and Votto may not be. Bullpen is going to crash and burn eventually. But everyoneelseontheoffense will at least get a bit better.

Optimism is fun, I agree, but it ought to at least be tempered. But this may be the year and blah blah blah, right?

I can see the Reds being competitive for portions of the season, possibly nipping at some heels in September, but I don’t see them leading the division or being front runners for the wildcard for more than a week or two cumulatively over the course of the season.

The offense will eventually level-off at a mediocre level. Lots of question marks here. Will Bruce step forward? Will Votto keep up something like this? T-Virus, aging vets, and Dickerson. I think we have probably seen the best that EdE and BP have to offer, and they will drift towards their career numbers. My only guess as to how it will all shake out is: nothing to write home about.

The starters will keep the Reds in a lot of games, but the youngsters (and Arroyo) will occasionally get rocked — and I do not foresee many four, five run deficits being overcome

(partly because) I have to believe, with Cy, that this bullpen will have some serious ups and downs. I think Masset will eventually force his own release, as for Rhodes, Weathers, and Lincoln . . . we’ll see. plenty of potential help at Louisville if any old men have to hit the DL

I could see the Reds flirting with .500, but I don’t expect it. I say watch the young guys and keep an eye on Louisville and Carolina. I am sure we will see a lot of guys in September.

Where could this team possibly go from where they are now? Are they going to falter as we are all expecting and waiting for? Is it smart to “ride the wave” as Dougherty says. Personally I think this team has some serious ass kicking potential. But how long can Cordero keep this up? How long untill “Stormy” Weathers shows how he got that nickname. Owings obviously can’t be a starting pitcher unless he gets 8 runs in support, this team aint doin that. Will Taveras keep getting on base all the time? Will Votto hit .300 this season? Jay Bruce shows random signs of excellent patience and quick contact hitting at the plate but sometimes he looks like hes just some random guy up there off the street without a clue. I know Hernandez won us a game in Houston but seriously, we need a catcher who can hit the damn ball and not ground out every at bat. I’m not asking for a .300 hitting catcher, just a decent .260 y’know? And what really erks me almost more than anything is Edwin. What kind hitter is this guy? Honestly, what does EE do on a regular basis? He is a contact hitter yet one of his big stories from last season was that he was focusing on hitting a bunch of homeruns and now he is focusing apparently on patience at the plate. Somebody needs to just tell this guy to go out there and get hits and be comfortable.

Is Joey Votto better than Chris Sabo?

Lots to think about with this team…

Just for a moment lets talk bowling…
Although the Madisonville Comets took 3 out of 4 tonight, your RR representative, MADS was not on his game
I am ashamed to even list my scores but feel the need for an internal purging;
130
168
188

There now you know even Madville can have an EdE kind of night, a BP AB, a Mike Lincoln inning…

Oh and by the way Joey Votto is better now than Chris Sabo and will be in the record books long after Sabo’s name is remembered like Gene Freese’.
I predict, and not even boldly that Votto and Bruce will go down in Red’s History as one of the great 3-4 hitter in club history..

Back to bowling…you don’t know what its like to be so close to winning the league then only to slip – once, twice suddenly we are in 5th place (out of 14) and go into position round with only a faint chance of getting as high as 3rd.. Those of you who are still young..mark my words – Bowling is a terrible addiction fraught with old smelly men – women who are thin and stretched or bulbous and loud and also the oily lanes that reduce you to a whimper..

these 20 something girls are being eaten alive by bowling addiction

I’m optimistic about a modest goal: a winning season. I think we’ve got a decent shot at 82 wins, and I would count that as a Very Good Thing — especially since there’s more help on the way in Alonso, Frazier, Stubbs, Thompson, etc. It’s not too hard to see 2009 shaping up as barely above .500, and 2010-11 being playoff-contention years.

Now that’s exciting.

I’m not sure I want Votto in LF in a couple years. Assuming that he continues to produce at a 2009 ytd level I’d think it would be foolish to have him switch positions.

Yonder may be the odd man out…

right now, i’m pumped. i don’t expect to be over the long haul, but taking two out of three from the cubs is fun

I was listening to Mark Packer’s radio show yesterday (Billy Packer’s son), and the producer of the show is an enormous Cubs fan from Chicago. And he and the whole crew started talking about how the Reds had a really potent offensive team this year. Nothing about pitching, nothing about how terribly over half the lineup is hitting, just that the offense was great.

It was strange to listen to.

Now ready yourself for the next four days during which the limited offense goes up against Javier Vasquez, Derek Lowe and Roy Oswalt. At first I thought, “Hey, at least they’re not facing lefties.” Then I checked the Reds splits and discovered that what little mashing they’re doing is coming at the expense of left handed pitching. So I don’t know what to expect between now and Tuesday (when, by the way, they face Wandy Rodriguez who just shut them out.)

I like this team (even Gonzalez and Hernandez) but I don’t know what to expect in the short run (ie 2009). I don’t think I’m getting excited for anything more than a run at .500 (maaaaybe 85 wins) until Jockety gets us another hitter. And I don’t think

Joey Vott vs. Ted Kluszewski

I just want to see where Joey Votto sits y’know? Theres a lotta old school guys on here what do you guys think? Is Joey Votto the real deal or not? Is he anything like young Lee May or youn Klu? I don’t know if theres any that are that old school but I’m guessing there is people who can answer that question.

My only objection is that guys like Klu and Perez seemed to just have got it done, period. Constantly I might add. I’m worried we’re all giong to see this from Votto but then see him slip into Jason Larue type hitting because he reminds me of Larue sometimes. Not the .200 average but just in his aproach and overall contact style. If I remember right wasn’t Larue excellent in his early years and then struggled? This team badly needs consistant hitting. Not just consistant slugging but consistant contact and RBI production. I say Votto has got it as long as he doesnt slip into the Jason Larue/Brandon Larson sickness.

Yuk Yuk