Random thoughts for a random Friday.
The happiest man on the planet today is Bengals holdout lineman, Andre Smith. He heard all he needed to hear Thursday night: Bengals allow six sacks in loss to Rams...
Smith better not get too giddy. He's still dealing with Mike Brown and daughter Katie...
Carson Palmer has all the mobility of a refrigerator. What do you figure his life expectancy is behind this current O-Line? .....
And let's not forget, the Rams aren't going to the Super Bowl this year, unless then buy their tickets in bulk....
The Reds have won four in a row? You mean the Reds who play in Cincinnati? Really?....
So they get hot now. We've been down this road before. Team falls out of contention in June, then gets hot in late August. Guess what? The games don't matter anymore. The heat has been off this team since June 1. Players play differently when there is no pressure on them. That's exactly the situation the Reds are in now. Major League Baseball is a whole different deal if you're involved in a pennant race.
Before you get all giddy about Reds pitcher Justin Lehr, remember these two words: Tom Shearn. Remember him? Came up from AAA late in the year a few seasons back. Great story, the guy had been living in a camper behind the center field fence in Louisville. Shearn was successful pitching late in the year (when the games didn't matter) and a lot of Reds fans thought he could win 15-20 the following season.
I like what career minor leaguer Lehr has done. But I also know reality....
UC signed a deal this week for a game against the University of Tennessee in football in 2011. It's a one game deal, no return match to Cincinnati. Think about how different this might have been, had Brian Kelly taken that job that was open in Rocky Top last winter...
BK, incidentally is my guest this Sunday morning on 700 WLW at 10:06am. He's also guesting with us Sunday night on WLWT's Sports Rock!
I hate what Michael Vick did with those dogs. But is there anything more hackneyed than animal rights groups protesting the Eagles signing him? Get real people. Everyone knows what he did and knows what he did was wrong. We get it. But here's what you don't get: all the protestation in the world won't make the Eagles dump Vick. And contractually, they'd have to pay him anyway. He went to the Federal 'Pen'. His job is playing football. You can't deny a man the right to earn his living after he's paid his penance....
But if ever tried to touch my dog....
Have a great weekend....updates when warranted.
THE BROO VIEW: Cincinnati's Legendary Sportscaster Offer His Thoughts On The Ever Changing World Of Sports
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Hey! It's Wednesday
The Reds scored eight runs Tuesday night, and still almost lost. In fact, up 6-1 in the 9th, the bullpen (Cordero and Massett with some help frm Rhodes) allowed the Brewers to score five and erase a lead and a terrific seven innings of work by Bronson Arroyo.
Further proof that this Cincinnati Reds team is brutal. Eight runs is about four games worth for the Reds. So that was refreshing. But when the bullpen imploded it pointed to yet another problem this team has: synchronicity. OK Sting, you're saying, explain that!
Simple: when one phase of a team is going well, hitting last night, the opposite phase of that team (pitching) needs to pick up its game. Good teams, contending teams, do that. Teams like the Reds don't. Why? Because the Reds are a collection of misfits and cast offs, sprinkled with stars like Votto and Phillips. Last night, the only members of the starting eight that were 'home grown' were Votto and Drew Stubbs. A team thrown together (and that's exactly what your Cincinnati Reds are) doesn't play the game with synchronicity.
I'm leaving a wake up call for 2011.
I hope I'm dead wrong on this one. But I think we've seen the last of Bengals TE Ben Utecht. He spoke with some of the media, including WLWT, in the Bengals locker room Tuesday and hinted that retirement may be an option for him. Utecht, lured away from the Colts in 2008 in free agency, suffered a concussion in a helmet to helmet hit with Bengals linebacker, Darryl Blackstock in a practice this summer. It was Utecht's 5th concussion. He's now consulting with two specialists, one in Cincinnati and another in New York City.
Concussions are serious, serious business. Ask quarterback Trent Green, who retired last year after multiple concussions. Maybe Utecht plays again. But if he does, it won't be anytime soon.
Ted Kennedy passed away Tuesday night, losing a battle with brain cancer. I won't go into his politics and whether or not I agreed with them. But I will say this: anyone who is 50 or older remembers the violent deaths of his older brothers and how Ted Kennedy assumed the title of patriarch of America's most glamorous family. He was 37 when his father died in 1969. Try being a patriarch, when everything your family does from politics to dining at Wendy's is a news flash.
Ted Kennedy made his share of mistakes, some fatal. But he was the last link to the elegance of the JFK White House. Doesn't matter if you're a Democrat or Republican. His passing is a seminal moment.
The Reds scored eight runs Tuesday night, and still almost lost. In fact, up 6-1 in the 9th, the bullpen (Cordero and Massett with some help frm Rhodes) allowed the Brewers to score five and erase a lead and a terrific seven innings of work by Bronson Arroyo.
Further proof that this Cincinnati Reds team is brutal. Eight runs is about four games worth for the Reds. So that was refreshing. But when the bullpen imploded it pointed to yet another problem this team has: synchronicity. OK Sting, you're saying, explain that!
Simple: when one phase of a team is going well, hitting last night, the opposite phase of that team (pitching) needs to pick up its game. Good teams, contending teams, do that. Teams like the Reds don't. Why? Because the Reds are a collection of misfits and cast offs, sprinkled with stars like Votto and Phillips. Last night, the only members of the starting eight that were 'home grown' were Votto and Drew Stubbs. A team thrown together (and that's exactly what your Cincinnati Reds are) doesn't play the game with synchronicity.
I'm leaving a wake up call for 2011.
I hope I'm dead wrong on this one. But I think we've seen the last of Bengals TE Ben Utecht. He spoke with some of the media, including WLWT, in the Bengals locker room Tuesday and hinted that retirement may be an option for him. Utecht, lured away from the Colts in 2008 in free agency, suffered a concussion in a helmet to helmet hit with Bengals linebacker, Darryl Blackstock in a practice this summer. It was Utecht's 5th concussion. He's now consulting with two specialists, one in Cincinnati and another in New York City.
Concussions are serious, serious business. Ask quarterback Trent Green, who retired last year after multiple concussions. Maybe Utecht plays again. But if he does, it won't be anytime soon.
Ted Kennedy passed away Tuesday night, losing a battle with brain cancer. I won't go into his politics and whether or not I agreed with them. But I will say this: anyone who is 50 or older remembers the violent deaths of his older brothers and how Ted Kennedy assumed the title of patriarch of America's most glamorous family. He was 37 when his father died in 1969. Try being a patriarch, when everything your family does from politics to dining at Wendy's is a news flash.
Ted Kennedy made his share of mistakes, some fatal. But he was the last link to the elegance of the JFK White House. Doesn't matter if you're a Democrat or Republican. His passing is a seminal moment.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Good Monday Morning!
Anyway you look at it, you had a better weekend that Aaron Harang, who had his appendix burst on him in Pittsburgh.
I’ve been looking long and hard at the Reds this week. I see no way this team competes for a division title next season. I’ve done the math. I’ve crunched the roster. None of it adds up to a very good 2010 season.
I watched the Bengals play the Patriots this week. I love what I’m seeing from Ochocinco. I think the first team secondary looks really good. I like what the linebackers are doing. But honestly, I’m not seeing enough to make me believe that this team is eleven wins good this season. And it’s going to take eleven to get into the playoffs.
I’m trying real hard to find in the pile of pony dung today. Maybe you can help me. If you can, dial in now.
The Reds are such an easy target these days. I almost feel guilty sitting here and picking them apart. They’ve simply misplayed just about everything this season. They really haven’t done anything right since Spring Training 2008, when they signed Corey Patterson to about $2.99 million more than anyone else was going to pay him.
They’re everyday eight would have trouble competing in Triple-A. Their starting rotation is in shambles and their bullpen, well, does it even matter when you can only score two or three runs per night.
It would defy ridicule to say they’ll be a contending team in 2010. Here’s what this team is going to look like next season, particularly if they can’t unload Harang, Arroyo or Cordero. The outfield will be Chris Heisey in left, Drew Stubbs in center and Jay Bruce in right. From a dollars and cents stand point, not bad. You’ll get a starting outfield for under a million and a half.
Scott Rolen will eat a lot of money at third. But move Brandon Phillips to short, put Double-A phenom Todd Frazier at second and leave Joey Votto at first and you’ll get an infield for about $20 million.
They won’t pick up Ramon Hernandez and his $8.5 million option. Ryan Hanigan will cost them about $600,000. They go out and sign a free agent catcher (Henry Blanco, Greg Zaun, Johnny Estrada pick one). Catching shouldn’t set the Reds back more than $1 million in 2009.
We’re at $22.5 million. Not bad.
Now, pitching. OK, Harang, Arroyo and Cordero combined are scheduled to make $35 million. Dump Cordero and you’ve got $14 million off the books. Who’d want him? The Cubs need him right now. And the Yankees about ready to schedule Grecian Formula night for Mariano Rivera. I’d start with those two teams and see where it takes me.
Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez will both get somethwer in the neighborhood of $600,000 each, Volquez maybe a little less considering he won’t pitch before August. We’re now at about $46.5 million. The only other big dollar contracts in the bullpen belong to Arthur Rhodes, who’ll make $2 million next season, and, amazingly the $2.5 million Mike Lincoln is due.
All they need at this point is to find some unsuspecting sucker to fall in love with Willy Tavares and his $4 million dollar salary and the Reds are back in business. They’ve got their $70 million limit in sight.
But is it good enough? In a word, no. The Cubs will have new owners in 2010. They didn’t buy that team to watch it lose some more. The Cardinals have an ownership group that’s proven it will do just about anything to win. To a lesser degree, so have the suit who own the Astros.
The Reds won’t cut it, spending nickels and dimes. I’m not expecting much next season.
You watched the Bengals game Friday night. I did. Look before we all get giddy over what they did against the Patriots, this team still has only two touchdowns in two pre season games. Penalties and turnovers have stalled drives in both games. I’ve got some breaking news for you: if Carson Palmer isn’t in the line-up, this team isn’t going to be a whole lot better than it was last season. There’ll be too many three and outs on offense which means the defense gets fatigued from too much time on the field.
When you watch exhibition football games, you have to see what a player is accomplishing against what the other team is throwing at him. Bengals first teamers up against the other guys’ second teamers, or Bengals second teamers up against the other guys’ second teamers tells you little.
Coaches can evaluate how a player does invidually, whether he makes the cut at the right time, runs a crisp pass route, blocks with good technique. Evaluating those things doesn’t change, no matter who’s on the field.
But before we all start anointing Brian Leonard, or De De Dorsey or get caught up in how good Robert Geathers looks remember: it’s called exhibition football for a reason. These are the Bengals. They’ve gone 4-0 in pre-seasons and went onto lay a dozen eggs when the games matter.
And I wouldn’t read too much into Thursday nigh
Anyway you look at it, you had a better weekend that Aaron Harang, who had his appendix burst on him in Pittsburgh.
I’ve been looking long and hard at the Reds this week. I see no way this team competes for a division title next season. I’ve done the math. I’ve crunched the roster. None of it adds up to a very good 2010 season.
I watched the Bengals play the Patriots this week. I love what I’m seeing from Ochocinco. I think the first team secondary looks really good. I like what the linebackers are doing. But honestly, I’m not seeing enough to make me believe that this team is eleven wins good this season. And it’s going to take eleven to get into the playoffs.
I’m trying real hard to find in the pile of pony dung today. Maybe you can help me. If you can, dial in now.
The Reds are such an easy target these days. I almost feel guilty sitting here and picking them apart. They’ve simply misplayed just about everything this season. They really haven’t done anything right since Spring Training 2008, when they signed Corey Patterson to about $2.99 million more than anyone else was going to pay him.
They’re everyday eight would have trouble competing in Triple-A. Their starting rotation is in shambles and their bullpen, well, does it even matter when you can only score two or three runs per night.
