I wanted to wait until after Opening Day thread over, because Opening Day in Cincinnati pretty special. Cincy TV Channel 19 covered the parade great. I liked it more than New York Macy's or Pasadena parades, because it was more Local of schools from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana. I enjoyed the parade on TV, and it shows there are a lot of good Kids and Grown Ups to be proud of in Our Area.

OK, so a great parade followed by an Opening Day loss. Greene didn't go enough innings, only 3. However Lodolo and Ashcraft did much better and got the ball to Diaz to finish. Reds Win Opening Series.

Now Reds winning Opening Series may not mean jack to some, but I don't think the Reds won a series in April of 2022.

So Reds beat Pirates. Now for Reds to beat Cubs. The Reds only won about 4 games last April. It looks like Reds could do much better this April. Pitching and Defense wins a lot of games. It may turn out that Reds have the best Diaz brother closer.

And I love that games go about 2 hours now. Games going 4 hours was so boring. Love the pitch clock, Love that the shifts are gone. No more players standing around looking at their shift cards, which was boring. This has players back to making great defensive plays again. Also more stolen bases again due to larger bags and such. The Game will be better, and The Reds will be better, so it's a big improvement over how dull baseball had became with those 4 to 5 hour games. Announcers no longer have 4 hours to fill with some of the worst broadcasting I ever heard. 2 hours keeps them talking more about the game being played.

So GO REDS. Get after Cubs and have a good April. Last April after the strike lockout was awful, only around 4 wins. Follow beating Pirates with getting after The Cubs.

I'm hoping Overton has a good game today. IIRC he had some decent outings last season. We really need this pitching staff to take the next step. I'm talking to you Greene.

Reds win Game 1 of Cubs series. This sets up a better chance to win their first 2 series of season.

Hey 3-1

They've already won as many games this April as they did last April soo.....

I blew it.  They were winning till I checked..5 seconds later it's 6-3 bad guys.. dammit! 

RAIN....So this Reds series ends in a Tie. So Reds beat Pirates and a Tie with Cubs to start season. A better April so far than last years April. The postponed game moved to September 1st when Reds will play 2 games with Cubs that day. The schedule now gets harder as Reds go to Philly for weekend. The upside is no game today and no game Friday, so Reds Bullpen will not be over worked. Greene, Lodolo, Ashcraft could provide wins in Philly.

Can't believe they already postponed Thursday's game due to weather too.

(04-05-2023, 08:52 PM)guyofthetiger Wrote: Can't believe they already postponed Thursday's game due to weather too.

Yes, a lot of tornado's running across USA now into East Coast area.  Really bad weather last few weeks, per all the tornado damage across USA.  

So no big deal if a ball game is moved from Thursday to Friday.  Probably better to just have a regular Friday, Saturday, Sunday series anyway. 

Also, after Votto hit a home run in his rehab start in Louisville, he could be back and playing any day now per Reds.  Could see him against Phillies this weekend. 

UPDATE : Wrong on Votto Bell says Votto needs more rehab reps. plus they are happy with Vosler for now. Votto stays in Minor Leagues this weekend and maybe longer. We;;, Votto had an awful season last year, plus major surgery. Now Votto said if he couldn't get it together in 2023 that he would not wait until seasons end to retire. So if he just stinks, he is going to retire fast and save Reds some money. We will see. If he comes back and hits, fine. If he can't come back and hit and retires early saving Reds money, fine. If he can't come back but Reds have to pay all his 2023 salary, not so fine, but not much Reds can do about it. .....Vosler, not Votto is play first and hitting the ball well.

Reds lose Game 1 to Phillies. Need to win Saturday to have chance to Win series.

Is Hunter Greene just Robert Stepheson pt 2? Because I am getting some of those vibes.

(04-07-2023, 08:15 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Is Hunter Greene just Robert Stepheson pt 2? Because I am getting some of those vibes.

Hunter throws hard and that's all he has going for him right now. Maybe he'd make a better clsoer?

