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Something that occurred to me last night:
I don’t know if it is due to the nature of my job (and the things I see on a daily basis), or just because the Reds had such an enjoyable season last year and seem to be on the right track, generally…but over the last few years, I have lost the ability to get outraged over every single thing that goes wrong for this team during a long season.
I read some of the comments made about this team after a loss – especially on Twitter – and I am amazed. Simply amazed.
If you are one of the fans who goes nuts over every single loss, or calls for the manager to be fired twice a week, or who wants a different player demoted to AAA every few days: God bless you. It isn’t my business to tell any fan how to cheer for their team. We are all Reds fans here, after all. However we choose to root, we all want the same thing: a Cincinnati Reds World Series.
I still watch every game, but I can’t live and die with every dumb decision made by Dusty, or every strikeout by Jonny Gomes. I’m beaten down by the relentless negativity (some of which is borne out of sheer idiocy), I admit it. I just don’t understand those fans who give up hope after a bad road trip in May, or decide that the season is over with 4+ months to go.
In the end, this organization is in pretty good shape. The big picture looks good to me. Forgive me if I’m not outraged every single minute of every single day by the (admittedly very) poor play of my favorite baseball team.
The glass is still half-full…in my opinion, of course.
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Okay, rant over. Just had to get that off my chest.
I couldn’t have said it any better myself, Chad. There is a reason I don’t listen to sports radio, but unfortunately that kind of panic, lunacy, etc. spill over into twitter and message boards from time to time. I don’t know if it’s age, the winning from last year or what it is really, but I just don’t have the stomach for it any more. If last year taught us anything it’s that it’s a long season. Of course the west coast road trip (felt like one anyway) was hard to watch, but to call for Dusty’s head, etc. is just babytown frolic. Babytown frolic, I tell you!
The Reds have had more than their share of bad luck thus far this season. They just have to ride it out and see what happens.
Hey, Chad, here’s a comment from Anthony Rizzo at SI.com a few days ago regarding possible call ups to the majors:
SP Mike Leake, Reds — He is the probable starter Friday for the demoted Edinson Volquez. Leake is worth adding back in deeper leagues, perhaps even mixed formats because the Reds can score (despite what Volquez thinks) and are a solid contender.
Here ia an uninterested party who obviously believes the Reds will be in the mix for the long haul this season. All of the pitching injuries the team has recently suffered along with the couple of exra inning games has put a strain on the pitching staff lately. And it shows in the record of the recent road trip. This was going to be a tough trip anyway with facing the top two pitching staffs in the league in Atlanta and Philadelphia.
The amazing thing is everyone believe the Reds were deep in starting pitching this year, including all of the experts. It’s early enough in the season that the Reds can still bounce back.
That was a good rant. The season is not even close to being over. Player slumps happen often and when the guys we have start clicking we’ll be getting wins like noboy’s business. The Reds played .500 baseball last year the whole season except for 2 months. Those 2 months made the biggest difference in the season because ofthe Reds extraordinary play. There is one thing that bugged me last year and is still bugging me this year, and that is Dusty Baker. The way he handles pitchers boggles my mind. Dusty will sacrifice wins for saving a few innings on a guys arm. He only plays matchups. If Masset is throunf lights out, he’ll take him out in an instant to get the “proper” matchup.We’ve lost seven 1-run games in a row. Some of that comes down to piching and our lack of clutch hitting. But some of it has to do with the fact that we are getting out coached. Either way, I root for the Reds no matter what and believe that we have the talent to win the division this year. But when we are going through a rough patch, that’s when good decisions are critical, and the decision making hasn’t been very good.
THANK YOU, Chad. Right there with you. When the Reds lose, sure, I’m disappointed, but I just finished watching baseball for three hours or so. Even if my team doesn’t win, that’s still better than, say, working. Or mowing the lawn. Or especially shoveling snow.
And I agree, the big picture still looks good. There’s a long way to go this year. And if push comes to shove, well, most of the team is still under Reds control next year too. Not that I’m giving up on this year, but the short term future still looks bright.
