It’s Sunday morning as I type this and the Reds sit with the worst record in baseball.
True, they have been playing some good teams– the Dodgers, the Braves and they were routed by something called the Guardians. And despite 12 or 13 pitchers (I can’t keep track), a thin bench and mysterious injuries, we have Hunter Green’s 100 mile fastball to brag about.
But forgive our current roster of Reds– what is it, 27 or 28? In the past, some other Reds teams have started off miserably too.
One that stands out for me was 50 years ago– the 1972 Reds. After a dismal 1971 (83-79 back then was bad, today it’s a playoff contender) Cincinnati and Sparky Anderson had just consumated the huge trade with the Houston Astros. Bob Howsam traded the right side of his infield (Lee May and Tommy Helms) and utility man Jimmie Stewart for Joe Morgan, Denis Menke, Jack Billingham, Ed Armbrister, and Cesar Geronimo.
But after a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on May 10, the Reds found themselves with an 8-13 record, were 5 ½ games out of first place in the NL West and just a half game ahead of the Giants for last place. Milt Pappas, of all pitchers, shut them down for the Cubs. Pete Rose was batting just .236, Johnny Bench .220 and Young Don Gullett had an earned run average over 10.
I imagine even Manager Sparky Anderson was a little worried.
But against St. Louis a day later, the Reds came away with a 5-4 win, thanks to the pitching of Ross Grimsley and a two-run homer by Morgan. They went on to win nine straight games, Bench won the NL MVP and Rose batted over .300 again and the Reds captured their second National League pennent in three years.
Yes, we were spoiled back then.
I don’t think we need to think about the 2022 Reds doing something like that, despite having David Bell as their skipper. But slow starts and a tough early schedule can sink a ship quick. And the U.S.S. Bell is bottoming out.
I projected them to win 72 games. I was way too liberal. That 8-13 record Sparky and the Reds had in 1972 looks pretty good, considering where the Reds are today.
Among many mistakes made by the Reds was the extension of Bell’s contract last year. For what? Contending until August and then folding?
Somewhere out there is some sharp, young guy that is savvy enough to mix old school baseball with the new saber mentality. There’s our new GM. Then let him find our Manager of the future, stabilize this team and start the rebuilding process (again).
The Reds are a train wreck. Yes, there’s been injuries. But on that infamous day when the Phil Castellini asked where we, as Reds fans, were going to go it’s been an unmitigated disaster of a season.
The Cincinnati Reds have a loyal, strong fan base. If you’re reading this and follow Redleg Nation, you understand that. We’re being abused and told to shut up and trust the Ownership, The Bull, and David Bell.
I was at a sports pub yesterday to meet a local high school football coach for a chat. The Reds and Cardinals were on TV. I didn’t even care. The Cardinals were leading 1-0 and it didn’t even matter to me.
So the coach came, we got a bucket of beer and where did we go? Outside to the Beer Garden to talk some local football and a reconfiguration of their Conference.
That’s where I went Phil.
Excellent article John. Thanks for the memories of the BRM. I remember a few years later, when the same team got off to a slow start. It took a home run by Hal King to right the ship and the Reds went on to win back to back world championships.
It is true that those Reds teams and the current one have things in common. They both wear the white, wishbone C on their caps and they both got off to slow starts.
That is where the similarities end. Some teams are good and get off to bad starts. Other teams are bad and are just well, bad.
Glad you enjoyed your Saturday afternoon.
Better similarity is with the 1982 Reds, who started off 3-10 and kept on loosing.
That was the 1973 season when Hal King hit that homer to win the game. The reds went on to win 60 and lose 26 the rest of the way. They finished 99-63, but lost to the Mets and didn’t make the WS. The next year they went 98-64 but the Dodgers were 102-60. The Reds missed the WS again. Then, in 1975, they were 108-54 and in 1976 they were 102-60. They won the WS both years. That was a really good stretch from 1970 thru 1976.
It was a great stretch. I let myself think that it would never end. It’s worth noting that free agency in its modern form began with the ’76 season. The Reds’ GM at the time–I think– said in the immediate aftermath of the WS something to the effect that the change (free agency) meant we’d probably never see a run like that again.
I was there for the Hal Hing Homer the first game of a doubleheader sweep of the Dodgers! Great memories
i don’t understand the strategy of not showing up/boycotting the games. i think the opposite would work better. if we sell out all the games that will make ownership look real stupid and greedy at the same time. it would garner some national attention to0. ( which i think was a factor with the bengals and mike Brown)
Not paying MLB prices to watch AAA talent.
