I took the girls to the game today and watched Chapman blow yet another save opportunity. When are the Reds going to realize that Chapman is a starting pitcher. He is not a closer!!! I don't care how fast you throw it. If you throw 100 mph fastball after 100 mph fastball, major league hitters are going to hit it. As a closer, Chapman has all but abandoned his slider, and rarely throws any off-speed stuff. He can offer this team so much more.
He has now blown 2 straight saves, and blown 4 of his last 7 opportunities. Even worse, the Reds are so worried about him that they rarely even use him. Before today, the last time he pitched was Tuesday. Not really adding much to the team there.
The Reds need to put Marshall back into the closer role. He blew 1 game and was yanked. He is so much better suited to close. They need to stretch out Chapman and make him a starter for the late season and maybe playoffs. They also need a bat. I don't even care. Either a true leadoff man or a real cleanup hitter.
Without that, we lose this season - again. I refuse to attend another game or watch on TV until they make some changes.
2 comments:
I agree that this team at present can't really compete with the big boys. Offensively, we rely almost exclusively on Votto and BP. If they go cold God help the Reds. After Cueto our starting pitching is a coin flip as to whether you're going to get a quality start or 4 innings with 8 runs (I am looking at you Latos). As for the bullpen, we actually have great arms, but man is Chapman wasted there. As you said, he has regressed as a pitcher in the bullpen. It's just fastball after fastball. Teams are not dumb, they are on to this and are now having success against him. Madson would really have helped this team out, but that boat has sunk. I think Jocketty has already said Chapman is not going to start this year, so another year wasted for an elite talent. Also, how happy are Reds fans that management went cheap on us in free-agency this offseason in LF? We could have had Beltran or Willingham, but we got...Ludwick. Good job Walt.
Poetic justice that Willingham crushed an upper decker to beat us yesterday.
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