaged 2.985 wins, we have averaged 2.785wins.
The difference between even the best major leagues teams and the worse isn't that great in a short series. Between teams who won almost the same number of games is even less.
We may be the underdog, but we have a realistic chance of beating anyone.
Great point Puffy. FWIW, Vegas has us at 12:1 for the series last I checked. And that's before all 8 teams are confirmed. By most accounts, the Reds are viewed as the worst team in the playoffs. And our odds aren't all that far off from average.
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
Jeff Brantley just said that Bronson Arroyo has turned himself into one of the 5 or 6 best pitchers in the game. Not the NL. The game. That is a direct quote. Arroyo isn't one of the 5 or 6 best pitchers in the NL Central Cowboy. You are delusional.
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