Where are you finding the AAA talent?
I think you are in the minority on this viewpoint.
Um, that’s not how business works.
If ownership intentionally makes a bad product, but consumers continue to buy the product…
It simply tells ownership that it’s a “seller’s market” and it doesn’t matter how lousy the product is which they put on the field, because the consumers will continue to consume regardless of quality.
I don’t know if Bell’s the wrong guy or not. Managers in MLB today matter less than ever before. Bell’s never truly had a fair chance at managing a postseason-worthy roster. 2019 was the final year of rebuilding, transitioning to attempting to contend (acquired Puig before the season, Bauer during, and went on a pre-Covid spending spree afterward). 2020 was a weird 60-game mess altogether. 2021 could have made the playoffs, but the bullpen was gutted prior to the season and Krall failed to fix it until the deadline. Until Bell has a full deck of cards, it’s impossible to judge whether he’s the right man or not. Especially since Krall and the Castellinis are a significantly larger problem. Get a competent GM first.
Couldn’t agree more Jon!
Plus one. Bell doesn’t bother me at all.
Plus two. Gotta be older to remember that Joe Torre was a lousy manager for three teams and then suddenly became a legend managing the talent-rich Yankees.
I expect Bell will be scapegoated for this team at some point, but what else is he supposed to do?
Plus three. Really easy to pick apart decisions after a loss. This team has half its players on the IL, not that it was a juggernaught before they traded Babe Gray and cursed the franchise. Vegas, I’m plenty old enough to remember Joe Torre being less than mediocre as a manager. Now he is considered an all time great. Amazing what great players do for you.
I went to an extended family gathering on Saturday and watched very little if any of the game after I got home. Actually I forgot it was a 4pm start and logged on to see the score as the back end was being played out.
Sunday I watched because I wanted to see Lodolo pitch. He was as advertised. I also liked the version of Sims who worked the 9th and used his fastball more and effectively as opposed to trying to alternately spin in the slider and curve at almost the same velocity pitch after pitch.
Lodolo’s backfoot slider might eventually have guys waking up at 2:00 am checking their toes. Nice, nice pitch. I have to say I’m more impressed with his fastball, though, as I didn’t expect it to be as advanced.
Ed Armbrister, not Armstrong
Thanks Creigh! We’ve corrected it within the article.
A key part of that trade, may he RIP.
Armbrister is considered a demon here in Red Sox country. They apparently believe that opposing players shouldn’t be allowed run in the basepath if the Sox catcher wants to throw to first.
23k yesterday. if i remember, that is a little higher attendance than last year’s sunday games. i wonder if the later start time 1:40 vs 1:10 was a factor?. In general the later the start game the better change for a higher attendance. I am not sure why the reds continue to move up the start times?
Winker average so far is .153 even weny 0 4 few games even sonny gray only last 1.2 ip against Boston with Era at 5.86 which is also his average so far.
So far I forgot to mention Suarez at 225 or 255 average with 10 rbi with 14 hits
Geno is at.255 and nice OBP, as well.
Seattle media coverage has Winker at having a lot of bad luck — many, many balls hit hard and not getting in for hits. Jesse, Shift, have you two met? Seattle’s stadium is also larger than the GABP. Planning to get down to Seattle to see some games this year. Gonna give both our regards.
Winker has a decent OPB, and more BB than K’s.
His BABIP is an abysmally low 0.182
That won’t last.
you’re comparing this team to 1972?
Look, I was a kid (9) when they won the 1990 WS, now I’m middle age.
Reminiscing will likely be the highlights of this year as mediocrity seems like a longshot. Unfortunately, young fans (<25) have nothing to reminisce about.
Interesting to post an article on a Reds blog trying to persuade readers to pay less attention to the Reds. Sort of like the New York Times publishing a story explaining why it’s silly to pay attention to current events when there are so much better ways to spend one’s time, such as discussing football. Not that there’s anything wrong with it. It’s just… interesting.
That said, as much as I hate the Castellinis, I think if India, Stephenson, Solano, Senzel, Castillo, Barrero, and Schrock were all healthy for the past two weeks (or, say, if five of them were healthy for the last two weeks), and if Moose and AA could play just decently instead of playing the worst baseball of their lives, we’d all find this team a LOT more interesting. It does have the potential to be an interesting team if it ever gets healthy.
I’ll watch interesting baseball. And I agree, this team isn’t nearly as bad as their record indicates. They just need to get some of their key players back asap.
