Joe Posnanski appreciates the contrast to the 1975 Reds. Cincinnati's offensive woes plumb new depths in 4-1 loss.

by Brendanukkah on Jun 12, 2009 10:52 PM EDT in Game Threads Comment 37 comments

Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Luke Hochevar. Former #1 pick Hochevar looked like Greg Maddux going against Cincinnati's terrible offense. He only needed 80 pitches to throw a complete game, giving up three hits and a run, striking out three and walking one.

Key Plays

Matt Maloney put himself in an early hole, giving up a solo homer to Billy Butler in the first inning.
After much futility, the Reds tied the score with a solo shot of their own, courtesy of Jonny Gomes's first dinger of the season.
Any shred of hope quickly vanished in the bottom of the inning when Alberto Collaspo was hit by a pitch and Miguel Olivo singled to put runners on first and second with no outs. Coco Crisp moved Collaspo to third on a ground out, and David DeJesus hit a well-placed single to score him.
In the sixth inning, Collaspo struck again, hitting a two-run homer right after Mark Teahen's single.

Crummy graph

Other Notes

Hochevar's pitches per inning: 1st - 4, 2nd - 7, 3rd - 8, 4th - 10, 5th - 15, 6th - 9, 7th - 12, 8th - 9, 9th - 4. Jay Bruce and Laynce Nix tied for longest at-bats, seeing six pitches one time each.
Willy Taveras is 0-28 and does not have a hit in the month of June.
Matt Maloney pitched decently, going another six innings and striking out five. He did give up two home runs.
Mike Lincoln pitched two scoreless innings in relief, the first time he's had two scoreless innings in an outing since May 6. His ERA is down below 9.00 for only the third time this year, the first being after he pitched 0.1 innings on Opening Day.
Game time was 2:12. These things fly when nobody's hitting.

Final - 6.12.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cincinnati Reds	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	3	0
Kansas City Royals	1	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	X	4	6	0
WP: Luke Hochevar (2 - 2) LP: Matt Maloney (0 - 1)

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Comments

Since there's absolutely nothing good to be said about this game

A little something to brighten the mood…

Milton Bradley, Cub Fan Favorite

Whoops.

"Sir, can you please put your pants back on?"

by Ash on Jun 12, 2009 11:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Ha

by Brendanukkah on Jun 12, 2009 11:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

that poor kid with the dad in the hipster shirt

is now scarred doubly for life

by Cy Schourek on Jun 12, 2009 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

phenomenal

I love boneheaded cubbies.

think they miss DeRosa?

"We're going to Adonis, son"

jch24

by obc2 on Jun 13, 2009 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Boston scored three in the top of the 13th

against the Phillies, but now the Phillies have one on and no out…

Let me write out a formal proof for you.

by Gray on Jun 12, 2009 11:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

They should be fine.

Lidge is on the DL. :/ (My fantasy team weeps.)

"Sir, can you please put your pants back on?"

by Ash on Jun 12, 2009 11:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, Werth just struck out.

One out.

Let me write out a formal proof for you.

by Gray on Jun 12, 2009 11:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Holy crap, Daniel Bard is good.

Let me write out a formal proof for you.

by Gray on Jun 12, 2009 11:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

By the way,

There are 86 people who voted in the poll on the right side of the main page who need to be punched in the sternum.

by Cy Schourek on Jun 12, 2009 11:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

This place has more than 86 readers?

I had no idea.

Let me write out a formal proof for you.

by Gray on Jun 12, 2009 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Haha. Perhaps it's time for a new poll:

Date of Willy Taveras’ next hit.
Date of Mike Lincoln DFA.
Who is Paul Janish?

etc.

"Sir, can you please put your pants back on?"

by Ash on Jun 12, 2009 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

OK I'm game...in honor of andromache

What is July 12th, 2009
What is May 3rd 2011
Who is David Spade
http://208.131.143.232/i//2/7/0/3/1/2.jpg#True

And here’s your quizmaster Uncle Walt

Sweat plus sacrifice equals another useless out. Mads

by Madville on Jun 12, 2009 11:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

2:12

I missed he first pitch and caught dinner with my folks. By the time I got home, the game wasn’t on. I just assumed it was rained out.

80 pitches? That’s Bob Boone line-up crazy. We’ve gripes about a lot of things, but you cannot have a team at any level giving up multiple 4-pitch innings in the same game. I’ve seen T-Ball games with more pitches than that. Just incredible.

by Brian B on Jun 12, 2009 11:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

4 pitches to open the game, 4 pitches to close it

If nothing else, that’s a nice symmetry.

by Brendanukkah on Jun 12, 2009 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Holy crap

In the Seattle-Colorado game, the announcers are claiming Ubaldo Jimenez hit 99 MPH. He’s pitching to Jr. now, and just hit 94.

Let me write out a formal proof for you.

by Gray on Jun 12, 2009 11:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

He's one out from a CG, with the tying run aboard now...

