Personally, I wouldn’t go after sluggers necessarily. I think you need one or two, but I’d prefer several 20+ HR potential guys (i.e. BP, EdE, Votto, etc) than a couple big 40 HR guys. This is because the home runs will take care of themselves (save for players like WIlly Taveres). It’s more important to get guys on base when those mistake home runs happen. Spread the power potential throughout the lineup and make sure everyone can get on base regularly.

Unfortunately, the Reds seem opposed to the second half of that last sentence.

Aren’t ground ball pitchers. Not sure were you got that from, but its incorrect. The Reds staff ranked 19th in GB% last year according to fan graphs, and only Edinson Volquez can be considered a GB pitcher of the entire staff last year and Bailey and Ramirez have slight GB tendencies with them as well. Owings, Cueto, Arroyo and Harang are all premiere fly ball pitchers.

Ground Ball outs and Fly Ball outs don’t give you a good idea of what kind of a pitcher a guy is. GB% does. You can check those stats at Fan Graphs for major leaguers and at Firstinning.com for minor leaguers.

Brandon Webb at Great American… whew…

My only comment would be many of the things that you mentioned (high K/9, OBP, home-run power, strong defense) are more or less what you want on your team regardless of your ballpark.

I wonder if there is any correlation in the past of successful teams building on their ball park’s strengths.

I’ve been thinking this for the past couple of months or so. We’ve never picked up pitchers that really fit to this park since it has been build and now it just seems like we are getting further away from putting an offense in the dugout to take advantage.

 I have a feeling we are going to see the HR’s for and against at GABP really favor the opposition (not to mention run differential.) I am one for big offense and not scrappy slap hitting.

about simple ways the Reds could redesign GABP in order to cut down on some of the home runs.

If the Reds really do commit to a “small ball” lineup (God help us), I think it would at least behoove them to help themselves by implementing a few changes to the park.

I thought I originally read Harang’s comments in a piece that made them the center of the article, but all I could find with a quick search was an addendum to a story about Dusty’s take on video replay (which is predictably fascinating):

Homers leave the ballpark with great frequency at GABP, one of the least pitcher-friendly parks in the league. Calls especially could come into question in right field, where fans in the front row could have the ability to reach out and interfere with a baseball at the wall.

Some Reds pitchers already are frustrated with the ease that home runs leave the ballpark in right field, which has an eight-foot fence, compared to the 12-foot fence in left.

“Take out the first two rows and make the fence as high as it is in left field,” Harang suggested. “If you take out two rows and make the wall higher, you don’t even have to push it back, per se. You can have that plateau where fans can’t reach over to get those balls. Then you’re just adding concrete to level it off or put a flower bed up there.”

Harang hasn’t brought up his idea to Reds owner Bob Castellini, but he would consider it.

“Raise that wall in center field a little bit more and run it all the way over to end where the [right-field] bullpen is,” Harang said. “You’re going to save your pitchers alone at least 20 homers and possibly 30 runs less.”

Here’s the link.

I thought I also read Harang or someone else arguing that GABP has a large draft from the concourse behind home plate that really pushes balls out to centerfield. Anyone remember where that came from?

what about Small Ball?!?!?

the original drawings had a short right-field fence, likely designed with the intention of maximizing the values of star left-handed hitters Ken Griffey Jr and Adam Dunn.

There was no mention of Dunn when the park was on the drawing board. Believe it or not it was Sean Casey who was supposed to take advantage of the short porch.

Juan Castro signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers that included an invitation
to spring training.

So we need a pitcher who gets ground balls and strikes out a lot of batters, good defense, and hitters who hit for power . . . you think this might just work?

Is there a park where these players make up a shitty team?

yeah pitching defensively is the right thing to do.look at the Rockies.they knew that is the answer and they made it far a couple of seasons ago.they just needed more offense..As far as the team built for this park i am in agreement of that they need a few more key pieces to fill crucial holes to be more compatible with the park.the reds do have two young guys that can put the ball in right field seats.,but what is the plate appearances to home runs ratio.Dunn has the best right now in baseball.i really hate to say it ,but resigning Dunn maybe a good answer.if we can trade Edwin E for a better right handed bat and defensive infielder maybe a better stacked team.Ta-virus is a decent lead off and when he does get on need the big fly to get him home.do the Reds have the consistency to do so is the main question?I don’t know maybe someone has a better insight on the makeup of the batters.

the pitching is really yet to be desired of for this park.yeah way to many fly ball outs.and terrible signings of a couple of years ago with Eric Milton and juan what’s his name.fly ball pitchers.the other writers are right sinker ball pitchers are needed.They did try with getting Fogg and Affeldt last season.Can we get at least one pitcher to take the reigns as the Ace of the staff and have at least less than a 4.00 era.to give our batters a little easier to catch up or even lead a game more times than they did last season.

but given the fact that free agent prices have fallen so much, is it too much to think about an offer to Orlando Hudson? He and BP were apparently roommates in the minors/winter leagues before and are good friends, and he might be able to be signed for much more reasonable a price than once thought. BP would have to play short, and EE/Hairston/Dickerson/Kepp would have to platoon at 3B and LF, but it would definitely improve our defense for years to come, and would add a solid right handed bat.

I’m just sayin.

but it also gives us several players who could be potential trade bait in 09 or 10 that could land us whichever part we need. If we can get him for a 2yr deal, I’m all for it, and given what other solid players have been getting, I’m not sure he’ll get much more.

Like NFL draft boards, you take (sign) the best available rather than to fill a position sometimes. We need a bat, and it could potentially allow for the likely weak production from the combined Tahairdick (I hope that sticks) portion of our lineup with a solid right handed bat and improved defense.

And for the record, Kevin Mitchell is my hero.

And he’s Batman.

was once traded for Dave Burba. Ouch.