Outscored 32-2 in their last two ballgames. You can look at that stat and say the Reds starting pitching has failed them. And, you'd be right. But the way I choose to look at it is this way: the Reds can't score runs. And it's that lack of offense that's been the chronic problem this season. We've gone over this, ad nauseum: the Reds failed to replace the offense that Adam Dunn took with him when he was traded away last August.


Some have mistaken my criticism of their lack of offense with some sort of man crush on Dunn. Not true. I could care less where they found the 100 runs and 100 rbi that Dunn consistently produced while a Cincinnati Red (he's ahead of that pace this season, incidentally). They simply needed to find someone(s) who could replicate it. Remember, this team was offensively challenge even with Dunn last season. Instead, the Reds pursued Willy Tavares, throwing $6.8 million of Bob Castellini's money at a player they might've been able to sign for the major league minimum, had they waited a week or two. Tavares, as expected, has been a huge disappointment. Instead, the Reds put a $10 million scoreboard in left field, rather than a $10 million dollar player in left field. Bobby Abreu signed with the Angels for $6 million. He probably figured he had a good chance of getting a World Series ring in LA. But if the Reds had offered him $8 million, would he have signed here? We'll never know.


And why did the Reds spend $10 million on a new scoreboard, when the old one was just six years old? Because, apparently, they couldn't find parts needed to repair it. Here's a question: why would you buy a scoreboard from a company that can't supply replacement parts, just six years after sale? Worse, the graphics on the scoreboard appear to have been done by a third grader, using an ancient Apple III computer. And there aren't enough replays. But those are stories for another day.


All the Reds needed to do was find a free agent outfielder who could bridge the gap between now and when Drew Stubbs is ready for the majors. Stubbs is in AAA now, and probably a Cincinnati Red within a year. This is a classic example of a missed opportunity.


We keep hearing the Reds big year will be 2010, not 2009. Really? Says who? Are you sure your core players will have the kind of season they'll need to have in 2010? Are you sure your key players won't experience injuries that will keep them shelved for part of 2010? The future is promised to no one, not even baseball teams.


The best line about all of this was uttered last weekend. I don't know by whom, because I heard it second hand. Here it is: a team doesn't pick when it will contend. When it will contend, is picked for it. In sports, you must seize the moment. The Reds didn't. And had they, 2009 might have been the first playoff year since 1995. Sadly, it doesn't look like it will be.

So the Reds now have two things the Bengals don’t have: general managers. Maybe they could loan one to the Bengals.

When the word came down Friday that the Reds had lured Walt Jocketty out of his short-lived retirement, my first reaction was…whoa, wouldn’t want to be Wayne Krivsky. Look at what Jocketty did in St. Louis. He only built the team that has more regular season wins than any other team on that half of the baseball equation. And there was that little piece of hardware the Cardinals won a couple of falls ago.

Jocketty was nothing in St. Louis if not the ultimate trade merchant. And he seemed to have an uncanny ability to trade nothing to get something. Sure the Mark Mulder deal stunk. Danny Haren will be a star for a long time in baseball and Mulder seems at the edge of washed up.

But how about these names that found their way to St. Louis on Jocketty’s watch: Mark McGwire, Scott Rolen, Larry Walker and Edgar Renteria.

His critics will argue that Jocketty built those Cardinals teams and worked those trades at the expense of his minor league system. The Cardinals had to trade for Mulder because their minor league pitching was awful.

But he also had the brains…and the scouts, to draft baseball’s best player at the moment: Albert Puljos.

With Walt Jocketty, there’s good with the bad. But there appears to be much more good.

But you wonder about Krivsky. He’s been on the job only a couple of years. So his drafts, unlike Jocketty’s, are tough to score right now. But they both seem to be cut from the same cloth. Jocketty was aggressive pursuing big name players. Krivsky has been aggressive trying to rebuild his bullpen.