Leaving him in. Hrm.

Let me write out a formal proof for you.

by Gray on Jun 12, 2009 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Got Ichiro to ground into a FC to end the game.

Let me write out a formal proof for you.

by Gray on Jun 12, 2009 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

that team is hot

I’m glad they’re gone

by ol Pete on Jun 12, 2009 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i didnt see this game

and i still saw too much of it.

by Charlie Scrabbles on Jun 13, 2009 12:41 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wings disgrace me

Literally, just when you think Detroit couldn’t get any lower and then they pull this. 3 peat my…………….

by Johnnypronto on Jun 13, 2009 12:53 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Can we please replace the Willy T Wall of Batting Gloves with

“Quest for 0-37” (Or whatever the record is)… if only for a day.. please?

This offense is an impotent joke (.189 avg for June accord. to Fay) — and they’ve been instructed to do the one thing that could worsen their lot: indiscriminately swing at whatever crap is thrown their way in the first 2-3 pitches. Maybe that kind of plate approach worked Dusty out of his slumps, but it’s accelerating the downward spiral for this team.

And according to someone on the Fay thread, the reds #1 & #2 hitters haven’t scored in 51 plate appearances. If that’s even close to the right figure – and it certainly sounds right – it’s got to be one of the most craptacular streaks out of the 1-2 slots ever.

Is there anyone looking at these stats and bringing them to the attention of our manager or GM? Or do they have standing orders to crunch numbers in a hermeticaly sealed room? Dusty’s loyalty to completely ineffectual players and a bankrupt ideology reminds me of Death of a Salesman – in a bad way.

I got to go down to the stadium and whip batteries at the players on both teams. - Philly Boy Roy

by RijoSaboCaseyWKRP on Jun 13, 2009 2:33 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Looks like Willy has a way to go, if these slump figures are to be trusted:

Bill Bergen, Dodgers 1909 0-for-46 June 29-July 17

Dave Campbell, SKtUHou 1973 0-for-45 May 16-Sept. 18

Luis Aparicio, Red Sox 1971 0-for-44 May 20-May 31

Tony Bernazard, Indians 1984 0-for-44 April 25-May 7

Robin Ventura, White Sox 1990 0-for-41 April 18-May 11

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_10_64/ai_n15756682/pg_5/

I got to go down to the stadium and whip batteries at the players on both teams. - Philly Boy Roy

by RijoSaboCaseyWKRP on Jun 13, 2009 2:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's disgraceful

Dusty/Walt’s obsession with having a “true” leadoff hitter is so damn reactionary that it’s embarrassing. Taveras has had ONE season out of four (make that five counting this year) in which he has even approached being an average offensive player. But this team’s management decided to place a speed fetish ahead of overwhelming evidence that high OBP correlates with winning. Yes, Taveras is a good base stealer and defender—that means he is a serviceable bench player, NOT a regular. He never was a regular, and he never will be a regular. HIs ass needs to be on the bench, or better yet, DFAed. Drew Stubbs can run, he can go get it with the best of them, he gets on base, and when he hits it, it goes out of the damn infield. The guy is 24, it’s high time he tastes the big leagues.

by teb7 on Jun 13, 2009 3:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What's the "Micah Line" at anyways?

IOW, the line that denotes that having Micah Owings bat would be more worthwhile than having (x) bat.

I’m a Royals fan, but I noticed Owings is having another good hitting year, and BBRef notes that he has pinch-hit (hopefully for just pitchers).

Also, 17.5% of all pitches thrown by Hochevar were thrown to Jay Bruce.

And Jamie Quirk is our mole, he alerted the Royals braintrust that your team has been brainwashed by the evil leader Dusty Baker to swing at anything between the letters and knees.

by BHWick on Jun 13, 2009 2:37 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Micah has pinch hit for position players more than once this year IIRC

Will you stop it with the vegetables

by Man Mountain on Jun 13, 2009 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gotta shake things up tomorrow right?

I mean, if you’re a rational human being.

Davies is a RHP with a 5.13 ERA. Here’s the lineup that someone who wants to win a game might construct in some parallel time-continuum:

Dickerson CF
Hanigan C
Gomes DH
Phillips 2B
Nix LF
Jay Bruce RF
Hernandez 1B
Janish 3B
Hairston SS

while this is the “optimized” one from Baseball Musings, based on in-season OBPs and SLGS ( 5.386 runs per game)

Hanigan C
Gomes DH
Janish SS
Nix LF
Phillips 2B
Bruce RF
Hairston 3B
Hernandez 1B
Dickerson CF

I got to go down to the stadium and whip batteries at the players on both teams. - Philly Boy Roy

by RijoSaboCaseyWKRP on Jun 13, 2009 3:36 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If I owned the Reds, (and alot people wished I did)

I’d fire Dusty (his lineups and changes are atrocious)
I’d call up Frazier and Heisey.

