â€å“insanity Is Doing the Same Act Over and Over Again Expecting a Different Result ã¢â‚¬â

Ane Month Downwardly…

After returning from a trip to Cincinnati last calendar month during which I saw the Reds drib three games to the Cardinals, I offered several suggestions equally to how to stop the bleeding. Granted, many of my bullet points were painfully obvious, simply in the span of just two weeks, it's been interesting to see how much has inverse.

As I'll have more opportunities to run across the Reds play in person here in Los Angeles sooner than later, I idea it'd be fun to revisit my previous commentary and offer some updated suggestions.

ane. Bryan Cost should be fired immediately.

Status: To the surprise of absolutely no one, Price was dismissed on April nineteen afterward the Reds began the flavor with a woeful 3-fifteen beginning.

New proposition: Jim Riggleman should exist dismissed at the All-Star break.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. In his first few games equally managing director, Riggleman echoed many of Toll's peculiar â€Å"Cro-Magnon” strategies, from needlessly sacrificing outs and lowering run expectancy via bunting, to calling for the worst bullpen arm available at a key moment in a close game, to inexplicably non using his all-time relief options at other loftier-leverage moments. When pressed for explanations, his reasoning is convoluted at best. What's clear, all the same, is that Riggleman is a disciple of the book, and in a 24-hour interval and age when winning teams exploit every possible advantage, the Reds need to exist led by someone who isn't tethered to erstwhile-school ways of thinking.

2. The Reds demand to effigy out what to do with Cody Reed.

Status: After appearing in four games for Cincinnati, Reed was optioned on April 20. Since then, he has pitched twice – a three-inning advent on April 24 in which he gave up one hit, walked two and struck out three, and an April 30 start in which he yielded 2 hits and iii walks over four innings.

New suggestion: Let him pitch regularly.

Between Apr ten and April 23, Reed threw merely 27 pitches for the Reds. That'due south nowhere most enough work. Hopefully in Louisville, he'll take the take a chance to start every fifth game and accomplish some of the potential he'southward flashed.

three. Phillip Ervin should be demoted.

Status: Ervin was sent to Louisville on April 26.

New proposition: End the four-human being outfield experiment.

As many others accept pleaded, Jesse Winker and Scott Schebler should start the bulk of the Reds' games. Platoon Billy Hamilton and Adam Duvall instead. The primary down side of such a strategy is that it potentially lowers the value of ii of the squad'southward trade chips, but Schebler and Winker accept shown that they deserve to receive the maximum number of at-bats possible. Unfortunately, you lot tin can't say the same almost Hamilton and Duvall, whose batting averages more closely resemble blood alcohol content levels than what you lot'd like to see from major league outfielders.

4. Amir Garrett should not be a reliever.

Status: (bangs caput against wall)

New proffer: See original proposition.

Information technology made no sense coming out of spring training, and it makes no sense today. Maybe Garrett won't be able to cut it as a starter, just he at least deserves the chance to try.

five. Joey Votto needs to be Joey Votto again.

Condition: Over the last 2 weeks, Votto has reached base prodigiously, raising his slash line from .250/.292/.267 to .269/.408/.404 going into final nighttime's game against the Brewers. On April 27, he reached base during each of his six plate appearances against the Twins.

New proposition: Never uncertainty Joey Votto again.

Here's hoping the Votto we saw during the season's first three weeks volition be a temporary blotch on some other â€Å"pièce de résistance” entrada.

6. If a Reds player gets hurt, he should go on the DL.

Status: Equally I was proofreading this write-upwardly for the terminal time, The Athletic'southward C. Trent Rosecrans and MLB.com's Marking Sheldon tweeted that Scooter Gennett underwent an MRI for a "tender right shoulder" and won't be able to throw for a "few days." Since so, aught has improved. Considering that the Reds' bench is currently down to four, information technology seems needlessly foolhardy to proceed shorthanded.

New suggestion: No need to revise this 1. The 10-twenty-four hour period DL is there for a reason. Apply it.

7. Homer Bailey is dorsum.

Status: Bailey has made iii appearances since I wrote the above. He fell i out short of the â€Å"quality start” threshold on April 21, merely in 2 starts since, he hasn't pitched past the fifth inning.

New proffer: To quote Magic eight-Brawl, "Ask again later."

Bailey has been 1 of the Reds' three virtually reliable starters so far this year, but the fact that he hasn't been able to pitch deeper into games every bit of late is worrisome. Still, while the Reds have yet to win a game started by Bailey this yr, he's typically pitched well enough to requite them a chance to do and then. Hopefully the squad will give him some run support — and in plough, more rope — sooner than later.

With the beginning calendar month (and change) of the 2018 season behind the states, the Reds now await the returns of Michael Lorenzen and Anthony DeSclafani, who should farther stabilize a pitching staff that has been inconsistent and volatile. Meanwhile, roster dead weight Cliff Pennington and Phil Gosselin have been jettisoned, and it seems Alex Blandino volition stick around for now – although I can't see him remaining with the Reds afterward Nick Senzel is finally called up. Having besides many proficient players on the active roster will exist a refreshing alter of footstep and a nice problem to have, though.

I realize the turbulent showtime few weeks of the season tested the patience, if not the fandom, of even the well-nigh optimistic die-hards. As I wrote previously, I don't believe the storm has still passed, just the returns of Eugenio Suarez and Schebler, the recent hot streaks of Votto and Jose Peraza and the encouraging starts delivered by Tyler Mahle have provided some much-needed rays of light. Hither'due south hoping the forecast will continue to improve every bit nosotros head toward the summertime.

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Source: https://www.redlegnation.com/2018/05/03/one-month-down-2/

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