HAPPYTIME HARRY

Ned Yost. What a cry baby. 'Woulda'-Coulda'-Shoulda'. Case is closed. Move on.

98 total errors on the season for the Reds. Only the Florida Marlins have committed more errors (100) in the National League so far this season. (Reds booted five today, could have been six on a 'hit' off BPhil's glove in the ninth inning today vs. Colorado). That's not very good.:banana:

Boom! Game over. Walk off homer for Rockies off of Mike Lincoln. Burn the game film of this one. Errors and precious little offense and an overworked bullpen all components of a 'sad but true tale' for the 2008 Cincinnati Reds: another 'slow death' loss, mercifully ended with the WOGWHR by Colorado. Sheesh!

Yowsah! This Reds team just can't get out of its' own way for errors; injuries; missed opportunities; goofy plays; etc.. The 'drift' continues...

Bako is just one of about a million things the Reds need to improve on for 2009. As fans, we may be regarding this "play out the string" mode as auditions for future contributions by the Reds. For the most part, they look (and have looked for awhile) like a team just drifting along through the balance of their schedule. A familiar, and frustrating scenario for the Reds and their fans. Nobody appears in danger of 'losing' their jobs, or seriously being challenged for their jobs. It doesn't appear that Dusty Baker wants to call anybody down for lack of production; poor play in the field; not hustling; etc.. So, statu quo in the Rhineland (again).:sleep:

As Dave Parker once said "What's a Manny Trillo? Some kinda' dance?"

Not totally relevant. A Norris Hopper update?

Is there more to moving Dunn and Griffey than the baseball issues: overall ability; salary reduction. There has been a lot of discussion about 'creating a new culture'. Were Dunn and Griffey influential around the team and the clubhouse, without being the acknowledged 'leaders', that Reds ownership/management took steps to correct the 'culture'...to plant the seeds for not only a 'new look Reds', but a 'new attitude Reds'. And I don't mean that in the sense that Dunn and/or Griffey were necessarily attitude problems themselves, but rather, a fresh start for everybody? Looking for a Bruce/Votto/Phillips to one day step up and be the acknowledged team leader?

'Missed it by THAT much!'

Dear Walt Jocketty: Dude, your boys are stinkin' it up. Not sure where you should start, but something's gotta' give. If you need help, jump on bluegrasspreps.com. We've all offered our opinions on here on what needs to be done. Some of it might actually be constructive. Most of it is venting and grousing over another lost season. Don't pay much attention to the suggestions involving Bench; Morgan; Perez; Larkin; and Davis. Some of us are just stuck in a bygone groove, from "back in the day". If you don't need help, hope you've got some real "wing ding" ideas to fix the team. There's a bunch of items that seem to need some big time attention. (Ahem, the lack of Frosty Malts being regularly offered in the box seats is not real high on the list). One idea: maybe the team can embrace a song like the Red Sox faithful do at Fenway Park ("Sweet Caroline"). Maybe something cheery like "99 Luft Balloons"...you know, a real sing-along number? Fans need something to smile about at GABP. Any way, good luck with the remaining games in the season. Does the team plan on wearing the green jerseys on September 17th, to celebrate six months until St. Patrick's Day, like spring training? If you get to feeling like there is a vicious cycle to building a winning team, just holler down the street to Marvin Lewis at Paul Brown Stadium. He can walk that walk, and talk that talk. We're not really booing at GABP. That's just another Jay Bruce sighting being hailed with 'Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuce!'. K? Call if we can help. We'll be hangin' at the Inn Between, jockeying for position in the the line for Opening Day, 2009 tickets. Hope the off-season Kool-Aid we'll be drinking is a 1999 vintage. That apparently was the the last good year for Kool-Aid in the Rhineland. Your soon-to-be-duped again lifelong Reds fan, H.T. Harry:thumb:

:sssh:Sshhhhh! It may be too hideous for some to watch!