It would defy ridicule to say they’ll be a contending team in 2010. Here’s what this team is going to look like next season, particularly if they can’t unload Harang, Arroyo or Cordero. The outfield will be Chris Heisey in left, Drew Stubbs in center and Jay Bruce in right. From a dollars and cents stand point, not bad. You’ll get a starting outfield for under a million and a half.
Scott Rolen will eat a lot of money at third. But move Brandon Phillips to short, put Double-A phenom Todd Frazier at second and leave Joey Votto at first and you’ll get an infield for about $20 million.
They won’t pick up Ramon Hernandez and his $8.5 million option. Ryan Hanigan will cost them about $600,000. They go out and sign a free agent catcher (Henry Blanco, Greg Zaun, Johnny Estrada pick one). Catching shouldn’t set the Reds back more than $1 million in 2009.
We’re at $22.5 million. Not bad.
Now, pitching. OK, Harang, Arroyo and Cordero combined are scheduled to make $35 million. Dump Cordero and you’ve got $14 million off the books. Who’d want him? The Cubs need him right now. And the Yankees about ready to schedule Grecian Formula night for Mariano Rivera. I’d start with those two teams and see where it takes me.
Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez will both get somethwer in the neighborhood of $600,000 each, Volquez maybe a little less considering he won’t pitch before August. We’re now at about $46.5 million. The only other big dollar contracts in the bullpen belong to Arthur Rhodes, who’ll make $2 million next season, and, amazingly the $2.5 million Mike Lincoln is due.
All they need at this point is to find some unsuspecting sucker to fall in love with Willy Tavares and his $4 million dollar salary and the Reds are back in business. They’ve got their $70 million limit in sight.
But is it good enough? In a word, no. The Cubs will have new owners in 2010. They didn’t buy that team to watch it lose some more. The Cardinals have an ownership group that’s proven it will do just about anything to win. To a lesser degree, so have the suit who own the Astros.
The Reds won’t cut it, spending nickels and dimes. I’m not expecting much next season.
You watched the Bengals game Friday night. I did. Look before we all get giddy over what they did against the Patriots, this team still has only two touchdowns in two pre season games. Penalties and turnovers have stalled drives in both games. I’ve got some breaking news for you: if Carson Palmer isn’t in the line-up, this team isn’t going to be a whole lot better than it was last season. There’ll be too many three and outs on offense which means the defense gets fatigued from too much time on the field.
When you watch exhibition football games, you have to see what a player is accomplishing against what the other team is throwing at him. Bengals first teamers up against the other guys’ second teamers, or Bengals second teamers up against the other guys’ second teamers tells you little.
Coaches can evaluate how a player does invidually, whether he makes the cut at the right time, runs a crisp pass route, blocks with good technique. Evaluating those things doesn’t change, no matter who’s on the field.
But before we all start anointing Brian Leonard, or De De Dorsey or get caught up in how good Robert Geathers looks remember: it’s called exhibition football for a reason. These are the Bengals. They’ve gone 4-0 in pre-seasons and went onto lay a dozen eggs when the games matter.
And I wouldn’t read too much into Thursday nigh
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Random thoughts for a random Friday....
The Bengals defense looked good in the team's exhibition game win over the Patriots...but....remember that the Bengals left their first team defense in the game long after the Patriots had pulled their starters.
Ochocinco's placekicker was very impressive. He has many athletic gifts. But it makes me sad that the artist formerly known as Chad Johnson hasn't always shared them fully with us.
After watching JT O'Sullivan and Jared Palmer work tonight my one thought is this: if Carson Palmer is injured the Bengals should immediately call the Bills and ask if they can get Ryan Fitzpatrick back...
Wide receiver Jerome Simpson, just about legally a bust, will have a lot of trouble making this roster. Two pass interference penalties, one that wiped out at touchdown, might have sealed it for him....
Hard Knocks was better this week. But where's the drama?
The Reds should pull out all stops and trade either Aaron Harang or Bronson Arroyo (or both) right now. Neither pitcher has ever had higher trade value. Both have baggage. Harang carries about $25 million in guaranteed salary for the next two season. Arroyo's salary is close to that. But his baggage is the PEDs he admitted to using between 1998 and 2003....
When Willy Tavares went to the DL this week, was that the last we'll see of him? I don't think Bob Castellini will 'eat' Tavares guaranteed $4 million next season. But don't be surprised if the Reds send him to another team and pay a large chunk of that.
$7.8 million for Tavares and $3 million last year for Corey Patterson. All that, for two men who get on base about as often as a dead man.....
Here's the Reds starting outfield next season: Chris Heisey in left, Chris Dickerson in center and Jay Bruce in right field. They all be under contract for less than $1.3 million. You heard it here first....
Don't be completely surprised if the Reds wind up trading Brandon Phillips this off-season. He has two years to go on a 4 yr $28 million deal. Phillips value is reasonably high and the Reds have a second baseman in waitng at AA in Todd Frazier.
They're not going to contend next season, so why not?
Will Dusty Baker return for his third and final season? The short answer is, absolutely. They owe Dusty $4 million. It'd take at least $1-1.5 million to hire his replacement. The Reds are in no positon to 'eat' $5.5 million just to make Dusty leave....
Guests on my Sunday AM radio showon 700 WLW include Dave Laurila from Baseball Prospectus and Dr. Peter Weyand, a sports physiologist from SMU who believes a sub 9 second 100 meter dash is a real possibility. Put that in your Usain Bolt and smoke it. My show airs from 9am-Noon EDT and can be heard on 700wlw.com, as well as the 50,000 watt flame thrower.
I don't think there are a lot of University of Kentucky basketball fans who care that John Calipari left a mess in Memphis, now with that school vacating a Final 4 season and 38 wins. But there should be some uneasy folks in Lexington, KY. Coach Cal has a track record. It's the second Final 4 season one of his teams has had to vacate wins. UMass, being the other school...
So let me get this straight. Browns WR Donte Stallworth kills a pedestrian and gets 30 days in jail and Giants WR shoots himself in the leg with a gun in a NYC nightclubs and gets two years in the slammer. Huh?
Have a great weekend. You tood Plaxico.
The Bengals defense looked good in the team's exhibition game win over the Patriots...but....remember that the Bengals left their first team defense in the game long after the Patriots had pulled their starters.
Ochocinco's placekicker was very impressive. He has many athletic gifts. But it makes me sad that the artist formerly known as Chad Johnson hasn't always shared them fully with us.
After watching JT O'Sullivan and Jared Palmer work tonight my one thought is this: if Carson Palmer is injured the Bengals should immediately call the Bills and ask if they can get Ryan Fitzpatrick back...
Wide receiver Jerome Simpson, just about legally a bust, will have a lot of trouble making this roster. Two pass interference penalties, one that wiped out at touchdown, might have sealed it for him....
Hard Knocks was better this week. But where's the drama?
The Reds should pull out all stops and trade either Aaron Harang or Bronson Arroyo (or both) right now. Neither pitcher has ever had higher trade value. Both have baggage. Harang carries about $25 million in guaranteed salary for the next two season. Arroyo's salary is close to that. But his baggage is the PEDs he admitted to using between 1998 and 2003....
When Willy Tavares went to the DL this week, was that the last we'll see of him? I don't think Bob Castellini will 'eat' Tavares guaranteed $4 million next season. But don't be surprised if the Reds send him to another team and pay a large chunk of that.
$7.8 million for Tavares and $3 million last year for Corey Patterson. All that, for two men who get on base about as often as a dead man.....
Here's the Reds starting outfield next season: Chris Heisey in left, Chris Dickerson in center and Jay Bruce in right field. They all be under contract for less than $1.3 million. You heard it here first....
Don't be completely surprised if the Reds wind up trading Brandon Phillips this off-season. He has two years to go on a 4 yr $28 million deal. Phillips value is reasonably high and the Reds have a second baseman in waitng at AA in Todd Frazier.
They're not going to contend next season, so why not?
Will Dusty Baker return for his third and final season? The short answer is, absolutely. They owe Dusty $4 million. It'd take at least $1-1.5 million to hire his replacement. The Reds are in no positon to 'eat' $5.5 million just to make Dusty leave....
Guests on my Sunday AM radio showon 700 WLW include Dave Laurila from Baseball Prospectus and Dr. Peter Weyand, a sports physiologist from SMU who believes a sub 9 second 100 meter dash is a real possibility. Put that in your Usain Bolt and smoke it. My show airs from 9am-Noon EDT and can be heard on 700wlw.com, as well as the 50,000 watt flame thrower.
I don't think there are a lot of University of Kentucky basketball fans who care that John Calipari left a mess in Memphis, now with that school vacating a Final 4 season and 38 wins. But there should be some uneasy folks in Lexington, KY. Coach Cal has a track record. It's the second Final 4 season one of his teams has had to vacate wins. UMass, being the other school...
So let me get this straight. Browns WR Donte Stallworth kills a pedestrian and gets 30 days in jail and Giants WR shoots himself in the leg with a gun in a NYC nightclubs and gets two years in the slammer. Huh?
Have a great weekend. You tood Plaxico.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Good Monday Morning!
You know, there are mercy rules all over the place. Mercy rules in softball. 10 run rules. Mercy rules in early knothole, every kid gets to play, even the kid who doesn’t know if a baseball is blown up or stuffed.
There are mercy rules in life. Guy wants to date a girl Girls says yes, but you got to get a date for my friend. Friend has a face like an anchor. Guy’s got to find her a date.
Mercy rules apply to women too. Yeah I’ll go out with you. My mom is friends with your mom and to get her off my back, I’ll go out with you Charlie. Just don’t call looking for a bonus round.
So how come there aren’t any mercy rules in major league baseball? Not for games,, for players. I’m watching Aaron Harang pitch the other night, multi tasking because the Bengals were on the other channel, playing their exhibition opener. Harang is working all sides of the plate, mixing pitches, confounding batters and doing everything you want a big league pitcher to do. He’s everything but perfect. And with this current group of players the Reds are running out there every night, if you’re not perfect, the chances of a Reds pitcher winning a game are about as good as getting Bernie Madoff to make reparations.
You can make an argument that the best trade the Reds have made in the last seven years was Jose Guillen to the Oakland A’s for Aaron Harang. Sure, Wily Mo Pena for Bronson Arroyo is right up there. So is the deal that got Brandon Phillips here. But when acting GM Brad Kuhlman pulled off Guillen for Harang, it was brilliance.
Too bad none of the current Reds got the memo.
The Reds are hitting .239 in games that Harang pitches. When anyone else not named Harang is on the mound, it jumps to a whopping .241. This team is constructed about as well as a condemned home. But I digress.
Harang has been everything you’d want a pitcher to be. He takes the ball every five days. He generally pitches deep into games. He has his stinkers. What pitcher doesn’t? But the dude never, as in ever, complains about his lack of run support. He’s a team guy. This is the same guy who Dusty sent out in relief at San Diego last season, pitched about four innings three days after a start and then took the ball three days later for his next start. Harang hasn’t been the same pitcher since. As a man named Stengel once said, you could look it up.
So there he was, on the mound Friday night trying to be what all of us can’t be: perfect. Harang allowed six hits, just two that hurt him, solo home runs. It was beyond a quality start. But, he got no runs from the everyday eight behind him. None. Zero. Nada. Zilch. It’s almost an every start ‘thing’ for Harang.
Aaron Harang needs the mercy rule.
The Reds should trade him to some team that actually has a pulse. Call it time off for good behavior. The Yankees would do. The Red Sox would be a good fit. The Dodgers would be the ultimate for the San Diego kid.
But it’s probably not going to happen. Harang is due $12.5 million next season and it jumps to $14.5 in 2011 if he’s traded before then. That’s a lot of loot for any pitcher, even more so for a guy who’s probably going to lead the league in losses for a second year in a row. As good as Harang could be with run support, how do you sell that to your fans?
