[More Cowbell]

Look at Tampa Bay, suck for 10 years and finally come around huh? Guess that's the direction.

the reds are a doomed team IMO they need new owners a whole new staff and a whole new roster.

My opinion on why the Reds have had 8 straight losing seasons is that they have never fully committed to rebuilding. They were willing to trade a couple veterans here and there, but would never take the painful step of blowing the team up and starting over with youngsters. Griffey and Dunn should have been traded years ago, when they still had a lot of value, and maybe we would be reaping the rewards right now.

I think back a few years ago when the Reds were set to trade Barry Larkin to the Mets for a package of young prospects, but the clueless owner at the time (Carl Lindner) stepped and nixed the deal. Not only that, but he compounded the problem by offering a 3-year extension for the fading star, a contract which hamstrung the Reds' payroll and ensured more losing seasons.

This team just needs a GM with some foresight, and for the owner to step back and let him do his job. This team has some young guys to build around (Bruce, Votto, Phillips, Volquez, Cueto), but that's not enough to win now. The Reds need to try to be more like the Oakland A's, who are contenders year in and year out because they aren't afraid to trade an established star if it makes the team better in the long run.