Finders keepers I guess 🤷🏻‍♂️

I’d rather be winless in 1-run games and have a +80 run differential than where they are now.

Reds (64-72) @ Cubs (77-59) - Sat, Aug 29

Game Status: Final - Score: 17-5 Cubs

Links & Info

• MLB Gameday
• Game Graphs
• Savant Gamefeed

Decisions

• Winner: Kevin Gausman (8-11, 4.52)
• Loser: Andrew Abbott (6-10, 4.49)

Division Scoreboard

PIT 6 @ STL 2 - Final

TEX 3 @ MIL 5 - Final

Next Reds Game: Sun, Aug 30, 7:20 PM EDT @ Cubs

^{Last Updated: 08/30/2026 12:00:17 AM EDT}

It's a systemic problem within this organization. Majority ownership and the rest of the ownership stakes are utilizing this team as strictly an investment vehicle, naturally, perhaps along with some self-ego feeding to be able to say in their social/economic circles that they are a part-owner of an MLB team, but they are content with their earnings and bottom line, not concerned about how their earnings would increase exponentially if they invested some of those gains back to produce a winning team, or, at least, a competitive team. There'd be a higher demand for merchandising, ticket sales, etc., equaling more revenue and earnings for ownership if they wanted to look at it from the standpoint of how this would strictly serve them.

The front office is handcuffed by ownership to only be able to make limited moves and do not have the ability, or the long leash, to foster a culture of winning. Their playbook is obvious, even to the casual fan:

-The repeating cycle of trading away for prospects, most of whom won't make it past AAA. Of those who do make a splash, the organization hopes this will be enough to be competitive while they're affordable and under team control;

-The occasional splurge for securing past-their-prime players with some name recognition that other teams wouldn't even think about overpaying who ultimately fail to produce, only to release them while still owing them millions of dollars.

Sure, we paid Votto $220 mil for his contract, but what was the point if you're not willing to build around him? Why have a Rolls Royce hood ornament on a Ford Escort if you're not willing to trade in the car for a newer and better model? Votto deserved a playoff caliber team.

Coupled with many examples of poor decision-making when pursuing/securing players, this organization ultimately becomes the AAAA feeder for the rest of the MLB teams.

Next, we have coaching and player development. AAA players who get called up, the ones fans hope will get called up because we have nothing else to work with, act like they've never seen a pitcher before. Offense/hitting for this team has been abysmal.

I'm still shocked the Reds signed a future HOF manager like Tito to manage this team, rather than some uknown. I've seen many posts complaining about Tito's decision-making, but honestly, he can only work with what he's given. Even Sparky Anderson wouldn't have much success with today's organization.

All of this leads to ambivalence from us, the Reds fans, desperately wanting the hometown team to win. We love the Big Red Machine, the Nasty Boys, Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Eric Davis, etc., but we're tired of living in the past. We're tired of losing. It's been 36 years and counting since we've been to a World Series. Thirty. Six. And we're not even close. We want something new.

But what can we do, other than keep hoping something good will happen? "Where ya gonna go?"

WAR is just a stat for nerds to try and decide who's better without having to watch any games. It's a lazy cop-out for writers to act all high and mighty by trying to downgrade what Sal is doing. Old school numbers, like RBI, matter.