Attention All Miley Apologists

[Sea Ray]

You guys know who you are. How much longer will you continue to support this guy? This team has lost 4 straight to the worst teams in the league and they're in danger of losing today as well although I hope they manage to pull one out. Rich Aurilia is starting once again. He's started every game this series. The players are ticked and out of control.

What has Miley done to keep his job? What defense is there to continually playing Rich Aurilia? What hasn't Miley screwed up?

[CincyRedsFan30]

I think Miley is overwhelmed. O'Brien gave him very little to work with and he had Great Expectations on him. Obviously the team has struggled and his lineups have often been poor, but our offense has NOT been the big problem regardless. It's been the pitching, and I don't blame him for Paul Wilson/Milton/Ortiz, etc.

I think he needs to be fired right along with O'Brien, just because I think the organization needs someone from the outside for once. That is seeming more and more like the only way the team will be fixed.

[CincyRedsFan30]

John Allen was at today's game I'm reading, as he made an "unexpected" trip into Colorado.

Changes could be made sooner than next Sunday or Monday now. We'll see. I'm going to try to find out more here.

[Sea Ray]

I think Miley is overwhelmed. O'Brien gave him very little to work with and he had Great Expectations on him. Obviously the team has struggled and his lineups have often been poor, but our offense has NOT been the big problem regardless. It's been the pitching, and I don't blame him for Paul Wilson/Milton/Ortiz, etc.

I think he needs to be fired right along with O'Brien, just because I think the organization needs someone from the outside for once. That is seeming more and more like the only way the team will be fixed.

Obviously there's plenty of blame to go around and you are correct, O'Brien is to blame for Wilson/Milton/Ortiz. But you neglect to state where Miley is to blame. He is to blame for putting inferior lineups on the field. You don't think the players notice? They feel like they're playing with a "hand tied behind their back" everytime they see Aurilia in the lineup and guys like Freel or Kearns on the bench. This has a trickle down effect on team morale.

You are correct, pitching has been the main problem. But the hitting has been disappointing too and has been a factor. The only guys doing better than their baseball cards are Freel and Lopez and it's been a battle to get Miley to even play them.

All parts of this team are underachieving and the manager deserves to ax because of it.

I'd like to throw another name into the hat for manager. Howabout Hal McRae? I bet he'd light a fire under these guys yet still be a player manager.

The Cardinals likely wouldn't let him leave mid season but I'd make some calls if I'm John Allen or O'Brien. I think we need some experience. Art Howe is another with a good track record with young players

[CincyRedsFan30]

The Reds came into today tied for 11th in MLB in runs scored though.(tied for 5th in the NL with the Rocks, behind the Cards, Padres, Phillies and Dodgers) The offense hasn't been the problem.

Coming into today(only got worse after today), our pitching staff had given up 313 runs(third worst in baseball behind only the D-Rays and Rockies... who have the Coors effect). The Royals had allowed 312 runs coming into today, and to show just how bad the above teams have been when it comes to pitching, consider this: the next most runs given up by a pitching staff(Yankees) is 282, which is 30 runs less than the Royals. The Reds/Rockies/D-Rays and Royals are in a class by themselves.

[Slyder]

I had forgotten about Hal McRae always got a lot out of some really bad Royals teams. I wanted to see if Felipe Alou would have wanted the job last time, i know it wont happen now.

Doesnt Hal have some tie to Cincinnati? He would be as energetic and have plenty of gas to burn some butts and kick them into gear.

I liked Miley before the start of the year and even hoped that Aurilia starting to begin the year was just because he didnt think Fe Lopez was ready for everyday action yet. Now inspite of how well Lopez and Freel have played they would stay in the lineup and Aurilia would sit. Now there is no defending Miley.

Heres an idea everyone start taking signs saying "Bench Aurilia, Free Freel!"

[QuietAcre]

I think Miley is overwhelmed. O'Brien gave him very little to work with and he had Great Expectations on him. Obviously the team has struggled and his lineups have often been poor, but our offense has NOT been the big problem regardless. It's been the pitching, and I don't blame him for Paul Wilson/Milton/Ortiz, etc.

I think he needs to be fired right along with O'Brien, just because I think the organization needs someone from the outside for once. That is seeming more and more like the only way the team will be fixed.

That right there says much about the way this organization is being run.

[Reds_fan_4_life]

The Problem is our pitching and what ever it will take if it takes firing our whole front office. well i say lets do it b/c this Miley and Co, ain't workin for us as we can tell as we lose to one sad team in Coors. its really getting sad and pathetic. Our offense isn't the problem at all its producing we just need some other answer.

[Sea Ray]

The Reds came into today tied for 11th in MLB in runs scored though.(tied for 5th in the NL with the Rocks, behind the Cards, Padres, Phillies and Dodgers) The offense hasn't been the problem.