I agree, J.
The 1971 team ended 79-83, not 83-79, for fourth place in the NL West. They played well in the second half of ’71, but had buried themselves. The only bright spots for ’71 were Lee May (39 home runs) and Don Gullet (16-6). Gary Nolan pitched in a lot of bad luck (no run support) and was really mad at the end of the season. Bobby Tolan was out for all of 1971 with a torn Achilles tendon. He had a really good year in 1970, batting .316 (as I remember) and leading the league in stolen bases (56), beating out Lou Brock, perennial NL SB leader.
Jim Merritt, who was 20-12 in 1970, was 1-11 in 1971 before they let him go (his arm was shot).
Wayne Simpson, legitimate phenom of the first half of 1970 (14-3) also had hurt his shoulder in 1970, and really never pitched well again.
Starting 1972, unknown at the time, Don Gullett had “subsiding hepatitus” and was run down, his fastball was “slow” spent part of the year in the bullpen, and then went back in the rotation later (recovered his velocity), after he had learned a “knuckle curve” which was a wicked change of speed to his legendary fastball.
Those were the days…….
I had no idea that Gullett had health issues in 1972. I went back and looked at this baseball card for that year…my goodness…he looks run down.
He was getting clobbered early in the season of 1972. Nobody could understand it.
Finally got a physical exam, and they found out he was slowly recovering from Hepatitis.
Don was a sometimes good luck and bad luck pitcher. He probably would have won 25 games in 1975 (he was 16-4 for the season) if he hadn’t reached up to snag a line drive back through the box late in a game (the Reds were winning) and gotten a finger broken on his pitching hand, and missed 8 weeks in the middle of the season.
The youngest player to win 100 games, then he screwed up his shoulder with the Yankees, and his career was over.
When asked why the team that was so bad in 1971 and went to the World Series in 1972. Tolan’s answer was, I didn’t play in 1971.
True but not the only reason.
Bobby was the best (pure) left-handed hitter on the 1970 team. Of course, Pete Rose was a switch hitter, and Bernie Carbo (left-handed) had a great rookie year (the only good year of his career).
They got off to a slow start in 1971, missing Tolan (all year), Lee May missed the first three weeks, Merritt’s was terrible. Perez was in a slump, and then hurt his hand (punched the wall of the dugout in frustration), Carbo stunk, Hal McRae had a good year (!) sometimes playing centerfield (it was adventure!), and Bench was pressing too hard to carry the team and lost a lot of plate discipline (bad Johnny!).
Carbo had a 143 OPS+ for the Red Sox in 1975, and a 12-year career OPS+ of 126, so he had a very solid career.
By the end of his rookie year, the league had figured out that he couldn’t hit lefties. His OPS against RH pitching was .838, as opposed to .610 against LH pitching.
Bobby Tolan was also a reason the Reds lost that World Series to Oakland. In Game 7, first inning, he misplayed a ball hit almost directly at him but then sailed over his head and went all the way to the center field wall for a three-base error. The next hitter reached on a ball hit down to Denis Menke at 3B. The ball struck a channel seam between the sliding pit and the infield turf, took the bad hop and bounded over his head. Runner on third scored, 1-0 Oakland. Then in the sixth inning, a drive was sent out toward the warning track a shade into right center, Tolan was running back toward the wall and about two steps from the warning track he broke stride and grabbed the back of his left leg (apparent hamstring pull) and then fell down on the track. Geronimo was over from right field, picked the ball up and got it back in, but by then a run had scored from second making the score 3-1 as I recall. The Reds scored one more run and the final score ended up being 3-2 and the A’s won the Series. It looked like Tolan might have had a chance at catching up with the ball had he not pulled that leg muscle. I’m not saying Bobby Tolan was the reason they lost the game and the World Series, but that play and the 3-base error he had in the first inning really, really cost his team. What was ironic is that up until then Tolan had a pretty good Series going at the plate, he was hitting the ball and had several RBIs in the first 6 games. It was just one of those things that happens in baseball. However, the Reds could have very easily won that World Series to go along with the ones in 1975 and 1976. What a team the Big Red Machine was !
I went from being oassiknate about Reds baseball to a strong feeling if apathy. Somebody please email me when they are a .500 or better team. A 1-0 start is the only way that will happen the next half-decade (minimum).
Passionate*
Good “write” John.
