Tag: Cincinnati

Cincinnati Reds: The Summer Is Over, The Season Isn’t

Summer is over, folks. As of today we are in the midst of autumn.

The leaves are in the process of changing and floating to the ground, the nights are a bit cooler, and the Cincinnati Red will get to stave off hibernation a bit longer for the first time in about 15 years.

The Reds in the playoffs—damn, it feels good to say that.

Yeah, the Reds haven’t exactly played great ball over the last month and seem to be in cruise control to ride out the regular season. I’m not really worried for the basic fact that the St. Louis Cardinals have done Cincy the huge favor of collapsing in on themselves and allowing the Reds to play “okay” baseball and not have to worry about anyone nipping at their heels.

Eleven days of the 2010 regular season remain, and the Reds are 19 games over .500, have an eight-game lead on the Cards, and have a magic number of three for the division title. Funny how this is fall (again, as of today), the third season of the year, and Cincinnati’s magic number is three. Is there a higher power working here? I’m kidding, but it is a bit hinky.

It almost seems as though everything is “falling” into place, ha! Sorry, I have been dying to use that phrase for the past week. It’s the title of a song by a pretty good band called Mike Viola and the Candy Butchers, and it fits the situation.

Nevertheless, naysayers will point out that the Reds are now beginning to slide into that yearly poor play phase that they are known for and are lucky that it didn’t rear its head until the last month of season. This, they say, will evolve into an eventual National League Division Series loss.

I say that’s crap.

I say the Reds, although not playing as well as they should, started preparing for the second season within the last two weeks by playing well enough to keep their position and ride out the regular season. Dusty Baker lit a fire under the Reds in April that helped them take off and play winning baseball every month of this season. He will continue to do so.

On the Yahoo! Sports Cincinnati Reds Team Report, Baker indicated just as much: “We’re not done yet. We’re a long way from done. … There’s no comfortable lead, where I come from.” Though you can get much comfortable than right now.

The Reds are just 9-12 this month, but you will get that when you are comfortable enough to sit your regulars, play some up-and-coming prospects, and sit guys aside to allow injuries to heal a bit faster. When was the last time the Reds were able to do that? (That would be 1995 if you aren’t sure or were not alive at the time.)

Yes, Cincinnati needs to be prepared and playing at the top of their game when playoff time starts. I have no fear of that “new to the playoffs” thing many experts like to talk about. These guys are professionals, not kids who haven’t traveled to the big city before.

My only concern is how the Reds’ pitchers will perform in the playoffs. They say you have to score to win games, but most of their playoff brethren have staffs that can (and will) keep you from getting anything easy in the postseason. Those bats have to be alive, and the baseball mindset needs to be in high gear. I’m confident in the fact these things will happen.

Reds fans, the summer may be over, but the season isn’t. Rejoice!

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MLB Playoff Teams Beware: Cincinnati Can Go To World Series

If someone had come up to me in April and said, “I bet the Cincinnati Reds will go to the World Series this year,” I would have laughed and made jokes at their expense for such an idiotic prediction.

That shows what I know.

Each month, many experts and fans have been waiting for the Reds to falter; to revert back to the losing ways they’ve mastered of over the past decade. Those experts are still waiting. Except now, it looks to be too late.

With a seven game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals as of September 5, and the best record in the National League thanks to the San Diego Padres’ recent plummet back into uncertainty, I think it’s safe to say that the Reds are all but in the playoffs for the first time since 1995.

The question is, how far can they go? Are they in for a Wild Card round exit? Or can they actually make a run?

Judging by the title, my opinion is they can make more than just a run, they can make it to the World Series, and possibly give the American League representative serious trouble. In fact, I think they’re the favorite to come out of the National League.

It would be foolish to solely mention the strengths of the team while completely avoiding their weaknesses, so let’s get that out of the way now. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the Reds pitching isn’t the greatest.

As a team, their stats are average. Their best ranking in what I view as an important category come October, is save percentage, where they rank fourth in the National League. Typically, they are around seventh or eighth in the NL in virtually all categories. Not horrible, but certainly not a strength.

It’s no secret that pitching, specifically the bullpen, might be the most important characteristic of a championship contender. That’s why the Yankees have been so dominant behind Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer of this generation and probably ever, for the past 15 years. It’s rare to find a squad without at least an above average staff that wins the World Series.

