Wasted At Bats

If anyone wants to know why I’m so down on the Reds, yesterday’s game is the prime example.  Under Dusty Baker, the Reds have shown an appalling lack of plate discipline.  I’m not mad they lost 4-3 to the Cubs yesterday, but I am mad at how they lost.  Starting in the bottom of the 6th with the score tied 3-3, here are the Reds final 12 outs:

6th:

  • Walk
  • Strikeout
  • double play

7th

  • Strikeout
  • Strikeout
  • Strikeout

8th

  • Strikeout
  • single! (Joey Votto is the only professional hitter on that team)
  • fielders choice
  • line out (great play Lee, or it’s a double to tie the game)

9th

  • Strikeout
  • Strikeout
  • Strikeout

In their final 12 at bats, the Reds struck out 8 times, and hit into a double play.  It’s not like they were facing Sandy Kofax out there either.  I know that a strikeout is just like any other out, but if you had seen the wild hacks the Reds were taking, you’d understand.  There’s a total lack of plate discipline from almost the entire lineup.  In a one run game, every player went to plate trying to hit the ball out of the park.  It was embarrassing. It’s crappy 1980s AL baseball, and it makes it impossible to root for the team.  Games like yesterday happen all too often.  I don’t know if the problem is the players or with Dusty Baker’s lack of discipline over the team, but until this team learns to have actually big league quality at bats, it will never contend on any meaningful level.  14 strikeouts in a game is humiliating.  Eight in the final four innings are inexcusable.

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