Official 2012 Reds Thread

[Helldog]

Originally Posted by whodey1302

I don't think Votto is "weeks" away. 1 week would be my guess. And personally, with the way Frazier has been swinging the bat, you start him over Rolen. It's time to pass the torch. Rolen has been valuable as a pinch hitter and. When Votto takes a day off, you move Frazier there. But IMO, Frazier has to be in the lineup more than out of it.

Agreed. Fraziers been on fire.

[whodey1302]

Cueto v Hamels tonight. I'll be at PBS and since cell service blows in there, I won't be able to keep up with the game. Maybe they'll update the game on the video board or something.

[Ali]

Originally Posted by Bengal Droppings

Josh Hamilton and Votto> Jr. and Dunn

Well, yeah. Hamilton & Votto are both MVPs. Only KGJ is..Lest you forget him in his prime.

BTW, KGJ in his prime is better than all 3 of those guys.

[whodey1302]

Originally Posted by Ali

Well, yeah. Hamilton & Votto are both MVPs. Only KGJ is..Lest you forget him in his prime.

BTW, KGJ in his prime is better than all 3 of those guys.

I'd take Ludwick over Dunn. Better outfielder, better average, fewer strikeouts. But I wouldn't take any player, past or present over Griffey Jr.

[Ali]

Originally Posted by whodey1302

I'd take Ludwick over Dunn. Better outfielder, better average, fewer strikeouts. But I wouldn't take any player, past or present over Griffey Jr.

Same here...Then again, he was my baseball "hero" growing up and is THE reason I ever got into the game (with Larkin, of course!)

Also, I have this poll that you fine people should take a look at it, comment and vote in:
http://boards.bengals.com/showthread.php?t=101323

[whodey1302]

Originally Posted by Ali

Same here...Then again, he was my baseball "hero" growing up and is THE reason I ever got into the game (with Larkin, of course!)

Also, I have this poll that you fine people should take a look at it, comment and vote in:
http://boards.bengals.com/showthread.php?t=101323

I've participated. And debunked an erroneous statement you made as well.

[crazyjdawg]

Gotta love Sean Marshall.

blows another lead.

[Millz]

Cairo with 2 errors in the 9th. Lucky that double play ended the inning there.

[NashvilleBengalfan]

Exciting game .....

[Ali]

Originally Posted by crazyjdawg

Gotta love Sean Marshall.

blows another lead.

He has 4 total BS's on the year. Considering he usually comes for a full inning, how can you be upset with that?

And considering that his runner was inherited and then let go by a much less competent pitcher you should be more upset with Mr. LeCure than Marshall.

FACT.

[COLTSH8R]

Originally Posted by NashvilleBengalfan

Exciting game .....

I was thinking more frustrating than exciting, but to each their own. Nothing to get too worried about. We had an off night. Take 2/3 or sweep the cards and this game will be a distant memory.

[bengalfan4life27c]

why do you disrespect your Ace like that put in 2 horrible bats in cairo and valdez. you pich 5 scorless innings you have a 3 run lead. your arguably leading the nl in cy young award race. you get pulled 2nd and 3rd in the 6th. That was a slap across the face to cueto as far as im concerned.

[SouthernStripes]

For a St. Louis Cardinals fan, saying something nice about Johnny Cueto, who in a 2010 brawl literally kicked Jason LaRue out of baseball, is possibly more difficult than complimenting Don Denkinger. (At least Denkinger never meant to hurt anyone.) Still, with Cueto helping the Cincinnati Reds to a National League Central-leading 76-50 record, I'll say it: Cueto is one of the best pitchers in the league this year and should be considered for the Cy Young.

That's less a personal opinion than a fact. Though he didn't pitch quite as well Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies -- allowing two runs in five innings, while issuing three walks in a game the Reds would lose 4-3 in 11 innings -- as he has for most of the year, Cueto entered the game with a 2.44 ERA, the best in the National League. Not bad for a guy who starts half his games in one of the majors' homer-happiest parks.