For the Reds, their bullpen doesn’t have names that the casual fan would recognize. Nick Masset, Arthur Rhodes, and Francisco Cordero don’t jump off the page. However, they’ve become the centerpiece of a bullpen that’s usually effective. Masset and Rhodes each have a K/BB ratio of around 3, a WHIP under 1.25 (Rhodes’ is under 1), and average a strikeout per inning. Cordero, the closer, has been solid for years. Yes, he can be wild at times, but he’s effective.

There’s also a kid who’s been receiving massive attention the past week or so: Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman. He’s appeared in three games, and has consistently thrown over 100-mph, reaching as high as 105. To go along with that, he’s got a Randy Johnson-like slider and comes from a deceptive angle which makes it even harder for hitters to pick up the ball. Talk about no chance. This guy is going to be what Francisco Rodriguez was for the Anaheim Angels back in 2002 and what David Price was for Tampa Bay two years ago.

Onto the starters, where again, there are no big names. They have a six pack of starters who could ultimately start in the playoffs. My bets would be on Bronson Arroyo (the only one with major playoff experience and their leader in wins with 14), Johnny Cueto (the only strikeout pitcher on the team), and Travis Wood (a young lefty who’s won five of his last seven starts). If Aaron Harang or Mike Leake recover from their respective injuries in time, Wood may go the bullpen or become the 4th starter.

Now onto the strengths. The Reds do one thing better than any NL team, and that’s hit. They lead the NL in team Batting Average, Runs Scored, and OPS. This helps make up for their deficiencies in pitching because the rotation can count on getting five runs a game to work with.

The individuals doing the mashing are little more well known than the pitching staff. Joey Votto made headlines during the All-Star break for leading the league in HR, but requiring a win in fan voting to make the team. He’s now become a serious MVP candidate (with an outside shot at winning the Triple Crown along with Albert Pujols), currently in the top 3 in HR, RBI, and BA (32-98-.321) and leading the league in OPS (1.013). If it weren’t for Pujols, he’d be the best first baseman in the National League.

The supporting cast is led by third-baseman Scott Rolen; Votto’s protection in the lineup. His numbers aren’t eye-popping: 19-78-.297, but he keeps pitchers from consistently walking Votto. Rolen’s also the one guy on the team who’s played a major role in winning a World Series when he did so with the Cardinals back in 2006.

As for everyone else, four other starters including Rolen and Votto are hitting above .260 (Orlando Cabrera, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, and Jonny Gomes), four other starters have over 15 HR (Bruce, Phillips, Drew Stubbs, and Gomes), and four have over ten steals (Stubbs, Cabrera, Votto, and Phillips, though not Rolen).

Pretty solid, right? That would be most teams biggest strength? Most teams would sell their souls to have an offense that potent.

Funny thing is, that’s NOT their biggest strength. That would be their fielding.

While the Reds have the best hitting team in the National League, their fielding is the best in all of baseball. As a team, they have the fewest errors and the best fielding percentage in the majors. No starter has more than ten errors (Orlando Cabrera, the team’s shortstop, has ten exactly) or a fielding percentage lower than .977.

Scott Rolen will most likely win another Gold Glove at third, and there are a few other players who have a chance at winning one. The catchers are also adequate at keeping runners from stealing.

This team just doesn’t throw the ball around. They don’t make stupid mistakes, which further benefits the pitching staff. Keep the ball in the park, and chances are the defense will have a chance to make the play. Keep the ball on the ground, and it’s a virtual certainty. When the stakes are at the highest level in the playoffs, being able to field the routine ground ball is monumental (just ask Cubs fans about Alex Gonzalez, the real goat in the Steve Bartman game).

Are the Reds the prohibitive favorite in the National League? Probably not. Do I think they deserve a better chance than people may be giving them? Absolutely.

The teams’ strengths are able to make up for their weakness, which are closer to being average than bad. If I were a playoff team, I would want absolutely nothing to do with the Reds come October.

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Cincinnati Reds Making Final Month Moves

It’s funny to see the number of moves a team makes to prepare for what they hope will be a postseason and then some.

It’s been years, but Cincinnati is moving things like they have been playoff contenders for the last few years.

It is refreshing. You don’t want to be a deer in headlights when the big time hits.

