Numerous miscues will have Reds fans questioning Terry Francona's attention to detail

The Cincinnati Reds are just three games into the 2025 season, but with future Hall of Famer Terry Francona at the helm, fans were hoping to see some changes from the team's undisciplined approach that haunted the club under David Bell's leadership. Unfortunately, it's been more of the same at the outset, and Reds fans are obviously frustrated with their new skipper.

Francona has forgotten more baseball than 95% of Reds fans will ever know, but that does not mean he's above criticism. One of the main reasons Reds Country was so excited to have Tito in the dugout was his perceived no-nonsense approach to the game centered around the fundamentals and holding players accountable.

In two of the first three games, base running gaffes — something that frustrated the Reds fanbase in 2024 — have killed would-be rallies, and may be the difference between Cincinnati being 1-2 and potentially 3-0 to open the season.

Reds fans are questioning Terry Francona's attention to detail after multiple mistakes on the base paths

On Opening Day, Reds left fielder Gavin Lux foolishly tried to go first to third on an RBI base hit that should have had runners at first and second with one out in the bottom of the third inning. Instead, Lux's base running mistake resulted in the former Los Angeles Dodger being thrown out at third base by about fifteen feet. The Reds next batter struck out and the inning was over.

On Sunday, another base running error happened in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Reds had runners on second and third with one out and Santiago Espinal at the dish. The Reds right fielder hit a soft ground ball to the left side, and Jacob Hurtubise inexcusably bolted from second to third.

San Francisco Giants' third baseman Matt Chapman wisely fielded the ball cleanly, tagged out Hurtubise, then threw on to first in time to get Espinal. Blake Dunn — the runner at third base — crossed home plate, but the double play nullified the run and the Reds faced a three-run deficit heading into the ninth inning. Had Hurtubise read the ball off the bat, and not immediately broke for third, the Reds would have narrowed the lead to just two runs with Elly De La Cruz due up next.

These were the types of mistakes that Francona was supposed to fix. It's just three games, but there seems to be little difference in the results from the Reds' current coaching regime and the one that was dismantled after the 2024 season.

Francona spoke to the media about these mistakes after the game. "When they make a base running mistake, we address it, talk to them and tell them why so we try not to do it again," Francona said. Reds fans are hopeful that Lux and Hurtubise have already learned from their mistakes, but if it happens again, the fanbase will be interested to see the fallout.

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