Hindsight

It's fun to read old blog posts. I found Expert Baseball Analyst while searching for some photos on Google. Some samples:

From 8/14/04:

Junior injured
Larkin injured
Kearns injured
No pitching
No trades to help team
No worthwhile free agent signings
Glaring holes in at least two positions
Players gaining impressive individual stats (yet somehow, the team isn't winning - see Casey, Graves, Dunn, etc.)
Near last place

So I ask, does anyone have any reason to care about this team right now?

Or are we waiting until Spring Training Optimism kicks in again, which will no doubt morph into another hot spring, which will then morph into the June Swoon, followed by repeated injuries to key players and no deadline trades, and then another meaningless August and September?

Is that what Cincinnati baseball is all about?

Hmm...what happened last year???

From 6/7/04:

Jason Larue wouldn't know .220 if he saw it from .100 points away. If he can't hit .200 and throw out 50% of base-stealers, he doesn't belong on this team. He makes $2 million and doesn't do anything. You don't need $2 million to do nothing. Just take a look at my cousin. He's broke, don't do shit.

From 6/1/04:

Has anyone else noticed how Aaron Harang can't ever get past the 5th inning before Miley has to run relievers out?

I looked at Harang's total starts and total innings pitched for his career (three seasons):

2002 (AL): GS - 15, IP - 78.1 (78.1/15 = 5.2 IP per start on average)
2003 (AL): GS - 6, IP 30.1 (30.1/6 = 5.0)
2003 (NL): GS - 9, IP-46 (46/9 = 5.1)
2004 (NL): GS - 10, IP - 54.2 (54.2/10 = 5.4)

The guy has consistently been a 5 inning pitcher since his debut. He has never pitched a major league complete game. The guy rarely gets through the 6th!

For the Reds to stay in contention, ALL of the starters have to pitch deep into games. Only 5 innings doesn't cut it. I like the guy, but Harang's a 5-inning bullpen killer. The numbers reflect it. His last few starts show it. His *career* shows it.

Thing is, how long do you keep a starting pitcher in a rotation when you know you're going to have your bullpen up in the 5th?

From 5/24/04:

Lance Berkman is Evil. Hate is too strong a word for a baseball player other than Jim Edmonds. So with that in mind, we'll go with "strong dislike" here.

Lance Berkman is a Reds killer and I can't stand him. I think he has 7,000 career RBI and 2,000 homers against the Reds. He's also hitting 3.000.

Lance Berkman, you are strongly disliked.

Glenn and kingseyeland have started a new blog, Farney's Funhouse.