State of the Cincinnati Reds in Month #1

I've been asked by friends, Why haven't I wrote any thing about my Reds? It because I've been too busy watching them and most of the time finding myself pissed of once i get done watching them night in and night out. One of the best thing about baseball to me, that many people say is actually a bad thing, is that there are so many games and that it is such a long season. Being a Reds fan i'm so used to saying that it's still early, so i'll say it again it still early. What's wrong with them? Well it hard to really put a finger on the main problem, because there are so many. Pitching has look good at times, but horrible most of the time! Hitting, we have had a few good games but other than that they have been non-existence. All around pitching has got off really to an unexpected slow start. As of april 23 in the MLB we rank 29th in runs and earned runs as a pitching staff,28th in ERA with a 6.03 mark, and 25th in walks. The starting pitching hasn't got off to a good start, kind of expected being that guys are not yet at mid-season form but it should be better than it is. The Starters alone has started 16 games with a 1-5 record with a 5.94 ERA. The Starter has not been able to hold leads, they have not been able to pitch deep into games. I'm not sure of the exact rank as far as innings pitched but we are defintely towards the top for inning pitch from the bullpen. The bullpen has been ok for us i guess. They have 49 inning pitched with a 6-4 record, ERA is at 5.78. Not bad at all considering how much slack they have to make up behind starting pitching. The back end has been pretty strong with Coco Cordero caring a 1-1 record with a 3.12 ERA. The one black spot the big blown save he had a week ago on the 16th of April. The hope is that as the season go on and we get deeper in the starting pitching will get better, the only one that really concerns me is Aaron Harang. Man has that guy been struggling. I can only imagine what he's going through, he just can't seem to turn things around. I was excited for him on opening day cause he actually pitched a good game. Albert Pujols was able to beat the reds by himself because the lack of hitting the reds did, but it got worst Harang's second start, and even worst his third start. In 4 starts he is 0-3 with 8.31 ERA. It not look too good for Harang if he keeps up on this pace, I was expecting a turn around this year that's why i pick him up on my fantasy baseball team, but I had no choice but to cut him loose this week. Let's just hope it gets better for him in the month of May.
As for offensively, as a team offense has also started slow. The Reds are rank 19th in the majors in average batting .242 as a team, has the 8th most strikeouts as an offense, and ranks 24th and on base percentage(.327). We only have one everyday starter hitting .300 or better and four everyday starters hitting well under .250 not going to win a lot baseball games with that. It amazing, out of 16 games, starting pitchers have a total of 10 no decision. I'm not blaming all that on hitting but they play just as big a part as the pitcher.
The good thing about where we sit right now is that it still only the first month of the season we still have over 140 games to play. Most people expected the Reds to be doing better right now but thats not been the case. Reds fans don't panic it still early, give it time, personally i don't pay the season a lot of mine until the summer get here. I watch every game, and get mad but not as mad as i do around all-star break and post all-star break. I think we will pull it together and I also believe will be in contention throughout the year. It not pretty right now but I don't see it getting much uglier

One move equals a good off-season for Cincinnati Reds fans!

