Reds OD: A Comedy of Errors

(Photo: AFP/Jim Watson)

*Reactions and random thoughts and humor in regards to the Reds 16-7 loss to the Cubs. I am not forecasting the season based on one game.*

Not Opening Day, Overdose... on just about everything that was predicted of them. Monday, April 3rd 2006, a glorious day to be a Cincinnati Reds doubter. It’s almost comical as to how every doubter was proven right, fittingly with the first game of the schedule. We'll take a look at a few aspects of the game that might have had Reds fans crying, Cubs fans laughing and other fans just shrugging their shoulders in indifference. Or if you're a jaded Reds fan like myself, laughing and crying. Let's first go through an inning by inning recap of how I felt while watching it on my tivo:

Pre-Game: I wonder if Bush has ever forgotten to put on his bulletproof vest and had to make a mad dash back to the Clubhouse to retreive it, hmm.
1st Inning: Starting the season with a bang eh? Oh, that's the Cubs, scrath that.
2nd Inning: Seems like Harang is settling down. Maybe we can get some runs....
3rd Inning: We'll I am conflicted. We scored three on the Hatteberg homer but now I can't rip on Narron for batting Hatteberg that high. Maybe Hatteberg will catch Randa-itis.
4th Inning: See second inning.
5th Inning: Tie game? Rad.
6th Inning: My eyes, they bleed. Hey, I still have last week's LOST left to watch.
7th Inning: Ah, I realized why Locke's girlfriend Helen looked so familiar, it's the chick from Married With Children!
8th Inning: I wonder how many Dharama logo's I can spot.
9th Inning: We're still playing baseball?

Tony Womack (perhaps the first time I have type Wo versus Woe, but he earned it for one game). According to Cincinnati manager Jerry Narron, Womack is a guy who knows how to play the game the right way (Do you know what that means? I sure don’t.), so naturally he was given the honor of the Opening Day starting 2B. Well for that and his strong spring numbers which run in contrast to that of his career numbers, but I guess 36 year olds can have career years too. None the less, Womack was 1-2 with a double and two walks. He has only had two official AB’s but if he can hit eight additional doubles in less than 327 AB’s and draw ten more walks, well folks, we’re talking about an improvement over last season. When a player can come that close to putting dents in their 300+ AB performance last season in just one game, it’s quite telling. We’re pulling for ya’ Tony.

In a move to improve team defense (supposedly) and bolster the starting rotation, OF Wily Mo Pena was dealt to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for SP Charles Bronson Arroyo (until he pitches lousy enough, he deserves to be called by his awesome name.) As a result the Reds were determined to get Adam Dunn back to the outfield and Scott Hatteberg in as the starter at first. So do you want to know the good or the bad? They combined to drive in five of the seven runs scored, each going long once. How about the amazing? Adam Dunn hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Maybe, just maybe, I won’t have to listen to morons on local radio talk about Adam Dunn’s lack of fundamentals….. oh wait, his fielding. Damnit. Yes, Dunn was simply awful in the outfield. Bad reads, bad routes, bad attempts. If you would take the collective efforts of Dunn’s errors and made them into a continuous stream, you couldn’t help but cringe if you’re a Reds fan or just enjoy watching baseball in general. The Red's defense overall was horrendous, although when you’re 6’6, you tend to stick out a bit. Alright, I kid, Dunn had the worst effort without question. But I don't think the fact that Dunn spent the offseason preparing for the switch to 1B helped at all (Dunn is still responsible for his effort's on Monday though.)

Aaron Harang sure let a lot of folks down (similarly how Carlos Zambrano let a certain fantasy owner down.) Like Dunn, he had some scapegoats to place blame on. The wind, a low strike that wouldn’t be called by the ump for either side and the aforementioned fielding. But in the end, he was entirely too hittable and pitched a terrible game no matter how you slice it. Harang was in all honesty though, the Cardiac Kid in terms of playing with Reds fans hearts. Inning one was awful, he settles down and looks to be our ace yet again and then inning five comes by and the cycle is starting to repeat itself. So if Harang’s performance is similar to getting knocked to the ground via a fierce blow, the bullpen is the kick in the teeth as you are struggling to find consciousness. Matt Belisle and Todd Coffey, two picks wanted by many Reds fans (myself included) fared well, each going an inning and not allowing any runs to score or serious trouble. Now let’s get into the performance of Narron’s selections and/or front office hires. Let’s just let the numbers speak for themselves:

Obviously it’s a bit too soon to call anything on these guys (although a “I told you so” sounds ever so tempting) but whatever the situation is, it’s not looking good, especially since we’re at the sad disadvantage to have the front office and the coaching staff feeling the need to rely on veterans such as Chris Hammond and Rick White or choosing Mike Burns over Ryan Wagner to make the team.

Were the Cubs that great? No, not really. I am not trying to discredit their victory but I think even their fans will agree that there was a miserable performance on their parts, just not as bad as the Reds had. A fan could look at this disastrous loss in a few ways though: hope or false hope. The Reds are a better team than this and despite my pessimistic outlook on their season, I was pretty confident they wouldn’t be at the complete bottom of the NL Central cellar. Then again, I am not so sure with Jerry Narron as the fearless leader at the helm of the ship. I am not going to say that everything was his fault, it obviously wasn’t. Harang would have been any manager’s Opening Day starter if they were running the Reds. Dunn has always been proned to poor fielding. And even some moves looked quite good (like what appeared to be a momentum changer with Hatteberg’s three run homer.) Even though I think Ryan Freel should be the starting 2B, Adam Dunn moved to 1B, Chris Denorfia to LF and the bullpen revamped, I hope it doesn’t happen. Whether Narron gets lucky with a few moves and unlucky with some others, he still holds several absurd philosophical concepts as to how to manage a team. The more we lose, the quicker we’ll get to giving him the axe and hopefully seeking a proper replacement manager in the off-season, unlike the horrendously idiotic cycle we have put ourselves in where we keep the interim manager on without even seeking a better option in the off-season.

So while some might see the loss on Monday strictly as a crushing blow, I am attempting to find hope. Whether Wayne Krivsky was the right choice or not for the Reds, that’s a move they’ll have to live with for awhile likely. Narron on the other hand is a problem that can be fixed quicker. Unless the planets align and everything falls in place for the Reds, Narron gets a brain on the way to see the Wizard or some combination of both, I am hoping we got crushed in each loss. Losses like that will eventually force the hand of the ownership into action and something will be done. Narron will continue to mis-manage this seemingly already below average team (and even more so, it’s offense), so IF the Reds are destined to lose, go for the gusto. Just like you can’t win with poor talent on the field or in the front office, you can’t win with morons in the dugout. And yes, I am that desperate to see Narron leave.

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Please note that nearly all of this is in reaction to what I saw on Monday and I am just saying if the Reds have to lose, go for the most awful losses known to man. 1 game is too early to call a season in, but this didn't help to add any optimism to my outlook.