OK, so I really did not mind all of the moves the Reds made right after the All-Star break. Let's be honest, they still would have lost 85 games with all of those guys, so losing 92 is no big deal.
What I do mind is how the Reds management continually jerks the fans around. First, the team was supposed to compete this year. When Jimmy Haynes is your Opening Day starter, it's hard to take the organization seriously.
And now we've had the Barry Larkin flip-flop. First he's out, then he's resigned. What a joke. Larkin has been an above-average player for most of his career, but he's not a Hall-of-Famer. Not even close in my book. Dale Murphy, Jim Rice and even Don Mattingly belong in the Hall before Larkin. I don't care that he was the top shortstop in the National League of his era. Quite frankly, he was the best because the rest were so stinking bad.
Larkin seems to think that he is some kind of icon to Reds fans. But let's get a few things straight here. This is a guy who ran off Jack McKeon and backed the team into a corner, forcing them to give him a 3-year contract that he didn't deserve. Since signing that contract, all he's done is sit on the DL with numerous nagging injuries.
Personally, I think that Larkin will be the next manager of the Reds. And I think that is a good thing. I want to see if Barry can put his money where his mouth is, to see if he's as smart as he thinks he is.