Cincinnati Reds 2008 Midseason Report Card

The Cincinnati Reds rule the long ball but are in dire need of pitching support

Cincinnati Reds: The Season So Far
After a dismal 2007 MLB Season, the Cincinnati Reds began to rebuild their team by making a change at the top. Three-time NL Manager of the Year Dusty Baker was brought in to change the culture of the Cincinnati Reds. General Manager Walt Jocketty was also brought over from the St. Louis Cardinals to help expedite the rebuilding. Pitchers Josh Fogg and Bobby Livingston were both signed to help the struggling bullpen. SS Jerry Hairston, Jr. was also added to provide another strong bat to the lineup. Even with all the changes, the road back to the top of the elite NL Central will be difficult. With a record around .500, the Cincinnati Reds have a chance to get on the winning side if they can survive injuries.

Cincinnati Reds: Midseason Moves
The Cincinnati Reds front office faced their feared opponent, the injury bug, for the first half of the 2008 season. Injuries to key players like pitchers Josh Fogg, Bobby Livingston, and Kent Mercker provided a huge problem to overcome. Injuries to short stops Jerry Hairston, Jr. and Jolbert Cabrera also left gaping holes. A season-ending injury to CF Norris Hopper was another loss. To fix these roster problems, the Cincinnati Reds dipped into the minor league system and brought up talent like CF Corey Patterson, SS Jeff Keppinger, and P Daryl Thompson. 1B Andy Phillips was caught off waivers from the New York Mets.

Cincinnati Reds: Offense
The big bat of LF Adam Dunn has come alive this season and has been the saving grace of the Cincinnati Reds in many games so far. With 26 homeruns, Adam Dunn has at times been the entire Cincinnati Reds offense. Adam Dunn could easily get 40-plus homeruns for the fifth consecutive season. With a .228 percentage, Adam Dunn is focused on going yard rather than carefully placed hits. Adam Dunn’s polar opposite, 2B Brandon Phillips is a great leadoff man and leads the Cincinnati Reds in hits. With 15 homeruns to his credit as well, Brandon Phillips is a threat in any aspect of batting and provides a good piece to build the batting order around.

The legendary RF Ken Griffey, Jr. is in the twilight of his career but is still going strong from the No. 2 spot in the Cincinnati Reds’ batting order. Ken Griffey, Jr. still has a lot in his bat, putting up 12 homeruns. 1B Joey Votto has also come alive as an offensive force with 13 homeruns and could develop into a great hitter. 3B Edwin Encarnacion rounds out the heavy hitters with 15 homeruns. With all the deep hits coming, the Cincinnati Reds are seventh in the MLB in homeruns and can go on homer bonanzas against opponents in a single game.

Cincinnati Reds: Defense
Ace RHP Edinson Volquez leads the National League with an ERA of 2.29. Edinson Volquez has established himself as one of the MLB’s aces, officially arriving with a 2008 All-Star selection. Second in the NL in strikeouts, Edinson Volquez is the most valuable player on the Cincinnati Reds and almost always assures victory when he starts with a 12-3 record. Closer Francisco Cordero has 19 saves, and is key to sealing the victories that Edison Volquez sets up.

Pitcher Jared Burton is young but shaping up to be a possible ace. With a 4-1 record and a fearsome reputation developing, the future of the Cincinnati Reds could hinge on Jared Burton. P Bronson Arroyo has put up some good innings but has had Ls dropped on his record by poor supporting play. Young P Johnny Cueto could be a future ace, if he can keep healthy. P Aaron Harang is talented but has been injured and inconsistent for the entire season. The Cincinnati Reds must keep their bullpen healthy and their young players must continue to develop to have a chance of righting the ship.

Cincinnati Reds: Standings
The Cincinnati Reds would have a better record if they were not trapped in the NL Central. As one of the most talented divisions in baseball, the NL Central is crowned by the Chicago Cubs, who are running away with the title easily, playing almost 20 games above .500. Perennial favorites the St. Louis Cardinals and the young guns of the Milwaukee Brewers are playing catch-up with the Chicago Cubs. The Cincinnati Reds are above the proud Pittsburgh Pirates and the the Houston Astros, however, and seem to be talented enough to keep it that way.

Cincinnati Reds: Outlook
The Cincinnati Reds have flashed signs of brilliance. A blowout win over the Chicago Cubs before the All-Star break shows that the Cincinnati Reds have the talent and the will to take on and defeat the best in baseball. It will be up to manager Dusty Baker to tie the whole thing together. If the Cincinnati Reds can find the elusive consistency they crave, then the sky could be the limit for the Reds. If nothing else, the homerun explosion on the Cincinnati Reds will be fun to watch.