Wow, What A July For Cincy!

July! It's a great month! Love the warm weather, even during this coldest July on record. Red White and Blue on the fourth. Parades, cookouts, swimming pools, drinks with limes, and nothing but baseball. It's a great month for codgers like me who love red, white, and blue. And baseball. The Reds are once again blue in July. A bruising shade of blue, soon to be black and blue. 10 games under .500 for the season, and falling faster than Aaron Harang's trade value. Quick!!!! What was the Reds record on July 3? It was a respectable 39-38 with the Cardinals rolling in for a three-game series for the holiday weekend. Yep, one game over .500. What a fateful Friday night it was. The Reds up 3-0 in the eighth inning, bases loaded, a fella named Pujols at the plate. Since Albert swatted that ball to the left-center field seats for a pre-fourth of July roman candle up the you-know-what, the Reds have amassed a record of 6-17. That's S-I-X and SEVENTEEN. What happened? The pitching that looked so promising has cratered, and Harang is at the head of the class. The Volquez injury aside, Aaron has lost it and that has been crippling to this team. I don't know if he has lost it for good, but Aaron hasn't had "it" for some time now. We go back to the relief appearance in San Diego last season, or the comeback after the rain delay on Memorial day 2009. Remember that? All for the sole purpose of getting one in the "win" column for Aaron. That was the last "win" in his column. I don't blame Aaron for wanting to go out there and pitch. In pro sports, there are adults and there are kids. The players are the kids. So guess who needs to be the adult?

Looking ahead, the Reds merely need a shortstop, third baseman, left fielder, and center fielder for 2010. As for the pitching,,,, wow,,, and I thought this organization was on the right track. Okay, here's the plan:
Dickerson gets healthy and plays center every day. At least then you'll know if he's a viable option for 2010, because Taveras has impressed no one.
Heisey comes up and plays left, (i know he generally plays center, but i've seen dickerson play center, and i KNOW that guy can track the ball like a champ. i don't know that about heisey)
Third and shortstop, i guess you better go get some people. I've been an Edwin backer for so long I almost confuse him with Wade Rowden and Nick Esasky. It seems like it's been that long since we've been waiting for him to turn it on. Not gonna happen. But please, I've always loved Scott Rolen, please, do not burn 11 million on a 35-year old third baseman with little power. You don't have that kind of payroll space to burn. In fact, you should be shedding luxurious salaries (CoCo) before you start adding them. Like they say, baseball is a funny game. I really convinced myself a month ago this team was built to make a decent run in 2010. Now I think Pete might have a plaque in Cooperstown (or maybe decent sunglasses) before the Reds make a run.