I’ve always been a firm believer that a team never gets better by trading its best player. Losers do that. Winners find a way to build their team around their best player. Bad as his record is, Aaron Harang is the best starting pitcher the Reds have. Johnny Cueto throws too many pitches. Bronson Arroyo has eleven wins, but you never know from start to start what you’re going to get from him. And in day games, feg-gedda-boud-it. Edinson Volquez has an elbow with stitching that would make Frankenstein’s monster proud.
Harang has gone through his swoon. He’s back on his game. He takes the ball every five days, gets little run support, never moans about it and even gave you that above and beyond (and frankly stupid) relief game in San Diego last year. He deserves his own mercy rule.
Give the guy a break. Trade him. With the way the rest of your team plays when he’s on the mound, you don’t deserve him.
You know, there are mercy rules all over the place. Mercy rules in softball. 10 run rules. Mercy rules in early knothole, every kid gets to play, even the kid who doesn’t know if a baseball is blown up or stuffed.
There are mercy rules in life. Guy wants to date a girl Girls says yes, but you got to get a date for my friend. Friend has a face like an anchor. Guy’s got to find her a date.
Mercy rules apply to women too. Yeah I’ll go out with you. My mom is friends with your mom and to get her off my back, I’ll go out with you Charlie. Just don’t call looking for a bonus round.
So how come there aren’t any mercy rules in major league baseball? Not for games,, for players. I’m watching Aaron Harang pitch the other night, multi tasking because the Bengals were on the other channel, playing their exhibition opener. Harang is working all sides of the plate, mixing pitches, confounding batters and doing everything you want a big league pitcher to do. He’s everything but perfect. And with this current group of players the Reds are running out there every night, if you’re not perfect, the chances of a Reds pitcher winning a game are about as good as getting Bernie Madoff to make reparations.
You can make an argument that the best trade the Reds have made in the last seven years was Jose Guillen to the Oakland A’s for Aaron Harang. Sure, Wily Mo Pena for Bronson Arroyo is right up there. So is the deal that got Brandon Phillips here. But when acting GM Brad Kuhlman pulled off Guillen for Harang, it was brilliance.
Too bad none of the current Reds got the memo.
The Reds are hitting .239 in games that Harang pitches. When anyone else not named Harang is on the mound, it jumps to a whopping .241. This team is constructed about as well as a condemned home. But I digress.
Harang has been everything you’d want a pitcher to be. He takes the ball every five days. He generally pitches deep into games. He has his stinkers. What pitcher doesn’t? But the dude never, as in ever, complains about his lack of run support. He’s a team guy. This is the same guy who Dusty sent out in relief at San Diego last season, pitched about four innings three days after a start and then took the ball three days later for his next start. Harang hasn’t been the same pitcher since. As a man named Stengel once said, you could look it up.
So there he was, on the mound Friday night trying to be what all of us can’t be: perfect. Harang allowed six hits, just two that hurt him, solo home runs. It was beyond a quality start. But, he got no runs from the everyday eight behind him. None. Zero. Nada. Zilch. It’s almost an every start ‘thing’ for Harang.
Aaron Harang needs the mercy rule.
The Reds should trade him to some team that actually has a pulse. Call it time off for good behavior. The Yankees would do. The Red Sox would be a good fit. The Dodgers would be the ultimate for the San Diego kid.
But it’s probably not going to happen. Harang is due $12.5 million next season and it jumps to $14.5 in 2011 if he’s traded before then. That’s a lot of loot for any pitcher, even more so for a guy who’s probably going to lead the league in losses for a second year in a row. As good as Harang could be with run support, how do you sell that to your fans?
I’ve always been a firm believer that a team never gets better by trading its best player. Losers do that. Winners find a way to build their team around their best player. Bad as his record is, Aaron Harang is the best starting pitcher the Reds have. Johnny Cueto throws too many pitches. Bronson Arroyo has eleven wins, but you never know from start to start what you’re going to get from him. And in day games, feg-gedda-boud-it. Edinson Volquez has an elbow with stitching that would make Frankenstein’s monster proud.
Harang has gone through his swoon. He’s back on his game. He takes the ball every five days, gets little run support, never moans about it and even gave you that above and beyond (and frankly stupid) relief game in San Diego last year. He deserves his own mercy rule.
Give the guy a break. Trade him. With the way the rest of your team plays when he’s on the mound, you don’t deserve him.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Random thoughts for a random Friday....
Adam Dunn is back in town, on pace to hit his usual 40 HR's and drive in 100 runs. He's also hitting about 30 points higher right now than his career average. Dunn took a look at the $10 million scoreboard in left field and said, not completely sarcastically, "Nice addition". I added, "now all they need is something to put on it."....
Before anyone gets too giddy about Jonny Gomes hitting three home runs Thursday night, remember, it was against Nationals pitching....
Bronson Arroyo says he still takes supplements on the MLB banned list but hasng't flunked a drug test so "I must be OK". Wrong. The league office wants to talk with him. Let's hope it's just a little guidance..
Arroyo's complete game Thursday night is further indication that he'll be back next season. He has elevens on a bad ballclub and his $11 million price tag next season will scare off most teams. The ones that won't be scared off (Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox) won't need him....
If Aaron Harang gets traded BEFORE next season, his 2011 option goes to $14.5 million? What team is going to trade for him?.....
Here's all I want to see from the Bengals Friday night: Carson Palmer out of the game in one piece. If anything happens to Palmer, this team goes from an 8-8 club to another 4 win season.
8-8 is about it, I'm afraid. Don't get caught up in the hype until you see how the Bengals look playing against somebody other than themselves....
First episode of "Hard Knocks" gets a C+ from the Broo View. The photography was beyond excellent. The story lines were hardly compelling. Perhaps it gets better as the series progresses. But the first episode was hardly an attention grabber....
Jim Lippincott looked a little buffoonish as he went to cut fullback JD Runnells. Lippincott, who is a very nice man, looked like he had the people skills of a drone. I'm hoping it was editing that made him look that way. I'm hoping he tells the editor he didn't appreciate it....
Ditto for trainer Paul Sparling. His treatment of Reggie Kelly, the so called inspirational leader of the Bengals, when he snapped his Achilles tendon was callous. Kelly deserved better treatment. Talk about no bedside manner....
Come on people!!!!!!
Did you see the footage from that coaches meeting that Mike Brown was presiding over? No doubt now who's in charge. And you mean to tell me, the debate over moving a defensive end to tight end was the best NFL Films could come up with? Really?
Well, since BJ Raji has now signed (the #9 overall pick) should it not be easier for the Bengals to come to a deal with Andre Smith? By the way, Smith should have politely declined the opportunity to appear, in abstentia, on Hard Knocks. He had quick feet and a gut that could consume Rhode Island...
If Smith doesn't sign in time to play in the third pre-season game, and we're about a week away from that deadline, he'll be of little help to the Bengals this season....
Saddest story I've read on WLWT News 5 in a long time: Odell Thurman signs to play in the UFL. This will be his fourth year out of the NFL. He's only had one season. He could have been a multi-millionaire by now.....
Michael Vick signs with the Eagles? Brilliant move on their part. Donovan McNabb isn't mobile anymore, Vick will bring an entirely new dimension, if only for a handful of plays. The Eagles just got a leg up on the Giants in the NFC East.....
Brian Kelly worked the UC football team for three hours Thursday. This is a man whose prior workouts were quicker than some primetime network TV shows. Wonder what that's all about?
I'm talking sports, as always, this Sunday morning at 9am on 700 WLW. Among my guests, Sports Illustrated's Ross Tucker, Darren Rovell from CNBC and a man who can tell you how to snag a Major League Baseball player's autograph. Adam Dunn will also join me. Hope you will too..
Sunday night on Cincinnati's channel 5, Sports Rock! welcomes former Bengal Artrell Hawkins and Wildman Walker. We'll also welcome one of the newest members of the NFL Hall Of Fame, former Steeler and Raven, Rod Woodson.
Have a great weekend!
Adam Dunn is back in town, on pace to hit his usual 40 HR's and drive in 100 runs. He's also hitting about 30 points higher right now than his career average. Dunn took a look at the $10 million scoreboard in left field and said, not completely sarcastically, "Nice addition". I added, "now all they need is something to put on it."....
Before anyone gets too giddy about Jonny Gomes hitting three home runs Thursday night, remember, it was against Nationals pitching....
Bronson Arroyo says he still takes supplements on the MLB banned list but hasng't flunked a drug test so "I must be OK". Wrong. The league office wants to talk with him. Let's hope it's just a little guidance..
Arroyo's complete game Thursday night is further indication that he'll be back next season. He has elevens on a bad ballclub and his $11 million price tag next season will scare off most teams. The ones that won't be scared off (Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox) won't need him....
If Aaron Harang gets traded BEFORE next season, his 2011 option goes to $14.5 million? What team is going to trade for him?.....
Here's all I want to see from the Bengals Friday night: Carson Palmer out of the game in one piece. If anything happens to Palmer, this team goes from an 8-8 club to another 4 win season.
8-8 is about it, I'm afraid. Don't get caught up in the hype until you see how the Bengals look playing against somebody other than themselves....
First episode of "Hard Knocks" gets a C+ from the Broo View. The photography was beyond excellent. The story lines were hardly compelling. Perhaps it gets better as the series progresses. But the first episode was hardly an attention grabber....
Jim Lippincott looked a little buffoonish as he went to cut fullback JD Runnells. Lippincott, who is a very nice man, looked like he had the people skills of a drone. I'm hoping it was editing that made him look that way. I'm hoping he tells the editor he didn't appreciate it....
Ditto for trainer Paul Sparling. His treatment of Reggie Kelly, the so called inspirational leader of the Bengals, when he snapped his Achilles tendon was callous. Kelly deserved better treatment. Talk about no bedside manner....
Come on people!!!!!!
Did you see the footage from that coaches meeting that Mike Brown was presiding over? No doubt now who's in charge. And you mean to tell me, the debate over moving a defensive end to tight end was the best NFL Films could come up with? Really?
Well, since BJ Raji has now signed (the #9 overall pick) should it not be easier for the Bengals to come to a deal with Andre Smith? By the way, Smith should have politely declined the opportunity to appear, in abstentia, on Hard Knocks. He had quick feet and a gut that could consume Rhode Island...
If Smith doesn't sign in time to play in the third pre-season game, and we're about a week away from that deadline, he'll be of little help to the Bengals this season....
Saddest story I've read on WLWT News 5 in a long time: Odell Thurman signs to play in the UFL. This will be his fourth year out of the NFL. He's only had one season. He could have been a multi-millionaire by now.....
Michael Vick signs with the Eagles? Brilliant move on their part. Donovan McNabb isn't mobile anymore, Vick will bring an entirely new dimension, if only for a handful of plays. The Eagles just got a leg up on the Giants in the NFC East.....
Brian Kelly worked the UC football team for three hours Thursday. This is a man whose prior workouts were quicker than some primetime network TV shows. Wonder what that's all about?
I'm talking sports, as always, this Sunday morning at 9am on 700 WLW. Among my guests, Sports Illustrated's Ross Tucker, Darren Rovell from CNBC and a man who can tell you how to snag a Major League Baseball player's autograph. Adam Dunn will also join me. Hope you will too..
Sunday night on Cincinnati's channel 5, Sports Rock! welcomes former Bengal Artrell Hawkins and Wildman Walker. We'll also welcome one of the newest members of the NFL Hall Of Fame, former Steeler and Raven, Rod Woodson.
Have a great weekend!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
It's Wednesday! Go out and party...
Here's what I want to see Friday night when tbe Bengals actually hit some people other than the folks they shower with: Carson Palmer upright. If that happens, it 's a major improvement over last year's exhibition game against the Saints. Remember that one? That's the game where former Bengal, Kevin Kaesviharn sacked Palmer and bloodied his nose. What prelude to a bummer that was.
