Kuzul

On Wednesday, Bronson Arroyo, Brandon Phillips and Scott Rolen took home Gold Glove awards, as it was the first time since 1977 that the Reds had multiple winners in the same season.

For Cincinnati, great glove work was a big reason in it capturing it’s first NL Central title in 15 years, as team records were set for fielding percentage (.988) and fewest errors in a season (72).

Unfortunately, shoddy fielding was a big part of their undoing in the NLDS against the Phillies, but that doesn’t take away from their overall reputation.

With the exception of Jonny Gomes, everyone who played on a regular basis was an average or an above average fielder.

For Rolen, who is light years better at third base than Edwin Encarnacion ever was, this is nothing new for him, as this is his eighth one.

The 35-year-old had declining production at the plate as the season advanced, but those struggles at the dish never affected his work in the field.

Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals deserves an honorable mention, and as Rolen gets older, will certainly have his opportunities as well.

At second base, Brandon Phillips is a stud, simply put. 

He ate up a lot of ground balls that were seemingly destined to end up in right field, as this is his second Gold Glove.

The third recipient, Bronson Arroyo, is a tall, lanky athlete who fields his position well, and at 33 years old, is a first-time recipient.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, all three of these individuals should be in the running again next year, and Joey Votto, Drew Stubbs and Jay Bruce are improving fielders that will also get future consideration.

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Although the Reds didn’t have a “true” ace this season, which cost them in the postseason, they had a ton of quality depth that helped them navigate through the 162-game meat grinder.

Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez, Travis Wood, Aroldis Chapman and Homer Bailey are the seven names for the five available spots in the rotation. 

Without further ado, here’s a look at the individuals, and their potential for making the five-man rotation in 2011.

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When this trade was made two years ago, the Texas Rangers were getting a big time question mark, a guy who had tons of natural ability, but people weren’t quite sure if he could put it all together and stay healthy.

The Reds, in desperate need of arms, got a man who had great stuff, but from all indications, had a bit of an attitude problem.

As Hamilton ascends into superstardom, playing a key role for the Rangers in this year’s postseason, many are thinking that the Reds got robbed in this deal, in hindsight.

I’m here to say that I would do this trade all over again, and wouldn’t even think twice.

First off, does anyone not remember the trainwreck that was Cincinnati Reds starting pitching back then?  We had “aces” such as Kyle Lohse, Matt Belisle, and Eric Milton that were showcased in the 2007 season.

Clearly, the Reds needed an upgrade in that department, and Volquez, though he struggled in the latter half of the 2008 season, put together a first half of the season that still stands out as one of the more spectacular displays of pitching I have ever seen in these parts.

In Texas, Hamilton was a great story in his own right that year, living up to his hype, and winning an emotionally charged home run derby in the process.

The parallels between the two men continued the following season, but for the worse.

Hamilton couldn’t stay healthy, and Volquez underwent his Tommy John surgery.

In this current season, Hamilton is arguably the American League MVP, and Volquez had his rocky moments in his recovery process, but pitched well enough down the stretch to be nominated as the game one starter in the NLDS vs. the Phillies.

With that said, why do I stand by this trade?

First off, lets judge Volquez when he has a full season next year and is further removed from his surgery.

As for Hamilton, I’m still a big fan of the guy, but how long will his body hold up for?  I hope he can continue to do his thing, but it seems like a big question mark.

Plus, if we have learned anything from this year’s postseason, is that you need a true ace to win.  Cliff Lee, not Hamilton, is the most important player for the Rangers.

Volquez, given time, can possibly morph into the ace that the Reds need.

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The final chapter hasn’t been written on the 2010 baseball season, but as a relatively young Reds fan who doesn’t have strong memories of the last successful teams, it has already been a banner year.

For years, baseball was always about watching people on other teams perform in the big moment.

Other fanbases collected treasured memories, whereas we just got the occasional June walk-off home run, and Wily Tavares.

It was year after year after year of losing.  Not only that, but we had different ownership groups, general managers, and managers all try to sell us their idea of how THEY would be the one to turn things around.

