So Reds Fans

[semiotter]

Well with this season in the Crapper after their great showing over the worst team in the NL this last weekend. What do you guys think we have, if any to look to.

Well a full season of Votto would be nice. Some off season free agents and Good trades also would make me smile

Areas I'd work on mmmmm let me think. First , second and Third look good. SS just plays great "D" but just started hitting lately and gets hurt a lot

Pitching can always use help. Catching looks good.

So that's how I see it I'm pretty much burnt out on them this year so I not to excited about another year not. Making the post season.

And you Dusty haters don't start on him because you could but any hall of fame mgr with this club and they couldn't of done any better.

I'm out. Words of wisdom from Semi ur Oriole Guru.

[cincy9275]

i don't really see any positives going into next season. this team is just bad. hitting, base running, stealing bases, defense, starting pitching, you name it we suck at it. as for dusty i am not sure he is the right guy for this job. you have to question everyone on this roster, players and management because none of them are doing their jobs and this team has regressed to the point of being a big joke. everyone want to blame injuries, but i am not so sure a healthy bruce or edision would make much of a difference on this team. because this team just flat out stinks

[rwalling]

Great comments in Fay's blog this morning:

"If I'm running the team, Drew Stubbs is playing center field and leading off Tuesday night. He's gets a six-week trial to prove himself. Brandon Phillips goes to shortstop, and the Todd Frazier experiment at second base moves to the majors. Wladimir Balentien plays every day."

This team cannot be fixed with scrap heap FAs like Willy Taveras. Get Stubbs and Frazier up here to figure out what we have before June next year.

[ArmyBengal]

What to look forward to ?? EASY. A new hitting coach. I mean seriously, they have been horrible. How can a hitting coach keep his job when they have played the way they have ?? Some more ?? Pitching. How can you have Harang making the money he does and pitch as poorly as he has ?? Obviously last year wasn't just a fluke and it will need to be addressed. More ?? How the hell can the team get rid of the power hitters while making the comment of needed to play small ball and manufacture runs and then be unable to do the very things you set as a priority ?? They need to get someone in that can not only put wood on ball, but hit one out every here or there as well.

Lets name names. Bruce. While it would be nice if he wasn't injured, you know what else would be nice ?? Having your so-called "Best Player" who hits clean up actually play worth a sh*t. Even when he was healthy he didn't do anything worth mentioning and hasn't lived up to his potential and label the club gave him. Volquez. Dude was hurt early and YES, I do think him being out of the lineup for as long as he has cost this club games this year. You can't have an all-star pitcher out of the starting lineup and it NOT affect your team negatively. I will be looking forward to him returning. Votto. I love the guy and God knows how this team fared when he went out of the lineup for that period of time when dealing with his issues. I'm gald he got everything resolved and is another bright spot to this team.

Dusty is just not someone I look at and am happy with as a manager. While other managers may not have done better, some of his decisions are just baffling. He still makes bad decisions with the younger pitchers and I think at times, cost us games due to those decisions. Example, leaving Owings in the game to long and end up see him taking the loss instead of pulling him after a solid 5 or 6 innings of work and turning it over to the bullpen. There were more, but that's AN example. Anyway, I would like to see Baker gone, but believe he will be back for the following season.

The biggest bright spot not on the field ?? Jocketty. I have a lot of faith in him to build a solid winning team and will continue to give him some time. This offseason should be interesting as there are a bunch of players that are due to be free agents, signed one year deals, or are up for arbitration. I think there might be some trades and some turnover and while I would rather see some continutity, something needs to be done and sitting and waiting for that continuity when things are this bad isn't the plan of attack I think will work.

Sorry for the long winded post, but that's a good start for me there...

[semiotter]

Great comments in Fay's blog this morning:

"If I'm running the team, Drew Stubbs is playing center field and leading off Tuesday night. He's gets a six-week trial to prove himself. Brandon Phillips goes to shortstop, and the Todd Frazier experiment at second base moves to the majors. Wladimir Balentien plays every day."

This team cannot be fixed with scrap heap FAs like Willy Taveras. Get Stubbs and Frazier up here to figure out what we have before June next year.

I like your thinking Dude!!

[redsbengalsbucks]

Baker is a horrible manager!!

You put Tony Laroussa with this talented young team and they make a shot at the playoffs everytime. Baker has no clue how to manage a game from the SP to the bullpen to pitch hitting, he has consistently shown a lack of knowledge of when and where to make moves.

I was at the game Sat. He pulled Cueto in the third inning (a little late to actually help the situation) Wells comes in and cleans up the mess. Guess who is the first batter to come up in the bottom of the inning, Wells, the pitcher any good manager makes a double switch here to have a chance at a comeback inning. Blind luck would have it that Wells did get a single, but you play the numbers in situations like that and dont just cross your fingers and pray.

It has been said here many times about the Bengals front office, but I see it more as a management style for Baker. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.

Ship him out and find a good game manager, if they dont the young talent on this team is going to go to waste next year also.

[ArmyBengal]

Speaking of that young talent that I think still gives Reds fans something to look forward, you still have to like players like Hanigan, Gomes, and Dickerson who have had a bunch of playing time and you can add Balentein to the mix as well even though he hasn't had much time.

My bigger concern, once again, is the pitching. Volquez had Tommy John surgery. Something is just not right with Harang and even if you support his claim of not enough run support and give him 4 more wins, he still has a poor record. Add that to last year's "fluke" and something needs to be done with one of the top two paid players. Arroyo is also in the mix of being one of the top paid players and while he has had streaks of being very good, he's had streaks of being HORRIBLE. The only bright spot in the starters rotation is Lehr, who's 2-0 in his last 4 starts and minus a bullpen snafu, he's 3-0. He's the only pitcher that has started a game for the Reds that currently has a winning record. SAD. Does anyone still think Homer is the "phenom" on the edge of being something HUGE in the majors ?? Sorry, but I don't. The pitching has to be addressed again.