Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Where's George and Weezy?
Take one look at the NL Central standings and you won't have any trouble mistaking the Reds for the Jeffersons. They aren't movin' on up. They're living in the basement. They may be up in the big leagues, gettin' their turn at bat, but that dee-luxe apartment in the sky inhabited by the Cardinals is already a long way off, more than 10 games away in mid-May. Reds fans, and fantasy owners, are left with a lot of questions, few with good answers. A team that was at .500 after a wild 11-9 win over the Cubs on 4.26, has since gone 4-14, surrendering 125 runs in just 18 games. In the preseason, I was sure that the Reds would at least be better than the Pirates in this division (and they still are), but right now the Reds don't have to have a piece of the pie--they'll take a crumb.
Mo Brother, Where Art Thou?
In that last game before the Reds started this abysmal streak, Wily Mo Pena hurt his quad and has managed just 5 ABs in 2 games since. One of those ABs was a bomb, 3 of the other 4 were whiffs. You can expect more of that when he finally plays again. It's frustrating for Pena owners to see his potential either sit on the bench or lost to injury after producing as he did in April. Pena is eligible to come off the DL on Friday and right now, it appears that will be the case. He worked pain-free at GABP Monday, says the Cincinnati Enquirer, but Miley noted that sometimes the pain for Mo comes the next day. It's a wait and see deal for now, but expect him back soon. Austin Kearns is hitting .364 over the last week, so again regular PT won't come easy for the big Mo.
What in the Freel is Going On?
It's possible that his abacus broke. It's possible he never watched Sesame Street. It's also possible that he wants to give D'Angelo Jimenez every single earthly chance to keep his 2B role. Whatever the reason, Dave Miley is not starting Ryan Freel every day--and he should be. He's 5th on the team in hits, yet only 9th in ABs. He has 57% of the team's SB. He's tops in AVG and OBP, even higher than walk-machine Adam Dunn's .440 OBP. He's walked more than he's struck out--no other Red can say that. Since the beginning of last season, his OBP is .373. His career OBP is .378. D'Angelo Jimenez's is .349. Joe Randa's is .342. Here's something else--he's started 22 games this season and gotten at least one hit in 19 of them. The 3 he didn't? He still reached base with a walk.
From Eleven to Twelve?
Barry Larkin was unceremoniously shoved out the door by the Reds in the offseason, forcing the future HOFer into retirement. My distaste for that move is already noted. My distaste for the signing of Aurilia is also noted (nothing against RA, but the Reds didn't need him). However, Felipe Lopez is looking to remedy all that by playing his way into the starting role with Aurilia on the DL. Lopez's eye has improved, he's got that pop that scouts thought he had back in his bat, and he's stopped playing catch with ready fans in the third row. His .305 average is over his head because he's been fortunate (36% hit rate), but his contact % is way up (84% from 75% in '04). He's not as good as his numbers suggest--yet. He's still only 25, and he should also be playing every day.
Who in the World is Elizardo Ramirez?
I sent Carmen Sandiego out to get some info on this guy. She reports back (from an undisclosed location) that he's spent some time in the Reds and Phils organizations, mostly in low-A or rookie ball. Last year, he got some AA work in at Reading and Chattanooga, but the numbers aren't that impressive. The good news is that he has shown decent potential, but his K rate will have to rise some for him to be truly effective. Now, I'd say it's way too early to tell, but it appears he could be a bit of a soft tosser with great control who'll occasionally get whacked around. The good news is that he's 22 with plenty of time to develop. It's very possible he'll get a few more starts, but I'd let him develop on someone else's team. There are too many risks with his age and experience level.
Bleacher Fans Ask, "Will It Ever Stop?!"
The Reds lead the NL with 58 HR allowed, Eric Milton and Paul Wilson alone accounting for 24 of those. My preseason prediction of 35 HR for Milton appears to be in grave danger. To give you an idea of where the Reds stand, PHI has allowed 52 HR (2nd), COL 41 (5th) and FLA 19 (fewest). The Marlins' total is less than a third of the Reds'. Sheesh. Ballparks factors aside, that's really bad. Right now I tell you the only 2 Reds pitchers you should roster are Wagner (he won't close, but he's all this bloatpen has) and Harang (who's solid and is just getting started). The Dayton Daily News reports that Harang is the first Reds starter to go 8 IP in consecutive starts since Chris Reitsma in 2001, who was subsequently traded to ATL.
I Definitely Do.