Bronson Arroyo characterized August baseball for the Cincinnati Reds in his pre-game television interview with Chris Welsh, saying this (the losing; lack of pennant race; breakdown of the team) has happened every year since he's been here. Sad to say, it has happened for several seasons preceding Arroyo's arrival.

Harang is getting hammered. The Reds seem destined to prove that they are one of the worst, if not, THE worst ballclub in major league baseball. They are embarrassing themselves. Agree with earlier post. Just bring up the entire Louisville roster and sit the so-called 'major leaguers' down. This is not the 'championship' baseball Jim Bowden promised so many promises ago...and not the 'championship' baseball Bob Castellini wanted put on the field right away. Way too many deals and experiments have overlapped themselves and blown up in the Reds' organization's face.

:mad:malachicrunch is correct. This team is horrible. Some have been 'shouted down' for stating as much in these forums previously. There were and still are way too many holes for this Reds team to be truly competitive. Really in a pennant race.

If Bret Favre has a season with the Jets as he did in Green Bay couple of seasons ago, when he threw a ton of interceptions, I don't think anybody will be thinking playoffs for the Jets. The guy is not 28, or even 32, he's 38 and has been in the league for nearly two decades. Not saying he'll be Johnny Unitas as a San Diego Charger, but it might not be real pretty.

I really don't think there is anybody on the current Reds roster who should be considered 'untouchable' or a lock for the future. None of the Reds is doing much of anything to earn their paycheck. Looks like management/ownership is content for folks to just 'show up'. Not sure what the Bill Bavasi hiring as special assistant Friday means for the Reds, but he, Walt Jocketty, etc. have a monstrous turnaround project on their hands. Maybe Jocketty has gotten an eye full the last few weeks and told Mr. Castellini "You need a lotta' help". Catcher; shortstop; outfield; starting and relief pitching...is there any aspect to the Reds currently that makes any of them a cinch to be playing for Cincinnati in the future? I think the question to ask: Who wants to keep their job and who is going to show us that that is the case? Field manager included. The 2008 Cincinnati Reds: what a big bust!

Even the nice guys Chris Welsh and George Grande are teeing off on the goofy base running stunt Jay Bruce just commited. Thrown out at third on a left side hit ground ball to short for inning's first out. Welsh claims 12-year old players don't make that play. Questions if Dusty Baker is going to have to start from scratch 'around here'? Nice observations, but did Chris and George just take off their sunglasses at night? Been going on since Day One.:eek:

On the observations about pitching mechanics, don't the Reds (and their pitching coach) have access to videotape, much of it what we see on television? Some very instructional points have been made in this thread about helping certain Reds pitchers, but unless we can verify Dick Pole is a bona fide BPG-er, don't know that the constructive critiques are of much help. Brantlely jabbers about it a lot (and the observation has been made on more than one occasion, that if HE can see it from the radio booth, then what do the coaches see from the dugout...in the bullpen...during practices...watching video, etc.????) This team is as about as low ebb as a functioning 'team' can be and still show up for the games on the schedule. They are about exciting as a dull butter knife cutting through warm butter. Jeeeeeesh!

Where's the blindfold and cigarette?

Sad to say, but UK Mustang Fan's suggestion might be the closest to the truth. There are so many things not right about this roster, one off-season might not fix it. Are you SURE Bronson Arroyo shouldn't be hitting in the three hole? (Volquez getting rapped again...hope he's not another Wayne Simpson or Jack Armstrong) :eek:

I wonder if Parra called Prince "Chrissie" one more time...

Bruce tagged it...Thom Brennaman sounded a little lost on the initial call of the big fly.:jump:

He did play during some/all of the 6-17 games for the Reds and batted elsewhere other than third? Pinch-hitting?

Break up this Murderers' Row! Ned Yost is considering running up the white flag..

DUDE! Bronson Arroyo should have been hitting in the three hole!:dancingpa