(10-01-2020, 04:32 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: The Braves starters ERA was over 5 for the season, the highest by a team that made the post-season.

THAT team just shut out our pathetic Reds for 22 innings.

I'm always bummed after one of my teams loses.  After this, I am just downright pissed. And the national joke rolls on.

At least being pissed off at the Reds is giving my brain a break from being pissed off at the Bengals.

I'd like to know how many games this team has won, let's include 2019 for a better perspective, without hitting two home runs or more ?

They have no idea how to or just can't play anything close to small ball. Like Vinyl said back in August or so "I hate modern baseball" I'll 2nd that

(10-01-2020, 05:19 PM)McC Wrote: I'm always bummed after one of my teams loses.  After this, I am just downright pissed.  And the national joke rolls on.

At least being pissed off at the Reds is giving my brain a break from being pissed off at the Bengals.

Yup. After a while, you become less embarrassed and more pissed about the guys that go out there and choke like little bitches, repeatedly. 

(10-01-2020, 06:11 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: Yup. After a while, you become less embarrassed and more pissed about the guys that go out there and choke like little bitches, repeatedly. 

How did they manage to turn two guys who were hitters into non-hitters?  I'm just baffled by that.

Eh, we lived up to our season profile.

Outstanding starting pitching, mediocre relief pitching and shit hitting.

(10-01-2020, 08:24 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Eh, we lived up to our season profile.

Outstanding starting pitching, mediocre relief pitching and shit hitting.

I disagree on play-off series.   The Starting Pitching was Great and so was the Relief Pitching.  The Relief Pitching only gave up 1 run in the 13 inning game opener when all pitchers were used.  Then in second game it wasn't until 8th or so that Braves had a 3 or 4 run inning.   The Braves have one of the best hitting teams in baseball and Reds Starters and Relievers shut them down 13 innings game one, and game two until 7th or 8th inning.  

Now the Reds hitting just set post season record.  No team in post season has ever played a series and not scored a run.  Not including one game play-off where Reds have gone hitless.  Talking a post season series here, and no runs in a series is a new MLB post season low from 1901 to 2020.  No team has ever hit this bad.  

The sad thing is Bauer will probably be on a new team in 2021, but Reds will still have highest paid Red ever Votto.  Forget Frank Robinson, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Johnny Bench, Tom Seaver, Ken Griffey Jr, Barry Larkin...Votto is by far the highest paid Red NOW and the highest paid Red EVER. ...THAT is like a giant anchor holding this team back...Too much money to a not so good player. 

I've said it every year last 5 years and I'll say it again,  Reds need to trade Votto.  I said this when Reds had losing season around 2016 but Votto put up MVP type numbers for first time in years.  I said now is the time to trade him.  If they can lose with him, they can lose without him.  This angered everybody on here that I dared to say trade Joey Votto.  The problem is he gets paid 20 to 25 million a year until 2025.  The Reds can not afford to spend that much on one player, they are not the Yankees.  The Reds could get a lot of players for 25 million dollars. 

I don't care how they trade Votto.  Package him with Suarez and his .200 batting average.  Or agree to pay 25% of his contract just to dump 75% of his contract.  Just get him out of here and never make a contract like this again in small market Cincinnati.  They have to get smart like Tampa and win more with no big monster contracts like Votto.  The Money Ball movie where the new GM starts by trading all the contacts too big, and tells upset coaches they are Oakland, not New York.   Cincinnati is not New York.  Joey Votto and his 20 to 25 Million a year has got to go.  He should be on another team by Christmas of 2020, if the Reds GM really wants to get with the times like Tampa or Oakland has.  Cincinnati is not New York, and Votto contract holds them down, not up. 

The highest paid Red ever is the cornerstone to the record setting no runs in a post season series. Look to the guy making 20 to 25 million a year until 2025 or so, and get him the hell out of here and on another team. Work a trade, package him in with other players, eat part of his contract, but make the trade before Christmas. and never make another contract like this again. Get smart Cincy, like Tampa and Oakland, no more Monster Contracts like Votto's.

The Cardinals just lost . . . the NL Central went 1-8 as all four teams got knocked out in the first round.

(10-02-2020, 11:33 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: The Cardinals just lost . . . the NL Central went 1-8 as all four teams got knocked out in the first round.

And aside from the big night the Cardinals had last night, none of them hit worth a shit.

Votto isn't going anywhere. Nobody wants him and he has a no trade clause. The best the Reds can hope for is a permanent switch to the DH to mitigate his being a liability at first. He does still get on base at a decent rate, so he's not completely without value for a player in decline.

I think giving up on Suarez would be a mistake. He had a rough year after shoulder surgery in the Spring, and I think he struggled to get comfortable. He's shown that he can consistently produce. I'm willing to accept that this year was an outlier. The only way I trade him is for a haul that we can't refuse, and that's unlikely. Selling on a player after. a down year is a terrible idea. You're going to get poor value. It's what the Reds did in the last rebuild, and it went pretty poorly.

They should plan on Bauer being gone. I see no way he returns.

What they need is a hitter that isn't a 3 outcome guy every at bat. They need a guy or two that can hit for average. An upgrade at shortstop is probably a must, but that's easier said than done. I'd look at Gregorius again. Marcus Semien is a pipe dream, but he fits the need perfectly.

