The Fifth Mascot with John Fay | Reds Podcast

On this week's Fifth Mascot, Scott Kyser and John Fay discuss the season that was.The Reds struggled for the most part, but there were some highlights among the lows. Cincinnati's pitching remains a giant question mark heading into 2018. Can they find help internally or will it take some creative moves from the front office to look outside the organization? And will the Reds contend in 2018 or is another 90-loss season on the horizon?

On this week's Fifth Mascot, Scott Kyser and John Fay discuss the recent call-ups. Tyler Mahle makes his long-awaited debut in Cincinnati. Will Mahle, Louis Castillo, and Sal Romano make the Reds and their fans forget about the starting rotation woes of 2017 in 2018? And 2017 second overall draft pick Tyler Greene makes his professional debut on the mound. All this and more in this week's episode of the Fifth Mascot with Kyser and Fay.

Scott Kyser and John Fay talk Reds Hall of Fame NomineesAdam Dunn overrated? Underrated? Properly rated?Homer Bailey comes up lame again and Scott Feldman is done for the year, is he done as a Red?And interviews with Ryan Gennett and Jesse Winker.

On this week's Fifth Mascot, Scott Kyser and John Fay dwell on the positives that can be found for the Reds over the last two weeks.Ryan Gennett. What can't he do?!Joey Votto continues to be one of the best hitters in baseball, but does the rest of the country, or even Reds Country, appreciate him as much as they should?Louis Castillo continues to impress on the mound, will anyone else in the farm system make the jump and be a highlight the rest of the way?And are Devin Mesoraco's days in Cincinnati numbered?All this and more in this week's episode of the Fifth Mascot with Kyser and Fay.

We look at the Reds now that the trading deadline is in the rearview mirror.A minor leaguer sets a record on a hitting streak.Things were relatively quiet in Cincinnati on July 31, but will Cozart, Storen, and Feldman still be on the team when September ends?Cingrani on the move out west.Trial by fire? Is it time to move on from the Reds recent past and throw the kids into the mix?All this and more in this week's episode of the Fifth Mascot with Kyser and Fay.

Scott Kyser and John Fay take assessment of the Reds before the trading deadlineInjuries to key trade pieces may have thrown the Reds' plans askew.What's the state of mind for players as the season goes south?Hey, hey what a triple play!Does this team's pitching deal more than the usual or is this a baseball problem?And what can Reds fans take away from the next 6 months to feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel come Opening Day 2018?All this and more in this week's episode of the Fifth Mascot with Kyser and Fay.

Catch up with the Reds after the All-Star break.The team has all but fallen out of contention so it's time to discuss what's next.Will these be the final few weeks of Zack Cozart's tenure in Cincinnati? Will the Reds find a starting pitcher in house or will it come back via a deadline deal?Hunter Greene takes signing talks right up to the final moments of the deadline but when will he make his way to Great American Ballpark?And Bronson Arroyo talks his future after baseball while Cozart gets his donkey.All this and more in this week's episode of the Fifth Mascot with Kyser and Fay.

Despite the team continuing to struggle, there were bright spots this week in the starting rotation.Homer Bailey showed he's not done yet and Luis Castillo continues to impress early in his big-league career.Will the Reds stand pat at the trading deadline or will they deal their tradeable assets with another eye towards the future? And will they ink Hunter Greene to a deal before the clock strikes midnight on the deadline?All this and more in this week's episode of the Fifth Mascot with Kyser and Fay.

On this week's Fifth Mascot, Scott Kyser and John Fay talked about the state of the Reds.Even as some starting pitching help starts to arrive, the Reds are continuing to struggle.Fay said the Reds should be patient with Homer Bailey as he eases back into things after missing so much time the last two and a half seasons, but the bigger concern is the Reds' bullpen. After all of the innings the bullpen has thrown early because of the awful starting pitching, the bullpen is struggling now.And Brandon Finnegan's injury really hurts this team.Fay and Kyser praised rookie starting pitcher Luis Castillo's debut, and Fay said the Reds should give young pitcher Tyler Mahle a shot at the starting rotation.The Reds need to figure out the future of the rotation because the starting rotation is in relative disarray, and the top prospects have not done well.Fay also talked to Scooter Gennett about his time with the Reds. Gennett said he wants to get better and perform so he can stay in Cincinnati.

