I'm finally convinced the 2010 Reds are for real

• Mooney44Cards

  

  Today convinced me. My biggest reservation about the team all year was that they couldn't hit good pitching. Yes they beat up on the average to bad pitchers, but it seemed that every time the Carpenters, Wainwrights, Lees, and Oswalts were on the mound, they reverted back from great to human when it came to the bats.
  
  Today they convinced me that they are good enough to beat the elite pitchers in the league. Lets face it, in the playoffs those are the type of pitchers that take the mound and today we faced arguably the NL's best pitcher, took a big punch from one of the better offensive teams in the league and then counter punched for the knockout blow. I still may meltdown if I'm drunk and the Reds lose in dramatic fashion, but I'm telling you right now while I'm sober.....I believe in this team.
• darbypitcher22

  

  they played pretty well today and for the most part in this series. They need to carry the momentum on the trip leading up to the break
• dave

  well said
• Ironman92

  

  I will recognize their great chance but will remain skeptical for 1 reason.
  
  Dusty Baker
• OhioStatePride2003

  I'm convinced as well. They started this season like they do every season - they give you just enough to keep you excited, but you know, eventually, the collapse is coming, and it's usually before the break. But they're leading the NL in almost every batting statistic, and our pitching has been pretty good, and that has been the difference in this season and previous seasons. They finally have a good combination of young talent and veteran players. Scott Rolen and Orlando Caberrera have been huge additions to the Reds. I think having Arthur Rhodes in the bullpen has been key as well. I think ultimately, it's going to come down to our starting rotation, and our bullpen. If we can possibly make a trade or two of some pitching, I think the Reds will be in great shape the rest of the year. I'd love to see the Reds be in contention at the end of the year, and it be because of an addition like Cliff Lee or even Oswalt. It's going to be a fun year to say the least.
  
  I'm really looking forward to our trip to New York. The Mets are playing really well right now, and they have some decent pitchers in their rotation. Not sure if we'll see him or not, but I'd like to see what the Reds' line up can do against a pitcher like Pelfrey.
• Rotinaj

  

  They still struggle against even decent lefties most of the time.
• karen lotz

  

  if they lose a game on the upcoming roadtrip, they won't win the division.
• Mooney44Cards

  

  Against LHP:
  
  Scott Rolen .300
  Orlando Cabrera .341
  Brandon Phillips .307
  Jonny Gomes .280
  Joey Votto .255
  Jay Bruce .270
  Drew Stubbs .253
  Ramon Hernandez .256
  Miguel Cairo .345
  Laynce Nix .273
  
  Not amazing numbers, but I wouldn't exactly call it struggling.
• justincredible

  

  Mooney44Cards;407098 wrote:Against LHP:
  
  Scott Rolen .300
  Orlando Cabrera .341
  Brandon Phillips .307
  Jonny Gomes .280
  Joey Votto .255
  Jay Bruce .270
  Drew Stubbs .253
  Ramon Hernandez .256
  Miguel Cairo .345
  Laynce Nix .273
  
  Not amazing numbers, but I wouldn't exactly call it struggling.

  
  I'd say that's pretty damn good.
• Mooney44Cards

  

  The only number that shocks me is how low Joey Votto's average is against lefties. Even Jay Bruce is hitting higher than Votto, which is surprising.
  
  Votto is hitting .343 against RHP. Holy shit.
• Mooney44Cards

  

  Oh just a side note.....the 13 hits Halladay gave up today? A career high.
• karen lotz

  

  mooney, have you been drinking tonight?
• jordo212000

  

  The Reds are dead! Put Janish in, take Cabrera out! haha Both are recent statements from our most fickle Reds fan on Ohio Chatter (cough Mooney)
• killdeer

  

  I am cautiously optimistic...although a late August/early September disastrous road trip has derailed more than a few seasons in my memory.
  
  The pitching has held up better than I expected and pitching depth is a phrase rarely associated with a Reds team.
  Hitting has been more consistent than I thought as well.
  
  However, if they mean business...a deal by the trading deadline would be a sign of a "go for it" mentality that would be a big plus, imo.
  If they are buying what the dregs are selling...then I am a believer.
• Mooney44Cards

  

  jordo212000;407196 wrote:The Reds are dead! Put Janish in, take Cabrera out! haha Both are recent statements from our most fickle Reds fan on Ohio Chatter (cough Mooney)

  
  Thanks for the input on the topic. Aren't you the one who said Cabrera is still better than Janish when hurt? lol Janish is better defensively than Ocab on his best day. And OCab was batting....what was it? like .181?
  
  I don't really need to defend my statement from people who make statements like you do.
• jordo212000

  

  Mooney44Cards;407214 wrote:Thanks for the input on the topic. Aren't you the one who said Cabrera is still better than Janish when hurt? lol Janish is better defensively than Ocab on his best day. And OCab was batting....what was it? like .181?
  
  I don't really need to defend my statement from people who make statements like you do.

