July 3, 200717 yr ^ I think that the minor league baseball draft is very underrated. "Small market" teams, a la the Reds, have no choice but to draft well. The elite tier in the draft (represented by Scot Bora) demand more money than many owners can afford. Although this favors the higher revenue teams, this ultra eliete tier of prospects are not necessarily the best major league players. Some guys get hyped more than others, but it does not mean that they can play. Many teams do not want to pour guarenteed money into a guy who is largely unproven. Teams like the Twins follow a good model. The Twins decided to draft Joe Mauer ahead of Mark Prior in 2001. At the time, Prior was billed as one of the best pitchers in College baseball history. Scouts described his mechanics as 'flawless' and labeled him 'can't miss'. But Mauer was willing to take less money than Prior. A lot less. Mauer is an all star and Prior's career seems to be over.. And the Twins have been to playoffs in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006 with a limited payroll. The point is that it is not impossible to win as a smaller market team. Other teams like the Indians, Brewers, and A's have also been successful at building their minor league systems and they are starting to reap the rewards. I think that the Reds have done a good job in drafting recently. Dan O'Brien's impact on the farm system is starting to be seen in 2007 with Homer Bailey. The Red's will follow that up with Joey Votto in 2008 and Jay Bruce in 2009, plus a number of arms and three shortstop prospects. With Adam Dunn off the payroll, the team should have enough money to go after A NEW BULLPEN in the offseason. Otherwise, the team is not bad talent-wise... and it will only get better. I remain optomistic for the Reds in the long term. I don't think that 2007 was Narron's fault, but I am still glad to see him go. He used too many batting orders and underutilized the bullpen. Next year, the Reds need a fresh face as the manager. Someone Outside of the organization. Let's stop rolling out these home grown minor-league clowns. It reminds me of the Bengals in the '90s.
July 4, 200717 yr ^ Yeah, I saw something the other night where they showed all of the players that the Brewers drafted within the last few years and how they were making an impact now--even folks who were drafted two or three years ago. There were something like 6-8 players on their 25 man roster who fit this category.
July 4, 200717 yr speaking of draft picks, how has homer been doing? I know I can go look up his stats, but i need more than numbers.....
July 5, 200717 yr Homer? Homer Bailey? He's had one really good start, and his debut against the Tribe was so-so. Otherwise he's been rocked. All he seems to have is a fast ball that isn't very fast and has no movement. He's not even throwing as hard as he was at Dayton. He was only around 90-92 in his last start. He needs to develop a second pitch fast, because one-pitch pitchers don't last very long in MLB.
July 5, 200717 yr yeah, that's the one thing i heard in passing on the news, that his fastball seemed to lose a few miles since he came up....
July 6, 200717 yr It looks like they'll stick with him for the rest of the year because it would be pointless to send him down. If were in charge, I'd send him to winter ball to work on a second pitch.
July 6, 200717 yr some players are so sweet, that they aren't going to learn anything in the minors by blowing everyone away. baptism by fire, welcome to the reds.
July 6, 200717 yr I say we offer Marty the Head Coaching Position! If you ever listen to him, you know what I mean. The SOB knows a "little" about baseball and would give a better showing than any of these clowns since the Pinella era.
July 7, 200717 yr This ought to cheer folks up: [youtube=425,350]FgJ2jFVp1bc WORKSAFE AUDIO ADVISORY: You may want to slip on the headphones for this one.
July 12, 200717 yr Now I've been a BIG Griffey supporter ever since he came to the Reds, but the time has come for the Reds to get a clean slate. Trade Griffey and bring in some young talent. Bolster up our farm system with this trading period and starting building for a competitive team 3-5 years out. Make Phillips, Harang, Hamilton, Bailey and co. the base of your rebuilding...the rest can be spared. Griffey stirs trade talk Reds won't address star's comment to ESPN BY JOHN FAY | CINCINNATI ENQUIRER July 12, 2007 CINCINNATI - Reds officials on Wednesday refused to comment specifically on an ESPN report published Tuesday that quoted Ken Griffey Jr. as saying he thought the team would try to trade him. But Griffey's agent said Wednesday the team recently called the outfielder to deny a trade rumor that had the Reds right fielder going to the Milwaukee Brewers. Brian Goldberg said Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky told him "there was nothing to the Milwaukee rumor that got started, and there was nothing on at this time." Neither Krivsky nor Reds chief executive officer Bob Castellini would comment on specific trade talk. Castellini made it sound as if the club is not getting ready to turn over the roster. But in a column written by Peter Gammons and published Tuesday on ESPN .com, Griffey said he believed the team would try to trade him before the Aug. 31 playoff roster deadline.