The Reds have lost 11 of the last 12 games thanks to awful starting pitching, but have no fear Reds fans (or maybe a little less fear): Help is on the way. Veteran starting pitcher Homer Bailey could return on Saturday and the team is calling up prospect Luis Castillo to make his Major League debut on Friday. Starter Brandon Finnegan likely is not far behind Bailey. But just getting Bailey -- the Reds' highest paid pitcher and most veteran starter -- should provide a big boost. Bailey was 13-10 with a 3.68 ERA in 2012 and 11-12 with a 3.49 ERA in 2013 before he began to have injury issues. In 2015 and 2016, he combined to make eight starts. But after three successful minor league rehabilitation starts, Bailey should be back to normal, long time Reds reporter John Fay said on this week's Fifth Mascot podcast. "He's going to come in. He's going to challenge people. He's going to throw strikes," Fay said. "He's throwing hard. I don't think you can expect him to be the ace of the staff right away. But this is a guy with a great track record. I think you can expect him to be typical Home Bailey." Fay said manager Bryan Price reports that when he has watched Bailey throw in his side bullpen sessions that Bailey looks like the same pitcher he was before the injuries. "He's going to be more effective than the guys who they had in there previously. I'd go out on a limb on that," Fay said. Then there is Castillo. The 24-year-old is moving from Double A Pensacola directly to the Reds. He might only make a start or two, Fay said. The Reds acquired Castillo when they traded Dan Strailly to the Marlins earlier this year. Castillo is 4-4 with a 2.58 ERA at Pensacola. But while other rookie pitchers have struggled with control, Castillo has 81 strikeouts and only 13 walks in more than 80 innings pitched. Fay has said the Reds need to be aiming for a .500 season. The returning starting pitchers and shakeup of the rotation should help the team improve. But at 30-41 through Wednesday's game, a .500 season might be a challenge to achieve. "To play 10 games over .500 the rest of the way is a bit difficult," Fay said.

The Reds are struggling. They are wrapping up a horrendous six-game West Coast road trip. Going in to Wednesday's game, the Reds were winless. The sweep against the Los Angeles Dodgers included one of the biggest blown games longtime Reds reporter John Fay can recall. In one past instance, the Reds rebounded. In another, the big loss spelled the end of the season. One was when Francisco Cordero gave up a grand slam in 2010 against Atlanta. The walkoff ended a game where the Reds blew a 9-1 lead. But the team bounced back and won seven of the next nine games. Eventually, the team won the National League Central. On the other side, in 2014 the team blew a big lead with closer Aroldis Chapman against the Colorado Rockies. That game was similar to what happened with closer Raisel Iglesias against the Dodgers. In 2014, the team did not recover. Cincinnati had been around .500 and then lost seven straight "It's pretty ciritical that they play well...," Fay said. "This is a time where they have to step up or it's starting to get away from them a little bit, but I've said that before and they've recovered." The key has been if the Reds get decent starting pitching the team wins. If the starting pitching isn't good, the team loses. But help is on the way: Homer Bailey could be back in a few weeks and Brandon Finnegan isn't far behind him.

Hitting four home runs in one game certainly gets attention. But regardless, longtime Reds reporter John Fay says the Reds are better off with Scooter Gennett instead of Brandon Phillips. And the controversy over which of the two players wears No. 4 is ridiculous. Fay said wrote on Tuesday that the Reds never could have acquired Gennett if they had Phillips. Gennett can play multiple positions and come off the bench. Phillips would not have wanted to be a utility player. “For this year, Gennett's a more valuable player,” Fay said on The Fifth Mascot podcast. Outfielders Billy Hamilton and Scott Schebler were injured, and the Reds were able to plug Gennett in. “Last night was a ridiculous accomplishment,” Fay said. “Gennett has really brought something to the Reds that they sorely needed.” That all came on the heels of controversy over the weekend when Phillips – now with the Braves – returned to town and said it was a slap in the face that Gennett wears his number. “I thought what Phillips said was out of line,” Fay said. Gennett didn't choose the number 4. Meanwhile, the Reds had also given away Jay Bruce and Johnny Cueto's numbers. Fay also said he didn't think the Reds should retire number 4. Fay said Phillips had a great career with the Reds, but the team has such history it should reserve retiring numbers for players who make the Baseball Hall of Fame, Fay said. “It's no slight against him, but I don't think he deserves to have his number retired,” Fay said.

John Fay and Scott Kyser talk about the Reds' offense, Zack Cozart and, of course, the awful starting pitching so far this season. This episode also includes interviews with Cozart and Asher Wojciechowski.

In each of the games against Texas this week, Billy Hamilton made outstanding plays in the field, showing he can go to his left, and his right with amazing speed. 20 MLB clubs, including the Reds, are sending representatives to a Tim Tebow workout to see if the former quarterback can hack it in the big leagues. Joey Votto is having an outstanding second half to the season. September is coming and so are the "September call-ups." John Fay thinks Bryan Price should return in 2017.

The Fifth Mascot crew discusses talk of releasing Brandon Phillips, Cody Reed getting sent back to the minors, Raisel Iglesias' role on the team, Billy Hamilton vs. Usain Bolt, and MLB stadiums.