Outside of Aaron Harang coming off the DL and Aroldis Chapman exploding on the scene, the Reds have also sent Edinson Volquez to Class A Dayton. Manager Dusty Baker said not to read too much into it: “We’re looking at him as a quality starter when he has his act together.”

He went on to say, “In case a couple of guys don’t do well or a guy looks like he’s fatiguing or tired, we can insert him in there. There’s nothing wrong with his arm. It’s just a matter of mechanics and location. It gives us viable options in September and hopefully into the playoffs.”

One of those guys who seem to come off the bench and wreak havoc on opposing teams at will, Laynce Nix, was placed on the DL Tuesday. He sprained his left ankle a week ago, and officials say he hasn’t been able to run since getting hurt. Nix told Yahoo! Sports, “It’s slowly getting better, but I don’t want to rush it at this point.”

If Chapman wasn’t enough, the Reds will be adding a couple more players to the roster as of today (Wednesday). They include 1B Yonder Alonso, RHP Carlos Fisher, and catcher Corky Miller. Fisher and Alonso were recalled. Miller’s contract was purchased from Class AAA Louisville.

As a result, RHP Russ Springer was transferred to the 60-day disabled list to make room for Miller. Springer made all of two appearances for the Reds before having surgery to repair a herniated disk last week.

As has been mentioned to me in the recent past. I wonder how long it will take for Devin Mesoraco to make his way up. Only time will tell; his bat could be huge.

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2010 NL MVP Tale of the Tape: Albert Pujols and Joey Votto

By now the baseball world is well aware that the National League Most Valuable Player race has essentially come down to two NL Central first basemen currently chasing the Triple Crown.

Barring a huge slump on either of their parts or a huge surge by another candidate—crazier things have happened, and Adrian Gonzalez looms in the shadows—the NL MVP is going to go to one of these two players.

So how close is the race between them? Shockingly close.

They are in a statistical dead heat.

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Aroldis Chapman: Why the Cincinnati Reds Need Him on the Playoff Roster

Aroldis Chapman needs to be playoff eligible. And before anyone starts an inner dialogue—yes, the Reds will be in the playoffs.

Secret weapon. Remember those?

Being a former secret weapon myself, as a cannon-armed quarterback for my flag football team in college, I am fully aware of their value. I remember being down late in a game. I was brought in to start a monumental comeback against the TKE fraternity’s team.

I was 3-for-3 with two touchdown passes.

Sure, both touchdowns were interception returns for the TKE’s, but still they were TD passes and completions.

On August 18th, it was reported by John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that Aroldis Chapman would be called to the majors on September 1st, thus making him playoff eligible.

UPDATE: I thought to be playoff eligible one needs to be either on the 25-man roster, disabled list, or bereavement list before September 1st.

Fay explained, “He can replace anyone who is injured (even if they are already on the DL). He’ll replace Jose Arrendondo, who is on the 60-day DL.”

In an earlier version of this article, I said Fay erroneously stated that Chapman would be on the playoff roster. I was incorrect. And I apologize to Mr. Fay for doubting a long time beat writer.

As far as the 25-man playoff roster is concerned, Bill Bray will be removed in favor of fellow lefty Chapman.

Back to the secret weapon.

No one, barring a minor leaguer or two and the guys who saw him in spring training, has faced Chapman at the plate.

Much like my own cannon-arm, Chapman has hit 103 on the radar gun in Louisville. But this isn’t football. He can’t throw interceptions.

Since Louisville moved him from a starter to a back-end bullpen pitcher, Chapman has pitched 26 innings allowing 15 hits while registering 41 Ks. Yes, he has issued 12 walks. And he has hit five batters in his 91 and two-thirds innings pitched as both a starter and reliever.

However, when a guy is running his gas in triple digits—a little wildness is a good thing. There aren’t many major leaguers found of stepping to the plate and facing a 103 MPH pitcher who really has no idea where his pitches will end up.

To me, that is the definition of “effectively wild.”

Reds General Manager, Walt Jocketty is no dummy. Chapman will be called up before September 1st. Not that Bill Bray is a bad pitcher, he is simply average.

The upside of having Chapman during the playoffs would be enormous.

During September the Reds should use him only enough to keep him fresh. And never against teams that they may see in the playoffs.

Well, with the exception of the Labor Day weekend series versus the Cardinals. Where, if the opportunity arises, he should definitely be called upon if that whiney little girl, Chris Carpenter is at the plate.

