I knew I should have started this thread.

First time Reds have won back-to-back-to-back series all year. Good job, MJ!! :thumb:

 

Thanks! I had a good feeling about it. Was a little wild but got it done.

All this Brawl/Bad Blood stuff is is an attempt to generate interest and sell tickets to the remaining Reds-Pirates games. Two teams going nowhere need to generate some interest to get fans into seats. Seems like a few years back it was St. Louis who we hated.

 

Professional baseball players don't hate each other. They have careers which they look to maximize and squeeze the last nickle out of, and actually have mutual respect for each other. If it takes the appearance of "Bad Blood" to generate interest than so be it. Sad it has come to this.

 

Don't drink the Kool-Aid.

 

Note to self - do not ask Mustang about Sandy Hook or if Neil Arnstrong really walked on the moon.

I'm going to say this to wrap up my tirade about the degradation of our once proud and glorious baseball franchise.

 

I was blessed to live through the golden era of Reds Baseball. I don't know what this small mid-market, backwater community did to deserve it, but we appreciated it, and the players played with an allegiance to the City of Cincinnati. They didn't sell themselves to the highest bidder, and many of them played the large majority of their careers here.

 

Dusty came along, "a players manager", and the deterioration began. The inmates began to run the asylum. We then regressed to the "rebuild", which I can safely say was more a sell out, than any rebuild. We got rid of our good players and since then have become a losing ball team.

 

We presently change the roster on a regular basis. The players have no allegiance to the city, we wear yellow, red and purple hair, and dictate to the management just when we'd like to play. We had a couple of players who provided some excitement - Billy Hamilton and Scooter Gennett and now they are both gone, hoping that the come latelys do better. Our manager makes decisions based on the phases of the moon (cybermetrics or whatever), gets himself ejected on a regular basis and tolerates undisciplined play and actions from his team.

 

The situation then spirals out of control to what we saw last night. I don't know Clint Hurdle from Adam, but I do know the business of MLB and the NFL. Rivalries are good things. Heated, hated rivalries are better.

If Sumo says Hurdle is a baddy cat then I will believe him. BUT, our pitchers can't walk off of the mound and incite the other team to retaliate. Not smart on his part, but he did it because he can get away with it. IF we are guilty of throwing at each other's batters, then it is MLBs job to do something about it. Since this seems to be an ongoing thing, they chose to do nothing about it. WHY??? Because heated rivalries with a few cheap shots and fisticuffs are good for business. Especially between to going nowhere franchises.

 

The lack of attendance reflects this city's approval rating of their baseball team. Sixteen Thousand is a sad statement here in the birthplace of Major League Baseball. I don't EVER remember Riverfront Stadium having less than 20,000. I'm sure it did, but I bet it was a cold early season April game in inclement weather.

 

I feel bad for Bob Castellini, who I sincerely think thought that he was going to be the savior of Cincinnati baseball and return it to its once proud status. Unfortunately, he couldn't overcome being the 38th largest media market in MLB.

 

I can tolerate being a .500 MLB franchise so long as the players are good role models, show some allegiance to the city for which they play, and conduct themselves in a professional manner. I can't tolerate, un-fundamentally sound baseball, hot dogging it, putting your ego on public display, general laziness, and appearing as if you are in a circus act. I said it before and will again - We are a rudderless ship. I'm very sorry if a Lou Pinella type would "lose the clubhouse" because this clubhouse is worthy of losing.

 

I do think that there are some young players who have the potential to become major contributors, IF we could get some stability on the roster. I do hope we can turn it around, but someone has got to get a grip on this franchise and right the ship - Quickly!!!

 

In your heart you know I'm right!

All I know about Hurdle is that he has done this for several years and many different teams. Pirates has hit an opposing player with a fastball like 42 times more than the second place team. MLB has known this for years and has done nothing. I blame MLB for these Pirate Brawls and they are always started by Pirates.

Last year's Reds attendance was higher than the attendance at Riverfront Stadium in 1971, 1972, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984.

 

MLB free agency started in 1976.

 

Yes, MLB today is different than it was 40 years ago.

Edited August 1, 20197 yr by Voice of Reason

Last year's Reds attendance was higher than the attendance at Riverfront Stadium in 1971, 1972, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984.

 

MLB free agency started in 1976.

 

Yes, MLB today is different than it was 40 years ago.

 

Yes, free agency changed the game forever and it’s not going back!! I’ve been through the Reds too, since 1969, fans just felt more of an ownership in the teams back then, more connected, now it’s more of a connection to players because of free agency and fantasy leagues. I think fans and kids today miss something that made the game a little more special back then!!!

Last year's Reds attendance was higher than the attendance at Riverfront Stadium in 1971, 1972, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984.

 

MLB free agency started in 1976.

 

Yes, MLB today is different than it was 40 years ago.

 

This is the type of post that I expect from someone with your name.