2011 Cincinnati Reds

[redsrule]

Re: 2011 Cincinnati Reds

Great sweep of the Dodgers. 5-2 on the west coast was good.

[Son of Sam99]

Re: 2011 Cincinnati Reds

Hopefully they can stay back on the horse untill the all star break. Its going to be a log jam at the top, the divisional matchups between Reds, Cards & Brewers will become huge games.

This is the perfect season for the poers that be to takl about realignment. Still a lot of baseball to be played but it looks like at least one of the three NL central leaders is going to be sitting at home while a team out west goes to the playoffs with a worse record.

Also to the earlier point about the Cubs... I so enjoy seeing them lose pathetically all the damn time, they really are bad.

[TheShizNo1]

Hopefully they can stay back on the horse untill the all star break. Its going to be a log jam at the top, the divisional matchups between Reds, Cards & Brewers will become huge games.

This is the perfect season for the poers that be to takl about realignment. Still a lot of baseball to be played but it looks like at least one of the three NL central leaders is going to be sitting at home while a team out west goes to the playoffs with a worse record.

Also to the earlier point about the Cubs... I so enjoy seeing them lose pathetically all the damn time, they really are bad.

I was just looking at the standings yesterday and didn't realize how close everything is. You're right in all those divisional series are gonna matter so much more now.

[SlimKibbles]

Re: 2011 Cincinnati Reds

You want to know why the Reds are finally beating the Yankees at the moment? It's because I'm not there. Went Monday night and they didn't hit worth a crap. Went this afternoon to game 1 of the DH and Freddy Garcia shut them down. I went Saturday against the Jays and they lost that one too. Next predicted loss is against the Tribe on July 2 when I'll be in attendance.

[redsrule]

Re: 2011 Cincinnati Reds

I was at the first game, got free tickets at the Club Level. I was disappointed how they played, at least I had free food the whole time
Hopefully that can jump start there offense.

[slickdtc]

Re: 2011 Cincinnati Reds

Halfway mark of the season: how do you feel about the Reds so far?

Gotta say I'm a bit disappointed. After last year, and the good start to this season, I was really ready for the Reds to ascend and be widely known as a good baseball team and not just a one year wonder. There's still plenty of time for that, we are above .500 and 2 games out in an ultra-competitive NL Central, but I just feel like we kind of missed out on a decent sized lead in the division with everyone else being right around .500 themselves. Being behind the Pittsburgh Pirates hurts a bit, despite them finally playing decent ball too.

It's hard to be too down on the team though after so many years of bad teams. Before last year, being over .500 at the All-Star Break would've been a dream. Expectations were raised and we're a bit short of them so far.

The dog days of summer separate the contenders from the pretenders, though. We have experience from last year, hope everyone stays healthy and I like our chances just as much as anyone else. Honestly, the Phillies are almost a lock to win the National League pennant though. But I wouldn't mind another crack at them.

Hey... Go Reds!

[SlimKibbles]

Re: 2011 Cincinnati Reds

Halfway mark of the season: how do you feel about the Reds so far?

Gotta say I'm a bit disappointed. After last year, and the good start to this season, I was really ready for the Reds to ascend and be widely known as a good baseball team and not just a one year wonder. There's still plenty of time for that, we are above .500 and 2 games out in an ultra-competitive NL Central, but I just feel like we kind of missed out on a decent sized lead in the division with everyone else being right around .500 themselves. Being behind the Pittsburgh Pirates hurts a bit, despite them finally playing decent ball too.

It's hard to be too down on the team though after so many years of bad teams. Before last year, being over .500 at the All-Star Break would've been a dream. Expectations were raised and we're a bit short of them so far.

The dog days of summer separate the contenders from the pretenders, though. We have experience from last year, hope everyone stays healthy and I like our chances just as much as anyone else. Honestly, the Phillies are almost a lock to win the National League pennant though. But I wouldn't mind another crack at them.

Hey... Go Reds!

How do I feel about my Reds? They have above average talent but are playing average. In fact, they aren't all that different from last season's team. One difference in 2011 that I've noticed is that they aren't winning the come-from-behind games. Another difference is the pitching has been inconsistent. The thing is though, like you alluded to, they can still win this division. The Central isn't all that spectacular. However, 90 wins has been the magic number the past 5 years or so in the Central. They are going to need to have a Colorado Rockies-esque run or do what the Giants did last season with in order to reach 90 wins. I don't know if this team is missing a piece necessarily. Maybe a starting pitcher? Do you deal for one or bring someone up? I saw that the D-Train might be coming up from Louisville. What about a flier on Scott Kazmir?