Lodolo pitched 7 scoreless innings. It's set for the 8th inning set up and then Diaz in the 9th. WIN THIS.

As for Hunter Greene, it's the same as last year. Major Leaguers can hit a fast ball, I don't care how fast it is. Greene could be another Bob Gibson, who I saw pitch in person many times. Greene has to have other pitches than the heater. Heater, change up but also a curve or a slider. Even Koufax had a curve and a change up besides just the heater. What Bob Gibson was known for was a mean attitude on the mound, and he gave the hitters no chance. Hitters said his first 2 pitches for strikes would be the heater inside, POP, and then strike you out down and away with the curve. Greene will not be a good pitcher until he learns his fastball is not enough.

No, I do not want Greene as a Closer as Chapman was made into. He will have a longer career as a Starter. Plus we have Diaz. Hunter could be a Bob Gibson or Tom Seaver, but he needs to use his other pitches and also take command and pitch more with an attitude. Don't be afraid to pitch inside and brush these hitters back off the plate. Don't let the hitters take their big home run stance, bust that heater inside on them crowding the plate. Then nail them with the down and away as Bob Gibson use to do.

Greene is a young thrower, but he needs to become a Pitcher, not a Thrower, and there is a difference. All the home runs he gives up are due to way too many fastballs. He also isn't going many innings before his pitch count is up. Now I know Greene can go 7 innings, because I've seen him do it. The young pitcher needs to become a Major League Veteran, as a Starter. He could be one of the best Starters ever, a Hall of Famer, if he just learns how to Pitch instead of just throwing the heater. Just about every Big Leaguer can hit the heater....In short, Greene still pitches like a Rookie, and has a lot to learn, but he should turn out great. Where are the Reds Pitching Coaches ??? Teach him a curve or a slider. Tell the catcher not to dial up the heater every pitch.

(04-08-2023, 07:09 PM)kevin Wrote: Lodolo pitched 7 scoreless innings.  It's set for the 8th inning set up and then Diaz in the 9th.  WIN THIS.

As for Hunter Greene, it's the same as last year.  Major Leaguers can hit a fast ball, I don't care how fast it is.  Greene could be another Bob Gibson, who I saw pitch in person many times.  Greene has to have other pitches than the heater.  Heater, change up but also a curve or a slider.  Even Koufax had a curve and a change up besides just the heater.  What Bob Gibson was known for was a mean attitude on the mound, and he gave the hitters no chance.  Hitters said his first 2 pitches for strikes would be the heater inside, POP, and then strike you out down and away with the curve.   Greene will not be a good pitcher until he learns his fastball is not enough.  

No, I do not want Greene as a Closer as Chapman was made into.  He will have a longer career as a Starter. Plus we have Diaz.  Hunter could be a Bob Gibson or Tom Seaver, but he needs to use his other pitches and also take command and pitch more with an attitude. Don't be afraid to pitch inside and brush these hitters back off the plate.  Don't let the hitters take their big home run stance, bust that heater inside on them crowding the plate. Then nail them with the down and away as Bob Gibson use to do.

Greene is a young thrower, but he needs to become a Pitcher, not a Thrower, and there is a difference. All the home runs he gives up are due to way too many fastballs.  He also isn't going many innings before his pitch count is up.  Now I know Greene can go 7 innings, because I've seen him do it.  The young pitcher needs to become a Major League Veteran, as a Starter.  He could be one of the best Starters ever, a Hall of Famer, if he just learns how to Pitch instead of just throwing the heater.  Just about every Big Leaguer can hit the heater....In short, Greene still pitches like a Rookie, and has a lot to learn, but he should turn out great.  Where are the Reds Pitching Coaches ??? Teach him a curve or a slider.  Tell the catcher not to dial up the heater every pitch.

There's no reason to move him to the pen this year.  There's not a lot on the line.  

If he continues to struggle to get out of the 4th this season, I think the closer option might end up being part of the discussion.  He looks good the first time or two through the lineup.  He falters when the opposing hitters have seen all he has and know that there's not much other than a hard fastball in the arsenal.

