Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Tied in Knots
When Chief Operating Officer John Allen got out of bed Sunday morning and tied his Windsor knot, boarded a plane, and headed for Colorado, he had a mission. Now, I'm no Boy Scout, but I know his mission wasn’t to show up in the visitor's clubhouse at Coors Field and practice any Friendship or Flower Knots with Reds players or Dave Miley. It was to deliver a message that the way the Reds have been playing as of late "isn't acceptable". He sure left many Reds' stomachs tied in knots for Sunday's game (an 8-6 loss). The Reds and their coaches now have a mission of their own--either tie up some wins quickly or they will be feeling another more well-known and ominous knot around their seasons--a noose. So what's gone so wrong this year for the Reds? Heh--what's knot?
Offseason Review: Take 2
I got torched in my inbox after taking a rather negative look at the Reds offseason moves earlier in the spring (one reader told me I wasn't a "true fan"--I guess he wanted to hear the Reds would win the Series). Well, let's breakdown those moves (again) two months into the season. Eric Milton: 21 HR, 65 IP, 7.06 ERA. 25 mil well spent, huh? Ben Weber: 8.00+ ERA, 0.8 K/BB, DL (which is actually a blessing). David Weathers: 4.60 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 1.7 K/BB. Kent Mercker: 2.19 ERA, but only 4.7 K/9. Ramon Ortiz: 5.23 ERA, 1-4 record, 1.8 K/BB. Rich Aurilia: .216 AVG, .649 OPS. Joe Randa: .294 AVG, .824 OPS, 6 HR. The fan base in Cincinnati was excited that ownership decided to up the payroll by 15 million. Free tacos for fans would've been a better investment.
Twenty five mil over 3 years to Milton for a guy who can't even keep it in the ballpark? His K/9 is down to 5.3, so don't expect him to get it together soon. Opposing batters are hitting .312 against him. That's pathetic. He's had bad luck, but hasn't pitched well all year. Ben Weber was tossed from a AAA ball club last year. Enough said--at least it should've been. Weathers isn't terrible, but he's not a 1.25 million pitcher. Mercker actually hasn't done that bad, but with a 4.7 K/9 he's had some luck. He is keeping it in the park though. Ramon Ortiz was a ridiculously bad sign at 3.55 M. He can occasionally throw a decent game every now and then, but so can loads of cheaper arms. Joe Randa was good (even though the Reds didn't need him). Aurilia? Yuck. Twice.
The Red Cross: Full Beds
Wily Mo Pena is starting to heat up in AAA. His average is up to .292 with a HR and 4 RBI. He should be ready soon, and as I've said, he'll play early because Austin Kearns is absolutely stinking up the joint. Even if Wily Mo's got rust coming out of his armpits, he'll no doubt hit better than Kearns' .225. Let me just say this--Austin Kearns career is in trouble right now. Luke Hudson had a pretty good start in AA but did get knocked around a little (6.2 IP, 6 H, 7 K, 1 BB, 4 ER). He'll be back sooner rather than later. Josh Hancock threw a simulated game on Friday and the Reds are looking at getting him a rehab start very soon. Stay tuned. Paul Wilson tossed the ball around at GABP on Sunday. He'll continue to progress along as quickly as his shoulder will allow.
Say What?
Rich Aurilia has had an awful '05. He's been hot lately, but too late to keep his everyday job. Overall, he's been a huge (but unsurprising) flop. "I just wasn't getting any luck. Balls were going right at people," he told the Reds official site about his earlier play. Okay, yeah, he's had some bad luck (26% hit rate) that led to his .216 AVG. But if you gave him a 30% hit rate, which was his average from '02-'04, he'd still be hitting only .250. Not exactly world class. On Sunday, Adam Dunn said Allen's visit would "hopefully get some people's attention", according to the Dayton Daily News. After a .200 AVG and 34 Ks in May, maybe he should pay attention too instead of poking at Miley through the media after Miley removed his massage chair from the clubhouse.
Temperature Check
HOT: Felipe Lopez continues to tear it up, hitting .348 over the last week. With the highest NL SS OPS so far, he should be at the All-Star Game. Rich Aurilia has 2 HR, 5 RBI, and a .313 AVG this past week. Don't bite--it won't hold. Ken Griffey is still quieting putting up good numbers this year. He's only behind Dunn in HR and leads the team by 8 in RBI. COLD: On the cooler side of things lies Captain Cold himself (all due respects to The Flash), Austin Kearns. He's 3 for his last 18. Right now his only redeeming value is a significant BB% (which doesn't help in too many fantasy leagues) and an occasional burst of power. Everything else is F-L-A-T. Ryan Freel is also under .200 for the last week (.154), but he really is hitting the ball right at people. Have patience with him.
Who Said It Couldn’t Get Worse?