  
  Cabrera is hitting .246 and has been instrumental in helping produce runs as of late. Give him time, he'll get back to his baseball card average, you just have to be patient. This whole Janish thing dates back to only about a week ago. I just find it funny how you pick the one guy who isn't hitting in each given week and you tear him to shreds. Like me and a few others discussed a few days ago, there will be slumps and there will be streaks. You just have to be patient and let the hitters hit their way out of it. This isn't fantasy baseball.
  
  You mock the .181 average, but your boy Janish is only a few points better (.208 for the career)
• Mooney44Cards

  

  Again....I never said to bench Cabrera, only sit him until he was healthy.......didn't we go through this like a week ago? Are you STILL not comprehending?! Am I speaking English?! Seriously you fucking make up your own argument and then argue against it. No one said Janish should be starting. You pretty much got told by everyone in the thread last time you were wrong and they laughed at your stupid statement and then you backtracked and said Janish should see the field more blah blah blah.
  
  You want a link to that thread? I can show you.
  
  Or were you just being a fucking trolling douchebag? My money's on that.
• jordo212000

  

  I guess my issue with this thread is I don't which opinion of yours to believe. The one about a week ago you mistakenly placed in college football and declared them dead or this one where you are gung ho and back on the wagon.
  
  By the way I don't remember anybody making fun of my opinion on Cabrera. It was mostly you if I remember correctly
• Mooney44Cards

  

  You mean the thread where I declared that they can't hit good pitching and therefore could never win in the playoffs?! GEE I WONDER WHY I CHANGED MY MIND ENOUGH TO MAKE A THREAD ABOUT IT. Maybe I should have put it in the original post in the thread. OH WAIT, I DID!
  
  Once again, reading comprehension is missing in action.
  
  Also....I missed the rule where when you like a sports team, you're not allowed to doubt them when they're doing bad. Excuse me but I'll fucking believe what my eyes and the stats are telling me, and after the Seattle series, they were telling me that the Reds can't hit elite pitchers. Today told me differently, so I changed my opinion and now I believe they are for real because I know they are capable of hitting and beating good pitching.
  
  Did I explain that well enough for you?
• se-alum

  

  Mooney44Cards;407098 wrote:Against LHP:
  
  Scott Rolen .300
  Orlando Cabrera .341
  Brandon Phillips .307
  Jonny Gomes .280
  Joey Votto .255
  Jay Bruce .270
  Drew Stubbs .253
  Ramon Hernandez .256
  Miguel Cairo .345
  Laynce Nix .273
  
  Not amazing numbers, but I wouldn't exactly call it struggling.

  Votto's avg. versus lefties is a little low this year, but I believe he's about a .295 career hitter vs. lefties.
• Ironman92

  

  The past 3 weeks Votto has developed a retarded swing versus inside pitches from lefties..some are to battle with 2 strikes and others are just silly at best....that's not helping his average versus lefties.
  
  "back of the baseball card" I cringe every time Creeper Welsh say that. It's mostly true...but can't stand him saying it.
• Mooney44Cards

  

  Ironman92;407477 wrote:The past 3 weeks Votto has developed a retarded swing versus inside pitches from lefties..some are to battle with 2 strikes and others are just silly at best....that's not helping his average versus lefties.
  
  "back of the baseball card" I cringe every time Creeper Welsh say that. It's mostly true...but can't stand him saying it.

  
  I know what you're talking about, but yesterday's HR was off that retarded swing. Maybe he's figured it out?
• georgemc80

  Do the Reds realy need to make a deal at the deadline? Lets face it, if Volquez can come back and pitch well, that would be the equivalent of a mid-season acquisition.
• SportsAndLady

  

  ^That's assuming Volquez comes back with the same success as before his injury. It's not a guarantee that he'll be the same pitcher as before, although his numbers for Louisville say that he is back.
  
  Assuming he is back:
  Bronson
  Volquez
  Leake
  Cueto
  Harang
  Wood/Homer/Lecure (although I think his days as a starting pitcher for the Reds are over)
  
  One more average+ starting pitcher, imo, is almost a necessity if the Reds want to stay with the Cards all season. They don't have a Wainwright that is guaranteed to give them a victory every 5 days, so they'll need 5 quality starters. To be able to move everyone down a notch and add a legit ace would be HUGE.
  
  Imagine if they were able to add a Cliff Lee or a Roy Oswalt, and trade Harang leaving a 5 man rotation of Lee/Oswalt, Bronson Volquez, Leake, and Cueto. Imagine if your 5th starter is 8-2 3.74 ERA Cueto. I mean that is scary. I love Harang, he is a solid pitcher, but the Reds are at the point where giving up 3-4 runs every game isn't acceptable. This isn't 2004, this team is for real.
  
  I think their rotation is fine like it is, but I think they'll fall a few games short without a solid SP acquisition. Get it done Walt.
• SportsAndLady

  

  By the way, the Reds starting pitchers had a rough June.
  
  Thank God for the offense, becuase they were the sole reason they ended june at .500 and not at .250.
  
  Arroyo 3.60
  Harang 4.15
  Cueto 4.54
  Leake 5.22
  Lecure 5.27
  
  The most alarming is Leake...maybe the league has finally gotten some scouting reports on how to beat him. I expect an average at best 2nd half of the season for Leake, unfortunately.