Sounds like Lou Piniella is finally being worn down by the ineptitude of Tampa Bay:
“Winning is a mind-set the same way that losing is,” Piniella said. “The problem is that it’s easier to lose and it’s harder to win. It takes more of a commitment to win.
“And I’m not talking about players alone. … It takes a commitment from the entire organization to win – from the ownership group to the front office to the manager and the coaches and to the players. Total commitment. And it doesn’t come easy. It’s not easy. But once you get it on track and you start doing it, now you expect to do it and you keep doing it. … Which is what happened in Seattle. We got it going and we kept it going. We stepped up over there.”
Sweet Lou’s correct, you know, and he could easily be talking about the Reds. Until Carl Lindner decides he wants to win, the Reds aren’t going to be consistently successful.
As Lou says, it’s much easier to lose. It’s much easier for Lindner to lose and sit on all the money the Reds are making (and yes, they’re a profitable organization).
But Redleg Nation wants to win. I wonder if Carl Lindner knows that. Or if he even cares.
Also going 9-23 against the Red Sox and Yankees last year sure didn’t help…but hey – they won 70 games!!!
Let’s say the Rays went 15-17 against the same teams…they would have won 76 games. Toss in Dannys Baez’s 12 blown saves last year – lets say half of those are winners – the Rays would have went 82-80.
Don’t forget – the Rays won 22 out of 25 at one point last year.
Interesting to see the Rays back in Cincinnati – I have my tickets for one of the nights already –