What gets annoying for me is the sort of drive-by commentary from posters that passes for analysis. I can’t remember the last time anyone around here talked about pitch sequences and location. That’s 70% of the game, and frankly, most people have no clue about. Instead, they assign more importance to things that have nothing to do with winning or losing at the major league level. Yes, we’re all fans, and that means we don’t have to be objective all the time. But let’s at least try to make statements that are sincere.
Thanks, Chad. A well-written (and well-timed) rant.
Thanks! I agree wholeheartedly. My heart sinks when I watch something go wrong and I jump up and fist-pump when something goes right……but I just can’t get into the talk-radio mode of fandom. I’ll just keep listening to Marty, mentally blocking out his more absolutist rants, and keep rooting for the good guys on into the bright future.
@Sultan of Swaff: You are right on with the pitch sequence comment. How many ahead in the count and and first pitch long balls did the Reds give up on this futile road trip? Several that I recall without checking back. That is not to mention the 0-2 (lead off I believe) double by Ruiz that turned into a run for the Pfils the 19 inning game; and I maybe missed some others off the top of my head.
Those are mental lapses, physical carelessness, or the other team simply being better prepared and inside the Reds collective heads.
Losing is a part of life, for everyone except Yankee fans.
“What matters most is how well you walk through the fire.” -C. Bukowski
(Standing at my desk, applauding.)
Great post, Chad, but a couple things. I too believe the big picture is good and that we’re a solid contender for this season. And I don’t get as upset by losses and losing streaks as in the past, because I have more confidence in this team.
But an important role of this blog for me (and I’m sure others) is psychological release after a tough loss, and having Reds fans to share it with (I live in NY). So I’m not going to call for Dusty to be fired, and I haven’t called for anyone to be demoted to AAA, but during this road trip I have used RLN to express what made me unhappy after the tough losses.
One reason I participate on this blog (and no other) is because most of the people on it have lives: interesting careers, a lot of interests, etc. They’re not people who invest their self-esteem in a baseball team.
Anyway, back to the Reds, a 2-8 road trip and 5 games back in May is not a big deal. WJ needs to make a move or two to shore up some holes, and he will.
Evryone has posted such level headed responses here. This is probably why I have pretty much stopped reading John Fay’s blog—-so many of the people there are hostile idiots!
I’m a baseball fan and a lifelong Reds fan. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to understand and accept that I have absolutely no control over baseball. I was so disgusted when the SECOND PLACE Marlins won the series in ’97 that I mostly took the ’98 season off and didn’t pay close attention until later in the year—-wich means I missed the early season contributions of Ricardo Jordan, Marc Kroon and Rick Krivda. And now, I’m a better man for it!
Besides, it’s not like following politics. As I used to say, back when the Reds were regularly losing and Bush was in the White House, I’m a Democrat and a Reds fan; sometimes life just isn’t enjoyable. When Phillips got picked off second for talking to Rollins, it will not cause me physical harm the way political disasters like the burial of the public healthcare option has done. Baseball—-even badly played baseball—-is my refuge from the quap that will screw up my life
On another subject, Chapman had another bad outing last nite. It’s not just a matter of relief vs. starting pitcher at this point. If he’s rushed back to the major leagues, it could impede his progress, or – to put it differently – mess the guy up for years.
It’s more clear than ever that he should be at AAA starting, learning to pitch (not just throw) in a reduced pressure situation.
@pinson343: All good points, pinson.
My comments were largely directed to the Twitter/talk radio mouthbreathers. For the most part, the debate here at RN is reasoned and measured. Talking about “what made me unhappy after the tough losses” is great…it’s why RN is here. Sure, we will occasionally have the fly-by-night commenter who says something nutty, but this rant is not really directed at the regulars here at RN.
Overreacting every time something unlucky happens is what is killing me.