It honestly felt like dealing with used car salesmen.  The message always sounded good on the surface, but was basically empty, full of lies, and at the end of the day, resulted in Cincinnati baseball fans being completely shortchanged.

Most years, the Reds never really had a chance, and the one year they did (2006), they folded like a cheap tent when the heat grew intense.

We had to sit back and watch a St. Louis Cardinals team, a squad that really wasn’t much better than ours, go on to win the whole shabang.

Nonetheless, I continued to invest my emotional energy, time, and dollars into something that caused many people in my life to ask, “Why?”

Last night, one swing of the bat from Jay Bruce answered that question.  

I’m a big fan of other sports as well, such as the NFL and NBA, but the thrill of a walk-off home run in a moment like that is something that simply can’t be replicated in other leagues.

I can’t wait for October.

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There has been a lot of chatter pertaining to the relatively uninspiring play this month by the Reds, and how their lack of ” momentum” could lead to a short postseason run.

Well, based on history, there isn’t really any “right” way to get into the final field of eight.

All that matter is getting there, and it doesn’t matter if your mode of transportation is via a Corvette, or Geo Metro.

Lets look back to the recently completed decade, for examples of teams who crashed and burned to the regular season finish line, only to turn it around once the lights got brighter:

 In 2006, the Detroit Tigers struggled horribly in the final month, losing 15 out of their final 26 games.

A huge division lead was completely lost, as they lost their final five games of the year to the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals, of all teams.

Having the daunting task of facing the New York Yankees in the ALDS, they shocked many people by winning that series, and carried that momentum all the way to the World Series.

Their opponent that year, the St. Louis Cardinals, were 11 games over .500 on September 5th (74-63).  They staggered to the finish line, finishing the year on a 9-15 skid.

In that mix was a seven game losing streak, but once October rolled around, they put all that aside and became world champions. 

Earlier in the decade, the Yankees finished the regular season losers of 15 of their final 18 games, but won the 2000 World Series over the Mets regardless.

Conversely, there are teams that used all their energy up in just GETTING to the postseason, and once they were there, all the “momentum” in the world didn’t do anything for them.

On July 2nd of the 2009 season, the Colorado Rockies were an average team, as they were sitting at 42-39.

They caught fire to the tune of 50-31 the rest of the way.  I mean, you couldn’t have PICKED a better scenario in which to enter the postseason under, supposedly but their NLDS run was short lived, as they fell to the Phillies in 4 games.

Also, there are teams that dominate the entire season in stunning fashion, but flop in October, such as the 2001 Seattle Mariners.

Those record breaking 116 regular season wins helped propel them to the ALCS, but they couldn’t advance beyond that, losing in a quick five-game series to the Yankees.

Certainly, there are teams that peak at the right time and use that to their advantage, such as the 2007 Rockies and 2004 Boston Red Sox, but that doesn’t mean it’s a yearly occurrence to parlay great September play into something more meaningful.

Just get there.  That’s all that matters.

Everyone starts over at 0-0 next week.

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It has been a banner season for the Cincinnati Reds organization, as very few people forecasted this type of success.

With the success comes raised expectations, however.

With just a few weeks left, the Reds aren’t playing very good baseball at the moment, and it’s a bit concerning.

Going 5-5 in their last 10 games against teams like the Pirates, Diamondbacks, and Astros just fuels the fire for the Reds’ critics who claim we are tired and have already peaked.

It doesn’t mean that we don’t appreciate what we have seen during the totality of this season, however.  I feel like whenever I voice my complains, I get a “but they are in first place!  What are you complaining about?” sort of response

True, but I believe that when you are bad, you want to be good, and once you get good, you want to be better.

Thankfully, the St. Louis Cardinals cannot get anything going, as the division lead is still safe, but as we head into October, teams like the Phillies and Rockies appear to be clearly better than the Reds, as they have a ton of momentum.

It’s obvious that certain guys need some rest.  I cannot fault Dusty Baker for waiting until Cincinnati clinches.  He knows that teams in recent years, such as last year’s Mets, have blown big leads in the final few weeks.