The words is pretty much out! That word been that the Cincinnati Reds sign arguably the best free agent on the market. Yes, you heard right the Cincinnati Reds. It not every year that we create shock waves in the MLB. With the signing of Aroldis Chapman, as a Cincinnati Reds fan i can say that in my opinion this off season was a success. It not a common thing that the Reds send shock waves through the MLB in the off-season, it actually a rare thing. Coming into this off season the Reds management made it pretty clear that they wasn't going to be doing much of anything in the off season, which is why the move to acquire this kid is a shock to everybody in the baseball world. Not only did they bring in a young talented guy, this guy can make an impact this season for this team. He's a big linky lefty with a mid 90's heater that has touch 100 mph many times and he has a developing curveball, slider, and change up. Developing is the key word here. His heater is solid every one knows that, it comes down to how well the Reds organization can develop the rest of his pitches. I'm pretty sure working with Mario Soto here in the next couple months he'll have a big league change up, considering the fact that Soto to this day has the best change up baseball has ever seen. What about the rest of his pitches? I think the kid will be good, what scares me as a fan is that, we will make the same mistake that we made with young Homer Bailey. As bad as I want to see this kid pitch in the opening week, the last thing i want is for him to be rushed and smacked around, let's not forget this is the major leagues ans grant it they have some good players come out of Cuba, like the kid said "the best players around the world come to play in the MLB." I'm hoping all turns out good with Chapman, it can only mean great things for the Reds in the future. Unfortunately with this signing, i believe it just eliminated any hope that we will keep Bronson or Harang after this last year in both their contract. It still is possible that we can keep one of the two but certainly not both, I see both of them being out of Cincinnati by this time 2011. If they have good seasons this year it's possible they can be some good trade bait come mid-season. Signing Chapman hurts fans as well believe it or not. Not in a bad way, but just think if Volquez didn't need tommy john last year, How about this rotation- Volquez, Harang, Arroyo, Cueto, Chapmen- Sounds pretty good huh? Pretty good only if you can get Harang and Arroyo to play up to their potential, and don't forget about Bailey. Overall, this is by far one of the best, smartest, and riskiest moves the Reds have made in a very long time, this Organization has a lot of potential all-around. Unfortunately there still a couple years away from being true contenders, but I can proudly say they are making progress! Pitchers report in a little more than a month and a half and it gone be a buzz in Goodyear Arizona all spring, for a change it actually for our Cincinnati Reds!

Bengals Woes, is not Carson's fault!

As we know the Bengals was Eliminated from playoff contention this past Saturday, which pushes us to 19 playoff games since our last playoff victory or is it 20? I don't know it not a stat no Bengal fan wants to keep up with. When you fail or lose, outsider like us, the fans always look for somewhere to point the finger, someone to put the blame on. I guess if i made a poll question, asking who blew the game for the Bengals, Shayne Graham would probably get the most votes. Yes, he may deserve it but come on is he really to blame? Yes, he blew two chip shots but we never should have been in neither situation, maybe the one at the end of the half, but not the one in the forth quarter. Besides Graham, suprisingly, to me anyway, the second-to-most guy they put the blame on was Carson Palmer. Carson may have not had the best game but, it safe to say without Carson we wouldn't have even been in contention for the playoffs, let alone a 4 seed. I like to think that i know the game fairly well! People i hear saying that elbow uch about football, all they know is highlights and what they see on espn. To understand why Carson struggle, you have to go to the drawing board, you have to go inside the games. It's easy to expect the Carson from 2005, it's also easy to say last years injury to the elbow of Carson is to blame for the drop in numbers. Carson elbow is perfectly fine, i forgot he even hurt it, and you can't expect the same Carson from '05, because this is a totally different Bengal team. This is a running Bengal team, '05 was a spread throwing Bengal team. Carson is having problems because he has no WR to throw the ball too. Yes, he has Chad, but Chad is not a guy that can be that main guy, Chad needs help, as in T.J. and Henry to reach his top potential. Also when you have to throw out of a 2 and 3 WR set with no deep threat, even the best QB in the league will struggle. Not to mention having no TE that you can trust to catch the ball for you. If the Bengals TE are not stationary there no good, hopefully that will change next year when Chase Coffman is ready. Saturday the whole game, the jets didn't do much blitzing at all, i guess the 2 sacks, both in the 4th quarter proves that fact. No blitzing mean they were dropping 6 people most of the time 7 in some cases. Any quarteback will struggle throwing to 3 recievers against 6 and 7 defenders and thats what happen saturday and mostly all year against Carson Palmer. Bottom line is this, Carson is easily a top 5 QB in the NFL, he is a Franchise QB and atleast 20 other NFL teams would love to have him. He is a Pro, The inventer of the Cardiac Catz in my opinion the 4th quarter comebacks alone show Carson's worth to this franchise, Cincinnati Fans need to be thankful, and greatful for This guy, cause rather you like it or not he is the face, the leader, and this team. It start with him!

