THE BROO VIEW with Ken Broo

Urban legend says an athlete came up with this phrase: it is what it is. I always thought it was Sylvester Stallone in one of the Rocky movies. But whatever, ‘it is what it is’ is the current speak for ‘what are you gonna do’ or ‘what you see is what you get’ or ‘that’s the way it goes’, catch phrases for the powerless from generations gone by.

It is what it is. The Cincinnati Reds are what they are. That’s basically what Bob Castellini told us earlier this week. No more big money free agents will find their way to Great American Ball Park. The economy stinks, if you haven’t heard. So instead of getting Bobby Abreu, we get Jonny Gomes. That’ll make up those 23 and a half games the Cubs put between themselves and your Cincinnati Reds last season.

Castellini circled around late in the week. He was on 700 WLW twice on Friday, clarifying remarks he made as the Reds Caravan shoved off on Thursday. Yes, he believes, the Reds can contend this season. No, he said, he never meant to say the Reds weren’t going to win this season, And no, he didn’t mean the Reds were going to win a championship that first year he owned the team, which was the distinct impression that he left the day he bought the club. Smart to clarify, considering he had three busloads of his employees scattered about the hinterlands this week, drumming up ticket sales.

I like Castellini, because in an era of gray, he seems to be a black or white guy. Those who work for him like to say he’s someone who holds his employees accountable. That’s a novel concept in this day and age. But the Reds owner is in a real tough spot. The Reds weren’t very good last summer, or the summer before that or any summer in the last 13 years, except in 1999 when they were just good enough to miss the playoffs by a game. History isn’t on Castellini’s side right now. The glow of the Big Red Machine only shines on people over 40 right now and no Reds fan under 25 really remembers that wire to wire season of 1990. Ticket sales have become problematic. When almost a generation of your fans haven’t seen champagne splashing in your clubhouse, it’s a real problem.

Winning will change all of that, except winning takes money. And nobody who isn’t named Steinbrenner is spending money this winter. So there in lies the Reds big problem: It takes winning to attract fans who spend money, it takes money to buy free agents. But money is tight because of the lousy economy.

All of the Reds starting rotation is back, including Aaron Harang who couldn’t possibly be any worse than he was last season.

The young phenoms are back, Jay Bruce and Joey Votto. Brandon Phillips is at worst the second best second baseman in the National League.

But honestly, what else has this team done since the end of last season that would lead you to believe that it can make up the 23 and a half games that stood between it and a division title, or the 16-games that the Reds missed out on being a wild card team?

Willy Tavares and Roberto Hernandez? Nice pieces, but hardly franchise changing players. Jonny Gomes? Please.

It is, what it is. Teams come out of nowhere to wins pennants. Look at the Rays. But not often. Most years, you can pretty much tell in March who’ll be playing in October: Yanks, Red Sox, White Sox, Twins, Angels, Tigers, pick four of those in the AL. Mets, Phils, Cards, Cubs, Dodgers, Snakes, pick four of those in the NL.

Baseball has become a predictable sport, dominated by teams that spend the most money. There’s inbalance that only a salary cap will address. But the players union has always filed that under ‘good luck’. It’s why the key to winning in baseball is building a solid, dependable farm system. Marge Schott had no patience for it. Jim Bowden couldn’t find pitching with a search warrant. Reds fans have been told to be patient for too long.

That’s the fix Bob Castellini is in. It is what it is. But is it good enough to contend for a pennant? I don’t see it. Maybe you do. I hope you’re right.