Reds a Better Team than the Brewers?? Brandon Phillips Thinks So!

[lcbj68c]

Per the Recap story of today's game, Brandon Phillips believes the Reds are a better team than the Brewers. http://jsonline.stats.com/mlb/recap.asp?g=290531108

 

I don't want to seem holier than thou about my own team, but this statement reeks a little bit of being a sore loser. I think the Brewers have a better lineup, the bullpens are about even, the bench is about even, and the Brewers starting pitching has performed better, though the Reds may be a little more talented in that department. What are you thoughts? Buying the Reds are a better team than the Brewers?

[twobrewers]

"I feel like we're a better team than the Brewers," he said. "But today, they executed better than we did. They did the little things. We didn't do the little things the last two games. That's why they won the game."

 

What he really meant...

 

"We just have the worst manager in all of baseball," he said "Honestly, I can't believe we are expected to win with Dusty Baker as our coach. We've had a fair share of injuries - but with Ken Macha we would probably be 10 games above .500 too"

[logan82]

Meh, the guy is confident in himself and his teammates. Good for him.

 

The Reds were 26-20 coming into this series and we were 27-20. I personally don't think that the Reds are as good as us, but the difference is close enough I don't think what he said is to crazy. Now Richard Justice saying the Astros have no holes on the other hand....

[endaround]

What should he say? "We thought we had a chance but we came here and saw the Brewers are just so much better than us we might as well call it a season."

[sauveb]

Didn't another one of the Reds predict that, by the time they finished their road trip to Mil. and STL, they'd be in first place? It's good to have confidence in your team, it's better to shut your mouths and win games.

[Ennder]

I don't have a huge issue with him saying that though I disagree with it. They are hitting a very tough spot in their schedule right now and it won't surprise me to see them 4 or 5 games back after the next 10 games or so. They are probably overproducing to this point, I think they are a mid 80 wins talented team but with Votto, Encarnacion and Volquez all injured I'm surprised they aren't sitting closer to .500.

[logan82]

Just for reference, before the series their predicted Pythagorean wins were 88 and ours 89. Now it is 84 and 92. Probably not the best or most accurate way to do it, but a fun toy. Link

 

It basically calculates a Pythagorean win percentage for the rest of the year, calculates the number of expected wins for the rest of the year and adds them to their current wins.

 

wins+

(runs scored*runs scored)/((runs scored*runs scored)+(runs allowed*runs allowed)))*games remaining

[Sundown Kid]

Part of the problem with making too much out of a quote like Phillips's is we don't know the question to which he was responding. If a reporter had asked, for example, "Brandon, after this weekend do you feel like the Brewers are a better team?" I would expect him to answer as he did. Anyone would have. I'm sure his answer was somehow prompted.

[DHonks]

Phillips said what he felt. I wouldn't want him on my team if he didn't believe in us

[lcbj68c]

It's good to have confidence in your team, it's better to shut your mouths and win games.

That about sums it up for me. You just got swept, yet you want to brag that you think you are the better team? I don't have the interviewer's question in front of me, but I would bet it was an unprovoked response. It just seems a lot like the pip squeak that wants to pick a fight with the bully. The bully puts him in his place and as the pip squeak walks away wounded, he spins around and yells to the bully, "yeah, I'm badder than you and I'll whoop your expletive next time." Phillips doesnt have to give anybody a "poor me or poor us" routine, just leave town quietly and try to get some wins in the next series rather than giving your opinion as to who's the better team. Telling the media you lost because the Brewers were less talented, they just did the "little things" is pretty dumb. Not to mention, if you consider the little things, scoring runs and getting 27 outs, than yeah I guess the Brewers did do the little things.

[Nottso]

I remember way too many times during all the years of futility, hearing things like "good teams do the little things right," or "good teams find a way to win these close games." Guess what? Our guys are doing the little things right, and they're finding ways to win the close games. Like it or not, this is a good team.

[Diskono]

I still think the Brewers are better than the Twins :shrug:

[splitterpfj]

I have no problem with Phillips saying that - he didn't trash the Brewers, etc, he just said he thought his group was the better of the two...fair enough.

