Alright, in case you haven’t been here before, this is where my fellow Reds’ bloggers and I get together and solve all of the team’s problems in a chat format. Things got going a little and I had to bow out early, so I got one of the earlier sections. In fact, I have section one. I’ll be adding links to other six sections as they go live. Thanks go to Andrea for the editing job.

Here we goooooo………

*****************Topic 1: Reds Bullpen************************
JDArney: K, bullpen.

JDArney: What’s everyone think of it?

JDArney: I think it sucks.

BRM: It’s not a strength but it’s not necessarily a weakness either.

BRM: A lot is riding on Wagner and Coffey to step it up.

Shawn: Weathers, and the other old guys, concern me

Doc Scott: I was pissed that they brought in Rick White

Doc Scott: he was totally unnecessary

Shawn: But I don’t know if the young guys are any good

Shawn: Or if Wagner can stay healthy for any period of time

Doc Scott: they have a bunch of younger guys with good stuff-
Standridge, Hudson, etc.

Red Hot Mama: Did you see Lancaster said that Coffey’s taken off yet
more weight?

Shawn: That’s amazing

JDArney: Coffey is the only bright spot, the rest is fairly mediocre
and untrustworthy

Red Hot Mama: He used to be downright roly-poly.

BRM: Rick White is similiar to David Weathers I think. They were going
to the same formula as last year…bring in Vets.

Doc Scott: and instead we’re going to see Rick White chucking and
ducking

Doc Scott: Coffey will get better, for certain

Jacci: I hope so

Doc Scott: I’d like to see Belisle challenge for a starting spot

Shawn: Standridge I don’t see having sustained success…he was very
lucky last year. Hudson will not be a good bullpen pitcher

Shawn: Coffey was too hittable last year

BRM: Wagner is the one guy who can really dominate hitters when he is
healthy

Doc Scott: Standridge and Hudson have similar stuff- big fastball,
sharp curve, poor changeup, poor control

Doc Scott: perfect for one-inning relievers… if they can throw enough
strikes

Shawn: Wagner is the only guy in that bullpen with killer stuff

Doc Scott: however, that’s true

Doc Scott: Wagner needs to step it up a few notches

Doc Scott: he was rushed to the majors to begin with

Doc Scott: but it’s largely too late to correct that

BRM: Sad thing is they drafted Wagner BEFORE the Expos drafting Cordero

BRM: same draft

BRM: Cordero was one of the best closers in baseball last year

Shawn: Yeah….but you never know for sure

BRM: but Wagner is from Texas. Apparently that is the main focus of our
scouting dept.

Red Hot Mama: It *is* a very large state

BRM: influential too

Doc Scott: Texas and Florida and California are the three biggest
states for ballplayers

Shawn: Drafting is an art, not a science

JDArney: The Reds passed on Derek Jeter too

JDArney: It happens

Doc Scott: wasn’t Johnny Almaraz Texas-based for a long time?

Shawn: That could be because they are the most populous

BRM: I am just saying Wagner was drafted way high projected to be our
closer

JDArney: For Chad Mottola of all people

JDArney: It was a stupid draft pick, would have been a stupid pick to
take Cordero too.

Doc Scott: drafting a reliever in the first round can be like drafting
a kicker or punter

Blade: No doubt BRM

Doc Scott: they better be good, and they better contribute fast

Shawn: Wish we could blame Mottola on O’Brien

Blade: And JD, I never understand teams that take relievers in the
first round

JDArney: The Reds aren’t in need of a quick to the majors bullpen arm,
they have deeper, harder to fill holes.

Doc Scott: the “Moneyball”types liked the Wagner pick

Shawn: Drafting relievers in the first round is the new drafting high
school pitchers

JDArney: They did?

Doc Scott: it was speculated that Ryan could be converted to starting

Doc Scott: that was part of it

Doc Scott: plus he did well so quickly that it was hard to naysay

Shawn: Teams are drafting college closer figuring they can reach the
majors fast

Part 1 – What, did you miss it??
Part 2 – Red Hot Mama
Part 3 – We Heart the Reds
Part 4 – Red and Blues
Part 5 – Red Hot Mama
Part 6 – Cincinnati Reds Blog
Part 7 – Red Reporter

Permalink | Posted in 2006 Season