I’ll let you guys figure out the rest of that story.

The secret weapon will be on the Reds post-season roster. And opponents will be shaking in their cleats when he is called out of the pen.

I guarantee it. And I also would enjoy kissing Suzy Kolber.

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Central Command: St. Louis Cardinals Quiet Brandon Phillips, Reds

The planets are back in alignment.

After two grand slams, a benches-clearing brawl, a rain delay, and a series to remember, the St. Louis Cardinals have returned to their usual perch atop the National League Central.

For all that was exciting outside the field of play, the on-field action was rather passé. The Cardinals finished a resounding three-game sweep by upending the Cincinnati Reds, who entered the series with a two game division lead, 6-1, on the strength of a Colby Rasmus grand slam and seven shutout innings by Adam Wainwright, who picked up his league-leading 17th win of the season.

The Reds never really threatened, as Wainwright shackled them to only two hits and no walks. Only once did a Red reach second base.

“We won three games against a team that was in first place, at their park,” Wainwright said. “It’s good to get three wins against anybody, but against a team like the Reds, a good quality team with possibly a Hall of Fame manager over there, they’re playing hard, they’re playing good all year. It’s good to get the series win.”

With Wainwright on the hill, the Cardinals got the very little offense they needed off of Rasmus’s slam in the fifth. After toughing out a long at-bat against veteran Bronson Arroyo, Rasmus deposited a full-count changeup to straightaway center, giving the Redbirds the lead for good.

“Everybody knew he had to come over the plate at that time, because you don’t want to walk in a run,” said Reds manager Dusty Baker. “Bronson, other than that one inning, threw the ball pretty well.”

The emphatic win was St. Louis’s third of the series, and pushed the Cardinals to 4-1 on the road trip.

That’s not to say the series was without drama.

Tempers flared early, starting with Brandon Phillips running his mouth before Monday’s game.

“I’d play against these guys with one leg. We have to beat these guys. I hate the Cardinals. All they do is [expletive] and moan about everything, all of them, they’re little [expletive], all of ‘em. I really hate the Cardinals. Compared to the Cardinals, I love the Chicago Cubs. Let me make this clear: I hate the Cardinals.”

The Cardinals gave Phillips no reason to change his sentiments, holding him 2-14 for the series.

Phillips is a .255 career hitter versus the Cardinals.

“It certainly added fuel to our fire when you’ve got guys opening their mouth, saying stupid stuff,” said Adam Wainwright (17-6), who pitched seven shutout innings and gave up two hits, both singles. “But we only used that in a positive way. It’s very unprofessional to fire back.”

Phillips also neglected that current Reds Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, Miguel Cairo, and Russ Springer, along with GM Walt Jocketty, are all former Cardinals.

“It doesn’t do anybody any good,” said Jocketty on Tuesday afternoon. “I just wish he wouldn’t have said it. I haven’t seen him but I will [talk to him].”

In the first inning of Tuesday’s contest, Phillips continued his usual habit of tapping the catcher and umpire on the shin guards. St. Louis backstop Yadier Molina would have no part of it.

“I was ready to start the game, and he touched me,” Molina said. “The comments that he made yesterday, that he’s got no friends over here, why are you touching me then? You are not my friend. So don’t touch me. “

While Molina and Phillips began jawing at each other, both managers came out. In the end, both benches erupted into a fracas that caused managerial ejections and a concussion sustained by Cardinals catcher Jason LaRue, after he was kicked in the head by starting pitcher Johnny Cueto. LaRue will need stitches.

The Cardinals won that day, 8-4, tying Cincinnati for the division lead and setting up Wednesday’s battle.

Whiners? Make that division leaders.

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Brandon Phillips’ Comments Backfire as Reds Get Pummeled by Cardinals

“I’d play against these guys with one leg. We have to beat these guys. I hate the Cardinals. All they do is bitch and moan about everything, all of them, they’re little bitches, all of ‘em.

“I really hate the Cardinals. Compared to the Cardinals, I love the Chicago Cubs. Let me make this clear: I hate the Cardinals.”—Reds 2B Brandon Phillips prior to three-game set against the Cardinals this week.

First off, let me say that the comments uttered by Phillips are spot-on. The Cardinals complain about stupid little things like balls being rubbed differently and Bronson Arroyo’s hat. Manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan are whiners. The real problem is that they are whiners who are also winners.