Even when they do clinch, then there is the matter of jockeying for better playoff positioning, so how much rest will guys like Scott Rolen, Brandon Phillips, and Joey Votto actually get?

Additionally, the Reds are still looking for a third postseason starter.  Homer Bailey, Travis Wood, and Edinson Volquez each have a few shots left.

And maybe, just maybe, Francisco Cordero returns to the form that he was a few weeks ago.

Regardless of the current issues, I love talking about these things, as opposed to the usual “Can the Reds play spoiler?” angle.

Keep pushing, though.  It’s a 162 game season

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At the beginning of the month, the Reds called up phenom prospect Yonder Alonso to help provide some power off the bench.

Alonso is one of the more ballyhooed prospects to come up through the Reds’ farm system in recent memory, and the 7th overall pick from 2008 put together a productive year in Louisville this year (.296 with 12 homers and 56 RBIs in 101 games).

He is one of the biggest names in a resurgent Reds farm system.  Obviously, you have a guy like Joey Votto who has set the world on fire, but even just this year, guys like Mike Leake and Travis Wood have made major contributions, Chris Heisey has been a steady player, and Aroldis Chapman has brought a great deal of excitement to Cincinnati.

Unlike those guys, however, Alonso may have no future in Cincinnati.

It’s really pretty simple.  Alonso plays first base, but so does Votto.

By all accounts, Alonso, for all his power, isn’t know for his athleticism.  He did spend the spring working out at third base and catcher, but moving to another position seem to be a bit of a dicey proposition.

Earlier in the year, some were maybe suggesting that Votto could eventually move to left field, which would then clear the path for Alonso, but why should Votto do that?  He’s been a fine defensive first baseman.

It’s a nice problem to have, as the Reds have a potential trading chip on their hands, one that could land some nice players in return.

He could be a designated hitter in the American League, or fit the bill for someone looking for a young, power hitting first baseman.

From a logistical point of view, Alonso will be out of options following the 2011 season.

It will be interesting to see what happens with this going forward, as the future for multiple franchise could greatly be altered.

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“It’s not something I’m going to push at this point,” Jay Bruce said Friday about his strained oblique. “I’ve taken the process this far. I’m going to see it through. When I come back, I want to be 100 percent ready to come back—not 90 percent, not 80 percent.”

Read that real carefully.

Look at the calender, too. It points to September, and it has been a very productive year for the team, but by this point, no one is 100 percent.

Look at Arthur Rhodes, for an example of someone who is dealing with a lot of pain, but pushes through. The man can barely put weight on his foot, as he’s dealing with plantar fascilitis.

This injury won’t get any worse, necessarily, but he will be dealing with it for the rest of the year.

“You can tell it is bothering him some,” Baker said. “This guy has never been short of guts.”

I’m not suggesting that guys act foolhardy and play when they are clearly disabled, but at some point, Bruce needs to get back out there if he’s healthy enough to be taking cuts in the batting cage.

Jim Edmonds just got activated from the DL, Laynce Nix is out, Chris Heisey is banged up, and was slumping anyway (Saturday night’s heroics aside).

Drew Stubbs and Jonny Gomes probably could use a day off as well.

It has gotten so bad, that Miguel Cairo, of all people, had to play right field Saturday night.

For weeks now, it’s been a “day-to-day” injury. What gives?

With expanded rosters, no one needs to go on the DL, necessarily, but if you ask me, there’s something fishy going on.

The Reds won’t go into much detail concerning his injury, but I think he was hurt in the walk-off celebration against Milwaukee a few weeks ago.

Regardless, we need his bat, and the team has been struggling to swing the stick.

100 percent? 140-plus games into this thing, what does that mean?

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No doubt the majority of Pittsburghers have moved on from the Pirates for the year, and many Reds fans are getting psyched for the Bengals on Sunday, but there is very important business to take care of this weekend at Great American Ballpark.

The Reds return home licking their wounds from the horrific 1-6 road trip, one in which they showed a great deal of lethargy and fatigue.