July 16, 200717 yr I would love to see the REDS move to AZ. Spring Training out there is great. I've been going for the last 7 yrs. AZ in March is amazing. The heck with FL. Spring training in Arizona? By Doug Sword Sarasota Herald-Tribune SARASOTA, Fla. - As spring training came to an end last year, there was unanimous political support to build a new baseball complex for the Cincinnati Reds in Sarasota. All five city commissioners and all five county commissioners were on board. Today, the $54 million project is a political longshot, perhaps as unlikely as an appearance by the last-place Reds in this year's World Series. Less than half of the financing is in place, and prospects of raising the rest are growing dimmer. Even the $10 million pledged by the city has been criticized by two city commissioners. To read more: http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070716/NEWS01/707160364
July 16, 200717 yr Most of the Ohio transplants in Ohio hail from Central/Northeast Ohio, hence the reason it makes sense for the Indians to return to spring training in Arizona. Cincinnatians, for the most part, go to Florida. Unless the Reds shared a park with one of the other spring training teams (a la the White Sox and D-Backs in Tucson, or the Royals/Rangers in Surprise), I don't think moving them from Florida to Arizona would do much to generate revenue beyond maybe the first season, and only then for the novelty of seeing Cincinnati play in Arizona. Even that's a longshot.
July 16, 200717 yr ^ huh? i'd say many more ne ohioans retire or move to florida than arizona by far. i cant wait to finally see the new reds stadium in person --- i'm going to a reds game sometime next week -- i take we can just walk up for tickets? any seating suggestions (we'll have between 4-10 people and have older folks and kids)? thx.
July 16, 200717 yr I think that the Sun/Moon Deck (right field seats) are the best. You have a view of the scoreboard, close to the action, and the concourse with your concessions is essentially a riverwalk along the Ohio. So that means you'll get some cool breezes off the river from time to time. They are reasonably priced as well.
July 19, 200717 yr Well...I'm going to go ahead and take credit for the Reds' sweep of the Braves. Igon and I saw the first game in person (10-3) and loved the butt-kicking the Reds gave the Braves. It was nice going to an away game for a Cincinnati team and seeing a winner! Normally I'm embarrassed is some way shape or form, but this time Cincinnati did me proud! Oh BTW, the Braves have this thing where you pay $30 and you get your ticket plus all you can eat popcorn, nachos, hot dogs, soda and peanuts...if you make it $65 you can add all you can drink beer! What a deal...I totally gorged myself.
July 20, 200717 yr Don't look now, but the Reds have jumped past the Astros and Pirates in the NL Central standings. Who knows...they might make a respectable season out of this yet.
July 20, 200717 yr I would take an 89 loss season. I don't think they will lose 100 games, which i hoped would never happen.
July 20, 200717 yr Sort of a side note...the Phillies are the first team in baseball to reach the 10,000 loss mark. Second on that list is the Braves. *snicker*
July 20, 200717 yr Don't look now, but the Reds have jumped past the Astros and Pirates in the NL Central standings. Who knows...they might make a respectable season out of this yet. God, how bad is this division....
July 21, 200717 yr Oh...but then again, they are the Cubs. Something horrible's bound to occur. The truth has been spoken.
August 21, 200717 yr Well Conine has been traded to the Mets for two minor-leaguers (SS-Jose Castro & OF Sean Henry). It also looks as if Phil Dumatrait will be moved around in the near future.
August 25, 200717 yr Hmm the Reds have 16 games left with the Cubs, Cards and Brewers. Stranger things have happend.. wow they were 20 games out at one point and now only 8 or maybe 7.5 games back after tonight.
August 25, 200717 yr This is an interesting thread: http://www.forums.mlb.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ml-reds&tid=39707
August 27, 200717 yr My hopes are going up even though I know it is still a long shot. Lucky everyone else in our division is so bad. Go Reds! Boo STL, MIL, and CHI!
August 27, 200717 yr Don't fall for this trap! The Reds do this every year. They're out of contention by the All-Star break, they're playing for nothing then they start winning and people, including ownership, think they're on the right track. Then they think this glorified scout should become manager, then the GM thinks all he has to do is sign a few forty-yr-old relievers and utility men and we're the Yankees. Don't fall for it. If this is what they do next year, I guarantee they will be out of contention by the All-Star break (again) and I'll become a Yankees fan.
August 27, 200717 yr Who are these guys? Surging Reds win 6th game in a row with latest call-up BY KEVIN KELLY | CINCINNATI ENQUIRER August 27, 2007 CINCINNATI - Tom Shearn said Sunday that he would sleep in a car just to stay in the major leagues. The poker-faced delivery suggested he wasn't kidding around. To save a few bucks on rent, Shearn recently moved into a camper that was parked beyond the outfield fence at Louisville Slugger Field. To avoid the hassle of checking into a crowded hotel on the eve of his major league debut with the Reds, Shearn simply crashed on teammate Gary Majewski's couch Saturday night. In a 9-3 victory against the Marlins on Sunday at Great American Ball Park, Shearn became the latest minor league call-up to seemingly come out of nowhere and make a major contribution to the Reds' sudden resurgence. After more than a decade of minor league toil, the Columbus native experienced a dream-come-true debut before 23,122 fans as the Reds polished off a sweep of the Marlins and pushed their winning streak to a season-best six games.
August 27, 200717 yr The Reds do this every year. Actually, they do the opposite ... They are usually un-beatable in the beginning of the season and then usually fall off the map right about now.