Palmer is the franchise. This team has little chance of contending for a playoff spot, in my humble opinion. But it has no chance without Palmer playing every game. For the record, see how things worked out last season in October and November with Ryan Fitzpatrick.
It's always what's up front that counts. And if this offensive line isn't any better this season than last, we'll all be immersed in Reds hot stove talk by Halloween. Does anyone else find it a little disconcerting that aside from Bobbie Williams and Andrew Whitworth, there isn't a single member of that offensive line that's logged appreciable time blocking an NFL defensive lineman.
And speaking of that, here's something else I'm looking for Friday night: heat on the Saints quarterback. The Bengals couldn't rush a fraternity last season. And despite all the happy horse s#@t we're hearing about how well the defense played last season (most of those stats were padded against bad teams at the end of the season) last year we saw this group get dragged up and down the field far too often. The heat is on (no pun intended) defensive ends Antwan Odom and Robert Geathers to get into the opposing quarterback's face.
Pre-season games are interesting for about ten minutes. Let's see if your Cincinnati Bengals can squeeze their 15 minutes of fame into that time period.
Here's what I want to see Friday night when tbe Bengals actually hit some people other than the folks they shower with: Carson Palmer upright. If that happens, it 's a major improvement over last year's exhibition game against the Saints. Remember that one? That's the game where former Bengal, Kevin Kaesviharn sacked Palmer and bloodied his nose. What prelude to a bummer that was.
Palmer is the franchise. This team has little chance of contending for a playoff spot, in my humble opinion. But it has no chance without Palmer playing every game. For the record, see how things worked out last season in October and November with Ryan Fitzpatrick.
It's always what's up front that counts. And if this offensive line isn't any better this season than last, we'll all be immersed in Reds hot stove talk by Halloween. Does anyone else find it a little disconcerting that aside from Bobbie Williams and Andrew Whitworth, there isn't a single member of that offensive line that's logged appreciable time blocking an NFL defensive lineman.
And speaking of that, here's something else I'm looking for Friday night: heat on the Saints quarterback. The Bengals couldn't rush a fraternity last season. And despite all the happy horse s#@t we're hearing about how well the defense played last season (most of those stats were padded against bad teams at the end of the season) last year we saw this group get dragged up and down the field far too often. The heat is on (no pun intended) defensive ends Antwan Odom and Robert Geathers to get into the opposing quarterback's face.
Pre-season games are interesting for about ten minutes. Let's see if your Cincinnati Bengals can squeeze their 15 minutes of fame into that time period.
Just posted to the front page of my web site www.kenbroo.com is the latest Broo View Podcast. In this episode, I have an interview with Reds AA phenom, Todd Frazier, who appears to be on the fast track to Cincinnati. On the fly? You can download it here!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Happy Tuesday!
Did you see Willy Tavares in action last night? Did you see the ineptitude that has turned this town against him, and is slowly turning the town against the man who traded for him, Walt Jocketty?
Inside of one half inning, Tavares ran into the wall in centerfield twice, TWICE, without making the catch. The first time was somewhat forgivable: Tavares was trying to track down a long fly ball. But the second time, two batters after the first run in, Tavares went back on a fly ball, ran into the wall with his back to the field and the ball bounced IN FRONT of him.
And this is what the Reds paid close to $7 million dollars for?
Look you can can on one hand this is Bob Castellini's money and he should take issue with Jocketty who signed Tavares for $7 mil when Tavares could have been had for close to the MLB minimum. And Castellini should. But the reason why this is so important to you is that Castellini's payroll this year is $75 million and will be close to that next year. And he's in no position to be throwing good money after bad.
Tavares came here with a reputation of stealing bases and making plays in the field that highlight his speed. We've seen far to little of either. The Reds are in no position to eat his contract. But they are in a position to bench Tavares and let others have a shot at his job. When Chris Dickerson is healthy, he should start every day in left field. Dickerson should have been the starting centerfielder all along. When September rolls around, both Drew Stubbs and Chris Heisey should be brought up from AAA and allowed to get a taste of major league baseball.
And sometime soon, Castellini should call Jocketty into his office as ask Walt exactly where is the guy who was GM in St. Louis and very successful at that. Maybe between the two of them, they can find that guy before another season is flushed because of ill advised player acquisitions.
Did you see Willy Tavares in action last night? Did you see the ineptitude that has turned this town against him, and is slowly turning the town against the man who traded for him, Walt Jocketty?
Inside of one half inning, Tavares ran into the wall in centerfield twice, TWICE, without making the catch. The first time was somewhat forgivable: Tavares was trying to track down a long fly ball. But the second time, two batters after the first run in, Tavares went back on a fly ball, ran into the wall with his back to the field and the ball bounced IN FRONT of him.
And this is what the Reds paid close to $7 million dollars for?
Look you can can on one hand this is Bob Castellini's money and he should take issue with Jocketty who signed Tavares for $7 mil when Tavares could have been had for close to the MLB minimum. And Castellini should. But the reason why this is so important to you is that Castellini's payroll this year is $75 million and will be close to that next year. And he's in no position to be throwing good money after bad.
Tavares came here with a reputation of stealing bases and making plays in the field that highlight his speed. We've seen far to little of either. The Reds are in no position to eat his contract. But they are in a position to bench Tavares and let others have a shot at his job. When Chris Dickerson is healthy, he should start every day in left field. Dickerson should have been the starting centerfielder all along. When September rolls around, both Drew Stubbs and Chris Heisey should be brought up from AAA and allowed to get a taste of major league baseball.
And sometime soon, Castellini should call Jocketty into his office as ask Walt exactly where is the guy who was GM in St. Louis and very successful at that. Maybe between the two of them, they can find that guy before another season is flushed because of ill advised player acquisitions.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Good Monday Morning!
I really, really really want to drink the Kool Aid. Pour me a glass of strawberry Kool Aid and let me believe. Of course, I’ve wanted to drink the Kool Aid every year since 1990. It’s a Bengals fan’s number one drink. But why should we drink this year. Because Carson Palmer is healthy?
I need more than that. And I need more than just some intrasquad scrimmage to get me geeked. Remember, the Bengals were playing against each other this weekend.
The great Tip O’Neill, former Speaker of the House, once said, the problem with being Irish is that you know, in the end, the world will always break your heart. The problem with being a Bengals fans is that you know in the end, the team will always break your wallet, your pride and then center in on your heart. Akili Smith, Darnay Scott, Trumaine Mack, Neil O’Donnell, pick your favorite, you know they’ve killed you at one time or another.
Here are the three reasons I keep hearing from some Bengals fans why they believe this year will be more like 2005 than….pick any other year since 1990. One: Palmer is healthy. Two: Rey Maualuga is our answer to Troy Polamalu. Three: Tank Johnson and/or Roy Williams have ridden into town from Dallas.
Palmer’s healthy. Great, how long you figure that’ll last? It’s what’s up front that counts. And right now, I’m counting only Bobbie Williams and Andrew Whitworth who’ve proven they can block an NFL defensive lineman. And before we get all giddy about Palmer’s elbow: it’s a lot different trying to throw the ball in and around 300 pound men running downhill at your head, then simply dropping back and throwing in one on one drills or flag football. Not saying his elbow won’t hold up. I’m just sayin’
Rey Maualuga can be everything that Odell Thurman should’ve been, but wasn’t. By all account, Rey Rey is a clean liver, hard hitter, from a championship football program. He’s also very good. But here’s the thing about rookies: their best seasons tend to be after they stop being rookies. Tbe learning curve for Maualuga will be steep.
Tank Jonson? Tank was good in Chicago, but got into a lot of trouble. Tanks wasn’t all that great in Dallas. That’s how he wound up here. You think the Dallas Cowboys are in any position to lose good defensive linemen? And Roy Williams, great nose for the ball. But will he stay on the field come third down? Chris Crocker, Chinedum Ndukwe, Roy Williams they all make big plays. But somebody is coming off the field on third down. And as good as Crocker is at safety, does he have the speed to play nickel back? My advice is use pencil, not pen on that depth chart.
Look, the Bengals will be better in 2009 than 2008. They’d have a hard time being worse. There is depth. If Palmer goes down, JT O’Sullivan is a better back up than Ryan Fitzpatrick. If Cedric Benson is hurt, the trade with the Cardinals that brought here looks genius. If Chris Henry is really Tom Cruise and not Sean Penn, score one for central casting.
But before we all get wrapped up in the blue smoke out of Georgetown and the Kool Aid flavor of the year, remember this: the Bengals, play in the same division as the Steelers and Ravens. And until they can prove they can beat those teams, nothing matters.
Four division winners and two wild card teams make the conference playoffs.
The Steelers, Patriots Colts and Chargers all enter this season as favorites to win their division. Wild card contenders can be found playing in New York, Buffalo, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Houston, Baltimore, Miami and, OK, Cincinnati. It will take eleven wins to get in. New England won eleven in 2008 and didn’t get in. But eleven is the number. Do you honestly see eleven wins on the Bengals schedule this season? Honestly?
I might, after watching some pre season games against teams other than a Bengals split squad. I’m thirsty, I want a drink. I really do. But I can’t take a sip. Not yet.
I really, really really want to drink the Kool Aid. Pour me a glass of strawberry Kool Aid and let me believe. Of course, I’ve wanted to drink the Kool Aid every year since 1990. It’s a Bengals fan’s number one drink. But why should we drink this year. Because Carson Palmer is healthy?
I need more than that. And I need more than just some intrasquad scrimmage to get me geeked. Remember, the Bengals were playing against each other this weekend.
The great Tip O’Neill, former Speaker of the House, once said, the problem with being Irish is that you know, in the end, the world will always break your heart. The problem with being a Bengals fans is that you know in the end, the team will always break your wallet, your pride and then center in on your heart. Akili Smith, Darnay Scott, Trumaine Mack, Neil O’Donnell, pick your favorite, you know they’ve killed you at one time or another.
Here are the three reasons I keep hearing from some Bengals fans why they believe this year will be more like 2005 than….pick any other year since 1990. One: Palmer is healthy. Two: Rey Maualuga is our answer to Troy Polamalu. Three: Tank Johnson and/or Roy Williams have ridden into town from Dallas.
Palmer’s healthy. Great, how long you figure that’ll last? It’s what’s up front that counts. And right now, I’m counting only Bobbie Williams and Andrew Whitworth who’ve proven they can block an NFL defensive lineman. And before we get all giddy about Palmer’s elbow: it’s a lot different trying to throw the ball in and around 300 pound men running downhill at your head, then simply dropping back and throwing in one on one drills or flag football. Not saying his elbow won’t hold up. I’m just sayin’
Rey Maualuga can be everything that Odell Thurman should’ve been, but wasn’t. By all account, Rey Rey is a clean liver, hard hitter, from a championship football program. He’s also very good. But here’s the thing about rookies: their best seasons tend to be after they stop being rookies. Tbe learning curve for Maualuga will be steep.
Tank Jonson? Tank was good in Chicago, but got into a lot of trouble. Tanks wasn’t all that great in Dallas. That’s how he wound up here. You think the Dallas Cowboys are in any position to lose good defensive linemen? And Roy Williams, great nose for the ball. But will he stay on the field come third down? Chris Crocker, Chinedum Ndukwe, Roy Williams they all make big plays. But somebody is coming off the field on third down. And as good as Crocker is at safety, does he have the speed to play nickel back? My advice is use pencil, not pen on that depth chart.
Look, the Bengals will be better in 2009 than 2008. They’d have a hard time being worse. There is depth. If Palmer goes down, JT O’Sullivan is a better back up than Ryan Fitzpatrick. If Cedric Benson is hurt, the trade with the Cardinals that brought here looks genius. If Chris Henry is really Tom Cruise and not Sean Penn, score one for central casting.
But before we all get wrapped up in the blue smoke out of Georgetown and the Kool Aid flavor of the year, remember this: the Bengals, play in the same division as the Steelers and Ravens. And until they can prove they can beat those teams, nothing matters.
