Jehrico

The Twins are my favorite AL team, but I'm pulling for an all-Chicago WS. I can't think of anything that NYers would hate to see more.

That's why I think they have a better shot of actually seeing some of that promise come to fruition over the next few years...Previous management proved repeatedly that they were incapable of going out and getting the right supporting cast to surround those guys with. Jocketty has proven he has far better judgement and that he can get a pretty good piece or two from the reject list every year. Krivsky or his predecessor always struck out in that regard. Maybe I think too highly of Jocketty's judgement, but that's why I actually think Cincy poses a sustainable threat in this division from 3-5 years and beyond if they play their cards right.

No...Wed in Chicago vs Milwaukee...

I have a feeling none of this is really different from any other year. I can't recall another year where three teams in the playoff race from the same league were choking as badly as those three are. One of them will make the playoffs but only because one of the others are giving it away (i.e. Mets vs Brewers for wildcard).

Larson, Lopez, Clausen, Encarnacion (you're joking with Encarnacion in this list, right?), Harang, and Hudson were never that great of prospects. Pena was wildly overrated. Kearns was the only other prospect on the level with Bruce and Votto who turned into a bust.

What makes you think next year is going to be any different? Let's be honest here, few of us heard of Johnny Cueto before ST, and it looks like the early season flashes were just that - flashes. No one saw Edinson Volquez coming (or at least being nearly as good as he has been), but Homer Bailey is closing in on bust status. And you said the Reds hadn't had big hitting prospects in recent years, but the Kearns/Dunn hype isn't that far in the past. Kearns wasn't projected as high as Bruce, but Votto isn't going to be Dunn, that's for sure. If you look at the whole, there not much more cause for optimism going from 2008 to 2009 than there was going into 2006 or 2007. You seem to be insinuating that this year was the foundation for some sort of renaissance for the Reds. I don't think that's the case at all. First, I'm not talking about 2009, I'm talking the next several years. Second, I think Jocketty is a much better evaluator of talent than his predecessor. He's got a better track record of keeping the right guys and making good acquisitions. 2009 will probably be more of the same though, especially if the ownership won't let Jocketty put in his own manager. I think they've got some better times coming from 2010 and beyond if Walt makes the right choices on who to keep, and who to use in a big trade. I never insinuated they were lined up for 2009 though.

You don't think they actually do have a very good core of young players that could make a really good team if the GM fills in the gaps right? Remember, Jocketty is their GM now, he's proven he can do that. I do not. This season for Cinci is seriously a carbon copy of the past 5 seasons for them. They're a bad baseball team. This season isn't even close to a carbon copy of the last 5 seasons. They've never had a core of pitching prospects emerging at the same time like Volquez, Cueto, and Baily (like any young team trying to emerge, they need at least two young guys coming up to anchor a rotation if they're not a big-market team...so either Cueto or Baily need to step up with Volquez), and they've never had great hitting prospects like Bruce or Votto. Those guys are significantly better than the Norris Hoppers/Felipe Lopezs/etc of the past several years. They also didn't have Jocketty the last four years, or even this last offseason. I can understand if you just don't think the current talent is going to take the next step forward, especially with Dusty corrupting them at a critical time in their development, but to say that this year's crop (and GM) is a carbon copy of the last 5 years for Cincinatti is just 100% wrong. The net results are pretty much a carbon copy. And they have had great hitting prospects like Bruce and Votto, and they were Kearns and Dunn (In case you had forgotten, BIG things were expected from Kearns). Volquez is a bright spot, but Cueto came out of nowhere, and may never amount to anything more than 3-5 starter. Bailey looks increasingly like he'll never approach what was projected for him. And what happened to Aaron Harang? Dunn is gone, Griffey is gone, Dusty is the manager. So what we have is another poor, disappointing season with marginal to little hope for improvement the next. Two steps forward, two steps back. More of the same. Net results this year are the same, but this wasn't about this year. Kearns lost his prospect status quite awhile ago, and they never had the pitching prospects to go with those two hitters (Harang? Never a top-notch prospect).

Good candidates...I wanted to minimize those who don't really play anymore, couldn't include everyone. After all of the whining I've seen on the internet the last 48 hours, I should have included an option for Astros fans.

Yeah, but was it on Wikipedia...