August 27, 200717 yr It might be a wash as to which half of the season the Reds suck worst. But, at the very least, when ever they put together a small run, people assume things are turning around. People that should know better. If someone wants to do some advance math, add these totals up. Monthly Records Year March/April May June July August Sept/Oct 2007 12-13 9-21 10-16 14-12 15-8 0-0 2006 17-8 12-16 15-12 11-14 12-17 13-15 2005 10-13 11-18 9-16 17-11 15-12 11-19 2004 12-10 18-11 12-14 9-18 11-16 14-17 2003 11-16 15-13 12-13 11-17 10-18 10-16 2002 16-9 16-13 11-15 12-14 11-18 12-15 2001 14-10 6-22 12-15 10-16 12-17 12-16 http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=mlb/teams/003/teamstats.aspx?team=003 Since 1990 the Reds have had 6 winning seasons in SEVENTEEN years. Since 2000 they have been an embarrassment. The 1999 season was a great time. The Reds surprised a lot people that year and they were a lot fun to watch. I know in 1995 they played Atlanta in playoffs and it wasn't close. 1990 Cincinnati 91 71 .562 -- (1) West 8 2 .800 WS Ch 1991 Cincinnati 74 88 .457 20 (5) West 1992 Cincinnati 90 72 .556 8 (2) West 1993 Cincinnati 73 89 .451 31 (5) West 1994 Cincinnati * 66 48 .579 -- (1) Cent 1995 Cincinnati * 85 59 .590 -- (1) Cent 3 4 .428 Div.Ch 1996 Cincinnati 81 81 .500 7 (3) Cent 1997 Cincinnati 76 86 .469 8 (3) Cent 1998 Cincinnati 77 85 .475 25 (3) Cent 1999 Cincinnati ** 96 67 .589 1.5 (2) Cent 2000 Cincinnati 85 77 .525 10 (2) Cent 2001 Cincinnati 66 96 .407 27 (5) Cent 2002 Cincinnati 78 84 .481 19 (3) Cent 2003 Cincinnati 69 93 .426 19 (5) Cent 2004 Cincinnati 76 86 .469 29 (4) Cent 2005 Cincinnati 73 89 .451 27 (5) Cent 2006 Cincinnati 80 82 .494 3.5 (3) Cent * Strike Shortened Season ** Reds played an extra game to determine the wild-card team but lost to the New York Mets. http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=mlb/teams/DIRECT003.htm
August 27, 200717 yr They haven't been great from 2000 on, but they haven't been an embarrasment. They have generally hovered around .500 and have never finished last in the division. Throw in a 2nd and a couple 3rd place finishes and I don't consider that embarassing...not great, but not horrible by any stretch.
August 27, 200717 yr I think you have to look at how many Games Behind they were since 2000. On average they have been 19 GB the division leaders since 2000. 2006 was an aberration and they still were two games under .500. It's a slow work day.
September 9, 200717 yr who is this Joey Votto Fellow? http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=law_keith&id=3008327&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1 Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds Votto's callup is most notable for the player left behind: Jay Bruce, a contender for the title of No. 1 overall prospect in the minors and the man who probably will force a trade of Adam Dunn this winter. With Votto likely to take over at first base, Josh Hamilton and Ken Griffey Jr. locked into outfield spots, and Ryan Freel under contract -- the only spot for Bruce is in right field, which means the Reds probably will look to trade Dunn. (They also could decline Dunn's option and let him walk as a free agent, but that would be totally irrational. I guess we can't rule it out.) Votto has a skill set similar to that of Scott Hatteberg. The prospect has excellent plate discipline and a bit more power than Hatteberg offers, allowing the Reds to save a few million dollars in 2008 with no loss of production by giving him the first-base job.
October 12, 200717 yr The odds are getting better that La Russa will come to manage the Reds. It seems that the GM in St. Louis is out, and with that La Russa is much less likely to stay there. Add in Krivsky's connections and maybe, just maybe a proven manager will come into town. That won't fix the bullpen, but it would fix some clubhouse problems and strange on-field decisions that have been made over the last few years.
October 12, 200717 yr La Russa may end up with the Yankees...Dusty Baker is looking like a decent potential though.
October 15, 200717 yr Rough weekend in Cincy sports..lol He was cheap to get that's the only reason he's here. I don't think the club wants to win a championship. They are all about making money.
October 15, 200717 yr I'm pretty sure he is going to cost us a hell of a lot more than our typical promotion of some dude from within the organization. I'm glad we brought in a big name...although I would have been a little happier with La Russa. I doubt he was a real prospect though.
October 15, 200717 yr I just hope he can relate to our young players and doesn't let our pitchers throw 140 pitches in a game.
October 15, 200717 yr Rough weekend in Cincy sports..lol He was cheap to get that's the only reason he's here. I don't think the club wants to win a championship. They are all about making money. Well, you have to save money to make money. You have to win championships or go .500 to make money. Without that, you are putting 22,000 in the stadium on average and no one is wearing Reds stuff. So, I think they want to win championships, and Baker can, as long as player personnel is up to par with the bigs. The Red's are not in bad shape either. They play in probably the worst division of the MLB where the 1st place team is pretty much up in the air. I would not at all be suprised to see the Red's in first for a little bit next year. Simply playing .500 baseball gets them that in the Central.
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