My guess is Wayne Krivsky isn’t comfortable about all this. Even though he’s Bob Castellini’s hand picked general manager, Krivsky can’t be happy with Castellini bringing in the former GM of the National League team of the last decade and the former GM of the team Castellini once had a piece of. Jocketty will report directly to Castellini. Not good for Wayne-O.

But if Castellini can keep everybody in the sandbox happy, this has a chance of working out. Think about it: Jocketty’s experience and aggressive nature helping Krivsky with trade evaluations and draft pick assessments. Both have keen eyes, both have excellent contacts. It could be magic.

But it could also be a disaster. Invariably, when any company hires someone to over see the work of another with equal status, the atmosphere is tense. Distrust is the immediate by-product and camps can form. Jocketty apparently was in the middle of that scenario, when Cardinals owner, Bill DeWitt brought in a vice president for player development last season. Reportedly, that’s what led to Jocketty’s resignation in October.

If this is Castelllini’s way of lighting a fire under Krivsky, he’s done it. Never comfortable in front of the media, the current Reds GM appeared more uneasy than ever Friday. But Bob Castellini didn’t build a produce empire by fostering office politics. He knows, I’m sure, that if his front office gets bogged down in ‘camps’, he hurts his product. And remember, just about everyone in that baseball operations office is a Krivsky hire.

I would bet, that Castellini has told both Jocketty and Krivsky to play nice.
If they do, this will be a great ‘play’ for our ‘local nine’. If they don’t, it’ll be a great ‘play’ for the controversy loving media.

My guess is, the Reds keep Adam Dunn for the rest of this season. If they trade him, they'll do that after exercising his $13 million dollar option for 2008. And even at that, $13 million for a power hitting, if strike out challenged, outfielder will be a bargain.

I could be wrong. My sense is Reds owner, Bob Castellini doesn't want to blow up his current team and subject his city to another rebuilding plan. Whichever way it goes, we saw something Sunday why sluggers like Dunn don't come around these parts often.

Sunday, against the Mets, Dunn hit one of the longest and most damaging home runs in Shea Stadium history. His 5th inning blast hit about 40 feet up on the scoreboard in right centerfield, hitting the board so hard, he knocked out a half dozen lights. It was reminiscent of the scene in the movie "The Natural", when Roy Hobbs hit a ball that blasted apart part of a light tower. Art imitating life.

Those are the kinds of things that sell tickets. And fielding the team with the second worst record in Major League Baseball, Castellini needs to sell ticket. I know, it's always easy to spend someone else's money. But why would the Reds' owner want to deal away a box office attraction for a couple of players who may never get a whiff of Great American Ball Park. Because with the way Dunn's contract is structured, that would surely be all Castellini would get.

Check out my web site www.kenbroo.com. I've got a lot of cool audio to listen to and tomorrow, Tuesday, I'll have the latest edition of The Broo View Podcast posted.

Clip and save this! I don't think the Reds are going to trade Ken Griffey, Junior this season, or next. Here's why.

The Reds are brutal, a team pieced together haphazardly and with the hand prints of three different general managers and two ownership groups. It is a classic example of how not to build a baseball team. Worse, there is a whole half of a season upon us with more than half of a home schedule to play. What would make you buy a ticket and watch this team play (other than a loaded gun to your head or a bad case of machochism?) The answer: Griffey.

As he closes in on 600 career home runs, there is at least that drama. And that drama will sell tickets. Bob Castellini is taking a "bath" this season. Next year isn't looking so hot either. The 'buzz' from his buying the Reds has been replaced by the 'fizzle' of wondering if he and his front office know what they're doing. Don't think I'm right? Listen to radio talk shows in Cincinnati or read some chat boards. The ticket buy public isn't happy.

By keeping Junior, Castellini at least keeps a box office attraction. It won't be the same as fielding a winning team. But it will allow Castellini to cut his losses. After the Rheal Cormier, Mike Stanton, Kyle Lohse and other brilliant moves, cutting losses have replaced wins as a barometer for success, for the Cincinnati Reds.