Loading ...We just got swept by the Nationals. The Reds are back in last place. I can’t deal with it any longer.
Here’s a game thread. Enjoy tonight’s titanic struggle against the Pirates. Should be a barn-burner.
On a positive note, at reds.com this morning, they had a picture of Edwin Encarnacion in which the young guy was smiling:
I’d like to see more of that, Edwin!
Someone should send that picture to Hal McCoy.
I think Belisle will do the job, dunno why, but he’s uberdue.
Plus, he’s facing the Pirates.
Just in case you folks are interested, I’ve been trying to chronicle Encarnacion’s Smiling Frequency (SmF) here:
http://jinaz-reds.blogspot.com/2007/07/encarnacion-smiles.html
I’m trying to figure out a good way to quantify it. Smiles per game, maybe?
-j
I understand why people want Edwin to be happy, but the Reds are terrible, Mackanin jerks him around every week and pretty much everyone in the media hates him-why should he smile?
RN contributor Chris W and I are at a AA Tennessee Smokies game right now. I love minor league baseball.
Of course, the Reds play at the level of a AA team, and I don’t like that very much.
Brian–
Edwin Encarnacion $407,500
He can smile because he’ll make more than that for the next 10+ years.
He looked pretty reluctant to run out his popup there.
Hatteberg and Griffey homer in the 7th. I feel really bad for Griffey. Barry Bonds will have an asterisk next to all of his stats because of steroids, Griffey will have one because he was never healthy.
Griffey is the man.
Sorry I missed this one tonight. I think the Reds enjoyed not playing in the Washington Dead Zone anymore. Balls actually leave the park in other stadiums.
So who is pitching tomorrow against Matt Morris?
Everyone in the media hates Encarnacion?!?!?! Please. In fact, maybe a month ago I read on Fay’s blog that EE is one of the nicest guys on the team and is always smiling in the clubhouse.
Until Encarnacion quits hitting like a SS he ain’t gonna play everyday. I haven’t looked lately, but his OPS has to be under .700, which again, wouldn’t be bad for a SS.
Honestly, I thought EE could be our 3B for a long time, but after close to 1000 big league AB’s, he doesn’t look any better than he did as a rookie. To me, that raises red flags about his long-term potential.
I think a fair comparison for EE is Aramiz Ramirez. After 561 big league AB’s, he produced a season, 2001, in which he hit .300 with 34 HR’s and 112 RBI’s. He was also 23, a year younger than EE that year.
How about the fact that he’s been jerked around (in and out of the lineup) and bad mouthed in the media (ever listen to a ball game?)? Is this the way to get the best out of a player?
Jerked around might be an excuse if he were in little league. He’s 24 and has almost 1000 big league AB’s.
Encarnacion hasn’t been jerked around at all. In fact, he’s been given an opportunity that only a handful of guys on the Reds roster can say they had: Griffey and Dunn off of the top of my head, and possibly Gonzalez. As far as I know, that’s it.
So after 1000 big league AB’s, here’s what I can say about Encarnacion: he doesn’t do anything above average and projects as an average big-leaguer, but not a guy you don’t challenge with competition.
I really, really hope he turns into Aramis Ramirez and proves me wrong.
Partial playing time in 4 seasons..he’s yet to get 500 ABs in a season, despite playing very well in the minors at a young age. He’s been jerked in and out of the lineup like a yo-yo for at least 2 years for players that aren’t as good as he is (Castro, Keppinger, etc). Sounds like being jerked around to me.
Castro is a defensive replacement, so that’s a straw man.
I have always preferred EE over Freel, although when Freel is producing at leadoff you find a way to get him in.
Keppinger is hot so you ride that hot bat for a while. Long term, I prefer EE over Keppinger, though.
You’re pretty much nitpicking on the 500 AB’s in a season. EE’s gotten plenty of AB’s for a guy with little power despite his home ball park, no speed, average at best defensive skills and a .261 career batting average.
Although EE is no better than average at any of the 5 tools, the Reds don’t have anyone any better.
I’m just saying that they shouldn’t stop looking, and I don’t mind Mac playing the hot hand at 3B.