Holdouts

Every new season for the NFL, you always get a hand full of guys hold out for a bigger paycheck, or more money. Regular ole Joe like you and me always ask the question why? We all know the reason is to get more money in most cases. What really amazing is when you get these unproven rookies holding out of training camp for more money. This year we all know about the Michael Crabtree story, and you also had Andre Smith hold out until the start of the season. We'll get to them two later, first lets look at the concept of holding out as a whole. First off, all athletes need to start realizing how much of a privilege and a blessing it is to be able to play professional sports. I understand all the hard work, time, and dedication it takes to get there, but professional athletes will always be the most overpaid workers in America. There are people in the world that will play professional sports for a fraction of the athletes make today. Yeah, of course these people won't be as good as the athletes you see on TV, but the point is that it a privilege and a blessings to be a professional athlete. Holdouts are mostly common in football, you rarely here about holdouts in the other two major sports(Baseball,Basketball). NFL rookies usually enter the league making, if not more, just as much as future hall of fame veterans, so for them to holdouts is just mind boggling to me. Michael Crabtree was only on the big radar his last couple years in college, don't get me wrong the kid can play football, but let's face it the NFL is a whole different animal then college football. I mean look at Reggie Bush, this guy was arguably one of the best players that ever step on a college football field, but look at him now. Crabtree wants more money than a guy that was pick before him, dude that makes no sense. Yes you may have had better college stats, but he make for a better pro prospect. As far as this Andre Smith character go, look I'm a SEC guy, Tennessee Volunteers,this dude never been as good as all the hype he got in my opinion, this guy has had weight issues, left the combine early, and also cut the private workout short. It would take a team like the Bengals to draft him. Mark my word "this guy will never be worth the top 5 pick he was taken! He will never make a pro bowl, and never be a factor on anybody NFL offensive line." This is the same dude that broke his foot two days after signing in a non-contact drill. Is that what we call being in shape now days? He supposedly had been working out alone while he was holding out, yeah right! He will by far be the bust of the '09 class!

Tricky Reds, Careless Owner

Hi, John Dunn. as baseball season comes to an end, people that are reds fans tend to always be excited about the reds at the end of the season. it every year the reds finish the season very strong and have the beloved fans like you and me excited about next year! Once this year the reds are one of the hottest teams in baseball since mid-august, unfortunately there not playing for anything but self-pride and dignity, but all and all they are one of the hottest teams in the league right now. This is starting to be unfair, every year they do this, but i can comfortably say that, reds fan do have something to be excited for, the young talented core we have, and all the young kids in the farm system, if this team keep going in the direction their going in as far as personnel, we can be competing for at least a wild card spot next year, if not the central division. Today, the only thing that's going to hold them back is a money hungry owner that they have. This guy is all about making the dollar not putting a winning product on the field. If you ask me it very disrespectful to all the fan and past great that been apart of this organization. The rich baseball tradition this city carries you would think that just out of respect of the tradition winning would be the main goal, not with this guy. It seems to me that if you put a contending team out on the field that wins you would make more money anyway, I'm not a owner but that seems like basic logic. Think about it, you ever go to a game?? Yeah seat may not be expensive especially in Cincinnati, but you pay for it when you go to the concession stands. No quality food is under 5 dollars, drinks are just around 5 dollars, and lets not even talk about alcohol. Prime example of how money hungry our owner is; we play a good team like Boston or the yanks, these tickets are not sold as single game tickets like all the other games instead you have to buy them in packages. In order to get A ticket to one them games you must buy tickets for two additional games. That's not right, in fact i think it down right wrong, what about the fans that middle to lower class that can't afford these package deal, these people are some of the most dedicated fans, but most of the owners across the world is heartless old people who just look for ways to get richer, they can care about the fans or actual producing a winning baseball team. I'm a big fan so i have to deal with all the dis likes of the reds and the organization and just keep cheering for my team!

Let's focus on winning!

NFL Season is approaching!!!

Hey sports fans!

I just want to let everyone know that I am not dead.... just busy lately. I will try to get more posts up on here more often again.

Anyways, I just wanted to ask everyone if they are ready for the NFL season to kick off?

Tell me who you are rooting for and why. i want to hear some trash talking!

WHO DEY!!!