Four division winners and two wild card teams make the conference playoffs.
The Steelers, Patriots Colts and Chargers all enter this season as favorites to win their division. Wild card contenders can be found playing in New York, Buffalo, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Houston, Baltimore, Miami and, OK, Cincinnati. It will take eleven wins to get in. New England won eleven in 2008 and didn’t get in. But eleven is the number. Do you honestly see eleven wins on the Bengals schedule this season? Honestly?
I might, after watching some pre season games against teams other than a Bengals split squad. I’m thirsty, I want a drink. I really do. But I can’t take a sip. Not yet.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Dusty Baker got a 'vote of confidence' Wednesday from Reds chief, Bob Castellini. What else would you expect Castellini to say except that Baker was his guy? The Reds owe Baker in excess of $3.5 million next season and the Reds are in no position to eat that deal. The real question is: is Baker the right guy for this team?
Injures aside, the Reds have been an under-performing group this season. Jay Bruce, before getting injured, couldn't have hit a beach ball. Aaron Harang is a shadow of what he was two year ago. And Willy Tavares has been good money poorly spent. This ballclub was poorly constructed and it remains a hapharzard compilation of too many GM's (5 in the last 7 years) and too many managers (5 in the last 7 years) and a farm system that until 2004 was in complete atrophy.
Firing Baker would only add to the chaos. But the Reds need some fresh voices. They've had too many pitching coaches and too many hitting coaches since 2000. But it's obvious to me, that Dick Pole and Brook Jacoby aren't getting through to their students. With each, there seems to be no specific philosophy. My guess is, if there are changes to be made in the off season, they'll start with the major league coaches on Baker's staff.
As I plan ahead for my weekly radio show on 700 WLW, two of my guests will address the Reds situation. One, is Denny Knobler, from cbssports.com. I want to ask Denny about the recent trade for Scott Rolen (I remain a big supporter of that move) and if the real blue print the Reds should follow is the one designed by the Twins former GM, Terry Ryan.
Another guest will be Reds AA second baseman, Todd Frazier. The thing I want to know from Todd is whether or not he's tired of getting pushed around the diamond. He's now at second, but has player short, third and left this season. Is he a man without a position? Or is he at second now, so the Reds can move Brandon Phillips to short stop next season? Reds GM Walt Jocketty says 'no'. Maybe he's really saying 'no', because Phillips could be traded in the off season? Just a thought.
See you tonight at 6p and 11p on WLWT Channel 5 in Cincinnati
Injures aside, the Reds have been an under-performing group this season. Jay Bruce, before getting injured, couldn't have hit a beach ball. Aaron Harang is a shadow of what he was two year ago. And Willy Tavares has been good money poorly spent. This ballclub was poorly constructed and it remains a hapharzard compilation of too many GM's (5 in the last 7 years) and too many managers (5 in the last 7 years) and a farm system that until 2004 was in complete atrophy.
Firing Baker would only add to the chaos. But the Reds need some fresh voices. They've had too many pitching coaches and too many hitting coaches since 2000. But it's obvious to me, that Dick Pole and Brook Jacoby aren't getting through to their students. With each, there seems to be no specific philosophy. My guess is, if there are changes to be made in the off season, they'll start with the major league coaches on Baker's staff.
As I plan ahead for my weekly radio show on 700 WLW, two of my guests will address the Reds situation. One, is Denny Knobler, from cbssports.com. I want to ask Denny about the recent trade for Scott Rolen (I remain a big supporter of that move) and if the real blue print the Reds should follow is the one designed by the Twins former GM, Terry Ryan.
Another guest will be Reds AA second baseman, Todd Frazier. The thing I want to know from Todd is whether or not he's tired of getting pushed around the diamond. He's now at second, but has player short, third and left this season. Is he a man without a position? Or is he at second now, so the Reds can move Brandon Phillips to short stop next season? Reds GM Walt Jocketty says 'no'. Maybe he's really saying 'no', because Phillips could be traded in the off season? Just a thought.
See you tonight at 6p and 11p on WLWT Channel 5 in Cincinnati
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Just posted to my web site www.kenbroo.com is the latest Broo View Podcast. My guest is MLB umpire, Joe West, who just called his 4,000th career game. Joe and I visit about that and what it takes to get a manager or player thrown out of a game. Joe also talks about his singing career. If you're on the fly, you can also download it here.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Good Monday Morning!
Scott Rolen's head has more hits than he does. Ouch....when Jason Marquis's fastball hit the newest Red in the head, you could hear an entire city screaming. Good thing he's OK.
For the record, I’m a big Scott Rolen fan. Liked him a lot when he played for the Cardinals. Liked him a lot when he played in Philly. He’s a no nonsense baseball player. A good clubhouse guy, as they like to say in the game.. He’ll provide leadership this team hasn’t seen since the days of Greg Vaughn. And you have to go back to that era to find the last time the Reds made a mid season trade to bring in a player the magnitude of Scott Rolen. In ’99, it was Juan Guzman who was supposed to push the Reds over the top. Remember who the Reds traded to the Orioles to get Guzman? BJ Ryan, then just two innings into his major league career.
Turned out to be a much better deal for the Orioles than the Reds. Guzman was a rent a player. Ryan went on to be a solid closer for the O’s and later the Blue Jays, before he blew out his arm.
So to get Rolen, the Reds had to give up a couple of pitchers who might be like BJ Ryan. Josh Reonicke throws hard. Minor League pitcher Zach Stewart throws a lot of ground ball outs.
So what? If you can’t find guys like that every year in the player draft, you shouldn’t be working in professional baseball. Well, come to think of it, the group that ran the Reds front office up until the middle of the 2003 season couldn’t find pitchers like that. And most of them ARE out of major league baseball.
Protecting prospects is good. They are the backbone of any organization. They learn the game the way you want it played and they’re cost certain for a long, long time. But too often, the Reds have fallen in love with their prospects, refused to include them on any deals that would help the team at the big league level. And those prospects turned out to be suspects.
I heard a lot talk Friday about how Stewart and Roenicke might be players the Reds wished they had held onto to, how each could be solid additions to the Blue Jays major league roster right now.
Who cares? This is Cincinnati we’re talking about, the land of lost baseball. The last time this team won at the big league level, the world hadn’t heard of Bernie Madoff, hanging chads or corporate bailouts. The last time the Reds had a winning season, General Motors stock was considered a strong buy.
I hope Stewart and Roenicke have long and productive careers. But this was a good deal. Rolen won’t fix every problem this team has. The Reds still lack legitimate power in a power hitting ballpark. Their starting pitching has been either injured or grossly over-estimated. And we’re still waiting for this team to play the game fundamentally sound: hitting the cutoff man, executing the bunt, converting the routine double play ball consistently.
But the economy stinks, attendance is down and Bob Castellini promises were beginning to sound hollow. Nothing matters in your minor league system unless it helps the big league club. This is a good deal. It should have been made a month ago.
Scott Rolen's head has more hits than he does. Ouch....when Jason Marquis's fastball hit the newest Red in the head, you could hear an entire city screaming. Good thing he's OK.
For the record, I’m a big Scott Rolen fan. Liked him a lot when he played for the Cardinals. Liked him a lot when he played in Philly. He’s a no nonsense baseball player. A good clubhouse guy, as they like to say in the game.. He’ll provide leadership this team hasn’t seen since the days of Greg Vaughn. And you have to go back to that era to find the last time the Reds made a mid season trade to bring in a player the magnitude of Scott Rolen. In ’99, it was Juan Guzman who was supposed to push the Reds over the top. Remember who the Reds traded to the Orioles to get Guzman? BJ Ryan, then just two innings into his major league career.
Turned out to be a much better deal for the Orioles than the Reds. Guzman was a rent a player. Ryan went on to be a solid closer for the O’s and later the Blue Jays, before he blew out his arm.
So to get Rolen, the Reds had to give up a couple of pitchers who might be like BJ Ryan. Josh Reonicke throws hard. Minor League pitcher Zach Stewart throws a lot of ground ball outs.
So what? If you can’t find guys like that every year in the player draft, you shouldn’t be working in professional baseball. Well, come to think of it, the group that ran the Reds front office up until the middle of the 2003 season couldn’t find pitchers like that. And most of them ARE out of major league baseball.
Protecting prospects is good. They are the backbone of any organization. They learn the game the way you want it played and they’re cost certain for a long, long time. But too often, the Reds have fallen in love with their prospects, refused to include them on any deals that would help the team at the big league level. And those prospects turned out to be suspects.
I heard a lot talk Friday about how Stewart and Roenicke might be players the Reds wished they had held onto to, how each could be solid additions to the Blue Jays major league roster right now.
Who cares? This is Cincinnati we’re talking about, the land of lost baseball. The last time this team won at the big league level, the world hadn’t heard of Bernie Madoff, hanging chads or corporate bailouts. The last time the Reds had a winning season, General Motors stock was considered a strong buy.
I hope Stewart and Roenicke have long and productive careers. But this was a good deal. Rolen won’t fix every problem this team has. The Reds still lack legitimate power in a power hitting ballpark. Their starting pitching has been either injured or grossly over-estimated. And we’re still waiting for this team to play the game fundamentally sound: hitting the cutoff man, executing the bunt, converting the routine double play ball consistently.
But the economy stinks, attendance is down and Bob Castellini promises were beginning to sound hollow. Nothing matters in your minor league system unless it helps the big league club. This is a good deal. It should have been made a month ago.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Random thoughts for a random Friday....
The Reds have now officially moved into the non-relevant part of the 2009 sports scene. Call me when the hype for 2010 begins...
I predict by the close of business on Friday the Reds will have done nothing to appreciably improve their chances for 2010. They'll dump either David Weather or Arthur Rhodes and get some minor league suspects in return. Then, we'll hear how great these guys coming to the Cincinnati organization will be, can be, should be....shoot me. I've heard this line of crap for the last 19 years. It never NEVER happens.
You know why the Reds can't/won't make any moves? The economy is horrid and so is the way this team is playing. It was doomed from the start of this season. Pitching, speed and defense? That kind of torque-esh move in a five month span from a power hitting team? I said in the Fall it wouldn't happen. It didn't. The Reds put themselves in this spot by signing Willy Tavares to a $6.8 million contract when the rest of the baseball world was just about asking Willy to pay them to let him play. The Reds put themselves in this spot by signing Mike Lincoln to a guaranteed two year deal. What??? For a guy who couldn't lift a doughnut with his right arm two years ago? The Reds put themselves in this situation by signing Edwin Encarnaction to a guaranteed two year deal this past winter. The problem with EE can be summed up in this phrase: he doesn't have the glove to play third base nor the bat to play the outfield. Wasted millions right there. Architect of those moves: Castellini, Jocketty and Baker. When the gatherings at GABP number 7,000 or so in about two weeks, they'll have no one to blame but themselves.
Wasn't Wayne Krivsky's firing last April supposed to stop the losing? Dude, where's my baseball team?
The Bengals hit the practice field for their first training camp workout later today. 8-8 this season, you heard it here first. They don't have a stable offensive line (just Andrew Whitworth and Bobbie Williams) and because of that, they won't have a dominant running game. Without that, you can't win in any cold weather environment. But 8-8 may set the stage for 2010. Keep hope alive...
But their defense will be a lot better. It won't be as good as what you saw the final couple of games in 2008. The opposition then wasn't very good and the Bengals excelled. But the 'D' could be the best we've seen around here in years...decades..
I hope Mike Brown wears a wireless mic for the Hard Knocks crew. That could be some riveting television. They'll have to hold Mike to a strict limit on four syllable words. My guess is three per segment...
Over/under on Ochocinco blow ups? Four. I'll take the over...
I wonder what Odell Thurman thinks about, when the lights are out and the evening is quiet. I wonder if he thinks about how he blew it. He could be making millions. Instead, he's spending what little money he has left on legal fees. What a waste...
