Frustrated legends and broadcast booths boil over as Cincinnati’s dismal collapse sparks demands for change, highlighting a widening gap between budding superstars and a failing front office.
The Cincinnati Reds have dropped their fourth straight series after a second straight loss to the Chicago Cubs. Cincinnati is currently 72-84 and 25.5 games back from first place in the NL Central, four games behind the fourth-place St. Louis Cardinals.
The Reds have been trending in the wrong direction since May and have had few hot stretches to give fans any hope. Outside of individually great seasons from Sal Stewart, who is second in the MLB in runs batted in and is the current favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year, Elly De La Cruz, who continues to prove he’s one of the more dangerous players in the league, and Chase Burns, who is emerging as an ace-level pitcher, Reds fans have had little to nothing to cheer about.
However, on Sunday, fans' frustrations boiled over from social media and into the broadcast booths at Great American Ballpark. Both Barry Larkin and Jeff Brantley made rather interesting and harsh statements about the team they work for, expressing their deep disappointment in a tough season that had much higher expectations.
Brantley looked back on the start of the season, noting how far they had come from their season-opening series win over the Boston Red Sox to where they are now, and said there wasn’t a whole lot of fun in between. His partner, Tommy Thrall, quipped that April was fun for a little bit. Brantley responded by saying that's like giving someone a taste of the popsicle and then yanking it out of their mouth.
Larkin was much harsher and more direct, pointing out the disparity between the Reds and the playoff teams they have faced over the last two weeks: the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs. Larkin said that change needed to happen because the city deserves better than what they have gotten from this Cincinnati Reds team. The Reds went 5-11 in 16 straight games against those three teams.
Unfortunately for Larkin, it’s already been reported that president of baseball operations Nick Krall, general manager Brad Meador, and manager Terry Francona will all return in 2027. If there is baseball, the biggest change would have to be a big free-agent signing, which is unlikely based on the Reds’ offseason history. Even if there is baseball in 2027, the Reds are unlikely to field a contending team, as ace starter Hunter Greene is expected to miss much of the 2027 season after elbow surgery in early August.
