Loading ...The Reds begin a nine-game road trip tonight in San Francisco. Aaron Harang will be on the mound for the good guys, facing Jonathan Sanchez.
We’re all trying to stay positive, despite some really poor play by the Reds thus far in 2008. Let’s hope tonight marks the beginning of a turnaround…though the Reds traditionally have not had a great deal of success on the left coast.
Discuss it here….
On a note completely unrelated to the game, I just came across Drew Stubbs’ stats for this year. Dude’s kind of tearing it up, albeit in Sarasota.
.338 AVG; .412 OBP; .898 OPS; 11 Steals and 0 Caught Stealing
Still very early and entirely too many strikeouts, 23 in less than 90 PAs.
Even so, Stubbs has shown significant improvement dating back to last year when he started to “choke up”. Not yet sold that his bat speed translates to the Pros but if it can, he is your CF and lead-off hitter of the future. Good news is he seems to walk a fair bit and thus has had decent OBPs in the minors, though his batting averages have left much to be desired.
If the production continues, would expect Stubbs to see some time in AA this year. He is still but 23.
Re: Stubbs
I was thinking about taking a peak at Reds OFers earlier. So I just glanced and calculated OPS+ for each. (prospects in bold)
167 Hairston Jr., Jerry AAA,MAJ
160 *Jones, Keltavious L-A
142 *Cumberland, Shaun AA
135 *Bruce, Jay AAA
134 Henry, Sean H-A,AA
128 Stubbs, Drew H-A
117 Szymanski, B.J. AA
111 *Patterson, Corey MAJ
108 Phipps, Denis L-A
107 Strait, Cody AA
104 *Dunn, Adam MAJ
104 *Griffey Jr., Ken MAJ
103 Heisey, Chris H-A
83 *Anderson, D. T. AAA
78 *Dickerson, Chris AAA
76 Hopper, Norris MAJ
76 Freel, Ryan MAJ
72 *Dorn, Daniel AA
70 *Reed, Justin L-A
69 Soto, Luis H-A
54 Kainer, Carson H-A
46 Menchaca, Brandon L-A
Jesus. Freel’s an absolute idiot.
I really can’t take much more of Freel. Jeesh.
The whole team is playing bush league level right now.
I’m glad to see Stubbs putting up numbers, but it’s hard to really evaluate him based purely on numbers, perhaps more than other prospects. This is because his biggest problem/weakness is making contact. If he has a problem, it could be magnified at higher levels.
Whiffing 25% of the time is worrisome, though not absolutely fatal. Dunn’s at 26.5% for his career; Pat Burrell is 23.8%.
I read somewhere this week (discussing Jack Cust, I think) that Ryan Howard’s 38% K-rate is about as high as you can go and still be productive.
Baker continues to impress me. I think it’s just how transparent he is about what he’s doing — the stuff is common sense, but you never heard Narron say this stuff.
Baker said he’s not going to have a team meeting, but rather have mini-meetings with groups. He said he already talked to Dunn and Jr, to tell them to be more assertive. He said he was going to tell certain other guys not to try so hard to force things to happen (I was picturing BP and Freel). Guess he should’ve scheduled Freel’s meeting first.
On the bright side, I just turned on the Cubs game for the first time tonight, just in time to see the Nationals hit a game-winning home run (scoring Kearns, coincidentally). It’s always nice to see the Cubs lose!
By the way, the Giants are as bad a team as has taken the field in the NL in a long time. The Reds need to sweep this series, or at least take 2 of 3.
Harang looks pretty tough through two innings.
Boy, Votto really has a clue at the plate. Even when he gets out, he just looks like he knows what he’s doing up there.
As I type that, he Ks, but the point stands.
I love how Grande is acting like Freel was “trying something” or “taking the initiative.” Dude was playing the same stupid baseball he’s played for 5 years.
Yeah, I’m completely sick of the Ryan Freel act. It’s tiresome.
Man, David Ross sucks.
Aaron Harang is a much better pitcher than he is a hitter.
You know what, though: Harang is MILES better than he was a couple years ago. That one year, he went 2 for 74 or some such.
BP calculated that he cost himself something like 10 runs, over a year, compared to a normal crappy-hitting pitcher. He can at least get his bunts down now.
True, but he’s still clueless.
The Reds really need to ditch these road caps with the black bill. I can’t stand ‘em.
Agreed. I read on Uni Watch that the coaches now have red-billed helmets. That’s a start.
Where’s the offense?! Eesh, this team sure is difficult to watch. There’s no way they should go into San Francisco without expecting to sweep if they hope to be competitive at all this year.
Making yet another LHP seem deserving of the Cy Young through 4.
I agree, fellas. I’m ready to see some runs. This is getting old.
Sanchez is legit, though.
I know everybody bitched a couple years ago when we scored a lot but couldn’t get anyone out. At least that stuff was interesting to watch. This club gets down 3 runs and it’s game over.
Freel with a pointless dive. “I love Freel, he hustles.”
We’re down 1-0 now. Game is probably over, I guess.
Agreed, it’s sad but as soon as the Giants scored that run I figure that could easily be it for the Reds tonight.
There’s no way, with the offensive players the Reds have, that I should even remotely think that…and yet, night after night the Reds don’t put up any offense. Frustrating isn’t a strong enough word anymore.
It’s gotta turn around sometime…doesn’t it?
Dunn is the popup king lately.
Another 1-2-3 inning, and the Reds go down meekly in the fifth. Sheesh.
Griffey is no longer a No. 3 hitter. That’s ok, by the way. He’s been in the league for 20 years. Can you think of any other player not on steroids batting in the prime spot of the order after 20 in the big leagues? Time to suck up the egos and move him down.
Agree.
Brian Bocock has a funny name.
The only Red that can even buy a “lucky” hit right now is Harang… Freel looks absolutely lost, I actually wish Patterson would lead off instead of Freel/Farney.
Re: Freel’s pointless dive.
He missed that ball by at least 3 feet.
is that what the Reds announcers call “hustle”.
Giants announcers said “no comment”
Another Cy Young-esque performance by an opposing pitcher…
Giants doubled their lead…and I’m out. (Yeah, it’s only 2 runs, but the Reds haven’t proven they can score 1 run…let alone 2). I hope I wake up in the morning proven wrong…but I doubt it. *sigh*
This team has zero player leadership.
what is
“player leadership”?
Does Freel even play in the majors? Did you see that throw?
I just cannot understand why Jay Bruce is not playing Center.
To bed.
FREE BRUCE!!!!!
FREE BRUCE!!!!!
FREE BRUCE!!!!!
and Bailey while we’re at it
At least we’re in business in the 9th…
Or not.
Last I checked, 30 HR and 93 RBI was #3 hitter material. He’s got 15 ribbies this year, and looks to be headed for 100 (of course you have to add, if he stays healthy). He’s not the old Griffey, but who you gonna hit 3rd, Dunn or Phillips? BP maybe in the future, but not at the moment.
Last place. UGH.
Now I’m glad I didn’t stay up for the game. This offense is terrible. I sure hope they turn it around.
If the Reds continue to lose, I’d like to see them bring up the younguns and let them play. Put Bruce in CF and Bailey at the end of the rotation. Do we have anyone in the organization who can play SS and be a legitimate leadoff hitter? What about Vaikala? I don’t know much about him.
Do we have anyone in the organization who can play SS and be a legitimate leadoff hitter?
We have at least one SS who would make a good leadoff hitter.
Keppinger
Valaika is nowhere near ready (think 2 years minimum) and there is disagreement whether he’s a SS or not. I think he played 2B in the Hawaii Winter League.