Ownership is upset, the Reds are in last, the manager who last led the Reds to a World Series is in town (on another team), and after that 3-game set with Tampa, the Reds get Baltimore, Boston, Atlanta, and St. Louis--all division leaders or contenders. Now would be a good time to get in the bathtub with some pillows and a radio, because I have a feeling things are about to get really stormy. Remember all those thrilling wins in the Reds' final AB over the last couple of seasons? This year, they are 1-30 when trailing after 7 innings. The Reds have scored more runs than everyone in the NL Central except St. Louis. How are they in last? 321 runs allowed--only less than Colorado's 332 in the NL. SERENITY NOW! I'm Matt Allen, and this one belongs to the Red Letters.
Offseason Review: Take 2
I got torched in my inbox after taking a rather negative look at the Reds offseason moves earlier in the spring (one reader told me I wasn't a "true fan"--I guess he wanted to hear the Reds would win the Series). Well, let's breakdown those moves (again) two months into the season. Eric Milton: 21 HR, 65 IP, 7.06 ERA. 25 mil well spent, huh? Ben Weber: 8.00+ ERA, 0.8 K/BB, DL (which is actually a blessing). David Weathers: 4.60 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 1.7 K/BB. Kent Mercker: 2.19 ERA, but only 4.7 K/9. Ramon Ortiz: 5.23 ERA, 1-4 record, 1.8 K/BB. Rich Aurilia: .216 AVG, .649 OPS. Joe Randa: .294 AVG, .824 OPS, 6 HR. The fan base in Cincinnati was excited that ownership decided to up the payroll by 15 million. Free tacos for fans would've been a better investment.
Twenty five mil over 3 years to Milton for a guy who can't even keep it in the ballpark? His K/9 is down to 5.3, so don't expect him to get it together soon. Opposing batters are hitting .312 against him. That's pathetic. He's had bad luck, but hasn't pitched well all year. Ben Weber was tossed from a AAA ball club last year. Enough said--at least it should've been. Weathers isn't terrible, but he's not a 1.25 million pitcher. Mercker actually hasn't done that bad, but with a 4.7 K/9 he's had some luck. He is keeping it in the park though. Ramon Ortiz was a ridiculously bad sign at 3.55 M. He can occasionally throw a decent game every now and then, but so can loads of cheaper arms. Joe Randa was good (even though the Reds didn't need him). Aurilia? Yuck. Twice.
The Red Cross: Full Beds
Wily Mo Pena is starting to heat up in AAA. His average is up to .292 with a HR and 4 RBI. He should be ready soon, and as I've said, he'll play early because Austin Kearns is absolutely stinking up the joint. Even if Wily Mo's got rust coming out of his armpits, he'll no doubt hit better than Kearns' .225. Let me just say this--Austin Kearns career is in trouble right now. Luke Hudson had a pretty good start in AA but did get knocked around a little (6.2 IP, 6 H, 7 K, 1 BB, 4 ER). He'll be back sooner rather than later. Josh Hancock threw a simulated game on Friday and the Reds are looking at getting him a rehab start very soon. Stay tuned. Paul Wilson tossed the ball around at GABP on Sunday. He'll continue to progress along as quickly as his shoulder will allow.
Say What?
Rich Aurilia has had an awful '05. He's been hot lately, but too late to keep his everyday job. Overall, he's been a huge (but unsurprising) flop. "I just wasn't getting any luck. Balls were going right at people," he told the Reds official site about his earlier play. Okay, yeah, he's had some bad luck (26% hit rate) that led to his .216 AVG. But if you gave him a 30% hit rate, which was his average from '02-'04, he'd still be hitting only .250. Not exactly world class. On Sunday, Adam Dunn said Allen's visit would "hopefully get some people's attention", according to the Dayton Daily News. After a .200 AVG and 34 Ks in May, maybe he should pay attention too instead of poking at Miley through the media after Miley removed his massage chair from the clubhouse.
Temperature Check
HOT: Felipe Lopez continues to tear it up, hitting .348 over the last week. With the highest NL SS OPS so far, he should be at the All-Star Game. Rich Aurilia has 2 HR, 5 RBI, and a .313 AVG this past week. Don't bite--it won't hold. Ken Griffey is still quieting putting up good numbers this year. He's only behind Dunn in HR and leads the team by 8 in RBI. COLD: On the cooler side of things lies Captain Cold himself (all due respects to The Flash), Austin Kearns. He's 3 for his last 18. Right now his only redeeming value is a significant BB% (which doesn't help in too many fantasy leagues) and an occasional burst of power. Everything else is F-L-A-T. Ryan Freel is also under .200 for the last week (.154), but he really is hitting the ball right at people. Have patience with him.
Who Said It Couldn’t Get Worse?
Ownership is upset, the Reds are in last, the manager who last led the Reds to a World Series is in town (on another team), and after that 3-game set with Tampa, the Reds get Baltimore, Boston, Atlanta, and St. Louis--all division leaders or contenders. Now would be a good time to get in the bathtub with some pillows and a radio, because I have a feeling things are about to get really stormy. Remember all those thrilling wins in the Reds' final AB over the last couple of seasons? This year, they are 1-30 when trailing after 7 innings. The Reds have scored more runs than everyone in the NL Central except St. Louis. How are they in last? 321 runs allowed--only less than Colorado's 332 in the NL. SERENITY NOW! I'm Matt Allen, and this one belongs to the Red Letters.