Nobody likes the team that beats everyone in a game of basketball yet still complains that the opponents were fouling like crazy. Herein lies the problem Phillips has with the organization—they are complaining about things that don’t even affect the win and loss totals for the Cards. They are the divisional powerhouse and are still not satisfied.

So in that regard, Phillips is indeed correct. Many other players around baseball nodded their heads in agreement when they read his comments.

The part of all this I disagree with is the timing of it all. The veteran Cardinals have been on cruise control for most of the 2010 campaign. Why light a 20-foot fire the day you go in the forest? Why give them the motivation needed to beat the crap out of you? Baseball is all about being steady, not getting too up or too down.

That was not the case on Tuesday.

The brawl between the two clubs was a joy to watch—by far the best one of the season, as even the two managers were jawing at each other!

Former Cardinal turned Reds third baseman Scott Rolen was playing peacemaker until the uncalled-for comments of pitcher Chris Carpenter—directed towards Reds manager Dusty Baker—enraged Rolen. Next thing you knew, starting pitcher Johnny Cueto was pinned to the backstop kicking Cardinal players away just to avoid being trampled.

Cardinals catcher Jason LaRue was the only player to get hurt, but plenty of punches and pushes were thrown. I’d say the fight was a draw. And yes, Cardinal fans, you would start kicking people away too if you were pinned against a wall with 50 professional athletes getting shoved in your direction.

The problem is that now it looks as if Rolen and Cueto will be suspended. Carpenter might be the only one on the Cardinals’ side to be punished (and I’m sure they will complain about it). All of this stemmed from Phillips’ comments.

Now let’s talk about actual play on the field.

In a nutshell, the Cards have crushed the Reds over the past three days. A two-game lead for the Reds has turned into a one-game lead for St. Louis. The Cardinals have been playing extremely angrily, and the Redlegs weren’t ready for the boost in intensity.

There is no way to judge how much of an impact Phillips’ comments had on the Cardinals’ performance. ESPN analyst Al Leiter places all the blame on Phillips for the brawl. So is this whole disaster of a series his fault?

No, not at all. Is it his fault that the Reds’ pitching has been horrendous? Is it his fault the outfield has looked like there were three Adam Dunns out there? Sure, he only collected two hits in the series, but there were plenty of other problems that could be blamed for this debacle.

But this is not a “ship has sailed” moment either. It’s only three of 162 games. There are 50-plus games to go. The two teams play each other one more time in St. Louis in early September. The Reds have the easiest remaining schedule in all of baseball. The NL Central dregs are all still on the slate.

Don’t take this series as anything more than what it was. The Reds have shown they aren’t ready to take down the older brother just yet—but let’s see if they can a month down the road.

Chalk this up as a learning experience for the young Reds. Pennant fever is getting hotter and hotter.

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Jim Edmonds: Reds Trade Chris Dickerson For Edmonds

Walt Jocketty, once again, has reached back into his past and grabbed a veteran to bring into the Cincinnati Reds organization.  This time, he has traded away Chris Dickerson to the Milwaukee Brewers for Jim Edmonds. 

Edmonds, now playing for his seventh Major League ballclub in his 16th year as a major leaguer, was hitting .286 with eight home runs and 20 RBI in 73 games for the Brewers.

Dickerson only played in 20 games for the Reds before going on the disabled list, but in his rehab assignment, he killed the ball in his 13 games at AAA Louisville, batting .442 (19-for-43).

In losing Dickerson, the Reds gave up a promising prospect who had some pretty good numbers while playing in 128 games over the last two seasons. He batted .283 during that span.

In return, the Reds get another proven veteran to help in the outfield, but one who has definitely seen his best years go past him. 

This move suggests that the Reds are content to keep Stubbs and Bruce in the lineup, and keep Heisey and Edmonds waiting in the wings to spell them when they falter again…or if they continue to falter, depending on how you look at it.

While I appreciate the experience Edmonds will bring to the team as the Reds make a push to the playoffs, I have to wonder if the price was too steep and how much gas is left in Edmonds’ 40 year old gas tank to make the difference when he’s called on to make that difference.

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The Cincinnati Reds Annual Post-Break Meltdown

It was fun while it lasted.  But as scripted, the Reds season is over.

But much like the malaise one feels before the onset of the flu, it’s just an all-too-familiar feeling.

