FSN Pregame
By
Amanda
Posted at 6:47 pm
I'm sitting down in front of the Reds pre-game for the first time in days, and I'm really enjoying it. I had no idea I could miss Dan Hoard and Jim Day so much.
They were talking about what the Reds need to do to get things rolling again, and among the things on the list was “a return to form” for Bronson Arroyo. After a couple bad starts, they're apparently ready for him to go back to his super-hot start. I don't want to be the one to tell them that this is his return to form.
But that's OK. As a slightly-above-average pitcher, he's still better than most of what we've seen in this rotation for the last few years.
George Grande is interviewing Wayne Krivsky on the Reds pre-game. Things Kriv-dawg has said include:
- The team has lost several close ones where one hit or one play would have made a big difference, and the defense is “nowhere near where it needs to be.” Thank you, Mr. Obvious.
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He called Dave Williams a “major league pitcher,” seemingly answering the unasked question about why they wouldn't just send him down. He didn't rule out the possiblity of assigning him to Louisville if they can't work out a trade, though.
Chris at Redleg Nation points to an ESPN article about the potential of trading him to the Mets. I hope they can work something out for the guy.
- George asked about Dunn's slump and the prospects of the offense. Kriv-dawg has faith in Dunn to come around. It's true that the Reds offense seems to live and die by Dunn. Freel could score a half dozen runs by himself, but without the power of Dunn we get…well, we get exactly what we've been getting lately.
- When asked about trades, he said that if he and his guys can put together a compelling argument, that Castellini will put money behind a deal that will help the team. So start putting your wish list together: personally, I think Dontrelle could really help this team.
- When asked about finding pitching help at home, Krivsky specifically mentioned that he couldn't imagine prospects jumping from AA straight to the majors. Instead, he'll count on some veterans in AAA to help “in a pinch.”
- He called Joe Mays a “low-risk, high-reward” signing and acknowledged that his numbers in KC were “ugly.” Hopefully “in a pinch” they'll be less ugly than the alternatives.
I really do not want to trade for Dontrelle. I think he pitched better than he actually is last year and won’t be worth giving up Bailey and another great player.
“Bronson Arroyo. After a couple bad starts, they’re apparently ready for him to go back to his super-hot start. I don’t want to be the one to tell them that this is his return to form.”
NOT!
“But that’s OK. As a slightly-above-average pitcher, he’s still better than most of what we’ve seen in this rotation for the last few years.”
Just for the record, that “slightly above average pitcher” currently leads the National League in ERA. His six wins gives him more than anybody in the league except Brandon Webb and Tom Glavine. He’s second in the league (to Webb) in innings pitched. He’s given up fewer hits than Livan Hernandez, Andy Pettitte, Roy Oswalt, Dontrelle Willis, and Mark Mulder, among others. He’s also in the top ten in the NL in strikeouts (he’s #8). And last but not least, if the playoffs started today, the Reds would be the wild card team in the NL. Do you think they’d be anywhere near that without Arroyo?
“So start putting your wish list together: personally, I think Dontrelle could really help this team.”
Nah, we don’t need another slightly-above-average starter. Check his stats, he’s worse than Arroyo!
John, HMZ
I can’t believe you just acted like giving up fewer hits than Livan Hernandez is an accomplishment.
Please stop with the optimism. It makes my head hurt and will make your head hurt when it backfires.
I gave him “slightly above average” and I’m sticking to it. Don’t forget that those flammable numbers included two starts against Glendon Rusch, a pitcher so bad that he’s not even starting for the Cubs anymore.
I also said I’m glad to have him. Would we be where we are without him? Probably not, since he’d probably be replaced by someone worse. But that’s not the definition of deity. That’s the definition of “slightly above average.”
But he’s not slightly above average – The numbers say he’s one of the league’s best right now. And the identity of the opposing pitcher, whether it’s Rusch or Cy Young, only affects Arroyo’s numbers when that pitcher comes to bat.
I think what we have here is a case of where some of us have gotten so used to the Reds losing that all of a sudden we can’t stand prosperity. And that’s okay, those of us who wish to remain pessimistic so that your hearts don’t get broken if they don’t win it all this year can go right on being non-believers right up until the moment the final out of a World Series is made and Marty goes, “This one belongs to the Reds” – which may not happen this year, but I believe it will happen sooner rather than later.
Call that optimism if you want, but I’ve been a Reds fan since 1969, and so unlike many of you who have only seen the Reds win one World Series in your lifetimes, I’ve seen them win three – and get rooked out of a chance at a fourth despite having the best record in baseball because of an insanely contrived playoff format during a strike year. I don’t just hope they’ll win it all again – in my lifetime – I am certain they will. I expect it soon. They’re due, in fact.
And whether you’re the Reds or the Yankees, you don’t get to pick the year that it happens. It just….happens.
Will it happen this year? Maybe, maybe not. But if it does, I’m not going to miss out on all the fun by spending the season convincing myself that it can’t. If it backfires as Geki suggests, so be it – that’ll just make it that much sweeter when it finally does happen. That’s part of what being a Reds fan is all about. Win or lose, I’m with those guys all the way. I’ve never been a fair-weather fan and I’m not about to start now.
GO REDS
John, HMZ
[quote]But he’s not slightly above average – The numbers say he’s one of the league’s best right now.[/quote]”Right now” being the operative words in this sentence.
[quote]And the identity of the opposing pitcher, whether it’s Rusch or Cy Young, only affects Arroyo’s numbers when that pitcher comes to bat.[/quote]I’m confident that’s bullshit, but OK. Perhaps we should put a wager on it? I say that over the course of the season the opposition will even out and we’ll see a slightly-above-average Arroyo when it’s all said and done.