 

Fully healthy, it might be a close race between the two, and even though the Brewers have lost Weeks, the Reds have had far worse luck in the injury department.

 

As of right now, there's no way I could pick the Reds to finish ahead of Milwaukee...but they've got a lot of outstanding young talent over there.

[TooLiveBrew]

"We just have the worst manager in all of baseball," he said "Honestly, I can't believe we are expected to win with Dusty Baker as our coach. We've had a fair share of injuries - but with Ken Macha we would probably be 10 games above .500 too"

 

You mean the same razor-sharp manager that waited until halfway into Gallardo's outing to have the umpire force him to lose the bandage on his elbow? A lot of managers would have recognized that & acted on it right away. But Dusty knows it's like striped bass fishing. You have to cloak your actions. Gallardo never saw it coming!

[Tbadder]

I think the Reds have more upside than the Crew right not, but they're not better. Phillips better say his team is better, and believe it, or he's no teammate of mine.

[diener34]

The difference is that you don't always have to say what you believe, but to get swept and say you are the better team doesn't really say much. He could have said something to the effect of, we're both good teams, we had plenty of chances to win 2 or all 3 games, but we just didn't execute as well as they did.

 

You don't have to point who is better and worse, especially after losing 3 in a row.

[JohnBriggs12]

Without Votto, the Reds aren't anywhere near the Brewers. With Votto, they're pretty even with the Brewers missing Weeks.

[Fatter than Joey]

Here is a more robust quote...

 

"We just weren't the Reds this series," said second baseman Brandon Phillips, who was 2-for-4 with a fifth-inning solo home run. "They came here ready because they knew we were ready. They saw us coming right behind them. Somebody had to step their game up. It was either going to be them or be us. It was them. They're a good team, but we're better."

 

"It's just sad it happened like this," Phillips said. "We had chances to win the game today. We had chances to win the game the day before. We just didn't come through. Good teams do little things to win. We have to do the small things. Get them over and get them in. They executed. That's why they're in first place."

 

"We just have to learn from this and make sure we don't take it to St. Louis, or it will happen again," Phillips said.

 

I have no problems whatsoever with what Phillips said. If I am a Reds fan, I certainly don't want to hear "The Brewers are better than us". I don't think he is at all dismissive of the fact that the Brewers swept the Reds... at least he isn't calling us a bunch of punks, or sore-winners, and it is not like the thought that the Reds>Brewers is totally insane.

[Invader3K]

Yeah, I don't have a problem with what he said, either.

 

I do have a problem with how dismissive other teams and the media in general have seemed to be regarding the Brewers this season.

[sgtcluels]

In that context, no problem at all. I think Yost would have called Phillips a gamer.

[davego]

He could stay with the club and get on the flight to FLA. I'd have no problem with that at all.

[hawing]

at least he isn't calling us a bunch of punks, or sore-winners

Nor did he harp on where the Brewers' jersey shirttails go after a game ends.

[phxMILWfan]

If you read the comments made by Reds fans all but one was very respectful of the Brewers and they wanted Phillips to keep his mouth shut. I don't have a problem with what he said at all. As far as division rivals I think I dislike the Reds and their fans the least.

[JJHardy7]

You mean the same razor-sharp manager that waited until halfway into Gallardo's outing to have the umpire force him to lose the bandage on his elbow? A lot of managers would have recognized that & acted on it right away. But Dusty knows it's like striped bass fishing. You have to cloak your actions. Gallardo never saw it coming!

 

Did he have the bandage on the beginning of the game? To be honest, I didn't notice it (probably missed it) until Dusty said something. If he did have it on the beginning of the game, that's pretty bad.

[lcbj68c]

I guess I am in the minority on this one and perhaps my opinion has swayed a bit given the other posts. I didnt expect him to go to the other extreme and poo-poo his own team by any means, that's not what I was saying. I just think something along the lines of, "The got the better of us this weekend, but I think we are a good team and can hang with them. We just made mistakes, but it's going to be a fun pennant race as I think we have just as much talent as they do." That certainly reads a lot better to me than, "We're a better team than they are." But I guess I am in the minority and that's ok this time.