You don't think they actually do have a very good core of young players that could make a really good team if the GM fills in the gaps right? Remember, Jocketty is their GM now, he's proven he can do that. I do not. This season for Cinci is seriously a carbon copy of the past 5 seasons for them. They're a bad baseball team. This season isn't even close to a carbon copy of the last 5 seasons. They've never had a core of pitching prospects emerging at the same time like Volquez, Cueto, and Baily (like any young team trying to emerge, they need at least two young guys coming up to anchor a rotation if they're not a big-market team...so either Cueto or Baily need to step up with Volquez), and they've never had great hitting prospects like Bruce or Votto. Those guys are significantly better than the Norris Hoppers/Felipe Lopezs/etc of the past several years. They also didn't have Jocketty the last four years, or even this last offseason. I can understand if you just don't think the current talent is going to take the next step forward, especially with Dusty corrupting them at a critical time in their development, but to say that this year's crop (and GM) is a carbon copy of the last 5 years for Cincinatti is just 100% wrong.

That's about the only thing I'd change to truly make it a dream scenario. :D Actually, I'd like to see Yost go to Cincy to replace Dusty. Cincy's talent worries me more in the coming years than the Cardinals, so let's keep a bad manager there to ruin it. This is an excellent suggestion. I hate the Cardinals more, but the Reds do have more young talent for Yost to corrupt. Cincy's had a lot of "young talent" for the past 52 years and we're all supposed to be worried when they finally get it together. Every year. Since 1841. You don't think they actually do have a very good core of young players that could make a really good team if the GM fills in the gaps right? Remember, Jocketty is their GM now, he's proven he can do that.

That's about the only thing I'd change to truly make it a dream scenario. :D Actually, I'd like to see Yost go to Cincy to replace Dusty. Cincy's talent worries me more in the coming years than the Cardinals, so let's keep a bad manager there to ruin it.

Could this be a little tit for tat? We quelled the excitement of them signing Sabathia by turning around and announcing the Harden signing the next day. Now, Z gets a no-no, and Milwaukee takes all of the attention away by announcing they're finally firing the very bad Ned Yost.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought there were far more people saying that was BS than there were saying that was the case.

You sir, are a mindreader.

I don't know about that...when the Cubs were horrible, they couldn't get anyone but washed up or first time managers, and they're a big market. Even after loosing CC and Sheets, Milwaukee still has a good amount of talent on that team. If they miss the playoffs again, and lose their two best pitchers, expectations will be low, but there's a good core with many guys approaching their prime years that will make it an ideal situation to take over. I think they'd find a few good candidates. If big name managers shy from Milwaukee, it'd be for the same reason big-name ballplayers go to the big cities: Money. Not because it's not a big market.

Even if you score Gut's slap a hit and not an error, Wood's 20K game was the single most dominant pitching performance ever in the history of the game.

Do you want to see Rich Harden throw a no-no? Personally, I'm never disappointed when he gives up that first hit. I don't want to see Lou tempted to leave him out there longer than he should to chase something like that.

Was anyone else having visions of Wood's 20K game against the same Astros, thinking "if you f*ers even think about trying a cheap ass bunt against Z..."

A quote from the aforementioned deadspin article: I don't know what would result in a worse operation: The Trib as it is, or the Trib with Mariotti after all of their other garbage retires. If they do hire Mariotti, I can only hope Paul Sullivan is one of those vowing to resign.

LMAO

Note to Selig: Look at what was done in past seasons under similar situations, use that as precedent and make a decision. Formally map out protocol to facilitate timely decision making in the future. This is not hard.

The key to avoiding a complete turn by the fans in a situation like this is to find a scapegoat and crucify him. Yost is the obvious lightning rod. He'll get fired, everyone will blame the collapse on him. They'll rationalize it by pointing to what happened to the Mets in '07, and how they turned it around in '08 once Randolph was fired. What the Mets have done this year after replacing the manager will give Brewer fans hope for '09 once Yost is run out of town.

Anyone surprised that Owings is the player? I know he struggled this year and was eventually sent down but in many ways, I wish we had him...although I don't know where we would put him. Have him start in place of Marquis? I don't know. And after all, it is for Dunn. Marquis is a better pitcher than Owings. Kevin Hart is a better pitcher then Owings. If I am the Reds, I would use the offseason, and tell Owings he will play Fall League as a LF, and not as a pitcher. Why waste his ability as a hitter, when he sucks as a pitcher, and is most likely back end of the rotation/swing type pitcher. I say, put Owings in LF, and let him concentrate on hitting only. They won't do this because this is the Reds, and Dusty is their manager. They're going to need depth once Dusty successfully sidelines both Cueto and Volquez simultaneously.

What if Milwaukee wins outright, and we tie with Houston or Philly for the wildcard? Those are both nearly statistically as possible as some of the other scenarios they flipped for.