(05-22-2021, 02:53 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: Anyone that's read any of my threads about the shift will totally understand my love of this Don Mattingly clip and Rich Eisen's beautiful portrayal of watching MLB.
And how in the Hell is Don Mattingly not in the Hall Of Fame? Talk about things that are wrong with Baseball. One of the greatest hitters to ever play this game and he was awesome at 1st base. You don't earn the nickname "Donnie Baseball" for being just a good player.
(05-23-2021, 03:31 PM)kevin Wrote: Gray and Castillo are NOT worth their paychecks first 2 months of this season.
Still have to disagree about Gray. Yes he is 0-3 but is ERA is also under 4. That's a pretty big indicator that the offense is not helping him out in any way shape or form.
So Bauer with Dodgers, Disco with Giants, Miley on IL, Castillo and Gray are not getting the job done. That leaves Mahle and Hoffman. I was afraid of this, NOT ENOUGH STARTING PITCHING. Reds could not afford to lose Bauer and Disco. Should have kept Disco.
So Reds lose series to Brewers. Reds only win 1 game and lose 6 on this home series, and that is awful. Gray and Castillo pitched twice on this awful home stand and they pitched like 2nd rate pitchers as Reds lost all 4 of their starts.
How many have Castillo on any Fantasy Teams and are you leaving him on the bench when he pitches so you don't keep taking all the minus points ? Gray is doing a little better, but not much better, as he isn't going many innings, his pitch count high early in game.
Stats before game 1 of 17 on May 7th
16 games later(game #3 rained out)
Batting Average
01) .359 Winker now .355
02) .340 Stephenson now .286
03) .324 Castellanos now .356
04) .313 Barnhardt now .278
05) .260 Naquin now .252
06) .250 Blandino now .220
07) .247 Senzel now .252 and on the Injured List
08) .222 India now .225
09) .219 Moustakas now .241 and on the Injured List
10) .173 Farmer now .214
11) .140 Suarez now .148
12) .000 Akiyama now .241
Payton .167
Schrock .133
Heineman .250
ERA
1) 2.67 Miley now 3.50
2) 3.23 Mahle now 4.20
3) 3.92 Gray now 3.96
4) 4.39 Hoffman now 4.31
5) 6.07 Castillo now 7.61
Relievers
1) 0.00 Hembree now 4.15
1) 0.00 Hendrix now 3.97
3) 2.60 Antone now 1.93
4) 3.97 Doolittle now 4.15
5) 4.24 Fulmer now 6.66 and Designated For Assignment (Free Agent)
6) 6.23 Romano now 5.23 and Designated For Assignment (New York Yankees system)
7) 6.55 Sims now 6.48
8) 8.31 Perez now 7.71 and in Louisville
9) 10.38 Garrett now 6.92
Feliz joined the Reds with a 2.35 ERA and now is at 4.91
Goudeau has pitched 1 game with the Reds and was perfect for 2.1 innings 0.00
Brach has two games with the Reds 4.50
Over their last 11 games the Reds are 3-8 including getting swept in a 4 game series at home ! They've gave up 83 runs in those games that's 7.5 runs a game. You can't win like that.
Our ace pitcher has an ERA over 7 and leads the majors in runs allowed 46, earned runs 40, and opponent batting average .328
We're only a few weeks away from the fire sale. Time to start another rebuild.
(05-23-2021, 05:31 PM)kevin Wrote: Gray is doing a little better, but not much better, as he isn't going many innings, his pitch count high early in game.
And that's your problem. You are so focused on that alone that you're not looking at the entire picture. His ERA is almost 4 points lower than Castillo. That's not "a little better" it's a whole lot better. In his 7 starts, he's allowed 4 or more runs in only 2 of those. Reds are 3-4 in those 7 games with Gray officially being 0-3. If the offense shows up even a little bit those 3 losses are likely not on his record if not actually wins even the 8-0 game against the Dodgers. That game was 2-0 most of the game until Romano gave up 6 runs in the 8th. If that game is tied or Reds lead there is no way Romano steps foot in that game. The Brewers game yesterday is really his only start where the Reds scored a couple runs before his departure. In fact if Blandino doesn't botch what should have been an inning ending out which instead allows 2 runs to score, that could easily have been a win for Gray. Look at the big picture. It really helps a lot.
