For all those who...

[redsfan28]

are ready to run Junior right to the bench, I've got two words for you... shake yourself! Junior needs to play himself out of whatever funk he is in. I think that he has earned that right. Keep in mind, he had a surgery the likes no major leaguer has EVER seen. He had his hamstring SCREWED into his femur. That alone should earn him a little slack.

BUT NO!

Fans in this town are saying, "What have you done for us lately?", and of all things, "Pull your hamstring!" COME ON! Granted, he hasn't homered, but the guy is a first ballot HOFer. I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt. Junior is probably on the last leg (no pun intended) of his illustrious career, but so was a guy by the name of Barry Larkin. We kept him in the lineup because he EARNED that right. So has Junior. If anyone should sit, its Kearns.

All I am saying is that if you want Junior to run faster and produce more, why don't you help him get rid of the extra weight and remove yourselves from his back!

[redsrbetter]

Junior should sit sometimes. Today he should sit because he would be facing a very tough lefty in Perez. Pena is a great hitter against lefties, and he is on fire right now. Kearns is also another right handed bat and has already sat the last 3 games. And Dunn is coming back to himself just like Junior. So, you sit Junior because, if between Dunn and Griffey, Griffey is the one who needs to rest his legs.

[rockin500]

he will need to sit down sometimes. he wont last 50 games if he doesnt get at least a day off a week. with regular rests, he will be alright. plus you need to get PEna into the lineup, and Kearns is too talented to always be on the bench. look at it this way, either kearns or griffey will probably end up injured sooner or later, but by rotating the four, the odds go down a bit.

[redsfan28]

And if this is the year that Junior can play 150? Then the Reds are royally screwed. Going into this season, Kearns was the one coming off the bench. Why not go back to the original plan?

[missionhockey21]

Griffey does need rest from time to time. But I agree, people need to get off his back. If he stays healthy, I gurantee he'll hit 35 or more homers. You guys have to remember that he didnt start hitting in ST til later so he was still working through a lot during the first couple of weeks. Plus, they say your power comes from your legs, I imagine the more he plays and runs, he strengthens his legs. His swing has been looking better, he almost took Prior deep twice. Jr. will be fine. And when he starts to hit, all the haters will be jumping on the bandwagon.

[NFLman2033]

here is my take, yes today he will need to sit with a tough lefty...

It is clear that he CAN'T be traded, so we know if there is a trade it will be either Kearns or Pena.... and well who has sat the last 3 games...

yeah I agree we have to let Jr play out of his funk, because he is going nowhere. also if he plays a lot, he will be more apt to get hurt, an then problem solved as far as our 4 OF's

[redsrbetter]

I never have said to have Junior sit, or leave him on the bench. He has always been my favorite player to watch. How do you think I became a Reds fan? Honestly I think Junior can still be the best player on this team. And I agree that he needs to still get into the swing of things. But my point was just to rest Junior today and every so often. Only because there is a lefty on the mound today, and because Pena is still hitting well, and we do not want Kearns to have to sit another one out. Everyone is getting their turn to sit, both Dunn and Kearns were the last ones to do so, so it is Junior's turn again.

But I am excited to see the Junior that we all know he still is. I can't wait and I love seeing him in the lineup every day.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Give Junior a break. I agree with mission... the HR WILL come... and very soon, IMO.

[redsrbetter]

I am lost. Who is saying Junior should be benched?

[redsfan28]

Everybody in the city of Cincinnati.

[Wally Mo Pena]

We have to keep all of the outfielders healthy, and happy with playing time, we all know that. And no one is going to be "benched" outright, we all know that too.

But i do think griffey deserves some of the criticism that he has faced, and not just for the lack of homers. He's jogging everything out, and he cadillaced what he thought was a home run (a practice i am getting tired of, especially from him, a player who has very little power right now) all the way into a single off the wall last week. If manny ramirez (or wily mo) watches a monster shot go, alright, i'll let him look for a second, but junior isn't that type of player right now, and needs to be running everything out. He's always talking in the media about how he'll never stop making the diving plays in the outfield because he doesn't know how to play the game at less than 100%. Well it sure looks like he does on the way to first base. And if that's 100% for him right now then he shouldn't be playing because he'll get burned in the outfield routinely. He should be on the DL, or he should be running.

Also, his OBP is down because he's swinging at everything. His plate discipline is awful right now, and that's not helping things. He's one of the easiest outs in the lineup right now, and definetly shouldn't be hitting second. he has NO speed, and a low OBP for a 2 hitter.

The reds in general look bad at the plate, and i wonder if Chambliss has something to do with it. Again, i'm not saying bench him outright, but i would have sat him at least one of the last three days when kearns was on the bench.

Also, it might be time to give Casey a day and play Dunn at first.

[AdamDunn#44]

Wally! You found us.

Good to have ya back man.

[Wally Mo Pena]

thanks, the shut down couldn't have happened at a worse time, right as the season gets going. I've been lost without the board

[ghettochild]

WALLLYYYYYYY


welcome back bro

[Fishercat]

If I were the Reds manager, I'd prolly alienate all the fans and play a 5-man rotation of sorts with the OF and 1B spot. At this point, the only every-day player of those guys is Adam Dunn. Amazingly, the Reds are in possession of 4 players over .800 in OPS, 4 players (same 4) over .900, same 4 over 1.000. Those are Joe Randa (every day 3B), and Adam Dunn (everyday OF). Wily Mo Pena is playing part time, but he's been hammering. Inexplicably, Ryan Freel is STILL benched, and he has been very well in his sixteen ABs (in spite of his poor baserunning).

At this point, Griffey has not played well enough to play every single day. All things being equal, I'd bench him twice a week to get equal PT for Pena, Kearns, and Griffey, until Pena dies down or one of them steps up.

In the beginning of the season, somehow, the guy with the best BA and OBP on your team has been benched almost every game for a minor league signing in Rich Aurillia and D'Angelo Jimenez who is being outhit by pretty much anyone. Oi vey.