Issue: When did the Reds become contenders again?
Short Answer: March of 2006.
Reasoning: Being a former professional baseball player, I feel as if I, more than others, can legitimately speak on the talents of those players we watch on TV everyday. The vast majority of them upset me only because they make the game look so easy that every Joe Schmoe out there thinks if he hadn't gotten hurt in 8th grade/had a coach that didn't like him/hadn't gotten cut from the JV team, they would be playing right along side the Albert Pujols' of the world. It actually makes me sick when conversation turns to professional baseball and guys that can't walk and chew gum at the same time tell me about the reason they aren't millionaire professional athletes. It cheapens how good the guys in the big leagues actually are. The average fan doesn't know how hard it is to do what big leaguers do, because they are so damn good at it. I know how good big leaguers are, because I almost was one, but, alas, I just wasn't good enough.
I say all this because, from time to time, I see a player in Major League Baseball that has absolutely no business being there. Jason LaRue (former Reds catcher) is at the very top of my list. I'm pretty sure he couldn't have made my high school team (maybe because I was the catcher?). The fact that he played for the Reds only made my life worse, as I had to watch him "catch" and "hit" every single day. It's only fitting that LaRue's career ended in a bench-clearing brawl, in Cincinnati, when Johnny Cueto kicked him in the head. I'm certain Cueto was sent in as a "hit-man" by his current Reds teammates who, unfortunately, had to pitch to LaRue when he was with the Reds (I kid, I kid). Other Major Leaguers on my list (you will notice a lot of these guys are Reds - what can I say?):
- Ryan Freel - His uniform was always dirty, he would run through a cement wall to catch a baseball, he would do anything asked of him, but, hustle doesn't make you a good player. Freel was the shining example of this.
- Johnny Gomes - From the Freel-school-of-hustle, which I love. But, when you are a one-tool player (Gomes can drop bombs), you don't belong in the big leagues. Lucky for Gomes, he plays in a park where my sister could probably hit 20 homers a year.
- Kevin Youkilis - Look, the guy has turned himself into a great player. But watch him play. Doesn't he just piss you off? What's with that batting stance? Does he ever just have a salad for lunch? If he didn't walk (i.e., get on base) as much as he did, he would be selling meat door-to-door with Ickey Woods.
- Sean Casey - For the record, I loved Sean Casey. He busted his butt everyday. He got more out of the little talent he had than anyone not named Kevin Youkilis. His nickname "The Mayor" comes from him being one of the most likable players in Major League history. He loves Cincinnati, and, Cincinnati loves him. But, as a first baseman, in an 11 year Major League career, Casey hit 130 home runs. That averages out to less than 12 a year. Not acceptable for a big league first baseman.
- Austin Kearns - I played against him in high school, when he was a much better pitcher than he was a hitter. And, have you seen the size of his ears? I realize this is the pot calling the kettle black, but seriously, the dude could take flight in a small windstorm. He has no real tool except a strong arm. Not sure how that got him to the big leagues, but, I'm sure he is fairly happy about it.
- Edwin Encarnacion - An absolute joke. Can't believe it took the Reds so long to get rid of him.
The last guy on my list, I actually contribute to helping the resurgence of the Cincinnati Reds. His name is Wily Mo Pena. From day one, I thought this guy was a joke. He was a defensive liability. He couldn't hit a curveball if you told him it was coming. He took plays off and was hurt all the time. But, back in 2004-2005, people in Cincinnati thought he was the second coming of Manny Ramirez. I'm not joking. Maybe those people just wanted to believe so badly, that they overlooked the fact that he was terrible. That's the only thing I could come up with. However, Wily Mo helped turn the Reds into what they are now - a legitimate contender (never thought I would type those three words in my lifetime). See, in March of 2006, then Reds GM Wayne Krivsky pulled the trigger on perhaps the best trade the Cincinnati Reds have ever made. First, because we got rid of Whiffy Mo Pena, second, because we got much needed pitching (always the Reds achilles' heel). Who did the Reds get for Pena? None other than Bronson Arroyo. Okay, I realize Arroyo is no Hall-of-Famer, but, the guy is a top-of-the-line starter who chews up innings, throws a ton of pitches, and, can actually hit a little bit (.132 career hitter (better than most pitchers) with 5 career homers). Take a look at what Arroyo has done since he came to the Reds (not counting 2011)*:
- Ranks first in starts (171) in the NL, second in MLB;
- Ranks first in innings (1087 1/3) in the NL, fourth in MLB (behind C.C. Sabathia, Dan Haren, and Roy Halladay);
- Combined 70-60 record;
- Along with Mark Buerhle and Dan Haren, the only three pitchers to throw at least 200 innings each of the last 6 years (Arroyo did it in 2005 for the Red Sox);
How about Wily Mo's stats since 2006:
- 760 at-bats, .259 average (must not throw as many curveballs in the AL), 26 HR, 91 RBI, 232 K (okay, maybe they do), 52 BB. He hasn't played in a Major League game since 2008.
Folks, this was Wayne Krivsky's coup d'etat as GM of the Reds. This move started an organizational movement toward good pitching, which was the key to the Reds 2010 NL Central Championship. Oh, that and the fact that we had the NL MVP in Joey Votto playing first base for us everyday. Think we would have won the Central with Sean Casey at first base? Me neither.
*Stats taken from here.
ARROYO POINT: I don't think Krivsky gets the credit he deserves as one of the primary reasons the Reds are now in contention. While the Arroyo trade was a good one, I would argue that the PTBNL for Brandon Phillips deal was even more important. I don't think that Krivsky should get all of the credit - spotting Phillips speaks to the talent evaluators our organization has cultivated - but deriving value from nothing really got the team rolling. He gave the team a direction it was sorely lacking prior to his tenure.
ReplyDeleteYOUR LIST: I'm with you on most of your choices, save Kevin Youkillis. The stance is fugly and he certainly doesn't look like he should be a starting third baseman, but isn't strike zone judgment a skill? There aren't that many players who can give you a bankable .300/.400/.550 batting line with 20-30 home runs.
It's frustrating to watch teams stick with one-trick ponies because of their over infatuation with that one trick. Gomes' outfield defense is embarrassingly bad. Encarnacion's best position is DH. Freel was capable of being a net benefit to a team, but only as a bench player. Some of these guys are examples you'd want to hold up in front of young, impressionable youth and say "this is what you should do." Others shouldn't be permitted within a little leaguer's eyesight.
Someone like Gomes might increase his perceived value if he were platooned. I'm curious what you think of platoons, platoon splits, and how hard it is to learn to hit same handed pitching.
Ryan - Well written comment. Sounds like we should have talked a little more baseball in law school. To your points:
ReplyDeleteYoukilis and I go back a long way, and, well, I just don't like him. He has made himself into a great player, but he just bothers me. That's all.
Platoons are fine, but it makes it difficult on players. Baseball is a game of streaks, and, if you never play more than 2 or 3 games straight, it is hard to get on a streak. Often times coaches go with the "hot" player which adds even more pressure to those players who are platooning.
Hitting same handed pitching is quite overrated for right-handed hitters. If baseball is the same as the general population in that 10% of people are left-handed, then, as a right-handed hitter, 90% of your at-bats, over your entire lifetime, are against righties (give or take). The left vs. left matchup is therefor more significant, in my opinion. I also think it is the most overrated stat out there. Yes, I loved facing lefties (the breaking ball breaking into you is much easier to hit), but I didn't think anything of it when I faced a righty, as I faced mostly righties my entire life.
Hope that answers some of your questions. Thanks for reading. Hope you are well.