Another season of Reds baseball has come and gone, and the script is beginning to look all too familiar to Reds fans. After what can be called a great start, the Reds again began to fade in June and July after injuries to Barry Larkin and Ken Griffey Jr. in what has seemingly become a yearly ritual. As we reach the end of a once promising 2004 season, the hometown Reds are yet again battling it out with the Brewers and Pirates in the NL Central cellar. And once again, Reds fans are left with more questions than answers.

    For me, the biggest questions surround Reds ownership. Last season, after breaking the 2 million mark in attendance for the first time since 2000, Reds fans were told to expect a cut in player payroll. However, we were also told that if attendance continued to rise, that trend would surely change. Yet after breaking the 2 million mark for the second season in a row, we are being told to expect a similar cut for the 2005 season. And after being in contention for most of the first half of the season, Reds management again failed to pursue any trades to help the team for fear they would add too much to the payroll.

    Of course, many people argue that a team doesn't necessarily need a high payroll if they make the right moves and have the right personnel, and teams like the Marlins, Twins, and A's have proven that true year after year. Young, talented ballplayers coming up through a good farm system is a key to success for any team, and the Reds have been no exception. Through the college draft and a few key trades, the Reds have been able to acquire guys like Adam Dunn, Wily Mo Pena, and Brandon Claussen who can help this team get to the next level.

    However, the organization has made some other moves that have been down-right crippling to this team's chances. Though there is no shortage of talent on the roster, very little of it currently exists in the pitching department. Free agency is one way many teams address this shortcoming, but as previously mentioned, the Reds continue to slash payroll despite continued increasing attendance. This makes it imperative that they manage their resources wisely, which cannot be the case when you have the lion's share of your payroll consumed by two or three players that, quite frankly, don't seem to be playing that much.

    Which brings us to Barry Larkin and Ken Griffey, Jr.

    As far as Larkin goes, it's time for all of us (including Barry) to face up to a fact we've known for years: Barry is no longer an everyday player. While he has shown that he is still the most talented shortstop on the roster, the rigors of everyday playing have again proven too much for his aging body to handle. As of this time, he has effectively been benched for the remainder of the season while Dave Miley and his staff explore other options. There is talk that he will play again next year, but not with the Reds. If that is the case, then thanks for the memories Barry! You were one of the greats, and I know all of Cincinnati wants to see you finish your career with the Reds. Sadly, the price in terms of payroll will simply be to high for what will essentially be, in terms of games played, a back-up shortstop. Best of luck wherever you wind up.

    For me personally, Junior's story is a little more heartbreaking. When Junior came to the Reds in 2000, this town was pumped, and for good reason. The man referred to as the "Michael Jordan of Baseball" was coming home to join a team that had won 91 games the season before, and everyone smelled the playoffs. Sadly, his time here has been an injury-laden disaster. He hasn't been able to play in more than 83 games for the last three seasons, and his productivity in those games has been lackluster at best. It really pains me to say this because I'm a huge fan, but if there is to be no rise in player payroll, we simply can no longer afford to keep Junior. With his trade value severely diminished we will have few options, but for this team to progress we cannot pay Junior $9 million a year to sit on the bench. He may still have a future as a Designated Hitter in the American League, and I wish him all the success in the world. But for the good of the Reds and Junior himself, sadly, he has got to go.

    Hopefully Larkin, Junior, and the rest of the organization can prove me wrong and rebound for 2005. But as I said earlier, Reds fans have seen this exact same script play out for the last few seasons, and unless there is drastic change in this organization, there is no reason to believe the immediate future will be any different. Which leaves me with one final thought:

    Thank God it's football season.

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Other Reds Sites

· www.cincinnatireds.com
· The Sporting News
· Cincinnati Enquirer
· Cincinnati Post
· majorleaguebaseball.com
· ESPN.com
· Fastball
· USA Today
· Minor league affiliates

All photos credited to: The Cincinnati Enquirer