10 days to opening and...

[*bengalfan74*]

Well we're getting down to the nitty gritty. Benson, Marte and Hinds all sent down to minors. Stephenson most likely to go on DL.

Ashcraft has been getting steady rocked as a starter! Giving up 16 hits, 8 walks and 10 runs in 13 innings pitched. It wouldn't shock be to see him sent down again.

Fingers crossed that Greene can get it together. Lodolo, Singer, and Martinez seem to be making it as starters. Not sure if 5th one has been picked yet?

Good to see CES hitting well. Between Firedl, Lux, Hays, McClain, CES, and Elly we'll have a decent hitting core. Herd a Bees has been doing well also. I'm just hoping to see a competitive team that's still playing for something post All-Star break.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

I've honestly probably never been less excited for a Reds season to start.

It sucks because I absolutely love baseball..... but we have a Commissioner who hates baseball, an owner who is a cheap nepotistic PoS, and a league with an absolutely broken financial balance.

I'm putting all my hopes on the '26-'27 lockout to salvage this sport from itself.

[TecmoBengals]

(03-16-2025, 04:45 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I've honestly probably never been less excited for a Reds season to start.

It sucks because I absolutely love baseball..... but we have a Commissioner who hates baseball, an owner who is a cheap nepotistic PoS, and a league with an absolutely broken financial balance.

I'm putting all my hopes on the '26-'27 lockout to salvage this sport from itself.

[Forever Spinning Vinyl]

I'm pretty pumped up. This is the best full team that they've had going forward in quite awhile and much of that is because of the manager position. Not only is Bell gone . . . but he's replaced with someone that knows the game inside and out. Tied for 13th with Casey Stengal in all-time wins with 1,905 and he's 16th all-time in games managed with 3,532, only 4 behind 15th place Lou Piniella.*

This pitching staff came a long way last year and we all hope that they can improve on that growth. The bullpen *crossed fingers* looks to have improved over last season's squad.

Getting both McLain and CES back is going to be a massively huge bump for this team.

Health for the squad is the biggest fear more than anything else. If the team can stay intact for the season, with little no season ending injuries, they should be in the hunt for the division until late into the season. Injuries are going to happen and hopefully they can not get hit in the hands so many times at the plate this season. The team will often use the 10 day DL to just give a player some time off/miss a start without sending them down just so they can call up a hot player/pitcher in the minors.

While I clearly don't like the direction that the game is going, I just use that to root for anybody that plays against the Dodgers, Phillies, Red Sox, Mets or Yankees and take great joy in watching those teams lose.







* Side note while looking up managerial stats.

Connie Mack has lost more games as a manager(3,948) than all but eight other managers in total games managed.
Games managed
10) 3,942 Gene Mauch - 26 seasons
9) 4,028 Dusty Baker - 26 seasons
8) 4,030 Sparky Anderson - 26 seasons
7) 4,323 Joe Torre - 29 seasons
6) 4,353 Bruce Bochy - 27 seasons
5) 4,410 Bucky Harris - 29 seasons
4) 4,499 Bobby Cox - 29 seasons
3) 4,769 John McGraw - 36 seasons
2) 5,377 Tony Larussa - 36 seasons
1) 7,755 Connie Mack - 53 seasons - 3,731 W - 3,948 L - .481 winning percentage. Francona is at .539

[*bengalfan74*]

(03-16-2025, 09:23 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: I'm pretty pumped up. This is the best full team that they've had going forward in quite awhile and much of that is because of the manager position. Not only is Bell gone . . . but he's replaced with someone that knows the game inside and out. Tied for 13th with Casey Stengal in all-time wins with 1,905 and he's 16th all-time in games managed with 3,532, only 4 behind 15th place Lou Piniella.*

Agree,
I'm anxious to see what a difference having a true mgr. vs. a computer numbers guy makes? And I don't at all like a lot of the changes to the game. I enjoy "small ball" the hit and run, stealing bases, bunts, get em on get em over get em in. 
The HR or strikeout game is even more boring that regular baseball and it sucks!! Hopefully Francona can get them to come around to more "team play".

[Forever Spinning Vinyl]

So I was doing a little dive and found this oddity about the former #2 overall pick.

Nicholas Peter Senzel (born June 29, 1995) is an American professional baseball outfielder and third baseman for the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals, and Chicago White Sox.

For awhile, he was our Matt McLain/ Elly De La Cruz/Spencer Steer all wrapped into one.

[*bengalfan74*]

(03-17-2025, 07:45 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: So I was doing a little dive and found this oddity about the former #2 overall pick.

Nicholas Peter Senzel (born June 29, 1995) is an American professional baseball outfielder and third baseman for the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals, and Chicago White Sox.

For awhile, he was our Matt McLain/ Elly De La Cruz/Spencer Steer all wrapped into one.

Oh my what a sad story that turned out to be. Yep, I remember for like 2 or 3 years he was the hottest thing since freshly sliced bread. When is Senzel coming up?? When Senzel gets to the big club all our troubles are over. They had him touted as Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and Henry Aaron all rolled into one.

Then the injuries started adding up and it sunk like the Titanic for him. Oh what might have been

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

Broke the 7 game losing streak with a 1-0 win.

