Stick a fork in ‘em

It is getting increasingly difficult to see this year’s Cincinnati Reds playing in the postseason. Even with 61 games to be played as of this writing, the team doesn’t appear to have the ingredients necessary to make a run for even a Wild Card bid.

Finishing with a .500 record will be a challenge for a team that has a difficult time winning one-run games. Currently, the Reds are 8-19, second fewest wins in MLB in one-run games after leading the bigs with 34 wins a year ago. Certainly, the lack of coming up with clutch hits is part of the reason for the downturn offensively.

It is also somewhat mystifying how the Reds rise to the occasion against the better clubs, then fall flat when playing the also-rans, but that trend continues. On Monday night in Atlanta, a four-game losing streak to the likes of the Marlins and Nationals was snapped, largely

due to the efforts of the Reds’ All-Star representatives. Pitcher Hunter Greene was dominant in shutting down the Braves’ offense for seven innings, a team that has been decimated by injuries to key performers. Shortstop Elly De La Cruz sped his way to a pair of runs by simply outrunning throws on a couple of occasions, and had a single and a triple to go with his major league leading 49th stolen base.

Even the slump-ridden Jeimer Candelario and Will Benson got into the act, with each contributing a pair of hits. The “Candyman” had two runs batted in as well, and Benson, mired in a season-long funk, hit his 11th home run and lifted his batting average to .194.

For the Reds to have even a smidgeon of a chance to make the postseason, it will take a lot more production from players who haven’t contributed much in 2024. Greene, who epitomized the term “stopper” with his performance, needs help from the rest of the

staff, which has been inconsistent at best. We’ve bemoaned the fact that the offense has been disappointing for weeks if not months, and basic baseball fundamentals have been a major concern, both on the base paths and defensively. The team just doesn’t appear capable of going on an extended winning run anytime soon, and will likely finish closer to the bottom of the division than the top.

Manager David Bell is seen as the team’s primary problem by many folks on social media, and his postgame press conferences are highlighted by his feeble attempts to paint a rosy picture of yet another defeat. In the past, I have defended the Reds skipper, simply because the main reason the team is less than successful starts at the top. However, it may be time for a change in the dugout after observing the team’s inept play on the field. However, if you know anything about the Reds and how they operate, dismissing Bell is not likely to occur anytime soon.

Despite some of his questionable decisions, Bell can only play the players on his roster, and the ownership appears to be quite content with being mediocre at best, as long as they’re making a substantial profit.

The catchphrase “Sell the team, Bob” is a rallying cry for Reds fans as the team continues to languish in or near the NL Central cellar. It refers to the club’s CEO, Bob Castellini, who promised the fans that he was buying the Reds to win and added that “anything else is unacceptable” after leading a group that purchased the franchise after the 2005 season.

For a small market team like Cincinnati to even think about contending, they need to make shrewd decisions when they actually do spend some money. The free agent signings made in the offseason and failing to add a power bat to the lineup were far from shrewd, and the club is paying dearly for that now.

I could be totally wrong; after all, I have been completely wrong before, but the Reds just

don’t appear to have what it takes to win enough games over the final two months to contend. It already looks like it’s time to utter that time worn phrase: “wait ‘til’ next year.”

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UNFORTUNATE TIMING (AGAIN) – The Basketball Tournament reached its “Sweet 16” round with games held across the country Tuesday evening. Whenever games are played on Tuesdays, it is just rotten timing for being up-to-date in this Wednesday missive. That is simply because this is written on Tuesdays for submission to the paper.

The TBT game with the most interest locally was at Rupp Arena on Tuesday night, with a scheduled tip of 9 p.m. La Familia, the team with Kentucky alumni (plus former Xavier forward Kerem Kanter, the team’s leading scorer in the first two games) was looking to advance to the round of eight in the event.

The game against the Marshall alumni (along with former Arkansas forward JaCorey Williams

and former Iowa State guard Tyrus McGee) that calls itself Herd That was expected to be a challenge for the former UK standouts. Herd That came into the contest as the top-seeded team in the Lexington Regional, and for good reason. The men in green have played together for several years and advanced to the TBT semifinals a year ago and are led by team captain Jon Elmore.

In the first couple of rounds, La Familia was led in scoring by Kanter (23.5 points per game), Eric Bledsoe (14.5 ppg), Nate Sestina (13.5 ppg), and Andrew Harrison, who averaged 11 ppg. Willie Cauley-Stein has provided an imposing inside presence, and leads the team in blocked shots and rebounds.

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BENGALS OPEN TRAINING CAMP – It is nearing the time when Cincinnati sports fans will turn their undivided attention to their National Football League franchise, particularly with the Reds floundering.

Who Dey Nation has high hopes for the upcoming season, and the Bengals appear to be a team with few weaknesses, other than perhaps its inexperienced secondary, and less than impactful linebacking crew.

On the other hand, if the Bengals can keep its stars healthy, especially newly blonde quarterback Joe Burrow, they have an excellent opportunity to accomplish something special this season. In the NFL of course, it takes a lot of things to go your way, but on paper anyway, it appears Cincinnati has what it takes to make a Super Bowl run. The schedule doesn’t look as difficult as it has the past couple of years, but it cannot be emphasized enough just how critical staying healthy is to any team in the NFL.

An intriguing training camp gets underway this afternoon, and after the fans go on and on about the new buzz cut their QB1 is sporting, it will be time for the team to get down to business. Burrow and the offense should be one of the best in the league, with a few new

wrinkles added to the passing game, after selecting wideout Jermaine Burton in the draft and adding tight end Mike Gesicki. Running backs Zack Moss and Chase Brown look to be an excellent one-two combo and the offensive line looks to be more formidable than it has in years.

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NO COLUMN SATURDAY – The ol’ guy will be slightly out of commission for a couple of days, meaning there will not be a column from yours truly this Saturday. I know, it’s a sad occasion, but I have faith you will do just fine and not miss my exorbitant amount of words too much (or at all).

The reason there will not be a column is that I’m having a minor surgical procedure. They’re always called “minor” when it isn’t happening to you, right?

At any rate, the column will resume next Wednesday.

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“The team that wins two-thirds of its one-run games usually wins the pennant.” – Pete Rose

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“All large political doctrines are rich in difficult problems – problems that are quite above the average citizen’s reach. And that is not strange, since they are also above the reach of the ablest minds in the country; after all the fuss and all the talk, not one of those doctrines has been conclusively proven to be the right one and the best.” — Mark Twain