The outfield injuries are starting to catch up, I’m not convinced Brandon Phillips is back to being 100 percent, the starting pitching, outside of Travis Wood, has been a major letdown, and some guys, such as Scott Rolen, are looking very tired.

Additionally, the Reds added fuel to the fire when it comes to how they are perceived.

Myself and others on here have spent time trying to convince others that the Reds are something more than just a team that beats up on the weak, and folds against winning teams, but recent events have strengthened their stance, and left some of us wondering about our own feelings.

Time to move on, though, and it’s time to take care of business against the worst team in Major League Baseball record wise, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Anything less than taking two out of three from those guys would be major cause for concern, and though we have fared well against that sort of competition all year, I hope our guys aren’t getting tight out there.

Friday’s pitching matchup will put Homer Bailey up against Paul Maholm.  Bailey has put together some of his best performances against Pittsburgh, going 5-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his career, so this may be the team that can help get the inconsistent righty going.

Maholm has fared well against Cincinnati in his career, going 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA, but is having a rough season overall, as he currently sits with a 7-14 record and a 5.43 ERA.

On Saturday, the struggling Aaron Harang (6-7, 5.15 ERA) goes against Charlie Morton, who had had a rough year as well, as he sports a 1-11 record with a 9.66 ERA.

Pittsburgh fans I’ve talked to tell me that Morton has electric stuff, but he has yet to put it all together.

Sunday afternoon in the series finale, the Pirates will send out Brian Burres (3-3, 5.75 ERA) against Johnny Cueto (12-5, 3.45 ERA).

The Pirates have a young nucleus with guys like Pedro Alvarez, Garrett Jones, Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, and Jose Tabata leading the charge.

Alvarez is batting .381 in his last six games, and Tabata is batting .343 since the All-Star break.

If Pittsburgh can hang on to all these players, and they continue to grow and develop, perhaps down the road, the city will once again experience some winning baseball.

Hopefully, the Reds don’t get a glimpse of that potential this weekend.  

It’s football season, and the Bearcats, Buckeyes, and Bengals are going, but those things can wait, as September baseball is getting really important around these parts.

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As the Reds head into the home stretch of the season, they are still a ways away from “officially” clinching anything, but there’s a bit of rumbling as it pertains to the potential postseason rotation.

Bronson Arroyo is clearly the guy you want on the mound in the first game of a series.  No, he’s not Roy Halladay, Ubaldo Jiminez, or Tim Lincecum, but I have strong confidence he would keep us in the game.

A game 2 starter would be Johnny Cueto.  He deserves that honor for his fine work this season, assuming he doesn’t completely blow up in his final five starts (or so) this season.

What about game 3?

Certainly, it’s a nice problem to have, in comparison to past years.  It’s no longer about building some sort of momentum that we hope will carry into the following season.

It’s about the here and now.  It’s about October.

Seeing as how Aaron Harang and Edinson Volquez have played themselves out of the mix, the only likely candidates at this point would be Homer Bailey and Travis Wood.

Everyone who watches the Reds knows about Homer Bailey.  His stuff is electric, no doubt about it.

With him, though, it’s always “yeah, but” or “however….”

We saw it in his last start.  He had a bulldog mentality, with a competitive zeal that is downright nasty, but sometimes, he lets that gets the best of him.

Ryan Hanigan and Ramon Hernandez have been outstanding behind the plate.  Trust the signals they throw down.

The other candidate is Travis Wood.  His last start in St. Louis, one in which he allowed one unearned run in seven innings, puts him in the conversation.

His past few starts prior to that were struggles, and there was talk about him having hit a rookie “wall,” but he put that to bed on Saturday.

What I really like about Wood is his demeanor.  He doesn’t get rattled.

He also owns left handed hitters, who are only batting .111 against him with zero extra base hits.  Something to keep in mind should the Reds happen to face a lefty dominated lineup such as the Phillies.

Right now, I would say Travis Wood leads the race, but there is still a month to decide things.  Each start they make from here on out is not only important for the team, but serves as an audition for them as well.

Who will it be?  Stay tuned.

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