Yes Cinci4life, Gray and Castillo not putting up quality innings is a problem. Not going deeper into games is a problem. They are the #1 and #2 Starting Pitchers. Are we to expect the #5 Pitcher Hoffman to lead this team, or # 3 and #4 Mahle and Miley. It is Castillo and Grays job to lead this team, and the fact is they have NOT been good in 2021. Now you can turn it upside down, look at it sideways, throw any graphics you want out there, but so far in 2020, they are both Flops.
Reds have day off after just an awful home stand. If Castillo and Gray don't get with it, I see this entire pitching staff blowing up, and Reds season with it. In July if near last place, Reds will be sellers, trading players to set up 2022. This team doesn't have enough Pitching and it doesn't have a true Shortstop. Nobody will want Votto contract. Suarez should be at third. Stephenson is catching and playing first also. Might be time to trade The Moose because there is no place to play him. Trading the Votto contract would open many doors to money for new players. Either trade Votto or The Moose, or both in June or July.
Again, Reds day off. Reds have some good young hitters, and some good young bullpen arms. However if Veterans like Castillo and Gray pitch this team into last place on July 1st, it is time to shake this team up and make moves to rebuild for 2022. I'm hoping Castillo and Gray start doing better, but if they don't, the small market Cincinnati team needs to be ready to dump salary if in last place in July, and build a team around the good young hitters they have.
Bell has 2 players hitting over ,350 and leading baseball in homers, Castellano and Winker. Plus a 3rd quality outfielder in Naquin. That is the outfield, stop tinkering with it Bell. In the infield, Suarez was hitting better at third. Stephenson is showing he is a good young hitter that needs to be playing. The hope is Castillo and Gray can get with it and pitch this team to play-offs. I don't care if it's Senzel, India or The Moose at second, but Reds need a true shortstop to make more defensive plays. With these pitchers, they better be playing golden glove defense. Castellano and Winker are giving this team a chance to WIN, if only Reds could get more out of Castillo, Gray, Suarez. I think Bell messed up Suarez putting him at shortstop to make room for Moose.
(05-24-2021, 09:43 AM)kevin Wrote: Yes Cinci4life, Gray and Castillo not putting up quality innings is a problem. Not going deeper into games is a problem. They are the #1 and #2 Starting Pitchers. Are we to expect the #5 Pitcher Hoffman to lead this team, or # 3 and #4 Mahle and Miley. It is Castillo and Grays job to lead this team, and the fact is they have NOT been good in 2021. Now you can turn it upside down, look at it sideways, throw any graphics you want out there, but so far in 2020, they are both Flops.
Reds have day off after just an awful home stand. If Castillo and Gray don't get with it, I see this entire pitching staff blowing up, and Reds season with it. In July if near last place, Reds will be sellers, trading players to set up 2022. This team doesn't have enough Pitching and it doesn't have a true Shortstop. Nobody will want Votto contract. Suarez should be at third. Stephenson is catching and playing first also. Might be time to trade The Moose because there is no place to play him. Trading the Votto contract would open many doors to money for new players. Either trade Votto or The Moose, or both in June or July.
Again, Reds day off. Reds have some good young hitters, and some good young bullpen arms. However if Veterans like Castillo and Gray pitch this team into last place on July 1st, it is time to shake this team up and make moves to rebuild for 2022. I'm hoping Castillo and Gray start doing better, but if they don't, the small market Cincinnati team needs to be ready to dump salary if in last place in July, and build a team around the good young hitters they have.
Bell has 2 players hitting over ,350 and leading baseball in homers, Castellano and Winker. Plus a 3rd quality outfielder in Naquin. That is the outfield, stop tinkering with it Bell. In the infield, Suarez was hitting better at third. Stephenson is showing he is a good young hitter that needs to be playing. The hope is Castillo and Gray can get with it and pitch this team to play-offs. I don't care if it's Senzel, India or The Moose at second, but Reds need a true shortstop to make more defensive plays. With these pitchers, they better be playing golden glove defense. Castellano and Winker are giving this team a chance to WIN, if only Reds could get more out of Castillo, Gray, Suarez. I think Bell messed up Suarez putting him at shortstop to make room for Moose.
I'm not twisting anything. I gave you straight up facts. Fact is Gray is not pitching anywhere near as bad as you say and i guarantee if he gets any kind of run support from the offense, we aren't even having this discussion right now.
