Lil Red Machine

When I think of Cincinnati Reds teams from this decade, what comes to mind is that they have been mostly a free swinging bunch. Lots of homeruns, but not very good situational hitting, and lots of strikeouts.

What I saw the past 3 games may be a change in organizational philosophy. Granted, the season just started and the sample size is small, but Cincinnati is already beginning to resemble the type of team that shows patience at the plate. There have been very few TRULY bad at-bats. Lets rewind to game 2 of this series. Francisco Rodriguez of the Mets was all over the place as he attempted to close out the ballgame. He couldn’t throw a strike to save his life. Eventually, he got the save, but the Reds didn’t just give it to him. They didn’t swing at the bad stuff. They walked, or they were taking pitches and waiting for something good to hit. To end the game, Alex GonzaleZ struck out on heat that would’ve gotten just about anyone, and pinch hitter Laynce Nix took an offering and drove it deep to the warning track. Respectable. Not many teams get to K-Rod. The Reds weren’t the first, and they won’t be the last, but make them earn it.

Low OBP guys like Brandon Philips and Edwin Encarnacion have been taking more pitches. They are among the leaders of this club. Guys will follow their lead. I haven’t seen good selection from Jay Bruce, but he’s still very young, and will only get better with time. As of this point, Joey Votto has been the star. Big time hitting so far. He’s like the power hitting version of Sean Casey. It will only be a matter of time before he becomes a household name.

I’m not nieve, though. There will probably be times where they regress back to their career norms, but with the big time vets such as Griffey and Dunn now gone, new leaders are already emerging. Plus, the division is nothing to write home about. There will be ample chances against the Pirates and Astros of the world.

The pitching has been so-so. Aaron Harang, I can tell, is pitching with a chip on his shoulder. I fear that Volquez is a likely candidate for a sophomore slump, given his second half slide after the all star break last year. He has electric stuff, but he needs to quit nibbling at the plate. Go after guys. 2 out walks are a killer. Arroyo didn’t look that great, but the bullpen picked up the slack for him. Arthur Rhodes and Francisco Cordero could be a nice back end to the bullpen, along with the ageless David Weathers. I’m just glad Todd Coffey is gone.

The Pirates are coming up. Anything less than 2 out of 3 against these guys would be a major disappointment, given the positives I saw in the Mets series.