Coming into today(only got worse after today), our pitching staff had given up 313 runs(third worst in baseball behind only the D-Rays and Rockies... who have the Coors effect). The Royals had allowed 312 runs coming into today, and to show just how bad the above teams have been when it comes to pitching, consider this: the next most runs given up by a pitching staff(Yankees) is 282, which is 30 runs less than the Royals. The Reds/Rockies/D-Rays and Royals are in a class by themselves.

As I mentioned earlier pitching is definitely the main problem but hitting is part of the problem as well. Playing in the ballpark we do, scoring the 5th most runs in the league is "average" at best. This team should be producing more offensively. If you don't agree with that then you have low expectations of this offense.

The offense was supposed to carry this team and it did early in the year but it has done very little recently. We didn't expect Dunn, Kearns and LaRue to have "pitcher's batting averages" along with Miley's buddy Aurilia. That's half the starting lineup flirting with the Mendoza line.

[CincyRedsFan30]

As I mentioned earlier pitching is definitely the main problem but hitting is part of the problem as well. Playing in the ballpark we do, scoring the 5th most runs in the league is "average" at best. This team should be producing more offensively. If you don't agree with that then you have low expectations of this offense.

The offense was supposed to carry this team and it did early in the year but it has done very little recently. We didn't expect Dunn, Kearns and LaRue to have "pitcher's batting averages" along with Miley's buddy Aurilia. That's half the starting lineup flirting with the Mendoza line.

GABP has been proven in the past as a neutral hitting park, so no, it isn't a "special" park in that regard.

Dunn and LaRue are both WAY above average for their positions and Dunn is one of the best players in baseball, being that their batting average isn't the most important stat. Kearns certainly hasn't hit up to expectations, but I don't blame Miley for that. I still think he's feeling the effects of his run-in with Ray King.

The Aurilia situation I do blame Miley on, and other odd lineup combos.

[Slyder]

The pitching is the main problem with this team, thats a given.

But the offense could do so much more than what Miley has done with it. You have one guy with the sweetest swing (when healthy) in all of baseball, one of the biggest power hitters in the game right now, and plenty of youth to let this team grow as a unit but he chooses to bench one of the best leadoff hitters in the game in Freel, a young hitter who could be as good in Kearns, Wily Mo, and one of the rising stars Lopez for Rich "how low is my average now" Aurilia? That alone should now be enough to see what he is doing with this team. People are walking Dunn and being careful with Randa because they know they got slow as molasses Aurilia coming up to K, GIDP, Pop Out to short coming up. You would strengthen the lineup as a whole by playing your best second baseman everyday. The numbers back that up. This is the one area that Miley cannot avoid blame he puts the pen to the lineup card and no one else. Someone needs to throw the coals to his feet and ask him the hard question of why does he play Aurilia?

[CincyRedsFan30]

The offense is ranked 11th out of 30 teams in baseball, and that's despite a slow start to the season by Casey/Griffey.

And for the record, Freel was sore, which is why he didn't start the last couple of days, although as everyone knows, I have questioned Miley about not starting him, starting Aurilia and his batting order.

I just wanted to point those things out ot be fair though.

[Slyder]

Then whats the reasoning for sending Aurilia and DJ out there to start the season when both were basically outplayed by Lopez and Freel and continuing to bench Freel for Aurilia or while Wily Mo and/or Kearns was being benched and Freel in RF while Aurilia was at 2b?

[CincyRedsFan30]

Then whats the reasoning for sending Aurilia and DJ out there to start the season when both were basically outplayed by Lopez and Freel and continuing to bench Freel for Aurilia or while Wily Mo and/or Kearns was being benched and Freel in RF while Aurilia was at 2b?

I still maintain that the DJ situation was O'Brien's doing, since Miley CLEARLY stated during ST that he wanted Freel to start at 2B.

As I've said before(many times), I don't like many of his lineups and I don't understand the Aurilia fixation. No clue there, which is why I also stated I think he should be fired.

[Sea Ray]

GABP has been proven in the past as a neutral hitting park, so no, it isn't a "special" park in that regard.

Dunn and LaRue are both WAY above average for their positions and Dunn is one of the best players in baseball, being that their batting average isn't the most important stat. Kearns certainly hasn't hit up to expectations, but I don't blame Miley for that. I still think he's feeling the effects of his run-in with Ray King.

The Aurilia situation I do blame Miley on, and other odd lineup combos.

LaRue is WAY above average for what at his position?

I think Dunn is one of the best players in baseball but he's not performing like it. He's hitting .242 with a measly 28 RBIs. He has yet to knock in 100 runs. He's still a work in progress.

Miley's put some crazy lineups together this year and the fact the team is in complete disarray is beyond discussion. Those two facts are enough to warrant his firing. A manager can't let it all get out of hand like this.