Four Weeks Deep

Before giving you all you can handle and more in regards the first 4 weeks of the Redlegs 2011 campaign, Mack is Berning would first like to congratulate Mr. Brent Barry (my-pre-tourney-pick-to-win-it-all-cough-cough) on claiming the hardware as the greatest white NBA player of the last 20 years. The tourney itself was one of the best ideas since dental floss, and matchups provided white men near and far with hope that just maybe one day they could rep the J-A-Z-Z across their chest, and a foolish batch of others the hope they too could throw down from the free throw line. Moooooving on, those Cincinnati Redlegs...

After a shmokin' hot 5-0 start, the Reds have systematically shit themselves since. They now stand at a mediocre 11-11 record, including 8 losses in their last 11 contests. With that said, the Reds are only 1 GB and its only April folks. As our former colleague Kevin Frey Wannabe and professional tweeter (@MGBerningJr...don't follow him) stated via a social network source, "The Reds had 4 mediocre/.500 months in 2010 and 2 months they couldn't lose. Looking forward to the start of May but in the mean time gotta take care of business this last week of April."


While leading the league in runs to this point, there are still some offensive complaints I'd like to file. For one, and I've said it since last year, JONNY GOMES IS GARBAGE! Having him in the cleanup spot absolutely kills the offense. The Reds could throw anyone on the squad up there to swing for the fences three times in a row. I honestly don't care that he leads the team in HR and RBI, a .212 average (.181 with RISP) just isn't gonna cut it. I love the energy and attitude Gomes brings to the team, but bat him 6th or 7th and throw some starts Heisey's way for cripes sake! Stubbs has been solid leading off, and Bruce had the same slow start last year, so that doesn't bother me. With these 4 guys patrolling the outfield and playing to their capability, the Reds not only have one of the best offensive outfields in the league, but also defensively this group is beyond solid.


Votto and Phillips are just doing their thing. Expect All-Star appearances and gold gloves for the best right side of the infield in the league. As far as the left side goes, strictly mediocre. You really can't expect much out of a Janish/Renteria tandem, and the aging Rolen's recent trip to the DL will give Chris Valaika another shot at the big league scene, so we'll see what he's made of in the coming weeks. I don't see Scotty being around much longer, so Valaika's development could be crucial. The Reds boast the 5th best defense in the majors to this point, but it's that pitching I'll tell ya what...

Coming into this year, the Reds rotation looked dirtier than ever. Early trips to the DL by Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey tested the depth of the rotation, and the Reds haven't responded very well to the challenge. Their leader in wins is an alleged criminal, and their once automatic set-up man Nick Masset was only weeks ago a worldwide trend on twitter after blowing his fourth straight game. Volquez is sure to come around if he can cope with his mind games, and you know what Arroyo will give you in the end (200+ innings, 15 or so wins, 4 ERA, etc etc) and the imminent return of Cueto and Bailey are certainly positives for a thus far less than stellar staff. They have turned in quality starts in 11/22 games, but there's no doubt this rotation is underachieving.


Look for a turnaround as the year goes on and the Reds look to clinch another division title. With the exception of Masset's early struggles, the bullpen has been nails. Aroldis is really coming into his own, and Logan Ondrusek has been doing quality work out of the pen. It really comes down to the starting pitching keeping this squad in games. As we already know the offense and defense are gonna do their thing, it's just up to the pitching keep the team competitive.

With all the young talent the organization has, don't be surprised if this is the year the Reds put together a package of youngsters to get an ace for the playoff push. This is a very good team. They hit, field, and run with the best of em, and if the staff comes around, see ya later NL Central. For now, let's just worry about sticking it to the Brew Crew and taking back 1st place. Let's go Redlegs, I'm outtie.,