Cincinnati Reds @ Pittsburgh Pirates GameThread, Aug 19, 2011 7:05 ...

First, the old business. "Blogging about the Reds since 1869" won two anonymous internet elections fair and square. So that's the new tag-line. We'll try it on and maybe rotate a few others, such as "Unfortunately the ______."&nbsp; We might land back where we started with the taglines, but since 2012 mode kicked in for the Reds, it's hard not to distrust the status quo. Change is something the Reds need to embrace too. Partly for the limits of the market and payroll space, they were resistant last offseason. They can't afford to after this season. After the 1990 World Series, the team mostly stood still and finished 5th in the NL West in '91. After the 1995 NLCS defeat, as the Reds have done chronically as an org, refused to solve their starting pitching issues and still seemed to have a regressive nostalgia for <a href="www.nflyouthjersey.com"><strong>NFL youth jersey, youth NFL jersey</strong></a> the '90 sweep. The storylines in 2011 are getting pretty stale: still looking for a LF power bat, looking for a shortstop, what to do with Aroldis Chapman, what to do with MLB ready talent. Starting pitching quantity, but not quality. Unfortunately, all too often this season, there hasn't appeared to be a solution. Or it's been "sit it on the bench" or "leave it in Kentucky." Also: Homer Bailey, perennially on the cusp of a breakout. It's time for the Reds to take decisive action before July 2012. If the team is trying to compete in its "window" they probably can't afford to have Homer figuring it out again over another season as a starter when they might get a better deal considering him as a closer or packaging him in a deal. I've been a big fan and Homer hopeful. And I think he could still be a very good starter, very soon - or at least a useful member of a revamped rotation. But I don't think the Reds can hedge any more: If they're betting on Homer, then they need to trade away some other youngish starter to help fill in a gap. But if he's a #5 starter next year, I don't think they can afford to keep him in the same rotation with Bronson Arroyo? LINEUP: Phillips 2BLewis LFVotto 1BBruce RFFrazier 3BStubbs CFHanigan CJanish SSBailey RHP