@Python Curtus: Great comment. Bad decisions by the President of the US (I won’t politicize my statement by giving an example) are a whole lot more serious and aggravating than a bad decision by Dusty. And sometimes I feel silly when I’m aggravated by a Reds loss and then learn about people losing their lives and homes due to a tornado or some other disaster.
BTW, I wrote this rant last night on my phone (and scheduled it to publish this morning). I was in bed, reading through twitter before hitting the hay, and I just had to say something.
@Python Curtus: PS I too have never bought in to 2nd place teams winning the WS. Baseball is about the 162 game grind, only the teams that win that grind should be in the postseason.
And with all the postseason off days, a team’s depth is only tested in the regular season.
But these are questions of revenue vs. the integrity of the game, and we know how that goes every time.
I’m emotionally engaged during and shortly after the game (in any sport). Decided a few years ago it was silly to link my happiness to truly insignificant events such as a ballgame in which I have absolutely no control over. Life is too short.
Baseball needs a bye-week like the NFL as the Reds could use one right about now.
This obviously is not a critical series coming up against the Brew Crew but if they play like they have the last 12 games and continue to do so, each subsequent series get’s a little more do-or-die. Until they get straightened out and I’m assuming at some point they will. Just hope we are not looking up at the Cards, Brewers and the Pirates at that point.
On the other hand, if they sweep the next three games, then we are on another page altogether.
nllspc; Exactly.
I could not agree more….Sure I am too disappointed when my Reds lose to but it is ONLY MAY….If this was happening in July or August then there would be cause to be worried…..So far we have played pretty well in the division…(Exclude the Pirates)……. I think when we look at August and September we are gonna see the Reds and the Cardinals slugging it out to the end!
The bad luck won’t last forever, some extraordinarily out-of-the-ordinary bad things have happened to this club. Things will turn around shortly.
No matter what happens, I always tell myself this: at least I’m not a Cardinals or Cubs fan.
AMEN! ‘Nuff said
Sorry but as long as Dusty is driving this ship I just don’t think this season the “players” can win in spite of him as they did last year. He continues to put them in difficult situations and such. Also I don’t see anything from our GM. He made little to no attempt to “actually” address our needs in the offseason and he is allowing our good young minor league talent to sit there and age and either not be allowed to come up and prove themselves or continue to deminish their trade value as they age. sorry when you have those two strikes and a third strike of the injury bug, then sorry but I think we are doomed to a middle of the pack result this season.
@shadow32: If you guys were mad at me before, this might get me kicked off the site—but I find the “at least I’m not a Cards or Cubs fan” kind of juvenile. Perhaps it’s because I’m a Bengals fan too, but it’s gotta be tough to be a Cubs fan, never winning, being so close, etc. I feel fortunate that I’ve seen my baseball team win a World Series, in ’90, when I was old enough to appreciate it. As to Cards fans, I envy them. Their team has had a lot of success. Are Reds fans really “better” than Cards fans? Are people really that different? There are probably a lot of obnoxious fans for both teams, and a lot of good fans for both teams.
On the other hand, my dad is a Yankees fan and his answering machine message says “I’ll call you back as soon as the Yankees win another world series”, and I want to smack him. Spoiled rotten.
Here, here. Well said Chad!
Lance M had this on his web site looking at what present and past Reds GM’s have done…interesting list..
