The New Red Scare
Mike Popelka
Watch out National League; the Cincinnati Reds are going to win the World Series. Although they haven't signed any decent free agents, their GM was fired less than a week ago, and payroll won't be increasing by much for the 2006 season, new owner Robert Castellini has all but guaranteed a championship for Cincinnati fans. Oops.
It's just a bad idea for the chief of a team in shambles to promise anything to the fans other than marginal improvement. At his introductory news conference last week, Castellini said, "I want to make a promise today to Reds fans wherever you are, a promise from one fan to another: We will bring championship baseball to Cincinnati" (quoted by Joe Kay, Reds New Owner Makes Some Changes, AP). Those are pretty bold words for the owner of a team that finished in fifth place at 73-89 last year.
Promises like that can't be bandied about like cheap cigars; especially when they're directed toward sports fans, a demographic that is notoriously manic-depressive. If ownership says "championship", fans assume that means this year. Joe Namath came through with his promise of a Super Bowl victory in 1969, but I have serious doubts as to the validity of Castellini's claim. The Red's most significant free agent signing for this season was --wait for it-- Tony Womack. Tony Womack? If your big spring position battle is between Womack, Rich Aurilia, and Ryan Freel for second base your team is in deep trouble.
I realize that Castellini wisely left out a timeline in his bold statement, but all Reds fans should be concerned. If I remember correctly, the last time the Reds fan base bought into front office hype it was for the signing of Ken "Walking Disaster" Griffey, Jr. The truth of the matter is, Felipe Lopez is currently the Red's most exciting player and he's being paid next to nothing (in athlete salary terms). He's talented, but the team needs 3 or 4 more guys like him in order to be competitive. In addition to Lopez and Griffey, Adam Dunn and Wily Mo Pena will be key cogs in the championship drive of 2006. I sure hope that Reds fans realize they need more talent than this in order to compete in the World Series.
In order to ensure the four or five remaining Reds fans stay Reds fans, Castellini needs to let them know what he intends to do. Will he stock up the farm system? Bump up the payroll to buy free agents? Change the team's color scheme? The Reds have been rebuilding since their almost-playoff appearance in 1999, but there is no improvement on the immediate horizon. Reds management-- it's time to end the labor and deliver the baby. Do your fans a favor; don't make them wait too long for that promised trip to the World Series, or baseball in Cincinnati will continue on its way to becoming the second coming of the Kansas City Royals. Nobody wants that, not even a Cubs fan like me.
Watch out National League; the Cincinnati Reds are going to win the World Series. Although they haven't signed any decent free agents, their GM was fired less than a week ago, and payroll won't be increasing by much for the 2006 season, new owner Robert Castellini has all but guaranteed a championship for Cincinnati fans. Oops.
It's just a bad idea for the chief of a team in shambles to promise anything to the fans other than marginal improvement. At his introductory news conference last week, Castellini said, "I want to make a promise today to Reds fans wherever you are, a promise from one fan to another: We will bring championship baseball to Cincinnati" (quoted by Joe Kay, Reds New Owner Makes Some Changes, AP). Those are pretty bold words for the owner of a team that finished in fifth place at 73-89 last year.
Promises like that can't be bandied about like cheap cigars; especially when they're directed toward sports fans, a demographic that is notoriously manic-depressive. If ownership says "championship", fans assume that means this year. Joe Namath came through with his promise of a Super Bowl victory in 1969, but I have serious doubts as to the validity of Castellini's claim. The Red's most significant free agent signing for this season was --wait for it-- Tony Womack. Tony Womack? If your big spring position battle is between Womack, Rich Aurilia, and Ryan Freel for second base your team is in deep trouble.
I realize that Castellini wisely left out a timeline in his bold statement, but all Reds fans should be concerned. If I remember correctly, the last time the Reds fan base bought into front office hype it was for the signing of Ken "Walking Disaster" Griffey, Jr. The truth of the matter is, Felipe Lopez is currently the Red's most exciting player and he's being paid next to nothing (in athlete salary terms). He's talented, but the team needs 3 or 4 more guys like him in order to be competitive. In addition to Lopez and Griffey, Adam Dunn and Wily Mo Pena will be key cogs in the championship drive of 2006. I sure hope that Reds fans realize they need more talent than this in order to compete in the World Series.
In order to ensure the four or five remaining Reds fans stay Reds fans, Castellini needs to let them know what he intends to do. Will he stock up the farm system? Bump up the payroll to buy free agents? Change the team's color scheme? The Reds have been rebuilding since their almost-playoff appearance in 1999, but there is no improvement on the immediate horizon. Reds management-- it's time to end the labor and deliver the baby. Do your fans a favor; don't make them wait too long for that promised trip to the World Series, or baseball in Cincinnati will continue on its way to becoming the second coming of the Kansas City Royals. Nobody wants that, not even a Cubs fan like me.
posted by Mike P at 6:47 PM
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