The Entertainer Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 [quote][size=3][b]Doc: Reds get reprieve[/b][/size] BY PAUL DAUGHERTY | PDAUGHERTY@ENQUIRER.COM Bob Castellini shifted in his seat in the owner’s suite, dove into a cup of ice cream and said, “Look at this lineup. I like this lineup. You tell me: Who’s got a better one in our division?†Castellini’s Cincinnati Reds were at the moment blasting poor Houston rookie starter Matt Albers all over the yard. Adam Dunn … gone! Junior Griffey … gone! After watching his team win the first three games of the series, Astros manager Phil Garner saved his bullpen and let Albers get slammed like a screen door in a tornado. The Reds led 7-0 after three innings. It was hard to argue about the lineup. I did, anyway. “Milwaukee,†I offered. Castellini is not famous for his patience, but he’s riding out the storm for now, a cup of ice cream in his hand. He likes the lineup. The rest ... well, let’s just say he’s going to give the rest a little more time. “You don’t overreact in baseball. It comes and goes,†he said. Of manager Jerry Narron, Castellini observed, “Last year was the first full year he had control of the team, and it overachieved most of the year. Don’t give up on it now.†The finger is on the panic button. It twitches. The Reds beat the Astros 9-5. It offered a little breathing room. A reprieve from the perma-gloom encasing this baseball team. After a 2-5 homestand, heading into a nine-game road trip, the Reds could leave town without the cover of darkness. Nobody got fired. Before the game, they demoted Edwin Encarnacion to Triple-A Louisville. Because of his penchant for misplays, we’ll call him EE. It wasn’t a surprise move. Nor should it be seen as a shot across an underachieving team’s bow. Double E hasn’t learned how to be a full-time, big-time pro. Plus, he was easily replaced. Narron and GM Wayne Krivsky took turns talking about Double E’s demotion. They didn’t intend for their remarks to be a metaphor for a season gone south. Or maybe they did. “We were really expecting better things,†the manager allowed. “It just hasn’t happened yet.†The GM suggested Encarnacion should “get back to doing things the right way on a consistent basis.†Amen, Midas. You might suggest EE was scapegoated. But here’s the thing: The Reds handed the kid third base last year, and he hasn’t improved. He can’t make routine throws to first base, he doesn’t show much plate discipline, he gives off an air of nonchalance that is troubling for a player with so much to learn. Narron read his team the riot act after Wednesday’s desultory loss. Well, at least as much as Narron reads riot acts. He told his players to stay positive, Milwaukee wouldn’t go 152-10, so believe in themselves etc. The manager isn’t one to inspire passion. Regardless, it was good to see the Reds not curl up Thursday, even if Garner did offer his Getaway Day lineup. Dunn is on a nice tear. The homer he hit Thursday was especially encouraging. Dunn flicked a filthy, low slider from Albers 407 feet to dead center. The Old Adam might have swung mightily and missed. The New Adam – glimpsed occasionally, which is better than not at all – took a measured rip and let his strength and timing do the rest. And Junior Griffey – who hasn’t looked better since the Reds traded for him seven years ago – smacked No. 569, to tie lying, cheating (allegedly) Raffy Palmeiro for ninth on the all-time list. Mike Stanton tried to torch the day in the eighth, but David Weathers came through with some rain, getting the last five outs. Maybe the Reds’ evacuation from Negative-ville will do them some good. Six days of good vibrations and fish tacos might ease their minds sufficiently to string together a few wins. Though historically, West Coast trips for them have been less than gnarly. And it’s hard to overcome a bullpen assembled on the cheap. The team’s top five relievers earn less than $6 million, combined. That’s more than $3 million less than one Eric Milton, if you needed reminding. In these days of six-inning starters and 100-pitch counts, your bullpen matters more than $6 million. It took the Reds awhile to get into this mess. One day won’t get them out of it. But winning Thursday was a start. It beat the alternative. “I think we’ve shown we’re not afraid to make changes,†Krivsky declared. If things don’t swing, we’ll keep that in mind.[/quote] [url="http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070510/SPT04/305100071"]Enquirer.com[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Bunghole| Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 The Reds have been so dissappointing this year so far. What are they, 10 games out of first at the beginning of May? I still offer up this: I'd rather they suck now and maybe make a run later than look like they are running away with the division until June sets in and they finish with 80 losses by the end of the year. At least there's no more false hope and nowhere to go but up! With our offense, we should be able to hang with anyone, if our bullpen could ever protect a lead. I 'd like to see Dumatrait and Bailey added to the pen...now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bengals1181 Posted May 11, 2007 Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 putting Bailey in the bullpen is the stupidest idea ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest A-Men-HouseofPain Posted May 11, 2007 Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 [quote name='Bengals1181' post='485238' date='May 10 2007, 09:56 PM']putting Bailey in the bullpen is the stupidest idea ever.