If you’re my age (31), you’ve seen absolutely zero Reds success in your lifetime. While you hear stories of the 90’s Wire to Wire, as well as see the history of the Big Red Machine dominance, I and many others who are 31-ish and below have seen zero success from the Reds. While I continue to watch every game, you can’t expect this generation and those after me to continue to have interest in one of the worst organizations in history.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the Reds, Phil and Bob Castellini, and others throughout the management of the club, but man – something has to change. It’s not a money problem, look at the Brewers and Cardinals. It’s an overall problem that needs addressed and new faces throughout the entire organizational structure. When you haven’t won a playoff series in my lifetime, you’re losing out on generations of fans and ruining the once very prideful Cincinnati fan stature. This city loves their baseball, but they’d really love it if this team found a way to put together a winning ball club…and I am not talking about a team that barely squeezes in the playoffs because the Mets have a spiraling downfall like last season either. I want this team to have real success. .500 baseball and below is all too common in Cincinnati. I just want this team to be figure it out already.
Negatives
· My mental state every time this team goes to the bullpen – it’s the worst in baseball.
· Reds are 2-8 in their last 10 games.
· Cincinnati blew leads in all three games against the Cardinals and got swept.
· Walks will haunt – Cincinnati walked batter after batter.
· It’s been 13 years since the Reds had a better finishing record than 84-78. Mediocre baseball at its best.
· Two wins against the NL Central…two! 2-13 against your rivals. Wonder why every other team has a winning record? Look no further than them playing Cincinnati.
· Francona is mismanaging the depleted bullpen on top of their struggles.
· I don’t see the Reds being buyers at the deadline – downhill from here, as the Reds still have a ton of games against the Brewers.
Positives
· The Reds had the same record of 31-33 this time last season.
· Hunter Greene, Pierce Johnson, and Elly De La Cruz should all join the team in the upcoming weeks.
· JJ Bleday and Spencer Steer are All-Star caliber players. Those two, Elly, and Chase Burns are the only players worthy of an All-Star vote.
· Blake Dunn is continuing to produce and is driving the ball up the middle and making plays with his speed on the pads and in the outfield. He is batting .300 in 90 at-bats. That’s a solid sample size.
Random Reds Facts
· Cincinnati hosted the first major league baseball night game in in 1935. My great grandma would’ve been 28 years old. I am sure that was major news.
· The Cincinnati Reds were the first team to travel by airplane – 1934!
· The Reds had their team thrown out of the league for serving beer in the late 1800s.
· It took 6,829 career plate appearances before Joey Votto hit an infield pop-up to first base. He went over a decade without hitting an infield pop-up there. He popped out to first base for the first time in 2019.
· Adam Dunn hit 38 or more home runs in seven consecutive seasons – tied with Babe Ruth for the second longest streak in history. He also hit a ball 535 feet and it landed in the Ohio River.
· Macho Man Randy Savage played for the Cincinnati Reds system and also spent time with the Cardinals as a catcher and outfielder.
Leave a Reply