Im not as angry as many
Reds weren’t winning in 2022. I was more frustrated this time last year watching a horrific bullpen ruin the 2021 season and some great performanes. I was more frustrated in 2020 watching a horrific offense ruin great SP. I was more frustrated in 2015- 18 watching Bryan Price bench the future and Walt Jocketty whispering in the ear of the owner.
I was more frustrated watching Dick Williams trade young talent for Josiah Gray and Phil and Dick teaming up for Akiyama.
They wont make the playoffs
But they never were. Whats the difference between 68-94 and 74-88?
Move on to the 2023/24. At least Krall understands long term contracts over 30 dont end well.
#bringbackKrivsky
Totally agree! The only player from last year that’s really missed this year so far based on their performance this year is Nick Castellanos. Nick’s already 30 and the Reds payroll is locked in until 2023. Reds would be 3-5 games better with Nick this year, no where near close enough. Nick might slow down at age 33, 34, 35 so it wasn’t worth it based upon where the roster currently is. The Reds still have some young exciting players on the major league roster and some elite prospects on the way and developing. If anything, the Reds rebuild was well timed and the prospect return was strong this time. Payroll flexibility is coming in 2 years. It should be a 2-3 year rebuild vs. the typical 5-6 years since the Reds cut bait early when they realized they didn’t have enough to get over .500. My only wish is the Reds didn’t waste the money on Pham, Minor, and Strickland. Put that money to future years to increase payroll higher.
@alex
Pretty sure having Suarez and his 255/359/527 for an 887 ops is being missed at third base. In all seriousness I am glad to see he has carried over his strong September from last year.
My biggest problem with Phil C. Is he made a challenge while I still enjoying going to baseball games I don’t go to any other sports events I enjoy going to games because it summer and great experience I won’t miss it I can go to Dragons game have the same experience half the cost. He acts like they are the only game in town. If they leave fine I won’t stop being a Reds fan I will just buy mlb TV and hope someone rich buys the team so the will be competitive. I just want to give a middle finger to him for being such a pompous jerk. I am keeping that pg so I don’t get in trouble on here, because I have other adjectives to describe him.
Mr. Ring,
Mr. Ring,
My mother-in-law hails from Galesburg. Her father, Cliff Yoder, was the principal of Churchill Junior High from 1964-1972. They lived on Dayton Drive. A railroad town back in the day, she has fond memories and we have visited as my wife and family live in the Champaign-Urbana area.
Would love the chance to meet up with you. Have you ever eaten at Baked? Always enjoy your articles.
Bell hasn’t had a roster? They made the playoffs in 2020 and didn’t even score. In 2021, they should have made the playoffs. Not shaping up the bullpen is on the FO. But the mismanagement of the bullpen and the lineup, e.g., sticking with Suarez when it was obvious he wasn’t going bounce, was all on Bell. Maybe the Reds can trade Bell to Chicago for LaRussa. They’d be getting the better end of the deal.
Sparky/Casey Stengel/LaRussa, etc aren’t winning with that dumpster fire bullpen they gave Bell last year. Bell didn’t sign Moose either. Suarez has a .887 ops this year so its pretty easy to see he has more left in the tank then Moose. I’m not particularly fond of Bell either, but the universal DH takes his favorite move out of play so he’s more inconsequential then ever. We get a new manager in May and they might win 69 instead of 67.
Disagree completely. Look at his usage of the bullpen not the composition. And in the second half when the team collapsed, he had Givens, Cessa, instead of Doolittle and his cronies. As for Suarez having more in the tank? If Suarez rebounds in Seattle, it’s more an indictment of the Cincinnati system. As I’ve asked before: why do experienced MLB’ers come to Cincinnati and underperform their career averages? Part of it is age, e.g., Moose and the stream of never was players they’ve signed, e.g., Taylor Motter (career .191 hitter). Nope the Reds are broken and it’s not strictly the roster.
If the pitchers in the bullpen aren’t much good, quibbling about their usage is akin to arguing about where the deck chairs on the Titanic are located. I get that you hate Bell. We all get it.
Where were Winker and Senzel when the team collapsed in late 2021? And Miley finished really well too. A thin roster was the issue not bullpen usage by the manager.
We’re talking about a second half collapse with a much better bullpen. But we can agree to disagree. I don’t hate Bell, but I do dislike bad management in all domains. Results should matter. But more and more frequently these days, they don’t. Bell has a career losing record as a manager. Says inane and empty things with regularity. Routinely makes statements that within a couple of days are shown to be not factual. That’s not management. That’s just being someone’s flunky. Settling for mediocrity is a big issue in the modern world.