[/quote] x2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85fanwilkes Posted May 11, 2007 Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 [quote name='A-Men-HouseofPain' post='485287' date='May 11 2007, 12:38 AM']x2[/quote] yeah that was a great move by Narron. WTF are they thinking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go Tory Go! Posted May 11, 2007 Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 [quote name='Bengals1181' post='485238' date='May 10 2007, 09:56 PM']putting Bailey in the bullpen is the stupidest idea ever.[/quote] Yeah, that's what the Twins have done in recent years with promising starters...I think Santana and Liriano are their names? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest A-Men-HouseofPain Posted May 11, 2007 Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 [quote name='Go Tory Go!' post='485298' date='May 11 2007, 01:59 AM']Yeah, that's what the Twins have done in recent years with promising starters...I think Santana and Liriano are their names?[/quote] and liriano blames that as part of the reason for his arm problems because he said it was tough to switch back and forth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go Tory Go! Posted May 11, 2007 Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 [quote name='A-Men-HouseofPain' post='485299' date='May 11 2007, 02:02 AM']and liriano blames that as part of the reason for his arm problems because he said it was tough to switch back and forth.[/quote] I'm not sure where you read about Liriano going 'back and forth' between the bullpen and starting...because once he took Silva's spot in the rotation, he never returned to the pen. And for the record, I don't think anyone's advocating Bailey going back and forth, but rather cutting his teeth against big-league hitters in situations Narron can choose for him, such as when we're down by 10 in the 7th. Note: this is also a way of limiting the number of innings the young Bailey pitches, something every club does when grooming young starters. FYI, Liriano also had an injury history dating way back to the minors...this is why he was sent in the Pierzynski trade. The mechanics of his jerky delivery were also flawed, as is the case with many others - Felix Hernandez, Wood, Prior... Maybe Liriano's problem was that he lied to his trainers and hid his pain through several starts, doing the bulk of the damage... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest A-Men-HouseofPain Posted May 11, 2007 Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 [quote name='Go Tory Go!' post='485303' date='May 11 2007, 02:25 AM']I'm not sure where you read about Liriano going 'back and forth' between the bullpen and starting...because once he took Silva's spot in the rotation, he never returned to the pen. And for the record, I don't think anyone's advocating Bailey going back and forth, but rather cutting his teeth against big-league hitters in situations Narron can choose for him, such as when we're down by 10 in the 7th. Note: this is also a way of limiting the number of innings the young Bailey pitches, something every club does when grooming young starters. FYI, Liriano also had an injury history dating way back to the minors...this is why he was sent in the Pierzynski trade. The mechanics of his jerky delivery were also flawed, as is the case with many others - Felix Hernandez, Wood, Prior... Maybe Liriano's problem was that he lied to his trainers and hid his pain through several starts, doing the bulk of the damage...[/quote] the problem wasnt back and forth meaning constantly. he said it hurt him going from starter in minors to reliever in majors, to starter in majors. liriano always said he had discomfort, but never let them know how severe it was because he didnt want to "let his team down" which he has no down for all of 07. im not saying moving from SP to RP to SP is what did it, but he said it hurt him. im sure its not even the main reason, but i do know that the braves were (probably still are) against it and if there was a team id model how i treat my SPs after it would be them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Bunghole| Posted May 11, 2007 Report Share Posted May 11, 2007 [quote name='Go Tory Go!' post='485298' date='May 10 2007, 11:59 PM']Yeah, that's what the Twins have done in recent years with promising starters...I think Santana and Liriano are their names?[/quote] Exactly... Why not let a young pitcher cut his teeth pitching a few innings here and there while he's being brought along to start? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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