Ducking Bell....Bell lost that game. You don't brig in Diaz in the 8th, you bring in your Closer in the 9th....and these hard heads that think a Closer can go 2 innings. Diaz was great for 1 inning, had no gas in the tank the 2nd inning. ....Ducking Bell lost that game and wasted a great outing by Lodolo.

And with that Bell loses the series. Bell is NOT the smartest manager I've ever seen, per his losing record. Reds are all into this Gus Bell, Buddy Bell stuff. I don't see them winning. Where are the wins. Why I was hoping Barry Larkin as manager, but they hired Bell.

I don't blame Diaz not able to go 2 innings, he had a good one inning. No, I blame Bell for not saving Diaz for the 9th inning only. That is what Closers do. People that think otherwise are hard heads like Bell.

AND...Runner at 3rd takes a lead almost to home plate about 10 times in a row. laughing at Reds pitcher. You telling me Bell doesn't know what play to put on for that. They better throw the Viking Helmet in the garbage and work on Basic Baseball. That Phillie base runner closer to home than 3rd laughing at the pitcher, where is the pick off play Bell, where is the pick off play.

Reds take a 2-0 lead into the 9th and the pen gives up 3 to lose it. If Diaz is the closer don’t bring him in the 8th especially for the whole inning and expect him to get through 2 full innings.

(04-08-2023, 08:00 PM)cinci4life Wrote: Reds take a 2-0 lead into the 9th and the pen gives up 3 to lose it. If Diaz is the closer don’t bring him in the 8th especially for the whole inning and expect him to get through 2 full innings.

Right.  Ohio has one good manager and it isn't Bell. Terry Francona would never bring in Clase to pitch 2 innings.  Francona is a winner and Bell is a loser.   Plus Lodolo first Reds Lefty to have 12 K's and no runs since 1972, and Bell wasted that also.  Someone please tell the Gus Bell family that this is not the 1950's. I remember Marty Brennaman on radio ranting about Pete Rose, " Where is it written that John Franco has to get every save and can only pitch the 9th inning. " One day Pete Rose told Marty, " because that is modern day baseball. Every team has a 9th inning Closer now, Marty ". .....So Bell going back to 1950's ball is a good way to lose 100 games. Plus, where is the pick-off of the runner almost at home from third. Sparky, Pete, Lou, Dave Johnson, many Reds managers would nail that runner that far off third laughing at the pitcher. Too much Viking Helmet, not enough Managing.

Nah, you strike out the side 1-2-3 on 14 pitches, you should be able to go a 2nd inning with a 3 run lead.

I'm not a Bell apologist and have wanted him gone since he got hired, but that's just an outright choke job by Diaz.

If he was "gassed" from throwing 14 pitches in 6 days, then he needs to go work on his cardio until it gets back to a professional athlete's level. He was coming off more rest than a starter gets.

Time to invest in a bullpen.

(04-09-2023, 10:25 AM)TecmoBengals Wrote: Time to invest in a bullpen.

No.  The time to do started in November and ended when the season started.  

They bought the ticket.  Now they're gonna take the ride.  

I never expected a lot from this team, so I'm not going to get overly worked up about a bad bullpen.  What will piss me off is how they utilize the young starters as a result of the awful receivers.  Lodolo was great, but he went pretty deep into that game.  I know not everyone believes in candy-assing young starters, but in the Reds' situation, it makes a lot of sense.  

Realistically, the Reds are playing exhibition games on MLB fields this season.  They have almost no shot at contending.  If they did it would be a historic-scale shock to everyone that watches this game.  Getting one of the big 3 hurt by overworking them is malpractice even on the Reds' level.  If yanking one of them when they are dealing means watching the pen burn down a lead, then so be it.  That's the bed that ownership has made.  

Chattanooga should give lessons to Bell. I think they call it prayer, but I'm not sure.. lol