It’s been hard. It’s been painful. It’s been almost a helpless situation.

No, I’m not talking about any natural disaster like the flooding in Texas. I’m talking about another kind of storm known better as the Cincinnati Reds.

Have you watched the Reds this season? It’s very, very frustrating. And if it’s frustrating to watch, imagine if you are one of the players or coaches.

That might explain some of manager Bryan Price’s tirades against the media and umpires. Price has to be feeling the pressure. You can’t fire the whole team, but you can fire the guy who is in charge.

Price is scheduled to be one of the coaches for the National League All-Star team when the game is played in Cincinnati July 16. It could very well be his last game in the home dugout.

It’s not Price’s fault Billy Hamilton is batting .214 or that Homer Bailey was injured and lost for the season. It won’t be his fault when the Reds deal the unsigned pitching ace Johnny Cueto to the Boston Red Sox. Nor is it his fault Devin Mesoraco has to play catcher in bubble wrap in order to stay in the lineup.

The Reds have some really good young talent, especially their pitchers. Outfielder Jesse Winkler has been compared to Jay Bruce with one exception: he doesn’t strike out much and his batting average is over the .300 mark.

The Reds aren’t saying it out loud, but they are building for the future. They’re tricking fans into thinking they can contend this year in order to keep the stands from going empty before August.

Let’s face it, they tried to patch the starting rotation with Jason Marquis who has more of a chance of getting a bigger contract from Social Security than the Reds’ front office.

This team needs hitters to perform, especially with runners on base. This team needs a bullpen like the one they had two years ago. This team needs a consistent starting rotation.

In other words, this team needs help. And that is why we offer this song that could be their current battle cry. It’s a parody of a John Lennon penned Beatles’ song appropriately called “Help!”

 

Help! I need some players.

Help! Not just good hitters.

Help! You know we need some pitching

Help!

 

When we were better, so much better than today.

We never needed other players’ help in anyway.

But Rose and Bench are gone, the Red Machine’s a blur.

This team is playing sick and no one has found a cure.

 

(Chorus)

Help them if you can they’re going down.

And I do appreciate fans who stuck around.

Help the pitchers last longer on the mound.

Won’t you please, please help me.

 

And now the lineup has changed in oh so many ways.

Price sees his job about to vanish in the haze.

But ev’ry now and then they show a ray of hope.

But I know all they’ll do is find a brand new way to choke.

 

(Chorus)

Help them if you can they’re going down.

And I do appreciate fans who stuck around.

Help the pitchers last longer on the mound.

Won’t you please, please help me.

Help me, help meee. Oooo.

 

I wonder if the Red Cross could help stop this kind of bleeding.

—

Jim Walker is sports editor of The Ironton Tribune.