$%*&

Tonight is one of those nights where watching this team is the equivalent to banging your head against a brick wall for three hours.

This is the team I remember from 2005.

Pathetic.
_____
Three hours later...

I've been thinking.
If you lose seven of eight games and are still the Wild Card team... things ain't that bad.
Don't get me wrong - tonight's loss was a *grotesque* mess, but it still is only one game. (There is a "but.") BUT, if things don't start to change right now, this team is going to slowly but surely see other teams pass them by. If someone does decide to step up or take charge or light some kind of fire under this team's butt, then I see no reason why, especially if what Castellini says about making acquisitions if necessary is true, we can't have another month (or two, or three!) like April.

What needs to be done to make a long-term run at the postseason?
Here's my take:

• Trade Jason LaRue. I know for this to happen we'll have to eat a large chunk of the contract he signed this past offseason, but why not? He's not catching anymore... I can't even remember the last time he started behind the plate (keep in mind I've missed a few games recently). There are some teams out there that need a catcher, and he's a decent defensive backstop, and he might be ice cold this season in terms of offense, but he's still a career .260 hitter, and he'll make it back there, if not for the Reds, then somewhere, before season's end. Right now he's a guy on the bench, and so long as Narron is bringing in K. McCracken to ground out, er... pinch hit, there's one less opportunity for LaRue to contribute.
• DFA/trade/lose-on-the-plane-to-New-York Quinton K. McCracken. Please raise your hand if you'd like to see his roster spot occupied by ANYONE ELSE. ...too bad Narron seems to despise RayRay. Everyone, hands down now.
• ACQUIRE SOME PITCHING. Yeah. I'm a master of the obvious.
  *this is not a complete list, it's just what I can think of off the top of my head at this moment*

The starting pitching continues to get it done. The offense continues to get it done... every other game. The bullpen continues to get it done for the other team.

Ooh! Just got off the phone with a friend who was given two Scout Seats for tomorrow's game. I had to rearrange my work schedule, but it's done, and I'm going. If we can win this game, great! ...it'll mean we put a crappy loss behind us. I'm not going to suggest what might happen if we lose...

To my Reds: Don't let this one miserable loss (two, actually, but who is counting?) stick in your minds and affect you tomorrow. Show some poise and resilience and go out tomorrow, and play like you've got nothing to lose. Aaron Harang has shown himself to be a fanstastic pitcher, and I'm glad to see that he will be on the mound tomorrow. I can almost guarantee that you give him some decent run support, and we'll come away from this with a victory. And then we can build from there.
And please, baseball gods, let Harang have a good... say... 9 innings in that arm.
;)

Go RotBeines! (I think I just skewered the heII out of the German language. My apologies! Entschuldigen Sie!)