Somehow, he's keeping the ball on the ground, as his uncannily low 6.2 percent home run/fly ball ratio attests. But his third consecutive year with a single-digit homer-to-fly rate just might be due to something in his control, such as inducing weak contact. That's in no small part because of an increased reliance on his changeup, which he's featuring twice as often as he did in 2011.

His non-traditional stats -- career bests in strikeout/walk (3.65), fielding independent pitching (3.04) and xFIP (3.62) -- are strong, but not as knockout-impressive as other Cy Young candidates such as Stephen Strasburg (11.33 K/9), Gio Gonzalez (2.80 FIP), Clayton Kershaw (2.84 FIP), Cliff Lee (6.04 K/B or Adam Wainwright (2.99 xFIP). Still, it's not like Cueto is a one-hit wonder: He would've won the NL ERA title last year with a 2.31 ERA had season-starting and -ending stints on the disabled list not prevented him from pitching a measly six more innings to qualify.

He has been healthy the entire 2012 season and therefore has been a constant for the Reds, who have at various times been without the services of key players such as Joey Votto, Scott Rolen, Drew Stubbs and Ryan Madson. Just how important has the righty been to the Reds? Despite Votto's ethereal .465 OBP, Cueto nearly matches him in WAR (wins above replacement), 4.3 to 4.8. So Cueto may more appropriately qualify as an MVP candidate than for the Cy Young.

As the surging Cardinals head into Cincinnati for a weekend series, Cueto will miss the action (he's next scheduled to pitch Tuesday). In addition to the built-in rivalry between the two contending teams --including former Cardinals Rolen, Ryan Ludwick and Miguel Cairo, all of whom don a different red-and-white uniform now -- the matchup is a reminder of the ongoing bad blood between the Reds' ace and the defending world champs. The weekend tilt isn't the only meeting with Cardinals players that Cueto has missed this season. Though he was expected to join Yadier Molina (later replaced by Matt Holliday), Carlos Beltran, Lance Lynn, David Freese and Rafael Furcal on the NL All-Star team, former Cardinals manager Tony La Russa passed over Cueto, upsetting both the player and his manager, Dusty Baker. For his part, La Russa denied any vendetta, insisting that he omitted Cueto because he was scheduled to start two days before the game. La Russa also snubbed Zack Greinke, having a better year than Cueto, and of course is no stranger to head-scratcher lineup choices. But even so, the episode wasn't exactly an act of rapprochement.

Cueto made himself persona non grata with the Cardinals two years ago for his cheap shots in the fight. But there's nothing cheap about his 2012 campaign, which he's establishing with his arm. And that's what continues to make his presence on the field an unwelcome sight, not only for the Cardinals but the rest of the National League this year.

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/po...ther-this-year

[Morning Star]

I just want to skip ahead to the playoffs!! I just have a confidence in them more than 2 years ago when they played the Phillies and lost..Better team this year!!

[Ali]

Originally Posted by bengalfan4life27c

why do you disrespect your Ace like that put in 2 horrible bats in cairo and valdez. you pich 5 scorless innings you have a 3 run lead. your arguably leading the nl in cy young award race. you get pulled 2nd and 3rd in the 6th. That was a slap across the face to cueto as far as im concerned.

Cueto was at like 115 pitches at that point...Do you want Dusty to just destroy the guys arm and let him allow like 5 ER? He was clearly gassed in the 6th when he got pulled.

As far as Cairo & BP: Brandon Phillips & Scott Rolen needed days off. Rolen always get a day off and until Votto gets better, the main guy to come up will be Cairo. BP had played in 10 games in 9 days leading up to that day off and a total of 36 games in a row (all starts) since the all-star break. He actually honestly needed this day off last week and you could see him start to struggle as he was 7 for his last 31 (.225 average & OBP..) and more sluggish than usual on defense.

Rolen is just old so he usually gets 2 days off a week (Thursday & Sunday typically.)

That was a pretty obvious answer to all 3 of your ludicrous points.

[jmccracky]

Originally Posted by crazyjdawg

Gotta love Sean Marshall.

blows another lead.

Do you only remember the times when he comes in and doesn't perform well? I'm not being facetious at all.

