For good or bad, Bob Castellini listens to the fans of the Cincinnati Reds.
You wanted a “big name manager” -- hello Dusty Baker.
You were frustrated at a slow start -- goodbye Wayne Krivsky.
And the complaint he’s probably heard the most -- it’s the one I’ve heard the most -- is that this team hasn’t had a winning season since 2000.
Castellini wants that to change. You want that to change.
But you’re wrong.
You’re not wrong because losing is good or noble or anything else, but you’re wrong because 82 wins is no different than 70 wins. “Wait til next year” may not be as hollow when you win 82 games, but it’s still the wrong goal.
The Reds need to build for the future, and that begins now -- no matter how many games the 2008 Reds win, be it 85 or 75. You’re not letting that happen, though.
The cry of “seven straight losing seasons” is why you say you don’t go to games, it’s why you say you boo young players like Jay Bruce, it’s why you boo older players like Ken Griffey Jr. and it’s why you boo players in their prime like Adam Dunn. You say it’s why you want the team “blown up” and you say it’s why you don’t want to wait for the minor leagues to bear fruit. You say it’s why you scream “Who Dey” and why you show up for Game 7 of the Kelly Cup Finals.
But it’s the wrong cry. Missing the playoffs for every year since 1995 – that’s what you should be complaining about. In the years since it has become even easier to make the postseason than it has been since the Redstockings were born in 1869, the Reds have made the expanded postseason but once.
The Arizona Diamondbacks and Florida Marlins, two teams that didn’t exist when the 1990 Reds went wire-to-wire have each won a World Series title, the Marlins have done so twice. Last season the Colorado Rockies – whose ballpark made Neifi Perez a commodity was so unfair that physicists had to be called in to help – defied the odds and made the World Series last season. Even the Tampa Bay (no longer Devil) Rays are making a serious run at winning the toughest division in baseball.
Why are the Rays winning now? Not because they planned on simply winning, but because they planned on building into a consistent winner, a team that could make the playoffs, where anything can happen (again, ask the Rockies).
The Kansas City Royals had a winning record in 2003. In the next three seasons, they lost a combined 310 games.
The Rays had a Major League-worst 66-96 record, the 10th consecutive losing season in franchise history, but since Stuart Sternberg took over control of the franchise following the 2005 season, the Rays have had a plan. Andrew Friedman has been able to execute that plan without meddling from above or listening to the outside world that told them they had to sign Barry Bonds or couldn’t trade away former No. 1 pick Delmon Young. The Rays stuck to that plan.
That kind of approach is what is needed in Cincinnati.
Although Castellini made a mistake by firing Krivsky (the team hadn’t spent a day in sixth place under Krivsky and immediately moved into sixth place and spent roughly two-thirds of the days since alone in last place), but he was smart enough to place a proven winner in his place in Walt Jocketty. Jocketty needs his time to make this franchise a winner (just as Krivsky and Dan O’Brien before him did, but were allowed that luxury).
The fact that Jim Bowden is still employed and the Reds have had three different general managers since his departure tells you what kind of wavering there has been in the organization and you’ve seen the results (although nobody's seen results from Bowden's Nationals). Quick fixes can only get you winning (as in 82 wins) but they don’t build long-term success.
Today the Reds start a road trip that some have pinned the hopes of a winning season upon -- a decent road trip and the Reds could be within 10 games of first place at the All-Star Break. A road trip like, well, most of them in the last three years, and the fans will be screaming again. In the end, what’s the difference? Very little. Either way, the goal isn’t to be .500, it’s to win titles. Those take time and patience. But that’s something you are apparently running out of. But be careful what you wish for, 82 wins is just mediocrity, not the goal.
Edinson Volquez wasn't exactly shocked when he looked up from his seat
in the Reds dugout to the scoreboard in left field pronouncing that
he’d been chosen as the Reds' lone National League All-Star
representative.
"I had a good feeling," Volquez said about making the All-Star team
following his and the Reds' 6-5 win over the Washington Nationals in
front of 28,814 at Great American Ball Park on Sunday. Volquez improved
to 11-3 on the season, although his ERA did rise to 2.36. The Reds
finished the sweep of the Nationals.
