Lodolo done for the season. Had a sprained finger that happened at the same time as the blister, and hopefully it is the cause of his struggles. Since going on the DL for blisters, he has allowed 38 earned runs in 45.1 innings, good for an 8.44 ERA over the last two months. Between him underperforming/ performing injured, Greene’s injury, and Speirs being figured out, bad things have come.
I have given up all hope for this season, and the team’s playoff odds are down to .2%. I’m not giving up hope for next year, though. The Reds’ injuries have cost the team significantly, and a few high impact arms are on the horizon. I just hope the off-season goes better than the season did.
Why do these guys get hurt? I remember guys playing 135-145 games (out 0f 154). Today’s players have better training facilities, better physical therapists, and better doctors. How did Lou Gehrig play 2130 consecutive games and how did Cal Ripken play over 2600 consecutive games?
Here’s what blows me away: the Reds are a hot mess and will still likely win 75 games. With better everything, (and let’s be conservative 2% better everything across the board from coaching to play) these guys could win 15 more games and get to 90 wins. 90 win clubs have a chance every year. Some have won it all. That makes my head hurt in a way just think about it. We stink and yet we are 15 away from being right there…
I’m a Reds fan but have always had a soft spot for the Pirates. A once glorious franchise now in the same boat we are. How can the Brewers (another small market team possibly even smaller than both Cincy and PBurg, but don’t quote me on that) be so much better than both teams? There simply isn’t a good excuse other than their operations. If you can win there you can win anywhere. The small market argument has grown tiresome to me. Yes, it often means at some point you lose your best players to bigger payrolls but those bigger payrolls often don’t win. Like say, the Angels. Besides, there are a ton of great baseball players all over the world and everyone gets a draft every year, and a rule 5.
Financial issues are a fact of life for the NL Central, but it really comes down to ownership and their desire to win. The Reds at least, have tried to win the past decade and a half, but the Pirates keep hiring bums and making terrible FA signing and trade deadline deals that prevent them from competing.
The Reds had a nice run 2010-2014 (so did the Pierats), then didn’t go all in on a rebuild but rather held onto assets way too long, only to trade once their value had fallen, resulting in crap from 2015-2019.
I agree they actually made trades and spent good money prior to 2020 that built a championship contender (Gray, Bauer, Castillo, and Mahle, plus Iglesias as closer…yowza), but Covid wrecked their plans and their income…so they bailed in 2021 and actually tore down to a foundation. Results on that tear down are still pending, but it’s gonna require another influx of free agent spending in order to fill the holes and create some depth.
Tearing down seems to only work when you spend money on the back end (Astros). When you’re the Pirates and tear down, you can’t supplement young talent with mammoths such as Rowdy Tellez or whomever they got at the trade deadline this year. Also doesn’t help that young talent in the Pirates system are horribly coached.
Yet they will win at least 75 games. Amazing. A terrible team that with 15 more wins would be in the post season. Being a Reds fan is the hardest job in the world. Team is in perpetual “we’re right there” purgatory. Never bottom of the barrel. Never top of the heap. Always mediocre.
We had 5 guys. We bought $5 tickets months ago but had them printed which is also $5 per ticket, so$50 for 5 tickets. We parked at the USBank Arena, a 5 minute walk.Parking was$15. We ate at a Bob Evan’s before the game so no one bought any food we set up high in the shade directly behind home. So $50 for tickets and $15 for parking. $65 total for 5 guys. $13 per person. The meals at Bob Evan’s cost us more than the game.
Of course, you can spend hundreds of dollars at the park if you choose to.
This is the right outcome. Mediocre team. 76 wins and with better mgt they could be in the playoffs. Bring in a proven winner ala Dusty was. Not an up and comer. Maybe the team has heard our concerns. I’d love to see the Reds win it all again. Been too long.