The Ups And Downs Of Baseball's Big 162

Most people think the manager of a Major League teams hold emotional meetings every day with win-it-for-the-Gipper like speeches in the hour before games,  Baseball players don't run out of a tunnel to the dugout slapping a sign with inspirational slogans.

Baseball is an every day grind with more routine than emotion.  The goals are more incremental than big picture in a 162-game season.

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“I actually said to our club six weeks ago, let’s go catch that fourth-place club,” Riggleman said. “Then after that, let’s go get that third-place club. It’s fun to scoreboard watch and see what the club is doing ahead of you. I’ve gotten away from that lately as we fell down so far. As we’ve picked it up, I probably will start looking closer at that.  You're not going to catch the first place team in the next week."

The Reds are currently the hottest team in the National League over the last 10 games at 8-2.  The Reds are 23-18 since May 8.

“I talked to the club a great deal the first month, then mostly after games to review some things that happened to get their attention,” Riggleman said. “I’ve gotten away from that lately because it’s too much. It gets kind of like ‘Jim, again with the talk?’. I kind of leave them alone.”

 The Reds winning though has nothing to do with the less frequent talks.

“Winning some ballgames always makes people feel a little upbeat,” Riggleman said. “The nature of the business is you don’t allow yourself to enjoy the wins as much as you agonize over the losses, that’s just the nature of most managers.”

The Cubs manager Joe Maddon is on the same page as Riggleman.  Maddon likes to watch TV show the Office in his down time, listen to the oldies.  Just like a normal working man.  The day-to-day grind changes.

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"We took two out of three from the Dodgers and we're the best team since '27 Yankees," Maddon said.  "We beats you up for three days and it's gloom and doom.  I can not live my life that way."

The key is maintaining a cohesive group.

"All teams go through those (hard times) or will go through them," Maddon said.  "It's about making sure you maintain emotional intelligence among the group.  You make sure nobody start evaluating the wrong way or people going off on tangents for the wrong reasons. That's the detrimental point.  It is part of this.  You can't be afraid to lose, to win."

Slumps and hot streaks come and go during a season.

"It happens every year," Maddon said.  "When I was with the Rays, losing seven in a row before the All-Star break in 2008 or the time we went through a couple years ago in Pittsburgh, when guys were on empty, It happen last year.  It happens.  That's when you've got to keep the group together.  You adhere to what you believe in and not go off on tangents.  That's the test.  You have to pass the test of staying together."

Maddon does see a positive trend brewing with the Reds, whose record of 31-45 is jaded by a 3-17 start.

"I really believe people should start paying attention to that team (Reds)," Maddon said.  "That's a good team.  I didn't realize they've won nine out of 11 until somebody told me that.  I've been a big fan of their players on the field.  They just needed to match it up on the mound. They've gotten better.  The next thing is to do something with their bench, then heads up.  They've got something going on.  It's not bad."

Cue the out take to John Prine's "That's The Way The World Goes Round."

"That's the way the world goes round.
One day you're up the next your down.
There's a half an inch of water and you think you're gonna drown.
That's the way the world goes round."