Other than that, I see Antone as the 5th starter. Not sure what they do after Gray and Castillo. I'd let Disco walk. Miley doesn't inspire confidence. 2 rotation spots to fill.

(10-04-2020, 02:42 PM)samhain Wrote: Votto  isn't going  anywhere.  Nobody wants him and he has a no trade clause.  The best the Reds can hope for is a permanent switch to the DH to mitigate his being a liability at first.  He does still get on base at a decent rate, so he's not completely without value for a player in decline.

I think giving up on Suarez would be a mistake.  He had a rough year after shoulder surgery in the Spring, and I think he struggled to get comfortable.  He's shown that he can consistently produce.  I'm willing to accept that this year was an outlier.  The only way I trade him is for a haul that we can't refuse, and that's unlikely.  Selling on a player after. a down year is a terrible idea.  You're going to get poor value.  It's what the Reds did in the last rebuild, and it went pretty poorly.  

They should plan on Bauer being gone.  I see no way he returns.  

What they need is a hitter that isn't a 3 outcome guy every at bat.  They need a guy or two that can hit for average.  An upgrade at shortstop is probably a must, but that's easier said than done.  I'd look at Gregorius again.  Marcus Semien is a pipe dream, but he fits the need perfectly.  

Other than that, I see Antone as the 5th starter.  Not sure what they do after Gray and Castillo.  I'd let Disco walk.  Miley doesn't inspire confidence.  2 rotation spots to fill.

There is talk that the Dodgers(the we can't win unless we have ALL the best players Dodgers) and the Mets will be going after him and there's just no way the Reds can compete with the big markets teams.

I do wonder if Bauer's refusal to sign anything more than one year deals will come into play.

(10-04-2020, 09:43 PM)McC Wrote: There is talk that the Dodgers(the we can't win unless we have ALL the best players Dodgers) and the Mets will be going after him and there's just no way the Reds can compete with the big markets teams.

I do wonder if Bauer's refusal to sign anything more than one year deals will come into play.

I think the Padres are an option, too.  He's pals with Clevinger and from SoCal, and to be real, San Diego is a pretty incredible place to live.  Not as weird as LA with all of the good parts of being in Southern California, ie weather and beaches.  

He's a different dude, though.  Maybe he like having Kyle Boddy on staff.  Maybe Derek Johnson is a factor.  Idk.  I don't see him wanting to hang around if he doesn't think the team can compete, and they can't without some offensive upgrades.  I'm not sure they can afford both Bauer and offensive upgrades. 

(10-05-2020, 02:24 AM)samhain Wrote: I think the Padres are an option, too.  He's pals with Clevinger and from SoCal, and to be real, San Diego is a pretty incredible place to live.  Not as weird as LA with all of the good parts of being in Southern California, ie weather and beaches.  

He's a different dude, though.  Maybe he like having Kyle Boddy on staff.  Maybe Derek Johnson is a factor.  Idk.  I don't see him wanting to hang around if he doesn't think the team can compete, and they can't without some offensive upgrades.  I'm not sure they can afford both Bauer and offensive upgrades. 

Now I'm seeing White Sox and Red Sox too.  Basically, any team with a lot of dough and the desire to buy a WS title.

Bauer said that he's not against re-signing with Cincinnati.

*ahem*

That's his agent sending a signal to the league, we like it here . . . open up your 2021 budget to get us. I think he has almost zero interest in re-signing with Cincinnati and is just using them as a bargaining chip.

(10-05-2020, 06:37 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: Bauer said that he's not against re-signing with Cincinnati.

*ahem*

That's his agent sending a signal to the league, we like it here . . . open up your 2021 budget to get us. I think he has almost zero interest in re-signing with Cincinnati and is just using them as a bargaining chip.

If he likes his teammates and his pitching coach...

I do think he would have to see something done about the offense before he would seriously consider staying.

But on the other side, all the annual buy a pennant teams will come calling with big piles of cash that the Reds will not be able to match or exceed.  Seems like a done deal that he's gone.

(10-06-2020, 05:39 PM)McC Wrote: If he likes his teammates and his pitching coach...

I do think he would have to see something done about the offense before he would seriously consider staying.

But on the other side, all the annual buy a pennant teams will come calling with big piles of cash that the Reds will not be able to match or exceed.  Seems like a done deal that he's gone.

Yep, I'll be shocked if he stays. One of the "Cash money brother teams" will add a zero to our max offer and that's all folks.

(10-06-2020, 06:07 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Yep, I'll be shocked if he stays. One of the "Cash money brother teams" will add a zero to our max offer and that's all folks.

Yep.  It's the thing that sucks most about baseball right now and why I am rooting so hard for the Rays and Marlins.

And speaking of the Marlins, they have never lost a playoff series. How incredible is that?

(10-06-2020, 06:08 PM)McC Wrote: Yep.  It's the thing that sucks most about baseball right now and why I am rooting so hard for the Rays and Marlins.

And speaking of the Marlins, they have never lost  a playoff series.  How incredible is that?

The Bengals are undefeated in AFC Championship games.