Okay, so I decided a while back to try and get a handle on figuring out how the Reds might do in their upcoming games. It wasn’t about making money or anything, just more for my own interest, you know? See if I could get a feel for the team’s rhythm.
First thing I did was pretty basic. I pulled up their schedule. Just wanted to see who they were playing, where the games were – home or away makes a difference, feels like. Simple stuff to start.
Digging In a Bit
Then I started looking into the players more. I’m not talking deep sabermetrics or anything fancy. Just started checking out who was hitting well recently, who was in a slump. Same for the pitchers – looking at their last few starts, ERA, that kind of thing. Nothing complicated.
Made a point to check the injury report almost every day. That stuff’s crucial. A key guy out can change the whole outlook for a game, or even a whole series. Found myself spending a good chunk of time just keeping track of who was healthy and who was on the IL.
I also started looking at how the team was doing overall. Were they on a winning streak? Losing streak? How were they scoring runs, were the pitchers keeping runs down? Just trying to get a general sense of the team’s current form.
My So-Called Method
Now, my actual “process” for guessing the outcome? It’s probably not what you’d call scientific. It’s really just me looking at a few things.
- The starting pitchers are huge. I always look at who’s on the mound for both teams.
- Recent performance, like I said. Both the team’s and key players’.
- Injuries – always gotta check that list.
- Sometimes I glance at how they played against that specific opponent earlier in the season, if they have.
After looking at all that, I mostly just go with my gut. I put the pieces together in my head, maybe jot down a few notes. Sometimes I’d throw stuff in a basic spreadsheet just to see it laid out, but often it was just thinking it through. Watched enough baseball over the years, sometimes you just get a feeling.
Hitting the Wall
Man, I found out quickly that predicting baseball games is tough. Like, really tough. You think you have a good read on a game, all the signs point one way, and then bam! The underdog pitcher throws a gem, or the bats just completely disappear. It happens all the time.
It felt kinda chaotic, actually. Some days you’d feel smart, get a few calls right. Other days, it felt like everything went the opposite way. Baseball’s just unpredictable like that. One weird bounce, one bad inning, and the whole game flips. You can’t put that in a spreadsheet.
Where I Landed
So, after doing this for a while, I kinda relaxed my approach. I realized trying to be perfect was pointless and just took the fun out of it. It’s baseball; crazy stuff is supposed to happen.
I still look at the same basic info before games, mostly focusing on the pitching matchups and who’s hot or cold. It’s become part of how I follow the team now. It makes watching the games more engaging for me, thinking about why things might be playing out the way they are.
It’s less about being right and more about enjoying the process, following the Reds closely through the ups and downs of the season. Keeps me connected to the team, and honestly, that’s the main reason I started doing it anyway.