Reds finish rest of suspended game this afternoon as Reds losing 3 to 0 in 4th inning. I'm guessing this game goes 7 innings just as second game goes 7 innings. Hoffman now injured, as is Miley. Reds getting short on pitchers.
So Reds play a double header today and then an early start in Chicago the next day. They will play 3 games in 24 hours in Washington and Chicago. Bench players may get playing time to pull this off.
If Gray pitches most of his 7 inning game that would help, and if he doesn't go many innings that would hurt. Here is where they could use Gray to pitch all or most of the 7 innings, and Castillo Friday to put up 6 innings in Chicago early start. That would be huge for bullpen in 3 games in 24 hours and Hoffman and Miley injured.
So Gray did step up and give Reds 6 innings of a 7 inning game. Gray gets his first win since August of 2020. Reds win a series over Washington after losing 6 of 7 on an awful home trip. So Reds needed this win and to win a series. Now Reds need Castillo to step up in Chicago, because Castillo and Gray need to win more than once every year. They get paid the millions to be Reds #1 and #2 Starting Pitchers, and so it's time they earned their paychecks. It's been many moons since Gray AND Castillo both won games in same turn in the pitching rotation. Maybe in 2020. Reds playing 3 games in 24 hours in two different cities could use it NOW.
So Castillo pitches Saturday. Still would like to see Gray and Castillo win close together games for first time maybe August of 2020. That is IF Castillo put up a win close to a Gray win in August of 2020.
If you can add Sonny Gray back to your Fantasy Teams, add him.
However Castillo is still pretty bad. Yesterday if you add his 4 walks to his hits, not very good.
Garrett came in and was awful again. Reduced from closer to middle relief, he can't even do that.
Antone got lit up, but he has pitched well most of 2021. Can't say that about Castillo or Garrett.
Early on, another huge error by Suarez at shortstop to let in runs. I've said this from opening day to now, Suarez is no shortstop.
So that leads to Bell. Farmer is not that bad at shortstop. Suarez is a third baseman only. The Moose was brought in to play second base. If The Moose was brought in to play Third Base when we already had Suarez at Third Base, then the Reds GM doesn't know what he is doing. I do not blame Suarez for his errors at shortstop, I blame Bell for playing him out of position. Shortstop is the most athletic position in baseball. Aparicio, Concepcion, Ozzie Smith, Barry Larkin. If there is one position you do not move players to, it is shortstop. You are either a shortstop, or you aren't. Suarez is no shortstop, but Bell is indeed a hardhead and a bad manager. Sparky could lecture Bell on Defense Up The Middle, but Bell probably wouldn't listen to even Sparky.
So Farmer plays OK shortstop. You know who else is a shortstop ? India. Reds are playing shortstop India out of position at second base because Bell see's him at second and Suarez at short. I see Bell unemployed with these kind of moves.
The Suarez error scoring runs falls on Ding Dong Bell. Suarez has no business at shortstop, he was an All-Star third baseman.
So Reds have lost Cubs series also. This is NOT a good team. Reds will win some games here and there, but they are no play-off team. Reds were only a play-off team last year because of all the extra play-off teams in covid short season, and Reds barely got in. If they had the regular amount of play-off teams, Reds would not have slid in around .500 record.
This is NOT a good team and it is time to tear this team down and rebuild it again. They have some good young players on the team. Gray and Castellano are good veteran leadership. Top pick Stephenson can flat out hit, and he will become a good catcher also. On the other hand, Castillo and Garrett who was suppose to be a great closer have been huge flops in 2021. I'm not sure where often injured Moose fits into this team, because Suarez should be at third. I would trade The Moose. I would have traded Votto's GIANT contract years ago. because Reds just can't afford it and field a good team like Tampa does. Tampa would never have a Votto type contract.
So Reds lose another series. This is NOT a good team. They won't lose them all, but they will be nowhere near play-offs. This team has many needs to address. Bengals are addressing their weak areas. Reds need to address theirs. One GOOD NEWS for Reds is that the minor leagues are back including Dayton Dragons single A. After no minors in covid, Reds can start coaching up young talent again, and the Reds are in dire need of some young talent moving up in their farm system.
The Reds do have to copy what Tampa Rays have been doing ever since Madden showed them the light, before he went to get Cubs their first World Series win in forever. If Reds are trying to be like New York Yankees on Cincinnati money, they will never win. Votto's contract into 2025 just kills Cincinnati's chances to field a good team. As teams scuttled farm teams in covid of no minors, The Rays and Reds grabbed up minor league players teams like Yankees were cutting. That may pay off in future, but they still need to get out from under the Votto contract to afford more good players for an all around solid team.