Ken Griffey Jr. had been among the leading vote-getters for National
League outfielders until a late push by the Brewers’ Ryan Braun push
Griffey to the fourth spot in voting among NL outfielders. A 13-time
All-Star, Griffey wasn’t too upset about not making the trip to play in
the game in New York's Yankee Stadium on July 15.
Instead, Griffey said he's got a list of things he expects Volquez, a
first-time All-Star, to bring back for him. Players making the All-Star
game typically bring back trinkets for their teammates, but Griffey's
list was rather lengthy.
"He's got about six, seven-grand worth of stuff he's got to bring back
-- a t-shirt, a nice hat, an autographed jersey from everybody, and a
dozen balls -- that's just for me," Griffey said. "I've signed enough
for him."
He also had some advice for Volquez: "enjoy it," Griffey said. "It's
well-deserved. … We're going to be rooting for him, because it's going
to be a lot of fun for him. My first one was in Chicago, his first one
is in New York -- not a bad way to go. He'll have a lot of fun."
Volquez will likely be considered for the National League's starting
pitching slot, along with San Francisco's Tim Lincecum and Arizona's
Brandon Webb. That decision is made by the team's manager, Colorado's
Clint Hurdle, and announced next Monday. Volquez is scheduled to start
Saturday at Milwaukee and should be ready to pitch the next Tuesday in
Yankee Stadium for the NL.
"It all depends on how he finishes," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "We
were contemplating moving him back a day, if we did that, I'd say no,
if he stays where he is, there's a possibility (he could start the
exhibition). I think what's best for him, the league and us. It is big
to have home team in the World Series, it's huge. It's about time our
league won one and I hope he gets the victory if he starts."
Volquez said he'd welcome the challenge -- including the possibility of
facing the player he was traded for, Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton,
who led American League outfielders in fan voting.
"I don't look to start the game, but if they give me the opportunity, I
will. I just want to have fun, do my job," Volquez said. "Everyone's
talking about Josh Hamilton and maybe I can face him. I don’t know what
will happen. He's a great player and a great hitter. I don't know
what's going to happen. I'll throw my best stuff to him."
Volquez may be an All-Star now, but he wasn't getting an All-Star level
of respect in the third inning from home plate umpire Gerry Davis --
but that may have been because he wasn't officially on the team until a
couple of hours later.
Volquez allowed three runs on two singles in the third, hitting a
batter and walking three before getting Pal Lo Duca to end the inning
with a bases-loaded double play.
When asked what problem he ran into in that inning, Volquez was brief, if not diplomatic.
"I don't like to talk about umpires, but he took me out of the game a
little bit in the third inning," Volquez said. "I don't know if I'm
wrong or right, I just wanted that pitch. But we tied it up and I came
back out there and did the best I could."
Adam Dunn took him off the hook in the fourth inning with a three-run
homer off of Nationals starter Colin Balester who was perfect through
three-and-two-thirds innings before walking Griffey, giving up a single
to Brandon Phillips and then allowing Dunn's 22nd home run of the
season.
The Reds added two more runs in the fifth on a David Ross double and a
Jerry Hiarston Jr. RBI fielder's choice. Volquez allowed two hits to
lead off the fourth inning, but then retired the final nine batters he
faced, finishing with six innings pitched, five hits, three runs, three
walks and three strikeouts.
"That's what a real racehorse does, they smell that lead, when they get that lead, they smell the finish line," Baker said.
Volquez was lifted in the bottom of the sixth when his spot in the
order came up with two outs and the bases loaded. Pinch hitter Javier
Valentin popped up, leaving them that way. The Reds left runners on
second and third in the seventh inning. Hairston added a two-out RBI in
the eighth to give the Reds’ a 6-3 lead as Baker handed the ball over
to closer Francisco Cordero, pitching for the Reds in the fourth
consecutive game.
"I've got tomorrow off and three more days off coming up for the
All-Star Game," Cordero said after the game. "The more I pitch, the
better I feel. It's been great, I like doing that, to pitch a lot in a
row because it means we're wining and I'm doing my job. I like when
that happens."
Cordero picked up saves on Thursday and Friday, the victory after
blowing a save on Saturday and his 18th save on Sunday, but it was
close.
