Opinion: The Pirates wanted to win more than the Reds
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
It doesn't bother me that the Cincinnati Reds lost in the NL Wild Card to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-2 Tuesday evening in Pittsburgh, because someone had to lose the game. What bothers me is the perception they gave as they lost in the postseason and at crucial times this past month during the regular season.
The perception the third-place team in the NL Central gave, from my eyes, was … whatever happens, happens. The perception was ho-hum, oh well. The perception was we say we care, but we really don't.
That's what I saw through my glasses … what did everyone else see?
I saw no urgency with this team … oh wait, according to manager Dusty Baker, there was no need for urgency. I totally forgot. Teams don't need urgency in a postseason run to the playoff or for a division title. Silly me.
How does a team in the postseason, fighting for their baseball lives, battling a division rival in a win-or-go home game, just give the perception that they are just there to be there?
[[In-content Ad]]It's frustrating, to say the least. I like the sport of baseball. No, I love the sport of baseball, and the team I cheer for on a personal basis isn't even in the postseason, so I'm not mad from a fan perspective. I'm angry because the way this team played baseball was like they were being forced to play the games, not because they wanted to play.
As a baseball fan in general, the Reds didn't look like a postseason team the final five games of the regular season, and they sure didn't look like a team that belonged or earned the right to play in October.
They were just there to be there. Nothing else. Nothing more.
If anyone reading this watched at least one of the final six games the Reds played in to end their 2013 season, you saw how lethargic, unmotivated and uninterested they seemed to be in those games.
I know they care, or at least that's what I like to believe, but where was the motivation? Why didn't they show the passion their rival Pittsburgh showed? The Pirates personify a fun team. They play baseball like the teams do in the movies … carefree and with a smile. They care.
The Pirates have fun playing baseball, like every team who are as talented as both of these teams should play the game. The Reds didn't get that memo.
I also can't forget to mention the fact Pirates' starter Francisco Liriano was a beast on the mound for the home team, so there is that. The former Minnesota Twin finished with seven innings pitched, allowing one earned run on four hits and one walk. Liriano struck out five in his first postseason win.
Liriano was brilliant. He held the Reds' top four batters in the order to a combined 2-for-22. That about says it all there. Johnny Cueto … well, he literally and figuratively dropped the ball. He didn't have his best stuff, the fans got under his skin and he started the biggest game of the season after spending most of '13 on the disabled list.
It was an "imperfect storm" for the Reds Tuesday.
Don't give me the Pirates have had to wait through 20-plus losing seasons to get to this points I'm pretty sure some of the Pirates have previously played in the postseason on other teams, and none of the Pirates have been on their roster since 1993.
This group of players in Pittsburgh played like they wanted it more … simple fact. They play the way it should be played … like kids and not like a business.
Marty Brennaman and Jeff Brantley, on the radio broadcast following yet another first-round postseason ousting, asked "Why?"
Brantley said (and this may be a SparkNotes version) "When it comes down to those crunch time ball games, they're (the Reds) coming up short, and I think the question 'why?' is going to be asked time and time and time again between now and when they report to spring training."
There are a lot of "why"s that need to be answered. Why does this team continually play like this in every big boy game they seem to play in?
Brandon Phillips, after the game, said he and his team "choked."
Why did they blow a two-game lead in the NLDS in 2012? Why did they lose their last six games of the season (counting Tuesday) when they could have earned home field advantage?
Maybe the Pirates were just a better team to beat the Reds four straight times. Maybe they wanted it more than the Reds … it sure seems that way.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.
The perception the third-place team in the NL Central gave, from my eyes, was … whatever happens, happens. The perception was ho-hum, oh well. The perception was we say we care, but we really don't.
That's what I saw through my glasses … what did everyone else see?
I saw no urgency with this team … oh wait, according to manager Dusty Baker, there was no need for urgency. I totally forgot. Teams don't need urgency in a postseason run to the playoff or for a division title. Silly me.
How does a team in the postseason, fighting for their baseball lives, battling a division rival in a win-or-go home game, just give the perception that they are just there to be there?
[[In-content Ad]]It's frustrating, to say the least. I like the sport of baseball. No, I love the sport of baseball, and the team I cheer for on a personal basis isn't even in the postseason, so I'm not mad from a fan perspective. I'm angry because the way this team played baseball was like they were being forced to play the games, not because they wanted to play.
As a baseball fan in general, the Reds didn't look like a postseason team the final five games of the regular season, and they sure didn't look like a team that belonged or earned the right to play in October.
They were just there to be there. Nothing else. Nothing more.
If anyone reading this watched at least one of the final six games the Reds played in to end their 2013 season, you saw how lethargic, unmotivated and uninterested they seemed to be in those games.
I know they care, or at least that's what I like to believe, but where was the motivation? Why didn't they show the passion their rival Pittsburgh showed? The Pirates personify a fun team. They play baseball like the teams do in the movies … carefree and with a smile. They care.
The Pirates have fun playing baseball, like every team who are as talented as both of these teams should play the game. The Reds didn't get that memo.
I also can't forget to mention the fact Pirates' starter Francisco Liriano was a beast on the mound for the home team, so there is that. The former Minnesota Twin finished with seven innings pitched, allowing one earned run on four hits and one walk. Liriano struck out five in his first postseason win.
Liriano was brilliant. He held the Reds' top four batters in the order to a combined 2-for-22. That about says it all there. Johnny Cueto … well, he literally and figuratively dropped the ball. He didn't have his best stuff, the fans got under his skin and he started the biggest game of the season after spending most of '13 on the disabled list.
It was an "imperfect storm" for the Reds Tuesday.
Don't give me the Pirates have had to wait through 20-plus losing seasons to get to this points I'm pretty sure some of the Pirates have previously played in the postseason on other teams, and none of the Pirates have been on their roster since 1993.
This group of players in Pittsburgh played like they wanted it more … simple fact. They play the way it should be played … like kids and not like a business.
Marty Brennaman and Jeff Brantley, on the radio broadcast following yet another first-round postseason ousting, asked "Why?"
Brantley said (and this may be a SparkNotes version) "When it comes down to those crunch time ball games, they're (the Reds) coming up short, and I think the question 'why?' is going to be asked time and time and time again between now and when they report to spring training."
There are a lot of "why"s that need to be answered. Why does this team continually play like this in every big boy game they seem to play in?
Brandon Phillips, after the game, said he and his team "choked."
Why did they blow a two-game lead in the NLDS in 2012? Why did they lose their last six games of the season (counting Tuesday) when they could have earned home field advantage?
Maybe the Pirates were just a better team to beat the Reds four straight times. Maybe they wanted it more than the Reds … it sure seems that way.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.