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By Sara Normand
Dear Danny Graves,
Danny, Danny, Danny. You've really done it now haven't you. Is this what you wanted? But Thank you for your eight years of service to the Cincinnati Reds before getting “designated for assignment.” Within 10 days, you’ll either be traded or released. I’m sorry it had to come down to this after you’ve been on the team longer than anyone except for Sean Casey. I’m sorry you blamed the fans for your struggles in the closer role. You never were the same after the Reds moved you around from reliever to starter to reliever again. I’m sorry you are a professional athlete, a job that requires toughness, and you let the fans get in your head. I’m sorry you are a closer, a job that requires even more mental toughness, and you still let the fans get in your head. I’m sorry you couldn’t handle getting booed by the fans, who are not by any means stupid. I’m sorry you lost confidence in your ability. Actually, I’m sorry you just lost your ability altogether. You weren’t pitching well at all—did you not know that? Did someone ever tell you that your ERA was 7.76? I don’t care if you have the all-time saves record for the Reds. You never got those saves without giving up a couple runs first. You were supposed to be a leader. How many leaders criticize fans for just doing their job? At least they were doing theirs because you were not doing yours. If they don’t like something they’re going to do something about it. If you didn’t like how you were pitching why didn’t you do something about it? Managers can only do so much in the leadership role. The players can make a difference. You were supposed to be a leader. How many leaders give fans obscene gestures when things don’t go their way? Oh wait, that’s what you did.
You know, I used to admire you. You were the “baby-faced assassin.” You won us games, but now you just took us right out of them, as was the case on Sunday against the Indians. Tell me whose fault it is that your fastball isn’t fast anymore and your sinker doesn’t sink anymore. Tell me whose fault it is that you hang pitches straight down the middle. Of course, it has to be the fans’ fault. After all, they were just sitting in their seats watching the events unfold. At least you have one thing going for you—you didn’t give up a home run to a pitcher from an American League team (C.C. Sabathia of the Indians) like Ramon Ortiz did. Sabathia didn’t bat all year and could still send it over the wall against us. Maybe I’m just uninformed. Are we trying to go for the record for the most home runs given up ever and I didn’t know about it?
Now it’s not all your fault that the Reds stink with a 15-28 record. It’s a shame that barely anyone attends games anymore. I bought a $5 ticket for Friday’s game against the Indians and sat in the 10th row behind first base because of the many empty seats. It used to be a struggle to get tickets for this series and fans used to love Cincinnati baseball. It’s a shame that we can’t win with great players like Sean Casey. It’s a shame that in the month of May we have only won five times. It’s also a shame that this is the way you had to leave town and on such a bad note with the city. I hope some other team gives you work. In fact, I hope some other National League team gives you work so the Reds will face you. Maybe you’ll be given the nod in the 9th inning to close it out against us, and we’ll score six runs off you and you’ll only get one out. Maybe your time has passed and you should go join the Washington Nationals in the front office. I’m sure you’d find a place there along other former Reds Barry Larkin, Frank Robinson, Jose Guillen, Jose Rijo, Jim Bowden, Jose Cardenal, and Bob Boone. It’s basically Reds purgatory. That’s when you go when your career in Cincinnati is finished. Try it out and leave your $6.25 million salary for this season behind. We need the money to find some other pitchers who can get more than one out when they’re called on. If you wanted to right your wrongs with us, let us keep that money. Yet General Manager Dan O’Brien said they made this decision to let you go for baseball performance reasons, but the fans were no longer on your side. I find it hard to believe that your run-in with them doesn’t have anything to do with it.
Farewell. Good luck. Invest in some earplugs next time.
Sincerely,
“Still-A-Reds-Fan” Sara Normand
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