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Legend
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You guys have the second wild card spot by a 4-1/2 game cushion, and are only 5 out of first place in the NL Central, so all is not lost. 4-6 in your last 10 games isn't great, but ESPN still calculates the Reds' playoff chances at 73.4% - 4th best in the NL.
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I forgot entirely about the wild card play-in scenario. It's hard to get used to and I just still don't like it. If there's a five game difference between a couple teams for the wild card, there should be a discussion or opportunity for who's trailing to get in.
I'm only twenty-four. Do I sound like a whiny baseball purist?
Politicians are puppets, y'all. Let's get Geppetto!
Formerly 4yikes2yoshi0
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Legend
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I'm more than twice your age and I don't like the DH - I believe you have to earn your "ups" by playing a position. But when it comes to the wildcard, it seems to me that if your going to have such a thing as a "wildcard", the deck should be stacked against them all the way. One game play-in to advance to a series and no (series) home field advantage ever. Plus, when it comes to post season drama, you can't beat a sudden death playoff game. So I'm good with that part of it.
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Legend
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I love the DH, because I hate watching pitchers flailing helplessly as the pitch count goes: Strike 1, Strike 2, Strike 3 .... sit down. Most pitchers are a wasted out, and you can have a situation where you lose your pitcher in a close game because you need a bat. If a team is tied in the 7th inning, and both pitchers have pitched masterfully with a shutout for each . .... but one team manages to get a runner to 3rd with 2 outs, and the pitcher is due up. He may lose his chance for a complete game as the manager may have to decide to pull him to try to get that run home from 3rd. I would rather see a professional hitter in that situation, while the pitcher who no longer has to hit, or maybe be replaced, has the opportunity to maybe finish his complete game shutout based on his pitching, and not on his hitting. Gawd I hate watching pitchers flail at the plate. 
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
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Legend
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I never saw Bob Lemon but I heard he played outfield sometimes when he wasn't pitching. I know he pinch hit quite a bit when he was strictly a pitcher. I do remember pitchers like Mudcat Grant, Jim Perry, Sonny Siebert and others pinch hitting pretty often for light-hitting fielders. Those guys could hit. If you're a major league pitcher, chances are you were a pretty good all around ballplayer as an amateur. There used to be a name for guys who could only hit - they were called pinch hitters. They could get 100-150 AB in a season and really help their teams, but IMO you shouldn't get 500 AB in a season if you never wear a glove. Guess I'm a purist ... or maybe just a grouchy old man.
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Legend
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I just hate watching most pitchers hit. They serve almost no purpose at the plate. At best, some pitchers might be able to bunt ..... but I just hate seeing a man on 2nd with 2 outs, and the #8 hitter coming to the plate ..... only to watch a 4 pitch intentional walk, followed by a 3 pitch strikeout of the pitcher in the 9 spot.
At least the DH keeps pressure on the opposing pitcher from the 1st hitter to the 9th hitter.
I understand that a lot of people feel that the pitcher is a baseball player, and should hit .... but to me it's mostly a wasted spot in the lineup.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
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Legend
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Nice to start the second half with a win!  Good game last night, got a little shaky when Leake started giving up homers left and right, but the relievers came in and got the job done. Let's hope the bats come alive from here on out! 
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It sounds like Brandon Phillips is stirring things up down there. I wonder how thats playing in the clubhouse, and with the fans? ... http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/eye-on...pur-controversyHe's always been an emotional, shoot-from-the-hip type of player, but the Reds front office can't be happy about these comments at this point in time, with them fighting for a playoff spot and all. I'll give you Nick Swisher for him ... deal? 
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Legend
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Didn't cause much of a stir it appears. People seem to take Brandon and his jabber with a grain of salt down here, including his teammates. Let's sweep those Pirates! 
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Legend
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So you're saying there's a chance you'll take Swisher for Phillips? 
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Legend
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Legend
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Hall of Famer
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Nobody cares, this is the first I heard of it. If I was a fragile Tribe fan I would tell you to get out of here, but hang around.
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Hall of Famer
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Latos with another studly outing, one of the better trades we've seen the Reds make ever?
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Legend
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Quote:
Latos with another studly outing, one of the better trades we've seen the Reds make ever?
one of the better trades in general as both teams seem extremely happy with the outcome
#gmstrong
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It was a great trade for us. We didn't really have too much use for Alonso at first, and Grandal's name popped up in connection with Biogenesis. Volquez is also a shell of himself. To get a solid number two in the rotation for that was nothing but great value.
Politicians are puppets, y'all. Let's get Geppetto!
Formerly 4yikes2yoshi0
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Quote:
It was a great trade for us. We didn't really have too much use for Alonso at first, and Grandal's name popped up in connection with Biogenesis. Volquez is also a shell of himself. To get a solid number two in the rotation for that was nothing but great value.
I agree with all of those statements.
From SD's side:
Grandal is a young, good C with a ton of offensive upside and they desperately needed one (even hitting .216 this year, he has an OBP of .350). Oh, and he's 24yo with 5 more years of team-control.
Yonder has major upside with the bat and is very good with the glove. He even has some speed. He doesn't have the power a team would like from 1B, but at Petco that doesn't matter as much. 26yo and 4 more years of team control.
Volquez was basically a throw-in because the Reds didn't need/want him and the Padres needed someone to eat innings. He is what he always was and that is a below average starter. But, again, the Padres needed someone to eat those innings and it's not like they were going to win many more games with Latos anyway (as they rebuild with youth).
#gmstrong
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Any report on how Brad Boxberger is doing with the Padres? He's the guy i hated to give up in that trade.
