One More Tease From The Reds….

Hunter Greene was again Hunter Greene, and the Reds gave us their usual close-but-not-really-suited-for-the-occasion playoff debut on Tuesday night.  It’s time to get ready for the next Bob and Nick pep talk…and your check for season tickets.

I would expect Wednesday’s papers and talk shows to be full of reasons why the Reds got drubbed in the Wild Card game Tuesday night with the Dodgers.

Small-market team…that’s sure to be at the head of someone’s list.  Can’t compete because we don’t have the money.

We’re building this thing…and didn’t we give you an exciting September pennant chase?

And thank God for the Mets.   It was meant to be.

Can we squeeze a bit more out of a catchy quote: “You just can’t kill us” to sustain hope for Wednesday’s finale?

And shortly after Bob Castellini and Nick Krall are seated on the jet after their two-and-out with the Dodgers, there’ll come the already-prepared statement about what we need is another Austin Hayes reclamation project for ’26…one more cheap tweak of the bullpen…one more fantasy about Elly making fewer errors at shortstop and striking out less…and get your season tickets now to see Sal Stewart blossom next year.  He’s the power quotient that the lineup has been waiting for to boost that .245 team batting average.

Get ready for one more tease from the Reds, and a December Redsfest full of what-ifs for next year.

What if Hunter Greene doesn’t get hurt?

What if Nick Lodolo doesn’t get a blister?

What if Matt McLain hits .250?

And what if the rest of the Central Division decides to stand pat?  Don’t improve?  As long as they use the ‘small market’ excuse it supports the Reds’ argument.  No?

Seriously, the morning headlines read that Hunter Greene’s failure to locate was the reason the Dodgers lit him up like a county fair pitching machine. I would make a more pragmatic argument that until Hunter learns to change speeds it doesn’t matter if he throws 200 miles per hour, he’s going to get hit.  Fastballs get hit in the big leagues if you don’t change speeds.

Bring in Connor Phillips, the next heraldic hard thrower and see Shohei and Teoscar Hernandez yawn, then go deep for a second time.  Hunter?  Connor?  What’s the difference?

Yes, velocity plays at any level of baseball, but funny how it plays better for Tarik Skubal in Detroit…because he can change speeds.

No, the Reds didn’t exactly strike fear into Blake Snell Tuesday, but it doesn’t matter when you’re down 5-0 after three innings.  And Ke’Bryan Hayes and Matt McLain are not the way to come back quick.

Take a deeper dive into the season and see for yourself.  In fact, take a deep dive into the last ten seasons.  Terry Francona was a wonderful hire, and he’s the reason they have one more game in Dodger Stadium tonight before the marketing team gets to work on the plane ride home.  But Tito doesn’t hit, or pitch.

Don’t be so negative?  I’m not.

Greg Hoard was fond of saying that during the Dick Wagner days that Reds fans rested on the reality that bad major league baseball was better than no major league baseball at all.

If he was alive now – and how I wish he was – he would say that this is how far the Reds have come.  Average major league baseball is better than no major league baseball at all.

And that’s the best that you can hope for in 2026 if 1) Hunter doesn’t learn to throw the changeup, and 2) the Reds don’t sign Kyle Schwarber.

And they won’t.

Either way…those marketing people are the hope for the future.