"I am not calling for Dusty Baker to be replaced at all."

You are one of the few then. Dusty will be gone at the end of the year if the Reds don't win. Walt's ego will need a scapegoat. I think that Castellini wanted a name manager to prove that he was trying to win but, I suspect, he may be learning that the $3M would have been better spent getting a LF'er.

There is nothing wrong with Dusty that a LF'er and 3B that could hit wouldn't solve.

"Stubbs has improved so far. lets hope it lasts"

I suspect the improvement will end with Cain. Do you really think batting order made a difference or lousy Cubs pitching?

<<Rose is from the Sparky Anderson school of playing your regulars 99% of the time.>>

Not true. common misconception

The great 8 were in the starting lineup only 88 times in the '75 and '76 seasons

i definitely think hitting in front of Votto as opposed to Hanigan makes a H-U-G-E difference

Could have something to do with the .364 average in the last 5 games since moving to the 2 spot.
Stubbs is 8-22 1 HR and 5 RBIs since moving up against the cards. also has only struck out 3 times.

Stubbs has improved so far. lets hope it lasts

Unfortuantly, in the past it hasn't . The only person streakier than Stubbs is Bruce. I hope both improve and keep improving but with Stubbs you have to wonder just how long it's gonna take or Baker is going to give him. Up until the last couple games he looked just like the Stubb of last year and before, where as at least Bruce looks to be headed in the right direction.

I remember sparky hardly ever giving a guy the night off,
someone must have been injured.

if stubbs isn't playing CF there really isn't anyone else to do it. heisey just isn't an everyday guy and stubbs plays better defense anyway... not much for dusty to do no matter how much stubbs struggles

Stubbs has never hit in front of Votto before, so maybe it will be long lasting. and ALL the announcers are commenting on how his plate approach is different since the move and that he appears to be trying to "punch the ball to RF" instead of trying to "jerk everything out over the LF wall"

again, here's hoping

maybe, none come to mind right now though. only major thing that sticks out for me is that foster didn't start in early '75 with pete in LF.

I agree batting in front of Votto will probably help anyone's batting average.

batting in front of votto might save Stubbs career

Rose is from the Sparky Anderson school of playing your regulars 99% of the time

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I recall hearing somewhere that the eight players from the Big Red Machine of 75-76 (Rose, Griffey, Morgan, Foster, Perez, Bench, Concepcion and Geronimo) actually only started together for about 30 games during that two-year span. That's all eight in the starting lineup.

I remember Vuckovich starting 25 games or so at third in 75 before Rose took over and Foster went to left. I don't remember any significant injuries or bench players getting a lot of starts so maybe one of our stats guys can fact-check that.

Sorry gfas, I didn't read the whole thread when I posted. Thanks for posting the right number of starts for the BRM

I don't see how Dusty will ever be able to get the lineup right with this lot. He has a tall order in front of him and i don't think Dusty is going to be able to get it done.

Sorry, but it is time to move on. Probably will not happen during the season unless we REALLY stink it up but it'd say at the end of this season it is curtains for Baker in Cincinnati.

That ,as well as Stubbs staying back on lots of balls and going the other way..Kid went almost 17 AB's the past 4 games whiffing only 1 time. That's a heck of an improvement and Cubs pitching has really nothing to do with it as Stubby got dealt alot last year by all pitching staffs, both good and bad...

The other side of the argument is Tony LaRussa changed his line-up the most last season, and won a World Series.

-Kef

I appreciate Pete's insight but I rather take advice from someone who's actually allowed to be involved in the game.

Best comment in this post is about Brook, whether Pete actually said it or not. Past time for Reds to replace Brook.

Now is the time to do something to shake things up.

The Reds have a combination of good hitters and bad hitters.

However, there is an organizational problem that makes them ALL worse. Every single one of them goes to the plate with a feast or famine approach. On the first pitch, they load up and swing for the fences. Other pitchers know they do that, so they simply throw a pitch around the zone that is hittable but difficult to hit OUT. That almost always results in either an out or a swing and miss.

It also means the starting pitcher gets through many innings in under ten pitches. Our hitters rarely get to face the soft spot of other teams' pitching staffs, the middle relievers. We go directly from the starter to their late inning guys.

It's not the lineup. It's the approach.