How about the injuries the roster overcame to remain in Contention? Sims, Winker, Senzel, Votto, TJ, NC Lorenzen and moose all missed considerable time. Your memory is very selective.
It would please us as fans if managers were candid and informative when making public statements, but that is neither here nor there: the job is to manage the team. Have you had the pleasure of listening to Bill Bellichick? Casey Stengel was fun to listen to, but in the end, the listener would be laughing and confused. Bell’s teams have a losing record. “Great” managers have often had teams with losing records; I’m sure we’re all tired of me trotting out Sparky’s 103 loss season, but it points up how dependent a manager’s record is upon the talent level of his team. Few of us–given our age–are likely to harbor any illusion that we could play better at shortstop than whoever happens to be playing it. But more of us seemingly think we’d be better managers. And maybe some of us would, if we had the background and the access to the players, scouts and coaches. I’m pretty sure it isn’t as easy as it looks from the armchair in front of the tv, though.
Not selective in the least. The Reds were in 2nd place at the All Star break, 4 games ahead of 3rd place. In August, entering what was supposed to be a favorable schedule, the Reds went 9-19. And the St. Louis won 17 in a row excuse is weak as well. All the Reds needed to do is win against the teams they were expected to beat. They didn’t. So we’ll agree to disagree. But as the Gallup organization has written, the single biggest factor in an organizations’ long term success is the manager.
We should definitely continue to agree to disagree. What you aren’t acknowledging, though, is that the team outperformed most expectations, despite all of the factors that have been mentioned. Many teams–even good ones–endure losing streaks, and had the Cardinals not put together a remarkable winning streak, the Res might have made the playoffs anyway. Gallup wasn’t talking about baseball.
You can’t seriously think that “the single biggest factor in [the Reds’] long term success is the manager,” do you?.
6 games
I agree with OLDSCHOOL, the Reds need to prepare for 2023 and 2024. The 2022 team is not going to make the playoffs. Damage is already done. I will watch the Dodgers while my #1 team (Reds) is rebuilding. The Reds will win another World Series again. Hopefully, we will see it.
I wish I could believe that the Reds had a plan. I wish I believed me that this team will be poised to win in 2023 or at any other point in the future.
The Reds, no doubt, have some talented young players in their system. But there is such a lack of major league talent, it’s hard to imagine there is enough talent in the system to compensate for that.
Good teams supplement their major league talent with a strong farm system. The Reds have maybe 3 or 4 solid position players at the major league level. One of those, Joey Votto, will be gone after next season. Tyler Stephenson and Jonathon India had great rookie seasons but it’s too early to say if that will be sustained. Jose Barrero and Nick Senzel are even greater question marks.
I just think it’s a tall order for any farm system to produce 9 position players, and that is not counting pitching needs.
It would be a challenge if you had the right GM and committed ownership. The Reds have neither.
I don’t think the Red’s real competitive clock starts ticking until Nick Krall is fired and only then if he is replaced by someone better.
good post votto4life. yes, you need 9 professional hitters (in their prime) to be competitive in todays game. i feel we have the potential for 2 with India and Stephenson. i have given up on aquino, senzel and Barero so we will need to acquire or develop 7 more position players/hitters. this seems like a tall task indeed
Luckily the Reds haven’t given up on Senzel and Barrero, though the rest of the league might be disappointed that they showed patience. Greene, Lodolo, De La Cruz, and McClain are a really nice top of the farm system. Lord knows its REALLY TOUGH to find a 1Bman and a LFr. Cause don’t look now, you’re looking at a solid lineup with Stephenson, India, McClain, De La Cruz, Senzel, and Naquin. And the starting pitching is looking to be deep. Add a prospect/FA or two and it’s more than promising.
There plan is absolutely hold out to 2024.
Then they have their entire core (minus Mahle and Castillo) under control with still relatively minimal cost and no contractual obligations (outside of team options) whatsoever.
It’s not a very good plan and their attempts to slap bandaids on 2022 have been pathetic and don’t portend well for 2023.
i guess my question is , what happens in 2024? will free agents line up to come here?
Probably not. And their is nothing to stop them from running a team out there with a 50-60 million dollar payroll since it should be slightly more competitive than the team they are currently fielding.
They may be hopeful but I’m not optimistic this pans out.
The 1971 Reds were 79-83 with this lineup:
1B May 2B Helms SS Concepcion or Woodward 3B Perez C Bench LF Carbo or McRae CF Foster RF Rose. Except for CF the same lineup as 1970.