Cordero retired the first two batters he faced before giving up a
single to former Red Felipe Lopez. With Lopez on first, Cordero got a
perfect ground ball to first from third baseman Ronnie Belliard, but
Reds first baseman Joey Votto missed the ball. The Nationals' All-Star,
shortstop Cristian Guzman, singled in a run and then former Red Austin
Kearns singled in another run before pinch hitter Will Nieves struck
out to end the game.
He also made sure Volquez, who he's known since the two were both with
the Rangers, picked up his 11th victory of the season on the same day
he made the All-Star team.
Cordero, a mentor of sorts to Volquez, said the biggest change he's
seen in Volquez since he's become a Red is an increased maturity.
"He's not the same guy on the mound. Before he was Pedro Martinez -- he
idolized Pedro Martinez," Cordero said. "Now he's got his own stuff and
he's Edinson Volquez. That's the best thing you can do, be yourself and
nobody else. And he's doing it. He's been himself, nobody else."
Being Edinson Volquez, All-Star, is indeed pretty good.
I'll just leave you with a few quotes from after Friday's 3-0 Reds victory over the Nationals:
"It's a good thing that guy wasn't defending our country," Dusty Baker on the premature celebration by the Reds staffer setting off fireworks after a foul ball with two strikes. Francisco Cordero ended the game on the next pitch.
"Showcase," Reds reliever David Weathers, the subject of trade rumors, to reporters as he left the clubhouse following his one-inning, one-strikeout appearance in the seventh inning.
"Today, seeing the game got pushed back a couple of hours, it helped me out a lot and gave me a chance to wake up and feel a little normal," Bronson Arroyo on his second-consecutive day game start.
"That was terrible. Mr. Pete Rose would be upset about that one. No hang time. If you're going to do it, do it right. And he only weighs about 170, so it wouldn't hurt. Now, if Adam would have done it, I'd have given it a top 10," Ken Griffey Jr. on Bronson Arroyo's head-first slide into third base in the fourth inning.
So, last night it was Brian Kelly throwing out the first pitch, tonight UC QB Dustin Grutza on the field before the game for Maysville, Ky., night. I'm pretty bummed Dan Hopwood wasn't honored -- that's Maysville's true favorite son.
I'm trying to figure out the twitter, because I may twitter Saturday's game when I'm going to the park as a civilian.
Blog favorite Amy is in the house tonight, I can see here and her hustband in the stands right below me. They seem to be video taping some stuff. I've always wondered if anyone goes back to watch that kind of stuff. I guess we'll find out when Amy gets back from the game. Amy, as promised, is rockin' the Reds Crocs. Just brutal.
I love the bald eagle flights into the stadium after the national anthem -- but a Reds official had to shoo a couple of Nationals players out of center field out of the flight path of the eagle.
Nice round of applase for Dmitri Young and Austin Kearns.
* Top 1: Now, Roger Bernadina has just 19 at-bats, so it's a terribly small sample size, especially since he played his first big league game on Sunday, but he has a .105 OBP. And he's leading off. It just went down as he struck out. Maybe I can do a running log of what Amy's eating down there in the diamond club. Looks like she has a coffee right now. Cristian Guzman Ks as well, bring up Elijah Dukes. As much talent as Dukes and fellow former Ray Delmon Young have, you think the Rays miss them this year? I'm told it's a much better clubhouse in Tampa this year. And for the Nationals? I heard a joe that someone was calling Austin Kearns (one of the best guys in the game) 'The Warden' Redlegs 0, Leatherpants 0
* Bottom 1: You think Reds pitchers have it bad? John Lannan has a 3.54 ERA but just a 4-9 record. He has the lowest run support in the big leagues among qualifying pitchers. In 94 innings, the Nats have scored just 24 runs for Lannan -- 2.30 per inning. I saw ol' Leatherpants here earlier -- he was in khakis, by the way -- but don't see him now. No Thinking Out Loud tomorrow, so I'm gonna sprinkle in some links, and this looks like the greatest thing ever. I'm so getting one in August. 1-2-3 for the Redlegs as well. Redlegs 0, Leatherpants 0
