Loading ...The Reds go for the sweep of the Bucs today in an afternoon affair at PNC Park. Bronson Arroyo will go back to the mound, hoping to continue his hot streak at the expense of the Pirates.
Discuss the game here. I won’t be watching or listening. I’m in South Carolina, and I’ll be playing golf at game time. Sorry.
“Businessman’s Special” day games are a pain for us normal folks.
By the time I’m done with school kids for the day, Bronson — backed by better run support and improved defense — will have prevailed.
I’m relieved to see that the CF and SS are hitting 1-2 in the lineup again.
GO REDS!!!
I wonder if Dusty bought a whole pad of 162 lineup cards at the beginning of the year, already pre-printed down the left side:
CF -
SS -
1B -
2B -
3B -
RF -
LF -
C -
P -
That would’ve been very efficient and forward-thinking of him.
Taveras back at leadoff. I guess Dusty feels bad about crushing the Pirates the past two nights and wants to slow our offense down.
That would’ve been very efficient and forward-thinking of him. That’s our Dusty. “Big time.” I love it when he says that. Dusty “Big Time” Baker.
Willy Taveras is back where he belongs in the leadoff spot!
I just died a little after I said that
God, I want this guy to FAIL.
Whew…good job Willy, no need to clog the bases this early in the game.
YESSSSSS!
Isn’t that what he’s been doing all season?
I love how Paul Janish doesn’t hit enough but Alex Gonzalez who has a career OBP lower than Janish does and got to play everyday no questions asked.
How did Sutton get doubled off? Was he running on the pitch, or was there some stupidity involved?
It’s not on TV. The radio made it sound like he took off thinking it was going to drop and instead it was caught.
WILLY making his case to be opening day starter. Dusty should just use permanent marker to put Taveras in starting lineup, hitting leadoff.
Throw away that pencil Dusty.
He could etch it in a stone tablet, like the 10 Commandments.
Drew Sutton! Attaboy.
I really like the idea of a switch-hitting middle infielder with pop. I wish he’d assert himself and prove that he’s more than just a utility player. So far, he’s been quite bad, though in very limited and sporadic playing time, thanks to Dusty who I think has already decided that, yes, he is indeed nothing more than utility. Maybe he’s right… I dunno…
@Jimmy: Dusty’s lineups burn… and yet are not consumed…
Votto! Phillips! Rock on!
Phillips is going to get his 100 RBI this year, isn’t he? Good for him. He’s been productive and he really is out there every day.
And it’s not like he hit .250 in the minors. In 08 he hit .317 with a .408 OBP with 20 homers and 20 steals. He’s .280/.380 for his career in the minors with seasons of 15,16 & 20 HR’s. Personally I think if they weren’t going to get him regular playing time then he should have spent the season in AAA.
@Eddie: Sutton is part of the reason I wanted to try Phillips at SS. I thought Sutton could’ve been a decent everyday 2B… or at least I’d like to find out if he could be!
B/c you’re right — I like his minor league hitting stats a LOT. (Though, admittedly, his best year was in AA in the Texas League, which is a serious hitters’ league I think.)
Bronson era is now under 4!
LMAO.:twisted: Dusty cast out the sodomites.
I’m really not sure what kind of SS Phillips would be but in 05 in AAA he had 21 errors in 112 games. I don’t like to go completely by errors but it’s the only info I have that tells me anything about what Phillips did at SS in the past.
Unfortunately, the window of opportunity to try out Phillips at SS and see what can be seen has effectively closed for the season. Unless they do it in spring training I guess.
@Eddie: True – and it may not work. We have no way of knowing b/c Dusty just won’t try it!
Brandon’s minor league stats at SS may or may not be meaningful — 2005 was a long time ago now, and minor league fields are worse than MLB fields are, so it’s hard to say.
We’d need to go into the experiment open-minded, and willing to switch back if it’s not looking good for Brandon at SS… but I think there’s a decent chance he’d be good there.
But I’ve given up on this team doing anything the least bit creative or risky or unconventional. They seem content to do everything by-the-book, with below-average players, and just take their 75 wins a year and go home.
Personally I think you’ll see The Reds stay the same until after mid-season next year. Then they will either add a player (probably by trading Alonso/Francisco etc) or selling off guys. Which probably includes the likes of Gomes, Arroyo, Harang, Phillips & Cordero.
Gotta love all those anonymous scouts who declared Arroyo as an untradeable albatross 2 months ago. Gheesh. That’s all we heard.
Bronson is my son’s favorite player and a guy I want on the team next season. 34 starts and 200 inning pitchers don’t grow on trees, especially for small market teams.
Agreed. The trading deadline next season will have huge implications for the Reds future. If they have a poor 1st half, we’ll be able to see the glow of the fire sale from space.
I’ve really got no problem with that either because we really don’t know what we have. Can Janish hit? Will Gomes have a repeat performance? Can Stubbs hack it in the majors…can Bruce? Have Bailey & Cueto turned the corner? Not to mention guys like Francisco, Heisey & Alonso who could all find themselves at the major league level.
If Arroyo melts down, Dusty does not take him out until tying run is on second.
It does put you on a clear path toward a sustainable rebuilding. Damn. There we go again. Another rebuilding. This got old 5 years ago.
For the sake of my sanity I hope they get out of the gate well. I think we can. I have a lot of faith in the pitching, especially Homer. What I don’t have faith in is Janish. It’s near impossible to trade for a good glove/high obp SS, so unless we move Phillips, I have my doubts this offense will reach its potential. Again, we don’t need to score like the Yankees, just be league average.
It’s nice to see that biblical comments can be made without my input.