Entering Friday, our beloved Redlegs find themselves only 1.5 games behind the division-leading St. Louis Cardinals and a half-game back of the San Francisco Giants for the NL Wild Card.

Non-Reds fans just read that and laughed, maybe thought to themselves, “Has this guy been stealing his Granny’s morphine?”

No, only her anti-anxiety medication.

After Dusty had the sit down with our boys in San Diego, for two entire months, we all felt like immortal teenagers enjoying a backseat rendezvous.

Yes, those glorious sunrises are over. The mornings of jumping out of bed, tip-toeing to your neighbor’s and sneaking the sports section out of their newspaper.

Gone. 

There is no longer a real need to check the box scores. On the bright side, there is still a semi-decent shot at finishing with a winning record for the first time in eons.

Shoot, it lasted 97 out of 162 games. Every fan out there should be sending the Castellini’s Christmas cards this year.

We tasted first place. No, not tasted—we bathed in it!

Reds’ fans finally had a season (or two months) to walk around with their heads held high, winking, shooting finger guns at people on the opposite sidewalk, and kissing random nurses.

It’s all over.

There’s no one to blame. Not this year. It just happened.

Normally, this would be another Dusty-blasting rant. But there were times this year where he looked like a real manager. His shuffling the lineup after the sit-down in San Diego was brilliant.

We could blame it on Coco and the bullpen (sans Sir Arthur).

We could blame it on Walt for and his dippy deadline moves.

We could, like Milli Vanilli, blame it on the rain.

But until recently, there haven’t been many delays.

If you are one of those people who needs someone to blame, don’t blame our boys. They tried. 

Take a look in the mirror buddy.

Blame it on your own over-inflated expectations. That, and your Aroldis Chapman induced naïvety.

 

 

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What to Expect from Edinson Volquez of the Cincinnati Reds

A little over a year removed from having Tommy John surgery, Cincinnati Reds RHP Edinson Volquez is set to make his season debut tomorrow night at home against the Colorado Rockies.

It’s like the Reds are getting a pitcher back without giving up anything.

But what type of pitcher are the Reds getting? Tommy John surgery is pretty common these days, but how do pitchers fare when they first come back from the surgery?

Let’s take a look at five pitchers who have recently come back from Tommy John surgery and how they fared in their first stint back in the big leagues. We will look at the win-loss record, ERA, WHIP, number of starts, IP/start, K/9, and the age when the pitcher had the surgery.

A.J. Burnett: 3.68 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 20 starts, 6.2 IP/S, 8.3 K/9, 26 years old

Tim Hudson: 3.61 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, seven starts, 6.0 IP/S, 6.4 K/9, 33 years old

Chris Carpenter: 1.76 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, three starts, 4.7 IP/S, 3.8 K/9, 32 years old

Francisco Liriano: 3.91 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 14 starts, 5.4 IP/S, 7.9 K/9, 24 years old

Josh Johnson: 3.61 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 14 starts, 6.2 IP/S, 7.9 K/9, 23 years old

As you can see, those are some pretty respectable numbers. But let’s see how they compare to the last year that particular pitcher was healthy.

Burnett: 12-9, 3.12 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 29 starts, 6.9 IP/S, 8.7 K/9

Hudson: 11-7, 3.19 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 22 starts. 6.4 IP/S, 5.4 K/9

Carpenter: 3.09, 1.07 WHIP, 32 starts, 6.9 IP/S, 7.5 K/9

Liriano: 11-3, 1.92 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 16 starts, 6.1 IP/S, 10.2 K/9

Johnson: 3.03 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 24 starts, 6.0 IP/S, 7.6 K/9

Outside of Carpenter, who had an extremely small sample size, every pitcher’s ERA and WHIP increased in his first half-season back in the majors. Outside of Johnson, every pitcher on this list also saw his IP/S decrease.

Volquez is 27 years old, so he would be right in the middle of the pack in this group. There is no reason to expect that Volquez can’t make a full recovery from the surgery.

So looking at Volquez’s last full year in the majors, in which he had a 3.24 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and averaged six IP/S and 9.5 K/9, I think we can expect an ERA around 3.70 with a 1.43 WHIP, about 5.1 IP/S, and 8.2 K/9.

Those are still some pretty good numbers, and numbers the Reds will take as they make their run in the second half.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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