I am disappointed but they're still in this thing. They need a better showing against the Cards starting tomorrow and they really need to win the series this weekend in Milwaukee. Despite the players not panicking, July is a critical month for them. Lots of division opponents and playoff-caliber teams they'll face. Laying an egg will not be good.

[slickdtc]

Re: 2011 Cincinnati Reds

July/August is the most important time of the year, IMO. First half is out of the way, you get a bit of idea of where you're standing, whose a contender and whose playing out the string. This is when a team can really make a move. If you wait until September, it can be way too late.

We put together a pretty sick August last year, if I remember correctly. So I'm hoping they can do the same this year. I feel like it just hasn't clicked yet, we can't seem to be consistent at all. I'm holding out hope that the team will finally "get it," but that may also never happen. I wanna see more Reds playoff baseball!!

[Motown]

Re: 2011 Cincinnati Reds

The person that needs to go is the pitching coach Price. Bring in Jeff Brantely if he's available...maybe throw in a lifetime supply of UDF ice cream & Montgomery Inn Ribs...seriously Price just ain't gettin' the full potential out of his pitching staff imo.Next, Is Hitting coach Jacoby. Stubbs needs to be sent down, we need to find a legit leadoff hitter, & definitely a shortstop. bring up some players i.e. Alonso,Frazier,Cozart,Valaika,etc...& Pitching for God's sake!

[st0rmb11]

Re: 2011 Cincinnati Reds

The person that needs to go is the pitching coach Price. Bring in Jeff Brantely if he's available...maybe throw in a lifetime supply of UDF ice cream & Montgomery Inn Ribs...seriously Price just ain't gettin' the full potential out of his pitching staff imo.Next, Is Hitting coach Jacoby. Stubbs needs to be sent down, we need to find a legit leadoff hitter, & definitely a shortstop. bring up some players i.e. Alonso,Frazier,Cozart,Valaika,etc...& Pitching for God's sake!

came in here to post a similar post.

I see so many people unhappy about Volquez's pitching, Wood's pitching, Arroyo's pitching,..and really everyone but Cueto and Cordero. at some point you have to stop pointing fingers at the pitchers, and look at the pitching coach. Bryan Price clearly is lacking in something when it comes to getting through to these guys or getting his point across, or maybe he just doesn't know what to tell them. if nothing else, maybe just bringing in a new face would help these guys out.

and about Volquez - I thought he went to the minors and made his delivery more compact. you can look at video of one of his more recent starts (June 18 against Toronto), and see that he is using the same delivery he used LAST year before going down to the minors and making his delivery more compact.

Here is a start from 2010 (pre minors assignment)

http://reds.mlb.com/video/play****p?content_id=10523519

and,here is his start against Toronto on June 18.

http://reds.mlb.com/video/play****p?content_id=16053611

Now, look at his delivery from September of last season (when he got called back up and had changed his delivery), and posted a 1.95 ERA in 27 2/3 innings.

http://reds.mlb.com/video/play****p?content_id=11975153

Far less movement in his hands and arms during his wind up. and I'm sure SOMEONE in the organization (Bryan Price, the AAA pitching coach, Dusty Baker, SOMEONE) has to have sat and watched footage or tried to make him do it, but it couldn't hurt for him to try it. of course, I could just be over-analyzing the whole thing.


(just copy the links, replace the **** with . j s (without the spaces between them))

[SlimKibbles]

Re: 2011 Cincinnati Reds

July/August is the most important time of the year, IMO. First half is out of the way, you get a bit of idea of where you're standing, whose a contender and whose playing out the string. This is when a team can really make a move. If you wait until September, it can be way too late.

We put together a pretty sick August last year, if I remember correctly. So I'm hoping they can do the same this year. I feel like it just hasn't clicked yet, we can't seem to be consistent at all. I'm holding out hope that the team will finally "get it," but that may also never happen. I wanna see more Reds playoff baseball!!

I think you're right. I remember feeling after that August series against the Cards here that involved the brawl that they might fade. They ended up doing the direct opposite. September was a crappy month for them though.

[TheShizNo1]

Glad for the win, but man it shouldn't have gotten that far.

[TheShizNo1]

I just knew we were gonna come back tonight. Hopefully we can get the rest and ride into the break w/ momentum.

[redsrule]

Re: 2011 Cincinnati Reds

The Reds make me so upset... I got a nice dent in my parents wall now b/c of them.

[SlimKibbles]

Re: 2011 Cincinnati Reds

The Reds make me so upset... I got a nice dent in my parents wall now b/c of them.

Eventually you'll get one that goes completely through the wall. Keep watching the Reds and you'll get some good practice in.