We’d be in 1st place by now. Seriously.

by Dude Rock on Jun 13, 2009 3:39 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Taveras signing

is Pattersonesque…this is getting UGLY very fast.

That's what she said.

by adaircam4 on Jun 13, 2009 4:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

At 2.5 Games out of 1st with Votto and EdE out of the line and Voltron on the DL, Iexpect Walt and bob are pretty pleased with Dusty right now. So don't be holding your breath for any big changes.

CENTRAL W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA DIFF STRK L10
Milwaukee 34 27 .557 - 17-12 17-15 283 260 +23 Won 1 4-6
  St. Louis 33 29 . 532 1.5 19-15 14-14 276 265 +11 Lost 1 3-7
Cincinnati 31 29 .517 2.5 14-14 17-15 257 252 +5 Lost 2 4-6
  Chi Cubs 29 29 .500 3.5 16-11 13-18 250 241 +9 Lost 3 4-6
Pittsburgh 28 33 . 459 6 15-12 13-21 263 264 -1 Lost 1 5-5
    Houston 27 32 . 458 6 1 6-18 11-14 236 276 -40 Lost 1 6-4

Sweat plus sacrifice equals another useless out. Mads

by Madville on Jun 13, 2009 7:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

you gotta admit

with your #1 starter and both your corner infielders on the DL….being 2.5 out of first is pretty damn fortunate, or impressive.

i have to give dusty some props for making chicken salad out of chicken shit.

hey walt! your ballclub needs ballplayers!!!

"We're going to Adonis, son"

jch24

by obc2 on Jun 13, 2009 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Im putting this on Walt too

A lot of people are trying to stick this mess on Dusty, but what is he supposed to do. I know you can sit Taveras and let Dickerson play but really that doesnt change the big facts. We dont have Votto, Jay is struggling, EDE is hurt, we came into the season with no plan in Left and SS, and we had very little depth. I think Dusty is doing a good job considering.

by CamIam on Jun 13, 2009 10:46 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

My bet is that Jocketty was told to cut any unnecessary spending

i.e., that’s why there was no big off-season signing, doing weird shit like refusing to put players on the DL who are clearly hurt, and why they’re not going to start the arb clock on any big time prospects.

The fact that the Reds are a couple of games over .500 is making this strategy less obvious and easier to explain away, but I think it’s pretty clearly the case.

Tangent re: injuries…I hope when we’ve put some distance on this era of Reds baseball, someone like Will Carroll uses the 2000s Reds to show how the poor relationship between front office and medical staff can completely fuck a team.

I’m obviously more familiar with the Reds than any other MLB team, but is there any other team in major league baseball that has had more — not injuries, but — undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, and completely mistreated injuries?

Will you stop it with the vegetables

by Man Mountain on Jun 13, 2009 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Injuries

This year really brings it out. EDE played with an injured starting in spring training. Instead of putting him on the DL then and letting Rosales play 3rd until he was healthy they let him start the season, struggle, and do more injury to the wrist. EDE should be in the line up now but we arent going to see him until after the all star break. Then there is the Votto, Gonzales, and Taveras situations. A team thats only goal is to win should not have players going out and playing at 70%.

by CamIam on Jun 13, 2009 11:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yea, I agree Dusty was given shoddy implements

and that the team is a recession victim – but there are also some really easy ways to improve this teams chances of scoring a couple runs that don’t involve making moves outside the franchise – or even outside the MLB-level. It’s staggering that they’re being paid as much as they are and don’t grasp these things.

I don’t claim I could do Dusty’s job – in any way – but there’s a big hole in his game. One that could be patched by spending little or no money. If Manny Acta can bench Nick Johnson during an 0-15 stretch, so can Dusty.

I got to go down to the stadium and whip batteries at the players on both teams. - Philly Boy Roy

by RijoSaboCaseyWKRP on Jun 13, 2009 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I doubt it

I think they only let managers bench their own players.

All Things Bubba: Because how can you not love a baseball player named Bubba?

by BubbaFan on Jun 13, 2009 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I thought it was like when they selected juries

Excuse me, Mr. Umpire, the home team would like to block Lance Berkman from this line up.

"It seems like we're not hitting because we're not getting hits." - Dusty being Dusty

by Slyde on Jun 13, 2009 10:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I watched this thing patheric excuse for a game.

and was waiting for it to get interesting to jump into the thread, but it never did.

What an abject embarrassment.

The only reason I kept watching was to remind myself how gaddamn frustrating it is to watch this kind of backwards ass baseball.

When I see other teams have .330 or higher OBPs from their 7th and 8th spot, I’m almost to the point of wondering how that’s even possible. Like it’s against league rules or something.

If I were as enterprising as Talking Chop, I’d mail a new version of the Failcouer jersey to every person in the Reds’ organization.

Will you stop it with the vegetables

by Man Mountain on Jun 13, 2009 10:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs