Lil Red Machine

I’ve always been a defender of Brandon Phillips. I know he makes crucial fundamental mistakes sometimes, and swings too hard, but overall, I think he’s a top notch second baseman in the NL, and has given the Reds solid play for the past few years.
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Is this a real rivalry? Not really. From first hand experience, having attended this matchup at both parks at various times over the years, it’s nothing more than a geographic rivalry. I think most fans consider the other team to be their favorite in the other league. I know I do. The Indians are an easy team to root for. Read more »

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More important than anything else, lets get this guy straightened out, no matter how long it takes. His health and vitality is more important than anything else right now. I hope the Reds don’t rush him back.

So far this season, Johnny Cueto has been straight up dealing. The statistical line is fantastic: 3-1 record with a nice, shiny 1.59 ERA. Perhaps equally as impressive is his 8.1 k/9 innings. He has also shown good command of his repetoire, walking only 11 hitters in 39.2 innings pitched. That’s right in line with last year’s Cy Young award winner, Tim Lincecum.
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The season is still young, but the Reds are onto something here.  Pitching and defense wins ballgames.  Folks, we are looking at a Reds team that is 4th in the national league in team ERA, with a 3.91 mark.  This team has 4 LEGIT starters.  Any of these guys can go out and throw a great game on any given night.  5 team shutouts so far.  The proof is in the pudding Read more »

The good: The bullpen is lights out. Arthur Rhodes, David Weather, and Francisco Cordero give us a bullpen edge on most nights. If our starters can just get us 6 innings of decent baseball, these guys, on most nights, can take care of the rest.

Joey Votto has been a beast. He’s like Sean Casey with more power. He ought to be a cornerstone of this franchise for years to come. The good thing is, he hits lefthanded pitchers about as well as he gets the righties, so prolonged slumps for him are less likely.
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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.
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Men who appear in these old school baseball cards cannot be of any positive benefit to a baseball team in 2009.  I have this old set, and few of the players still are active.  Most have long ago retired.  It would behoove Sheffield to do the same.  He offers precious little to anyone these days.  His body is breaking down.  Maybe if he didn’t have such a bad attitude, he could be a useful backup outfielder for someone, but I can’t see him being happy in that role.

He’s also becoming increasingly delusional.  In his own words, he was the most athletic player on the Tigers.  Keep in mind, he’s 40 years old.

The Reds have made a committment to get younger and more athletic.  Signing Sheffield would be a step in the wrong direction, for the reasons listed.  There is need for power off the bench, but they should go out and get a Geoff Jenkins, not this team cancer and injury prone drama queen.

Only the diehards scan over the spring training statistics.  To say that “none of this matters” might be an understatement.  If you want proof, look at the results from last year.  Corey Patterson went from having a Ruthian-like spring training (.455 AVG, .545 SLG), to being one of the worst centerfielders that the Reds have ever had.  On the flip side, the best overall hitter on the Reds last season, Joey Votto, was putting up stats that a pitcher would be fairly satisfied to have in their batting line (.158 AVG, .262 SLG).

Lets fast forward to 2009.  Ryan Hanigan currently leads the team in batting average, as he’s hitting a robust .455 in 22 at-bats.  Hanigan is a nice backup to have around, but lets face it, many of those pitchers he’s hitting against as using this time of year to fine tune their current repetoire, or attempt new pitches.  Votto, Brandon Phillips, and Chris Dickerson, amongst the regulars, are also turning in fine spring training performances, but then you have Jay Bruce and Edwin Encarnacion, regular who are struggling.  What to make of it?  It’s best not to look into it at all.  These guys don’t need spring training.  It’s helpful for team comrederie purposes, but any true pro has already spent a good portion of the offseason working on their game.  Spring training is mainly a chance for young guys to make an impression, and for fringe players to get one last shot at “the show.”  A guy like Johnny Gomes needs spring training.  A guy like Micah Owings needs it also.  Nothing is guaranteed for either, and so far, they are performing.

The good news it, from everything I have read, there is an energy in camp that hasn’t been there in years past.  This is one of the younger, more athletic Reds team in recent memory, and the focus is clearly on speed and defense, things which weren’t emphasized in years past.  So, ignore the results, observe as the pitchers try out new stuff, and hitters look at different pitches, and use this opportunity to watch the roster take shape.

Certainly, Adam Dunn has been one of the more polarizing figures in recent Reds history.  There really was no middle ground when it came to him.  His defenders supported him due to his high on-base-percentage, and his power.  His detractors pointed out his penchant for striking out a lot, his complete and total lack of mobility in the field and on the basepaths, and his tendencies to not perform situational hitting.

The big Texan, though, will be missed.  It wasn’t his fault that his era had the Reds trotted out starting pitchers such as Jimmy Haynes, Matt Belisle, Josh Fogg, Eric Milton, Brandon Claussen, and Danny Graves.  It wasn’t his fault that Ken Griffey Jr. couldn’t stay healthy, that they haven’t had consistent shortstop play since Barry Larkin retired–and even when he was there in Dunn’s first few years, he was hurt and overall, aged very badly.  Also, the man whom he was best friends with, Austin Kearns, never lived up to his potential, and was ultimately dealt to Washington.  That was supposed to be a 1-2 tandem for many years to come.  It was Dunn who held up his end of the bargain.

With all that, Dunn played everyday, never complained, and lived up to the hype that surrounded him when he was called up to the Reds in 2001.  However, the Reds put him front and center of their marketing campaigns, which made him a big target.  Dunn is simply not that kind of guy.  He is not a fiery leader, and any team which showcases HIM as the main guy probably isn’t going far.  Not a knock on him.  It’s a knock on the Reds for failing to put proper talent around this home run hitting, on-base machine.  If he is a supporting cast member of your team, then that’s fine.  That where he fits in best.  The Reds knew his limitations, and didn’t try to work around them.  They have had a revolving door of managers, all with their own different philosophies on how to play the game.  There has never been any consistency.

As A Dunn supporter, though, I do think that trading him was for the best.  Through little fault of his own, the situation wasn’t just working outing out for the team as a whole.  While he did have his shortcomings, and was never going to be part of the future going forward, as the Reds were in the midst of their eight consecutive losing season last year, he doesn’t deserve to be the scapegoat that many Reds fans have made him out to be.  Good luck replacing that production.