Ragging on Sean Marshal, who has been outstanding this year, is like complaining about the interceptions that Aaron Rodgers throws. Seriously, I've noticed this with a lot of Reds fans on here.

I've noticed that a player like Sam Lecure can do no wrong. Yes, I love the guy and he has been great this year. But he hasn't pitched at the level that Sean Marshall has pitched.

Same with Dusty Baker. I see some of the fans here complain if he yanks a pitcher who is pitching good, or if he leaves a pitcher in for too long. Sometimes, and especially with baseball, you let your players perform. There are a lot of games. This isn't like football.

Sorry....end of rant. Just an observation, and I know a lot of others would agree with me.

[bengalfan4life27c]

Originally Posted by Ali

Cueto was at like 115 pitches at that point...Do you want Dusty to just destroy the guys arm and let him allow like 5 ER? He was clearly gassed in the 6th when he got pulled.

As far as Cairo & BP: Brandon Phillips & Scott Rolen needed days off. Rolen always get a day off and until Votto gets better, the main guy to come up will be Cairo. BP had played in 10 games in 9 days leading up to that day off and a total of 36 games in a row (all starts) since the all-star break. He actually honestly needed this day off last week and you could see him start to struggle as he was 7 for his last 31 (.225 average & OBP..) and more sluggish than usual on defense.

Rolen is just old so he usually gets 2 days off a week (Thursday & Sunday typically.)

That was a pretty obvious answer to all 3 of your ludicrous points.

I didnt realize cueto's pitch count was that high my bad was only half watching yesterday with the Bengals playing.

[bengalfan4life27c]

man Latos he had a bad 6th tonight.

[SouthernStripes]

Originally Posted by bengalfan4life27c

man Latos he had a bad 6th tonight.

6 runs!? What happened?

*edit
Nm,back to back HRs. :/

[SouthernStripes]

Interesting take on Billy Hamilton's situation.....

PHILADELPHIA -- Whenever the day comes that Joey Votto returns to the Reds' lineup from a left knee injury, manager Dusty Baker will have the so-called good problem.

What becomes of Todd Frazier's playing time? Frazier, a National League Rookie of the Year candidate, has filled in very well for Votto, batting .315 in his previous 35 games with eight home runs and 25 RBIs. Before the All-Star break, Frazier handled third base solidly for Scott Rolen.

"Joey is going to play. Nobody is better at third than Scott, and he's coming on quickly," Baker said on Wednesday. "Sometimes when you're on a real good team, you've got to wait your turn to play every day. It's fortunate that he's had this opportunity. He wouldn't have been playing every day had Joey and Rolen [not been hurt].

"It's fortunate for us that we have him and fortunate for him that he could show what he can do. At some point in time, the world is going to be his. Now it's partially his, which isn't a bad spot to be in."

Overall, Frazier entered Wednesday batting .294, with his 55 RBIs and .562 slugging percentage leading NL rookies and his 18 homers ranked second. Chapman ties Reds record with 23rd straight save

PHILADELPHIA -- For a guy who had no designs on being a reliever, or even a closer, coming into this season, Reds All-Star pitcher Aroldis Chapman has quickly become the best closer in the business.

In the Reds' 3-2 win over the Phillies on Wednesday, Chapman closed the ninth inning for Bronson Arroyo and recorded his 31st save. The 24-year-old also notched his 23rd straight save to tie the club's consecutive-saves record held by both John Franco (1988) and Rob Dibble (1991).

"I didn't know anything. I just found out," Chapman said. "They just told me when they gave me the lineup card that I tied the record. I'm happy. I'm proud and feel very happy to help the team."

Chapman had his lower left leg on ice after he was hit by Ty Wigginton's broken bat on an RBI single. The Cuban said he was not bothered by the incident and should be OK.

Over 58 games, Chapman has a 1.31 ERA and one less hit (30) than he has saves over 62 innings. The triple-digit-velocity left-hander didn't even become the closer until May 20.

"I went to the bullpen and did the job they told me to. Then I became a closer and did my job as a closer," said Chapman, via interpreter Tomas Vera. "It started getting as it is now. I started liking it. Now I know if one day, I have to be a closer, I know I can do it. Right now, I'm really liking what I'm doing."