But as far as the ten commandments being etched in stone like Dusty’s lineup cards, even the original tablets were broken and had to be remade. Where’s a golden calf when you need one?
Now I know I’m a big-time nay-sayer regarding Juan Francisco (I don’t think he’ll ever be any good due to his abysmal K-to-BB ratio)… but now that he’s up here and the games are meaningless… can we see how he’d do at 3B?
Why do we keep running Rolen out there every day? Let’s see what Francisco is all about at the MLB level. I’d like to know and, frankly, I’d love to be proven wrong! I don’t think it does anybody any good to call him up and just get him a few pinch-hit appearances here and there, while you run your fragile 34-year-old 3B out there every day.
If we can’t find the golden calf, maybe we should slaughter the fatted one because the prodigal son has returned. WILLLLLY!
After 10 years of losing, building an arc would be a wise move.
I think he was called up for one reason, to show off his bat. I don’t think they want to give other teams the idea that he can’t field. If you just see when the guy makes contact it’s impressive.
As a strong supporter of the Rolen trade, I agree that we should be playing Francisco there regularly the last two weeks. Rolen doesn’t need to be out there.
Dusty wants to keep winning, though, for whatever narrow reasons.
Same reasoning – why play Gomes over Bruce?
@Steve: Dusty manages for either selfish or short-sighted reasons (what’s good for winning games in 2009) rather than for reasons that will help us win games in 2010.
OK, nice win. Great job by Bronson again.
Man, I just love it when I’m right.
Sweep, baby. We’re right back in it.
Well, a win’s a win – and it keeps the Reds chances alive for avoiding a losing season for at least one more game…that’s something I suppose at this point.
Two hits or not, why was that freakin’ clown Taveras starting today? I guess all that Dusty talk the other day was nothing more than double speak.
Why does it take Arroyo three months to get on track? From July through the end of the season, he is worth every penny. From April through June, he isn’t worth the league minimum.
Well, one good thing about winning some games now — it proves that the people who have been insisting that something be done about the negative situations at 3B, SS and CF just may have had a point.
Whatever individual opinions or preferences we have about Encarnacion, Rolen, Taveras, Dickerson, Stubbs, Gonzales, Rosales, Janish…. (need I go on?) we’ve all agreed that these spots in particular needed to be stronger, offensively and defensively.
Actually gives me a bit of hope for next season.
The Reds are now 21-10 over the last 31. The only comparable records over that period are by the Yankees and Red Sox.
I like to see Janish play, but I also like to see Sutton play. Dusty has had plenty of chances to play him but would go with Rosales instead. In short, I agree with the multiple comments above about seeing what Sutton can do.
Dusty is obviously and totally managing for the 2009 record. He wants to get as close to .500 as possible, and then say progress was made from 2008.
When I heard BP say a couple of weeks ago that he wants to drive in 100 runs, I cringed, imagining him pressing and overswinging. Instead he’s hitting more “situationally” than before, going for a single if that will get the run in.
I hope he makes it to 100 rbis. To get playing time for Sutton, I would give Rolen a rest (and I like Rolen). Dusty won’t do it though, he’s shooting for those 78-79 wins.
You play to win, that is the objective of playing the game. I want this team to do anything and everything it can to win games. We traded for Rolen to play, not sit the bench.
I only hope Juan Francisco gets hot for a couple of weeks so we can rook the Red Sox for a starter. I think this guy is just Wily Mo Pena the sequel.
i actually think it’s good that the reds are playing for wins. if these young guys get a little taste of winning this year maybe that parlays into a winning attitude next year. winning is contagious you know.
Let’s see, WT goes on the DL. EE gets traded. Gonzo gets traded. Stubbs gets the call. Rolen becomes a Red. 21-10 over the last 31. Anybody else see any thread of commonality? The defense w/Rolen, Janish, Phillips, Votto, Hanigan, and Stubbs has been lights out. Add Bruce to RF and Gomes (only 1 error all season) or Heisley(?) in LF or Dickerson and that’s a line-up that should compete. Starting pitching might be the problem. Bull-pen should be set. Is there hope for 2010?
@hoosierdad: sure, i think there’s hope; as long as cueto and/or bailey don’t have to see the surgeon midseason.
some of you guys have it right on why Dusty is heavily playing his “vets”, its to get the best record for 2009 no matter what and beat last years record to show improvement, he as much said so in recent interview. and sad to say, probably the owner is behind it all at some level so he can send out another letter to the ticket holders about “progress” with the “big-name manager” .
@broadwaydave:
I like wins also, and it’s healthy for the players and the organization. But we do need to find out more about some of our callups. It’s a delicate balance.
Interesting. I was thinking of Balentien as Willy Mo Pena II, but Francisco is closer.
Injuries and a total lack of output by WT, EE and Gonzo sank this season very quickly.
The Defense has been great since Rolen and Janish took over the left side and low and behold to team started winning. I guess you just have to have the RIGHT kind of veteran leadership.
“The Defense has been great since Rolen and Janish took over the left side and low and behold to team started winning. I guess you just have to have the RIGHT kind of veteran leadership.”
If you are going to win using the ol’ “pitching and defense” philosophy, you actually have to have ‘defense’.
You are definitely “preaching to the choir” there, as we have been saying that for months. Nice to see it actually happening.
Francisco is probably Wily Mo v2. Balentien, on the other hand, is what Jay Bruce might be in two years, especially if we start platooning or sitting him, or continually bounce him up and down between Cincy and Louisville.
I’d far rather see whether Bruce flames up or flames out on an every day basis, than fiddle around with him until he finally gets thrown into a meaningless deadline trade, Balentien-style. And if the Reds won’t commit to that, then I’d rather see them trade Bruce this off season.