#gmstrong
Live, Love, Laugh
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Legend
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Legend
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Quote:
Any report on how Brad Boxberger is doing with the Padres? He's the guy i hated to give up in that trade.
really good for them in middle relief last year, but he's struggled both at the MLB and AAA levels this season.
doesn't seem to be an arm issue either because his SO/BB numbers are about the same
#gmstrong
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Ok thanks.
When he was with the Reds' minor league system he showed the potential of possibly being a solid Closer at the big league level and with what all else the Reds gave up for Latos i thought they over paid.
#gmstrong
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Allen Craig is batting .480 ( 47 H 98 AB) with runners in scoring position, as a Reds fan that stat makes me absolutely sick. Wish our guys could come remotely close to that outside of BP.
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What this team desperately lacks is a contact hitter, they need someone who has a consistently high average (.285 or better) for the lower end of the batting order, doesn't necessarily need to hit HRs just make contact. Right now we don't have a solid hitter after Bruce in the lineup. Frazier, Cozart, and the catchers are to hot and cold and don't hit for much of an avg.They also need to upgrade the bullpen.They need a solid lefty.
#gmstrong
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Legend
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The Reds also need a manager who has a clue.
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J/C...
41 games to go for my Pirates and the Cardinals, 40 games to go for your Reds.
1. Pirates
2. Cardinals 2 GB
3. Reds 2.5 GB
What's your feel for how it's gonna shake out? I've said since before the season and believe it to be true even now, the Reds are the best team in the division - or at least have the best talent. Though my team is 22 games over .500 in mid August and leading the division, my primary goal is still 82 wins... I'll cross the next bridge once I get to the end of that one. The Pirates offense is just too miniscule to start planning on World Series tickets but they do match up with St. Louis pretty well - Cincy is a struggle.
We'll see.
GO BUCS.
"If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college"
GO ROCKETS
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All three of these teams make the playoffs.
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Legend
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Quote:
All three of these teams make the playoffs.
agreed. there are only 5 good teams in the NL this year and these are 3 of them.
#gmstrong
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Can't disagree with that, I blame the Reds recent success on my part for lack of watching. Looks like if I keep this going they'll keep on winning.
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OP
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Wait, I thought their recent success was because *I* wasn't watching! I watched a little of each of the last two....my fault. 
#gmstrong #gmlapdance
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This thread needs to get going again, the reds board is about as immature as you'll find. I can't go there anymore
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Quote:
This thread needs to get going again, the reds board is about as immature as you'll find. I can't go there anymore
are you sure you wanted to do that with 6 of the next 9 against the Cards who have had your number this year?
#gmstrong
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Quote:
are you sure you wanted to do that with 6 of the next 9 against the Cards who have had your number this year?
Cardinals always have the reds number. Honestly I would rather the reds face any team in baseball in a 1 game playoff other than the Cardinals.
Go Browns!!![[Linked Image]](http://www.dawgtalkers.net/uploads/BrowniePoints/AndersonSnowPic.jpg)
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Quote:
Quote:
are you sure you wanted to do that with 6 of the next 9 against the Cards who have had your number this year?
Cardinals always have the reds number. Honestly I would rather the reds face any team in baseball in a 1 game playoff other than the Cardinals.
but, how sweet would it be to knock them out of that 1 game playoff?
I get what you are saying though. So, you either want to win the division or have St.L win it and face Pitt (I'm a non-believer in Arizona).
#gmstrong
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It's so lopsided that it feels like Browns vs Steelers honestly.
In a 1 game playoff I'm just not sure who the Reds are going to throw out there. Last year it was Latos with the series on the line and he didn't come through.
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and it's got to be Latos again. to be fair to him, his SO's are up, his BB's are down and his HR's are down. he's a better pitcher this year than last year (as he should be entering his 25yo season. the next few years "should" be his best).
not to mention Latos has only given up 3ER in 3 starts vs. StL this season (or that your 2nd best alternative Cingrani is going up against a rookie IP wall).
--------------------------
I think your team's real issue may come down to where it gets it's secondary hitting. Votto + Choo + Bruce are good. But, everyone else has fallen off compared to last year (specifically Phillips & Frazier).
It's tough enough to beat StL's bats, but it's more difficult when you have to do it with only the top of your order, which wasn't as much of the case last season.
#gmstrong
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Eight left on base tonight so far, can't blame Latos if he loses tonight.
Clutch hitting is the issue, there aren't many teams who have a worse batting average with runners in scoring position and 2 outs. They just showed a stat where the cardinals have scored 100 more runs than the reds in that area.
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Quote:
Clutch hitting is the issue, there aren't many teams who have a worse batting average with runners in scoring position and 2 outs. They just showed a stat where the cardinals have scored 100 more runs than the reds in that area.
As the saying goes, "It's better to be lucky than good."
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Legend
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Quote:
Quote:
Clutch hitting is the issue, there aren't many teams who have a worse batting average with runners in scoring position and 2 outs. They just showed a stat where the cardinals have scored 100 more runs than the reds in that area.
As the saying goes, "It's better to be lucky than good."
well, the Cardinals have been both.
#gmstrong
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With Wainwright on the hill this was the least likely of nights I would expect an offensive explosion.
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Hall of Famer
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Chapman is back to his dominant self hitting 103 on the gun.
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Quote:
Chapman is back to his dominant self hitting 103 on the gun.
To bad he only pitches once a week
Go Browns!!
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Billy Hamilton is amazingly fast. He definitely needs to be a part of the postseason roster.
Three of four from the Cards this week and already two of three from the Dodgers. It's been a great week of baseball for the Reds!
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