Why am I believing, more and more, that Michael Vick will wind up with the Patriots? Answer: because Bill Bellichick is the one guy who can afford the luxury of Vick on his team, because of the starting quarterback he has.
Two playoff teams will come from the AFC East this season: New England and Buffalo. Two will come out of the North: Pittsburgh and Baltimore. But I think the best division race will be in the South, where anyone of three teams could win it...
Nine wins get you in the playoffs IF you're an NFC team. You'll need eleven in the AFC....
Just booked for my radio show Sunday on 700 WLW, MLB umpire Joe West, due to join me at 10:05 am. I'm taking your calls and welcoming guests from 9am-Noon EDT.
Sports Rock! Sunday night on WLWT NBC '5' in Cincinnati features former Bengal Eric Thomas and talented author, Lonnie Wheeler, who's latest book on Cincinnati area prep stars of yesteryear "Legends" will be a big seller.
I'm with Kentucky Speedway owner, Bruton Smith, in his private box Saturday night for the Meijer 300 at the Speedway. I've never met the man so I'm looking forward to it.
Have a great weekend!
The Reds have now officially moved into the non-relevant part of the 2009 sports scene. Call me when the hype for 2010 begins...
I predict by the close of business on Friday the Reds will have done nothing to appreciably improve their chances for 2010. They'll dump either David Weather or Arthur Rhodes and get some minor league suspects in return. Then, we'll hear how great these guys coming to the Cincinnati organization will be, can be, should be....shoot me. I've heard this line of crap for the last 19 years. It never NEVER happens.
You know why the Reds can't/won't make any moves? The economy is horrid and so is the way this team is playing. It was doomed from the start of this season. Pitching, speed and defense? That kind of torque-esh move in a five month span from a power hitting team? I said in the Fall it wouldn't happen. It didn't. The Reds put themselves in this spot by signing Willy Tavares to a $6.8 million contract when the rest of the baseball world was just about asking Willy to pay them to let him play. The Reds put themselves in this spot by signing Mike Lincoln to a guaranteed two year deal. What??? For a guy who couldn't lift a doughnut with his right arm two years ago? The Reds put themselves in this situation by signing Edwin Encarnaction to a guaranteed two year deal this past winter. The problem with EE can be summed up in this phrase: he doesn't have the glove to play third base nor the bat to play the outfield. Wasted millions right there. Architect of those moves: Castellini, Jocketty and Baker. When the gatherings at GABP number 7,000 or so in about two weeks, they'll have no one to blame but themselves.
Wasn't Wayne Krivsky's firing last April supposed to stop the losing? Dude, where's my baseball team?
The Bengals hit the practice field for their first training camp workout later today. 8-8 this season, you heard it here first. They don't have a stable offensive line (just Andrew Whitworth and Bobbie Williams) and because of that, they won't have a dominant running game. Without that, you can't win in any cold weather environment. But 8-8 may set the stage for 2010. Keep hope alive...
But their defense will be a lot better. It won't be as good as what you saw the final couple of games in 2008. The opposition then wasn't very good and the Bengals excelled. But the 'D' could be the best we've seen around here in years...decades..
I hope Mike Brown wears a wireless mic for the Hard Knocks crew. That could be some riveting television. They'll have to hold Mike to a strict limit on four syllable words. My guess is three per segment...
Over/under on Ochocinco blow ups? Four. I'll take the over...
I wonder what Odell Thurman thinks about, when the lights are out and the evening is quiet. I wonder if he thinks about how he blew it. He could be making millions. Instead, he's spending what little money he has left on legal fees. What a waste...
Why am I believing, more and more, that Michael Vick will wind up with the Patriots? Answer: because Bill Bellichick is the one guy who can afford the luxury of Vick on his team, because of the starting quarterback he has.
Two playoff teams will come from the AFC East this season: New England and Buffalo. Two will come out of the North: Pittsburgh and Baltimore. But I think the best division race will be in the South, where anyone of three teams could win it...
Nine wins get you in the playoffs IF you're an NFC team. You'll need eleven in the AFC....
Just booked for my radio show Sunday on 700 WLW, MLB umpire Joe West, due to join me at 10:05 am. I'm taking your calls and welcoming guests from 9am-Noon EDT.
Sports Rock! Sunday night on WLWT NBC '5' in Cincinnati features former Bengal Eric Thomas and talented author, Lonnie Wheeler, who's latest book on Cincinnati area prep stars of yesteryear "Legends" will be a big seller.
I'm with Kentucky Speedway owner, Bruton Smith, in his private box Saturday night for the Meijer 300 at the Speedway. I've never met the man so I'm looking forward to it.
Have a great weekend!
Just posted on the front page of my web site: www.kenbroo.com is the lastest Broo View Podcast. It's an in depth interview with Mike Freeman of cbssports.com. And what he has to say will make you shudder, if you're a genuine, born in the USA sports fan. On the fly? Here's a quick link
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
It's Thursday!
With a nose not unlike George Herman (Miley) Ruth's, I'm back in business...
Riddle me this kids: if you owned the Cincinnati Reds, if you just bought the team from the group running the show now, what contracts would you 'eat'? In other words, what players on this current team would you absolutely, positively have to have?
The answer in two words: Joey Votto. Anyone else, asta lavista, baby. Which means, you'd be dining on Bronson Arroyo's $11 million 2010 salary plus his 2011 buyout; Aaron Harang's $12.5 million, Coco Cordero's $22 million remaining salary and anything else that adds up to the approximately $75 million the Reds paid for the 'talent' on this year's team (less Votto's MLB minimum). It would be an expensive meal. But it would let you start all over again.
Let's review. The Reds, this season, are a collection of spare parts. Laynce Nix, Jonny Gomes, Jerry Hairston, Jr, Chris Dickserson, Adam Rosales are all 23rd-25th guys on a a 25 man Major League Roster. But here, they start. They're not bad guys. They're all decent human beings. But they are not starters on a serious contending baseball team.
Bob Castellini and his smart guys sold you, me and every other baseball fan in this town on the belief that the Reds would be just fine this season, moving from a power hitting club to a team built on pitching, speed and defense. No problem, they said this past winter, ignoring for the moment that the ball park they play half their games in was built for POWER and anything BUT pitching. Read between the lines now: they tried to sell you on the switch because they didn't want to spend money on replacing the 100 rbi that Adam Dunn took with him last August.
You're screaming Ken, there you go again with Dunn. You're in love with Dunn. All you talk about is Dunn. Dunn was a lazy ballplayer who never saw an at bat that wasn't a potential strike out. Stop with the man love, Ken.
OK hot shot, one more time. I was in LOVE with the offense that Dunn had. The Reds needed to replace the OFFENSE, not necessariy resign Dunn. Although, have you seen the season he's having? 26 home runs, (8 more than any current Red) 74 rbi (9 more than any current Red) and a decent .279 average (Votto is the only non platoon Red hitting higher).
But I digress...
There are two ways to play the game of Major League Baseball for any of the 30 front offices. One, you can buy yourself a contender by trading away prospects and chasing free agents. The Yankees, Red Sox and Angels would be good examples. Two, you can develope talent, make judicious trades and be selective with free agent acquisitions. The Twins and A's are good examples of that strategy.
The of course, there are your Cincinnati Reds. They don't have the $150-200 payroll to compete with the Yankees of the world. And, they haven't had a stable enough front office to play the game the way the Twins and A's have gone about their business.
If you're scoring at home, Twins and A's have had general managers with long tenure (Terry Ryan in Minnesota until last season, Billy Beane in Oakland). The Reds have had five GM's since 2003. The Yankees, Red Sox and Angels outspend the Reds more than 2-1.
And that's why we have the mess of 2009. Smart small market clubs have consistent management with solid plans. Big market teams throw money at the problem of building a big league contender.
We, on the other hand, wait until next year. As I asked earlier this week, exactly when does next year arrive. The sobering stat of the day: since 1979 the Cincinnati Reds have been to the post season playoffs twice. Twice!
Cincinnati was the epicenter of baseball in the 70's. We were the Big Red Machine, Rose, Bench, Morgan, Perez. Dude, where's my baseball team?
With a nose not unlike George Herman (Miley) Ruth's, I'm back in business...
Riddle me this kids: if you owned the Cincinnati Reds, if you just bought the team from the group running the show now, what contracts would you 'eat'? In other words, what players on this current team would you absolutely, positively have to have?
The answer in two words: Joey Votto. Anyone else, asta lavista, baby. Which means, you'd be dining on Bronson Arroyo's $11 million 2010 salary plus his 2011 buyout; Aaron Harang's $12.5 million, Coco Cordero's $22 million remaining salary and anything else that adds up to the approximately $75 million the Reds paid for the 'talent' on this year's team (less Votto's MLB minimum). It would be an expensive meal. But it would let you start all over again.
Let's review. The Reds, this season, are a collection of spare parts. Laynce Nix, Jonny Gomes, Jerry Hairston, Jr, Chris Dickserson, Adam Rosales are all 23rd-25th guys on a a 25 man Major League Roster. But here, they start. They're not bad guys. They're all decent human beings. But they are not starters on a serious contending baseball team.
Bob Castellini and his smart guys sold you, me and every other baseball fan in this town on the belief that the Reds would be just fine this season, moving from a power hitting club to a team built on pitching, speed and defense. No problem, they said this past winter, ignoring for the moment that the ball park they play half their games in was built for POWER and anything BUT pitching. Read between the lines now: they tried to sell you on the switch because they didn't want to spend money on replacing the 100 rbi that Adam Dunn took with him last August.
You're screaming Ken, there you go again with Dunn. You're in love with Dunn. All you talk about is Dunn. Dunn was a lazy ballplayer who never saw an at bat that wasn't a potential strike out. Stop with the man love, Ken.
OK hot shot, one more time. I was in LOVE with the offense that Dunn had. The Reds needed to replace the OFFENSE, not necessariy resign Dunn. Although, have you seen the season he's having? 26 home runs, (8 more than any current Red) 74 rbi (9 more than any current Red) and a decent .279 average (Votto is the only non platoon Red hitting higher).
But I digress...
There are two ways to play the game of Major League Baseball for any of the 30 front offices. One, you can buy yourself a contender by trading away prospects and chasing free agents. The Yankees, Red Sox and Angels would be good examples. Two, you can develope talent, make judicious trades and be selective with free agent acquisitions. The Twins and A's are good examples of that strategy.
The of course, there are your Cincinnati Reds. They don't have the $150-200 payroll to compete with the Yankees of the world. And, they haven't had a stable enough front office to play the game the way the Twins and A's have gone about their business.
If you're scoring at home, Twins and A's have had general managers with long tenure (Terry Ryan in Minnesota until last season, Billy Beane in Oakland). The Reds have had five GM's since 2003. The Yankees, Red Sox and Angels outspend the Reds more than 2-1.
And that's why we have the mess of 2009. Smart small market clubs have consistent management with solid plans. Big market teams throw money at the problem of building a big league contender.
We, on the other hand, wait until next year. As I asked earlier this week, exactly when does next year arrive. The sobering stat of the day: since 1979 the Cincinnati Reds have been to the post season playoffs twice. Twice!
Cincinnati was the epicenter of baseball in the 70's. We were the Big Red Machine, Rose, Bench, Morgan, Perez. Dude, where's my baseball team?
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Welcome To Wednesday!
Still waiting for the swelling to subside.
Just added to the front page of my web site, www.kenbroo.com is an interview I conducted with Cincinnati Reds phenom, Chris Heisey. He's with the Reds' AAA affiliate in Louisville and appears to be on the fast track to the big club.
I don't see how Bronson Arroyo AND Aaron Harang remain with the Reds past this week. The trade deadline is 4p Friday. Harang is scheduled to make $12.5 million in 2009 and Arroyo just over $11 million. Mix in Francisco Cordero's $13 mil for 2009, that's $36.5 million in salary for hust three players on a team with a $75 million limit. Didn't we just go through this a year ago with Griffey and Dunn?