* Top 2: Looks like Amy got some kind of mixed drink. Not sure what it is. And there's no way to tell just how many she's had. Say what you will about these two teams, but we may sneak this badboy in pretty quickly (I'm knocking on wood right now). Redlegs 0, Leatherpants 0
* Bottom 2: So, Mr. Amy is videotaping again -- I wonder if they're going to show their kids what they missed. That'd be mean. Wow, we're getting close to our first double no-hit pool of the year. Both pitchers -- and offenses -- look like it could happen. Redlegs 0, Leatherpants 0
* Top 3: Wow, Cueto's looking good tonight. Two weakly popped balls and a K. Redlegs 0, Leatherpants 0
* Bottom 3: Jeff Passan on Michel Inoa as a sign of the times. One pool started -- I've got Austin Kearns. I got two singles out in preparation. So, looking in the DIamond Club seats... there are people who brought what appears to be like a 4-year old. Is that a full price ticket? Seriously, I'm not spending that on some kid -- that's a whole lot of cabbage on a kid who couldn't care less and doesn't quite get it and can't even drink! Ross walks and Johnny Cueto can actually bunt. How about that? And Hairston breaks up the no-hitter. I can put that second buck away. An RBI single for Hairston and he takes second on the poor throw by Bernadina. Keppinger continues to hit bullets right at people. This time it's at Harris at second. Redlegs 1, Leatherpants 0
* Top 4: Cristian Guzman had absolutely no shot at catching up to Cueto's 95 mph fastball for strike 1. There goes the no-no as Guzman hits a roller up the middle and Phillips nearly made an amazing play. Guzman now has an 11-game hitting streak. Dukes doubles to tie the game. Cueto left that one up and Dukes hammered it. More importantly, Engadget has a review of the Knight Rider GPS. A balk puts Dukes on third and Cueto walks all of Dmitri Young. Kearns singles, RBI. 2-1. The pace is slowing down, but so is Amy's drinking pace. I swear she can do better. You pay that much for a seat with drinks included, you need at the very least a drink an inning -- minimum. You know -- I think we need to do that. Clear Channel needs to get me some Diamond Club seats and I'll drink and blog from those badboys. That would be entertainment. Right your congressman and demand C. Trent get liquored up for free. With two outs, a passed ball moves the runners up. And that's that. Leatherpants 2, Redlegs 1
* Bottom 4: Brandon Phillips on the other side of a DP for once. 4-6-3 for EE. Leatherpants 2, Redlegs 1
* Top 5: I've always been a Nike guy, but I may have to switch since they cost the Dogs the baseball title. OK, you've swung me around ot the anti-Dunn side. And who did that? Well, sounds like a 3-year old below me. His cheer is 'hit a home run Edwin' over and over while Encarnacion was at-bat. Then before Willie Harris singled, he said over and over 'Strike out Willie' over and over. Because this kid grew up in Cincinnati watching Adam Dunn, does eh think there are only two possible outcomes for baseball? That's just sad. They've got to trade him and trade him now -- if only for the children. Walt, do it for the children... Lannan is not the bunter Johnny Cueto is -- struckout, fouling off a bunt attempt with two strikes. Seriously, how does Jim Bowden still have a job? Nice baserunning by Harris -- who is fast enough to tag on a fly ball to center. A strong throw by Hairston, but he got in there. Leatherpants 2, Redlegs 1
* Bottom 5: Slow night on the ol' blog. Should I even come out to the park tomorrow? Maybe I should take the holiday like everyone else. Well, good news. Call off the hounds. The kid has changed to 'Get a hit, Bruce.' I'm proud of you. Hope you're OK with the walk. Ross' OBP is up to .374. Wow. I didn't realize that. That's third behind Dunn and Hairston. He doesn't have the power numbers he did the last two seasons, but he's hitting at a decent clip. Nice catch by Kearns on a shot to right and poor baserunning by Bruce (and Ross' OBP goes down). And now Cueto with two outs. He has a nice AB, but Ks. Leatherpants 2, Redlegs 1