John Fay and the Fifth Mascot crew discuss Billy Hamilton leading the league in stolen bases, the historic collapse by the Reds bullpen, and Nick Senzel tearing it up in Dayton.

Jay Bruce is gone, but did the Reds get enough for him? Scott Schebler was called up and he's having a great time. Homer Bailey's debut was a success. Joey Votto lost his cool with a fan. The bullpen starts gaining some respect.

Jay Bruce is on fire and could land the Reds a great trade. Ken Griffey Jr. gets inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Mariner. Homer Bailey is expected to return to the mound this weekend. Former Red Aroldis Chapman lands the Yankees a top prospect in a trade with the Cubs.

The Fifth Mascot crew gives their recap of All-Star Weekend, where several current and former Reds players participated. Plus, the crew discusses trades and makes predictions for the second half of the season.

Adam Duvall made the All-Star team over Jay Bruce, who might see a trade soon. The Reds have a Cuban connection. Billy Hamilton made an amazing play. Cingrani has become a decent closer. DeSclafani looks like the staff ace.

Keenan asks fans, "why are you still watching the Reds?" Also, the crew talks about benching Brandon Phillips, sending J.J Hoover away, decrypting Joey Votto. Plus, discussions on Billy Hamilton's recklessness, Amir Garrett and the future, and Barry Larkin's response about managing the Reds.

The Fifth Mascot crew makes predictions on new starting rotations. Cozart, Duvall, and Bruce could be All-Stars, but they may not be Reds by then. Suarez fielded a ball and didn't know it. Pete Rose is finally getting his due at Hall of Fame Weekend at Great American Ball Park.

After a walk-off home run this week, Mr. Satin says Joey Votto is a team inspiration. Although their record suffers, the Reds are way ahead of last year in at least one positive category, but John Fay thinks RISP doesn't mean much. Now that June in here, the cavalry should be here soon. John Fay tells us how he expects the bullpen to change. Special guest and author of "The Only Rule is, it Has to Work," Sam Miller joins the show with optimism about the Reds draft opportunities.

The Adam Duvall/Mike Leake trade looks like it's produced our starting left fielder for the future. Billy Hamilton looks better at the plate with a .282 avg in the last 30 days. Zack Cozart leads the Reds in hits and batting average. How soon will we see Stephenson and Reed? Have trades been paying off for the Reds? With the draft coming up, what should the Reds be looking for? Dusty Baker returns to Cincinnati this weekend as manager of the Nats.

The Reds are on a losing streak, hitting only .169 this week. John Fay tells us what the moves the Reds' front office may make to bring up some young talent. Alfredo Simon's eephus pitch gets the gang reminiscing. J.J. Hoover is pitching well in the minors while Dan Straily gets called the Reds' "best starting pitcher." Some serious ticket deals aim to get fans back into the stands.

Jay Bruce had two home runs Wednesday night making him the new home run king at Great American Ballpark. Bryan Price says things will get better, but will they? Eugenio Suarez leads the team in home runs, but also errors. We finally get a look at Jose Peraza and he looks good. Alfredo Simon takes a beating in Cleveland.

There are a lot of things to say of about the 2016 Cincinnati Reds. Unfortunately, injuries and a bad bullpen continue to be a common theme. Is there light at the end of the tunnel? John Fay tells us the exact date he expects to see new hope from the Reds.

As the Cincinnati Reds' injury list continues to grow, their lousy pitching has set a new MLB record. John Fay and the crew talk about these problems and try to find a ray of sunshine.

Pirates! Mets! Cardinals! Cubs twice! The Cincinnati Reds have faced some of the top teams in the National League already and they haven't done well. Special guest JD Hafron from Cincinnati's 96 ROCK joins John Fay and the Fifth Mascot crew to discuss the Reds bullpen, the troubles on defense, and a catcher controversy.

With the Cubs on their way to the Queen City, the Cincinnati Reds should be shooting for at least a split series to build their confidence. John Fay and The Fifth Mascot crew talk pitching, new talent, and why we could be hopeful for a winning Reds season this year.

The Cincinnati Reds are off to a good start, sitting above .500 after the first couple weeks of baseball. Jay Fay says this team is better than expected, but warns that it's still early. Mr. Satin thinks winning on the road is the key to a successful season. Former Reds sales executive Stuart King joins the show and tells the gang what working with Marge Schott was really like.

After a strong opening day, Reds starting pitching is still in question. Mr. Satin says Votto's missing his opening day introduction is no big deal, Mike Canan's son hates JJ Hover. Keenan Singleton hopes the Reds can go .500 against the Cubs and Cardinals.

John Fay and the Fifth Mascot team get ready for opening day by talking about pitching staff, Jay Bruce's new ritual, and what the expectations are for this season… will this be the worst Reds team ever?