Jim Bowden (2)
Joey Votto, draft, 2nd round, 2002
Ryan Hanigan, non-drafted free agent, 2002
Dan O’Brien (9)
Homer Bailey, draft, 1st round, 2004
Paul Janish, draft, 5th round, 2004
Phillippe Valiquette, draft, 7th round, 2004
Jay Bruce, draft, 1st round, 2005
Travis Wood, draft, 2nd round, 2005
Sam LeCure, draft, 4th round, 2005
Carlos Fisher, draft, 11th round, 2005
Logan Ondrusek, draft, 13th round, 2005
Johnny Cueto, non-drafted free agent, 2004
Juan Francisco, non-drafted free agent, 2004
Wayne Krivsky (11)
Drew Stubbs, draft, 1st round, 2006
Chris Valaika, draft, 3rd round, 2006
Jordan Smith, draft, 6th round, 2006
Chris Heisey, draft, 17th round, 2006
Todd Frazier, draft, 1st round, 2007
Zach Cozart, draft, 2nd round, 2007
Jeremy Horst, draft, 21st round, 2007
Jared Burton, Rule 5, 2006 (**60 day DL)
Brandon Phillips trade, 2006
Bronson Arroyo, trade, 2006
Edinson Volquez, trade, 2007
Matt Maloney, trade, 2007
Francisco Cordero, free agent, 2007
Bill Bray, trade, 2006
Darryl Thompson, trade, 2006
Walt Jocketty (15)
Yasmani Grandal, 1st round, 2010
Mike Leake, draft, 1st round, 2009
Ramon Hernandez, trade, 2008
Yonder Alonso, draft, 1st round, 2008
Scott Rolen, trade, 2009
Kris Negron, trade, 2009
Tom Cochran, minor league free agent, 2009
Jonny Gomes, free agent, 2009
Miguel Cairo, free agent, 2010
Edgar Renteria, free agent, 2011
Jeremy Hermida, free agent, 2011
Nick Masset, trade, 2008
Jose Arredondo, free agent, 2010
Aroldis Chapman, free agent, 2010
Fred Lewis, free agent, 2011
Krivsky
With the promotion of Jeremy Horst there are now 8 of Wayne Krivsky’s draft picks that have made it to the major leagues
Justin Turner, draft, 7th round, 2006 (traded in R. Hernandez deal/now with Mets)
Josh Roenicke, draft, 10th round, 2006 (traded in Rolen deal)
Drew Stubbs, draft, 1st round, 2006
Chris Valaika, draft, 3rd round, 2006
Jordan Smith, draft, 6th round, 2006
Chris Heisey, draft, 17th round, 2006
Jeremy Horst, draft, 21st round, 2007
Todd Frazier, draft, 1st round, 2007
Hey Chad I don’t twitter but I do post on different blogs and I do play GM. Especially when older players are not performing and holding back AAA talent. Keep Cairo and dump any everyday player over 30. We’re stuck with an aging Rolen. Come middle of June and the Reds are still stumbling do you think Renteria, Lewis or Hernandez (age 35) will be the ones putting up over the top? I like Lewis and Hernandez but the young maturing players the Reds have in AAA can get on a streak and help get this lineup in sync.
Hermida .356…Fransico .326…Dorn .313…Alonso .300… Mesoraco .295 Frazier .282 Valaika .272 with Sappelt & Cozart on the DL.
And another thing Chad when Bruce isn’t batting 4th yet do you expect us just to keep quiet. ESPN (Valentine) said it last night no need to worry about batting order being left right left right that only comes into play with the bullpen..Meanwhile Votto his lefty at a .400 and Bruce .350. Meanwhile a singles hitter is batting 4th and you wonder why Votto can’t get anything to hit? We should all just shut up for you.
It’s a tough stretch with injurys to the pitchers but sooner or later the Reds need to hit with more power and old guys can’t do that. Just a fact!
There’s no future Red in AA with that lineup so keep the young good players you have in AAA and bring them up. The Twins would love to take them off our hands. They could replace half their lineup with Louisville guys. They have nothing to trade though.
@Dave Lowenthal: Nah, not mad at you, Dave. For me, it’s all in good fun and it’s part of being a fan. I don’t take any of it too seriously as far as “hating” any other team, any player, or any other fan of a team, is concerned. My Dad has been a huge Cardinals fan for 40 years and, believe me, I’ve taken my share of abuse.
Honestly, there are guys on every team that I like to watch and who I respect. I’d never seriously think less of somebody because they love a certain baseball team. That won’t stop me from getting a little ribbing in every now and then to my friends who are Cubs fans.
Chad – you, sir, are my new hero, and will remain so until such time as someone else says something that I agree with so incredibly much. Yahtzee!!
Late to the party after vacation… but great post Chad. Thanks.