#4 of 30...

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-bas ... nnati-reds

Well, Matt Synder (writer) has kept things in the same division for the start of this. And so the Reds are here... I'll admit - homer alert (BRM fan).

I would have picked Big Klu over Votto - at least until Votto puts together a monster season better than 2010. But interesting with the pitching... Reminds me of the Brewers: not so hot. But, thinking of the Big Red Machine, pitching was really just a placeholder. Franchise theme for the Reds.

Imagine facing this line up - WOW!

Just my opinion, but I gotta think Joe Morgan is hearing Brandon Phillips' footsteps.

My thoughts:
- I agree with hfkc that Big Klu deserves 1B so far. Good chance that changes before Votto is done though.

- As for relief pitcher, Dibble deserves this position to date. His 1990 season was incredible. I worried about Myers in the 9th but never the 8th.

- My starting pitchers would include Soto and Vander Meer. VDM's back-to-back no-no's were an incredsible feat. Speaking of no-hitters, I was at Riverfront when Soto came within one pitch of a no-hitter against the Cards. Still stings!

- And sorry '78 - 2nd base is not close yet IMO. BP is still quite inconsistent. Of course, Morgan was my favorite BRM player as I was a little league 2nd sacker. Morgan had a complete game with his high average, walks and stolen bases

That's quite a team. Of course, I'm also biased!

Cincy: Morgan indeed did have a complete game, above average in all five phases. But he wasn't the defensive wizard that Phillips is. No one is. If I started a team tomorrow, who would I pick? Probably Morgan. But Phillips isn't far behind, and he's got another three good years to change my mind.

I had totally forgotten Eric Davis - I would have missed on him for sure - I would go with Big Klu as well - saw him play a couple of time when I was a little kid - loved how he cut his sleeves off to show his tree trunk arms --- Loved the battery back in the day of Jim Maloney and Johnny Edwards ---

AppGrad78 wrote:Cincy: Morgan indeed did have a complete game, above average in all five phases. But he wasn't the defensive wizard that Phillips is. No one is. If I started a team tomorrow, who would I pick? Probably Morgan. But Phillips isn't far behind, and he's got another three good years to change my mind.

I'm not a Reds fan, but the problem with Phillips is he is a locker room cancer!

78- I agree that Phillips is tremendous defensively. As noted above though, he has had attitude issues. I'm hoping BP can start over with a new manager even if it's a familiar face.

Still sticking with #8!

AppGrad78 wrote:Just my opinion, but I gotta think Joe Morgan is hearing Brandon Phillips' footsteps.

BP has done a decent job for the Reds (probably one of the best trades in Reds' history), but I wouldn't go so far to think that BP is catching up to Lil Joe - not yet anyway...

BP has to do the following before he retires (he's 32 now):
Score 917 Runs
Get 1110 Hits
Hit 193 Doubles
Hit 65 Triples
Hit 102 HR
Get 429 RBI
Swipe 538 SB
Take 1538 BB
Only Strikeout 213 more times

Not to mention:
Earn 7 more All-Star games
Win 2 MVP awards
Earn 1 more Gold Glove
Make the Playoffs 4 more times
Earn World Series berth 5 more times
AND win 2 World Series

Now this is just the short list to MATCH Lil Joe...

Not trying to harp on BP because he had indeed been a nice addition for the Reds, but me thinks he has a long way to go to be in the same stratosphere as Lil Joe. It's possible, but those are some career numbers (for many) just to catch Joe...

AppStateNews wrote:

AppGrad78 wrote:Cincy: Morgan indeed did have a complete game, above average in all five phases. But he wasn't the defensive wizard that Phillips is. No one is. If I started a team tomorrow, who would I pick? Probably Morgan. But Phillips isn't far behind, and he's got another three good years to change my mind.

I'm not a Reds fan, but the problem with Phillips is he is a locker room cancer!

Brandon Phillips is passionate, intelligent and outgoing but this notion that he's a locker room cancer is nonsense. If he is, I'd like to have 25 just like him.

AppGrad78 wrote:

AppStateNews wrote:

AppGrad78 wrote:Cincy: Morgan indeed did have a complete game, above average in all five phases. But he wasn't the defensive wizard that Phillips is. No one is. If I started a team tomorrow, who would I pick? Probably Morgan. But Phillips isn't far behind, and he's got another three good years to change my mind.

I'm not a Reds fan, but the problem with Phillips is he is a locker room cancer!

Brandon Phillips is passionate, intelligent and outgoing but this notion that he's a locker room cancer is nonsense. If he is, I'd like to have 25 just like him.

There are a lot of players in the clubhouse who have had enough of his antics. A anonymous player last year said "you can never tell whether we won or lost by Brandon's face, but you could always tell if he went 0 for 4 or 4 for 4." Plus has gone out publicly to complain about his contract.

Price will have his hands full but I believe he will get the best out of Brandon and will cut down his problems in the clubhouse. Still one of my favorite Reds but he needs to cut out some of the attitude and get back to being a ballplayer only.

I'm not worried about Brandon next season. Phillips was one of the Reds better trades when he came a few years ago. He was marketed this off-season. It likely will turn out to be one of the better trades that the Reds did not make. BP brings alot of energy - most of it positive.

Growing up a die-hard Reds fan, I will have to say my favorite player that I can remember although a hard choice would have to be George Foster, he never received enough credit. Always liked his demeanor, he silently took care of business.

Too lazy to look it up and cant remember the year, but hated the year the Reds got jipped due to the strike shortened season where they had the best record in MLB and did not make the playoffs somewhere around 1982 I am thinking but not sure.

My fondest memory besides beating Boston in WS in dramatic fashion and sweeping the Yankees the next year was sweeping the A's in 1990.

My fav Reds player would be Pete Rose.....then again, I liked all of the Big Red Machine...they were fun to watch.

It was even fun to watch Tom Browning throw his perfect game. I was there to see it myself with Bh2oson and Kiddbrewer. Boring, but awesome game at the same time.