As for now, get Suarez off shortstop and back to third, too many errors. As questionable as the Reds pitching is, they better have an Ozzie Smith type at short, or at least Farmer. I would have kept defensive wizard Iggey at short. I see Madden has him with Angels. Madden knows his baseball.
(05-30-2021, 09:41 AM)kevin Wrote: If you can add Sonny Gray back to your Fantasy Teams, add him.
However Castillo is still pretty bad. Yesterday if you add his 4 walks to his hits, not very good.
Garrett came in and was awful again. Reduced from closer to middle relief, he can't even do that.
Antone got lit up, but he has pitched well most of 2021. Can't say that about Castillo or Garrett.
Early on, another huge error by Suarez at shortstop to let in runs. I've said this from opening day to now, Suarez is no shortstop.
So that leads to Bell. Farmer is not that bad at shortstop. Suarez is a third baseman only. The Moose was brought in to play second base. If The Moose was brought in to play Third Base when we already had Suarez at Third Base, then the Reds GM doesn't know what he is doing. I do not blame Suarez for his errors at shortstop, I blame Bell for playing him out of position. Shortstop is the most athletic position in baseball. Aparicio, Concepcion, Ozzie Smith, Barry Larkin. If there is one position you do not move players to, it is shortstop. You are either a shortstop, or you aren't. Suarez is no shortstop, but Bell is indeed a hardhead and a bad manager. Sparky could lecture Bell on Defense Up The Middle, but Bell probably wouldn't listen to even Sparky.
So Farmer plays OK shortstop. You know who else is a shortstop ? India. Reds are playing shortstop India out of position at second base because Bell see's him at second and Suarez at short. I see Bell unemployed with these kind of moves.
The Suarez error scoring runs falls on Ding Dong Bell. Suarez has no business at shortstop, he was an All-Star third baseman.
So Reds have lost Cubs series also. This is NOT a good team. Reds will win some games here and there, but they are no play-off team. Reds were only a play-off team last year because of all the extra play-off teams in covid short season, and Reds barely got in. If they had the regular amount of play-off teams, Reds would not have slid in around .500 record.
This is NOT a good team and it is time to tear this team down and rebuild it again. They have some good young players on the team. Gray and Castellano are good veteran leadership. Top pick Stephenson can flat out hit, and he will become a good catcher also. On the other hand, Castillo and Garrett who was suppose to be a great closer have been huge flops in 2021. I'm not sure where often injured Moose fits into this team, because Suarez should be at third. I would trade The Moose. I would have traded Votto's GIANT contract years ago. because Reds just can't afford it and field a good team like Tampa does. Tampa would never have a Votto type contract.
So Reds lose another series. This is NOT a good team. They won't lose them all, but they will be nowhere near play-offs. This team has many needs to address. Bengals are addressing their weak areas. Reds need to address theirs. One GOOD NEWS for Reds is that the minor leagues are back including Dayton Dragons single A. After no minors in covid, Reds can start coaching up young talent again, and the Reds are in dire need of some young talent moving up in their farm system.
The Reds do have to copy what Tampa Rays have been doing ever since Madden showed them the light, before he went to get Cubs their first World Series win in forever. If Reds are trying to be like New York Yankees on Cincinnati money, they will never win. Votto's contract into 2025 just kills Cincinnati's chances to field a good team. As teams scuttled farm teams in covid of no minors, The Rays and Reds grabbed up minor league players teams like Yankees were cutting. That may pay off in future, but they still need to get out from under the Votto contract to afford more good players for an all around solid team.
As for now, get Suarez off shortstop and back to third, too many errors. As questionable as the Reds pitching is, they better have an Ozzie Smith type at short, or at least Farmer. I would have kept defensive wizard Iggey at short. I see Madden has him with Angels. Madden knows his baseball.
I stopped reading after the comment about Castillo not being good yesterday.
![[Image: 4CV0TeR.png]](https://i.imgur.com/4CV0TeR.png)
![[Image: hFcJI4.png]](https://u.cubeupload.com/hFcJI4.png)
![[Image: bengals08-1-800small.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/MRz4cC9/bengals08-1-800small.jpg)