P Nolan Gullett McGlothlin Grimsley Simpson. CL Carroll. RP Granger Gibbon.
Except Grimsley for Merritt, same as 1970.
Wayne Simpson pitched the first half of 1970. The hurt his shoulder, after going 14-3.
Gullet only came up as a reliever for the Reds in 1970, late in the year (from A – ball).
Remember Tony Cloninger? Sometimes starter for the Reds in 1970.
Milt Wilcox also came up to start some games. Later traded to the Tigers (offseason).
Foster didn’t join the team (from the Giants) until around mid-season; this was not the George Foster (yet) that would blossom in 1974-75. Buddy Bradford played a while in center in 1971.
Carbo was terrible in 1971. And so was Concepcion (at the plate).
Gullett was in Reds bullpen year long. He pitched in 44 games.
Wilcox started 2 games. Cloninger started 18. He was a Red both years.
The Foster trade was in May. He played 104 games for the Reds. He hit 10 HR and had 50 RBI in 368 AB. He mostly played CF for Reds in 1971.
Bradford had 100 AB.
Decided I’m now a Blue Jays fan. Used to refuse to watch AL baseball because of the DH but now it’s been rammed down our throats as NL fans so why not root for an AL team? Plus, it’s a fun young team and I get the bonus of rooting against the hated high payroll Yankees and Red Sox and their obnoxious fans.
p.s. That’s where I went Phil!
Should we now call Gonzo Blue or Gonzo Jay? Haha just kidding Toronto has a great team I can see the attraction.
I have purchased MiLBTV and I am now following the Dayton Dragons. I have several reasons for following the Dragons. They represent a small Ohio city pretty much like the one I grew up in. They are close only about 45 minutes away. My best friend and baseball buddy just moved to Dayton so it gives us something to talk about. The Dragons are off to a great start (11-4) with some exciting young players.
I just can’t switch my loyalty to a different major league team it just doesn’t work for me. But I understand why some do.
Maybe I should change my name to EllyDeLaCruz4life?
I’ll still keep the Reds on the back burner in case we get an ownership team with a little class and financial security enough to make us a winner. Saddened that from attendance figures people are still going to the games in similar numbers to past years and not sending a message and thus no motivation for them to do anything differently in running the team.
I’ve already been to one of the AAA Jumbo Shrimp games here in Jacksonville and have tickets for another.
I have been watching games with players that should still be on the team if they were trying to win. That guy Lorenzen pitched pretty well for the Halos last night. I wonder if he is any better than San Martin? Inquiring minds would like to know.
Not to mention that on this Reds team starving for RH hitting power, he’d be an ideal fit for DH on his in between days, like that Ohtani guy who is his teammate with the Halos.
Good to remember that, as with Suarez, many of us were yelling about how bad he was and how much the Reds needed to get rid of him. Jim’s comparison of him to Ohtani is pretty kind, but I take his point.
ML hit the ball hard when he hit it. His Hard Hit% as a Red was 54%. HIs average Exit velocity was >90mph. His OPS+ was mid 80s (.429 slugging). His net Run Expectancy (RE24) was 2, with league average set as 0, making him an above average run producer in the limited specific situations when he came to the plate.
Mentioning ML in the same sentence as Ohtani may have been kind; but, the Reds don’t have a right hand DH who is any better.
Their. Sorry, that was lazy.
The entire bullpen and rotation (swapping in Dunn) is under control. Heck even Farmer, Senzel, and Sims will be year three guys.
They have thrown in the towel until then unless the young kids catch fire and they get lucky.
When Boston Red-Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees to produce his play “No, No Nanette”. The Boston Newspapers (I’m looking at you Cincinnati Enquirer) towed the company line and opined that it was a shrewd move and that Ruth’s best years was behind him (he was 24).
The fans didn’t think and called out Frazee for being a cheapskate. That year, Frazee produced another musical that summer and advertised it with huge poster hung in Fenway Park.
The play was called “All My Lady Friends by Harry Frazee”. One disgruntled fan wrote on the poster. “That’s the only friend that SOB has left! “
The Reds have signed infielder Taylor Motter to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. Motter has been assigned to the Louisville Bats, the club’s Triple-A team.
Motter, 32, played in 143 total games over the 2016-2018 seasons, spending time with the Rays, Mariners and Twins. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to provide much with the bat, hitting just .191/.263/.312 in that stretch, a 57 wRC