And spending prospects and $11 million next season in a potential trade for the Blue Jay's Scott Rolen? No sense at his age of 35.
I'm surprised this current Reds team can win anything given the line-up they trot out every night. Jerry Hairston, Jr, Laynce Nix, Jonny Gomes, Chris Dickerson (hurt), Ryan Hanigan? This is a collection of spare parts. They're all back of the roster players. But here, they take turns starting. You don't beat a Cardinals line-up that just went out and traded for Mark DeRosa, Julio Lugo and Matt Holliday with that group.
Here's the really bad news for Reds owner Bob Castellini. At 3p Friday, the Reds cease to be relevant for the balance of this season. That's the time of the Bengals first workout of their training camp. The Reds owner and his front office staff have no one but themselves to blame. They failed to field a competitive team, plain, simple, end of story.
Why do I have this sinking feeling the Bengals will cease to be relevant by October 1?
Heard this one today: Brett Favre tantilized the Vikings just long enough to screw up their training camp and create dissention among the quarterback ranks in that franchise so he could help the Packers win that NFC North this season. That's rich. If Favre had any juice left in his arm, he'd be out there sweating up a blue streak when the Vikings hit the field later this week. Exactly how exciting can Mississippi be, at any time of the year?
Michael Vick to the Vikings, that's what I'm seeing. Why not?
Mike Brown said Tuesday he's not interested in bringing Vick to the Bengals. Not a good fit, says the Bengals chief pooh-bah. Chris Henry is? Odell Thurman was?
Still waiting for the swelling to subside.
Just added to the front page of my web site, www.kenbroo.com is an interview I conducted with Cincinnati Reds phenom, Chris Heisey. He's with the Reds' AAA affiliate in Louisville and appears to be on the fast track to the big club.
I don't see how Bronson Arroyo AND Aaron Harang remain with the Reds past this week. The trade deadline is 4p Friday. Harang is scheduled to make $12.5 million in 2009 and Arroyo just over $11 million. Mix in Francisco Cordero's $13 mil for 2009, that's $36.5 million in salary for hust three players on a team with a $75 million limit. Didn't we just go through this a year ago with Griffey and Dunn?
And spending prospects and $11 million next season in a potential trade for the Blue Jay's Scott Rolen? No sense at his age of 35.
I'm surprised this current Reds team can win anything given the line-up they trot out every night. Jerry Hairston, Jr, Laynce Nix, Jonny Gomes, Chris Dickerson (hurt), Ryan Hanigan? This is a collection of spare parts. They're all back of the roster players. But here, they take turns starting. You don't beat a Cardinals line-up that just went out and traded for Mark DeRosa, Julio Lugo and Matt Holliday with that group.
Here's the really bad news for Reds owner Bob Castellini. At 3p Friday, the Reds cease to be relevant for the balance of this season. That's the time of the Bengals first workout of their training camp. The Reds owner and his front office staff have no one but themselves to blame. They failed to field a competitive team, plain, simple, end of story.
Why do I have this sinking feeling the Bengals will cease to be relevant by October 1?
Heard this one today: Brett Favre tantilized the Vikings just long enough to screw up their training camp and create dissention among the quarterback ranks in that franchise so he could help the Packers win that NFC North this season. That's rich. If Favre had any juice left in his arm, he'd be out there sweating up a blue streak when the Vikings hit the field later this week. Exactly how exciting can Mississippi be, at any time of the year?
Michael Vick to the Vikings, that's what I'm seeing. Why not?
Mike Brown said Tuesday he's not interested in bringing Vick to the Bengals. Not a good fit, says the Bengals chief pooh-bah. Chris Henry is? Odell Thurman was?
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Good Monday Morning!
Countdown to the MLB Trade deadline is on. 4pm Friday is the appointed hour. Do you now who your Cincinnati Reds will be by then?
Alright, it’s over. It’s been over for awhile, it’s just been too hard to let go. Like a bad marriage or a bad job hire, it’s time to admit this Reds team had no chance to compete this season. 7 games out of first place with four teams ahead of them, all incidentally getting better, the Reds are officially DOA today. Pull the plug. Wait ‘til next year. That’s the game we play the best here in Cincinnati.
Pitching, speed and defense doesn’t happen over night to a team that was built for the power game. And it certainly doesn’t happen to a team that carries a $75 million payroll and a farm system that hasn’t been spitting out can’t miss prospects.
What logical reason is there to believe this team has any life left in it? The front office will tell you it does. But then again, it has to sell tickets to 36 more home games this season. The fact is, when the decision was made not to pursue offense this past winter, there was little reason to believe this year would be anything more than last year, or the year before that. Or pick one since 1995.
That’s the ‘rub’ the Reds are facing. They’ve got little equity in the market anymore. Opening Day is a big deal. Whenever there’s a bobble-head to be handed out it’s a big deal. But to paraphrase what was said about the long dead sports entrepreneur Harry Wismer, when the Astros and Pirates roll into town for mid-week games later this year, most of the fans will go to Great American Ball Park disguised as empty seats.
There’s one thing that sells tickets to a sporting event on a consistent basis. And it’s not bobble heads, fireworks or all your can shove into your pie-hole for $30 seats. It’s winning. And this franchise, under several owners and too many general managers since 1995, hasn’t given us a lot of winning.
Marge Scott gave us dollar hot dogs, Kevin Mitchell and Deion Sanders. But she also viewed anything that happened in the Reds minor league system with disdain. You remember the line: all scouts do is go to baseball games.
Carl Lindner gave us Ken Griffey, Junior. He got bullied by a lot of people, including a lot of us in the media, to signing Barry Larkin to an ill-advised three year, $27 million contract extension. And that was it. The rest of his tenure as owner was peppered with the Joey Hamiltons and Jeff Austins of the world. Carl was booed so lustily one Opening Day, he had business cards printed up in time for game two that season, inscribed with a quote from Abraham Lincoln, in essence where Lincoln told his detractors to stick it. I know this because Carl gave me one.
Bob Castellini gave us Wayne Krivsky, now Walt Jocketty. He gave Jerry Narron a mid season contract extension in 2006, then launched him mid-season 2007 and gave us Dusty Baker in 2008. Like Lindner with Junior, Castellini gave us Francisco Cordero. As Lindner froze after that, so now has Castellini.
That’s the way it goes with baseball in our town anymore. We now add another year to the lost generation of baseball fans in Cincinnati. Maybe you’re a part of that. Maybe your kids are. A generation is generally defined as 25 years. If you were born in 1985 or thereafter, chances are you can’t remember the last great Reds team. You want to know the real reason why it’s tough selling tickets to Reds games? That you go. Winning trumps bobble heads and fireworks.
But when did it get to be this way around here? When did we become Pittsburgh-West? Is it because of the economy, the fact that the minor league system went into atrophy under Schott? Was it because Jim Bowden couldn’t find pitching with a map, compass and a picture of Nolan Ryan? Is it because Castellini lost too much money last year in the bogus tainted tomato scare?
How is it, that St. Louis can trade for Julio Lugo, Mark DeRosa and Matt Holliday and the best the Reds can do is call up somebody named Drew Sutton?
Jocketty told Chris Welsh the other day that the price the Cardinals paid for Holliday was too high. The Cardinals sent some of their best prospects to Oakland, renting free agent to be Holliday for the rest of the season. Soon, I’m sure, we’ll hear the same thing about the team that trades for pitcher Roy Halladay. Maybe someone in the city that Bronson Arroyo or Aaron Harang is traded to this week will scream the same thing.
But wouldn’t it be refreshing, just for once, to hear someone complain around here that the price the Reds paid for a mid season pickup was too steep, mortgaged the future too much?
The Reds, Jocketty and company, say they value their top minor league players too much to trade them away. They refuse to mortgage the future for a chance to win now. Maybe that’s the way you have to go in this day and age, with a payroll as tight as the Reds have, with a minor league system that only now is beginning to dig itself out of the Schott-Bowden years. But the road to major league baseball is littered with can’t miss prospects, the Brandon Larson, Ty Howington, Austin Kearns of the world.
I hope Chris Heisey is the real deal. I want Drew Stubbs to be the next Gold Glove outfielder in Reds history. I want to believe that Todd Frazier, Juan Francisco and Yonder Alonso will be the core of a great Reds team in 2011. But history tells me all of that won’t happen.
The Cardinals will win the division this year. They’ll replace the prospects they traded away this month with players just as good, or better. History tells me they will.
The Cubs will contend, the Astros too. History tells me that as well.
But here’s something history hasn’t been able to fill us in on: exactly when does next year come for your Cincinnati Reds?
Countdown to the MLB Trade deadline is on. 4pm Friday is the appointed hour. Do you now who your Cincinnati Reds will be by then?
Alright, it’s over. It’s been over for awhile, it’s just been too hard to let go. Like a bad marriage or a bad job hire, it’s time to admit this Reds team had no chance to compete this season. 7 games out of first place with four teams ahead of them, all incidentally getting better, the Reds are officially DOA today. Pull the plug. Wait ‘til next year. That’s the game we play the best here in Cincinnati.
Pitching, speed and defense doesn’t happen over night to a team that was built for the power game. And it certainly doesn’t happen to a team that carries a $75 million payroll and a farm system that hasn’t been spitting out can’t miss prospects.
What logical reason is there to believe this team has any life left in it? The front office will tell you it does. But then again, it has to sell tickets to 36 more home games this season. The fact is, when the decision was made not to pursue offense this past winter, there was little reason to believe this year would be anything more than last year, or the year before that. Or pick one since 1995.
That’s the ‘rub’ the Reds are facing. They’ve got little equity in the market anymore. Opening Day is a big deal. Whenever there’s a bobble-head to be handed out it’s a big deal. But to paraphrase what was said about the long dead sports entrepreneur Harry Wismer, when the Astros and Pirates roll into town for mid-week games later this year, most of the fans will go to Great American Ball Park disguised as empty seats.
There’s one thing that sells tickets to a sporting event on a consistent basis. And it’s not bobble heads, fireworks or all your can shove into your pie-hole for $30 seats. It’s winning. And this franchise, under several owners and too many general managers since 1995, hasn’t given us a lot of winning.
Marge Scott gave us dollar hot dogs, Kevin Mitchell and Deion Sanders. But she also viewed anything that happened in the Reds minor league system with disdain. You remember the line: all scouts do is go to baseball games.
Carl Lindner gave us Ken Griffey, Junior. He got bullied by a lot of people, including a lot of us in the media, to signing Barry Larkin to an ill-advised three year, $27 million contract extension. And that was it. The rest of his tenure as owner was peppered with the Joey Hamiltons and Jeff Austins of the world. Carl was booed so lustily one Opening Day, he had business cards printed up in time for game two that season, inscribed with a quote from Abraham Lincoln, in essence where Lincoln told his detractors to stick it. I know this because Carl gave me one.
Bob Castellini gave us Wayne Krivsky, now Walt Jocketty. He gave Jerry Narron a mid season contract extension in 2006, then launched him mid-season 2007 and gave us Dusty Baker in 2008. Like Lindner with Junior, Castellini gave us Francisco Cordero. As Lindner froze after that, so now has Castellini.
That’s the way it goes with baseball in our town anymore. We now add another year to the lost generation of baseball fans in Cincinnati. Maybe you’re a part of that. Maybe your kids are. A generation is generally defined as 25 years. If you were born in 1985 or thereafter, chances are you can’t remember the last great Reds team. You want to know the real reason why it’s tough selling tickets to Reds games? That you go. Winning trumps bobble heads and fireworks.
But when did it get to be this way around here? When did we become Pittsburgh-West? Is it because of the economy, the fact that the minor league system went into atrophy under Schott? Was it because Jim Bowden couldn’t find pitching with a map, compass and a picture of Nolan Ryan? Is it because Castellini lost too much money last year in the bogus tainted tomato scare?