I really appreciate all the well wishes regarding my upcoming wedding. The day is upon us and I'll be putting myself on the 15-day WL. You can still e-mail at redletters@insightbb.com, but I won't be able to answer you until I return. There are still a few e-mails I haven't gotten to yet that I hope to reply to before I travel to our wedding. I appreciate your patience and I'll be back and ready to go after Memorial Day. They call your wedding day "the greatest day of your life". That's what they say. For me and the most wonderful girl I've ever met, forever starts Saturday--but it won't be our greatest day. I believe it will indeed be priceless, but we should all have even greater days ahead--including the Reds. I'm Matt Allen, and this one belongs to the Red Letters.
Mo Brother, Where Art Thou?
In that last game before the Reds started this abysmal streak, Wily Mo Pena hurt his quad and has managed just 5 ABs in 2 games since. One of those ABs was a bomb, 3 of the other 4 were whiffs. You can expect more of that when he finally plays again. It's frustrating for Pena owners to see his potential either sit on the bench or lost to injury after producing as he did in April. Pena is eligible to come off the DL on Friday and right now, it appears that will be the case. He worked pain-free at GABP Monday, says the Cincinnati Enquirer, but Miley noted that sometimes the pain for Mo comes the next day. It's a wait and see deal for now, but expect him back soon. Austin Kearns is hitting .364 over the last week, so again regular PT won't come easy for the big Mo.
What in the Freel is Going On?
It's possible that his abacus broke. It's possible he never watched Sesame Street. It's also possible that he wants to give D'Angelo Jimenez every single earthly chance to keep his 2B role. Whatever the reason, Dave Miley is not starting Ryan Freel every day--and he should be. He's 5th on the team in hits, yet only 9th in ABs. He has 57% of the team's SB. He's tops in AVG and OBP, even higher than walk-machine Adam Dunn's .440 OBP. He's walked more than he's struck out--no other Red can say that. Since the beginning of last season, his OBP is .373. His career OBP is .378. D'Angelo Jimenez's is .349. Joe Randa's is .342. Here's something else--he's started 22 games this season and gotten at least one hit in 19 of them. The 3 he didn't? He still reached base with a walk.
From Eleven to Twelve?
Barry Larkin was unceremoniously shoved out the door by the Reds in the offseason, forcing the future HOFer into retirement. My distaste for that move is already noted. My distaste for the signing of Aurilia is also noted (nothing against RA, but the Reds didn't need him). However, Felipe Lopez is looking to remedy all that by playing his way into the starting role with Aurilia on the DL. Lopez's eye has improved, he's got that pop that scouts thought he had back in his bat, and he's stopped playing catch with ready fans in the third row. His .305 average is over his head because he's been fortunate (36% hit rate), but his contact % is way up (84% from 75% in '04). He's not as good as his numbers suggest--yet. He's still only 25, and he should also be playing every day.
Who in the World is Elizardo Ramirez?
I sent Carmen Sandiego out to get some info on this guy. She reports back (from an undisclosed location) that he's spent some time in the Reds and Phils organizations, mostly in low-A or rookie ball. Last year, he got some AA work in at Reading and Chattanooga, but the numbers aren't that impressive. The good news is that he has shown decent potential, but his K rate will have to rise some for him to be truly effective. Now, I'd say it's way too early to tell, but it appears he could be a bit of a soft tosser with great control who'll occasionally get whacked around. The good news is that he's 22 with plenty of time to develop. It's very possible he'll get a few more starts, but I'd let him develop on someone else's team. There are too many risks with his age and experience level.
Bleacher Fans Ask, "Will It Ever Stop?!"
The Reds lead the NL with 58 HR allowed, Eric Milton and Paul Wilson alone accounting for 24 of those. My preseason prediction of 35 HR for Milton appears to be in grave danger. To give you an idea of where the Reds stand, PHI has allowed 52 HR (2nd), COL 41 (5th) and FLA 19 (fewest). The Marlins' total is less than a third of the Reds'. Sheesh. Ballparks factors aside, that's really bad. Right now I tell you the only 2 Reds pitchers you should roster are Wagner (he won't close, but he's all this bloatpen has) and Harang (who's solid and is just getting started). The Dayton Daily News reports that Harang is the first Reds starter to go 8 IP in consecutive starts since Chris Reitsma in 2001, who was subsequently traded to ATL.
I Definitely Do.
I really appreciate all the well wishes regarding my upcoming wedding. The day is upon us and I'll be putting myself on the 15-day WL. You can still e-mail at redletters@insightbb.com, but I won't be able to answer you until I return. There are still a few e-mails I haven't gotten to yet that I hope to reply to before I travel to our wedding. I appreciate your patience and I'll be back and ready to go after Memorial Day. They call your wedding day "the greatest day of your life". That's what they say. For me and the most wonderful girl I've ever met, forever starts Saturday--but it won't be our greatest day. I believe it will indeed be priceless, but we should all have even greater days ahead--including the Reds. I'm Matt Allen, and this one belongs to the Red Letters.