* Top 6: Scoring change from the bottom of the fifth -- Bruce went to second on a passed ball, not a wild pitch. I'd written down passed ball and didn't change it when I heard the official score. Anyway, Scoreboard Stumper tonight -- four active players had 100+ RBIs as a rookie. Who are they? Wow -- an 0-2 pitch by Cueto to Dukes looks like he was looking to hit the bull. The mascot, not the sign. A 2-2 pitch, Dukes looks as if he could've hit the sign, not the mascot. He may have won a steak for that one. 3-1. That's followed by a double by Dmitri Young. And, as usual, his helmet is gone before he gets to first. It's his 300th career double. Seriously, if you're Nationals' first base coach John Morales don't you feel a bit insulted that Young seems to think your job is picking up his helmet and returning it to him -- even though he doesn't need to flip it off in the first place? After Belliard flied out for the second out of the inning, Junior throws it back to the infield and he misses Phillips and the ball nearly hits Young on second base. Junior has to cover his face with his glove because he's laughing. Leatherpants 3, Redlegs 1
* Bottom 6: Walk for Hairston. His OBP is up to .379. If he hit the ball where he did last time it'd be a base hit, because Harris is playing near the bag worried about the steal. Instead, he hits it right up the middle -- that would have been a hit last time, instead this time it's a ground out. Griffey Ks and Phillips singles in front of a diving Bernadina, scoring Hairston, then Encanracion bloops one into center, bring up Joey Votto sends the first pitch he sees into center for an RBI single. Bruce strikes out to end the inning. Tom Haurdicourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is reporting things are heating up between the Brewers and Indians for C.C. Sabathia. That'd be very interesting -- and I'd like the Brewers more than the Cubs in the division for sure then, even though I'm not sure I don't already. Redlegs 3, Leatherpants 3
* Top 7: Cueto starts the 7th with 82 pitches. After a single by Willie Harris, Felipe Lopez is the pinch hitter. A no decision for Lannan. 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO -- 93 pitches, 58 strikes. Strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play -- Lopez had no shot at that pitch and Harris had no shot at the stolen base. And stirke 1 to Bernadina, the 93rd pitch of the night for Cueto is 94. He gets him on three pitches. 95 through 7. Redlegs 3, Leatherpants 3
* Bottom 7: A parrot singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame? He really only did the the title. Jesus Colome pitching for the Nats -- so you have an all-Jesus battery. David Ross actually tried to bunt to lead off the inning. Instead he grounds out. Corey Patterson on to pinch hit. Patterson lays down a bunt and Colome makes the throwing error. Gotta love the fans that booed Patterson before he was even out. He took second on the error as well. Actually it's an E3, Colome gets the assist. He threw it too hard to Young, but it was right at him. And Hairston comes through again -- except Patterson slips rounding third and can't score. The ball gets by both Jesuses' but the run is saved. (Is the plural of Jesus Jesusi?) Intentional walk to Keppinger to bring up Griffey and put the double play in order. That's it for Colome, lefty Charlie Manning (the only lefty in the Nats' pen) is coming in. As Scott Priestlie pointed out, Manning was traded with Bradon Claussen to the Reds for Aaron F'n Boone. Griffey pops up and is booed. And that's it for Manning -- no way the Nats leave a lefty in there for Phillips, who is killing lefties. Luis Ayala in. Scott just pointed out that Bowden made that trade and then reacquired all thre with his time with the Nats. A single to left for Phillips -- and he mocks Dmitri young's thing to the dugout after an aggressive move to get to second. It's a single and an RBI. EE grounds out. Redlegs 5, Leatherpants 3
* Top 8: Burton in to pitch, Patterson to center, Hairston to left, Bruce to right. Burton in the three spot. Ground rule double by Guzman, walk to Dukes. A struggle so far for Burton -- who apparently shaved recently and I didn't notice. A nice play by Phillips on Young's grounder, but a better turn by Keppinger. Kearns flies out to Bruce to get out of trouble. If Dukes had slid to try to be safe instead of break up the DP, I think he woulda been safe. Redlegs 5, Leatherpants 3
* Bottom 8: A perfect inning for the Nats' Steven Shell. Redlegs 5, Leatherpants 3
* Top 9: The rain starts. Amy may be in the Diamond Club, but she's tough enough to just put on a Reds hat and stay out there for the final outs. My readers aren't the type to leave early -- I'll tell you that. And it's Cordero time. And this one belongs to the Reds