Injuries to Ryan Madson, Nick Masset and Bill Bray decimated the bullpen in Spring Training and forced the Reds' hand into using Chapman in a relief role. Would he want to have another chance to start in 2013, or would he now prefer being a closer? Chapman left that answer open-ended.

"I don't know," he replied. "At this time, all that goes through my mind is to be a closer. After this, I don't know what could happen. In my mind right now, I am a closer."

National League hitters are batting .120 vs. Chapman, and his ERA vs. NL clubs is 0.32. His ability to shut down a game was on full display during Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Phillies. The Reds' bullpen blew leads in both the seventh and eighth innings, but Chapman shut the door in the ninth. His final batter, Chase Utley, struck out on a 102-mph fastball.

There was a two-week span in June when Chapman was very human, going 0-4 with two blown saves over a seven-game stretch. But he hasn't blown a save since June 24 vs. the Twins.

"Nothing really happened. I had a bad time," Chapman said. "I don't remember what has made the difference. I just had bad games and they all came in a row."

Getting used to pitching on back-to-back days, and occasionally three straight days, was a process for Chapman. But he feels more durable as the season nears its stretch run.

"I feel like now my arm feels good and I bounce back well," Chapman said. "I feel good. I recuperate real fast." Several factors affect Reds' callup of Hamilton

PHILADELPHIA -- Reds top prospect and shortstop Billy Hamilton stole three bases on Tuesday for Double-A Pensacola to reach 147 for the season and break Vince Coleman's single-season professional baseball record of 145, set in 1983.

"I know the guys [whose records he broke]," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "I know Vince Coleman. Donnell Nixon played for me. That's a tremendous feat, especially with the amount of running you have to do. Your legs have to be in great shape with the pounding that you take from sliding. The fact he's been able to do that and stay healthy is a remarkable feat. Someday he will be here."

One enticing question is whether the Reds might make Hamilton a September callup for the stretch run and use him solely as a pinch-runner. Hamilton's steal total buries the Reds' season total of 72 entering Wednesday.

"It's been discussed. It's not my decision," Baker said. "You've got a lot of factors here. Once you put him on the roster, you have to keep him on the roster or somebody can claim him. We've asked about him, big time. There is more factors here than just me wanting him here."

The Reds aren't required to protect Hamilton on the 40-man roster until after the 2013 season. Calling him up in September would also start the service-time clock toward arbitration eligibility. Worth noting

• Frazier, who hails from Toms River, N.J., which is relatively close to Philadelphia, has left two dozen tickets for family and friends.

"And there was a good amount of other people that came, friends and people from back home that I know," Frazier said. "It's special, that's all I can say."

• Baker is scheduled to hold a conference call on Thursday with members of the Uganda team that competed in the Little League World Series.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...tnerId=rss_cin

[xela- whodey]

Originally Posted by Whodey23

Do you ever watch the games?

Yes, I watch every game, and wouldn't you know it he got a day off two days after I said that. I'm not the only one that noticed he looked a little tired at the plate. Welsh and Brantley said it a couple times during the Phillies series.

[SouthernStripes]

Like the Cueto 11-0 during the day stat,here is another stat for Bailey.

Cincinnati's Homer Bailey has struggled this season at home going 3-6 with a 5.42 ERA in 13 starts, while dominating on the road going 7-2 with a 2.91 ERA in 12 starts this year.

Let's hope he bucks this trend.

[Bengals Mike]

Originally Posted by SouthernStripes

Like the Cueto 11-0 during the day stat,here is another stat for Bailey.



Let's hope he bucks this trend.

If not he's gonna make a perfect Game 1 or 2 starter with this 2-3 wildcard format

[SouthernStripes]

More on BH....

The Reds are leaning against promoting Billy Hamilton, who has 148 stolen bases in the minors this season. The idea of using him as a pinch runner in September would be extremely exciting, but the club doesn't believe that he will be ready to play in the majors next season and he would basically be a waste of a 40-man spot.

[xela- whodey]

Went to the game last night/afternoon. Great Ceremony for B. Larkin and a great game by the Reds. Now go out and win the series today.