Could this be the best pitching staff the Reds have ever had?
The games yesterday and tonight were like night and day. Perhaps in September when we play the Fish again we'll look back to this brief series and say, this was it. This was the series when the team finally got it together. The defense was tremendous, Phillips hit a ton, and in general it was just a beautiful game.
But four shutouts in six games. Wow. I can't wait to play the Deadbirds this weekend. I'd like to slip into first place and won't even mind when I hear the national media drool over the "surprising Reds" who are "this year's Rays." I'm already loving the Votto-Pujols comparisons.
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4 comments:
Best ever? Whoa... The Reds staff of 39-40 was good. Actually, I was never really that hip about some of the Reds pitchers of the '70s. Wayne Simpson was injured before the World Series against the Orioles. Later, we had Gary Nolan, Jack Billingham, Fred Norman and Don Gullett. None of them won more than 15 games in 1975. In 1976, same story - no one won more than 15 games. Spot starters on these teams? Clay Kirby. Pat Darcy. Pat Zachary (who was later traded for Tom Seaver!). Shut-outs? In 1976 the Reds through 8 shutouts (Norman pitched 3 of them). In 1975? Get this: 4. FOUR shutouts in 1975 (3 of them by Don Gullett).
Our front four are IMO better than the front four that Sparky Anderson had.
I'm just not certain about the 1939-1940 teams. Lets see... Who were they?
In 1939: Bucky Walters (27-11, 2.29), Paul Derringer (25-7, 2.93). The other 3 starters were 13-12, 9-7 and 5-9. They threw 13 shutouts. Walters and Derringer threw 59 (FIFTY-NINE) complete games. In 1940, Walters was 22-10, 2.48, Derringer was 20-12, 3.06. Junior Thompson was 16-9, 3.32, Jim Turner was 14-7, 2.98. The spot starters were a combined 10-9 approx. 3.50 era.
Basically, Walters and Derringer were the driving forces on these teams. The 1940 front four are probably the closest we'll come to our front four. But look at the age differences! In 1940, the starting four were 31,33,23,36 years old.
Our front four in 2009 are 31 (Harang), 25 (VolKuez), 32 (Arroyo), 23 (Kueto), 26/23 (Owings/Bailey).
The potential is enormous for these kids. That's a given, anyway!!
-Gary M.
It's funny you should mention 1940, because that was the last season in which the Reds through four shutouts in one week...
Bailey HAS TO be on this team. Now.
Thanks for not only overseeing but repeating my 'through' when I meant 'threw'.
Okay, Bailey. But what do we do? It'd be between Arroyo and Owings. Arroyo had a bad outing last time but is 4-1 or 4-2. I watched Owings last night (6-5 win) and the kid is impressive.
Some people are clamoring for a trade of Arroyo or Harang for a power hitting leftfielder. I'd Nix that trade in the bum ;-) Put Laynce in left field and let him rock, I say!
But then we're back to Homer. A real conundrum.
-Gary
Johnny "K"ueto ROCKS.
-Gary
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