[Forever Spinning Vinyl]

                                  

Reds 108 games under .500 since 2010. That feels about right.
Pretty wild how close the AL West is after 15 years

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(03-22-2025, 02:50 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: Reds 108 games under .500 since 2010. That feels about right.
Pretty wild how close the AL West is after 15 years

174 games under .500 (.448) since 2014.

Reds were 357-291 (.551) during 2010-2013, so the verrrry beginning of that window frame was doing a LOT of heavy lifting.

[*bengalfan74*]

(03-22-2025, 07:12 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: 174 games under .500 (.448) since 2014.

Reds were 357-291 (.551) during 2010-2013, so the verrrry beginning of that window frame was doing a LOT of heavy lifting.

Yup

The last years the Reds were any good, at all. Lets get back to being relevant again.

[*bengalfan74*]

Well the last spring training game game coming up and only 4 days to opening day. And there's plenty to feel good about. And I get it they're facing pitchers that won't be pitching much this year in real games and so on but still:

Elly !! 42 at bats - 12 runs, 16 hits, 3 doubles, 4 HR's 10 RBI's and 9 walks WOOT. That's more walks than he had all of last season, I joke but that gives me hope that he's growing and learning as a hitter. .381 average

CES batting .271 and listed as starting 1B, Hays batting .308 and listed as starting LF, McClain batting .275 starting 2B. Also Herd a bees and Dunn both batted over .300 and showed some promise. Fraley starting RF is still a concern?

Greene after a rough start came around the last couple games and pitched much better. Singer and Martinez both looked very solid. Lodolo still worries me a bit and hopefully Abbott can get right before long. And there's still Spiers and Lowder.

Hopefully Speer and Stephenson have good recoveries. But I have some optimism going in the year.

[Forever Spinning Vinyl]

(03-23-2025, 04:08 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Well the last spring training game game coming up and only 4 days to opening day. And there's plenty to feel good about. And I get it they're facing pitchers that won't be pitching much this year in real games and so on but still:

Elly !! 42 at bats - 12 runs, 16 hits, 3 doubles, 4 HR's 10 RBI's and 9 walks WOOT. That's more walks than he had all of last season, I joke but that gives me hope that he's growing and learning as a hitter. .381 average

CES batting .271 and listed as starting 1B, Hays batting .308 and listed as starting LF, McClain batting .275 starting 2B. Also Herd a bees and Dunn both batted over .300 and showed some promise. Fraley starting RF is still a concern?

Greene after a rough start came around the last couple games and pitched much better. Singer and Martinez both looked very solid. Lodolo still worries me a bit and hopefully Abbott can get right before long. And there's still Spiers and Lowder.

Hopefully Speer and Stephenson have good recoveries. But I have some optimism going in the year.

LOVE IT!!!

Add in that Lux went 2 for 3 today with his 2nd home run and upped his ST average to .300. Hats off to India for hitting .386 this Spring, I'll be rooting for him, but McLain is the 2B here and Lux LH bat is mostly replacing Benson as one of the lefties in the batting order.

I also think that the Diaz injury is a blessing in disguise and will rally the bullpen to step up their game. Even with a couple of health questions, the starting staff is one of the best in baseball.

I like Fairchild but Herd Of Bees and Dunn are both quick and play good defense . . . those are pretty much the only qualities that's kept Fairchild in the bigs. It might be best for all in the long run if he starts the season in AAA.

I'm really hoping(there's that word hope) that Friedl stays healthy and takes that next step. I love his style of play and he sets the table for McLain, De La Cruz and Encarnacion-Strand. I'd love to see him flirt with .300. This team will almost be unstoppable if that happens.

[*bengalfan74*]

(03-24-2025, 04:25 AM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: LOVE IT!!!

Add in that Lux went 2 for 3 today with his 2nd home run and upped his ST average to .300. Hats off to India for hitting .386 this Spring, I'll be rooting for him, but McLain is the 2B here and Lux LH bat is mostly replacing Benson as one of the lefties in the batting order.

I also think that the Diaz injury is a blessing in disguise and will rally the bullpen to step up their game. Even with a couple of health questions, the starting staff is one of the best in baseball.

I like Fairchild but Herd Of Bees and Dunn are both quick and play good defense . . . those are pretty much the only qualities that's kept Fairchild in the bigs. It might be best for all in the long run if he starts the season in AAA.

I'm really hoping(there's that word hope) that Friedl stays healthy and takes that next step. I love his style of play and he sets the table for McLain, De La Cruz and Encarnacion-Strand. I'd love to see him flirt with .300. This team will almost be unstoppable if that happens.

Agree

If I remember correctly Herd of Bees looked really good in the outfield a few times last season. Fairchild is good on defense but his hitting is pretty weak. If Dunn and H O Bees continue swinging decent bats keep them subbing in lineup. Use Fiarchild for late in sub for Fraley or whoever.

Elly finished ST batting 409 !! I get it, it's ST. But it still gives me hope that he's learning (the walks) and not going to be so aggressive swinging at pitches a foot off the plate. Perhaps a true breakout season? He's learning he doesn't have to hit the ball 500 feet to have success.