How is it, that St. Louis can trade for Julio Lugo, Mark DeRosa and Matt Holliday and the best the Reds can do is call up somebody named Drew Sutton?
Jocketty told Chris Welsh the other day that the price the Cardinals paid for Holliday was too high. The Cardinals sent some of their best prospects to Oakland, renting free agent to be Holliday for the rest of the season. Soon, I’m sure, we’ll hear the same thing about the team that trades for pitcher Roy Halladay. Maybe someone in the city that Bronson Arroyo or Aaron Harang is traded to this week will scream the same thing.
But wouldn’t it be refreshing, just for once, to hear someone complain around here that the price the Reds paid for a mid season pickup was too steep, mortgaged the future too much?
The Reds, Jocketty and company, say they value their top minor league players too much to trade them away. They refuse to mortgage the future for a chance to win now. Maybe that’s the way you have to go in this day and age, with a payroll as tight as the Reds have, with a minor league system that only now is beginning to dig itself out of the Schott-Bowden years. But the road to major league baseball is littered with can’t miss prospects, the Brandon Larson, Ty Howington, Austin Kearns of the world.
I hope Chris Heisey is the real deal. I want Drew Stubbs to be the next Gold Glove outfielder in Reds history. I want to believe that Todd Frazier, Juan Francisco and Yonder Alonso will be the core of a great Reds team in 2011. But history tells me all of that won’t happen.
The Cardinals will win the division this year. They’ll replace the prospects they traded away this month with players just as good, or better. History tells me they will.
The Cubs will contend, the Astros too. History tells me that as well.
But here’s something history hasn’t been able to fill us in on: exactly when does next year come for your Cincinnati Reds?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Just posted on the front page of my web site www.kenbroo.com is the latest Broo View Podcast. I've got some thoughts about whether or not it would be wise for the Reds to add a player or two before the trading deadline AND an in depth interview with Darren Everson from the Wall Street Journal about the importance of 'glue guys' on a major league baseball team. On the fly? You can download the podcast here.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Good Monday Morning!
48 hours ago, no one could have picked PGA touring pro, Stewart Cink, out of a police line-up. He should get down on his knees and thank Tom Watson for over shooting the green on an eight iron approach in Sunday's regulation final hole. If Watson gets up and down in two from his fairway shot, Cink goes back to being what he's always been to everyone except family members and golf freaks: Mister X.
Tom Watson has no one to blame for his British Open loss than himself. "Would have been a helluva story", Watson said in his post round news conference Sunday. No lie.
Now, to your Cincinnati Reds.
You can choose two roads to travel in life: the road of hope or the road of despair. The worst kind of hope, of course, is false hope. But despair will eat you alive.
So if you had to choose a road to travel today and the journey involves the 2009 Cincinnati Reds, which road would you choose? History would lead us to the road of despiair. This team is 5 1/2 games out of first place in arguably the worst division in baseball. And the last time the Reds had a whiff of the playoffs is ten years ago. Since then, there’s been a lot of false hope and a lot of bad baseball. Prepare to Win, Ready to Win, the Reds have had their share of pre-season slogans. There’s been plenty of pre-season hype. Junior arrives. Pete Harnisch is just like the Harnisch of 1999. Ramon Ortiz and Ben Weber are here, just two years removed from winning a World Series. Here come Gary Majewski and Bill Bray, the final pieces required for a playoff run in 2006. The list is long, the payoffs were few. Actually, we became Bernie Madoff city. Forget payoffs, we were ripped off.
Its tough being a fan in a town like Cincinnati, isn’t it? We want to believe. We get caught up in the hoopla and even the most gullible of us knows the let down is coming. Now that we’ve established what we are, the only thing to haggle over is the date of the let down. Big market teams like the Yankees and Red Sox win World Series titles. Small market teams like Rams and Colts and Steelers win Super Bowls. And we produce generations of fans who know nothing but losing. So goes life on the road of despair.
Except today, here now, the sign posts along the road of hope. Not for 2010 or 2011. We may all be out of work by then,, hopefully along with us, some of the idiots we continue to send to Washington. Today’s hope, comes in the form of history. It’s the belief of what can happen, with a little hope and a little help.
Sign post number one, along he road of hope. Your 1973 Cincinnati Reds. Back in the bad old days, of two divisions and no Wild Card, the Reds were DOA, eleven games back on July 1st. The Dodgers were running away with the division champonship. But the Reds kicked it into third gear, won 60-of their final 86 and won the division by three and a half games. The won, despite having three of their everyday eight, Dennis Menke Cesar Geronimo and Bobby Tolan hit a combined .204. Sound familiar? They won on the strength of good, not great starting pitching and incinnati. He went 12-6 for the Reds. To get Norman, the Reds sent pitching prospect Mike Johnson to San Diego, along with outfielder Gene Locklear. Both were thought of highly by the Reds organization. Neither amounted to anything.
Fast forward to the 1989 Toronto Blue Jays. They managed to win only 38 of their first 83 games. Yet, they went 51-28 in the final 12 weeks and won the AL East by a couple of games.. At the trade deadline that year, the Blue Jays picked up Mookie Wilson from the Mets. His .298 hitting the rest of the season was a big reason why the Jays qualified for the playoffs. The price to get him? Pitcher Jeff Musselman and prospect Mike Brady. Musselman, incidentally, won a grand total of six games with the Mets. Brady, never played a game in the majors.
Here’s another sign post on the road to hope. In 1993, the Atlanta Braves were ten out with 65 games to play. 55-42 on July 23. They won 49 of their final 65 and won the West by a game over the Giants. On July 18th of that year, 16 years ago yesterday, the Braves made a trade for Fred McGriff, got him from the Padres for three guys who could have gotten lost in a phone booth, including Vince Moore, a highly regarded rookie in the Braves organization at the time. Net result: McGriff hits .310, with 19 home runs and 55 rbi in 68 games with the Braves.. Oh and by the way, hit .435 against the Phillies in the NLCS that season.
That’s the road to hope today. But none of that happens with the teams in question being proactive, seizing the moment. You’ve heard this a lot in the past couple of weeks, but it’s true. A team doesn’t pick which season its contends. Fate determines that for it. In 1990, the Reds were picked to finish third, at best in their division. We know that story very well. Did anyone this year predict that Joey Votto would miss more than a month with stress? Anybody out there call the Edinson Volquez injuries? Any genius see the Jay Bruce collapse back in January? Who’s to say things like that don’t happen in 2010? Who’s to say every prospect coveted by the Reds blossoms at the exact time and we get another 1990 season here in 2010. Or every prospect blossoms at the exact time and the Cardinals or Cubs or Astros are just that much better.
The road to hope is the only road worth traveling. But the team you’re traveling with has to give you hope along the way. It’s called living in the moment. When you constantly play the ‘wait until next year’ game, more often than not, ‘next year’ never comes. We’re waiting now on Walt Jocketty and Bob Castellini. Let’s see if they’re worth waiting for.
48 hours ago, no one could have picked PGA touring pro, Stewart Cink, out of a police line-up. He should get down on his knees and thank Tom Watson for over shooting the green on an eight iron approach in Sunday's regulation final hole. If Watson gets up and down in two from his fairway shot, Cink goes back to being what he's always been to everyone except family members and golf freaks: Mister X.
Tom Watson has no one to blame for his British Open loss than himself. "Would have been a helluva story", Watson said in his post round news conference Sunday. No lie.
Now, to your Cincinnati Reds.
You can choose two roads to travel in life: the road of hope or the road of despair. The worst kind of hope, of course, is false hope. But despair will eat you alive.
So if you had to choose a road to travel today and the journey involves the 2009 Cincinnati Reds, which road would you choose? History would lead us to the road of despiair. This team is 5 1/2 games out of first place in arguably the worst division in baseball. And the last time the Reds had a whiff of the playoffs is ten years ago. Since then, there’s been a lot of false hope and a lot of bad baseball. Prepare to Win, Ready to Win, the Reds have had their share of pre-season slogans. There’s been plenty of pre-season hype. Junior arrives. Pete Harnisch is just like the Harnisch of 1999. Ramon Ortiz and Ben Weber are here, just two years removed from winning a World Series. Here come Gary Majewski and Bill Bray, the final pieces required for a playoff run in 2006. The list is long, the payoffs were few. Actually, we became Bernie Madoff city. Forget payoffs, we were ripped off.
Its tough being a fan in a town like Cincinnati, isn’t it? We want to believe. We get caught up in the hoopla and even the most gullible of us knows the let down is coming. Now that we’ve established what we are, the only thing to haggle over is the date of the let down. Big market teams like the Yankees and Red Sox win World Series titles. Small market teams like Rams and Colts and Steelers win Super Bowls. And we produce generations of fans who know nothing but losing. So goes life on the road of despair.
Except today, here now, the sign posts along the road of hope. Not for 2010 or 2011. We may all be out of work by then,, hopefully along with us, some of the idiots we continue to send to Washington. Today’s hope, comes in the form of history. It’s the belief of what can happen, with a little hope and a little help.
Sign post number one, along he road of hope. Your 1973 Cincinnati Reds. Back in the bad old days, of two divisions and no Wild Card, the Reds were DOA, eleven games back on July 1st. The Dodgers were running away with the division champonship. But the Reds kicked it into third gear, won 60-of their final 86 and won the division by three and a half games. The won, despite having three of their everyday eight, Dennis Menke Cesar Geronimo and Bobby Tolan hit a combined .204. Sound familiar? They won on the strength of good, not great starting pitching and incinnati. He went 12-6 for the Reds. To get Norman, the Reds sent pitching prospect Mike Johnson to San Diego, along with outfielder Gene Locklear. Both were thought of highly by the Reds organization. Neither amounted to anything.
Fast forward to the 1989 Toronto Blue Jays. They managed to win only 38 of their first 83 games. Yet, they went 51-28 in the final 12 weeks and won the AL East by a couple of games.. At the trade deadline that year, the Blue Jays picked up Mookie Wilson from the Mets. His .298 hitting the rest of the season was a big reason why the Jays qualified for the playoffs. The price to get him? Pitcher Jeff Musselman and prospect Mike Brady. Musselman, incidentally, won a grand total of six games with the Mets. Brady, never played a game in the majors.
Here’s another sign post on the road to hope. In 1993, the Atlanta Braves were ten out with 65 games to play. 55-42 on July 23. They won 49 of their final 65 and won the West by a game over the Giants. On July 18th of that year, 16 years ago yesterday, the Braves made a trade for Fred McGriff, got him from the Padres for three guys who could have gotten lost in a phone booth, including Vince Moore, a highly regarded rookie in the Braves organization at the time. Net result: McGriff hits .310, with 19 home runs and 55 rbi in 68 games with the Braves.. Oh and by the way, hit .435 against the Phillies in the NLCS that season.
That’s the road to hope today. But none of that happens with the teams in question being proactive, seizing the moment. You’ve heard this a lot in the past couple of weeks, but it’s true. A team doesn’t pick which season its contends. Fate determines that for it. In 1990, the Reds were picked to finish third, at best in their division. We know that story very well. Did anyone this year predict that Joey Votto would miss more than a month with stress? Anybody out there call the Edinson Volquez injuries? Any genius see the Jay Bruce collapse back in January? Who’s to say things like that don’t happen in 2010? Who’s to say every prospect coveted by the Reds blossoms at the exact time and we get another 1990 season here in 2010. Or every prospect blossoms at the exact time and the Cardinals or Cubs or Astros are just that much better.
The road to hope is the only road worth traveling. But the team you’re traveling with has to give you hope along the way. It’s called living in the moment. When you constantly play the ‘wait until next year’ game, more often than not, ‘next year’ never comes. We’re waiting now on Walt Jocketty and Bob Castellini. Let’s see if they’re worth waiting for.
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